V.

[Sidenote: Much sorrow settles upon Jonah.]

Muche sorȝe þe{n}ne satteled vpon segge Ionas,

He wex as wroth as þe wynde towarde oure lorde,

[Sidenote: He becomes very angry.]

So hatȝ ang{er} onhit his hert; he calleȝ

[Sidenote: He prays to God and says: “Was not this my saying,

when Thy message reached me in my own country?]

A prayer to þe hyȝe prynce, for pyne, on þys wyse: 412

“I biseche þe syre now þ{o}u self iugge,

Watȝ not þis ilk my worde þat worþen is nouþe,

Þat I kest i{n} my cu{n}tre, when þ{o}u þy carp sendeȝ,

Þat I schulde tee to þys tou{n}, þi talent to preche? 416

[Sidenote: I knew Thy great goodness, Thy long-suffering,

and Thy mercy.]

Wel knew I þi cortaysye, þy quoy{n}t soffrau{n}ce.

Þy bou{n}té of debonerté & þy bene g{ra}ce,

Þy longe abydy{n}g wyth lur, þy late vengau{n}ce,

& ay þy mercy is mete, be mysse neu{er} so huge. 420

I wyst wel when I hade worded quatsoeu{er} I cowþe,

[Sidenote: I knew these men might make their peace with Thee,

therefore I fled unto Tarshish.]

To manace alle þise mody men þat i{n} þis mote dowelleȝ,

Wyth a prayer & a pyne þay myȝt her pese gete,

& þer-fore I wolde haf flowen fer i{n}-to tarce. 424

[Sidenote: Take my life from me, O Lord!]

Now lorde lach out my lyf, hit lastes to longe,

Bed me bilyue my bale sto{ur}, & bry{n}g me on ende,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 89a.]]

[Sidenote: It is better for me to die than live.”]

For me were swett{er} to swelt, as swyþe as me þynk,

Þe{n} lede lenger þi lore, þat þ{us} me les makeȝ.” 428

[Sidenote: God upbraids Jonah, saying: “Is this right to be so

wroth?”]

Þe sou{n} of oure sou{er}ayn þen swey i{n} his ere,

Þat vpbraydes þis burne vpon a breme wyse:

“Herk renk! is þis ryȝt so ronkly to wrath,

For any dede þat I haf don oþ{er} demed þe ȝet?” 432

[Sidenote: Jonah, jangling, uprises, and makes himself a bower,

of hay and ever-fern, to shield him from the sun.]

Ionas al Ioyles & Ianglande vp-ryses

& haldeȝ out on est half of þe hyȝe place,

& farandely on a felde he fetteleȝ hy{m} to bide,

For to wayte on þat won what schulde worþe aft{er}. 436

Þer he busked hy{m} a bo{ur}, þe best þat he myȝt,

Of hay & of eu{er}-ferne & erbeȝ a fewe,

For hit watȝ playn i{n} þat place for plyande greueȝ,

For to schylde fro þe schene, oþ{er} any schade keste. 440

He bowed vnder his lyttel boþe, his bak to þe su{n}ne,

[Headnote: JONAH IS SHELTERED BY A WOODBINE.]

[Sidenote: He slept heavily all night.]

& þer he swowed & slept sadly al nyȝt,

[Sidenote: God prepared a woodbine.]

Þe whyle god of his grace ded growe of þat soyle,

Þe fayrest bynde hy{m} abof þat eu{er} burne wyste. 444

When þe dawande day dryȝtyn con sende,

[Sidenote: Jonah awakes, and is exceedingly glad of the bower.]

Þe{n}ne wakened þe wyȝ vnder wodbynde,

Loked alofte on þe lef þat lylled grene;

Such a lefsel of lof neu{er} lede hade, 448

For hit watȝ brod at þe boþem, boȝted onlofte,

Happed vpon ayþ{er} half a ho{us} as hit were,

A nos on þe norþ syde & nowhere non elleȝ,

Bot al schet i{n} a schaȝe þat schaded ful cole. 452

[Sidenote: The prophet, under its gracious leaves, is protected

from the sun’s rays.]

