The life of St.Norbert
fol. lr I Oye, grace & pees, loue, feith & charite
 Euyr rest upon $our goodly religious breest,
To whom #at I with moost humylite
Euyr recomende me lowly as $oure preest.
And #ou$ I be of rymeris now #e leest,
$et wil I now, obeying $oure comaundment,
Put me in daungere in #is werk present.
Who schal #ese dayis make now ony #ing
But it schal be tosed & pulled as wolle?
Summe schul sey alle #is is flateryng;
Summe of charite schul preise it at #e fulle.
Now lete hem rende, lete hem hale & pulle,
Swech maner puple, for I have myn entent,
So I plese him #at $aue me comaundment
Norbert called, wich with ful hye grace,
Made a ordre #at schewith now very lith
Of good ensaumple to men in euery place.
$e noble men, if #at $e list to race,
Or rende my leuys #at I to $ou write,
$e may weel doo it; I schal $ou neuyr wite.
In $oure correccioun put I #is matere
For I wil sewe & translate #is story,
And wele I wote $oure hertis be so clere,
So ful of charite withouten trechery,
$e wil not put on me no vyleny
But I deserue it, and #at schal I nowt,
As I hope, neythir in speche ne #owt.
In #is story rith #us I wil procede
Of #is same seynt to telle #e lyf real,
Both of his diete and eke of his wede.
Of his lettirrure alsoo tellen I schal.
Lete neuyr his lif fro $oure hertis fal,
$e men of ordre #at be to him named.
Alle #at for$ete him iwis #ei schal be blamed.
fol. lv I myselue, thou #at I mech ferther be
Fro his patronage, $et haue I deuocioun
Ful special, leueth weel, in his benygnyte,
Rith for #is cause and #is conclusion:
That he schuld kepe me fro alle illusioun
Of myn enmye bodely and goostly eke.
Seyntis be ny to hem #at hem seke.
The secunde cause eke whi I him loue,
For sothe, is for bre#erin me #inkith we be,
His ordre and oure if $e wil it proue,
Beholdeth here lyfe, beholde here vnyte
Of here professioun, & therby proue may $e
That of o reule #ei and we be alle.
Wherefore o kynrod men may us now calle
Vndir o fadir & doctoure of oure feith,
Floure of doctoris, Austyn is his name;
And we his childyr, what euyr ony man seith.
The cherch, #e world euyr beret$ out #is fame.
lt is no vylony to men of worthi name
Whech be endewid wit$ possession temporal,
Thou$ othir pore men to here alyauns fal.
Thus endith #is prologe, my goodly fadir dere,
Whech I write to $ou wit$ ful pure entent,
Thankyng $ou euyr of $oure hertly chere
Whech $e make us whan we are oute sent.
And if $e list #at #is book present
May be receyued in $oure fraternyte,
Onto $oure name dedicate #an schal it be.
O lord Ihesu, of alle religious men
Abbot and maystir, bryng us to vnyte,
And $eue us grace wit$ #i comaundmentis ten
To fulflll #e councell whech were $oue be #e,
That we may dwelle in parfith charite
Whil we be here. & aftir oure endyng day
To se #at ioye whech #at lesteth ay.
- i ilk ty'de
That Pascase #e pope, to God lef and dere,
The cherch of Rome gouerned fere and wyde.
Herry the $onger was lord & alsoo gyde
Ouyr alle #e empyr #at tyme as seith oure book:
The $ere of Crist veryly, if 3e wil loovvre
A thousand a hundred & flftene thertoo.
This mannys name Norbert thoo #ei called
Of Teutonye nacioun, the story seith rith soo.
Whech word made me of stody al apalled;
For whethir it is a cyte weel iwalled,
Or ellis a cuntre, auctouris touch him nowt.
But aftirward whann I was bettir be#owt
I supposed #an #is cuntre stant in Germayne,
Because #is man of whech we haue now told
Was sumtyme dwellinge in #e cite of Colayne
With Frederik #e bisschop #at was man ful bold.
He was eke longing onto #e grete houshold
Of Herry #e emperoure; wherfore suppose now we
That #ere abouten stant in #at same cuntre.
The townes name is touched here alsoo,
The place of Seyntis sumtyme called Troye.
Thus seith oure story and eke ferthermoo
Of his kynrod, with ful mykyl ioye,
Telleth he forth a man #at was ful koye,
And eke ful trewe. This seyntis fadere is
Herdbert, be name; his modir hith Hadwidis.
Of matrimony; and fer#ermore, as I fynde,
Whan in his modir newly conceyued was he,
A heuenely vision with a voys had sche
Rith in hir sleep, and #us he to hire sayde:
"Be mery & glad, woman, & not afrayde;
fol. 2v For he #at is now in #i wombe conceyuyd
A herchbisschop schal be." Thus seid #e voys certayn;
And as he seyd sche was nowt deceyuyd,
But bare a childe and #erof was sche fayn.
He grew to age, to myth and eke to mayn.
Fayre of stature, lene he was and long,
Lith of lymys, loth to do ony wrong.
Amongis grete men he was ful wel itawt,
Amongis #e mene meke of spirith & goost.
For as I seide ere, if $e for$ete it nawt,
With #e emperoure dwellyng in his hoost
Was he sumwhile, but in certayn moost
With the erchbisschop, of whech we spak ere;
Welkome here and welkom was he #ere.
What for his cunnyng, what for his gentilnesse,
Of alle maner men ful grete loue had he.
His condiciones proporcioned were, I gesse,
Vnto his persone, for ful fayre was he,
Mery in word, of hert and hand ful fre,
Large for to $eue and to take aschamed,
Neuyr in no cumpanye for his condicioun blamed.
Thus it befell aftir #at up on day
With o seruaunt he schul a iornay make
With fresch hors and with ful fresch aray
In grete hast his viage for to take.
But sone he gan oute of his pride awake
Whann he was fesed wit$ leuene & #undirblast,
Whech made hym and his child agast.
Fer fro towne, fer fro busch was he,
Ther was no couert. At #at tyme happed soo
To cure him fro fere in his aduersite
Thus is he falle. His child cryed euyr: "Hoo,
Maystir, leue now, lete us no ferther goo;
Turne hom agayn." Lich onto Balaam asse,
Swech a warnyng me #inkith #at #is wasse.
fol. 3r He went swech weyis as were displesaunce
Onto oure lord, rith #us men may suppose;
For he was chosen, of Goddis puruyaunce,
Onto heyer lyf. God wold him not lose
To saue his soule; #us he fesed his kose.
As #ou$ he had be very new Seynt Poule,
Thus cryed oure lord pryuyly to his soule:
"Norbert, Norbert, tende now onto me.
Why pursuest me? Whi art #ou inobedient
Onto my counceles, wit$ whech I enspired #e?
Turne a$en lest #at #ou be schent,
And to my seruyse sette more #in entent.
Forsake #is vanyte, if #ou wilt me plese,
Thy ioly lif wil turne the to no ese.
Why wringist #iselue thus fro my seruyse?
I wyl #ou wite it, ful hard it is to the
To wynse or grucch a$ens me in ony wyse.
My scharp prik is sette in swech a sise,
There may no man scapen my daungere.
Turne a$en, #erfor, fro #i lif seculere! "
Whil he lay #us in sownyng on #e ground
Ther cam a clap of #undir fro aboue.
Grete was #e fyre, hidous was #e sound;
Gresse and herbes before him gan he schoue,
And in the ground, men myth it aftir proue,
Smet it a pitte with ful grete strength,
As mech as a man both in brede & length.
The sory sauoure of brimston & of fere
Fulflllid here hedes and here clothes eke.
He lay ful stille, #ere was with him no chere,
His wittis were ded, his strength for to seke.
Thus onto God in hert he gan to speke:
"What wil I do, lord?" He answered, wit$outen lees:
"Fle euele, do good and seke pees."
Now riseth he up, astoyed and adrad;
There he was wone to singe & be ful glad-
Now are his corage, his wordes & his chere
Turned onto sadnesse. A redy, a good skolere,
To holy ordres he hastith now; in al wise
His stody is now to lerne dyuyne seruyse.
And for #at cause onto an abbey beside
Called Sigebergense he takith his viage.
There he castith him for a tyme abide,
Rith as a bird to hold him in a cage;
For now his wil, his stody & his corage
Is set to leue #e world withouten more
And lerne religion, on whech he stodieth sore.
Amongis #oo munkis, & fourty dayes euene
Was he with hem, in here obseruauns teyid,
In swech weyis <as> leden to heuene.
This made #e #undir, #is mad eke #e leuene;
Euyr God be #anked of his sondes alle.
Thou$ we turne fro him, a$en he wil us calle.
Onto his cuntre where #at he was bore
Turneth he a$en hastily, a ful grete pase,
Where he was norched long tyme before.
A noble cherch stant in that same plase
Ful of seculere chanonis, men ful of grase.
There lyueth he now in deuoute prayere,
In habite and seruyse as chanoun secuIere.
There was a vse in #at cherch #at tyme,
If ony straungere cam of worthi degre,
The deen went to him sone aftir pryme
With his conchanones eythir too or thre.
Swech manere proflr to him #ann mad he:
To synge #e masse conuentual solemply.
Of ful grete norture & ful grete curtesy
fol. 4r Thus ded #ay to Norbert whan he was come
The flrst day euene, wit$outen ony more;
And he obeyid mekely here custome,
Sang #e masse as #ou$ he of houshold wore.
Thei song here servyse, as #ei had do $ore,
Til #ei to #e gospell cam, & whan #at was doo,
With ful grete spirit$ he turned hem ontoo.
He seyde a sermoun, ful sad and ful deuoute.
Vnware to alle men #at he schuld preche,
The holy goost, whech he bare aboute,
Stered him to #is holy, #is deuoute speche.
What schuld I lenger ony prolonging seche
To vttyr my matere? #e most #ing he #ere spak
Was who we schuld throwe boldly at oure bak
Alle wordly welth and #e intricacioun
Of worldly felicite. This was his sentens:
Alle #ing #at is here schal fall adown
Or we be ware, schal fayle of permanens.
Wherfore, concluded he #ere in here presens,
These wordly plesaunses ar fals & onstable,
Schort of tyme, wrecchid in prys, euyr able
To turne to corrupcioun, onworthi to loue,
Not able to possessioun but fayling ioye.
Blynd pryde is #is world, as I seid aboue,
Welth is in moment, witnesse of Troye;
Sekirnesse is onsikyr, rest is but noye.
Swech #ingis seyde he #ann and many moo
That made here hertis ful of care and woo.
For al #e ende of his tale turned he to hem
Whech he preched onto & for #is entent
Seyde he #is sermoun to #o same men:
He was fro God as a messagere isent
Rith on hem as #ei #at tyme ment.
He seide, eke, no #ing vnpunchid schal be,
That is doo onclenly a$ens honeste.
Aftir #is not longe tyme as I wene,
He sayde a masse in a ful lowe voute,
Where felle a caas of stoynyng & of tene
Vnto him, eke ful desesy in thoute,
But fynaly it harmed hym rith noute.
This was #e caas whil he was at masse
And sayde his orisones, #e more and #e lasse.
Aftir sacry him befel this caas:
A ereyn dropped oute euene fro aboue --
The chalis onkewred at #at tyme waas --
In he felle and #ere he gan to houe.
This man is astoyned with fere & with loue,
Feer for venym, love for #e sacrament.
But in his feith, swech an hardinesse he hent,
He saide oute his masse & made a fayre ende,
But sore astoyned and fesed in his mood
Is #is man. Now $e wote weel, #e ereynis kende,
Withouten tryacle take it, wil sone bende
To cruell deth, thus supposed this man.
Wherfore, with face ful pale and ful wan,
He abidith his chaunce what schal befalle.
He cryeth onto God to send him counfort,
And in his prayere, as he gan to calle,
Oure lord with mercy mad to him resort,
And as oure book ful notabily can report,
Before #e autere where he gan knele,
Aboute his nose $ekyng gan he fele.
Wherfore with handis bisily rith anoon
Onto #at place to scrat it mad he hast
With his fyngeris scharply on #e boon.
And in a ne$yng sodeynly #oo he brast.
With #at ne$yng alsoo eke he cast
The grete ereyn rith oute at his nose;
Whech was a miracule ful grete, I suppose.
Now wil I ask #is, if euery man be bounde,
Whann #at he stant in swech manere chaunce,
To receyue onclennesse whech is ifounde
On #e autere in only habundaunce?
Doctouris of Ytaile and eke #ei of Fraunce
And Englisch men eke sey -nay' thertoo.
Eke #ei telle us who that we schal doo.
Thei sey alle #is: it schal be taken oute,
Leyd on #e patene or on sum othir #ing,
And aftirward withouten ony doute
Put forth in #e lauatory forth in wasching.
