10

Nu, broberr Wallterr, broperr min
Affterr þe flashess kinde; "

& broperr min i 12 Crisstenndom

Þurrh fulluhht 13 & þurrh trowwþe; 14 & broperr min i 12 Godess hus,

set 015 pe pride 16 wise,17

purrh patt witt 15 hafenn 19 tǎkenn ba 20 An 21 rehellboc 22 to foll henn,23 Unnderr kanunnkess 24 had 25 & lif, 26 Sannt Awwstin sette; Swa summ Icc hafe 28 don swa summ 26 bu badd,29 & forpedd 30 te 31 bin wille,

Icc hafe 28 wennd 32 inntil 33 Ennglissh
Goddspelless hall he lare,34

Affterr þatt little witt 35 tatt 36 me
Min Drihhtin hafeþþ lenedd 37
pu pohhtesst 38 tatt 36 itt mihhte wel
Till 39 mikell frame 40 turrnenn,

27

ΙΟ

Now, brother Walter, brother mine
After the fleshly nature;

And brother mine in Christendom
Through baptism and through fealty;
And brother mine in God's own house
In still another manner,

In that we two have taken both
One book of rules to follow,
Within the life of canonhood,

Just as St. Austin ordered;.
As thou didst bid me, I have done,
Thy will for thee fulfilling;
For into English I have turned
The gospel's holy teaching,
According to the little wit

With which my Lord endowed me. Thou thoughtest that it might full well Be turned to mickle profit

If English folk, for love of Christ,

It zealously would study,

And follow it, and it fulfil,

With thought, with word, with action. And therefore thou didst yearn that I This book for thee should render;

And I for thee have finished it,

As Christ the Lord did help me;

And now behooves us both thank Christ
That it is brought to ending.

I have collected in this book
Now nearly all the gospels

ΙΟ

20

30

complished 31 thee 32 turned 33 into 34 holy lore wit, intelligence 36 that my Lord has lent

10

11

now

we two 19 have 20 both one 22 rule-book 23 follow 24 canon's

nature 12 in through baptism 14 faith way, degree

25 order

45

37

38 thoughtest 39 to 40 great benefit 41 if 42 eagerly 43 fulfil 44 with thought therefore 46 desiredst 47 work but 49 us two it behooves 50 both 51 collected 52 in 53 nigh, near

48

13

Off batt tatt Cristess hall he bed 12 Birrp trowwenn 14 wel & follhenn.15 Icc hafe sett her o 16 piss boc

Amang Goddspelless wordess,
All þurrh me sellfenn,17 manis word
pe rime 18 swa 19 to fillenn;

Acc þu shallt finndenn þatt min word,
Ewhær þær 20 itt iss ekedd,21
Ma hellpenn þa 22 þatt redenn itt
To sen & tunnderrstanndenn 23
All þess te bettre hu þeim birrp 24
pe Goddspell unnderrstanndenn;
& forrpi 25 trowwe icc patt te 26 birrh
Wel polenn 27 mine wordess,
Esswhær þær 20 pu shallt findenn hemm 28
Amang Godspelless wordess.

40

50

That all the year at mass are found
Within the holy massbook.

And aye after the gospel stands
That which the gospel meaneth,
Which must be told unto the folk,

Because the soul doth need it;
And still within it thou shalt find
Enough and more there written
Of what the holy flock of Christ
Must well believe and follow.
I have set down here in this book,
Among the words of gospel,
All of myself full many a word,

To fill the measure merely;

But thou shalt find here that my word, Wherever it is added,

May help the people who shall read

To see and understand too

The better how it them behooves
To understand the gospel;

And therefore trow I that thou must
Endure my words with patience,
Wherever thou shalt find them set
Among the words of gospel.

To thee do I commit here
The care of my kingdom;
And guard well my Britons
Ever whilst thou livest;

And keep thou all the customs
That loved were in my life-time,
And all the customs splendid
That Uther's reign attended.
And I will fare to Avalon
To the fairest of all maidens,
Where Queen Argantè tarries,
Most beautiful of fairies;
And she shall every wound
Make both whole and sound,
All whole shall she make me
With health-giving potions.
And come shall I hereafter
Back to my kingdom
And abide with my Britons
With bliss forever."

E'en as he was speaking

There came from sea speeding
A very small boat gliding
Before the waves a-riding;
And women twain within it
Wondrously attired.

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28620

And they raised up Arthur anon, And aboard rapidly bore him,

28630

And adown softly they set him, And forth went they sailing.

28630

wondrously much 2 young man 3 who kin named 6 to the 7 the ground 8 these words thou wert 10 I commit to thee here 12 defend 13 kingdom ever during thy life 14 keep for them customs, laws that have stood in my days 17 I will go 18 fairest 19 of all 20 the 21 elf very beautiful 22 she 23 well 24 whole

.15

16

Then was fulfilled there What Merlin said aforetime, That infinite grieving

46

28640

With the fairest of all fairies; And ever hope the Britons For Arthur's coming hither.

Was never the man born
Of mother on lucky morn
Who can of the true tale
Of Arthur tell us further.
But once there was a wizard,

Merlin they called him,
With words he predicted

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28640

His sayings were truthful

That an Arthur should one day

28650

Come England to succour.

47

43

Ye, mine leove 20 süstren,21 ne schulen 22 habben 23 no best 24 bute kat one.25 Ancre 26 thet haveth eihte 27 thüncheth 28 bet 29 husewif,30 ase Marthe was, then ancre; 26 ne none-weis 31 ne mei heo 32 beon 33 Marie mid grithfulnesse 34 of heorte. Vor theonne 35 mot 36 heo thenchen 37 of the kues 38 foddre and of heordemonne 39 huire,40 oluhnen 41 thene 42 heiward, warien 44 hwon 45 me pünt hire, and yelden,48 thauh,49 the hermes.50 Wat 51 Crist, this is lodlich 52 thing hwon 45 46 maketh mone in tune 54 of ancre 55 eihte.27 Thauh,49 yif 56 eni mot 36 nede habben 57 ku, loke 58 thet heo 32 none monne ne eilie 9 ne ne hermie ; ne thet hire thouht ne beo 1 nout ther-on ivestned.62 Ancre ne ouh 63 nout to habben 57 no thing thet drawe 64 utward hire heorte.

66

me

60

53

None cheffare 65 ne drive ye. Ancre thet is cheapild, heo cheapeth 67 hire soule the chepmon 68 of helle.

Ne wite 69 ye nout in oure 70 huse 71 of other

Ye, my dear sisters, shall have no beast but a cat only. A nun that has property seems rather a housewife, as Martha was, than a nun; and in no wise may she be Mary, with peacefulness of heart. For then must she think about the cow's fodder and the herdsmen's wages, flatter the constable, curse when the cow is put in the pound, and pay the damages nevertheless. God knows, it is a hateful thing when complaint is made in the village of a nun's property. However, if anyone must needs have a cow, let her see to it that it disturbs or harms no man; and that her heart be not fastened upon it. A nun ought to have nothing that will draw her heart outward to the world.