[[MS description from Notes volume:
"Cotton Nero A 14, British Museum. See [IX, Ancrene Wisse]."]]
[Headnote: Benedicta Tu in Mulieribus]
+On god ureisun of ure lefdi.+ [f. 120v
++Cristes milde moder seynte marie.
Mines liues leome mi leoue lefdi.
to þe ich buwe [&] mine kneon ich beie.
and al min heorte blod to ðe ich offrie.
þu ert mire soule liht. [&] mine heorte blisse. 5
Mi lif [&] mi tohope min heale mid iwisse.
Jch ouh wurðie ðe mid alle mine mihte
and singge þe lofsong bi daie [&] bi nihte.
vor þu me hauest iholpen aueole kunne wise.
and ibrouht of helle in{}to paradise. 10
Jch hit þonkie ðe mi leoue lefdi.
and þonkie wulle þe hwule ðet ich liuie.
alle cristene men owen don ðe wur`s´chipe.
and singen ðe lofsong mid swuðe muchele gledschipe.
vor ðu ham hauest alesed of deoflene honde. 15
and i{}send mid blisse to englene londe. |
[Linenote:
16. _isend_] _d_ corr. out of _t_.]
wel owe we þe luuien mi swete lefdi. [f. 121r
wel owen we uor þine luue ure heorte beien.
þu ert briht [&] blisful ouer alle wu{m}men.
and god ðu ert [&] gode leof ouer alle wepmen. 20
alle meidene were wurðeð þe one.
vor þu ert hore blostme biuoren godes trone.
nis no wu{m}mon iboren þet ðe beo iliche.
ne non þer nis þin eming wið{}i{n}ne heoueriche.
heih is þi kinestol onuppe cherubine. 25
biuoren ðine leoue sune wid{}i{n}nen seraphine.
Murie dreameð engles biuoren þin onsene.
pleieð [&] sw`e´ieð [&] singeð. bitweonen.
Swuðe wel ham likeð biuoren þe to beonne.
vor heo neu{er} ne beoð sead þi ueir to iseonne. 30
þine blisse ne mei no wiht understonden.
vor al is godes riche an{}under þine honden.
alle þine ureondes þu makest riche kinges.
þu ham [gh]iuest kinescrud beies [&] gold ringes.
þu [gh]iuest eche reste ful of swete blisse. 35
þer ðe neure deað ne com{;} ne herm ne sorinesse.
þer bloweð i{n}ne blisse blostmen. hwite [&] reade.
þer ham neu{er} ne mei. snou. ne uorst iureden,
þer ne mei non ualuwen. uor þer is eche sumer.
ne non liuiinde þing woc þer nis ne [gh]eomer 40
þer heo schulen resten þe her ðe doð wurschipe.
[gh]if heo [gh]emeð hore lif cleane urom alle queadschipe.
þer ne schulen heo neu{er} karien ne swi`n´ken.
ne weopen ne murnen ne helle stenches stinken.
þer me schal ham steoren mid guldene chelle. | 45
and schenchen ham eche lif mid englene wille. [f. 121v
ne mei non heorte þenchen ne no wiht arechen.
ne no muð imelen ne no tunge te{ch}en
hu muchel god ðu [gh]eirkest wið{}inne paradise.
[Linenote:
48. _techen_] _tegen_ MS.]
ham þet swinkeð dei [&] niht iðine seruise 50
al þin hird is i{}schrud mid hwite ciclatune.
and alle heo beoð ikruned mid guldene krune.
heo beoð so read so rose so hwit so þe lilie.
and eu{er} more heo beoð gled [&] singeð þuruhut murie.
Mid brihte [gh]imstones hore krune is al biset. 55
and al heo doð þet ham likeð. so þet no þing ha{m} ne let.
þi leoue sune is hore king [&] þu ert hore kwene.
ne beoð heo neu{er} i{}dreaued mid winde ne mid reine.
Mid ham is eu{er} more dei wið{}ute nihte.