This seynt at #at tyme of age was ful $ing
And had not lerned alle #ing be stodye;
Or ellis God ded #is his name to magnifle.
Thus lyued he longe in #at ilk same stede,
As summe men sey he was #ere thre $ere,
Vsing here seruyse as weel as here wede.
Eke sumtyme among to #at place wold he stere
Whech we spak of now not long ere,
Sigebergense Abbey. It stant fro Coleyn
Miles thre, alle #ese bokes so seyn.
There was a monasterye eke #ei called Rode,
And thedir went Norbert ofter in #e $ere,
For #e persones of lyuyng there were ful gode;
Of habite were thei chanonys seculere.
Sumtyme eke visited he a ful holy sere,
A hermyth, Lydulf was #oo his name,
A man of ful grete and ful holy fame.
Swech man sout$ he in #oo dayes
To lerne lettirure, to lerne eke prudens.
To dyuers men made he dyuers asayes;
To vse vertu and to voyde necligens
Was $oue al his bysi studious eloquens.
This was his lyf alle these thre $ere.
Saue sumtyme in preching #e puple wold he lere.
this same tyme, at a town called Frixlare, v
I Was gadered a gret councell to reformacioun
Of holy cherch, & many prelates were #are.
But principal of alle and most dominacioun
Had a worthi man of #at same nacion,
Conone called, special legate fro #e pope;
Of certeyn defautes gan he visite & grope.
The bisschoppis #at were #ere mad deposicioun
Of a grete defaute, as #ei #out$ alle:
Thei seide it was a ful grete presumpcioun
That swech a lewid man in despite of hem alle
Schuld preche in here diosise, Norbert #ei him calle.
Thus sayde #e prelates onto #e legate,
And he consideryng here auctorite and astate
Ded somown #is man in alle hasty wise.
He is come to councell to $eue his answere.
These bisschoppis accused him before here iustise
As #ou$ he of feith an heretik were.
The first poynt #ei put a$ens him there
Was #at he preched wit$oute auctorite.
They put eke on him #at in his sermones had he
Many inuectif wordes a$ens here astaat,
Whech was to hem grete slaundir #ei sayde.
Thei saide eke how he had take a new habit$ laat
Of holy religion and not down ilayde
The propirtee of wordly good. Al #is #ei upbrayde,
And whi he #rew awey al precious wede,
Whech was not #e custom in #at ilk stede.
A$ens #ese obieccionis #is man wit$ meke voys
Stood vp to answere, and asked silens.
First with his hand he blessed him wit$ #e croys
And aftir #at he spak in open audiens
Swech maner wordes, and in swech sentens:
"If I be accused as of religioun here,
What is my religioun now may $e here:
Very religion, as #e holi apostill seith,
Clene and ondefiled before #e fadir of heuene,
Is to visite fadirles & wydowis of oure feith
In al here tribulacioun, & with #e werkis seuene
Hem to amende, & eke his lif ful euene
Must be so dressed #at he be euyr clene
Fro alle foule werkis whech in #is world are sene.
lf I for my preching be now for to blame,
Wherfore seruyth #at scripture #at seith in #is wyse:
Whoso turne his bro#ir from euele fame,
And fro euele lif he getith him a prise,
For he is cause #at his bro#ir schal rise,
And saue his soule; he hidit$ eke #e multitude
Of all grete synnes, as scripture can conclude.
And for $e speke of powere vsurped of me,
Whan I took my presthod #e bisschop to me saide:
Take #e holy goost wit$ #is new degre,
Loke #ou be as clene as only mayde,
Be not aferd, aschamed, ne afrayde
To preche Goddis word, but bere it about
Boldly and sadly onto euery rout.
$et for my clothing $e put in me blame.
Hereth now Seynt Petir what he of clobis seith:
Precious clo#ing, before #e hye name
Of oure lord God, is not acceptable in feith.
Othir mo exsaumples #e gospell forth leith:
Who Ion #e baptist was clad al in here
Both body and leggis, swech as chameles bere.
And eke Seynt Cycile, #at glorious mayde,
Wered next hir skyn a hayir ful boystous.
Oure God eke, as #e scripture sayde,
Mad to Adam & Eue clo#is meruelous
Of bestis skynnes; #ei were not corious.
Wherfor blame $e #ing #at is onblamed?
Swech wordis of slaundir were bettir onnamed."
Thus scaped he #is daungere be #e proteccioun
Of oure lord God; and Conone, #e legate,
Accepted ful goodly his excusacyoun.
He made at on #at ere were at debate,
And #ou$ #at #is man were no graduate,
$et $aue he him leue to schryue and to preche,
As a post of #e cherch & a goostly leche.
Whan he had take #us #is general licens
To preche to #e puple ouyral where he cam,
With too deuote felawis ful of innocens,
Swech as he was, his iornay sone he nam
Ouyr #e feldys, #e marys and #e dam.
Went #ai rith forth, #ei spared no hardnesse;
Here hertis were $oue only to hardynesse.
Barefote #ei went both in frost and hayl
That it was wondir who #ei myth endure.
And whan his felawis for feyntness gun fayl
He fayled neuyr; so besy on his cure
Was #is Norbert; for a hauk to lure
Hasteth ful sone, so ded he to encrese
Vertue in soules, I sey $ou doutlese.
Thei went in reyn, thei went in #e snow
Onto #e kne sumtyme, sumtyme to #e thy.
Were #e weye hy or elles were it low,
Thei spared rith nowt, a grete cause why:
Brennyng charyte made #ese folk hardy
To doo these dedis to Goddis plesaunce,
And eke to here neybouris goostly gouernaunce.
His mete was comounly neythir flesch ne flsch,
But bred, herbis, frute & swech o#ir #ing;
Saue on #e Sunday had he in his disch
Fisch-mete & not often, & in #e euenyng
Was his refeccioun and his counfortyng,
For he wold faste alle #e day before,
As #ei bere witnesse #at his felawis wore.
His body rested not alle #e long day;
His goost was bysy both be day and nyth.
What for prayere and prechyng be #e way
And stody at eue how #at he schuld fyth
A$ens his goostly enmye as a knyth
Swech was his lyf whil he lyued here;
Of othir #ingis here aftir schul $e here.
With #ese too felawys, as we seyd wel late,
Went he forth preching be town and be cyte
To Orgliaunce first, & #an forth in his gate,
As in his lyf ful pleynly rede may $e.
Thei coupled to hem a man of ano#ir cuntre
Or #ei to Valens cam, as $e schal here.
A sodekyn he was & a ful noble skolere.
And on #e Sunday Norbert, #is noble man,
Made a sermone of trew and rith byleue.
As he #at ful weel and eke ful treuly can,
Expleite #e message of Crist #at al #ing wan
To his subieccioun be his owne blood sched.
The puple compelled him to rest & goo to bed
And to refresch his wery membris alle.
But he nold consent in no manere wise;
Therfore oure lord, on whom alle men calle,
Whech is protectour to us and eke iustise,
Turned his entent alle in othir wise:
That he abidith now, wheydir he wil or nawt.
Thus hath #e puple al here desire icawt.
His felawis, alle thre of whech we spak ere,
Are now falle seek; wherfor he mote abyde.
Eke happed so, #at whilis he taried #ere,
A grete bisschop be #at cyte gan ryde.
On Wednysday, aftir #at holy Palme tyde,
Cam he to towne, & Norbert knew him weel.
Thei had ete togedyr many a good meel
In #e emperouris of Almayn, as I ere told.
But of #is aftir. Lete us now first speke
Of his felawis whech were of houshold,
And lyn alle thre ful febil and ful seke.
Thei deyid alle thre rith in Estern weke.
And went onto God for here good lyuyng.
Too of hem #at tyme chose here byrying
Rith in #e subarbes of #at cyte, Valens,
In a cherch to Seynt Petyr dedycate.
Rith be #e market is here residens;
There layde #ai down here carnel astate,
And left #is worldly desese and debate.
The #ird felaw was made a munk #ere
And lith rith among hem, as $e may here.
Now wil I telle, as I began wel ere,
Off #is bisschop, Brocard was his name,
Cameracense his title, whan he was logged #ere.
This ich Norbert, for werynesse ny lame,
Herd men sore speke of #is bisschoppis fame.
Streit he goth onto #e bisschoppis in,
But ere he myth into #e hostell wyn
He fond a clerk stondyng at #e $ate
Longyng to houshold, & mekly he him prayde
That to his lord he schal make a gate,
And sey a man, ful pore and louly arayde,
Wold speke wit$ him fful mekly as a mayde.
This clerk his message doth, & in him browt.
The bisschop, as $et for soth, knew him nowt
Til he had told him certeyn toknes trewe,
Wherby he knew him, and sodeynly anoon
The bisschop on him ful sore gan to rewe.
He cryed lowde: "O God, #at art but oon!
Who wende sumtyme #at Norbert schuld #us goon
In swech aray, ful bare and euele iclad?"
This clerk stood by wit$ countenauns ful sad,
And at here chere toke he ful grete heed.
But he no #ing vndirstant of here langage
Because he was not born in #at same steed
Where #ei were bore, but come on pilgrimage
Fro Ytaile, men wene. Now alle his corage,
And many day before it, set in #is wise:
To leue #e world & drawe to Goddis seruyse.
The bisschop turned onto #e clerk ful sone.
"Seest #ou #is man," he seith, #at stant here?
He and I were felawis ful long agone
In #e emperouris hous, ful leef & ful dere.
Now is his clo#ing chaunged and his chere.
I sey the, fer#ermore, he himself myth be
Rith as I am and of #e same degre."
Alle #ese ich wordes noted weel #is clerk,
And in his brest bare he hem ful stille.
The day was ny don, for it gan to derk.
Therfore Norbert be #is bisschoppis wilIe
Taketh now his leue; he hat$ spoke his fille.
Hom he wil certayn, his felawis now ontoo;
He kepte hem not longe, but biried hem rith soo
As we have discried now a litil aboue.
He himselue is now ful seek ifalle.
This bisschoppis clerk euyr gan loke & houe,
If God fro #is world #is man schuld now calle.
Euery day went he fro his lordis halle
To loke at #is pore man, for sikir his entent
Onto holy lyf for euyrmore now is bent.
And schort tale to make, whan he was heil,
He mad ful connaunt wit$ him for to wende.
"O lord God," seid Norbert, "aftir thi fleil
Of tribulacioun ful weel can #ou sende
Thi schynyng counfor goodly to #i frende.
Euyr be #ou #anked, lord, of #i sonde,
And euyr be we bounde in #i loue bonde."
This clerk, whech I spak of, gan take hys leue
To go to his cuntre to dispose certeyn #ingis
Whech #at his kynrod onto him ded leue.
Norbert was aferd of swech taryingis:
"Brothir," he seith, "if #i message #at #ou bringis
Be sent be God, it schal neuyr be distroyed
Ne with no temptacyoun of #e deuele anoyed."
Neuyr#elasse, #e man hat$ now caut leue,
Went hom and cam a$en ful constauntly;
For in his purpos so weel gan he preue,
That euyr he folowid his steppis by and by.
Thus are #ai ioyned in sted fast cumpany;
Thus are #ai ioyned in stedfast cumpany;
For too bre#erin with loue ioyned in oon
Are lich a strong cyte, as seith Salamon.
Is he now goo, Gemlacum #ei it calle.
Euery man is bysy for to goo and ryde
To here his sermoun, thus thei seide alle:
"We know not of oureself what schal befalle.
Lete us turne to God, be #is mannys counsaile;
His good doctrine may us mech avayle.
He is a bryngere of pees, a distroyer of werre;
He is ful of vertu, ful of sobirnesse;
Al manere #ing that is oute of herre
He bryngith to pees and to stedfastnesse."
Thus seide #e puple of him, as I gesse.
But whann he had prechid, #ei leued it weel more;
Thei seide he was in erde a heuenely tresore.
Now happed #oo dayes, in #at same cuntre,
That too princes at grete debate ware.
Wherfore of #e puple requyrid #o was he,
This same Norbert, #at he schuld not spare,
But pleynly and platly bid hem beware.
These too princes, #ei leue no lengere soo,
Because #at mech care and eke mech woo
Was wrout$ in #at cuntre rith for here sake
In manslaut and robbery, enuye and debate.
This noble man streit gan his iornay take
Onto #ese men #at were so obstinate.
The flrst of hem he gan thus to rate:
"Take heed, good man, what #at #ou art.
Alle #at #ou weldist it is Goddis part.
Thi ricchesse, #i powere comth fro God aboue,
And I am his seruaunt #at bringe #e #is message.
Thou schal not obeye me for myn owne loue,
But for Goddis loue I bidde #e #at #ou swage
Alle #i malyce and thi bittyr corage,
And drawe onto vnyte, as #ou art bounde.
