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
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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.

    117/164 (page 97)
    El ceael unt esperance de regner senz dutance. Des doinst a tute gent cest signefiement! Nen voil ore plus traiter, altre voil cumencer. [Q-R] YLIO est bestete fait cumme la serete5 De li dit Salemun, qiPen reial maisun Deit estre e converses, pur essample duner; E Phisologus de la beste dit plus,, Que ele est de tele nature, si el vent par aventure U fu ardant serat, seines le steindrat, Tant est freide la beste, e si est de tel estre, Feu arder ne purrat u ele enterat, Ne encumbrer n’avendrat en lui ii ele serat: Ceo est signefiance, aiez en remembrance. JQESTE de tel baillie tels homes signefie Cum fud Ananias, e cum fud Azarias, E cum fud Misael, ki Deu servirent bel; Cist trei del fu ardant eissire[n]t de li loant, Si cum Davi nus dit par veir en sun escrit; E Saint Pol en verte dit que li feel De Par sul fai surmuntouent fu, e liuns justisouent; Ceo est Pentendement; ki fait ad sulement, Ja de fu mal ne averat, ne enfern ne Parderat; Li saint hum vit de fai, si cum dit nostre lai. q Ysayas dit par veir en sun escrit, Li sainz horn ki faid ad, par mi fu passerat, Ja mal ne li ferad, ne pail iPi bruiserat. Ceste beste numum uncor un altre nun, Salamandre est dit, si cum truvum escrit, En pumers solt munter, pumes envenimer, “3 el puiz u cliarat Peve envenimerat; Or tine cest raisun, altre cumencerum. without doubt.—May God give to all people this meaning!—I will not treat more of it, I will begin another. [Gr]ylio is a little beast made like a lizard,—of it Solomon says, that in a king’s house—it ought to be and to frequent, to give example ;—and Physiologus says fur¬ ther of this beast,—that it is of such a nature, if it come by chance—where there shall be burning tire, it will immediately extinguish it,—the beast is so cold, and also it is of such a quality,—fire will not be able to burn where it shall enter,— nor will trouble happen in the place where it shall be :—That is a signification ; keep it in memory. A beast of such quality signifies such men—as was Ananias, and as was Azarias, —and as was Misael, who served God fairly;—this three issued from the fire praising God,—as David tells us of a truth in his writings;—and as Saint Paid in truth says that the faithful of God—by faith alone overcame fire, and gave law to lions ;—This is the meaning; he who has faith only,—will never have hurt from fire, nor will hell burn him;—the holy man lives by faith, as our law says.—And Isaiah says of a truth in his writing,—the holy man who has faith, shall pass through the midst of fire,—it will never do him any hurt, nor will it bruise a straw there.— This beast we name also by another name,—it is called salamander, as you find written,—it is accustomed to mount into apple-trees, poisons the apples,—and in the well where it shall fall it will poison the water;—now this discourse ends; we will begin another. II