English fragments from Latin medieval service-books

Title: English fragments from Latin medieval service-books

with two coloured facsimiles from medieval prymers

Editor: Henry Littlehales

Release date: May 11, 2025 [eBook #76070]

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76070

Credits: David Starner and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

Transcriber’s Note:

Italicized letters within words, representing expanded abbreviations, are shown in the e-text with braces (“curly brackets”): Pat{er} n{oste}r. Readers who find this added information distracting may globally delete all braces; they are not used for any other purpose.

Page Layout:

In the original book, the EETS catalogue material was wrapped around the body of the text, with pp. 1-6 at the start of the book and 7-12 at the end. This has all been moved to the end.

Headnotes appeared at the top of some pages, like subsidiary chapter headings. They have been retained and moved to the beginning of the most appropriate paragraph.

Footnotes were numbered separately for each page. In this e-text, footnotes are numbered for each section, and grouped at the end of the section. In one section, there are two types of footnotes, referring to two parallel texts. One type of these footnotes uses numbers, the other uses letters a, b, c etc, as in the original book. Footnote markers 1like so1 denote that the footnote applies to the passage of text that appears between the markers; the footnote itself is numbered 1-1.

English Fragments from Latin Medieval Service-Books.

Early English Text Society, Extra Series, XC. 1903.

BERLIN: ASHER & CO., 13, UNTER DEN LINDEN. NEW YORK: C. SCRIBNER & CO.; LEYPOLDT & HOLT. PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.

English Fragments from Latin Medieval Service-Books

WITH TWO COLOURED FACSIMILES FROM Medieval Prymers.

EDITED BY HENRY LITTLEHALES.

LONDON: PUBLISHED FOR THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY By KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO., LIMITED, DRYDEN HOUSE, 43, GERRARD STREET, SOHO, W. 1903

NOTE.

The two coloured facsimiles of this little pamphlet explain themselves. The Manual, which was the medieval priest’s handbook for the services of Baptism, Marriage, Visitation of the Sick, Burial, etc., is virtually the only one of the medieval Latin service-books which contained invariably a certain proportion of its text in English. The text of the English varies in a measure in different MSS.

Extra Series, XC.

Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London and Bungay.

From the British Museum Manual, MS. 30,506 (XV cent.).

From the Service for Baptism.

1N. I cristene þe in þe name of þe fader, and of þe sone, and of þe holy gost.

2Godfaderis and godmoderis, I charge ȝow, and þe fader and þe moder, that þis child be kept þis seuen ȝer fro wat{er}, fro feer, fro hors 3fot, fro hondes toth; and þat he ligge not be þe fader an be þe moder vn-to tyme he co{n}ne sey “ligge outter,” and þat he be confermyd of a byschop that next cometh to contre be seuen myle behalue, and þat [he] be tauȝt his beleue, þat is for to sey, Pat{er} n{oste}r, Aue maria, and Credo; And þat ȝe wasche ȝo{ur} hondes er ȝe goon owt of chirche, in peyne of fastyng xl fridayes.

FOOTNOTES:

1. leaf 23.

2. leaf 23, back.

3. leaf 24.

From the Marriage Service.

1I aske þe banes betwen I de B and A de C. ȝif any man or woman kan sey or put any lettenge of sybrede, wherfor they may not, ne owght not, to come togedere be lawe of holy chirche, do vs to wete.

2Lo, syres, we been her gadered togedere befor god and alle his aungelis and his seyntis, in þe sith of holi cherche, to knette togedere two bodies, that is to sey, þis man and þis woman, to þis ende, þat fro{m} þis tyme forward þei moste be o flesch, and two sowles in þe feith and in þe lawe of god, to deserue togedere euer lastyng lyf in amendement of that þat þei haue do amys herbefore: wherfor I amones ȝow alle, that, ȝif þer be any of ȝow þat knowe any lawful lettyng whi þis man and þis woma{n} mai not be wedded togedere lawfulli, þat now he sey and knowliche it.