For$eue #i neybouris here on #is grounde
Alle here trespaas whech #ei do to #e,
If #ou wilt #at God ouir #i defautes alle
Be propicious, lord of his hie mageste,
Whan #ou to him for mercy haue nede to calle.
This #ing #at I ask onto #i profit$ wil falle,
It wil ese #e cuntre, releue #e pore men,
Whech debate destroyed, as we weel ken."
Whan #at #is lord had herd #is man speke,
He beheld his chere, for lich a aungell he schoon:
So brit$ he was for alle his penauns, #is freke,
This noble prince as stoyned as ony stoon;
Alle his entrayles were turbuled rit$ anoon.
Wit$ spirit of pite fulfillid he gan answere:
"God #ank #ou, sere, for #at $e list to lere
Swech as 1 am both loue and charyte.
I wil obeye onto $ou in alle maner wyse,
Rith as $e wil, rit$ so schal it be.
I am aferd of #at hye iustyse,
That whann he sittith in his grete assyse,
He wil elles dampne me but I do sum good."
Thus was #is man chaunged of his mood.
Whann he hat$ conquerid #is man, he is now goon
To conuerte #e othir, but he sped nowt.
The sower of discord, as hard as ony stoon,
Had congeled his hert, his wil & his thowt.
He considered not who dere Crist had him bowt;
Ne entended non charyte no more #an a beste.
Wherfore Norbert of his message seste.
He sey #e felle eye, #e contenaunce & #e chere,
The wordis of #e man & alle #e disposicioun.
Therfore him thout$ he schuld not as yere
The precious stonys of goostly exhortacyoun
Throwe onwysely before #e onclene nacyoun
Of slutty hoggis; bettir it was, him thout$.
To go forth in his weye & throw him rith nout$.
Onto his felaw: "Seest #ou #is man?
I trowe he be frentyk, and in brayn afrayde,
For he no reson considre now ne can.
There schal com a day whann he schal sore ban
That he refused pees, for I telle #e in trewth
He schal fall to mischef & #at is grete rewth.
He schal be take with enmyes & sore ibounde,
Betyn and troden down as a renegate."
As #e holy man seid, so was it founde;
For ano#ir man wit$ whom he kept debate
Took him prisonere and made him desolate.
This telle we now, #at $e may se herby
This holy man had spirit$ of prophesy.
Fro #ens goth he forth onto ano#ir town,
Thei called it Colroys in here langage.
There seide he #ann a noble sermoun,
In whech he gan trete who men schuld aswage
Here yrous desires and angry corage,
And drawe onto pees in al manere wyse,
For dred of #at hye and rithfull iustyse.
Aftyr #e sermoun he seide to hem alle
That he wolde reforme alle maner discord
Whech was amongis hem; & #ei gunne sore calle
ln name lesu, whech is oure lord,
That he schuld brynge to loue & concord
To men #ere present or he thens went.
He was ful glad to serue here entent.
And whil #at he laboured on #e o side,
The othir man fled, and out of cherch he goth.
He took his hors, awey for to ryde,
Smet sore with his spores, as he were wroth;
for to abyde #at loueday was he ful loth.
But oure blessed lord, #at al erde hat$ fyrid,
Ded bettir with him #ann he desired.
The hors stood stille, he wold no fer#er goo;
Thus was #is man constreyned to repentaunce.
lnto #e cherche he cam with mech care and woo;
He told Goddis seruaunt al #is wondir chaunce,
Prayid him for charite to $eue him penaunce
for his defaute, and in obedience
Of alle his synnis with him to dispence.
This is #e holy messager of God and of pees,
The very palme of paradys, #e dowe of innocens,
The turtill of perseueraunce #at can neuyr sees
To morne for his make whann he wantith presens
Of swech #ing as he loueth: I mene #e absens
Of oure lord God, whech wantit$ euery nacyoun
Tyl #at #ei deye & chaunge habitacioun.
Alle #ese #ingis, #at we haue teld in $our audiens, ix
Are but a fewe of many #at he dede,
Ere he gadered his bre#erin, men of consciens,
To dwelle togidir in #at same stede
ln whech he dwelt, #e world for to trede
Alle vndir fote. But now wil we telle
What #at to him in #at $ere befelle.
In #at same $ere deyid the pope Gelas,
Of whech pope had Norbert auctorite
To preche and to teche as his vsage was.
The cardinalis aftir his deth wit$ gret vnyte
Chosen anothir man, Kalixt hith he,
Bisschop of Vyenne, a holy man for #e nonys.
Chosen was he rith wit$inne #e wonys
Of #e abbey of Cloyne, as seith #e story.
And aftir he was creat rith sone anoon,
With will and hert ful meke & ful holy,
He sette a grete counsell for reformacyoun
Of holy cherch; rith in the Frensch nacioun
At Reymys was it sette. Thedir is Norbert goo
For this ich cause and for no moo:
Of his holy legacye as he had ere,
To drawe wit$ preching men to here sauacioun,
And #e weyis of heuene hem for to lere.
He sped sone his erand whan he cam there.
Rith for his fame and his good leuyng,
Euery man hat$ ioye to here his comonyng.
Abbotis and priouris were bysi in #at place
To have relaxacioun of here obseruaunce;
But oure Norbert refused swech maner grace.
A man, he seid, mith not do to mech plesaunce
To oure lord Crist, whech wit$ a launce
Suffered for us #at ich brood wounde.
Swech perseueraunce euyr in #is man is founde.
The pope in his letteris commended him to a man
Thei called Bartholome, bisschop of Laudune,
And prayed him be mouth #at he schuld tan
Good heed at #is man and him sustene.
The same Bartholome had kynrod, as I wene,
In #at same cyte & in #e cuntre aboute,
Good men of leuyng wit$outen ony doute.
And #erfor desired he #at #is ich Norbert
Schuld dwelle amongis hem & hem gouerne.
The man refused it wit$ wordes ful couert,
With reuerens as he myth goodly him werne.
He seyde himselue had more nede to lerne
Thann be a techere or a ledere ellis
Of swech men as in #at cuntre dwellis.
Tho cam #e pope onto that same cytee
With whom #e bisschop gan comoun his conceyt.
He seide he was loth, if it myth othir bee,
That #is holy man whech was so weel iteyt
Schuld go fro his diosise; he had leuer spend his weyt
Of syluyr & gold onto his plesaunce,
So weel him plesed his noble gouernaunce.
Be #e popes counsell he offered him a place
To dwelle in a cherch of Seynt Martyne,
ln whech dwelled chanonis ful fayre of face,
But not seruyng God in seruyse dyuyne
So as Norbert wold. He knew hem sumtyme,
And noted hem bettir #ann #at #ei wende.
Longe he refused it but $it at #e ende,
Because he schuld not be inobedient
Onto #e pope ne to #e bisschop onkende,
Only for here plesaunce he gann consent,
So #at #e chanonis here vsage wold amende.
He seyde pleynly he wold bryng hem to #at ende,
Pat #ei schul lyue as #e aposteles ded sumtyme.
He was amongis hem at mateyns & at pryme
And alle othir owris, but #ai myth not acord
With his hard preceptis. #ei seide #at he
Schul not regne ouyr hem ne be here lord
Because he was so ful of souereynte,
And wold compelle hem in harder lyf to be
Thann euyr #ei were in ony tyme before.
There dwelt he #ou$ a quarter ($ere) and more.
The bisschop norchid him wit$ ful fadirly chere.
He profered him mete, he profered drynk eke,
To refresch his membris whech at #at tyme were
Ful wery and dul & for laboure seke.
But swech counfortis myth him not leke.
The more he stered him onto sustenauns,
The more #is man $aue hym to penauns.
But for his good chere #at he $aue him bodely,
This same Norbert made retribucyoun
With noble chaunge in counfort gostely,
For many a holy word & swete consolacyoun
Had #is bisschop of his gest to his sauacyoun.
Thus were #ei both ful gode and ful kende,
Ech of hem #at he had gan othir lende.
The bisschop ledde him al aboute #e cuntre
To loke where he wold dwelle and abyde.
He chase neythir town, ne village, ne cyte,
But a desolat place chase he #ere beside.
Men called it Premonstrat Pat ilk same tyde.
This place chase he for to dwelle in,
He and his felawis #at wold folow him.
Ful rithfully is #e name called Premonstrate,
For Premonstrate in oure language he soundit$ #us:
A place schewid before whech was desolate,
And aftir schuld be inhabit wit$ folk vertuous.
It was schewid be name #an; now is it plenteuous
Of schewyng in dede as we se at y$e.
Euyr be it soo thorw Goddis mercy$e!
Rith as #e verytees whech are in owre feith
Were schewid be flguris in #e elde testament,
Rith so #is ordre whech Norbert forth leith
Ful of religioun, ful of holy entent,
Took in #is place a very fundament,
As in a figure schewyd mystily
Amongis busschis & breris hid ful pryuyly.
In this same place made he a solempne avow
To dwelle #ere wit$ #is condicion: if God wold him sende
Felawes good and sad to drawe in #e plow
Of holy religioun. For sekir now his mende
Was euyr sette only onto #at same ende:
That he wil make a college aftir his lyf;
Vpon #is conclusion is he inquysityf.
For #at cause eke he walket$ al aboute,
He sowith #e seed whech Crist brout$ fro heuene.
To euery puple, to euery parisch and route
Preched he the gospell, wit$ ful mylde steuene.
His wordes #oo happed for to falle ful euene
Into good ground. Whann he to Camerace cam,
There turned he to God a noble $ong man.
That whan Norbert was gon in #at same place
Where as he preched, now is Euermode goo
To knele and pray #at God schuld send him grace
Owt of his hert #is worldly lust to race.
Euene as of Crist was seyde in prophecye:
"Thei schul worchep, lord, #i steppis holye."
So of #is man may be seyde in dede
That his steppes of grace $oue swech a prende
Onto his foloweris, #at #ei ful sone $ede
The same weyis to whech he gan wende.
This nobel Euermode now so sore gan bende
Onto #e skole of his maystir dere,
That he forsaketh al #ing #at is here.
He was so special aftir to this man,
That #ere is non but he, if I schuld sey soth,
Doth #at plesaunce; ne non eke do can
Swech maner dedis of religion as he doth.
He had charge of soule and body both;
He had in comaundment eke, as I gesse,
To bery his body alle the bysynesse.
This was #e secund felaw #at was chose.
Anothir #ere was, whech at a town Niuigelle
Dwelled sum while, rith as men suppose;
But in sykirnesse this may we wel telle,
That #ere he had him & led him to his celle.
Antony hith he, if $e will algate knowe,
Of witte studious, of hert he was ful lowe.
The thirde he had chosen longe before:
He was #e bisschoppis clerk Cameracense.
These thre and he were #e very tresore,
The very ground of #is ordre in existense,
Fulfillid wit$ pite, replete with innocense.
Who & whann he gadered his noumbir hertoo,
Of special callyng #is book touchit$ no moo.
But thus mech he seith, #at in #at same lente
Whech folowid aftir he gat him felawis #irtene;
So #at in Passioun weke with hem alle he wente
Streit to Premonstrate, #ere held #ei, as I wene,
Here first Estern. Thus was #is couent isene
And eke igadered in that holy tyme
Ful conueniently, acordyng to oure ryme.
For euene as Israel out of Egipt went
Toward the holy lond at #e fest of Pase,
Rith euene so #ese men fro #e world are hent
As fro Egipt, & to religioun go a pase
As to Ierusalem, where #ei gynne to brase
Alle Moyses tabernacule, wit$ his instrumentis,
Whech tokneth oure cherch, wit$ #e sacramentis.
Of whik stones sware and no #ing round,
Ful of veynys grauen all with grace.
The grete werkman aboue he ded race,
Alle #is werk goostly in here soule.
So techith us #e noble clerk Seynt Poule.
fol. 13r Thei made here place, #ei made a grete hostel
In whech pore men, pilgrymis, and alle nedy
Were refreschid fro here hungir fel,
Fro here mischeuys; for al #ing was #ere redy,
Of bounteuousnesse #at hous was ful sedy.
But #e deuele, enmye to alle goode dedys,
Had grete envye with swech maner sedys.
He had enuye with hem #at were deuoute,
Wit$ hem #at lithly trespas wold for$eue;
The grete fasteres stered he wit$outen doute
That #ei schuld suppe whan it was late at eue.
To Goddis seruauntis he is a wikked reue,
For he wil lede hem from #e flok erraunt,
And make hem eke of here synne avaunt.
In especyal who #at he serued oon
Of #at same hous now schal $e here.
