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Sayn Mark byginnes his Godspel
Wit wordes that I wil you tel
And tas witnes of Ysaye
That spekes of Crist in prophecye.
This Ysaye than spekes ful even,
In the Fader nam of hevin,
Til Crist of Sayn Johan the Baptiste,
That bodword broht of him that Crist.
“I send,” he says, “My messager
Bifor thi face thi word to ber,
That sal graithe bifor thee the way,
Wit word that he of thee wil say.”
Thir wordes says God Almihty,
Thoru the prophet Malachye,
And als than spekis Ysaie
Of Sayn Jon ful openlye
Thai scheu bathe an wit sere letter,2
Forthi bers us trow thaim the better.
Thay tald hou Sayn Jon the Baptist
Suld graythe the gates bifor Criste,
For Sayn Jon was in wildernes,
And baptized folk in forgifnes
Of sin, and kend thaim the way
Tilward that blis that lastes ay.
For mikel folk of a contré
That our Godspelles kalles Judé
And of Jerusalemes cité,
Com of Sain Jon baptized to be;
Thai schraf thaim of thair sines clen,
And Sayn Jon baptized thaim biden.
In strang penance his life he ledde,
Wit camel hare was he cledde,
Wod hony and froit he ete,
And taht the folk thair sine to bete,
And said, “A stither gom than I,
Efter me sal com in hy,
That es so menscful and mihty,
That I meself es noht worthi
To les the thuanges of his schon,
Sa mikel god thoru him bes don.
For I in water bapptiz you,
Bot apon him aw ye to trow,
For he sal wit the Hali Gaste
Baptiz you and your sinnes waste.”
This es the strenthe of our Godspel,
That man with Englis tung mai telle.
In this Godspel als think me,
Tua thinges may we gastli se.
The first es worsip and louing
Of Jhesu Cristes tocoming.
For it falles to a mihty king,
That messagers word of him bring
Ar he com tille his biging,
Als Sain Jon broht of Crist tithing,
Of quaim Ysay the prophet
Bers witnes wit wordes suet;
And Sain Mark settes his witnes,
In our Godspel als wel worthé es.
The tother thinge that we may se,
In our Godspel als think me,
Than es the gret derworthines
Of precheours that bers witnes
Of this tocom and mas it couthe,
Wit word that comes of thair mouthe;
For thai er Cristes messagers,
Til al that thair sarmoun heres.
Thay telle the folk on quat maner
That mankind was to Godd sa der
That he send his Son us to,
Our aller nedes forto do
That was our Lauerd Crist Jesus,
That was send todey for us.
Forthi bird us in his cuming,
Welcum him als worthi king,
For in hali bok find we
Of Cristes tocuminges thre.
The first was quen he com to tak
Fleis and blod for mannes sak.
He lyhted doun ful mekeli
Into the maiden wamb Mary,
And schop him bodi of hir fleyse,
And dubbed him wit our liknes,
And welk in werld als sinful man,
Bot sinles was he al an;
Wit our licnes bigiled he
The fend that his manhed moht se,
Bot pride made the fend sa blind,
That his Godhed moht he noht find.
He wend that Crist war noht bot man,
And thoru his Godhed was he tan.
Cristes Godhed the fend tok
Als fisce is tan wit bait and hoc;
For his Godhed in fleis was felid
Als hok in bait, quare thoru he telid
The fend that telid our fadir Adam,
And broht mankind in mikel blam;
Haved Satenas wist witerlye
That Criste havid ben Godd almihtye,
For al this werld havid he noht gert,
The Jowes sting him to the hert.
Bot for he sau him noht bot man,
Godhed in him wend he war nan,
Forthi he fanded ithenlye,
To harl him intil his balye.
He wend wel wit him to fare,
Als he havid don with other are;
For quen Crist suelt apon the tre,
His sauel gern spied he,
Yef he moht se or find tharinne,
Any filth or spotte ofe sinne.
And for he fand tharin riht nan,
Als fisc wit hok was he tan.
The fendes miht that was ful stithe,
That he was won bifor to kithe,
Was alle taken in Cristes hand,
That him in hel sa harde band,
That nevermar sal he wend
Out of helle, bot ay thar lend.
And Crist reft him than mani man,
That he fra Crist bifor havid tan.
For son, quen Crist on rod was slain,
He herid hel als mihti thain,
And broht thaim al that war his,
Mihtfullik intill his blis;
His Godhed and his sauel samen,
Broht thaim al fra pin to gamen.
Thus com ur Lauerd Crist us to
To bring us al til rest and ro;
Forthi beres man that ese mad hale,
And blisfully bette of his bale,
Welcom Crist that com to bring
Us til his blis als mighti King.