Also I charge ȝow, bothe man and woman, þat ȝif ony of ȝow haue made any contract p{r}iuyli 3before þis tyme, or any avow mad, or ony other cause knowe, whi þat ȝe mai not come to-gedere lawfulli, now knowliche it.

N. Wiltow haue þis woman to þin wyf, and loue here, and worshipe here, and holde hire, and kepe here in seknes and in hele, as an 6 hosbonde owyth to his wif, and alle oþer women to forsaken for hire, and only to drawe to hire as longe as ȝowre bothe lyues to ged{er}e lasten?

4N. Wiltow haue þis man to þin housbonde, to been buxum to hym, and serue hym, and loue hym, and worschipe hym, and kepe hym in syknes and in hele, as a wif owith to do here housbonde, and alle oþer men forsaken for hym, and only to drawe to hym as longe as ȝowre bothyn lyues to-gedere lasten?

I .N. take the N. to myn wedded wyf, to haue and to holde from þis day forward, for beter, for wers, for richere, for porere, for fayrere, for fowlere, in seknes and in helthe, til deth vs departe, ȝif holy chirche it wil ordeyne: and therto I plithe þe myn trewthe.

I .N. take the N, to myn weddid housbonde, to haue and to holde from þis day forward, for beter, for wers, for richer, for porere, for fayrere, for fowlere, in seknes and in hele, to be boner and buxu{m}, 5as a wyf owyd to hur husb[an]dd,5 til deth vs departe, as holi cherche it 5wil5 ordeyne: and therto i plith the myn trowthe.

6With þis ryng I þe wedde, and þis gold and siluer I þe ȝeue, and with al myn bodi I the worschepe, and with al myn wordlich catel I the honowre.

FOOTNOTES:

1. leaf 25.

2. leaf 25, back.

3. leaf 26.

4. leaf 26, back.

5-5. In a later hand.

6. leaf 27, back.

From the Office for the Visitation of the Sick.

From the British Museum Manual, MS. 32,320 (xv cent.).

How men þat ben in hele sculde visite sike men.

1Beleuyst þow in god, fader almythi, makere of heuene and of erthe?

I beleue.

Beleuyst þow i{n} his sone, þe secunde p{er}sone in trinite, crist 7 ih{es}u, the whiche was conseyuyd be þe myght of þe holy gost, and born of þe blessid mayden, owre ladi seynt marie?

Credo.

Beleuest thow that he leued here two and thritty ȝer and more, and suffred at þe last, deth on þe cros for þe loue of mankende?

Credo.

Beleuyst þow that he wente to helle & took owt adam and eue and the sowles þat were þerynne, the whych myȝth not come to blysse til cristes passiou{n}?

Credo.

Beleuyst thow þat he ros vp fro deth on estir day, and dwellede her til ascensiou{n} day, to preue ve2rily his resurrecciou{n}?

Credo.

Beleuyst þow that thanne he styed vp in-to heuene be his myȝth, god and man, and there is euyn in maieste w{i}t{h} his fader?

Credo.

Beleuyst þow þat he schal come at the day of dome to deme þe gode and þe badde?

Credo.

Beleuyst þow in þe holi gost, the thridde p{er}sone in trinite, and in holy cherche, and þat þe sacrementis of holy chirche aren ordeyned in remissiou{n} of ma{n}nys senne?

Credo.

Beleuyst þow in þe sacrament of þe auter, þat is cristes bodi whiche was born of marie, wiche criste lefte her among vs as for þe most p{re}ciows iewel, whan he schulde departe be deth from his disciples?

aMy dere sone or douȝtere in god, hyt semith þat þou hyest þe faste in þe wey fro þis life to godward, þere þou schalt cee al þy forme-fadris, apostelis, martiris, confessouris and uirgynis, & all men and bwo{m}men þat bene saued; and fore gladnes of suche felauschip be þou of good co{n}fort in god, þynke how þow muste after þis lyfe leye a stone in þe waỻ of þe cite of heuene, sclely witħ outen noise or strife, and þ{er}fore, or þou wende out of þis world, þou polisscħ þi stoon and make it redi, ȝif þou wolt not þere be lettid.

