Versions of the Creed.

i. From the MS. Cotton. Cleopatra. B. vi. fol. 201. of the 13th. Century printed in Reliquia Antiquæ. Vol. i. p. 22.

I true in God, fader hal-michttende, that makede heven and herdethe: and in Ihesu Krist, is ane lepi sone, hure laverd, that was bigotin of the hali gast, and born of the mainden marie, pinid under Punce Pilate, festened to the rode, ded and dulvun, licht in til helle, the thride dai up ras fra dede to live, stez in til hevenne, sitis on his fadir richt hand, fadir al-waldand, he then sal cume to deme the quike an the dede. Hy troue hy theli gast, and hely kirke, the samninge of halzes, forzifnes of sinnes, uprisigen of fleyes, and life withhuten ende. Amen.

ij. From MS. Harleian. 3724. fol. 44. of the 13th. Century: also printed in Reliquiæ Antique. Vol. 1. p. 57.

I bileve in God fadir almichty, sshipper of hevene and eorthe and in Ihesus Crist, his onlepi sone, ure loverd, that is i-vang thurch the holy gost, bore of Marie Mayden, tholede pine under Pounce Pilat, picht on rode tre, ded and y-buriid, licht in to helle, the thridde day fram deth aros, steich in to hevene, sit on his fadir richt honde, God almichti, thenne is cominde to deme the quikke and the dede. I bileve in the holy gost, al holy chirche, mone of alle halwen, forzivenes of sinne, fleiss uprising, lyf withuten ende. Amen.

Several other versions may be seen in the same collection, particularly one which renders carnis resurrectionem by "arysnesse of flesse." Vol. 1. p. 282.

iij. From the MS. Harleian. 2343. fol. 2. of the xiv. Cent. In the British Museum.

I bileue into god, fader almy3ti, maker of heuene and of erthe: and into Iesu Crist his onli sone, oure lord, which was conceyued of the holi goost, borun of the virgyne marie, he suffrid passioun Pilat of pounce, crucified, deed and buried: he wente doun to helle, the thridde day he roos azen from deeth to liif, he stized to heuene: there he sittith on the rizthalf of god the fadir almy3ti: and fro thens he is to come to deeme the quyke and the deede. I belieue in the holi goost, al holi chirche, communynge of seyntis, forzeuenes of synnes, azenrisyng of fleisch, and euerlastyng liif. Amen.

iv. From the Douce MS. 246. In the Bodleian Library: of the xvth. Century.

I bileue in God, Fadre alle my3ty, shapere of heuene and of erthe. And in Ihesu Crist his oonlepye sone, oure Lord oon: whiche was conceyvede of the Holy Goost borne of the mayden Marye: suffrede undir the Ponce Pilate: crucifyede, and dede: and is buriede: cometh doun to helles: the thridde day he roos from deethis: steyed up to heuenes: sitteth on his Fadre rizte side, God alle my3hty: and fro thense he is to come for to deeme the qwyke and dede. I bileue in the Holy Spirit, holy chirche, comunyng of seyntes, forzeuenesse of synnes, risyng of flesshe unto ay lastynge lif. So mote it be. Amen.

From the Prymer in English and Latin. 8vo. Paris. 1538. fol. xxix. In my possession.

I beleue in god, the father almyghty, maker of heuen and earthe. And in Iesu Chryst hys onely sonne our Lorde. Whiche was conceyued by the holy

ghoste, and borne of the virgyn Mary. Which suffred deathe under Pons Pylate, and was crucifyed, deade, and buryed. Which descendyd to hell, the thyrde day, rose from death to lyfe. Whiche ascendyd into heuen, and syttheth at the ryzt hande of god, the father almyghtye. And from thens, shall come for to iudge both the quycke and the deade. I beleue in the holy ghoste. The holy churche catholike, the communyon of sayntes. The remyssyon of synnes. The resurrectyon of the flesshe. And the lyfe euerlastynge. So be it.

To the above may be added, a paraphrase, rather than version, of the Creed: from a MS. in the British Museum. Bibl. Reg. 17. B. 17. of the fifteenth Century. I follow the transcript in Casley's Catalogue.

I byleue stedfastely in my lord god almy3hty, that is fadur and sone and holy goost, thre persones and on god. I byleue that his sone tooke fleessche and blood in our ladye, clene modur wiif and mayden, by lyžeyns of the holy gooste, as his wille was: I byleue that goddis sone suffryd also deeth for me and alle mankynde. And also I byleue that he was in the sepulcur and that his soule went down to helle, and brouzt out soulis that weren therinne: and that he roos from deeth to lyue on the thridde day, and he stey to heuene on hooly thursday, and set hym on his fadur rizt hond and that he schal comen agen to the general iugement, to reward yche man aftur his deseruyng. I byleue in sacrament of hooly chyrch, a 3yft of the fadur and of the son and of the hooly goost, thre persones in o godhed. I byleue also in hooly chirch ordrynge us. I byleue in the sacrament of goddis flesche and his blood that he shedde on the blessid

rood tre for me, and for alle mankynd.

The Golden Litany, the .rv. Dos,

and other Dccasional Prayers,
and Forms.

The Goolden Letanye.'

ERE begnnyth in the hand of god the goolden Letanye of the lyf and passion of oure lorde Jesu Criste, in the same maner and forme, that he Self hath Shewed to the

helthe and saluacion of all crysten peple.

Lorde, haue mercy on vs.

crist, haue mercy on vs: ande graunt vs strength of soule inwarde and outwarde, that we may serue the to the pleasure of thi wyll.

Lorde god, fader of heuen: by thour heuenly vertue, haue mercy on vs.

The sone of god, the redemer of the worlde haue mercy on vs.

1 This Litany is taken from a MS. in the Library at Lambeth: No. 546. fol. 29. It is preceded by a long account "of a fayre miracle or shewyng of the golden Letany, to an holy woman namyd Mawdlene, of good and lawdable lyf." And how our blessed Lord made it known to her in a vision : with much other marvellous detail. Such recommendations of prayers are very frequently met with in early manuals of devotions: the Psalter of S. Jerome, and the xv oos of S. Brigitte, will readily occur to the recollection of the reader. But it will be a most unwise course immediately to con

demn the Prayers or Litanies which may be so recommended, for these are generally of much earlier date, and the legend was superstitiously attached to the prayer, and not the prayer to the legend.

The rest of the Volume from which the "Golden Litany" is taken, contains many other prayers and meditations: such as, of the xv sorrows; meditation of a sick man; prayers to our Lady; a devout prayer before the receiving of the Holy Communion; &c. Some of these are in Latin, some in English.