Þe gome glyȝt on þe grene g{ra}ciouse leues,

Þat eu{er} wayued a wynde so wyþe & so cole;

Þe schyre su{n}ne hit vmbe-schon, þaȝ no schafte myȝt

Þe mou{n}tau{n}ce of a lyttel mote, vpon þat man schyne, 456

Þe{n}ne watȝ þe gome so glad of his gay logge,

Lys loltrande þer-i{n}ne, lokande to toune,

So blyþe of his wodbynde he balt{er}es þer vnde[r],

Þat of no diete þat day þe[22] deuel haf, he roȝt; 460

& eu{er} he laȝed as he loked þe loge alle aboute,

[Sidenote: Jonah wishes he had such a lodge in his own country.]

& wysched hit were i{n} his kyth, þer he wony schulde,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 89b.]]

On heȝe vpon Effraym oþ{er} ermo{n}nes hilleȝ,

“I-wysse a worþloker won to welde I neu{er} keped.” 464

& quen hit neȝed to naȝt nappe hy{m} bihoued;

He slydeȝ on a slou{m}be, slep slogh{e} vnder leues,

[Sidenote: God prepared a worm, that made the woodbine wither.]

Whil god wayned a worme þat wrot vpe þe rote,

& wyddered watȝ þe wodbynde bi þat þe wyȝe wakned; 468

& syþen he warneȝ þe west to waken ful softe,

& sayeȝ vnte[23] ȝefer{us} þat he syfle warme,

Þat þer quikken no cloude bi-fore þe cler su{n}ne,

& ho schal busch vp ful brode & bre{n}ne as a candel. 472

[Sidenote: Jonah awakes and finds his woodbine destroyed.]

Þen wakened þe wyȝe of his wyl dremes,

& blusched to his wodbynde þat broþely watȝ marred,

[Sidenote: The leaves were all faded.]

Al welwed & wasted þo worþelych leues;

Þe schyre su{n}ne hade hem schent, er eu{er} þe schalk wyst, 476

[Sidenote: The sun beat upon the head of Jonah.]

& þe{n} hef vp þe hete & het{er}ly bre{n}ned;

Þe warm wynde of þe weste wert{es} he swyþeȝ.

Þe man marred on þe molde þat moȝt hy{m} not hyde,

His wodbynde watȝ away, he weped for sorȝe, 480

[Headnote: HE LAMENTS ITS DESTRUCTION.]

[Sidenote: He is exceedingly angry, and prays God that he may

die.]

“With hatel ang{er} & hot, het{er}ly he calleȝ:

A! þ{o}u maker of man, what mayst{er}y þe þynkeȝ

Þ{us} þy freke to forfare forbi alle oþ{er},

W{i}t{h} alle meschef þat þ{o}u may, neu{er} þ{o}u me spareȝ? 484

I keu{er}ed me a cu{m}fort þat now is caȝt fro me,

My wod-bynde so wlonk þat wered my heued,

Bot now I se þ{o}u art sette my solace to reue;

Why ne dyȝtteȝ þ{o}u me to diȝe; I dure to longe?” 488

[Sidenote: God rebukes the prophet.]

Ȝet oure lorde to þe lede lansed a speche:

[Sidenote: “Dost thou well,” He says, “to be angry for the

gourd?”]

“Is þis ryȝt-wys þ{o}u renk, alle þy ronk noyse,

So wroth for a wodbynde to wax so sone,

Why art þ{o}u so waymot wyȝe for so lyttel?” 492

[Sidenote: Jonah replies, “I would I were dead.”]

“Hit is not lyttel,” q{uod} þe lede, “bot lykker to ryȝt,

I wolde I were of þis worlde wrapped i{n} moldeȝ.”

[Sidenote: God asks if it is to be wondered at that He should

help His handy work.]