Nou se ye qui and for quas sake,
Crist com til us our kind to take.
His first com was bodilye,
Bot another est gastilye:
That es quen Crist gifes us wille
His comandmenz to fulfille.
For son, quen we haf wil to do
Al that the precheour says us to,
And feles our hert in charité
Forsothe ful siker mai we be,
That Crist es comen intil our hertes
Gastli, that us til godnes ertes,
Of usself haf we noht bot sin,
Bot quen Crist wirkes us witin,
Than at the first beginne we,
God Cresten men to be,
That may ye se aperteli,
Wit mani ensaumpel witerly,
Namly bi Mari Maudelayn,
That lang haved in sin lain;
Quen Crist com gastly til hir hert,
Ris of hir sinne son he hir gert,
For son, quen scho havid hir tanne
To Crist, scho wex a god womman,
Of hir wil ik aperteli telle,
Yef ye will list and lithe mi spel.
Werldes welthe gert Marie wede,
Quil scho was yong in hir fairhede.
Scho gaf hir hert til sinful play,
And kest hir maidenhed awaiy,
For rifli gers werldes win
Thir fair wimmen fal in sin.
Scho lived hir lif in licherye,
Ai til Crist haved of hir mercie;
He com til hir hert gastelye,
And gert hir leve al hir folie.
Sco umthot hir quat scho haved tint,
And igain sin gan scho stint.
Hir rewed of hirself ful sare,
And haved for hir sin slic kare
That nane that hers spek of Marie
Thar haf wanhop of Godes mercie;
For do man never sa mikel sin,
And he wil his sin blin,
Godd of hevin es ai redi,
For to haf of him mercie.
That was sen in the Maudelayn,
That burd mak sinful man ful fain.
Sain Louk the god Godspeller,
Telles us on quat maner,
That this ilc sinful Marye,
Gat forgifnes and mercie.
He sais that in that ilk toun,
Woned a man that hiht Symoun,
Thar Mary woned that tim that scho
Hafd will penanz forto do.
This ilk Simonde was mesel,
Bot Crist hafd gifen him his hel;
He hafd inoh quarof to lif,
And almous to the pouer gif.
Fel auntour that he prayd Crist
To eet wit him at his biwist,
And Crist that seknes fra him kest,
Com and eet wit him als gest;
And son, quen Mari herd telle,
That Crist sudd to the meet thar duelle,
Sco com thar Crist himselven sete,
And sua sar than gun scho grete,
That wit teres sco wes his fete,
That scho of hir eyen lete.
Scho wiped his feet wit hir hare,
And kissed thaim wit suetli suare,
And blotned thaim wit smersles suete,
That al feled suetnes that thar sete.
Scho havid boht this oinment
To smer hir auen bodi gent,
To mak suet smelland hir bodye,
Quil scho haunted hir folye.
This Symond, of quaym I spak are,
Biheld this womman lufli fare,
And thoht that yef Crist war prophet,
Him bird wit qua handeles his fet;
Als qua say, him bird wit that scho
War noht worthi this dede to do,
For sin mas hir unworthi,
To nehe him that sud be hali.
And als Symond thoht this,
Crist wist quat he thoght, iwis,
And said, “Symond, tak yem to me,
Ik haf sumthing to spek wit thee.”
Simond ansuerd and said him tille,
“Sai on, Maister, quat es thi wille.”
And Crist sette him ensaumpel than,
And said it was a riche man,
This riche man havid dettours fel,
And sum war fals and sum war lele.
A man haht him fifty penis,
Another an honderet or the prise,
And nauther haved penis forto yeld,
And he kid thaim curtaysi and beld,
And forgaf thaim thair dette bathe,
Witouten stez, witouten schathe:
Quether of thir tua lufd him mar?
And Symond ansuerd Crist ful yar,
And said, “He quaym he mar forgafe,
Wit riht mar lufe sudd til him hafe.”
And Crist said, “Thou havis demid riht,
For thus fars dette of sinful pliht;
I com hider in als uncouthe man,
Water to min fet bedd thou nan.
And this womman havis wasced mi fet,
Wit salt teres that sco gret,
And hir hevid havis scho mad al bare,
And wiped min fet wit hir hare;
Thou kissed me noht sin I com ine,
To kis min fet can scho noht blin;
Forthi es hir forgiven hir sin,
For mikel luf that scho kidd herin.
The les that man luves me,
The les sin mai him forgiven be,
Bot for hir luf es til me lele
I forgif hir sinnes ful fele.