Goddis grace ful plenteuously #oo schoon
On #at same man & namely in prayere
Wold he stand astoyned in his chere
A long tyme sum while, so grete ioye had he
ln contemplacyon of #e trynyte.
And in #is ilk same contemplacyoun
The deuele appered to him in #is wyse:
"Be glad," he seith, "#ou man of #i sauacyoun,
for #ou schal se veryly er #ou ryse
For #i deuocyoun and #i good seruyse
The blissed trynyte, rith euene in his blis.
Lift up #in y$e and se man where he is."
With #at word #e deuele apperd him too,
A fayre creature, rith as him thout$,
O body stood before his presens #oo
With thre hedys ful sotilly iwrout$.
And #us he seid: "Man, drede #e rith nout$.
I am #e trynyte, whech #ou often callest;
To #i desire alle sodeynly #ou fallest!"
This man be#out$ him #oo in #is traunce
That inspiracioun whech comth fro aboue
Is sette in swech plith and swech gouernaunce,
lt feseth no man ne maket$ no grete schoue
Of no boystous stormys; but as a spirit of loue
It comth ful esily as a pipelyng wynde.
Helies avisioun stood in swech a kynde.
Thoo took he heed, #is man, & gan to #ink,
For he herd a stormy, blasty clowde schoue.
Eke he felt in sauoure a wel foule stink,
Thorw whech ful sone he gan to trete & proue
That #is avision cam not fro aboue,
But rathere he dempt, in his estimacioun,
That it was a foul & fendly temptacioun.
And gan to speke with ful bold chere:
"O #ou wrecch onwor#i #at maist not asterte
The hand of God, #ou #at were so dere,
For Goddis signacule for soth #ou were
And wit$ pride #ou lost #at faire figure.
O #ou onkende, #ou simulate creature!
Who art #ou hardy #iselue for to feyne
That #ou art #e trynyte, God moost of mith,
And art now dampned in so horible peyne
For #i grete trespaas as it is ful rith?
Awey fro me, awey #ou enmye of lith,
Louere of derknes with #i fraudes alle!
In #i temptacyones I hope I schal neuyr falle.
He went away fro him as for a while,
For he cast him eft to come agayn
For to tempte him wit$ anothir wile.
And so he ded, to sey #e sothe certayn.
This man was vsed to grete fasting, #ei sayn,
Haunted in prayere, redy to alle obediens.
There myt$ no man fro his grete abstinens
Him drawe ne lette, so grete was his corage.
Scarse on #e Sunday wold he his fast breke;
Wherfore Sathanas wit$ his leonis rage
Cast him sikirly on him for to wreke.
Comen was lenton, euene #e flrst weke,
Whech #at we calle Puluir Wednisday;
Than cast he him his maistryis for to assay.
Swech a hungir, swech a grete appetite
Fel on #is man whan it was late at eue,
That sikir, he seide, he must fllle his delite;
Of God ne prelate wold he take no leue.
And lenten metis whech #ei gun him $eue
Mith him not plese; but he mut nedis certayn
Ete buttir and chese to turne him into mayn.
Owre fader, Norbert, was not #ann present,
But forth in preching as was #an his vsage.
The conuent seyde: "Brothir, take entent
What tyme it is, and of $oure appetite swage.
Childyr in #e world #at be but $ong of age
Spare swech metes; #ann is it to us schame,
We #at take upon us so hye a name
Of religioun, #at we schal be more large
ln oure excesse #an #ei #at be seculere."
Here ammoniciones he sette at no charge,
But #us he seide wit$ ful boistous chere:
"These metes & drinkis whech #at God mad here
Vpon erde, whi schuld we hem not vse?
I wil $e wite it that I wyl noon refuse."
But at #e last his bre#erin gote #is of him:
That he schal ete euery day to meles.
Flesch and white, loke he neuyr so grym,
Schal he not ete. Lete him ete eles,
Tench or peke, his part now no deles
Of ony flesch whech #at he wold haue,
Thei wil not $eue it him, #ou$ he alday craue.
Thei dred #e speche, #e clatering eke of men
That so newe a religioun, whech #ere was begunne,
Schuld so sone be broken, for if #ei it ken,
They schul clatir it lowde openly in #e sunne.
Now are #e dayis of lentoun ny irunne.
Pase comth fast, and Norbert is com hom.
Alle #is temptacioun, he knew it rit$ anon.
Vnto his felawis he seide be the weye:
"It is not weel at hom at oure hous;
A grete waioure now treuly dare I leye.
There is a dede do there ful perilous."
His bre#erin of his comyng were desirous;
Thei mette with him sothly ere he cam,
And teld #e caas whech was falle at ham.
"Allas," he seide, "whi wold $e do #is dede,
To lese #e soule of oure brothir so dere?
Where is he now?" and forth he to him $ede.
He fond him fat, bolnyd and rody of chere.
With angry look, with y$ne brennyng clere,
Behelde he his maistir, astoyned as man wood.
He maketh no curtesie, ne avaleth no hood.
His blessed maistir vndirstood #is euerydeel,
That he was ouyrcome with temptacyoun.
He made hem drawe fro him al his meel.
"Glotenye," he seith, "hath #is condycioun,
Oonly fastyng is his sauacyoun
Lete him ete bred and watir al #is weke;
Hereaftirward bettir it wil him leke."
Whann he had fastid al #at lymyth tyme,
He turned deuoute, sad and obediente;
Sayde his mateyns, masse and his pryme
Wit$ more deuocyoun, with more sad entente.
His bodely fatnesse was impedimente
To his deuocyoun rith as seith oure book;
Thus was he voyded fro #e deueles crook.
xii
Of oure fader Norbert and alle hat$ an ende,
For pees and rest, whech were to seke
In this holy place are turned now to meke,
Both men and condicionis, & eke #is Norberd
Forth is to preche in Cristis vyne$erd.
The deuel hat$ aspied ful sone his absens.
He bendith his bowe to loke if he may schete,
Or wayte for to hurt hem, whech in his presens
He durst neythir mech wit$ ne mete.
Euene as a theef lith in a strete
To wayte his avauntage whom he may wounde,
So waytith #is enmy, #is very hellehounde,
To slaundyr #is man, if that he may
Be ony weye lette him of his good viage.
This sawte vsed he many long day,
Til at #e last, as in a wood rage,
Certeyn persones of wit no #ing sage
Gun sore to grucch of #e grete hardnesse
Whech #at #ei suffered vndir habit of holinesse.
There was eke so gret duresse in religioun
Thei myth not bere esily, as #ei saide.
Wherfore wit$ venemous tunge, ful of detraccioun,
Seid #ei had wit$ grete deuocioun assayde
This maner religioun: but no man myt$ it bere,
So ful of noye was it and ful of dere.
And alle #is slaundir was put on #is man:
That he was vndiscrete in the makyng
Of swech statutes of whech no man may ne can
Bere, ne sustene. For #e grete wakyng
Made he hedis all ful of akyng
And eke here fastyng wel more hem schent.
Thei saide #ei had leuyr #e statutes were brent
Than #ei schuld kepe hem rith for her scharpnesse.
Alle #is ilk langage was be #e fend isowyn,
ln defamyng of #is mannes holinesse,
That his good purpos schuld not forth growyn.
Oure enmye is wont euyrmore to throwyn
His wikkid seed amongis #e good corn;
But on good lond it wil not longe be born.
And for #e mannes name was #us defamed
God ordeyned a remedy to rere it ageyn,
With whech mene he was more inamed
Than euyr he was before. For as clerkys seyn,
The deuele, whech is euyrmore in peyn,
Exalteth seyntes with his temptacioun,
With whech #at he supposed to brynge al adown.
1030
For #ere was he receyued most specialy.
His name was sprongen #oo fer and wyde
Thorwoute #e land, in euery cumpany.
Thedir cam a man, as seith oure story,
Wit$ his $ong doutyr, of #e deuele obsessed,
Vexid a long tyme, laboured and pressed.
With wepyng eyne #e fadir of #is childe
Prayed oure Norbert for Iesu sake
That he wold on #is creature so wilde
Haue pite and reuth & to his tuycioun take;
Conioure #e deuele so he myth hire forsake.
And at #e leest, he prayed him, #at he
Wold onys se hire for seyn charyte.
Norbert answerd wit$ wordis ful mylde:
"Bring hire onto me, and we wil asay."
The mayde was a fayre & a $ong childe,
Twelue $ere of age at that same day.
The puple presed fore to se #is aray;
And #is Cristis preest ded on his vestiment.
Both aube and stole, wit$ ful holy entent.
He coniured #e deuele be #e grete vertue
Of Cristis passion, #at he schuld obeye
And turne to swech place as to him was due.
Many longe gospellis ouir hire gan he seye,
This maydenes body to clense & to feye.
The deuele wit$inne scorned him among:
"Swech harp haue I herd," he seid, "and swech song.
But neythir for #e, ne for no man here,
Schal I forsake now my dwellyng place.
For whom schuld I go or for whos prayere?
The pileres of #e cherche, endewid wit$ grace,
Owt of #is world haue take here pace;
And #erfor I dwelle here in grete sikirnesse.
No man may voyde me fro #is mayde, I gesse."
Norbert #oo sore multiplied his orisones.
The deuele answerd: "#ou dost al in veyn,
Thou chargest nowt me be #e holy bones
Ne be #e brith blood whech fro #e veyn
Of holy martires went, as $oure bokes seyn."
And eke forth anoon, wit$outen ony more,
The deuel gan speke and no #ing rore;
But seide oute in Latyn al #at ilk book,
Whech we Cantica Canticorum calle.
Euery man gan sterten, waytyn and look,
For #us #ei seide at #at tyme alle,
Thei herd neuyr no wondir so sodeynly falle.
For first #e maydin in Latyn al #is book spak,
And aftir #at a exposicioun, wit$outen ony lak,
Rehersed sche #erto; and $et aftir this
In hir owne langage, in Teutony tunge,
Opened sche #ese wordes wit$outen mys.
This grete merveyle #orw #e town is runge,
That swech a mayde of age so $onge
Whech had not lerned but hire sauter only
Schuld haue swech cunnyng of grete study.
For alle #is #ing #is seynt was not aferd,
But euyr in on cryed on this fende
He schulde obeye #oo wordis #at he herd.
This goddis creature he schuld no lenger rende,
But take his viage & to othir place wende,
Whereas he was wont for to dwelle.
The deuele answered, schort tale to telle:
'If #ou wilt algatis," he seith, #at I goo,
Lete me entyr #at munk #at stant #ere."
For at #at tyme sikir it happed soo,
A munk amongis #e puple to se and lere
Presed fast and ny, but mech care & fere
Had he in #e peticioun of #is newe logging.
Owre fadir Norbert, whech had ful clere knowyng
1100
Cryed al lowde #at euery man myth here:
"$e cristes puple, wondir no #ing ne museth
On #is word #orw whech #e godman here
Is now dislaundred be #is fals lyere.
Euyr was his vsage to lye and slaundir men;
Who trosteth to him #e treuth schal neuyr ken."
$et hard and sore #is Norbert mad instaunce,
That #is spirit #is mayden schuld forsake.
To #is entent he ded many a obseruaunce.
The spirit wit$ boost gan to crye and crake.
Grete thretis eke #oo he gan to make;
"If #ou wilt," he seyde, "algatis #at I goo,
I schal clepe onto me of my felawis moo
And crye to hem: O my blake felawis alle,
Help now, help now I be not ouyrthrowe;
Doth $oure laboure #at #is cherch may falle.
The grete arches #at stand al be rowe,
Lete us make hem for to ly ful lowe!
Alle #is wil we do, I sey #e withouten lees,
But if #ou lat me frely dwelle in pees."
This herd #e puple and #ei fled anoon.
Norbert abydeth and is no #ing agast,
But he abydith stabyly as a stoon;
He seid his orisones & his blessingis fast.
The mayde roos up and both hire handis cast
Onto #e stole #at hing aboute his nek.
Sche held him soo #at he gan to qwek.
Summe stert to, to pulle awey hire hand.
"Let be," seid Norbert, "I bid $ou touch hire nowt.
If sche hath powere of Crist wit$ #is band
To bynde my nek, lete #e dede be wrowt.
Crist is my lord, for he hath me bowt;
I trost on him sche schal me no #ing dere."
With #at word, hir hold sche gan leue #ere.
The day went $erne & was wel ny ended.
Therfore owre Norbert bad #ei schuld in hast
Take #is mayde, #at sche schuld be amended.
Hand and foot he bad bynde hir fast,
Into a vessel of haliwatir #ei schuld hire cast.
Because eke #at sche had fayre $elow here,
Alle hire lokkis he comaunded #ei schuld schere
For #is entent: he supposed #at be occasion
Of this beute, #e deuele had more powere
Ouyr this creature. But whan #is decaluacion
Was performed, #e deuel gan crye and bere:
"Thou pilgrime of Fraunce," he seit, "what dost #ou here?
