Riht so þe apostles for to mene And heore folweres alle bidene Bi holy watur of Baptizinge And bi hete of feip brennynge And also bi enspiraciun trie Of be holigost so hize ffrom erbly pinges chaunged beo þei In to heuenly pinges, sop to sey.

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60

be kuynde of salt pen is pus: hit druyep vp mo(i)stnussus, And stunch hit dop awei in dede, And soffrep no quik worm to brede. So druizep heuenlich wisdam Moistnesses of ffleschlich dilites

þan, And also hit dop awey be stink 65 Of vuel liuyng in alle ping, hit kepep from mon sikerli be quike worm of lecheri; Of whom Ysaye in vre feip

beose wordus schewep and seip: 70 'be worm of pe lechours hyne Schal neuer dye in no tyme, Ne pe fuir of hem so stout hit schal neuer beo quenched out.'

In þe olde testament we fynde, 75 As we reden and han in muynde: þer schulde beo offred non offringe To god, þat is heuene-kynge,

fful of salt, and he hit caste In to be hed of be watres faste: And sone þei hedden heor kynde azeyn,

As hit is writen, in certeyn.

Salt is vndurstonden here 105 pe Godhede of god so clere, And be vessel þat hit was Inne was his Monhede wip-outen synne. þer as þis salt so wel was put in to þat vessel, þat was, whon pe godhed stronge was entred in to Marie wombe And so com and dwelled in vs, God and Mon swete Jhesus.

110

þer þe salt In þe vessel was 115 browen in to be hedes bi gras Of be watres, sop to seyn, þat weore bitter and bareyn, And anon as we fynde

þei tornde azeyn in to heor kynde: 120 bis is to vndurstonden euene: whon godus sone, be wisdam of heuene, hedde folfuld þe priuetes Of his passion in alle degrees,

þe watures bitter and vnseete 125 were ymad bope gode and swete; þat was þat Monkynde, to telle, þat was in bitter pyne of helle, was po restored in certeyn To heuene to his kynde azeyn.

130

Egressus Jhesus perambulabat Jerico (Luc. 19, 1–9).

IN
a tyme as goode Jhesus
Bi Jerico wente pus,

þer com a Mon þat 3achee hiht,
was prince of publicanus riht;
A Riche mon penne was he.
he zeorned muche Jhesu to se,
ffor he wolde wite and quere
what-maner mon þat he were.
Of Jhesu miht he seo no-ping
ffor plente of pepul presyng,
ffor he was of makyng lowe,
Luytel for to seo and knowe.
In to a treo he wente perfore,
A Sikamour, to seon him þore:
ffor þat wey Jhesu scholde
passe, as his wille wolde.

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10

15

Whon Jhesu com to pat place, he loked vp and say; his face, To him he seide: 3achéé, Go nou doun, and hize pou þe: 20 ffor in pin hous, I pe telle, pis ilke day moot I dwelle."

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3achee hizing wente doun, And refleyued him wip Joyful soun. whon þat pepul pis per seih, pei Merueyled, seizinge wondurly bat Jhesu wolde turne pan To such a maner synful man. Bachee þenne, þer he stod, Seide to vr lord so good:

Del half my good, whil I liue, To pore men wol I ziue;

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Zif I oust wip wrong haue holde, I schal hit zelde azeyn fourefolde."

50

IN pis holy teching heere
þis holy gospel good and clere
Scheweb to vs and our mo
þat Jhesus wente to Jerico
And hou þat 3acheus hedde longinge
To seo his lord, heuene-kynge.
bis 3achee vndurstonden is
'he bat is maad Rihtwys',
And bitokneb pe pepul of gentes 55
þat leeued in god bi heore ententes.
Jerico bitokneb als

'pis wrecched world þat is fals':
ffor Jhesu wente ofte among
bis wrecched world ful of wrong.
bou; pis 3achee weore mon wys
And of þat lawe bar þe prys,
More bi feip vr lord souĥte he
ben bi lawe, as fynde we;

60

And for he was in feip studefast, 65 he deserued atte last

To refleyue be benisoun

Of vr lord ful of renoun;

So ferforp, þat vr lord so good wolde him graunte wip mylde mood

To come in to hous his

And reste þer as kyng of blis.
he saf him þenne, as lord hende,
Euerlastinge hele wipouten ende.
þe same wyse þis pepul al
Of be gentes, gret and smal,
vre lord bi lawe þei not kneuh,
But bi feip ful of vertu;
perfore bei diseruet ryf
Of vr lord euerlastyng lyf.
pis ilke Sicomours tre

70

75

80

In wuche clomb vp 3achee, was ful hi; and feir to siht, And swete in schadewe and muche

125

In to pis treo he most climbe Of Sikamour, as I hit fynde: þat is to seche folli to loue vre lord god alle þing aboue; þat is to say he moste forsake Alle synnes, in him so blake, And beo boxum in alle pinges To godus holy Biddynges, And suffre wo in world here ffor his loue þat bouht hym dere; 130 In to pat tre pus may he wende And seon his lord wipouten ende. Nou forþurmore me mot biholde, As hit is in vr gospel tolde: whon vr lord, blesset he be, Say be feip of Sachee

135

he hiht him, as I ow telle, In his hous pat day to dwelle; þat was for he knoulechede clene Al his trespas þer at ene, And graunted per Jhesus bifore fforto amende for euermore.

140

145

Jhesus coueyted not to abyde In hous of treo, maad wip pride, But in be clene soule of mon, þer wolde he dwelle, perfore he com. perfore I rede, we clanse vs, þat we may resseyue him þus,

175

180

185

þat is he þat for vs dized And al his bodi wip blood biwrized. 3if we kepen, breperen dere, Coueitousliche peos goodes here þat god him-self hap vs lant, And wol not parte hem wiþ vre hand, Afert may we beo ful sore Leste we gete peyne for euer more; But if we wole wip wille fre Departe wip pore, as I sei þe, we schul haue pat ilke lyf þat euer schal laste wip-oute strif. perfore do we al vre entent, whil we ben in eorpe present, To trauayle bope niht and day Goode werkes to worchen ay; So þat, whonne pe soule schal go And beo parted be bodi fro, hit may clayme forte wende To þat blisse wip-outen ende. he vs graunte per to wone, God and Mon, Mayden sone. Amen.

Dann folgt:

hou a man schal lyue parfytly.

190

195

Archiv f. n. Sprachen. LXXXI.

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