¶ Þis stoon is þy soule, whiche þou muste make stronge þorougħ right bileue; and faire þ{o}u muste hit clense, þorougħ hope of goddis m{er}ci and p{er}fite charite, the whiche coueritħ þe multitude of synnes. þe noyse ..——

cHow a man schulde conforte annothere, þ{a}t he gruche nought when he is seke.

Broþer or sisterʼ, louyst þou god þi lorde? he or sche, ȝif þey may speke, woỻ sey ‘ȝhee,’ dor p{er}auenture, ȝif þey may not speke, þenke ‘ȝhee.’

¶ þan þus, ȝif þou lovest god....

eȜiffe detħ goo faste on a man, Speke to hym thesse wordis.

Broþer or Systere in god, ȝif þou see or....

fNow when þou hast seyde aỻ þis, or ȝif þow maist not seye aỻ for hastynge of detħ, beginne her{e} or his mynde go from hy{m}.

Broþer or sister, art þou glad þ{a}t þow schalt dye in cristyn feythe?

R’. ȝhe.

knowlechist þou ...

[Rest missing.]

Credo.

Beleuest þow þat alle tho þat been in good lif schul haue part of alle the3 gode dedys, and preyeres that been doon in holy chirche, and [þat] alle tho þat been knet to-gedere here in holy chirche be grace, schul ben knet to-gedere in eu{er}lastyng ioye?

Credo.

Trustis thow in þe mercy of god, wiche wil not the deth of a synful man ȝif he be sory of hys senne and schreuen, and in wyl to amende hym?

Credo.

Trustis þow þat thow schal haue mercy ȝif þow be sori of þin senne?

Credo.

Trustis thow þat thow, and eu{er}y man and woman, schal rise vp at þe day of dome in body and in sowle, the badde to be dampned in endeles peyne, and þe gode to be take, bodi and sowle, in-to euerelasty{n}g blisse?

4Credo.

Art þow in wil fulli to forȝeue alle maner of men and women that þat þey haue trespased to the, so that þow art in wil to kepe no rancowr ne malise to hym in þe herte, but to be in loue and charite with eche man and woman?

I knowliche to god, and to owre lady seynt marie, and to alle þe halwen of heuene, that I haue senned, with mowth spoken, with feet goon, w{i}t{h} eyen seyen, with eren hered, with nose smelled, with herte þowht, and with al myn senful body myswrowth; therfore i preye owre ladi seynt marie and alle the halwyn of heuene, prey for me; and the prest, þat thow beseche for me, and me asoyle, for charite.

Ȝif the seke mai speke after that he is schriue, and hath mad his gen{er}al confessiou{n}, asoyle the prest hym on þis wyse.

5Now, brodir or sister, ȝif þow beholde any cros, or ony ymage mad with ma{n}nes hond, wite wel þat it is not god; therfore thinke or seye in þin herte: I wot well that þow art not my{n} god, but maked aft{er} hym, to make me haue more mynde on myn god; therfore, lord fader þat art in heuene, m{er}ci i aske of alle þe sennes that i haue trespased aȝens the wilful passiou{n} of owre lord ih{es}u crist, the whiche he suffred for al mankende. merciful fader, of thi goodnesse and thi grete mercy, do awey al my{n} wikkednesse!

FOOTNOTES:

1. leaf 50, back.

2. leaf 51.

3-3. In a later hand.

4. leaf 51, back.

5. leaf 52.

a. leaf 13, back.

b. leaf 14.

c. leaf 15, back.

d. leaf 16.

e. leaf 18.

f. leaf 19, back.

The General Sentence.

This form of excommunication, read four times a year, has been printed from an excellent text in the Early English Text Society’s volume entitled Instructions for Parish Priests. The General Sentence is commonly found in the printed or later Manuals, but appears to have had no distinct place in any medieval service-book.