What haue I do, wherto reuest me my rest?
May I not dwelle for #e in myn nest?
Alle euel happe and alle wikkyd chaunce
Falle upon the for thi vexacyoun
That #ou dost to me wit$ #in obseruaunce.
Thou hast reft me mech domynacioun
On#ank haue #ou for #in occupacyoun."
Thus seide #e deuele, & because #e day was don,
He bad hire fadir lede hire hom anon
And bryng hire ageyn #e next day to messe.
He onclothid him of his vestimentis alle,
And whann #e deuele sey him oute of his clothis dresse,
With lowde voys he began to lalle :
"A fayre happe is now to me falle.
Thou has do a #ing #at pleseth me ful weel,
Thou hast not ##i purpos now neuyr a deel.
Now dost #ou #ing onto my plesaunce,
For #u leuyst #is werk for very werynesse,
For very ioye now I gynne for to daunce.
Oure fadere Norbert, wit$ ful grete heuynesse
Onto his hostell gan him sone dresse,
For in his mynde hat$ he mad #is avow
That he wil no mete ne no drynk take now,
Onto #e tyme #at #is wikkid goost
Be voyded, and #at #is mayde be qwyte.
Thus was he fastyng al nyt$ with his hoost.
The othir day cam, & #is preste of vertu moost
Goth forth to cherche his messe for to synge.
There is now rennyng; #ere is now waytynge;
Euery man loketh wheithir #e deuele or he
Schal haue #e maystri. He bad #ei schuld take
This ich mayden & be #e auter ny as it myth be,
Hold hire fast because sche gan to qwake.
This religious preest seide: "##ou fende, awake.
Voyde now #is body." boo seid he gospellis feele
Ouyr #is mayden, to hire goostly hele.
The deuele answerd, as he had do before,
That he had herd swech harpes sownd or now.
He sang his masse, wit orisones lesse & more.
Til sacry cam, & #an #e deuele sore low,
Lowde he cryed: "God, I make a vow.
Se, men, #e litil God betwyx #e handis too
Of $oure Norbert, how he it liftith, loo."
Thus deueles are aknowe #at heretikes denye!
This man prayed sore wit$ grete deuocyoun
That oure lord God, for his grete mercye,
Schuld of his grace make a dyuorcyoun.
Ful hertily to God made he his mocyoun,
So ferforth #at #e deuele felt peyne,
And with grete waymenting #oo gan he seyne:
I wil go, I wil, lete me now pase.
Turment me no more, I am obedient."
With #at word his weye sone he tase,
With horibile stynk at hire fundement,
And stynkyng vryne whech lay on #e pament.
Thus seide thei #at in presens were,
ln ful mechil #out$ and mechil fere.
Thus wery and seek for very febilnesse,
Is #e mayde bore to hire fadere hous,
And aftir wit$ kepyng was sche, as I gesse,
Heil of body and of soule vertuous.
Thus is sche recured be werkys meruelous
Of God and Seynt Norbert, whech was hire leche.
Euyr to his patronage mote men seche!
Now wil we speke what maner gouernaunce
He sette in his cherch, Premonstracense.
Wit$ special exhortacion he gan hem avaunce,
Whann he visitid hem newly wit$ his presense.
He sette #ere #e reulis of clene consciense;
Both morw and eue he vsed hem to fede
How #ei in all clennesse here lyf schuld lede.
Here hye purpos, whech #ei had take,
He stered hem to kepe it wit$ holy entent.
The wordly goodis whech #ei had forsake,
And eke here hertis were fro hem bent.
His steryng was euyr so to hem sent
##at #ei schuld not turne a$en to swech delite
Of whech be his ph[isik] #ei had a vomyte.
He ferd lych a egle schakyng his wyngis,
Prouokyng his birdis here coors for to flye;
For in his exhortacionis euyr more he myngis
These worldly plesaunses to passe forbye
And entenden to swech ioyes #at are upon hye.
He himselue vsed lo swech manere flith;
He ascendid wit orison both day and nyth
And rested euene #ere where as his mynde
Was bore up wit$ contemplatif bysynesse.
Summe of his bretheryn eke wit$ #at same wynde
Were so irauyschid into holynesse,
That fro #at place where #ei sat, I gesse,
Thei #out$ #ei flyed euene up to heuene.
So had #e gost endewid hem wit$ #e $iftis seuene.
That #ere is no reule now, ne no obseruance,
Whech ony clerk can hem bryng or tan,
That may plese hem, but only #e gouernaunce
Of oure Norbert, whech may be to hem plesaunce.
But al here lokyng and here goostly desere
Is sette his lernyng and doctryne to here.
And #at hat$ #is man considered, by hy discrecioun.
He #out$ #at #is #ing was perilous in charge;
Wherfore discretely onto his congregacioun
Of grete liberte he graunted #is targe:
That #ei schul in here eleccion stand at here large
To chese hem what reule #at hem likit$ best;
So schall here consciens be most in rest.
This was his dreed #at aftir his desees
On schuld go #is weye, anothir schuld go #is.
Therfor #at #ei schuld dwelle in stable pees,
And renne #e weye #at turne not amys
But ledeth streyte to eterne blys,
He wold sette hem in a lif moost conuenient
Onto #e apostelis lif, #is was his entent.
For sum men counseled hem ankeris for to be,
Summe $oue hem counsel to dwelle in wildirnesse
As hermytes al alone, but #e moost comounte
Seyde there is a ordre ful of holynesse;
Men clepe it Cistercienses, rith as I gesse.
This ordre wil #ei haue, many of hem,
For #at ordre was ful ryf #oo in #at rem.
But neuyr#elasse here alderis desire
Hangeth on here fadere and his eleccion.
Thei are so bounden wit$ #e strong bond of wire
I mene loue -- #at in his discrecioun
Put #ei now here lyf & alle here disposicioun,
Loke what he wil, #ei wil stande thertoo.
He must do alle that schall there be doo.
Whan he had avisid him, #is reson gan he make:
"Taketh heed," he seid, "what we haue be or now
Indifferently in clothis, #e white & #e blake,
Haue we be clad and eke oure avow
Hing moost sewirly on #at ich vow
Whech is now called Seynt Austenis reule.
Aftyr #at, be my reed, schul we us reule."
The book was brout forth onto his presens
Red lef be lef, wit$outen werynesse.
He seyde it was a reule of ful grete sentens,
Ful of clerkly lyuyng and ful of holynesse.
Wherfor sith on him was set al #is bysynesse:
To chese hem a lyf, he seid in wordis plat,
He wold non othir reule chese hem but #at.
It was ful ny Cristmasse. ##erfor at #at fest,
Cast he him #at his bretheryn alle
Whech wold abyde, #e more and #e lest,
With on asent #e holy goost schuld calle,
And mekely to a fraternyte schuld #ei falle,
Makyng here profession to God & t<o> Seynt Austyn,
As very childirn and eyres of his kyn.
Thann felle there dowtis in this same matere,
For dyuers exposiciones #at on #is reule were.
Wherfor here conscienses were not alle clere,
And therefore seide #ei #at #ei wold lere
Why #at #ei schuld certeyn charges bere
Whech were not of custome in othir houses kept.
For very fere summe of #is cumpany wept.
Summe were aferd, summe felle in ful grete dowt,
Sum were slawhere #anne #ei were wont to be.
This is aspied and openly claterid owt.
But whann he herd it, this holy man, he
Seyde to hem: "Felawis, drede not #is dyuersite.
Alle Goddis weyis are grounded, wit$outen ly,
Vpon his treuth and upon his mercy.
Al#ou$ #ese reules be dyuers in manere,
$et are #ei not contrarie in no wyse;
Thou$ #ese customes whech are vsed here,
Be othir men be set in othir assyse
In othir place as hem lest deuyse,
$et are #ei grounded alle on o charite,
Whech is loue of god & neybour here by the.
What wil $e seke more of parfithnesse,
Thann $e schal fynde in #is book expressid?
Of loue, of laboure, of abstinens, I gesse,
Schul $e haue here dischis redy dressed:
Glotony wit$ fastyng is here al oppressed;
Clo#ing is mesured, silens is commended;
And alle presumpcioun wit$ obediens is amended.
Here is alsoo doctryne treuly tawt,
Who euery $ongere schal, wit$ meke entent,
Worchep hem whech elde age hat$ cawt.
The very reules of reguleris here are sent
As fro heuene, a goostly sauory present,
Be Austyn, oure aungell & messager in #is caas.
Loke #at no man now refuse his graas.
Now of here clothing, what maner obseruance,
Or constitucioun, calle it what $e wil,
He ordeyned at #at tyme wit$ his puruyaunce
Wil we speke, and eke $oure eres fll.
Oure fader Norbert, be very proued skil,
Ordeyned his abite aftir #e holy gospell,
As $e schal here me aftirward now tell.
He to his subiectis seyde, whann #at #ei were
Gadered togider in consultacyoun,
That he in no scripture neuyr coude lere,
Ne in no apostelis episteles or exhortacyoun,
What maner coloures #ei wered or of what facioun
Were here garmentis mad, whech #ei vsed.
Vpon #is matere he seid he had mused.
If ony othir man be #ere, #at is here
That haue red it, $et is it no preiudicioun;
But #at oure Norbert may wit$ consciens clere,
Make swech habite in his institucioun
Rith as him likith, lesse #an ony prohibicioun
Were founde a$en it, & #ere schal non be founde.
As I trowe, #ou$ malice wolde abounde.
Be #is auctorite began he hem to clothe.
He seide #e aungellis, whech at #e resurreccioun
Appered at #e graue, white clothes bothe,
Seyth #e gospell, #at #ei had vpon.
Eke #e cherch vseth withouten ony woon
That in wollen men schul here penauns doo.
This conclusion drow he of #ese too:
Be #e gospellis, he seide, grete auctorite
And he #e use whech #e cherch vseth $it,
He wolde his puple schuld conformed be
Rith to #is custome & not refuse it.
Thus wit$ his malle #e nayle hed he hit:
"Mi bre#erin for here synnes penauns here schul doo;
Therfor in wollen clothis I wil #at #ei goo.
Mi bretheryn eke schul kepe innocens,
And lich aungelis very witnesse bere
Of resurreccioun where al indulgens
Of alle trespases, withouten ony fere,
Schal be schewyd. ##erfor #at #ei schuld lere
How #ei schuld be clene in soule and bryt$,
Here vttyr garment I wil #at it be whit$.
Both white to laboure and white to holynesse
Schul here germentis be aftir myn ordynaunce.
Alle my chanones #e more and #e lesse
With swech clothyng I wil hem avaunce.
Sith $e haue put al in my gouernaunce,
Thus schul $e go, but aftyr we wil declare
This ich aray in more open langage & bare."
This rithful man lerned not for #is cause
These obseruaunces onto his meke couent
That he schuld dampne, schortly in a clause,
Ony ordynaunce or ony comawndment
Of othir seyntis, but oonly his entent
Was #at #ei whech schuld folow his weye
Onto #is doctryne nedis #ei must hem teye.
his same man Norbert was in demyng
Streyt and hard, specialy where as synne
Schuld be punched. ##e holy goostis techyng
Made him swech #at he coude not blynne,
But euyr soules to heuene wold he wynne.
Ful many men cam to him for grace,
And ere #ei fro his presens onys myth pace
Here proude spirit was turned to mekenesse.
Thus was #is man a very instrument
Of goostly solaas, sothly as I gesse.
Thei #at were with synne al torent,
And eke #ei #at were ful sore ibrent
In fleschly lustis, he took #e blak cole
Of synne fro hem & made hem alle hole.
His occupacyoun was of no wordly #ing,
But euyr goostly as to rede or wryte
Holy Scripture and his mysty expownyng.
Sumtyme among letteris wold he endyte
To dyuers states to turne hem onto ryte.
Thei myth not fayle, #ei #at folowid his lore,
But encresed in vertu euyr more and more.
The mynde of hem was at #at tyme so sette,
Thei loued bettyr wrecchid clothis bare
And clutte #an hole or ony othir new iette;
For gay clothing #ei had no grete care.
Summe of hem took peces of eldere ware
And sowed hem on here newe garmentis fast.
So were here hertis to pouertee al icast,
Of newe clothis, because #ei had forsake
All maner vanyte; wherfore #ei wold not look
Ne loue neythir #ese fresch clothis blake,
Ne precious whites wold #ei noon take.
There was no werk to wrecchid to hem #ei #out$.
Obediens was of hem so swetely sout$.
What #ing was bode hem #ei were redy to doo,
That if a houene had be hoot brennyng
Thei schuld rathere arunne in thertoo,
Than a$en obediens made ony grucchyng.
