<County: Monmouthshire>
<Code: L7240>
<MS reference: Oxford, Bodleian Library, Tanner 16>
<Text: Rolle, Psalter>


<Tranche 1>

<p. 4a>þei þat synnen wiþoute lawe : þei schal perisch wiþowte
lawe . þe þridde folke schal be demed and saued
. As þes þat been trewe wedded folke : and biggiþ
hem heuene wiþ trewe lif and almesdede . &
oþer þat doon trewelich penaunce for her~ synnes
But þei canne noght come: to þe parfitest loue of crist
for her first hangyng . þe ferþe folk schal be demed
& dampned . As false cristen men þat hauen
þe treweþ of ihesu crist wiþowte loue and good werke
Suche schal greuousloker be dampned : þan heþen
men : whi soo : For þei wutynglich wreþed
crist : wiþ þeir iuel leuyng . And wolde noght
loue him keping his biddingges : For alle þe
goodnesse þat he dude hem For þe whiche vnkyndenesse
: þe worme þat is her~ conscience
schal more scharpelich bite hem and greue hem
þan any man may þenke. But as men seien
þe dome of heþen folke schal be more uyle For
þei schal be dampned þer wiþowte demyng . but
false cristen mennes dome : schal be more peynfulle
. For knowyng of treuthe and wurching
noght þer aftir. And moste of alle þei schal be
punysched for her wilful 3eynseying of cristes
lawe : tolde by his trewe folwers <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> For owr~ lord knewe þe wey
of rightwise : and þe gate of wikked schal perische
¶ As ho seiþ wikked men schal noght rise wiþ haluwes
to resceiue þe ioye of heuene . þat is by .
þe wise counseil of god ordeigned by holy men
þat loued crist doing his bidding in her lif
For þei louen þe wey þat is þe trewe wurching
of his louers þe whuche schal be rewarded wiþ
endeles blisse . And þe gate of wikked men shal
perishe . For crist hatiþ alle þat wutyngliche goþ
in synne . And forþi her werkes schal perische
for wanting of mede
<lat></lat>
</lat></lat> Whi gnasted
þe folke : & þe poeple þoght idel
þoughtes ¶ þe prophete snybbing hem þat shuld
torment crist : seiþ . why . As hoo seiþ. what enchesun
hadde þei : soþely none but iuel wille . For
he contraried her~ iuel leuyng in werk and
woord . þe folke þei were þe knyghtes of rome
þat crucified crist þei gnasted a3enst him as
bestes wiþowte resoun . And þe puple þat was
þe Jues þoght in idel . þat is in uayne was
her þoght . Whan þei wende haue halde crist
euere dede þat þei might noght doo . Forþi in
uayne þei traueiled as eche man doþ . þat þorogh
pride and ypocrisie weniþ to huyde cristes
laweful ordinaunce . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>. To
stode kynges of þe erþe and princes come toge
<p. 4b>dre a3enst owr~ lord . and a3enst his crist Noght
oonlich knyghtes of rome . and jues rose a3enst
crist . but kynges . also þat slowe þe jnnocentes
And þe toþer herodes sone þat assented to cristes
deþ And also princes as Anna & Cayphas . þe
whuche princes of prestys assented to cristes deþ
in a wikked wilful presumpcioun . Lo mannes foly
þe kinges of erþe come togedre : a3enst þe kyng
of heuene . For þei come a3einseying in one ihesu
crist godes sone . And now kinges and princes of
erþe comen in one a3enst ihesu crist . whanne þei
doo or suffre vnrightwisnesse in þeir rewmes .