Song wið{}ute seoruwe [&] sib wið{}ute uihte. 60
Mid ham is muruhðe moniuold wið{}ute teone [&] treie.
Gleobeames [&] gome inouh liues wil [&] eche pleie.
þereuore leoue lefdi long hit þuncheð us wrecchen
vort þu of þisse erme liue to ðe suluen us fecche.
we ne muwen neuer habben fulle gledschipe. 65
er we to þe suluen kumen to þine heie wurschipe.
Swete Godes moder softe meiden [&] wel icoren.
þin iliche neu{er} nes ne neu{er}more ne wurð iboren.
Moder þu ert [&] meiden cleane of alle laste.
þuruhtut hei [&] holi in englene reste. 70
al englene were [&] alle holie þing
Siggeð [&] singeð þet tu ert liues welsprung
and heo siggeð alle þet ðe ne wonteð neu{er} ore.
[Linenotes:
73. _ðene_ MS.]
ne no mon, þet ðe wurðeð ne mei neu{er} beon uorloren. |
þu ert mire soule [leoue] wið{}ute leasunge. [f. 122r
efter þine leoue sune{;} leouest alre þinge. 76
al is þe heouene ful of þine blisse.
and so is al þes middeleard of þine mildheortnesse.
So muchel is þi milce [&] þin e{d}modnesse.
[Linenotes:
79. _eomodnesse_ MS.]
þet no mon þet ðe [gh]eorne bit of helpe ne mei missen. 80
ilch mon, þet to þe bisihð þu [gh]iuest milce [&] ore.
þauh he ðe habbe swuðe agult [&] i{}dreaued sore.
þereuore ich ðe bidde holi heouene kwene.
þet tu [gh]if þi wille is iher{e} mine bene.
[Linenotes:
84. _iher_ MS.]
ich ðe bidde lefdi uor þere gretunge. 85
þet Gabriel ðe brouhte urom ure heouen kinge.
and ek ich ðe biseche uor ih{es}u cristes blode
þet for ure note was i{}sched oðere rode.
vor ðe muchele seoruwe ðet was oðine mode.
þo þu et ðe deaðe him bi{}uore stode 90
þet tu me makie cleane wiðuten [&] eke wið{}i{n}nen.
So þet me ne schende none kunnes sunne.
þene loðe deouel [&] alle kunnes dweoluhðe.
aulem urom me ueor awei mid hore fule fulðe.
Mi leoue lif urom þine luue ne schal me no þing to{}dealen 95
vor oðe is al ilong mi lif [&] eke min heale.
vor þine luue i swinke [&] sike wel ilome
vor þine luue ich ham ibrouht i{n} to þeoudome,
vor þine luue ich uorsoc al þet me leof was.
and [gh]ef ðe al mi suluen. looue lif iþench þu þes. 100
þet ich ðe wreðede sume siðe hit me reoweð sore.
vor cristes fif wunden ðu [gh]if me milce [&] ore.
[gh]if þu milce nauest of me þet ich wot wel [gh]eorne |
þet ine helle pine swelten ich schal [&] beornen. [f. 122v
ful wel þu me iseie þauh þu stille were. 105
hwar ich was [&] hwat i dude þauh þu me uorbere.
[gh]if þu heuedest wreche inumen of mine luðernesse.
iwis ich heuede al uorloren paradises blisse.
þu hauest [gh]et forboren me uor þine godnesse.
and nu ich hopie habben fulle uor[gh]iuenesse. 110
ne wene ich neure uallen in{}to helle pine.
hwon ich am to ðe ikumen [&] am ðin owune hine
þin ich am [&] wule beon nu [&] eu{er} more.
vor oðe is al mi lif ilong [&] o godes ore.
Mi leoue swete lefdi to þe me longeð swuðe. 115
bute ich habbe þine help ne beo ich neu{er} bliðe.
ich þe bidde þet tu kume to mine uorð{}siðe.
and nomeliche þeonne þine luue kuðe.
auouh mine soule hwon ich of þisse liue uare
and i{}schild me urom seoruwe [&] from eche deaðes kare. 120
[gh]if þu wult ðet ich iðeo gode [gh]eme nim to me.
vor wel ne wurð me neu{er} bute hit beo þuruh ðe.