Thei dred more here maystiris offendyng
Than ony deth or ony bodely harm,
Brennyng charyte had mad hem so warm.
Silens was dew in euery tyme and place,
For #ei #at folowid him in his weye preching,
Were so endewyd with #is noble grace,
That notwithstandyng #ei were euyr walkyng
Amonges #e puple and herd mech clateryng,
There schulde no man, in ernest ne in borde,
Of here mouthes ones here a worde.
And if hem happed in ony defaute to falle,
Anon #ei schuld go down on here kne,
With hande and mouth mekely for to calle
On here maystir #at, for his grete pite,
He schuld for$eue hem in alle maner degre
Here defautes, both in dede and thout$,
And for #e puple ne schame spared #ei nout$.
He ordeyned eke #at his bre#erin schuld fast
Euery day, and ete but o mele.
The hard religioun, whech was kept ful fast
And ful streit, is now larged sum dele,
Because #at men are not disposed so wele
As #ei were sumtyme, treuly #us I leue.
He wold not $eue his bretherin eke no leue
To ryde on hors; but on asses to ryde alwey
It myth not be kept for many causes grete.
On is this, $e wote and se at ey
Thou$ $e #e asse spore or ellis bete,
His slaw paas can he not for$ete.
Eke in #is cuntre #ere may no man hem haue.
Who schuld #ese men #ese impossibles saue
Withouten dispensyng, whech 1 wote ful weel,
That #ei haue purchased as wise men schuld doo?
He wold eke #at in euery tyme and seel
His goostly childir wit$ swech clothis schuld goo
Whech hide oure schame, it nedeth to sey no moo.
Swech reules $aue he #at mannys myty mynde
Schuld not be effeminate in no kynde.
And of here clothis, as we seid before,
He sette swech reules as are grete plesaunce
Onto oure God and $et, fer#ermore,
Ful profltable to bodely gouernaunce.
The flesch schuld growe ful of myschaunce,
Ne were he chastised wit$ bridil of areest.
That knewe #is seynt treuly wit$ #e best.
For notwithstandyng #at he himself wered
Nexte his skyn a scharp hayre alwey,
$et was his hert wit$ swech pite stered,
Than on his bretherin lesse wite wold he ley.
Both lynen and wollen, schortly for to sey,
Bad he his felawis #at #ei schuld were,
Wollen next here skyn he wold #ei schuld bere,
Wollen eke to laboure, owtward schul #ei use,
Rith as #e pope, Innocent called be name,
Hath confermed -- no man may it refuse --
In his bulle #at is of ful grete fame,
ln whech bulle reherseth he the same
That #is noble, holy, discreet religioun
Hath used white clothis fro here institucioun.
But for because #at #ere is dyuersite
In oppiniones of #ese clothis partyng
Now lynen now wollen, to make a vnyte
Of this matere and who I the wrytyng
Vndirstand, I will wit$ ony lettyng
Telle $ou now, vndir #is protestacioun,
That I take upon me here no diuinacyoun
As for to determyn who #is men schul hem clothe.
Wollen clothis these men vsen schal
In penaunce doyng and in laboure bothe.
And if thei do not, #ei haue a grete fal
Fro here reules, for #is sentens al
Spryngith oute of Norbertis swete doctryne,
And goth onto heuene rith as ony lyne.
Wollen schul #ei haue to laboure & eke to penaunce
Lynand, for clennesse, wold he #ei schuld were
At #e autere #ere #ei doo here obseruaunce.
And at alle places, schortly for to here,
Where as #ei serue God #is abite schul #ei bere,
Of lynand cloth oonly for clennesse,
In othir places #ei are not bounde, I gesse.
If men wil algate of here deuocyoun
Were lynend alwey I wil it not dispraue.
Lete euery man aftyr his discrecioun
His obseruaunces in his monastery haue;
But #is wold I, #e vnyte for to saue,
That alle schuld go lich to kepe honeste
Euene as alle cleyme of o religioun to be.
Thre #ingis, seide this man to his bre#erin there,
Were neccessarie and profltable to euery congregacioun.
Eke he wold #at #ei schuld hem lere,
For #ere is no hous, he seid, in no nacioun,
That euyr schal falle in ony grete tribulacioun,
Whech haunteth #ese #ingis: #e flrst of hem here
Is clennesse in cherch, & aboute #e autere.
The secund is, in #e chapetir, very confessioun
Of alle here defautes #at euery brothir hat$ doo.
The thirde is of worldly goodis dispensacioun
To #e pore men, #at be #e cuntre goo.
These thre #ingis, if thei kepe hem soo,
Ony hous of religioun, #ei schul neuyr fayle,
Ne neuyr schul for ony myschef wayle.
Thus be word and ded he h<e>m schewyd
No othir #ing to know but oure lord lesu
For us crucifled, and to lerned and lewid
He prechid #is doctrine with laboure ful dew.
It made many a man him for to sew,
Folowyng his lyf with steppes of perseueraunce,
His exaumple was to hem swech plesaunce.
It happed on a day #at he fro Reymys went
With certeyn of his felawis & too nouyces eke,
Whech he newly fro #e world had hent,
And taute hem here elde customes for to breke.
As #ei went be #e weye cheke be cheke,
And kept here silens #inkyng on heuene,
A voys fro #e sky sowndyd ful euene.
He cryed in here eres on the o side:
"This is #e felawchep of Norbert owre frende."
Thei gunne for to list in that same tide,
Than herd #ei anothir voys in #e othir side wende:
"It is not his felawchep." ##is was #e ende
Of #is heuenely warnyng. He ment #at oon of #ese too
Was not in hert as he pretended, loo.
Alle herd #is voys, and alle astoyned were,
But non wist what it signified or ment.
Wherfore oure Norbert, with devoute prayere,
Day be day now his orysones hath isent
Vnto almyty God omnipotent,
That he schuld wisse him #e tokenyng of #is cry,
Whech #at he herd comyng fro #e sky.
Tho felle in his hert a gelous suspecioun
Of #ese too newe chosen & of here gouernaunce.
With ful sad and avised consideracyoun,
He took gret heed who in his obseruaunce
Oon of hem was ful nys in his cuntenaunce,
SIaw in comyng to seruyse, vnbuxum to obediens,
Vnstable in maneris and large of consciens,
The good fadere took him oside & #us to him saide:
"Brothir, what is #at #ow berest in thi hert?
Telle me now boldly and be not afraide.
For this is ful sikir, #ere may no #ing astert,
Thou$ #ing be neuyr so pryuy hid vndir schert,
It may not be hid fro goddis brith y$e-
Wherfore brothir make now no ly$e.
If #ou be stable in #ing #at is begunne,
$eue thank to God and bettir it more & more:
If #ou be wery of goodnes new iwonne,
And be alle this ordre settist no store,
Open now #in hert that #is goostly tresore
May entre to #i soule, for I the ensure
Treuth and falshed may not togidir endure."
The feyned man answerd as he ment:
"What heileth #e, fadere, wenyst #ow I wold stele
Ony of thi tresore, eythir book or vestiment?
Be not aferd her of neuyr a dele.
I wil no #ing fro #e of myn hert concele.
Thou art so pore #ere may no man #e robbe,
We lese not in this house a heryng cobbe!





































He #at hat rith nowt, as #e gospel seith,
Thing #at he semeth haue men schul fro him rende
Men schul $eue $iftis and godis him lende."
As #is man seid, so felle it at the hende.
For #ere was a new brothir com to hem late,
Whech had seld his patrimony, or ellis late
And leyd it in a bagge behynde #e autere
Where as #ei sunge. ##is man with grete sotilte,
And grete awaytyng, #is feyned scolere,
Hath stole #is mony rith fro the qwere,
Whilys #at his bretherin rested in here sleep,
And as a theef awey thus he leep.
He left hem not a peny, in al here hous,
To bye wit$ al #ing whech #ei had nede.
This dede to the theef was ful perilous,
And to #e good men it was ful grete mede.
God wold hem #e weyis of perfeccioun lede,
And lerne hem be smale #ingis who #ei schuld do in grete.
Therfor with temperal duresse he wold hem bete.
ow o #ls i ' '
Wil I to $ow rith in schort sentens
Alle #e descripcioun of this place telle.
Many men at #at tyme to #at felauchip felle,
Forsook al #e world, & come to #at place,
Oonly in pouerte good lyf to purchace.
fol. r And for because #ere was grete gaderyng
Of mech puple to that religioun,
In here wittis was huge disputyng
Of here edyfles and of here mansioun.
For #e place was onable to ony habitacioun.
Vntild and row, ful of brusch and brere,
Rith nowt in #e pleyn but marys and mere.
Streyt to #is Norbert to telle him #e cas.
He #ankid oure lord God and #us he sayde:
"Euyr be #ou worcheped for #i hye graas,
And neuyr be #in honoure fro mannis hert layde,
For whann alle frenschipis haue be asayde,
Thann is #in best. ##ou $euest, lord, counfort
Of #ing #at is passed, & eke, if we resort
Onto #i proteccioun for ony comyng nede,
##an $euest #ou us knowlech of #in hye grace."
Whann he had seid #us he put awey drede,
And seide to his felawis wit$ ful myry face:
Be low alle glad $e dwelleris in #is place,
Arme $ou and make $ou redy to al temptacioun
For #e sotil Sathanas wit$ al his nacioun
Schal make asaute to wynne us if he can.
For this avision, I sey $ou treuly,
Whech #at appered now to this man,
As it semeth to me it is a prophecy,
That to oure hous schul come be weye & be sty
Very pilgrymys for #ei schul forsake
Alle worldly lust, and a new lyf take
Thus expowne  #is mannys dremyng."
And euene as he sey in his avisioun,
So was it fulflllid at #e endyng.
Both cherch, cruciflxe, dores and #e ryng
Alle was imade rith as he deuysed;
Euene as he bad, so was it desised.
fol. v hus afltr he had ordeyned his ediflcacioun xviii
ln spirituale houses, mennys soules I mene,
It was ful neccessarie his material mansioun
Schuld be now reysid and set on #e grene.
At #e groundes takyng were, as I wene,
Ful many worthi men, of whech #e principal
Was #e noble bisschop, whech men ded cal
Bartholome of Laudune, for #ere was his se.
He halowid #e stones #at went to #e ground.
He stood be #e werkmen with grete solempnite,
And $aue hem to #e werk ful many a pound
Of frankis and ducatis #at were ful round.
There was in presens eke a noble lord,
Whos name was as #ese bokes record
Thomas, #e lord of #e realtee of Coty.
He dred #is Norbert & loued him alsoo.
He counseled #e werkmen hastyly to hye,
That #is cherch schuld sone be doo.
And at #at tyme it happed soo,
He brout$ #idir wit$ him his son ful $ong;
Thei called him Ingeramne in here tong.
Many othir worthi men at #at tyme were #ere
Of spiritualte and temporalte, & alle #ei saide:
"What man is #is #at hat$ now no fere,
Ne for alle #ese perelis is not dismaide?
Who schuld #is ground #at was neuyr asayde
Bere swech a werk of so huge a wit$?
Thei haue put in of ston ten ton tyth
Into the ground and it takith no tak."
Thus seyde #ei #ann, iangeleris in #e route.
Thei put in #e werk a ful grete lak,
But for al #is oure Norbert hat$ no doute,
But #out$ #at #e werk, whech #ei were aboute,
Because it was plantyng of God aboue,
Owt of his stabilnes it schuld not lithly moue.
fol. r Than felle #ere betwix werkmen a strif,
For sum of hem were of Teutony nacyoun,
Sum Frensch were & had be alle here lyf.
But when #ei were come in congregacioun,
Eche of hem to othir had indignacioun.
Therefore to swage envye & al male entent
To hem swech gouernaunce #is man hath lent,
That the o nacyoun on the o side,
The othir on #e othir side schal werk & rere.
Thus roos #e werk, ful longe & ful wyde;
For non of #oo werkmen #at were #ere
Feynted ony tyme to laboure or to bere,
For #at #ei wold here felauchep ouyrlede,
Alle #ei erned ful weel here mede.
Thus in nyne monthes #e werk had a ende,
And halowid it was of #e same holy man,
Bischop Bartholomew, whech was ful kende,
And bysi to doo and pay #at he can.
For he was #e flrst #at #e werk began,
And he was #e last, God doo him mede!
Alle #e werkmen went in his wede.
But #e onstable fortune #at medeleth alwey
Hir bittir happes wit$ hire swete chaunce
Turned here ioye so sodeynly #at thei
Had no cause to trippe ne to daunce.
