The Clerk Who Would See the Virgin

(original transcription by F. Vance Neill [March 1998);

revised by Míceál F. Vaughan [September 1998])

 
 

(cropped second column on verso of folio remains; more than half the folio has been cut away.)

 
f. 37vb

 

?? ?ngel sche sent to him anon·

??? gret þe clerk wiþ milde steuen·

???? þe chaumber when he gan gon·

????s briõter þan ani leuen·

???? no no sonnes bem·

????ners day nas neuer so briõt·

????? þat angel when he doun kem·

???? þat hous about midniõt·

???? iõt his hert schuld to spring·

???? e gan on þat angel sen·

????? clerk drede þe no þing·

???? of god be ous bi tven·

????des now y þe bring

?????rie our heuen quen·

????? telle certain tiding·

????? wilt hir bodi sen·

???? þou wilt þat leuedi briõt·

????enaunce þou most chesen·

????iõt be siker þine eiõe siõt·

????i liif þou schalt for lesen·

????k anon gan him bi þink·

????can anoþer croke·

???? mi no neiõe y schal wink·

??? in noþer y schal loke·

???risoun y schal bi swink·

???may sen opon a boke·

??? anowe mete & drink·

??? comfort to him he tok·

??? to him anon gode hede·

??? no neiõe may me seruen·

?? do wiþ al mi dede·

??y nouõ til y schal steruen·

??erk him fair answerd oõain·

??do me alle in her manay·

??en now what y schal mene·

??mari as y þe say·

??eriaunt ichaue bong ben·

??al loue now ichir pray·

??ich mot hir ones sen·

??liche er þan y day·

??m y dye sche õiue me grace·

?? to hir wiþ gode entent·

??i hir bodi & hir face·

??ngel oõain to heuen is went·

 

f. 38ra

 

Fram heuen in to þe clerkes bour·

Riõt doun bi forn his beddes fet·

Þe angel aliõt wiþ gret honour·

& wel fair he gan him gret·

Mari þat bar our saueour·

He seyd þou schalt sen as sket·

Wiþ him þer com a gret odour·

Nas neuer no smel half so swete·

So swete asmal nas neuer non·

Of rose no of no spicerie·

As com in to þat leueli won·

Bi for þat leueliche com peynie

Wiþ angel song & miri play·

Our leuedi adoun sche liõt·

In to þe chaumber þer he lay·

& seyd clerk drede þe no wiõt·

Þei a man bi þouõt him ay·

No schuld he reden apom ariõt·

Hennes vn to do mesday·

Hou fair sche is þat maiden briõt·

Hou briõt sche is no tong may telle·

Y blisced mot hye euer ben·

Of heuen of erþe & of helle·

Sche is emperice & quene·

A mantel our leuedy vn feld·

Briõter þan sonne þat schineþ schire·

Clerk drede þe nouõt bot be nov beld·

For þou schalt haue þi desire·

Þer whiles þou hast þine eiõen in weld·

Avise þe wele of min atire·

Apertliche þou me bi held·

Bodi & face brest & swire·

Swire & al hir bodi he seiõe·

When sche hadde to him spoken·

He loked on hir wiþ his oneiõe·

Þat oþer he held stille y loken·

Oõain to heuen our leuedi went·

Wel stillelich out of þat clos·

Þe clerk held him foulely schent·

A morwe when þat he aros·

His õalu here he haþ al to rent·

& in his hert sore him agros·

Al þus he seyd & him bi ment·

Þis niõt y saued on of mi fos·

 

f. 38rb

 

