Dominica iiii. in Adventu Domini secundum Johannem.1 Miserunt Judei ab Jerosolymis Sacerdotes et Levitas ad Johannem ut interrogarent eum: Tu quid es. Et confessus est, et non negavit: et confessus est: Quia non sum ego Cristus. Et interrogaverunt eum. et cetera.2
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 285 290 295 300 305 310 315	Today sais Jon, the god Godspellere, In our Godspel, als ye mai here, That Jowes thair messager send Tille Jon the Baptist, for thai wend That he havid ben Crist, for he Baptized al that baptized wald be. Thir messagers Sain Jon fand, And said til Sain Jon thair erand. Bot first quat he was, askid thai, And he igain to thaim gan sai: “Crist that ye sek am I noht,” And thus he schewed quat thai thoht, For thai wend wel that he havid ben Crist, that baptized folc biden. Thai asked yef he war Elye, Or man that couthe of prophecye. And he ansuerd and said nay, Bot quat he was, he gan thaim say: “Ic am,” he said, “a criand stevin, I bid you mac the gates evin To Crist, als said Saint Ysaye, For Cristes messager es I.” Thir messagers was Pharisenes, That “sundered men” on Englys menes. Thai war sundered of comun lif, And wit Sain Jon gan thai to strife, And said, “Sine thou ert noht Elye, No Crist, no prophet, sai us quye Baptizes thou tha folc biden, And makis thaim of sinne clen?” And Sain Jon ansuerid thanne: “I mai noht baptize bot als manne, For Goddhed haf I in me nan, Bot Goddes sun manhed havis tan; And you wit water baptiz I, He sal baptiz you gastily, Imang you wonand he isse, Bot ye no knaw him noht, iwisse, He es Crist that bifor me Was Godd, and es, and ai sal be. He es sa god and derworthi, That I meself es noht worthi Bifor him for to sit on knes, The binding of his scho to les.” Betani was cald that land Thar Sain Jon was than baptizand, Quen thir Jowes til him yed, To spir of him and of his dede. This es the strenketh of our Godspelle, Als man wit Englis tung kan telle. In this Godspelle mai we wel knawe Gret meknes in Sain Jones sawe, For thar man wend that he war Crist, He wald that thai the sothe wist, And granted son that he was noht The Lauerd that thai thar soht. Her may ye alle ensampel tak, Ongart and rosing to forsak, For mani man him better mas Than he es in ilke place, And geres men wen that he be Mar worthé than other thre: He roses him of his cumly kinde, He wenes his mak mai na man find, He wald be haldin derworthi Thoru hendelaic and curtaisy; His wordes mas him man ful hend, Wit lesing serves he the fend, That sal him rewli rif at eend, Bot he amende hym ore he wende. Thus did noht Sain Jon the Baptist, For he said that he was noht Crist. Cristes nam wald he noht tak, No bettir than he was him mak. Haf we forthi in word meknes, Als Sain Jon havid in wildernes; Mak we us bettir noht than we er, For Godd no mai we nangat der. In our Godspelle wille we se yete, Qui Sain Jon him prophet nitte, And said, “Prophet nan am I,” Als qua sai, I openly Ken you till him of quaim I spek, That salle the fendes bandes brek; Bot sua did never prophet are, Forthi bird you trou me the mare, For ic am selven in wildernes To graithe the gat of rihtwisnes. Als qua sai, Crist cries in me, And biddes al folc rihtwis be, For rihtwis gates graithes he That loues Godd in Trinité, Bathe in thoht and word and dede, For this gat ledis man to mede; And in this gat mai thai wel sped That wille thair lif in lewté led. That es at say, if man till nehbor do, That he wald he did him to. This es the gat that Sain Jon kend, Sinful mannes lif to mend. This es the gat of rihtwisnes, That ledes man til joi and pes. Yef we hald us in this gate Ful redi sal we haf inlate Into that blis that lastes ay, For thider ledes Godes way. Gern prayed Davy the prophet, That God suld wisse him to that stret, And said, “Lauerd, thou scheu me The wai that ledes man to thee.”    