Mr. Henry Littlehales, who, in 1898, gave the Chaucer Society his Notes on the Road from London to Canterbury, no. 30 of the Society’s Second Series, and who also edited for the Early English Text Society “The Prymer, or Lay Folk’s Prayer-Book,” from a Cambridge University MS. ab. 1420, nos. 105, 109 in the Original Series, has kindly given the Chaucer Society 250 copies of each of the Facsimiles of two Illuminated pages in Fifteenth-Century MS. Prymers in the British Museum.

They are issued herewith, but are not made one of the Society’s publications, because we cannot undertake to reproduce them when the present copies run out. Every Member will decide for himself whether he puts these Facsimiles into one of the Society’s Texts, or keeps them apart in his picture-album.

All will join in thanking Mr. Littlehales for his pretty and welcome gift.

F. J. Furnivall.

1 August, 1903.

Transcriber’s Note: Click the images for larger versions.

A page of a fifteenth century Prymer, (the common medieval layfolks prayer book) From the Brit. Mus. MS. 2 A. XVIII.

Full size.

A page of a fifteenth century Prymer, Brit. Mus. MS. Harl. 2915. This is the common picture before the Office for the Dead.

Full Size.

Early English Text Society. Extra Series, XC.

English Fragments from Latin Medieval Service-Books

WITH TWO COLOURED FACSIMILES FROM Medieval Prymers.

EDITED BY HENRY LITTLEHALES.

LONDON: PUBLISHED FOR THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY By KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO., LIMITED, DRYDEN HOUSE, 43, GERRARD STREET, SOHO, W. 1903

Price Five Shillings.

Early English Text Society.

Committee of Management:

Director: DR. FREDERICK J. FURNIVALL, M.A.

Treasurer: HENRY B. WHEATLEY, Esq.

Hon. Sec.: W. A. DALZIEL, Esq., 67 VICTORIA ROAD, FINSBURY PARK, N.

North & East: Prof. G. L. Kittredge, Harvard Coll., Cambr., Mass.

South & West: Prof. J. W. Bright, Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore.

LORD ALDENHAM, M.A.

ISRAEL GOLLANCZ, M.A.

SIDNEY L. LEE, M.A., D.Lit.

Rev. Prof. J. E. B. MAYOR, M.A.

Dr. J. A. H. MURRAY, M.A.

Prof. NAPIER, M.A., Ph.D.

EDWARD B. PEACOCK, Esq.

ALFRED W. POLLARD, M.A.

Rev. Prof. WALTER W. SKEAT, Litt.D.

Dr. HENRY SWEET, M.A.

Dr. W. ALDIS WRIGHT, M.A.

(With power to add Workers to their number.)

Bankers: THE UNION BANK OF LONDON, 2, PRINCES STREET, E.C.

The Early English Text Society was started by Dr. Furnivall in 1864 for the purpose of bringing the mass of Old English Literature within the reach of the ordinary student, and of wiping away the reproach under which England had long rested, of having felt little interest in the monuments of her early language and life.

On the starting of the Society, so many Texts of importance were at once taken in hand by its Editors, that it became necessary in 1867 to open, besides the Original Series with which the Society began, an Extra Series which should be mainly devoted to fresh editions of all that is most valuable in printed MSS. and Caxton’s and other black-letter books, though first editions of MSS. will not be excluded when the convenience of issuing them demands their inclusion in the Extra Series.

During the thirty-nine years of the Society’s existence, it has produced, with whatever shortcomings, an amount of good solid work for which all students of our Language, and some of our Literature, must be grateful, and which has rendered possible the beginnings (at least) of proper Histories and Dictionaries of that Language and Literature, and has illustrated the thoughts, the life, the manners and customs of our forefathers and foremothers.