Mi fo y spard allas þat while·

Sori icham & wel ich owe·

Min eiõe doþ mi soule gile·

& often bringeþ it ful lowe·

Riõt in his chaumber þer he stode·

Him þouõt his liif was him ful loþ·

He were sore wiþ dreri mode·

& out of his chaumber he goþ·

Þat me no demed ich was wode·

To loke wiþ min eiõen boþe·

Opon þat leuedi fair & gode·

Y wot þer fore þat sche is wroþ·

Wroþ sche is & wele sche may·

Wiþ me þat am sinful chaitif

Þat y schuld hir so bi traye·

Þat ichaue loued in al mi liif

Euer me may rewe þat ich while·

Þat y schuld for ani drede·

Do marie þat gret gile·

Allas what schal me to rede·

Mi soule y brouõt in gret perul·

A leuedi for þi maidenhed·

For õiue me mi sinnes vile·

& help me in þis michel nede·

In þis nede þou me saue·

Þat y no be neuer for lorn·

Graunt me þat y þe craue·

For his loue þat of þe was born·

A leuedi to me þou liþe·

For care min hert wil to riue·

Michel loue ichil þe kiþe·

& worþ schip þine ioies fiue·

Leue me grace anoþer siþe·

To se þi bodi wiþ outen striue·

Bi so ichil be bliþe·

To be blinde in al mi liue·

In al mi liue ichil be glad·

In swich penaunce for to ben·

Bi so þou graunt þat y þe bad·

Efsones y mot þe sen·

Al day he was in sorwe strong

& after ward þat com þe niõt·

His white honden hard he wrong

He ne may for wo slepe no wiõt·

 

f. 38va

 

He herd þan a miri song·

Of angels þat were so briõt·

Our leuedi com hem among·

& seyd clerk drede no wiõt·

Sche spac þe clerk so fair vntille·

Ich for õiue þe al mi gilt·

Þi praier y schal ful fille·

Loke on me õif þat þou wilt·

Þer whiles þat þou art hayl & quert·

Bi held me wele euerich a bon·

Bi þenche in þine owhen hert·

Þat warisoun no hastow non·

Þine axing sore schal þe smert·

Õif þou be blinde as ani ston·

Þou most liue in gret pouert·

[W]hen þou hast þine eiõen for gon·

When þou for gos þi warldes wele·

& loue of frendes feremed & sibbe· ["e" subpuncted]

Angwis þou most suffri fele·

In alle time þat þou schalt libbe·

Þe clerk answerd & louõ·

Min hert is ful of gret solas·

Icham bliþer þan brid on bouõ·

Þat ich haue seyn þine holi face·

Of al ioie ichaue anouõ·

Sende me now leuedi of þi grace·

To suffren wo mi body is touõ·

Bi so ich mot hauen a place·

A place graunt me marie·

Þat mi soule mot wone·

Wiþ ioie & wiþ melodye·

In heuen bi for þi swet sone·

Sche seyd mi clerk no wepe þou nouõt·

No make no mornand chere·

Þi bon þou hast me bi souõt·

Ich graunt þe in al maner·

In to þat ioie þou schalt be brouõt·

When þou hast laten þi liif here·

Þat mi swete sone haþ wrouõt·

To hem þat ben him leue & dere·

Dere þou art to me y wis·

Oõain to heuen now ich mot wende

& þou schalt com in to þat blis·

When þou hast laten þi liues ende·

 

f. 38vb

 

Vp in to heuen anon sche steyõe·

Þer sche is quen & leuedi corn·

Þe clerk his eiõen fast he wreiõe·

He wende his siõt were for lorn· ["r" inserted above]

When it was day ful wele he seiõe· ["day" inserted above]

Þis warldes pride al him bi forn·

Merci leuedi he crid on heiõe·

Wele be þe time þat þou were born·

Þat þou were born of o wiman·

Blisced be euer þe day·

Þer liueþ no wiõt þat telle can·

Þe ioie þat of þe springeþ ay·

Leuedi flour & frout of iesse·

Þou art maiden gode & hende·

Godes moder mild & fre·

Michel þou helpest al man kende·

On þi seruaunt haue pite·

& saue ous lord fram þe fende·

& graunt ous õif þi wille be·

When we schul of þis warld wende·

When we schul wend out of þis liue·

Here our prayer & our steuen·

Bring ous for þine ioies fiue·

Into þe swete blis of heuen· amen·

 

Explicit..


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