Forthi I red we hald this gate, Ai til we cum til hevin yate. This gat biddes Sain Jon us grathe Wit ded, and lef the waies laythe That ledes man til pin of hel, Als Crist us schawes in our Godspel. Thar he sais, “Brad es that gat that ledes Til hel, wit sin and wik dedis, This gat es stany and thornye Wit covaitys, and glotounye, Wit prid, and nithe and licherye, And mani foles gas tharbye.” And forthi I red wel that we leete This gat, and tak the hey strete, That ledis god men full evene Wit penanz to the blis of hevin. Bot Satenas our wai will charre, Forthi bihoves us bewarre That we ga bi na wrange sties, For Satenas ful gern us spies. For ef this thef mai us met Out of this forsayd hey stret, He bes ful redi, als outlawe, To harl us into wod schawe, And mak us bathe nakid and nais. Als Sain Gregorie us says: Ilk dai mak we a jorné Till hevin, ef we god men be. Bot in our gat lis Satenas Wit his felawes, als thef in pas, And spies ful gerne ef we straye, And haldes noht the riht way. That es at sai, ef we lef Riht livelad, he mai us ref Meknes, faithe, and chastité, Buxumnes, and charité, And yef he haf of us pousté, He wil ref us al our lewté, And led us in that werid waye, That ledis men ware sorow es ay. Of this wai riht nou I spake, Forthi I red we it forsak, And hald we us in rihtwisnes, That riht gat tillward hevin es. Bot for I said that Satenas Waites us als thef in pas, I wille you tel of a pilgrim, Hou Satenas bigiled him.    It was a man als ic herd say, That til Sain Jamis hit the way, And that day that he suld wend, He mad a fest til al his frend. Fel auntour that he was sa gladde, That Satenas mad him ful madde, And gert him dedeli sinne Wit a womman, that was tharinne. Quen he havid his sin don, Apon his way he went him son, And he that gert him falle in blam, Met him in liknes of Sain Jam, And askid him quider he wald wende, Bot he wist noht it was the fende, And said, “I mac mi vaiage, Til Sain Jam in pilgrimage.” The fend ansuerd and said sone, “No wat thou noht quat thou havis done In licheri igaines me? Ic es Saynte Jame that spekis wit thee, Thou ert unworthi me to seke, Thi vayage es noht worthe a leke. Wend thou thi sin fra me to hide? Quen thou it did, I was biside. Thi vaiage may noht pai me, Bot ef thou do that I bid thee.” This man wend that he Sain Jam ware, And said, “Lauerd, ic am al yare For to be boxom you to. And do al that ye sai me to.” “Ga swithe,” he said,” and geld thee, That I thi repentanze mai se, And scher thi thort in tua riht son, For havis thou mi wille don; And quen thou havis thiselvin slan, Til hevin salle I ger thee be tane.” This pilgrim wend to pai Sain Jam, And did himselvin mikel scham: And he schar al awai ful rathe, His members and his penndanz bathe, And sithen he schar his throt in tua. And son quen he hafede don sua, Satanas was ful redie, And tok that sawel gredilye, And mad ful gret joi of his prai, And tilward helle he tok the wai. Sain Peter and Sain Jam him mette, And bathe thai gan his wai to lette, And Sain Jam said to the fend: “Quider wil to wit mi pilgrim wend?” And he ansuerd and said, “Til helle, Thar he sal for his sinnis duel, For he was his awen ban, Forthi in him part haf ye nan, Wit riht and resoun he es mine, To wend wit me til helle pine.” Than ansuerd Sain Jam for his man, And said, “Thou lies, traytour Satan, Thou wat wel, thef, thou havis the woh, For in my nam himself he sloh, He wend wel that thou havid ben I, Quen thou gert him do his folye; In deed was he til me bowxom, And forthi sal he wit me com.” The fend said, “That mai noht be, Wit riht and law mai thou se That he es min thoru jogement, For quen he on his vayage went, He filed his sawel dedelye Wit the filth of licherye; And sithen wit his awen knife He set him selvin of his life. Wy, sai me, Jam, on quatkin wisse Moht he mar dey in mi servise?3 Loc quether I wit riht and lawe, May him wit me til helle drawe?” Sain Jam ansuerd and said him to: “Wrang no wille I nan thee do, Bot yef we wil the sothe treye, Gon we til dom of our Leuedye, And als scho demes sal it be, For that es riht als think me.” And Sain Peter, his felawe Said, “This think me right and lawe; Mari,” he said, “es god justise, Scho wil do wrang on nane wyse.”    Quen thai com bifor ur Leuedye, Scho demid son wit hir mercye: At that sawel til the bodie Suld turn, and penance do worthi; And said, “This sawel, als it nou isse, Mai nangat cum til hevin blis, Ar it be clensed in bodye Of sin, wit penanze worthi. Forthi for jugement gif I, That it turn til the bodye, And clens it wit penanze, And yem it sithen fra meschanze.” The fend for this dom was sarie, And ille payed that our Leuedye Havid reft him wit riht jogement That man that he wit gil had schent.    Quen this sawel was cumen igain To the bodi, this man was fain, And monc in Cluny he him yald, And this tal til his abbot tald, Hou he was schent thoru gilri, And saved thoru our Leuedi. Georard he hiht, and fra that tim That Satenas hafd gabbed him, Hali man he was and god, And servid Godd wit miht and mod; Bot thar his throt was scorn wit knif, A red merk was al his lif, And thar his members was bifore, Havid he noht sithen bot a bore.    