And specialich for putting and suffring : in holy
churche enemys þerof gostlich to speke . kynges
ben wikked þoghtes . þe whuche springen to iuel
wurching . Folk þat ben Idel in þoghtes and
vayne in dede but noght in wille þan þes folke
gnasten whan fleschlich 3ernyng risen and
wexen a3enst skele . For þoo þat . stablen noght
her þoght in god assiduelich : in tyme of temptacioun
wreþen hem unskilfulliche . And folke yenkiþ
uayne þoghtes : whan þei schulde 3eue hem hoollich
to godes loue þenking wordlich uanite &
sotiltees þe whuche drawen hem fro þe þoght of
heuene : to wordlich besinesse: To suche kinges
of þe erþe stondiþ assentyng whan þei doon wittynglich
iuel and suffren oþer in her~ iuel : noght
usyng her power~ aftir her connyng and her~ mi3t
Suche ben fendis in flesch : þat bigylen hem self
and oþer . whan þei for lust or couetise : dwellen
and suffren oþer~ to dwelle in her~ synne . 3euyng
hem to uices and noght to lif aftir þe wurschip
of god . And þanne þes princes þat ben heigh
prestys comen a3enst þe fadir of heuene . and his
sone Jhesu crist whan þei bycom þorogh synne
lymmes of þe feend . For alle such þat ben sette to
rewle holy churche : and folowun noght crist in
trewe leuyng . Putten god oute of hem self and
of alle oþer~ . þat heren and knowen of her<crease>ynful
lif . Jn þat þat in hem is : makyng in hem <one minim lost in crease> reste
to fendys . þoru false pride and couetise . f<?> .
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Breke we þe bondes of
hem : and cast we fro us her~ 3ok ¶ As ho s<crease> 3if
alle men þat schulde 3eue good ensaumpl <crease> : þoru
pride and couetise : rise a3enst crist and her<crease>wen
hele . we þat drawe toward heuene : breke <crease> e her~
bondes . þat is despise we her~ blaundesch<crease>ges þou
dred wiþ Ipocrisie and her~ manasing b<crease>wen wiþ
pride . And cast we fro us her~ 3ok þat is <crease>yne glorie
of þis false worlde / wherfore þei tra<crease>il beselich
to gete lordeschep . wher-þoru þei ben he<crease>hed aboue
þe knowyng of hem self . Alle þis w<crease> <s?>chal sette
at noght : so þat fendys haue no m<crease>try of us
for owre assente . for . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<p. 5a>He þat woniþ in heuenes schal dryue to scorne
hem and owre lord schal scorne hem . . Weel owe we
to breke þe bondys of couetise and iuel drede þat
byndiþ men in synne . For god þat woniþ in heuens
þat is in hooly soulis and aungels schal schewe
alle folk be worþi heþing and scorning þat now
ben disceyued þorogh queyntise of þe deuyl and
tekelyng of her~ flesch or couetise of þe wordle
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Than he schal speke to
hem in his wreþe : and in his woodenesse he schal
trouble hem ¶ But witt 3e weel þat god is neiþer
wroþe ne wood : but his wreþ is rightful
peyne : þat he doþ on synful men . and hem wham
he dampniþ rightwislich to helle : he makiþ as
þei were þoru torment wood . So þat þei wut
of noght but of sorowe and pyne . And forþi
whan þat god uengiþ him his uengeaunce is
called woodnesse . For by his rightwisnesse he may
spare no+more : þan a wood man þat doþ alle
þe iuel þat he may . þe vndirstondyng of þis uerse
is . whanne he schal make scornyng to hem þat
wullen noght here . stinte of synne . he schal speke
to hem in his wreþe . þat speche schal be resonable
vndirnemyng : þat þei wolde noght
doo his bidding now he is stille and suffreþ : lokyng
if sinful men wulle amende hem . But
in his dome he schal speke and punische þorou
rightwisnesse : alle hem þat wolde noght here
take his mercy . And in his woodenesse : þat
is in his uertue in þe whiche he uengiþ rightwislich
he schal trouble hem þat is he schal byneme
hem alle her brightnesse and ioye : and
putte hem to helle derkenesse . Wherinne is fuir
þat neuer schal be slaked . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
Ich am ordeigned of him king on syon his
holy hille : prechyng his comaundement
¶ þus schal wikked men be dampned iustlich
for drawyng in þe deuilles 3ok : and leuyng
of þe swete 3ok of crist . For crist by . his fadir
is sette kyng of syon þat is of holy churche . for
crist reuliþ and gouerneþ alle meke contemplatyue
men . þe whuche hauiþ þe ei3e of her herte
euer toward heuene . For suche may be called
þe holy hille of god . for þei ben faste and heigh
in vertuys preching his comaundement þat
is charite . þe whuche he specialich comaundiþ
and þat is most holy mennes teching . for þat
onlich makiþ men to loue god . and for þis charite
was moste in crist <lat>
<lat></lat>
Owr lord seid to me my sone art þow : þis
day J gate þe ¶ Here þe prophete seiþ þat þe sone
owr lord ihesu crist is of þe fadir of heuene þat
<p. 5b>is almighthy god wiþoute bygynnyng and he is
euene to him in godhede . þis day . þe whiche bytokeneþ
tyme present . Noght tyme þat is goon ne
tyme þat is to come . for þe lastingnesse of god is
euer~more alle at ones . For alle þing þat was or
is or schal be : is euere present to god . And þerwiþ
he is almighty and wilful to help alle his louers
And þerfore he seid to his kyndelich sone crist .
