demest 38 peplis in equite: and dressist 39 hethen men in erthe. God, peplis knowleche to thee, alle peplis knowleche to thee: the erthe 3af his fruyt. God oure god blesse us, god blesse us: and alle the coostis of erthe drede him. Glorie be. As it was. A Benedicite 40 LLE werkis of the lord, blesse ye to the lord : herie ye and ouer hize ye him in all tyme. Ye aungels of the lord, blesse to the lord: ye heuenes blesse to the lord. Alle watris that ben aboue heuenes blesse ye to the lord: alle vertues of the lord blesse ye to the lord. The sunne and the moone blesse ye to the lord: the sterris of heuene blesse ye to the lord. Reyn and dew blesse ye to the lord: alle spiritis of god blesse ye to the lord. Fier and heete blesse ye to the lord: coold and somer blesse ye to the lord. 38 Dem-an, A. S. to judge. And deme wel and wislyche. Piers Ploughman. p. 194. Nyle ye deme, that ghe be not demed. Wiclif. Matt. c.7. (Richardson.) 39"Et gentes in terra dirigis.” To kepe the londe and dres the folk for to justise. R. Brunne. p. 327. (Richardson.) 40 Canticum trium puerorum est Festivius, et ideo in omnibus Festis dicitur. Gemma Animæ. lib. ii. 53. See in Appendix for another translation from one of the Bodleian MSS. of this Canticle. It is a matter of no small difficulty to point out, how Canticles and Hymns differ. Some look to the matter of them, some to the mode in which they are sung. Again, the Canticles, as they are commonly called, from the old Testament, vary in their subject: some are joyful: some exulting some prophetic. Dewis and hoore frostis blesse ye to the lord: frost and coold blesse ye to the lord. Isis and snowis blesse ye to the lord: ny3tis and daies blesse ye to the lord. Lizt and derknesse blisse ye to the lord: liztnyngis and cloudis blesse ye to the lord. The erthe blesse it to the lord: preise and ouerhize it him withouten end. Hillis both more and lesse blesse ye to the lord: alle that buriownen" in erthe blesse ye to the lord. Wellis blesse ye to the lord: sees and floodis blesse ye to the lord. Whallis and alle that mouen in watris blesse ye the lord: alle foulis of heuene blesse ye to the lord. Alle kynde of beestis blesse ye to the lord: mennes sones blesse ye to the lord. Folkis of israel blesse ye to the lord: herie and ouerhize it him in to worldis. Prestis of the lord blesse ye to the lord: seruauntis of the lord blesse ye to the lord. Spiritis and soulis of riztful men blesse ye to the lord hooli and meke of herte blesse ye to the lord. Ananye, azarie, and mysael blesse ye to the lord: preise ye him and ouerhize ye him for euermore. Blesse we the fadir and the sone with the hooli goost: preise we and ouerhize we him with outen ende: Blessid art thou lord in the firmament of heuene: 41 Benedicite universa germinantia in terra domino." "All that spryngeth upon the earth." Edit. 1538, and others. Beorgan, byrgan. A. S. To protect, to strengthen: also, to bury: to deposit in a place of security. Richardson. thou art to be preisid and glorious and ouerhized for euermore. YE Amen.42 Ps. Laudate dominum de celis. E of heuenes herieth the lord: herie ye him into hize thingis. Alle hise aungels herie ye him: alle hise vertues herie ye him. 42 The Hora and early printed Prymers do not add Amen: and possibly in the MS. from which the text is taken, it was an error. Amalarius. lib. 4. c. x. particularly notes that it was not said in his time at the end of this Hymn. The version which the Church of England now uses omits the two last verses, and adds the usual doxology, "Glory be to the Father, &c." This is quite contrary to the ancient rubrics, which forbid the use of this, and instead added the two verses, "Benedica mus Patrem et Filium cum sancto Spiritu laudemus et superexaltemus eum in sæcula. Benedictus es Domine in firmamento cœli: et laudabilis et gloriosus et superexaltatus in sæcula." The Prymer of 1545 made no alteration in this respect: nor did that of K. Edward in 1547. They were first omitted, and the other put in their place, (I believe) in the Common Prayer Book of 1549. It is worth remark, as to the Amen, that the English Prymers of K. Henry, 1545, omit it: the Latin (called Orarium) has it: the editions with both versions in parallel columns, add "Amen" to the Latin only. The ancient addition is said to have been made by Pope Damasus. Clichtoveus. Elucidatorium Eccles: 87. "God The "Mirrour" says, kepte the thre chyldren in the fyre unhurte, and there they made and songe thys psalme Benedicite. And lyke wyse in tyme of antycryste they that wyll not worshypp hym, shall suffer the greatest persecucyon that euer was done to crysten people. But god of hys specyall mercy and grace shall kepe hys chosen, in that fyre of tribulacyon unhurte. And in token therof is thys psalme songe at laudes wythoute Gloria patri. For the greatnesse of that persecucyon, shall lette the open praysynge of god, that ys used in holy chyrche. And yet tho few that shall then abyde in trew faythe and charite, shall not cease of goddes praysyng. And therfore Sunne and moone herie ye him: alle sterris and lizt herie ye him. Heuenes of heuenes herie ye him: and the watris that ben aboue heuenes herieth ye the name of the lord. For he seide and thingis weren maad: he comaundide and thingis weren maad of nouzt. He ordeynede tho thingis in to the world, and in to the world of world: 43 he settide a comaundement, and it schal not passe. Ye of erthe herieth the lord: dragons and alle depthis of watris. Fier, hail, iys, snow: spiritis of tempestis that doen his wille. Mounteyns and alle litle hillis: and trees berynge fruyt and alle cedris. the laste verse of the psalme saue one, ys of the same sentence, that Gloria patri ys, but not of the same wordes." fol. lxvij. Having already cited this volume, one of no little importance, and also as we shall be further indebted to it, it may not be amiss to remark that it was compiled for the use of the Sisters of the Nunnery of Syon, in Middlesex, of whom this very curious fact deserves to be remembered. If not at the present time, certainly within the last twenty years, some members still existed in England of their community. Their history may be seen in the Monasticon Anglicanum, vol. vj. p. 540; how they were driven from their Abbey among the earliest of the great Houses, restored by Queen Mary, and expelled again by Queen Elizabeth: how they fled from place to place on the Continent, until they settled in Lisbon, where struggling on against losses, (not the least of which was caused by the earthquake of 1755) they remained, until driven out by Lord Wellington's army: how, finally, nine Sisters returned to England, of whom some were still living in Staffordshire, in 1825. "The last remnant of an English Convent dissolved in the time of Henry the Eighth." 43" Statuit ea in æternum, et in sæculum sæculi." Wilde bestis and alle tame beestis: serpentis and fetheride briddis. The kingis of erthe and alle peplis: the pryncis and alle jugis of erthe. Yonge men and virgyns, olde men with yonger, herie ye the name of the lord: for the name of him aloone is enhauncede. His knowlechynge be on heuene and erthe: and he hath enhaunsid the horn of his peple. An ympne be to alle hise seyntis: to the children of israel, to a peple neizynge" to him. Cantate domino canticum. SYNGE ye to the lord a newe songe: his heriyng be in the chirche of seyntis.*5 Israel be glad in him that made him: and the douztris of syon make fulout ioie in her kynge. Herie thei his name in a corinnice : 46 seye thei salm to him in a tympane and sautre. |