Popular treatises on science written during the Middle Ages, in Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman, and English / Edited from the original manuscripts by Thomas Wright.

Thomas Wright

Date:: 1841

Credit: Popular treatises on science written during the Middle Ages, in Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman, and English / Edited from the original manuscripts by Thomas Wright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

101/164 (page 81)

$Par treis jurz jut en terre pur noz ames conquere, Sulunc humanity nent sulum cleite^ Si cum Jonas fist^ ki el peissun se mist. DAR le cri del leun la vertud Deu parnum, Par quei resuscitad Crist [e] enfern despuillat, Ceo est signefiance, aez en remembrance, Del leun en verite yeo dit auctorite; Mais de ceste raisun ne ferai plus sermun, Ke or voil cumencer de altre beste a traiter. j^JONOSCEROS est beste, un corn ad en la teste, Pur ^eo ad si a nun, de buc ad fayun; Par pucele est prise, or oez en quel guise. Quant hom le volt cacer e prendre q enginner, Si vent hom al forest u sis repairs est; La met une pucele hors de sein sa mamele, E par odurement monosceros la sent; Dune vent a la pucele, e si baiset sa mamele, En sun devant se dort, issi vent a sa mort; Li hom survent atant, ki l’ocit en dormant, U trestut vif le prent, si fait puis sun talent. Grant chose signefie, ne larei ne P vus die. \ j ()N()SCEROS Griu est, en Franceis un corn est: Beste de tel baillie Jhesu Crist signefie; Un Deu est e serat e fud e parmaindrat; En la virgine se mist, e pur hom charn i prist, E pur virginited pur mustrer casteed; A virgine se parut e virgine le concent, Virgine est e serat e tuz jurz parmaindrat. Or oez brefment le signefiement. to death for the people;—three days he lay’ in the earth to gain our souls,—ac¬ cording to humanity, not according to deity,—as Jonah did, who entered the fish. By the cry of the lion wTe understand the power of God,—by which Christ was restored to life and robbed hell,—this is the signification, have it in remembrance, —of the lion, in truth, as we learn from authority ;—but of this matter I will make no further discourse,—but will now begin to treat of another animal. Monosceros is an animal which has one horn on its head,—therefore it is so named; it has the form of a goat,—it is caught by means of a virgin, now hear in what manner.—When a man intends to hunt it and to take and ensnare it,—he goes to the forest where is its repair;—there he places a virgin, with her breast uncovered, —and by its smell the monosceros perceives it;—then it comes to the virgin, and kisses her breast,—falls asleep on her lap, and so comes to its death;—the man arrives immediately, and kills it in its sleep,—or takes it alive and does as he likes with it.—It signifies much, I will not omit to tell it you. Monosceros is Greek, it means one liorn in French:—a beast of such a descrip¬ tion signifies Jesus Christ;—one God he is and shall he, and was and will continue so;—he placed himself in the virgin, and took flesh for man’s sake,—and for vir¬ ginity to show chastity;—to a virgin he appeared and a virgin conceived him,—a virgin she is, and will he, and will remain always.—Now hear briefly the signifi¬ cation. G$