An orisoun to oure ladi.16 MARIE al vertu makith thee fair: alle seyntis honouren thee in the cuntre of heuene: alle thei blessen thee and seyn preisynge to thee. Heil ful of grace, for the woundis of iesu crist whiche thou wepynge saiz blodi for oure wrecchidnesse make us worthi to se thee, and in seynge thee, to ioien in euerlastynge glorie. Amen. Heil and ioie thou, marie, queene of heuene: lady of the world: empresse of helle: modir of chast counceil: haue merci on us and on al cristen peple, and lat us neuer synnen deedly but graunte us to fulfille thi moost hooly wille. Amen. Here bigynnen the seuene salmes.17 ORD repreue thou not me in thi strong Lord, haue thou merci on me, for I am siik: lord, make thou me hool, for alle my bonys ben troublid. 16 This is an additional and occasional Collect: not belonging to any of the Offices which have gone before. In some editions, both MS. and printed, many are inserted here: in others, omitted altogether. 17 These Psalms were very anciently selected, and known by name as the seven Psalms, or Pe nitential. S. Augustin is said to have desired them to be read to him, when about to die: and they are in the earliest Ordines Romani. Cassiodorus, cited by Bona, Div. Psalmod. cap. xiv. 1, and by Gavantus, tom. 2. 272. gives us the reason why they are seven in number: "quia totidem modis remittentur peccata nostra ; And my soule is troublid greetli: but thou lord how longe. Baptismo, passione martyrii, eleemosyna, dimittendo aliis, convertendo alios, abundantia charitatis, et pœnitentia." Cardinal Bona observes: "Quod antiqui Canones septennem pœnitentiam pro gravioribus peccatis imposuerunt; deinde legimus in Sacris paginis, quod leprosus mundandus septies aspergebatur: quod Naaman Syrus septies lavari in Jordane jussus est ab Elisao; quod septimo anno fiebant remissiones, eratque magnus Jubilæus post quadratum septenarium. Non ergo sine causa horum Psalmorum numerus ad septenarium redactus est, ut septuplum expurgati a septem plagis immunes, exclusis septem Dæmoniis, septiformis Spiritus gratia illustremur." Cap. xiv. § 1. Anciently the clergy were obliged after Lauds to recite these Psalms, and to this effect we find frequent orders in the Statutes and Regulations of the old Religious Houses. For example, the Hospital of S. Leonard; Dugdale, vol. vj. p. 610. But this obligation was removed, except on Fridays during Lent, by the Bull of Pope Pius V. as regarded the Roman Communion; unless a custom was to be still observed of reciting them in Choir. In many editions of the Hora and Prymers, an Antiphon, Ne reminiscaris, is appointed before the first Psalm: this seems to have been added generally, about the end of the xvith cent. and is now ordered in the modern Roman Breviary. The complete Antiphon is at the end of the seventh in the Sarum Breviaries. "Ne reminiscaris, Domine, delicta nostra, vel parentum nostrorum, neque vindictam sumas de peccatis nostris." Tobias, cap. iij. v. 3. The first is omitted in the King's Prymer of 1545; and as will be seen presently, is considerably lengthened at the end of the seven Psalms. The usual Antiphon is included in the King's Litany, and is still retained in our own. 18 Contra iram. Brev. Sarum. A feruent praier of the sinner, desiryng to be cured: and his enemies to be vanquished. The King's Prymer. The printed Horæ and Prymers of the Use of Sarum almost always have a wood cut at the beginning of the Seven Psalms: sometimes representing the battle in which Uriah was slain, or most commonly Bathsheba bathing, and David looking at her from a window. Not seldom also some English verses and other wood cuts are placed before the beginning of each psalm. I shall give these verses in their order, from a Prymer of 1527, Paris, Kerver, 12mo. They are also in the two editions Lord, be thou conuertid," and delyuere my soule: make thou me saaf for thi merci. For noon is in deeth whiche is myndeful of thee: but in helle who shal knowleche to thee. I trauelide" in my weilyng, I shal waische my