Of puple was there so grete habundaunce
That ilk day, #at #e cherch was consecrate,
That #ere was mech prees & mech debate.
And #orw boistous presing of #e puple there
The grete autere #at stood in the qweer
Was meued fro his place, so sore gun #ei bere.
Than is #ere a statute, if $e wil heer,
That whech tyme wit$ violens ony auteer
Whech was halowid, as #e lawys seyn,
Be meued fro his place, it must be blessed ageyn.
fol. v So was #is, for in Seyn Martines octaue
Was it new consecrate & anoynted eke.
And for he schuld #e elde custome saue,
He ordeyned, #erfor, #at same day and weke
Schuld euyr more of his bre#erin meke
Be kepte holy as a dedicacyoun,
In memory and witnes of #at innouacyoun.
Lete #is now suffise of #is material descripcyoun
Of #is real place, for now wil we turne
To telle $ou treuly his occupacyoun;
Nout$ only his, but also we schul returne
Alle #e condicioun of hem #at #ere soiorne,
So as here actes rith were do in dede,
Folowyng non ordre, for it is no nede.
is m w o.ue o sowe his noble sedis xix .
He left at hom, as ful grete nede is,
His place weel bylid, he left fer#ermoo
Discrete gouernoures our hem euene too:
On ouyr #e prestis was made president,
Anothir preferred was ouyr #e lewid couent.
He seid onto hem, whan he fro hem went,
That #ei schuld kepe pees ouyr al #ing
Betwix hemselue; for he seid no couent
May stand at debat, #ou #ere be medelyng,
Where #at here prelates kepe of charite #e ring.
Wherfor to #ese too he comaunded holy loue,
That #ei schuld kepe it for reuerens of God aboue.
Thus fro #e folde parted with loue and pees
Is #is schepherde, and forth now is igoo,
Holy lyuyng with preching to encrees.
Oure enmy, #e deuele, is glad now & no moo
Of #is departing, for mechil care and woo
Wrout he to hem in #e absens of #is man.
His sotill sautys to rere #oo he began.
fol. r Lich a wolf #at comth to a folde,
First he feseth #e scheep with his chere,
And aftir ful slyly wil he now beholde
Who he may #rote hem both there and here;
Aftir with teeth wil he neyh hem nere.
Thus farith #is enmye in his sautes alle;
Who may avoide him, a victoure men him calle.
To #ese men #at in this perfeccioun
Were falle al newly #us appered Sathan:
To sum of hem made he open apparicioun.
For he cam sumtyme lich a armed man;
Sumtyme wold he #e likenesse of many tan,
With scheld and swerd, arayed as here enmyes were
Whech pei had in #e world or #ei come there.
There were so fesed #ann rith as hem #out$
Here enmyes come to hem rith to here celle.
So ny vpon hem with cruelnesse #e sout$,
That #ei were fayn, schortly for to telle,
Defende hem with book, clothis or belle,
Or what cam next to hand wit$ good speed,
So were here hertis #oo fulfillid wit$ dreed.
Thei #at were not temptid with this #ing,
Ne sey no swech visiones, as thei sey,
Runne onto hem with ful grete snybbyng.
Thei asked why and for what cause now #ey
Broke here silence & exalte here voys so hey,
Hurled so about$ with stones & staues eke?
Thei answerd a$en, wit$ wordes no #ing meke:
"Se $e not here," #ei sei, "what puple is come
With swerd and spere to gore us if #ei may,
And eke with many sundry dyuers lome
Vpon us haue #ei made assay?
We haue now fowtyn here al #is long day,
And no man helpeth us of his charite
Of alle #at dwelle in this fraternyte."
fol. v The sadder men, #at bettyr avised were,
Seide onto hem it was illusioun.
For non of hem, but #ei #at fel in fere,
Sey no #ing of this temptacyoun.
Wherfor ful hastily wit$ exor$i$acyoun
Thei mad haliwatir & fast #rew aboute.
Thus voyded #ei #ese illusionis & put hem oute.
Thei crouched hem, and fast #e fantasy fled.
The o#ir men #at temptid were before
Begunne to bold & were no more adred,
But wit$ huge voys gunne to crye and rore:
"Awey, $e fendis, and assayleth no more
Goddis puple #at cast to leue in pees."
Thus was #is batayle ended doutlees.
Whann #ei #at were deceyued wit$ #is chaunce
Had #us aspied #e deueles sotiltee,
Thei were more redy in parfit$ sustenaunce
To suffir temptacioun & aspye #is vanytee.
$et sum of hem had aftir no pouste
To perseuere in here innocent lyf,
But to #e world a$en #ei went ful ryf.
And #ou$ #e fend expulsed were fro hem
As for a while, $et cam he sone ageyn.
For #ou$ he swalowid hat$ alle #e strem
Of #e grete se, $et his appetit$, as #ei seyn,
ls not saciate but if #at he may dreyn
The flood of Iordan into his #rote only,
Be whech flgure derk and al mysty
I vndirstand #at, #ou$ #e deuele hat$ wunne
Alle worldly men onto his domynacion,
lt is to litil to his open munne
And not fulflllid is his temptacioun
But if he may wynne with his vexacioun
Religious men whech schuld be more clene.
This is #e vndirstanding herof, I wene.
fol. r Now were receyued into #is holi place
Alle maner puple and of al manere degre;
There was non refused #at called on #is grace.
Aftir #e gospell seith rith soo ded he,
Oure fader Norbert. "Alle #at come to me,"
Seid Crist oure lord, "I schal wel receyue;
No man fro myn handis schal hem weyue."
But amongis alle #ese #e deceyuable spirit$
Took grete heed #at ydiotes summe were.
He knew his vesselis, #erfor he gan hem dit$,
And eke araye hem venym for to bere.
He made hem soo to stody and to lere,
That #ei #at vnnethe coude on book rede
Within a while, wit$outen ony drede,
Now can #ei rede, now can #ei vndirstande
Dyuers materis and derk bokes olde.
They dare now boldly take upon hande
To teche and preche; #ei wex now so bolde,
That notwit$standyng #ei be but of #e folde,
$et dare #ei preche in here prelates presens,
And he $aue to hem ful meke audiens.
On of hem boldly took on hande
Danyeles profecies to expowne & teche.
Of #e ten hornes he gan vndirstande
Wondir doctrine and ful wondir speche.
Here and #ere himselue he gan to seche,
With lesinggis among, as his maistir him tawt;
$et wondir termes to him hat$ he rawt.
Whann all #e bre#erin in chapetre gadered were
Than seid he #ingis hem #out$ ful meruelous.
Oure fadere Norbert onto a eldeman #ere,
Saddest & wisest aftir him of #at hous,
Asked him wheythir it were out perilous
To suffir #is man swech misty #ingis to speke.
The othir man answered wit$ soft wordis & meke:
fol. v Suffir now, maystir, #is #ing for a while.
It schal be wist ful weel and openly
Wheithir it comth fro #e fendis gile
Or elles it comth be reuelacioun fro hy."
Sone aftyr #is man felle seek sodeynly,
He #at #ese profecies #us gan expowne,
And whan he was in bed leyde adowne
Thann sette he his speche al onto #e heuene.
They cam aboute him sum to his counfort,
Of his bre#erin be sex and be seuene,
Summe of hem come for to report
What he wold sey of #at grete sort.
Of himselue he seyde flrst of alle
Grete #ingis & many whech aftir schuld falle.
Of othir felawis he spak meruelously alsoo:
"This man," he seid, "#at stant here be my bed
I say on lede him the hye blis ontoo,
And ther was he with mech ioye ifed.
This o#ir man #at stant here was eke led
To #at same ioye, ful his rithfulnesse.
And #at #ird man is he now, as I gesse,
That God hath ordeyned a bischop to be,
And #at man eke schal gouerne puple fele.
This man schal dwelle and deye in charite;
That man schal falle fro his goostly hele."
Whann he had made al #is long apele,
He turned awey as #ou$ #at he wold $elde
His pore soule oute of #is worldly felde.
He lay stille as deed, #ei sey, euene #e space
Of an houre alle hool, & #an #ei gun rynge
Euenesong belle. He left up his face
And alle his body. He roos withoute helpynge,
Went to #e qweer and sore gan to synge
Rith as #ei dede whech his felawis were.
Ech of hem #at was astoyned with fere
fol. r Scorned hemselue of here illusioun,
Beleuand #e wers al here lyf more
Ony swech troyloure with his ymaginacioun.
$et was #ere anothir felaw leyd in his hore
Into #e holy Apocalipse hard and sore
Summe of hem sayd, "Behold who God aboue
Hat$ visitid us neuly wit$ a touch of loue.
Lete us now lere these new reuelaciones;
Let us stody bysily #at we may knowe
The dragonis laboure and circulaciones,
Who #at he wayteth bysily be rowe."
Othir wisere men #at were #ere, I trowe,
Seyde #ei wold not admitte no new prechoure
Til he was auctorized of Norbert here foundoure.
And cast new witte new slaundir to make.
For euyr is he bysy in his assayle,
In his temptacyoun euyr wil he wake.
He hath a new sotilte now to him take:
Whech schuld most habundauntly in religious habunde.
For #ese same too men hat$ so set astaunce
That ich of hem is bisi othir to kille
Both in here wordes and in here contenaunce.
There is not elles but they wil fulfille
Here desirous appetite, be it neuyr so ille.
So are #ei sette in hertis crueltee,
But #at #ei were lettid of grete charitee
Be bysi awaytyng of here bre#erin aboute.
Wheythir #ei were mad at on aftir #is tyme
Mi book tellet not withouten doute,
Ne I myselue list not for to ryme
Neythir of here vertues ne of here cryme
But if I fond therfore sum auctoryte.
Me #inkith resoun #at it so schuld be.
fol- v his forseid enmye #at is so importune xx
In his awaytyng, and euyr schowith on hepe
Euele upon euele as is his elde custume,
On of #is houshold he gan to his powere repe;
So wood he was #at he gan stert and lepe.
Thei were astoyned because Norbert was oute,
Therfore to put al #ing oute of doute
Thei bonde him fast & schet him in a hous,
Til #ei had councell who #at #ei wil werk.
This iIk spirit was holde so perylous,
There myth no man, vnneth ony clerk,
Avayle a$ens him. So whann it was derk,
And late at eue, #e prioure, as #ei seyn,
With certeyn felawis eythir thre or tweyn,
Is com to #e hous; but er he fully cam #ere,
The deule wit$inne cried al aloude,
With huge voys sore he gan to blere:
"Now schal he come, #e cursed prest & proude.
He schal now entre and sore on me croude,
This daffid fool with his barred cote.
Cursed be he and hanged be #e throte!
Spere #e dore, men, & barre it sore and fast."
Thus cryed #e deuele, whan it was ful derk:
"That grete tre ouyrtwert I wil $e cast,
That he entre not to do here his werk;
For he schal faile ful mekil of his merk,
Thou$ he brynge #e crosse and eke #e belle."
This good man, soothly for to telle,
Was not astoyned, but entred in grete hast,
And to #e deuele he spak rith in #is wise:
"What wordes are #ese #at #ou spekist in wast?"
The deuele answerd to him in #is gise:
"What #ing askest #ou, loke #ou the avise
Wheythir askest #ou now what #ing it is
That I speke, or ellis what he is
fol- 30r That speketh on to #e. Chese #is or #at,
For #is I telle #e now, in wordes fewe:
There is no man #at werith hood or hat
Schal wete eythir of me, I sey bewe.
Not #ou #iselue, dotard, balled schrewe,
Art #ou a maystir? What hast #ou to doo
Wit$ #is man or me? Go #i weye, goo!
Go betymes & loke #at #ou be ware
That I venge me not sodeynly on the
With bittyr woundys & soris newe & bare."
This man hath aspied now #e sotilte,
And knew be toknes #at a wikkid spirit was he.
Wherfore wit$ bold hert & myty deuocyoun
He mad onto him swech exor$acioun:
"I coniure the," he seith, "be #e strong vertu
Of Iesu Criste, Goddis son aboue,
Whech on #e crosse wit$ woundis fresch & new
Ouyrcam #i powere, & fro #e #o gan schoue
His owne childyrn & brout$ hem to his loue.
Be #is powere I bid #e #at #ou not hide
What #ou art, but telle me in #is tide."
The deuel seyde: "Mayst #ou congen me,
Be what vertu fayn wold I now knowe?"
The old man answered, wit$ myty charite:
"This Goddis vessel wold I ful fayn fowe,
But for me schal #ou not bowe so lowe.
For Cristis name I wil #ou do #is dede.
Euery creature to serue him is bownde of nede.
He schal cunge #e #at sumtyme on #e crosse
Ouyrcam #i powere, whech #ou ful falsly
Vsurped to the, & he restored #at losse."
