In two significant passages of the biblical text — verses 1:9–16 and 3:7–22 — the Plimpton manuscript completely replaces the original translation of the English Apocalypse with the later Wycliffite Later Version (LV), to make a uniquely blended Apocalypse text (see Introduction, p. 3). The Plimpton version of these passages, which borrow from the LV, is shown on the lefthand page below. The paragraph numbers correspond to those in the main text of this edition; see the footnotes in the main text for glosses.

Columbia University MS Plimpton Add. 03

Chapter 1

prose-textblock5[fol. 204r] [9] I, Joon, youre brother and partener in tribulacioun and kingdom and pacience in Crist Jhesu, was in an yle that is clepid Pathmos, for the word of God and for the witnessing of Jhesu. [10] Y was in spirit in the Lordis dai and Y herde bihynde me a grete vois as of a trumpe [11] seiynge to me, “Write thou in a book that thing that thou seest and sende to the sevene chirchis that ben in Asie: to Efesus, to Smirma and to Pergamus and to Tiatira and to Sardis and to Philadelfia and to Loadicia.”

[. . . ]

prose-textblock7[12] And Y turnede that Y shulde se the vois that spak with me, and Y turnede and Y say sevene candilstikis of gold. [13] And in the myddil of the sevene goldun candilstickis, oon lyk to the sone of man clothid with a long garment and gird at the tetis with a goldun gyrdil. [14] And the heed of hym and his heeris weren whyte as whyte wolle and as snow, and the iyen of hym as flawme of fier, [15] and hise feet lyk to latoune as in a brennynge chymeney, and the vois of hym as the vois of many watris. [16] And he hadde in his right hond sevene sterris, and a swerd sharp on ever either syde wente out of his mouth, and his face as the sunne schyneth in his vertu.

Chapter 3

prose-textblock4[fol. 206v] [7] “And to the aungele of the chirche of Filadelfie, write thou thes thingis, seith the holi and trewe that hath the keiye of David, the whiche openeth and no man closith; he closith and no man openeth. [8] I wot thi werkis, and lo I gaf bifor thee a dore opened, the whiche no man mai close. For thu hast a litel vertu and hast kept my word and denyedist not my name. [9] Lo, I shal gyve to thee of the synagoge of Sathanas, the whiche seyne hem to ben Jewes and ben not, but lien. Lo, I schal maken hem that thai come and worschepe biforn thi feet, and thei shal wite for I lovede thee, [10] for thu keptist the word of my pacience. And I shal kepe thee fro the oure of temptacioun that is to comen into alle the world to tempten men dwellende in erthe.

prose-textblock5[11] “Lo, I come soone. Holde that thu hast that no man take thi coroune. [12] And hym [fol. 207r] that shal overcome I shal make a piler in the temple of my God, and he shal no more go out, and I shal write on hym the name of my God and the name of the cité of my God, of new Jerusalem that cometh doun fro heven of my God, and my newe name.”

[. . . ]

prose-textblock7[14] “And to the aungele of the chirche of Loadice, writ thou these thinges, seith Amen that is verili the feithfulle witnesse and trewe, the whiche is the bigynnynge of Goddis creature. [15] I wott thi werkis, for nether thou art colde, nether thou art hote. I wolde that thou were coold ether hoot. [16] But for thou art lewe and neither cold neither hote, I schal bigyne for to cast thee out of my mouthe. [17] For thou seist that ‘I am riche and ful of goodis and I have no nede of no man,’ and thou woost not for thou art a wrecche and wreccheful, and thu art pore and blynde and nakid. [18] I counsele thee for to bie of me gold firid and preved that thou be maad riche and be clothid with whiyte clothis that the confusioun of thi nakidnesse appere not. And anoynte thyn iyen with a colerie, that is medicyne for iyen gaderid of dyverse eerbis that thou see.

prose-textblock8[19] “Whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Therfor sue or love and do penaunce. [20] Lo, I stonde at the dore and knoke. If any man schal here my vois and opene the gate, I schal entre to him and soupe [fol. 207v] with hym and he with me.

prose-textblock9[21] “I shal gyven to hym that shal overcome to sitten with me in my trone, as I overcam and satt with my Fader in his trone. [22] He that hath eris, here what the spirit shal seyn to chirchis.”

