fol. 178v Incipit de muliere Samaritana.

ThoJhesu Crist an eorthe was, mylde weren his dede; Alle heo beoth on Boke iwryten, that me may heom rede. Tho he to monne wes iboren of thare swete Marie And wes to ful elde icumen, he venk to prechie,line5 A lutel tefor the tyme that he wolde deth tholye. He neyleyhte to one bureh that hatte Samarie.

Al so he thiderward, sumthing neyhleyhte. He sende his apostles byvoren, and het heom and tauhte Heore in and heore bilevynge, greythi that heo schulde.line10 Heo duden heore Louerdes hestes ase theines heolde. Al so heo weren agon the apostles everuychone, Jesus at ore walle reste himseolf alone.

Ase he ther reste, ase weri wei were, Thar com gon o wymmon alone buten ivere.line15 Ase heo wes er iwuned, heo com myd hire stene, And Jhesu to thare wymmon bigon his thurst to mene. “Yef me drynke, wymmon,” he seyde myd mylde muthe. Theo wymmon him onswerede al so to mon unkuthe: “Hwat artu that drynke me byst? Thu thinchest of Judelonde?line20 Ne mostu drynke underfo none of myne honde.”

Tho seyde Jhesu Crist: “Wymmon, if thu understode Hwo hit is that drynke byd, thu woldest beon of other mode — Thu woldest bidde that he the yeve drynke that ilast evere;fol. 179r The that ene drynketh therof ne schal him thurste nevere.”

line25 “Louerd,” tho seyde the wymmon, “yef me tharof to drynke That ich ne thurve more to thisse welle swynke.” Heo nuste hwat heo mende; heo wes of wytte poure. Heo nuste noht that heo spek of than Holy Gostes froure.

“Sete adun,” queth Jhesu Crist, “wymmon, thine stene.line30 Go and clepe thine were and cumeth hider ymene.” “I nabbe,” heo seyde, “nenne were. Ich am myseolf alone. Nabbe ich of wepmonne nones kunnes ymone.”

“Wel thu seyst,” quath Jhesu Crist, “were that thu navest nenne. Fyve thu havest ar thisse iheued, and yet thu havest enne,line35 And the that thu nuthe havest, and hevedest summe throwe — He is another wyves were, more than thin owe.”

“Louerd,” heo seyde, “hwat art thu? Ich wot, myd iwisse, That thu me havest soth iseyd of alle wordes thisse. Thi of one thinge sey me iredynesse,line40 Bitwene this twam volke, me thuncheth a wundernesse?

For alle theo men that wunyeth in Samaryes tune, Alle heo biddeth heom to Gode anuppe thisse dune; And alle thilke that beoth withinne Jherusaleme, Nohwere bute in the temple ne weneth God iqueme.”

line45 “Ilef me, wymmon,” quath Jhesu Crist, “and tharof beo understonde: That schal cume the ilke day and nu he is neyh honde. That ne beo never the mon in so feorre londe, If he myd swete thouhtes bith that he ne bith understonde — Thah he nouther ne beo anuppe thisse duneline50 Ne in the heye temple of Jerusalemes tune —

Ye nuten hwat ye biddeth that of Gode nabbeth imone, For al eure bileve is on stokke other on stone. Ac theo that God iknoweth heo wyten, myd iwisse, That hele is icume to monne of folke Judaysse.”

line55 “Louerd,” heo seyde, “nu quiddeth men that cumen is Messyas. The King that wurth, and nuthen is and ever yete was —fol. 179v Hwenne he cumeth, he wyle us alle ryhtleche, For he nule ne he ne con nenne mon bipeche.”

“Ich hit am,” quath Jhesu Crist, “that with the holde speche;line60 That Messyas am icleped, and am thes worldes leche.” Mid thon comen from the bureh the apostles everuychone, And wundrede that Jhesu wolde speke with thare wymmon one.