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Aske of me and I schal 3eue to þe folke
þin heritage . and þi possession termes of þe erþe
¶ For crist is onlich goddes sone by kynde . as none
oþer is . Forþi god his fadir seide to him . Aske of
me þat is be buxum suffri&ng mekelich suffring
for mannes saluacioun þe deeþ . And þow schalt
haue þer þorow þi kyndelich heritage . þis asking
falliþ to þe manhede of crist in þe whuche he died
for man and so wan man . And þerfore he seiþ
and . I . schal 3eue to þe folke : þe whuche were heþen
men . But þoru þi trewe preching her~ feith
schiniþ in trewe wurching and alle suche ben
þin heritage . þe whuche þou schalt tele here &
make here good fruyt . in lyf wiþowte eende
and þou schalt reste and delyt þe in hem : as in
free heritage . and J schal 3eue to þe termes of
þe erþe . þat is þe haluwes of alle creatures ben
þi possession þe whuche þou schalt welde wiþ
me as god . þe termes of þe erþe ben called þe
outmoste part þat gurdiþ inne alle þe erþe .
And forþi whanne þe fadir of heuene seiþ þat
he schal 3eue to him þe termes of þe erþe we
schulde wut þat he 3euey to him : alle þat is wiþ
inne þe termes . But herfore we schal noght trowe
þat alle men schul be saaf . for ech man owiþ
to trowe as wele þat men taken owte of charite
schulde be dampned as men take þerinne
schal be saued . But owte of alle maner men
he chesiþ iuste folke for suche he wulle . and þerfore
. <lat></lat>


<Tranche 2>

<p. 25b><lat></lat>
<lat></lat>Owr~ lord
askeþ rightwyse and wicked but he þat loueþ
wikkednesse hateþ his soule ¶ God askeþ
that is proueþ þorogh tribulacioun þe rightwys
+man and þe wicked . for he oonly demeþ
soþfastly of her~ conscience and in askyng .
