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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    19.] Baptisteries Grahels,, li Hymners, e li Messels, Tropers e Le5uners,, e Canes pur parlers A cels qui mal funt, envers Deu se forfunt, E Cumpot pur cunter, e pur ben esgarder Les termes e les cles5 e les festes anuels. Par £oe devuns garder nostre leq celebrer Des paschaes, de noels, des granz festes anuels; U par cez Patendrunt u viaz i faldrunt. D’^oe me plaist garnir ces chi unt a tenir Nostre cristientet^ sulunc la Trinitet. Co dist Sainz Augustins, qui fud mult bons devins. Avis unches pot estre, quae il unches seit prestre, Se il ne set chest librarie dum faiz cest exemplarie! Q UE ferat pastorel qui nen ad nul drapel ? ^ Cum garderat berbiz, qui nen n'ad nul pastiz ? E Deus! cum cumbatrat, qui ses armes nen ad? N^avum fei ne creance, qui doust estre lance Cuntre cels enemis qui sur nus sunt espris. Il prennent la cite, le mur unt effundre, Hardi unt grant baee, vunt i od grant huee. Co est par le seignur qui set en la tur, Chi ne se pot defendre, ne od els bataille prendre. Cument loer, qui ben curt par mer, Nef qui seit desquassee e desus enfundree? Dirre 90c pot li prestre, senz compot pot ben estre, Ben set us demuster, e ses festes nuncier. E jo li respondrai par raisun, e dirrai, Horn set par us chanter, e esturnel parler. Ne larrai ne vus die, ne est pas juglerie, Nen est Griu ne Latins, ne nen est Angevins: Gradual, Hymnary and Missal,—Tropary and Lectionary, and Canons for speaking —to those who do ill, who forfeit towards God,—and the Computus to calculate and to regard wTell—the termini and the claves and the annual festivals.—Therefore we ought to keep the law, to celebrate,—Easters, Christmases, the great annual feasts ; —either they will expect them by these, or the ways will fail them.—With this I choose to furnish those who have the keeping of—our Christian religion, according to the Trinity.—Thus says St. Augustine, who was a very good theologian,—he will never be wise, although he be a priest,—if he does not know these books of which I am making the list. What will a shepherd do wTio has no crook ?—How will he keep sheep, who has no pasture ?—0 God! how will he fight, who has not his arms ?—We have neither faith nor belief, which ought to be a lance—against those enemies who are up against us.—They are taking the city, they have made a breach in the wall,—they have made a great gap, and are coming on with a shout.—This is through the lord who sits in the tower,—who cannot defend himself, nor hold battle with them.—How would he hire, who goes much by sea,—a ship that is broken and leaky beneath ? —The priest may say, he could do very well without the computus,—he knows well how to demonstrate by habit, and to publish his festivals.—And I wall answer him by reason, and will say,—a man knows how to sing by habit, and a pie to talk.—I will not omit to tell you it is no jugglery,—it is not Greek, nor Latin, nor