Ga,” he said, “womman, in pes,
For al thi sinnes forgiven es.”
This tal haf I tald you,
To scheu on quat maner and hou,
That quen Crist cumes intil our hertes,
To lef our sin he us ertes,
And gers us ask him forgivenes,
Of al our sinnes mar and les.
His first tocom was bodili
Quen he was born of our Lefdi,
For than he com in fles and bane
For to hel sinful man;
His other com es gastilye,
Til our hert, quen we lef folye,
For of usself haf we bot sin,
Of him comes al our welth and win,
For quen he cumes gastlic us to,
Than haf we wil us god to do.
Nou haf ye herd twifald tocom,
The thred sal be on Day ofe Dom,
Quen we sal ris thoru blast of bem
And Crist sal cum al folc to dem.
To god men sal he be quem,
And to the wik ful grisli sem;
Igain thaim sal he be sa brem,
That of his land he sal thaim flem.
Of this tocom tel I noht nou,
For Crist himselven telles hou
He sal cum than, and wit quat miht,
In our Godspel todai sefniht,
And qua sa wil that Godspel her,
Than mai ye se on quat maner
Crist sal cum to dem us alle,
For igain him may we noht calle;
Forthi red I we al pray
That he be til us quem that day,
And bring us til his mikel blis,
That til rihtwis men graithed es.
Amen, say we al samen,
Thar bes joy and endles gamen. Amen.
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(see note); (t-note)
takes; Isaias
justly
In the name of the Father of heaven
To Christ about Saint John the Baptist
announcement
prepare; (t-note)
These
(see note)
also
Therefore we ought to believe
prepare the way for
showed
Toward; forever
many
Judea
confessed
at once
severe
hair; clothed
Wild
taught; amend
stronger man
soon
full of honor
To untie the thongs of his shoes
much
(t-note)
ought; believe
dispel
(see note)
as I think
Two; spiritually see
praise
coming
is appropriate; (t-note)
Before; home
whom
(t-note)
other
preciousness
coming; make it known
(see note)
To all who
what
so dear to God
All of our
Therefore we ought; (t-note)
Of Christ’s three appearances; (t-note)
when
Flesh; sake
humbly; (see note)
virgin; (see note)
created; (see note)
made himself
walked
all one; (see note)
fiend (i.e., the devil); human nature
divine nature might
believed; nothing
caught
As fish is taken; hook; (see note)
concealed
deceived
who deceived
much
Had; known certainly
made
Jews
he (Satan) saw
thought
attempted busily; (see note)
thrust; dominion (custody)
act
others before; (t-note)
died; cross
soul eagerly
(t-note)
so strong
accustomed; show
bound
escape
dwell
then deprived him of
taken
at once; rood (cross)
harrowed; warrior; (see note)
all who belonged to him
soul together
pain; joy
peace; (see note); (t-note)
ought man, who is made whole
and blissfully healed of his torment
why; whose; (t-note)
nature
appearance
is spiritual
fills
Truly; sure; (t-note)
into
Spiritually; draws
ourselves
(t-note)
Good Christian
openly
certainly
Magdalene
Rise up from; soon; made
she
became
I will openly speak
hear my tale
made Mary mad; (see note); (t-note)
frequently worldly pleasure makes
These
lechery
Always; (t-note)
reflected; lost
against; cease
repented; sorrowfully
such
hears; (t-note)
Need have despair
If; cease
ought; glad; (t-note)
Luke
what
same
Dwelled; was called
Where
Had [the] will to do penance
leper; (see note)
health
enough [wealth] with which
alms; poor
It happened
home
meal
She came to where
so ruefully she began to cry out; (t-note)
tears; washed
pleasant words
dried; ointment; (see note)
bought; (see note)
anoint; own; beautiful
earlier; (t-note)
this woman’s lovely behavior
He ought to know who
In other words
(t-note)
makes
approach
as
certainly; (t-note)
heed; (t-note)
many debtors
loyal
owed; pence
or the equivalent
neither; give
showed; help; (t-note)
Voluntarily; harm; (t-note)
Which of those two loved
readily
should
have judged; (t-note)
So it fares with the debt of a sinful condition
unknown
offered
(t-note)
she wept
since; (t-note)
cease
showed herein
less
loyal
many
Go
leave; leads
coming
Lady (i.e., Virgin Mary)
bone
heal
second coming; spiritual
abandon
nothing but
joy
(t-note)
of two appearances
third; Judgment Day
trumpet; (see note)
judge
agreeable
wicked; gruesome
Against; fierce
banish
(see note)
in a week’s time
advise
just; prepared
together
mirth
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