Who troweth in hym, for he can kepe and loue,
Theyr lust fulfylle, and graunt them theyr askyng;
And in his gospel eke a worthy kyng

He sayd hymself: 'In Me who lust byleue,
Though he be dede, ywys yet shal he leue.'

329.

O cursed folk with youre ydolatrye,

Whiche in fals goddes setten youre delyte,

2295

Blynd, dome and "deef is al youre mametrye;

Of stok and stone men may suche karue and thwyte;

2300

Leue theym for fals with sour and [with] despyte,

They are but erthe, and brought [as] lowe as lede,

He regneth God aboue the heuen superne;

Blyssed be he, for he no grace wyl werne

To them, that wyl in hym "set theyr byleue;

And though they dye, ywys yet shal they "leue."

2310

5

ΤΟ

15

These thynges folowyng is euery crysten man and woman
holde and bounde to lerne and to conne to theyr power in
waye of theyr saluacyon:

The Pater Noster, the Aue Maria, and the Crede;
The Ten Commandementis:

Haue one God in worshyp. In this is forboden al maner
mawmetrye, wytchecraft, enchauntement, redynge of dremes
and al mysbyleue.

Take not his name in vayn. In this is forboden al heresyes, al mysmenyng, vnworshyp of God, forsweryng, takyng his name in vayne and suche other.

Halowe thyne holy day. To this belongeth heryng of thy seruyse, kepynge the oute of dedely synne, vysytyng of the powre neyghbours, accordyng them that ben at debate and suche other.

2293. and ] f. S. 2295: 2296. -eue -eue ]-yve: -yve S. 2299. deef] deth CS. 2309. set] beset CWS.

5. Commandementis ] commandentis C. of God vayn W.-12. day] dayes W.

2310. leue] lyue CWS.

9. his name in vayn ] the name

Worshyp thy fader and moder, God thy fader, holy chirche thy moder, the ghoostly faders, the flesshely fader and moder, al men of age and worshyp, and prelates of holy chirche.

Slee no man, with hond smytyng, with mouthe bacbytyng, herte cursynge, ne wyllyng euyl ne vengeaunce.

Do no lecherye. Here is forboden alle spouse breche, alle flesshely dedes and al mysshedyng of mannes seed.

Do no thefte. Here is forboden stelyng, wronge purchacyng, dysherytyng of heyres, trecherye, vsurye, wronge amersementis, false mesure and weyghtes and suche other.

Bere no false wytnes. Here is forboden false lyeng, bacbytyng, accusyng, appayryng of good loes, and suche other.

Desyre not thy neyghbours wyf. In this is not onely forboden the dede, but also the desyre and wyl of herte.

Desyre not thy neyghbours thyng, hows, londe, beest, seruaunt, ne nothyng that is his.

The seuen dedely synnes:

Pryde. Herof comyth boostyng of proude beryng, dysplesyng, scornyng, hyghe herte, gay array, pryde of rychesse, fayrenes, cunnyng, strengthe, vertue, goodnes, pryde of kynne, vnbuxomnes, vayne glorye, dispyte of thyne neyghbour, ypocrysye and suche other.

Enuye. Glad of thy neyghbours euyl fare, heuy of his welfare, backbytyng, sownyng of dyscord, scornyng and suche other.

Wrath. Fyghtyng, chydynge, hurtyng, betynge, waryeng, cursyng, grutchyng, desiring of vengeaunce, cruelnes, manslaughter and suche other.

Couetise. Falsehode in wynnyng, in beyeng, in sellyng, in metyng, in weyeng, gyle, trecherye, sacrilege, simonye, vsurye, thefte, receyuyng of stolen goodes, extorcion, wrong withholding, withdrawing of seruauntes hire, withholding of tithes and dutees of hooly chirche.

Glotonye. Etyng or drynkyng ouer-moche, to erly, to late, oute of mesure, brekyng of fast, vsyng of delycate metes and drynkes, or in vsyng them to strengthe thy body to synne and suche other.

Slouthe. Therof cometh ydlenes, delite in sleepe, neclygence of thy bileue, "vnlustynes to Goddes seruyse, foryetefulnes of shryfte, myspendyng of tyme, dyspayer, wanhope and suche other.

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

the holy S.

27. loes] name WS.

28. onely forboden the

18. holy dede ] forboden the dede only S. - 30. thyng] thynges W. 34. rychesse] araye S. 47. seruauntes] sarvantes S. 54. vnlustynes] vnlusty CWS. 55. shryfte] shryte S.

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

Lecherye. In thoughte, wylle, werke, syght, felyng, dede; doyng with sengle, with comune, wydowes, maydens, wyues, gossybbes, goddoughters, relygyous, or ony other oute of wedlok; synne ayenst kynde or suche other.

The fyue wyttes:

Syght, heryng, smellyng, tastyng, feelyng.

The seuen dedes of mercy bodyly:

Fede the hungry, yeue drynke to the thursty, clothe the naked, herberowe the howseles, vysyte the syke, delyuer the prysoners, and burye the poure that ben dede, at her deth.

The seuen dedes of mercy ghoostely:

Teche them that can not, yeue good counseyl to hym that asketh it, chastyse thy subgecte that offendith, comforte the sory, foryeue hym that trespaceth to the, haue routhe on the synnar and praye for thyne enemye.

The seuen pryncypal vertues:

Fayth. This is ground and begynnyng of oure saluacyon, and it standeth in thre thynges: In the vnyte of the godhede in thre persones, in the manhode of Cryst, and in the sacramentes of the chirche.