bedde bi ech ny3t: I shal moiste bedstre" with my teeris. my Myn ize is disturblid of woodnesse: I wax eelde “ among alle myn enemyes. Alle ye that worchen wickidnesse departe fro me: for the lord hath herd the vois of my wepinge. The lord hath herd my biseching: the lord hath receyued my preiere. Alle myn enemyes be ashamed greetli and be disturblid: be thei turnede togidere and be thei ashamed ful swiftly. Glorie be. Ps. Beati quorum.23 BLESSID ben thei whose wickidnessis ben for and whos synnes ben hilid.24 of the Enchiridion. See Dissert. on the Service Books. "Psalms. VI. Dauid seyng 22 Inveteravi. I have waxen olde. 1538. I am withered. 1545. Contra super 23 Ps. xxxj. Ber sabee bathe in a well, Was sodenly moued with her beaute: biam. Brev. Sar. Howe the penitent person shulde bewayle his sinnes, pray vnto God, and re Sayd to his seruaunt, go thou and ioyce in him. The King's Prytell, mer. Uryes wyfe that she come speke Dauyd the better to do this en Blissid is the man to whom the lord arettide not synne: nethir gile is in his spirit. For I was stille, my boonys wexiden eeld: while I cried al day. For bi day and ny3t thi hond was maad greuous on me: I am turned in my wrechidnesse while the thorn is sett yn.26 I maad my synne knowun to thee: I hidde not myn unriztfulnesse. I seide I shal knowleche azen me myn unriztfulnesse to the lord and thou hast forgoue the wickidnesse of my synne. For this thing ech hooli man shal preie to thee: in couenable tyme. 27 Netheles in the greet flood of many watris: tho shulen not neize to thee.28 Thou art my refuyt fro tribulacioun that cumpasside me: thou my fulli ioying, delyuere me fro hem that cumpassen me. I shal 3yue undirstonding to thee, and shal teche thee in this weie whiche thou shalt go I shal make stidefast myn izen on thee. Quorum tecta sunt peccata. Whose synnes be couered. 1538. 1545. &c. 25 Arretare says Du Cange, is the same as Retare, Rettare, for Rectare, to warn an accused person to do right; Arrette, says Skinner, seems to mean to censure, to estimate, from the Fr. Arrester, to judge. Tyrwhittto impute to. Perhaps Arette is Arate, to rate from Reor, ratus. VOL. II. G Sothell to him that worchith not, his feith is arettid to rightwysnesse. Wiclif. Rom. c. 4. (Richardson.) Beatus vir cui non imputavit Dominus. Shal nat ympute. 1538. 1555. &c. Hath not imputed. 1545. 26 Dum configitur spina. 27 In tempore opportuno. In tyme conuenient. 1538. &c. 28 Non approximabunt. Nile ye be maad as an hors and mule: to which is noon undirstonding. Lord, constreyne thou the chekes of hem with a bernacle and bridel: 29 that neizen not to thee. Manye betingis ben of the synnere: but merci shal cumpasse him that hopith in the lord. Ye iust men be glad and make fulli ioie in the lord: and alle ye riztful of herte haue glorie. Glorie be. Ps. Domine ne in furore. ijs 30 ORD, repreue thou not me in thi stronge veniaunce nethir chastise thou me in thin ire. For thin arowis ben ficchid in me: and thou hast confermed 31 thin hond on me. Noon heelthe is in myn flesch, fro the face of thin ire: no pees is to my bonys, fro the face of my synnes. For my wickidnessis ben gon ouer myn heed: as an heuy birthen tho ben maad heuy on me, Myn heelid wondes weren rotun and ben brokun : fro the face of myn unwisdom.34 29 In camo et fræno maxillas eorum constringe. Bynde theyr mouthes with snaffle and bridle. 1538. 1545. &c. 30 Psalm. xxxvij. lam. Brev. Sar. Contra guThe penitent person, sore greued with the burden of sinne, calleth vpon God for ayde, and betaketh him selfe to his mercy. The King's Prymer. For this cruell synne Nathan the prophete, Dauyd reproued, and blamed gretely: 33 Wherfore dauyd with heuynesse replete, Tenderly wepyng cryed, peccaui. (1532.) 31 Et confirmasti manum tuam. Thou haste enforced. 1538. Thou hast layde. 1545. 32 A facie. In regarde of. 1538. Because of. 1545. 33 Putruerunt et corruptæ sunt cicatrices meæ. My woundes have putrefied and festeryd. 1538. My woundes are putrified and roten. 1545. 34 Insipientiæ. |