Ah theyh heom thuhte wunder no thing heo ne seyde. Ac the wymmon anon hire stene adun leyde,line65 And orn to thare bureh anon, and dude heom to understonde Of one mihtye wihte that cumen is to londe —

To alle that heo myhte, iseon other ymete, Heo gradde and seyde: “Ich habbe iseye thane sothe prophete! Ich wene wel that hit beo Crist of hwam the prophete sayde.”line70 Thurh Jhesu Cristes milce and thureh his wyssynge, Monye ther bylevede on the heye Kinge, And urnen ut of the bureuh myd wel muchel thrynge, And comen to Jhesu thar he set, and beden his blessynge.

Tho bylevede that folk mucheles the moreline75 For his mylde speche and for his mylde lore, And thus was thes bureuh ared ut of helle sore, And bylevede on Almihty God nuthe and evermore.

fol. 178v Here begins the woman of Samaria.

When Jesus Christ was on earth, his acts were merciful; They’re all recorded in the Bible, where men may read them. When he was born to mankind from blessed Mary And grown to adulthood, he began to preach,line5 A little before the time that he’d suffer death. He approached a town that was called Samaria.

As he went toward it, something approached. He sent his apostles ahead, and bid and directed them To their inn and lodging, that they should arrange it.line10 They performed their Lord’s bidding as loyal disciples. As soon as were gone all of the apostles, Jesus beside a well rested alone by himself.

As he rested there, for the way was tiring, There came a woman alone without companions.line15 As was her usual manner, she came with her earthen pot, And Jesus to the woman began to mention his thirst. “Grant me drink, woman,” he said gently. The woman answered him as if to a stranger: “Who are you who asks drink of me? Are you from Judea?line20 You shouldn’t receive drink at all from my hand.”

Then Jesus Christ said: “Woman, if you understood Who is requesting that drink, you’d change your mind — You’d ask that he give you the drink that lasts forever;fol. 179r Anyone who drinks it will never be thirsty.”

line25 “Lord,” said the woman then, “give me that drink So that I needn’t anymore work at this well.” She didn’t know what he meant; she was poor of wit. She didn’t know that he spoke of the Holy Ghost’s comfort.

“Set down,” said Jesus Christ, “woman, your earthen pot.line30 Go and call your husband and come here together.” “I don’t have,” she said, “any husband. I’m all by myself. I don’t have with a man any contact at all.”

“You say truly,” said Jesus Christ, “that you have no husband. “Five you’ve had before now, and presently you have one,line35 And he whom you now have, you’ve had for some time — He is another woman’s husband, more than your own.”

“Lord,” she said, “who are you? I know, with certainty, That you’ve told the truth about me in all these words. About one thing will you give me an explanation,line40 Between two peoples, which seems curious to me?

All men who live in the city of Samaria, They all pray to God upon this mountain; And all those who are in Jerusalem, Only in the temple think it pleasing to God.”

line45 “Believe me, woman,” said Jesus Christ, “and learn from this: That very day will come and now it’s near at hand. Whatever faraway land a man might be in, If he sincerely prays for what he doesn’t understand — Whether he be on this mountainline50 Or in the high temple of Jerusalem city —

You don’t know what you pray for unless you’re joined with God, For all your belief is in sticks or in stones. But those who know God recognize, with certainty, That salvation comes to mankind from the Jewish people.”

line55 “Lord,” she said, “now men say that the Messiah has come. The King that shall be, and now is and ever yet was —fol. 179v When he comes, he will rectify us all, For he will not and cannot deceive anyone.”

“I am he,” said Jesus Christ, “who speaks with you;line60 I am called the Messiah, and am the world’s physician.” Then from the town came all the apostles, Who marveled that Jesus would speak with the woman alone.

But marvelous to them was no thing that he said to her. Yet the woman quickly put down her earthen pot,line65 And quickly ran to town, and made them understand That a powerful man has arrived on earth —

To all whom she might, seen or met, She cried out and said: “I’ve seen the true prophet! I know well that it is Christ of whom the prophet spoke.”line70 By Jesus Christ’s mercy and by his teaching, Many there believed in the high King, And ran out of the town in a great throng, And came to Jesus where he sat, and sought his blessing.

Then those people believed the more deeplyline75 Because of his merciful speech and his merciful teaching, And thus was this town delivered out of painful hell, And believed in Almighty God now and forever.