Middle English Manuscripts: MS4 and MS3 Texts
MS4 Secretary 15th Century (1st Quarter)
1. Sum tyme was no knightly turn nowhere
2. Ne no manhode shewid in no wyse
3. But oldcastel wolde his thankes be there
4. How hath the cursed fiend changed thy gyse
5. Flee from him and all his wirkes dispyse
6. And ( ) at ydoon vn to our Cristen kyng
7. Thee hie as faste, as ( ) at thow canst dguyse
8. And numble eek thee to him for any thing
9. Cest tout
10. Cy ensuyt la male regle de .T. Hocclere
11. O precious tresor incomparable
12. O ground & roote of prosperitee
13. O excellent richesse commendable
14. Aboven all ( ) at in eerthe be
15. Who may susteene thyn adversitee
16. What wight may him avante of worldly welthe
17. But if he fully stande in grace of thee
18. Eerthely god, piler of lyf thow helthe
MS3 Anglicana Formata (c.1400)
1. How we ladde oure lif her ( ) and his
2. and how we dide day by day ( ) e dome w
3. a powne ful of pardoun ( ) er ne prouynciales lres
4. ( ) ough we be founde in ( ) e fraternite of alle fyve
5. and haue indulgences dowble folde ( ) but dowel vs he
6. I sette noght by pardoun a pese ( ) ne nat a pye hele
7. For ( ) y I counseile alle Cristne ( ) to crie god mersy
8. and mane his moder ( ) be oure mene to him
9. ( ) at after oure de( ) e day dowel reherse
11. at ( ) e day of fome we dide as he taghte amen
12. Explicit visio Willelmi. W. de Petro le plowma(n)
13. et hic inciput visio eiusdem de Dowel
14. Thus y robed in nusset ( ) I romed aboute
15. al a somer sesoun for to seke dowel
16. and frayned ful ofte of folc ( ) at I mette
17. If eny wight wiste ( ) Wher dowel was at inne
18. and what man he myghte be of many men I asked
19. was never night in ( ) e worlde ( ) at me wise cou( ) e
20. where ( ) is longed ( ) lasse no more
21. Til it bifett on a Friday ( ) tuo frères I mette
22. maisteres of ( ) e menour ( ) men of gret witte
23. I hailsede hem hendely ( ) as I hadde lered
24. and prayed hem pur charite er ( ) ey passed for( ) ere
25. If ( ) ey knewe eny cuntrer oper coostes aboute
26. where ( ) at dowl dwelled dere frendes telle( ) me
27. For ( ) e une emn of ( ) is molde ( ) at most wide walken
28. and knowen cuntrees and courtes ( ) and many kyn places
29. bope princes paleys ( ) and povere men coles
30. and dowel and do evele when ( ) ey dwellen be( ) e
31. so( ) ely saide ( ) e frener he soiorene ( ) with us frères