“Þe{n}ne byþenk þe mon, if þe for-þynk sore,

If I wolde help my honde werk, haf þ{o}u no wonder; 496

[Sidenote: Is not Jonah angry that his woodbine is destroyed,

which cost him no labour?]

Þ{o}u art waxen so wroth for þy wod-bynde,

& trauayledeȝ neu{er} to tent hit þe tyme of an howre,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 89a.]]

Bot at a wap hit here wax & away at an oþ{er},

& ȝet lykeȝ þe so luþ{er}, þi lyf woldeȝ þ{o}u tyne; 500

[Sidenote: God is not to be blamed for taking pity upon people

that He made.]

Þe{n}ne wyte not me for þe werk þat I hit wolde help,

& rwe on þo redles þat remen for sy{n}ne.

Fyrst I made he{m} myself of mat{er}es my{n} one,

& syþen I loked he{m} ful longe & hem on lode hade; 504

& if I my trauayl schulde tyne of t{er}mes so longe,

[Sidenote: Should He destroy Nineveh the sorrow of such a sweet

place would sink to His heart.]

& type dou{n} ȝonder tou{n} when hit turned were,

Þe sor of such a swete place burde synk to my hert,

So mony malicio{us} mon as mo{ur}neȝ þ{er}-i{n}ne; 508

[Sidenote: In the city there are little bairns who have done no

wrong.]

& of þat sou{m}me ȝet arn su{m}me such sotteȝ for madde,

As lyttel barneȝ on barme þat neuer bale wroȝt,

& wy{m}men vnwytté þat wale ne couþe

Þat on hande fro þat oþ{er} for[24] alle þis hyȝe worlde, 512

[Sidenote: And there are others who cannot discern between their

right hand and their left hand.]

Bitwene þe stele & þe stayre disserne noȝt cu{n}en,

What rule renes i{n} rou{n} bitwene þe ryȝt hande

& his lyfte, þaȝ his lyf schulde lost be þer-for;

[Sidenote: There are also dumb beasts in the city incapable of

sinning.]

& als þer ben dou{m}be besteȝ i{n} þe burȝ mony, 516

Þat may not sy{n}ne i{n} no syt hem seluen to greue,

Why schulde I wrath wyth hem, syþe{n} wyȝeȝ wyl torne,

& cu{m}[25] & cnawe me for ky{n}g, & my carpe leue?

Wer I as hastif a[s] þ{o}u, heere were harme lu{m}pen, 520

Couþe I not þole bot as þ{o}u þer þryued ful fewe;

I may not be so mal[i]cio{us} & mylde be halden,

[Headnote: GOD JUSTIFIES HIS MERCY AND FORBEARANCE.]

[Sidenote: Judgment must be tempered with mercy.]

For malyse is noȝ[t] to may{n}tyne boute mercy w{i}t{h}i{n}ne;

Be noȝt so gryndel god man, bot go forth þy wayes.” 524

[Sidenote: He that is too hasty to rend his clothes must

afterwards sit with worse ones to sew them together.]

Be preue & be pacient, i{n} payne & i{n} Ioye,

For he þat is to rakel to renden his cloþeȝ,

Mot efte sitte w{i}t{h} more vn-sou{n}de to sewe he{m} togeder.

[Sidenote: Poverty and pain must be endured.]

For-þy when pou{er}té me enpreceȝ & payneȝ i{n}-noȝe, 528

Ful softly w{i}t{h} suffrau{n}ce saȝttel me bihoueȝ,

[Sidenote: Patience is a noble point, though it displeases oft.]

For þe penau{n}ce & payne to preue hit i{n} syȝt,

Þat pacience is a nobel poy{n}t, þaȝ hit displese ofte. Amen.

[Sidenote 22: _de_ altered to þe.]

[Sidenote 23: _vnto_ (?).]

[Sidenote 24: MS. _fol_.]

[Sidenote 25: _Or_ cu{n}.]

NOTES: _Patience_.