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.

    143/164 (page 123)
    E quant est traveillet, lores le fait plus let. Ceo est grant signefiance, aez en remembrance. fAISEL de tel baillie saint horn signefie., ^ Ki onestement vit, issi cum Davit dit; Ki earn laisse a manger, pur sa charn acastier; E ki pur ben urer sultivement volt ester, Ki ensultivement Deu prie e eschordement, Se il en ad talent, geo ’n est demustrement. Le ni que en ev fait, u sur pere le lait, Li nix est luis que abite, u sainz horn u ermite ; Ceo que en eve est mis, u sur pere se est asis; L’eve est sens en De, pere stabilite. E igeo signefie li oisels de tel vie. []V[]ICTICORAX, geo dit Davi en sun scrit, Que tut suls volt estre, que en leu erat de Pestre, N^ad cure de luur, melz aime tenebrur; Envers vole e crie, e de ordure est sa vie. Oisels est nocturnals, e cante cuntre mals; Fresaie le apelum en Franceise raisun; D’itels est sa faiture, geo est ceste peinture. [|7]RESAIE signefie Judeus en ceste vie, Que quant li creaturs les volt mettre a luurs, E il les volt salver e de mort deliverer, Ne P voldrent recuillir, ne ses cumanz oir, Distrent ne aveient rei ne mais Cesar en crei; Pur geo Deus les lassa, e a nus repaira, E la prince de mort nus toli de sa mort. Laissames la veil lai que Judeu unt pur fei, Qu’il prud n’en [t] endirent (?), quant il Deu deguerpirent; Ceo est lur lei e lur vie, cors dure signefie ; and when it is laboured, then it makes it more glad.—This is great signification, have in remembrance. A bird of such quality signifies the holy man,—who lives honestly, as David sayS.—who avoids eating flesh, in order to chastise his flesh ;—and who, to pray well,* will be solitary,—who prays to God solitarily and heartily,—if he has the power to do it, that is the signification of it.—The nest which it makes in the wa¬ ter, or which it leaves on the rock,—the nest is the place which the holy man or hermit inhabits ;—as for its being placed in the water, or seated upon a rock,— the water is sense in God, the stone stability.—And that is the meaning of a bird of such life. . Nycticorax, as David says in his writing,—that it likes to be quite solitary, that when it shall be in the situation to be so;—it has no care of light, it loves better darkness;—inversely it flies and cries, and it lives upon ordure.—It is a nocturnal bird, and sings at the approach of ill;—we call it Fresaie in French;—its form is such as is represented in this picture. Fresaie signifies the Jews in this life,—because when the Creator would bring them to light,—and he would save them and deliver them from death,—they would not receive him, nor obey his commands,—they said that they had no king but Ccesar;—therefore God left them and came to us,—and the Prince of death saved us by his death.—We left the old Law which the Jews have for their faith — that they did not understand it prudently, when they deserted God;—that is their