Hope. This is a trust by the mercy of God to be saued, and it standeth in the grace of God and good werkes.

Charyte. This is the ende and perfectyon of al the commandementes of God, and it standeth in the loue of God aboue al thyng, and thy neyghbour as thy self.

Ryghtwysenes. This is a payeng of deute of eche thyng that it duly longeth to, as to God praysyng and thankyng, to thy "neyghbour loue and charyte, and to thy self besynes to fulfylle Goddes wylle.

Wysedom. That is a vertu to departe good fro euyl, and it stondeth in chesyng of good and in refusyng of euyl.

Strengthe. Thys maketh a man myghty and hardy to doo grete thynges for the loue of God, and it stondeth in suffryng pacyently aduersyte, and mekely takyng prosperyte.

Mesure. This is a mene bytwene to moche and to lytel,

58. comune] comue W. 59. gossybbes ] goshyppes W; goddoughters] goddoughter W. 66. prysoners ] prosoners W; at her deth ] f. WS.

73. begynnyng] begynge W. 84. neyghbour ] neyghbonr C. 90. aduersyte] advarcyte S.

83. that the W; duly ] f. W.

87. chesyng] the chesynge W.

and it stondeth in takyng suffycyently that nedeth and in
refusyng vtterly that is to moche or to lytel.

By these thynges shal eche man and woman knowe god.
These that folowen, brynge a man to heuen:

Good perseueraunce, pacyence in aduersyte, obedyence
of the commaundementes of God, ryghtwysenes in dedes,
penaunce in the lyf, contrycyon of synne, knowlege of thy
self, and charyte.

These bryngen one in to helle:

Desperacyon, wodenes in aduersyte, vnryghtwysenes of
dedes, loue of synne, malyce, obstynacyon in synnes,
despyte of the commaundementes of God, hate of good
thynges and ignoraunce.

The fyue wyttes ghoostely:

1. Mynde of the kindenes of God and of thy last ende;
2. Vnderstondyng of His benefettys and of His lore;
3. Wylle to worshyppe hym in thought, worde and dede,
withoute ony werynes;

4. Reson to rewle with thy wittes both inward and out-
ward, withoute ony blyndenesse;

5. Ymagynacyon of vertuous lyuyng, nedeful werkes and
dredeful dedes of ioye and of peyne.

112. Ymagynacyon ] Ymagynacions S; nedeful ] drede

Im Wynkyn-Druck findet sich dahinter:

Here endeth the Court of Sapyence. Enprynted at London in the Fletestrete at the sygne of the sonne by Wynkyn de Worde, the yere of our lorde a. MCCCCC & X.

Bei Stowe findet sich:

Wynkyn de Word.

Here endyth the Court of Sapyence, compylyd by Dan John Lydgate, monke of Bury, on whos sowll God have mercy; amen.

John Stowe.

12. Anmerkungen.

(Betreffs der Eigennamen siehe das Verzeichnis der Eigennamen S. 261.)

1. merueýlous, betont wie 2171, gegenüber Chaucers (B 1643, F 1206; Rosenroman 1579) und Lydgates (RS 3372, 3380, 4466 mérvēloús; TrB I, 253, 1471, 1749, 2511; II, 252; IV, 6058) mérveilloús. 4. moost notable cure: Erlösungswerk Christi, das auf den Rat der Sapience zur Ausführung kam; cf. Z. 502 ft.

=

8. Wysedom Sapience; wegen der Beschreibung des Schlosses der Weisheit cf. Z. 1471 ff.

14. cf. Z. 141 ff.

47. [more] des Metrums wegen eingesetzt nach Z. 44.

50. Gówer; Betonung wie Troilus V, Z. 1856.

Chaucers, mit Nominativ-s wie bei Piers; cf. TG Note l. 184; weiteres
Beispiel bei Bokenam, angeführt TG, p. XCVI.

54. you (= Gower und Chaucer), theym (= die successoures dieser beiden).

70. conferme from ist sonst nicht belegt; jedenfalls Kontamination zweier Konstruktionen: to keep from to confirm sth. 71. besy, ae. "bisig nach NED, nicht "bysig. Jedenfalls besy zu lesen mit nördlicher Dehnung (Luick, § 393, 2) oder als nachlässige Schreibung zu erklären nach Luick, § 380, 3. Abschnitt. Schreibung busy von Harley nach dem NED nicht erklärt, jedenfalls aber auf spätsächsisches (und zum Teil mercisches) *büsig < *bisig zurückgehend, nach Luick, § 285, wegen des vorausgehenden, die Rundung i > ü begünstigenden Labials, wobei das # dann fest geworden und me. u (etwa bei Lazamon) geschrieben wäre. Wild, S. 67, faßt die Form besy der jüngeren Chaucer-Handschrift ebenfalls als besy auf. 73.,,Nichts schien jüngst so gut sich vorzunehmen als"

...

75. Der Inf. mit for to ist koordiniert mit dem Inf. mit to Z. 74; beide hängen von as ab.

76. yche; westmittelländische Eigentümlichkeit; siehe Glossar.

hym auf youthe 74 bezüglich, das Femininum ist; youthe ist eben hier im Sinn von „,junger Mann" gebraucht; der Autor meint sich wohl selbst damit.

77. youth TH ist sinnlos; im Original stand etwa youht (nördliche Schreibung ht statt ght!); ht wurde als th verlesen, ähnlich vielleicht