that is in his prouyng he fond that he that
loueþ wickednesse hateþ his soule . for he sleiþ
hit wilfully . that takeþ noght her~ goddis
medycyn . that is his mercy . that is euer~
redy . to hele all that will leeuen synne . For
in wicked lif no man may lyue wiþowten
gret synne . he loueþ wickedenesse . the which
synneþ wiþ desyring and will and 3if swich
euer~ lyued : euer~ wolde he synne . and þerfor~
such on take in þe fals loue of synne . schal euer~
be punisched . for <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>He schal
reyne on synful greuys : for brymstone and
gost of stormes part of þe chalice of hem ,
He schal reyne on synful in þis world greuys
. that is he suffreþ come on synful men
for her synne : errour~ þorogh wicked lore
and fyr~ of couetise . and brymston that is
stynk of euel werkes . and gost of stormes
þat is that a stormy þoght : þe which is wiþouten
rest and loue of Jhesu crist . þe which is
euer~ traueyland and light to meue wiþ þe
wynd of þe entysing of þe deuel or þe gost
of stormes : is þe laste departyng of synful
fro rightwise men . þat is whanne men taken
in her~ synnes : and passen fro þis lif to
helle : þanne fyr~ brymston and storm is part
of the chalice of hem . þat is þei ben þanne
party wiþ fendes in peyne . þe prophete clepeþ
euery pyne a cuppe . for ech dampned man schal
drynke of þe sorowe of helle wiþ fendes ; after~
the mesure of his synne : byhold the pynes
of wicked men . First god reyneþ on hem
gryues for her~ synnes : that is whanne he
suffreþ false prophetes that comen in cloþing
of mekenesse and wiþinne ben worse þan
wolues to desceyue hem þorogh errour~ . for
þe apostle seiþ that wikked men for her~ synne
schulle haue such maystres and techeres
as her~ eeres yccheþ aftir~ . for wicked men
coue[y]ten to be glosed in her~ wikkednesse and
þei hold al errour~ : to þe which þei will no3t
assent . but goode men coueyten to ben sharply
vndernomen of her~ synnes . beryng mekely
al holsum correctioun . and euere the
scharper the leuere . so that hit be resonable
For þei knowe that the fyr of lecherye and
of couetise and oþere comune vices now v
<p. 26a>sed . wasteþ alle the good þat þei haue don or doþ
hem regnyng in hem . and afterward for stynkyng
of yuel werkes . þei ben cast fro crist and
alle his<?> halwes . and þanne þei ben in sentence
of doome as in storme dryuen into þe put
of helle : to brenne wiþ-outen ende : þis is þe
entent of this vers . Forþi beeþ war~ and fleeþ
synne . for oþer ende may hit none haue ; þan
is seid here byfore : 3if synne passe out of this
world vnpunisched wiþ outyn verraþ repentaunce
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
For rightwise is owr~ lord . and he loueþ
rightwisnesse . euenes sawe þe face of him .
¶ 3if 3e aske whi owr~ lord 3eldeþ peyne to synful
men . Lo here þe prophete answereþ for he
is rightwis . Also 3if 3e will witt whi he 3iueþ
ioye to goode men . So þe Prophete answereþ
for he loueþ rightwisnes that is rightwis
men . in þe whiche ben many rightwisnesses
. þerfore oon is þe rightwisnesse of god
in þe whiche alle rightwis+men ben parteners
. And euenesse sawe his face . þat is euenesses
ben seien in his knowyng : anentys
boþe þe parties of good and euel . þis is
scharp sentence a3eins many wrecches that
seyen 3if god saue me noght he is vnrightwysse
. And þis seien þe most part of men
and wymmen . now for god suffreþ many
for her~ synne in þe whiche þei dwelle to erre
in þoght and word and dede . But þise
foles that speken þus heere schal noght be
so hardy to speke swich wordis . whanne
thei schal stonde . and here god iustliche
dampne her~ erroures . but he that loueþ
god here entierly . and holdiþ in his mynde
his biddynges . dar not speke so boldely . for
þe Apostle seiþ . he that seiþ he haþ no synne
disceyued him self . and for eche synne
wilfully don . god may dampne the doere
iustly / now ben such in wonderful woodnesse
. that wenen for her~ grete wordes to
gete oght here or aftir~ þe lif of god
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Saaf make me lord for halwe
faileþ . for lessed hem soþfastnesses fro synnes
of men ¶ The voys of a holy man that
seeþ the vanite of þis world multiplied and
þerfor~ dredeþ and for mochelnesse of peril