But the Society’s experience has shown the very small number of those inheritors of the speech of Cynewulf, Chaucer, and Shakspere, who care two guineas a year for the records of that speech. ‘Let the dead past bury its dead’ is still the cry of Great Britain and her Colonies, and of America, in the matter of language. The Society has never had money enough to produce the Texts that could easily have been got ready for it; and many Editors are now anxious to send to press the work they have prepared. The necessity has therefore arisen for trying to increase the number of the Society’s members, and to induce its well-wishers to help it by gifts of money, either in one sum or by instalments. The Committee trust that every Member will bring before his or her friends and acquaintances the Society’s claims for liberal support. Until all Early English MSS. are printed, no proper History of our Language or Social Life is possible.

The Subscription to the Society, which constitutes membership, is £1 1s. a year for the Original Series, and £1 1s. for the Extra Series, due in advance on the 1st of January, and should be paid by Cheque, Postal Order, or Money-Order, crost ‘Union Bank of London,’ to the Hon. Secretary, W. A. Dalziel, Esq., 67, Victoria Rd., Finsbury Park, London, N. Members who want their Texts posted to them, must add to their prepaid Subscriptions 1s. for the Original Series, and 1s. for the Extra Series, yearly. The Society’s Texts are also sold separately at the prices put after them in the Lists; but Members can get back-Texts at one-third less than the List-prices by sending the cash for them in advance to the Hon. Secretary.

☞ The Society intends to complete, as soon as its funds will allow, the Reprints of its out-of-print Texts of the year 1866, and also of nos. 20, 26 and 33. Prof. Skeat has finisht Partenay; Dr. McKnight of Ohio King Horn and Floris and Blancheflour; and Dr. Furnivall his Political, Religious and Love Poems and Myrc’s Duties of a Parish Priest. Dr. Otto Glauning has undertaken Seinte Marherete; and Dr. Furnivall has Hali Meidenhad in type. As the cost of these Reprints, if they were not needed, would have been devoted to fresh Texts, the Reprints will be sent to all Members in lieu of such Texts. Though called ‘Reprints,’ these books are new editions, generally with valuable additions, a fact not noticed by a few careless receivers of them, who have complained that they already had the volumes. As the Society’s copies of the Facsimile of the Epinal MS. issued as an Extra Volume in 1883 are exhausted, Mr. J. H. Hessels, M.A., of St. John’s Coll., Cambridge, has kindly undertaken an edition of the MS. for the Society. This will be substituted

for the Facsimile as an 1883 book, but will be also issued to all the present Members.

Original and Extra Series Books 1903-1906.

July 1904. The Original-Series Texts for 1903 were: No. 122, Part II of The Laud MS. Troy-Book, edited from the unique Laud MS. 595 by Dr. J. E. Wülfing; and No. 123, Part II of Robert of Brunne’s Handlyng Synne, and its French original, ed. by Dr. F. J. Furnivall.

The Extra-Series Texts for 1903 are to be: No. LXXXVIII, Le Morte Arthur, in 8-line stanzas, re-edited from the unique MS. Harl. 2252, by Prof. J. Douglas Bruce (issued), No. LXXXIX, Lydgate’s Reason and Sensuality, edited by Dr. Ernst Sieper, Part II, and No. XC, English Fragments from Latin Medieval Service-Books, edited, and given to the Society, by Mr. Henry Littlehales.

The Original-Series Texts for 1904 will be No. 124, t. Hen. V, Twenty-six Political and other Poems from the Digby MS. 102, &c., edited by Dr. J. Kail, and No. 125, Part I of the Medieval Records of a London City Church (St. Mary-at-Hill), A.D. 1420-1559, copied and edited by Mr. Henry Littlehales from the Church Records in the Guildhall, the cost of the setting and corrections of the text being generously borne by its Editor. This book will show the income and outlay of the church; the drink provided for its Palm-Sunday players, its officers’ excursions into Kent and Essex, its dealing with the Plague, the disposal of its goods at the Reformation, &c., &c., and will help our members to realize the church-life of its time. The third Text will be Part I of An Alphabet of Tales, a very interesting collection, englisht in the Northern Dialect, about 1440, from the Latin Alphabetum Narrationum by Etienne de Bésançon, and edited by Mrs. M. M. Banks from the unique MS. in the King’s Library in the British Museum; the above-named three texts are now ready for