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.

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    Des en guise d’aimant fud, puis que en char fud aparut, Ke fer ne fu, acer ne pere, ne li unt fait sa manere, A tut i5eo fud contrestant, feo est la pere de aimant. Des ne pot estre ocis par fer, ne ne P pout fu d’enfer; Arme d^acer ne P put guarder, ne pere ne pot seieler, Qu’il de mort ne resuscitast, e d^enfer ses fedailz getast. L^EO nus mustre Paimant, Des ot en tere le semblant, Ki en la nuit dune luur, 9eo est nostre tenebrur ; Si cum la pere trait le fer, e Jhesu Christ nus traist d^enfer. TAANIEL [dit] en sun sermun quhl vestuz vit un barun 8 D’un vestement que unt nun baldui, 9eo est veste de li; De tere naist tel vestement, e i9eo fait entendement, Que Des prist incarnatiun pur la nostre redemptiun. E ceo que l’um trove la aimant de de sur la munt de oriant; Le munt demustre majeste u Jhesus Crist serat trove; E Des ki est Pere e Fiz, e Des ki nus en Saint Espiriz, II seit de nus maintenement, e de nus seit fundement! De Paimant ne voil or plus traiter, d^altres peres voil cumencer. TAUZE peres ad encest mund, ki mult grant demustrum, (?) ^ Ne larai brefment ne die de cascun que signefie. Jaspe ruge demustre amur, averte feiblanche, ducur; Saphire mustre ki fei ad, qu^ensemble od Deu regnerat; Castedoine ki est foin mustre que od Deu serum veisin; Smaragde demustre fei, que Christiens ad en sei; Sardonix mustre castee, entre sainz humilite ; Sardius mustre dolur, qu’el munt ourent pur Deu amur; Crisolite ure celeste, qui ourent out vie terrestre ; litude to it;—God was in guise of loadstone, when he appeared in the flesh,— for iron nor fire, steel nor stone, have made him his manner,—he was opposed to all this, that is, the loadstone.—God could not be killed by iron, neither could the fire of hell do it,—arm of steel could not guard him, nor stone seal him up,— hut he rose to life from death, and cast his lieges out of hell. This the loadstone shows us, God had on earth the semblance of it,—which in the night gives light, that is our darkness ;—as the stone draws the iron, so Jesus Christ drew us from hell. Daniel said in his discourse that he saw a baron clothed—with a vestment that is named baldui, that is his vest;—such a vestment grows from the earth, and it gives to understand,—that God took incarnation for our redemption.—And as for the finding of the loadstone upon the mountain in the East;—the mountain signifies majesty in which Jesus Christ shall be found ;—and God who is Father and Son, and God who is to us the Holy Ghost,—may he be a support to us, and may he be a foundation to us !—Of the loadstone I will now treat no more, I will begin of other stones. There are twelve stones in this world, which have great signification,—I will not omit briefly to tell the signification of each.—The red jasper shows love, open weakness, sweetness ;—sapphire shows that he who has faith shall reign to¬ gether with God ;—chalcedony which is fine, shows that we shall he neighbours with God;—smaragdus shows faith, which the Christian hath in him;—sardonyx showrs chastity, humility among saints ;—sardius shows sorrow, which they had in earth for God’s love;—chrysolite the celestial happiness, which they had