Mid swuþe luðere lasten mi soule is þuruh{}bunden.
ne mei no þing so wel so þu healen mine wunden.
to þe one is al mi trust efter þine leoue sune 125
vor is holie nome of mine liue [gh]if me lu{n}e.
ne þole þu þene unwine þet he me arine
ne þet he me dra`w´e in to helle pine.
nim nu [gh]eme to me so me best a beo ðe beo.
vor þin is þe wurchipe [gh]if ich wre{c}che wel iþeo. 130
[Linenotes:
126. _lune_] _luue_ MS. || 127. _arine_ on an erasure. ||
128. _drawe_] _w_ over _[i.]_ MS. || 130. _wreeche_ MS.]
þu ne uorsakest nenne mon uor his luðernesse.
[gh]if he `is´ to bote [gh]eruh [&] bit þe uor[gh]iuenesse. |
þu miht lihtliche [gh]if þu wult al mi sor aleggen. [f. 123r
and muchele bet biseon to me þen ich kunne siggen.
þu miht for[gh]elden lihtliche mine gretunge. 135
al mi swinc [&] mi sor [&] mine kneouwunge.
Jne me nis noþing feier on to biseonne.
Ne no þing [þ/] beo wurðe biuoren þe to beonne.
[Linenote:
138. _þing[þ/]_ MS.]
þereuore ich þe bidde [þ/] þu me wassc`h´e [&] schrude
þuruh þine muchele milce [þ/] spert so swuðe wide 140
Nis hit ðe no wurðscipe [þ/] þe deouel me to{}drawe.
[gh]if þu wult hit iðauien iwis he wule ðurchut fawe.
vor he nolde neu{er}re [þ/] þu hefedest wurðschipe.
Ne no mon [þ/] þe wurðeð [þ/] he hedde gledschipe.
þu hit wost ful [gh]eorne [þ/] þe deouel hateð me. 145
and nomeliche þereuore [þ/] ich wurðie þe.
þereuore ich þe bidde [þ/] þu me wite [&] werie.
þet þe deouel me ne drecche ne dweolðe me ne derie.
So þu dest [&] so þu schalt uor ðire mild{}heortnesse.
þu schalt me aueir dol of heoueriche blisse. 150
[gh]if ich habbe muchel ibroken, muchel ich wulle beten.
and do mine schrifte [&] þe ueire greten.
þe hwule [þ/] ich habbe mi lif [&] mine heale.
vrom ðire seruise ne schal me no þing deale.
biuoren þine uote ich wulle liggen [&] greden. 155
vort ich habbe uor[gh]iuenesse of mine misdeden.
Mi lif is þin mi luue is þin mine heorte blod is þin.
and [gh]if ich der se`g´gen mi leoue leafdi þu ert min.
alle wurðschipe haue þu on heouene and ec on eorðe.
and alle gledschipe haue þu al so ðu ert wurðe. | 160
Nu ich þe bi{}seche ine cristes cherite. [f. 123v
þet þu þine blescinge [&] þine luue [gh]iue me.
[gh]eme mine licame ine clenenesse
Godalmihti unne me vor his mild{}heortnesse.
[Linenotes:
Between ll. 163, 4, a line omitted: it was supplied at the top
of the folio, but cut away by the binder. Zupitza read the traces
of the last two words as _ine eadmodnesse_.]
[þ/] ich mote þe iseo in ðire heie blisse. 165
and alle mine ureondmen þe bet beo nu to dai.
[þ/] ich habbe i{}sungen þe ðesne englissce lai.
and nu ich þe bi{}seche vor ðire holinesse.
þet þu bringe þene Munuch to þire glednesse.
þet funde ðesne song bi ðe mi looue leafdi. 170
Cristes milde moder seinte marie. amen.
[Linenotes:
169. _Munuch_] _nu_ on an erasure MS. || 170. _biðe_ MS.]