Ad nonam. At the hour of noone Cryst is lyfe lefte," Terra tunc contremuit, et sol obscuravit. Ad vesperas. How our lorde at the tyme of euensong, De cruce deponitur hora vespertina, ¶ Ad completorium. At complyn tyme the body of Jesu, ¶ Hora completorii datur sepulturæ, Conditur aromate, complentur scripturæ, The recommendation follows. Has horas canonicas cum devotione, Ut sicut tu passus es pœnas in agone, Sic labori consonans consors sim coronæ. 20 20 The reader is not to understand that the English verses are intended to be anything but a mere approach to a translation of the Latin. The Prymer of 1532 attempts (at least) a closer version, which it gives as well as the stanzas in the text. It is sufficiently curious to be inserted here. "The englyse of Patris sapientia. He that is the great profounde sapience, And dyuyne trewthe of the father on hye: Whyche for mankynde of hys benevolence, Hym selfe hath made bothe god and man ioyntely: Was sold and bought by the Jewys treyterously, And aboute mydnyght perturbyd and takyn, And of hys dyssyples anon forsaken. The furste houre in the monynge yerly Unto theyr iuge, callyd pylate, the iewys In the edition named these last verses are not translated, it being a Prymer in Latin only (with some When that they thought for payn that he thursted, Hys thurst for to quench they profferd hym gall: Thys lamb thus ylludyd bought owr synnes all. Owre mercyfull lorde Jesu goddys sonne, Callyng vnto hys fader almyghty, Yelded up hys soule et (sic) sone vppon none, The spyryte departyd that blessyd body: The sonne waxed darke, the yerth quoke wondersly, Greate meruelous thynges to beholde and here, Of Jesu the noble and blessyd bodye At complyntyme was brought to sepulture, Spycyd and adournyd fra graunte and swetely: Of scripture complete was thenne the mystery, Therfore Jesu graunte me thy woundys tendure, And thy deth besely styll to remember." The reader may not object also to see the following English verses, which sometimes occur in the later Prymers they intend to illustrate by the variety of the months, the ages of man's life. I And yet a knyght percyd hys quote from the edition of 1538. hert wyth a spere. The dede body of cryste that blessyd man, From the crosse was losyd and takyn awaye At euensonge tyme, but alas where was thanne Hys crowne of glory et (sic) great strenght that daye : Full preuely wythin the godhed yt laye, Yet wold he thys cruell deth suffer thus, The trew medsyn of lyffe to brynge to us. The hope of owre lyfe euer to indure, exceptions as above, and occasional prayers): but the Prymer of 1543 gives us the following version. To receyve chastisement, nurture, and lernynge. March. Marche betokeneth the vi yeres folowynge, Arayeng the erthe wt pleasaunt verdure: That season youth careth for nothynge, And without tought dooth hys sporte & pleasure. Apryll. The next vi yere maketh foure and twenty, And figured is to ioly Apryll: That time of pleasures man hath moost plenty, Fresshe and louynge his lustes to fulfyll. Maye. As in the month of Maye all thyng is in myght, So at xxx yeres man is in chyef lykyng: Pleasaunt and lusty, to every mannes syght In beaute and strength, to women pleasyng. June. In June all thyng falleth to rype nesse, And so dooth man at xxxvi yere olde, And studyeth for to acquyre rychesse, And taketh a wyfe to kepe his housholde. July. At xl yere of aege or elles neuer Is ony man endewed with wysdome : For than forthon hys myght fayleth euer, As in July dooth euery blossome. August. The goodes of the erthe is gadred euermore In August, so at xlviii yere Man ought to gather some goodes in store, To susteyne aege that than draweth nere. Septembre. Lete no man thynke for to gather plenty Yf at liiii yere he haue none : No more than yf his barne were empty In Septembre, whan all the corne is gone. Octobre. By Octobre betokeneth lx yere That aege hastely dooth man assayle, Yf he haue ought, than it dooth appere To lyve quyetly after his trauayle. Novembre. Whan man is at lxvi yere olde O blessed chryst these houres canonycall, And. for. grace. pray.good.tho. mas. ynde. To.christ. steuen. John. chylde. tho.be. kynde. On the title page of the same volume are the following verses. "God be in my hede, And in myn understandynge; And in my lokynge; And in myn spekynge. And in my thynkynge; And at my departynge." |