The original translation of the English Apocalypse as it appears in two of its earliest manuscripts is shown on the righthand page below. The producer of the Plimpton manuscript may have had access to these passages in the original translation but decided for unknown reasons to replace them with passages from the Wycliffite LV (shown on the lefthand page). The paragraph numbers correspond to those in the main text of this edition; see the Textual Notes (which reproduce these passages with their original Middle English characters) for glosses.

British Library MS Harley 874

Chapter 1

prose-textblock5a[fol. 2b] [9] Ich, Johan, youre brother and partinere in tribulaciouns and duelle in pacience in Jhesu Crist, was in an yle of the see that is cleped Pathmos and was exiled for Goddes wordes and for I bare witnesse of Jesu Crist. [10] And on a Sonenday, in gost Ich herd a grete voice biside me as it were the soune of a trumpe [11] that seide to me, “Write in the book that thou seest and sende it to the seven chirches of Asye, that is to wyte to Ephesie, Smirme, Pargame, Tiatire, Carde, Philadelphe, & Laodice.”

[. . . ]

prose-textblock7a[fol. 3a] [12] And I tourned me to see the voice that spaak to me, and I seigh seven candelstickes. [13] On that semed the maidens son that was clothed in an aube righth unto the erthe and gird under his tittes with a girdel of golde. [14] His heued and his here was white as wolle and as snow, and his eiyen as flaume of fyre, [15] and his feet as gleedes brennande. His voice was as voice of many watres, [16] and he had in his righth honde seven sterres, and out at his mouthe com a swerd kervyng on both parties. And his visage was as the sonne whan it shyneth brighttest.

Cambridge University Magdalene College MS Pepys 2498

Chapter 3

prose-textblock4a[fol. 230b] [7] “Unto the chirche of Philadelphe, write this, seith he that that seith, the holy and sothfast that hath David the keye that openeth and noman ne schetteth. [8] I wot youre werkes, and hath goven you the dore open that non ne may schetten. Forthi that thou has a litel vertu and haste kepte my word and noughth forsaken my lawe. [9] Loo, I schal give thee the synagog of Sathan that seien that thai ben Jewes and ne ben noughth. And I schal do hem comen and fallen before thi feete in worschipp, and thai schullen witen that thai loven thee. [10] And for that thou hast kepte the comaundementz of pacience, I schal kepe thee fro the temptacioun that schal come overal in the werlde that tempteth hem that wonen in erthe.

prose-textblock5a[11] “Holde that thou hast non ne take thi coroune. [12] And hym that Ich thus overcome, I schal make hym piler in the temple of my God, and the name of my God, and the name of the cité newe Jerusalem that com adoun from hevene, and my newe name.”

[. . . ]

prose-textblock7a[fol. 231a] [14] “Unto the bisschopp of Laodyce, write that seith he that is sooth witnesse writen trewe and verrey. [15] I wot wel thine werkes for thou art neither hot ne colde. [16] Bot for thou art bytwene two, thou makest me to wlaththen [feel nauseated]. I schal bigynne to cast thee out of my mouthe by the fore feete. [17] For thou seist that thou art riche and hast mester [need] of nothing, and thou ne wost that thou art wrecched and pouere and blynde and naked. [18] And forthi I rede that thou bye of my golde tried and proved forto bicome riche, and that thou clothe men in white clothing that thi schame ne schewe noughth that thou art naked. And grese thine eiyen with this oyle forto seen.

prose-textblock8a[19] “I blame and chastise hem that I love. And therfore do penaunce. [20] Stondeth atte the dore and beteth that hereth my voice and openeth me the gate and I schal entre unto hem and make there my sopere with hem and he with me.

prose-textblock9a[21] “He that overcometh I schal do hym sytte by me in my throne as Ich have overcomen and sytt with my Fader. [22] Who that hath eren hereth what the spiryt seith to the chirche.”