seieþ saaf me lord god and whi drede . J . for
halwe failed . þat is þer~ nys non holy man
founden in þis world . where so many ben
of yuel men . And þerfore seiþ he þus : not
þat we trowe þat non holy man be in þis
<p. 26b>world. but vnneþis is eny founden . þat faileþ
not fro holynesse . and that is for soþfastnesse
is lessed. ye which makeþ holynesse to fayle
for non is holy but that is soþfast : in þoght
word and dede . wherfor~ holynesse is exiled
fro sones of men . for here synnes : þorogh þe
which þe 3iftes of god ben lessed in hem and
destruyed . for <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Uayn spak
echon to his neighbore . suche lippes in herte
and þorou3 herte þey spak ¶ Soþfastnesse
is lessed and falshede wexeþ and echon of
þese speken vaynly to begile his nei3bore
and many spenden her~ tyme in vayn wiþouten
profyte and gostly fruyt . and þanne
in al here speche : ben her~ lippes such berkyng
þat is iangelerie berkyng vanitees a3ens
soþfastnesse and suche vayn trateleres ben
seid to speke in herte and þorou3 herte þat
is in duble entente is whanne a fals man
thenketh on - and þenkeþ an oyer to desceyue
him that he spekeþ wiþ . for vayn spekeres
disceyueþ all þat heren hem lystyngly
. forþi as venym vayn spekers ben to fleen
. for <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
Owr~ lord schal lose all suche lippes . and
tunge of gret speche ¶ þe prophete preieþ not
that god lese þe men but her~ uayne ianglynges
ful of treson þe which wole make
hem to be lost . but 3if þei þorou3 goddes grace
distroye hem here . and þe tunge of gret
speche : þat is a proud tonge þe whiche ypocrites
vsen preisyng hem self þat þei might
seme gret bifore men god schal distroye in
þe ende . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
Whech seid owr~ tunge we schal magnifie
. owr~ lippes ben of us who is owr~ lord .
¶ Alle þese ben ypocrites þat þorou3 her~ owne
tunge heigh hem self makyng gret her~
preyers in helpynge of oþer~ and alle swich
coniectiþ and settiþ in her~ pouste : to do meny
gret thynges preising hem as here lippes
þat is her~ facounde and her~ skilles wer~
oonly of hem self . not of god ne of holy mennes
techyng . Forþi sey þei who is owr~ lord
as who seiþ . what is he to whas reule and
conuersacion we schal to vnderloute or confourme
us to as who sey . þer~ is non so good
. as owr~s and þus meny ypocritis þoru3
her~ owne preysyng clymmiþ heigh in gret disese
to her~ neighbores . but god of his gret
mercy whos eere is redy to here þe preyer~
<p. 27a>of hem þe whech ben vniustly oppressed . seyˆ[e]þ
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>. For þe wrecchednesse of þe helpes
and sorowe of pore men : now . J . schal
ryse owr~ lord seyeþ ¶ This yuel that is spoken
byfore . þe whiche is abhominable byfore
god . meny ypocrytys spekiþ and doþ
wherfor~ owr~ lord seiþ . now J . schal ryse that
is . J . schal sone come to deme . and 3elde to
þise bosteres peyne aftir~ her~ wickednesse and
thanne . J . schal for euer~ do awey þe wrecchednesse
of helplesse that is all bodily peyne
J . schal do awey fro hem that for my loue
forsoke the helpe of þe deuyl in pride . and þe
falsnes of the world in couetise . and the foul
lust of his flesch in lecherie : and þer in my
doome J . schal do awey vtterly . þe sorowe
of pore meke men . the whech hadde her~ sorowe
for her~ synne . and gret languyssyng
to heuene . noon other is worthi to be helped
þer~ . Forþi <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> I schal sette in hele tristely
J schal wurche in him ¶ This uoys is of
god fader~ of heuene seying . J . schal sette in
hele . þat is in Jhesu owr~ hele . he seiþ noght
what he schal sette . but he wull that we wyte
. that hit is that thyng that falliþ to the
comfort and to the ioye of helples and of
meke pore . That is to saye . J . schal sette þe solace
and the ioye of good men in jhesu in
whom is all uerrey hele and tristely that
is mightyly . J . schal wyrche in him . in sauyng
of rightwyse men and iuste dampnyng
of his foys . For <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> The wordis of owr~ lord ben
chaste wordis . siluyr~ examined in fyr~ prouyd
of þe erthe purged seuenfold ¶ Here