Bi this tale har may we se, That wis and warr bihoves us be, That Sathanas ne ger us rayk Fra rihtwisnes, to sinful laik, For yef he find us out of stret, He bindes us bathe hand and fete: That es at say, ef he us find In dedeli sin, he may us bind Wit wik will, and ger us wend Fra sin to sin, and sua us schend. For als he gert this pilgrim ga Fra sin to sin, and himself sla, Sua gers he man ga gastilye, Fra glotouny to licherye, Fra lychery to covaytye, And sua to prid and envye, And at the last in his prisoun He dos him, als thef in prisoun, Quen he gers him in wanhop falle — For wanhop his prisoun I calle, For qua sa cumes anes tharinne, Tharof may he noht lihtli winne; For qua deyes in that prisoun, His sawel es broht til a donjoun, Thar it witouten end sal lend, Wit al faas, witouten frend; For it bes felaw wit the fend, That snellik sal it scham and schend, And quen this werd bes broht til end, Than sal the bodi thider wend, Wit that sari sawel to lend, Thar wormes sal it rewli rend; Thar sal it bi that sari sinne, That it no wald noht hir blinne; That soru mai na tung telle, That it sal drey wit fendes felle. Hald we us forthi in stret, That Satenas may us noht met, That es at sai, in rihtwisnes, Quarof Sain Jon in wildernes Spac, and bad us graythe that way That ledis man til gamen and play. Our Lauerd in this wai us lede Til hevin, and yeld us thar our med. Amen.	thought wanted to be found again seek revealed thought indeed if; Elias; (see note) knew crying voice; (see note) ways; straight Isaias That means “separated men” in English ordinary with; argue Since Nor; why; (t-note) people as a group purified human nature; taken spiritually Among; dwelling indeed ever so good; precious untie Bethany went ask (t-note) recognize words whereas; thought truth acknowledged at once lesson Arrogance; boasting makes himself every makes; think boasts; gracious lineage thinks; equal admirable politeness polite lying cruelly tear apart Unless he make amends before he departs; (t-note) Nor; himself Let us therefore have meekness in our speech Before God may we in no way dare [to do] that denied [that he was a] prophet Direct you shackles thus; before ought; believe I am myself prepare; way praises reward succeed loyalty; lead That which he wishes showed amend readily; entrance Eagerly; David; (see note) guide; path (see note) entrance; (t-note) prepare deeds; abandon; loathsome (see note) broad covetousness; gluttony pride; envy; lechery abandon high road straight; (t-note) change our course we need to beware paths eagerly is; (see note) forest ashamed; (see note) (see note) Every; journey path lies way eagerly; (t-note) keep not to abandon Righteous behavior; deprive us of Obedience power cursed (t-note) advise toward (see note) (see note) made his way feast for It happened drove him out of his wits made him sin mortally James where he was going knew Do you not realize lechery against I am; (t-note) seek leek; (see note) Do you think satisfy Unless thought; (t-note) ready obedient; (t-note) castrate cut your throat in two immediately killed; (see note) make you be taken much (see note) penis; testicles cut as soon as prey hinder Where are you going with my pilgrim because of; dwell; (t-note) own slayer share; none (see note) pain know; blame killed thought; (t-note) made obedient judgment defiled; mortally then killed himself See discover judgment; (see note) judges it seems to me (t-note) in no way That return in no way protect it then from mischance sorry satisfied deprived; (see note) [Of] that man; guile; ruined again glad became a monk at Cluny (t-note) deception was called deceived strength and heart where; cut genitals nothing; hole here we need to be wise and wary make us turn aside; (t-note) play [correct] way wicked intent; make us proceed so destroy us spiritually puts despair; (see note) whoever; once Out of there; escape dwell enemies For it [ the soul] is companion to the devil quickly; destroy world reside fiercely tear apart pay for; wretched would not here cease suffer; cruel Let us remain; path Of which prepare (t-note) [May] our Lord grant; reward

[Homily 5 not included in this edition. See Explanatory Notes.]