The lord is sweete and riztfull: for this he shal 3yue a lawe to men trespassynge in the weie.

He shal dresse deboner men in doom: 92 he shal teche mylde men hise weies.

Alle the weies of the lord ben merci and treuthe: to men sekinge his testament and hise witnessyngis. Lord, for thi name thou shalt do merci to my synne: for it is moche.

Who is a man that dredith the lord: he ordeyneth to him a lawe in the weie which he chees.

His soule shal dwelle in goodis: and his seed shal enherite the lond.

The lord is a sadnesse 93 to men dredynge him and his testament is that it be shewid to hem.

Myne yzen ben euere to the lord: for he shal breide awei my feet fro the snare.

94

Biholde thou on me, and haue thou merci on me: for I am oon aloone and pore.

The tribulaciouns of my herte ben multipliede: delyuere thou me fro my nedis.

Se thou my mekenesse and my traueil: and forgyue thou alle my trespassis.

Biholde thou myn enemyes for thei ben multiplied: and thei haten me with wickid hatrede.

Kepe thou

my soule and delyuere thou me: be I not ashamed for I hopide in thee.

Innocent men and riztful cleueden to me: for I suffride thee.

92 Diriget mansuetos in ju

dicio.

93 Firmamentum above, p. 29, note 75.

est. See

94 Evellet de laqueo pedes meos. He shall pulle my fote oute of the snare. 1538. &c.

God, delyuere thou israel: fro alle hise tribula

ciouns.

Ant. Haue thou not mynde on the trespassis of my yougthe, and of myn unkunnyngis.

The lord is defender of my liif: for whom shal I tremble.

The while nothful men neizen on me:96 for to ete my fleishis.

Myn enemyes that troblen me: thei weren maad syke and felden.97

Thouz castels stonden togidre azens me:98 myn herte shal not drede.

Thouz bateil risith agens me: in this thing I shal haue hope.

I axide of the lord o thing that shal I seeke, that I dwelle in the hous of the lord: alle the daies of my liif.

That I se the wille of the lord: and that I visite his temple.

For he hidde me in his tabernacle in the day of yuels: he defendide me in the hidde place of his tabernacle.

95 De securitate Christi in tribulatione et fiducia in Deo solo habenda, grassantibus in nos inimicis. Ps. xxvj. (1531.)

96 Dum appropiant super me

nocentes.

97 Et ceciderunt. And fell downe. 1538. &c.

98 Si consistant adversum me castra. In the later versions: "If they pytche Pauylyons agaynste me."

He enhauncide me in a stoon: 99 and now he enhaunmyn heed ouer myne enemyes.

cide

I cumpasside and offride in his tabernacle a sacrifice of criyng: I shal synge, and I shal seie salm to the lord.

Lord, heere thou my vois bi which I cried to thee: haue thou merci on me and heere me.

Myn herte seide to thee, my face souzte thee: lord, I shal seke eft thi face.

Turne thou not awei thi face fro me: bowe thou not awei in wrathe fro thi seruaunt.

Lord, be thou myn helper, forsake thou not me: and god, mi saluacioun, dispise thou not me.

For my fadir and my

the lord hath take me.

modir han forsake me: but

Lord, sette thou a lawe to me in thi weie: and dresse thou me in thi path for myn enemyes.

Bitake thou not me into the hondis of hem that troublen me for wickid witnessis han rise agens me, and wickidnesse lizede to it silf.1

I bileeue to se the goodis of the lord: in the lond of lyuynge men.

Abide thou the lord, do thou manli: and thi herte be confortide and suffre thou the lord.

Ant. I bileeue to se the goodis of the lord, in the lond of lyuyng men.

Vers. Iust men shulen be in endeles mynde.

Resp. Thei shulen not drede of yuel heering.

Oure fadir.2

Heil marie.

99 In petra exaltavit me.

1 Mentita est sibi.

2 This and the Ave, omitted here in Brev. Sar. The Cambr. MS. has the Pater noster only.

The fourthe lessoun. Quantas habeo.3

WOW greet wickidnessis and synnes haue I: shewe thou to me my felonyes and trespassis.* Whi hiddist thou thi face and deemyst me thin enemye: thou shewist thi my3t azens a leef, which is rauyshid with the wynde: and thou pursuest drie stubul. For thou writist bitternessis agens me: and wolt waaste me with the synnes of my yong wexyn age. Thou hast sette my foot in a stok, and thou hast kept alle my pathis. And thou hast biholde the steppis of

5

my

3 The wood cut commonly prefixed in the printed books, to this Lection, is very remarkable. It represents the members of a Church or Convent sitting in the Choir, saying this Office: in the middle a coffin or hearse, surrounded by candles: above, an evil spirit carrying away the soul of the dead person, from whose mouth issues the legend: "Condemnatus sum." Below;

A chanon the whiche at parys dyed,

As they his seruyce in the quere dyd syng:

At the fourthe lesson alowde he

cryede,

Sayng I am dampned for my lyuyng.

This story arose from the famous account of the conversion of S. Bruno, the founder of the Carthusian institute: of whom it is related, that he was present when

the body of a certain eminent doctor was being carried to a church in Paris, and whilst the Office was singing, at that lection, "Responde mihi quantas habeo iniquitates," the dead man lifted up his head from the bier, and Isaid with a dreadful voice: 66 By the just judgment of God I am accused." A second time: "I am judged." At a third time: "I am condemned." Formerly this was inserted in the Roman Breviary, but it was removed by an order of Pope Urban viij. I have given but a very abridged account: it may be seen at length in Cavalieri, Opera. Tom. v. p. 52, and in Surius. Sanct. Hist. Tom. v. p. 671, who adds, that from that time, and for that reason, the words, Responde mihi, were omitted.

4 Scelera mea atque delicta. 5 Adolescentiæ meæ.

feet and I shal be wastide as root:6 and as a clooth which is etun with mou3tis.

Resp. Wo to me, lord, for I haue synned to moche in my liif. What shal I wreche do, whidur shal I flee but to thee: my god, haue merci on me. Whanne thou comest in the last day.

Vers. Mi soule is moche troublid, but thou, lord, be helper ther to.

Res. Whanne thou comyst in the laste day.

A

The fifthe lessoun. Homo natus de."

MAN is born of a womman and lyueth short tyme, and is fillid with manye wrecchidnessis: which gooth out and is defoulid as a flour, and fleeth as shadowe, and dwellith neuer parfiitli in the same staat. And gessist thou it worthis to opene thine yzen on such a man: and to brynge him into doom with thee? Who may make clene a man, conceyued

of unclene seed? wher not thou which art aloone. The daies of man ben shorte: the noumbre of hise monethis is at thee. Thou hast sett or ordeyned' hise termes, which moun not be passid. Therfore Therfore go thou awei fro him a lytil that he haue reste: til the meede come 10 and hise daies: as of an hiryd man.