The Paternoster

Alle þat euer gon and riden {f.72ra}

Þat willeȝ Godes merci abiden,

Lewede men þat ne beȝ no clerkes,

Þo þat leuen on Godes werkes,

What ȝoure Pater noster is.

¶ Ech man hereof take hede.

Godiliche while Ihesu ȝede

In erthe wiȝ his apostles twelue,

And als hit telleȝ in þe bok,

Hise apostles he hit bitok,

For þai sscholden habben hit in minde

And techen hit to al mankynde.

Þer nis non of hem þat conne

A beter oreisoun, iwis,

Þanne þe Pater noster is.

Þus seggeȝ þise clerkes wise

¶ Seuen oreisouns þer beȝ inne

Þat helpeȝ men out of dedli sinne

And ȝif ȝe willeȝ a while dwelle,

Al on Englissch ich wille ȝou telle

Wiȝ help of Godes miȝt of heuene.

Pater noster, qui es in celis, {f.72rb}

Þat is to segge þis:

‘Oure fader in heuene-riche,

Þis is þe ferste oreisoun of seuene.

We clepen oure fader þe kyng of heuene,

And ȝif he houre fader is,

Þanne be we hise children, iwis,

Wiȝ him nis no wikkednesse.

Þanne mote we, so mote ich þe,

ȝif we willen hise children be,

Fonden to liuen in god lif,

Wiȝouten pride and enuye,

Coueitise and glotonye.

Þanne mowe we seggen, iwis,

Þat Ihesu Crist oure fader is.

And in clene lif liue,

Þanne mowe we whan we beȝ of age

Claymen oure fader heritage,

Þe blisse þat lasteȝ wiȝouten ende.

Þat is to segge al and sum:

‘Ihesu, God in trinite,

Þi name iblessed mot hit be.’

Whan we blessen his name, iwis,

We bisechen swete Ihesus

Þat his name mote be wiȝ ous

And we ben clene isschriue

His name nel nowt wiȝ ous be,

To holden hit we ne habbeȝ no poste,

But ȝif we liuen in god lif,

In loue and charite wiȝouten strif; {f.72va}

And sauuen vs fram þe fend of helle.

Ihesu þat boughte lewede and clerkes

Schilde vs fram þe fendes werkes.

Adueniat regnum tuum, iwis,

‘Louerd, to þi kyneriche

Lat ous comen al iliche.’

Here we bisechen þe heuene-kyng

Þat we moten comen to his wonyng

To his wonyng mowe we nowt come,

Þanne is oure bidding for nowt,

But ȝif we ben in god lif kaut;

Þerfore ech man amende him here,

Into blisse þat ne haueȝ non ende;

To þilke blisse God vs sende.

Þer noman comeȝ, maiden ne wif,

But he be nomen in god lif.

Sicut in celo in terra.

Þat is to segge þous:

‘We biddeȝ to swete Ihesus,

Þat his wille be ido

Þat is to vnderstonden þous:

Þat we sscholden seruen swete Ihesus

To his paie and to his wille,

Oure bidding to fulfille.

Ihesu Crist, bi houre miȝt,

Þanne do we in þat bidding

Nowt bote scornen oure heuene-kyng.

Þerfore ech man, ȝif he mai,

To serue Ihesu Crist to wille, {f.72vb}

Oure biseching to fulfille;

For, forsothe, Godes wille is,

Þat we ne sscholden nowt don amis.

Is to segge, so mot ich þe:

‘Oure bred ordeined for eche dai,

Louerd, ȝiuet vs todai.’

Þat is to segge þous:

Þat he graunte vs alle þinges two:

Soules fode and lif also.

Nammore mai þe soule liue

But þe bodi hit mete ȝiue,

Wiȝouten erthliche mete a dai.

Þan is þis þe soule fode

Almesdede and bedes gode,

Loue and charite, wiȝouten strif,

Als þe bodi liueȝ wiȝ bred,

For honger þat hit nis nowt ded.

Þe sixte bede is þis:

nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris

Þat we bidden oure heuene-kyng:

‘Forȝiue vs þat we habbeȝ misdo

Als we forȝiuen oþer also

Þat vs habben here agult

ȝif ani man þat is in londe

Liueȝ in nyht oþer in onde

Þourgh counseil of þe fendes red,

He biddeȝ aȝenes his owene hed

Þan Ihesu Crist þat more is werthe.

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.... ... .... ... {stub f.72v_a}