The deuele began to make a sory cry.
Thus he cried ful lowde: "Ey my, ey my!
What schal I do? I must now telle my name.
I am #at deuele, I am rith #at same
Whech dwelt symtyme in #at fayre $ong mayde
At Nyuygelle, whech mayde #o was browt
Before $oure Norbert where he his charmes sayde;
He lessed my powere and set me al at nowt.
If I had powere it schuld ful dere be bowt.
Cursed be #at oure #at $oure Norbert was bore;
He and hise, #ei contrary me euyrmore."
Thus is #is man certified in dede;
It was a deuele #at was wit$in #is man.
Therfore he #out$ that it was grete nede
That he more help & counsell now schuld han
To avoyde #is wikked cursed Sathan.
He calleth #e couent and asketh what is best,
Thei seid alle: "##is deuele hat$ take his nest,
And is so bold he wil not for us owt,
Lesse #ann we fast, pray and do penaunce.
Wherfor to put al #ing oute of dowt,
Lete us now vse #e same ordynaunce
Whech Crist oure lord with holy obseruaunce
Bad his apostoles that thei schuld vse,
And neuyr #is councell for no #ing refuse.
'This spirit,' he seide to hem, 'wil not oute
But with prayere and deuoute fastyng."
This holy couent cast hem for to loute
To Cristis ordynaunce. ##erfor both eld and $ing
Thei take here disciplines, deuoutly praying
That God schal spede hem in #is forseid dede,
And to #e hous anon streith #ei $ede.
They made haliwattir with grete deuocyoun,
A vessel ful ordeyned for that cause.
Alle #e couent went on processioun
Syngyng and seying many a holy clause.
Whan #ei cam #edir #e deuele no lenger wold pause,
But cryed with dene aloude into the sky :
"Arise felawes, aryse and that in hy!
fol. 31r We be more in noumbir #an #ei, it is no dowte.
Lete us laboure and breke #is men as smal
As kyrnelis are with #e turnyng abowte
Of #e mylle, whann thei are ones in fal.
Go to, breke #ese men, on $ow I cal.
Arise, felawes, arise owt of $oure den,
And help #at I were wroken of $on men."
The prioure answerd to #is grete thretyng;
"So schal #ou doo, if #ou haue powere,
And ellis schal #ou not for al #i bostyng
Ones be hardy for to touche us here."
Thoo began #e deuele as wood as fere
The clothis whech he had vpon to rende.
He ferde as #ou$ he wold make an ende
Thus he seid onto that olde chanoun:
"Wenest #ou #i maystirchep ouyr us be dressed?
Wenest #ou oure powere now to put adown?"
A childe stood there with a benetis crown,
And held #e crosse as was #an #e vsage.
The deuele seyde openly with ful wood rage:
For him I leue #at #is child holdith,
Him I drede, he is my tormentoure."
Lo, who #is deuele oure lord God now dredith,
Confessith him as for oure sauyoure.
Fals Iewys despise him in here boure,
And eke so do #ese fals cristen men.
This prioure comaunded his felawis nyne or ten
To lose #e bondes of #is ich caytyf,
And for to bryng him a litil more ny
That #ei may bathe him in #is bath of lif,
In holy water whech stood #ere fast by.
A ful $ong clerk of that cumpany
Sayde to #e prioure: "I dare take on hande
Alle alone with outen help or bande
fol. 31v To brynge him and lede where he schal be,
If $e wil bid me be holy obediens;
For #at schal make me strong inow, parde,
A$ens #e deuele to make resistens."
The prioure considered #e mannis sapiens
And eke his feith. He bad him do his dede;
For his good wil he was worthi mede.
No man halpe him with hand ne wit$ tonge,
But he brout$ him alone lich a childe
##at is led wit$ norce whil he is ful $unge.
This man #at was before tyme so wilde,
Now is he made in maner meke and milde.
The deuele qwook is #is mannes presens,
Whech was so hardy to fulfille obediens.
Now is #e man put rith in the watyr.
Thei seide here orisones and here coniuraciones.
The deuele began to iape and to clatyr;
But #e couent whech was of dyuers nacyoun
With on asent made now here prostracioun,
Wepyng, waylyng, praying wit$ good entent
To Iesu oure lord God omnipotent.
So at #e last aftir many iapis #is fende
On #e tunge of #is man him sette;
Blak and smal was that sory prende,
Lich a letuse seed, #ei sey, was his mette.
He brente eke so sore #at he hette
Alle #e mouth, & made it lich flawmand fere.
The tunge was oute; al men myth se him #ere.
He spak boldly in open audiens:
"Now am 1 here, what wil $e wit$ me now?
There is no man now in #is presens
Schal make me soo onto him bow
To forsake my dwelling, whech is scharp & row."
The prioure answerd: "Euyr hast #ou be
A strong liere, for $et #ou liest, parde.
fol. r Lete no man leue #e, for #ou schal, magre #i heed,
Voyde #is persone, elles we passe not hens.
Alle #e powere vndir my fote  trede.
1 bid the now, here in this presens,
As #ou owist to Criste obediens,
That #ou obeye to me for Iesu name here."
Alle #ei felle down devoutly in here prayere.
Whan #is was seid, with stynk and mekil cry
He voyded #e body and fley to his place
Whereas he for trespas is ful worthi
To dwelle for euyr. God lord of his grace,
To do sum penauns graunt us here sum space,
That #e deuele, whan we schal hens wende,
No powere ouyr us haue at oure ende!
his sa.me ' a y y
Othirwise, he cast him newly to assayle;
for fro #e braunches he goth now to #e stok.
Euene as #e wynde lifteth up a wullock
For very lithnesse, rith soo #ese spiritis flye
Fro place to place, and #at ful hastilye.
Rith soo fro #is place #is same spirith is goo
Streyt to Traiect #ere owre Norbert was.
A certeyn bayli was in #at cuntre thoo,
That had #e charge both of corn and gras,
And of alle a cuntre, both of hye and basse,
Whech longed onto a ful worthi prince #ere.
lnto #is man, as wood as ony bere
This deuele is entred rith for #is entent,
That he #at myth not amoungis #e childirn spede
Of #is ich Norbert, now sewirly hat$ he ment
On #e heed to venge him now in #is dede.
It is his tecch bataile euyr to bede.
Now was it haliday in that same cytee,
Whan #at #is man wit$ a huge menee.
fol. v Is brout to cherch where as Norbert was
Synging his masse with grete deuocyoun.
Alle #e puple, the more and eke #e lasse,
With grete sobirnesse on kne felle adown,
Praying oure fadyr Norbert, alle wit$ o sown,
That he schuld haue reuth on #is same caytyf,
And fro hym #is wikkid spirit$ dryf
The puple gadered sore on ilk a syde
To se #e conflict betwix #ese parties too:
Wheythir #e deuele #at is prince of pride
Schuld haue #e maystry, or ellis he schuld goo
Fro #is same man; #e preste schuld charge him soo.
Euene as he was in vestiment com fro his messe,
Onto his werk Norbert gan him dresse.
Summe #at stood aboute counceled him to spare
His laboure as now tyl anothir day.
Thei seide for very labour he was wery and bare;
Therfor #ei counceled him he schuld make delay.
"Go refresch $ou #is nyth, & tomorow assay,
For #is day is ny ended and idoo."
Oure fadere Norbert turned hem ontoo.
He spak in #is wise: Be #e deueles envye
Deth entred into erde, & #ere et abideth.
Wherfor, if $e wil loke and dewly aspye,
$e schul weel wete his powere $et glideth
ln #e same malice, #ou$ he sumtyme him hideth;
For he may neuyr haue wil of repentaunce.
So malicious was his synful greuaunce.
Lete us lette him #at we may; it is grete nede.
For I sey $ow sewirly #e cause #at he is here
Is for to lette me of my meritory dede.
His entente is, if #at $e wil lere,
The hertis of #e puple wit slaundir to fere.
That #ei schuld not #e word of God receyue,
But fro her hertis lithly it weyue.
fol- 33r Haue $e not herd the wordes of treuth
That on this wise of this Sathan seith
He pulleth awey #e seed, & #at is grete reuth,
Fro #e hertis of hem #at are in oure feith?"
Alle #is auctorite before hem he leith,
And forth to his exorcismes he hastith anoon.
He comaunded #e seke man schuld be leyd on a stoon
Euene be the autere. Tho made he there
New haliwatir with alle #e circumstaunce
That longeth #erto, salt and the othir gere,
Rith aftir #e elde cherches ordynaunce.
Whann he had doo alle #is obseruaunce,
He took salt in his hand a good quantite
And to #is mannys mouth with fyngeris thre
He put alle #is salt. But anoon this goost
Whech was withinne spat into his face
With angry wordes & wit$ ful grete boost:
"God $eue #e," he seith, "a ful euele grace.
Thi councell is now to lede me apace
Onto $on tubbe to my tormentrye,
Onto $on aliwatir. $et schal thow lye,
$et schal #ou faile, for no hurt I fele
Of al #i scorgyng, #i thretis  not drede;
Thi grete bondes greue me not a dele;
To wasch me now sikir it is no nede."
Tho ded he #e wodman a litil fer#er lede
That he schuld not here what here councell was.
Alle #ei consented, #e more and #e lasse,
That he schuld be brout to #is holy funt
And waschid therin a longe while.
The deuele began sore for to grunt;
He cast him to lette hem with a fals gile
Alle #oo men #at dwelt wit$in #at myle.
He slaundred ful cursedly of here synnes olde,
Specialy of swech synnes #at were not tolde
fol. 33v To #e preest be hem in confessioun.
Euery man fled awey for very schame.
The deuele slaundird hem so #orw #e town.
"This man," he seith, "lay be his dame
And #is ilk man for al his good name
Hat$ be a brothell alle #is twenty $ere."
There abode no man his defautes to here,
But for it was eue and come was #e nyth,
Men counseled Norbert to go to his rest
And performe his dede at morow whan it is lith.
He himself #out$ #e counsele was best.
Whan he was set at his smal feest,
There cam folk to him & seide: "Sere, #is man
Whech was late wood, now ful sobirly began
To wayle #e wordes whech #at he seyd ere.
He repenteth him sore for his mysdede,
Praying alle men #at aboute him were
That with a pater noster and eke a crede
Thei schul pray to God he schuld bettir spede."
Thus ferd he al #at nyth & #e next day;
Wherfore with #ankyng men gun to God say:
Gramercy, lord," #ei seide, #at #ou can hele
And smyte alsoo rith as #ou #iselue
Listist, #i fredom on to us now dele.
Euyr mote #ou in oure hertes delue
Thi swete deuocioun #at we may be ten or twelue
Serue #e lord." Thus seyde thei alle.
Now was #at nyth in #at cyte falle
A new distaunce and a cruell debate
Betwix #e cytecTynes, I knowe not #e cause.
But Norbert schortly spared non astate,
Ne for no werinesse lenger wold he pause,
But told hem alle schortly in a clause,
The deuele had broken here vnyte.
In this wise onto pees reformed he #is citee.
fol. r Than com #ere men onto oure fadere ageyn.
They seyde: "Sere, #is man #at was amendid
Is now tormentid wit$ #at spirit$ certeyn
That sekirly, but if #at he be tendid,
Alle $oure laboure in wast as now is spendid."
Norbert seyde: "Suffid as for a while.
I telle $ou treuly #is was #e fendis wile.
For whil he was bisy in #is dissencioun,
Whech was betwix #e men #at dwelle here,
This othir man had no vexacioun,
But fro his torment rested #ann ful clere.
Lete him vexe him a day or too in fere;
For to #is laboure the man is ful worthi.
If $e wil wete the cause I telle $ou whi:
In his office, as many of hem are wone.
Wherfor #e deuele onto oure lord God $ede
As asked leue to doo as he had done,
That is to sey both at morow and none
To vexe his neybouris sumtyme witouten cause.
And now I telle $ou schortly in a clause:
Withinne schort while he schal be cured ful weel."
So was he sewirly, for as oure story seith,
He was thre dayis wit$outen rest or meel.
And #ann oure Norbert, wit$ his deuoute feith,
The holy gospell ouyr #is man now leith,
He is mad hool of maledye for euyr more.
Thus can oure lord recuren euery sore.
ow hath Norbert receuyed auctorite
Of oure fadere #e pope and confirmacioun
Of alle his ordre. ##erfor now is he
Come ageyn onto his mansioun.
Thei telle him now alle here tribulacioun
Whech #ei haue suffiered in his absens,
And he ful faderly counforted here consciens.
fol. v He had made a monastery ere #at he #ens went
At Laudune, in #e subarbes it stant #ei seye.
Pore men were #ei aftir his entent,
Notwithstandyng he made it a abbeye.
It stant ful fayre upon #e grete weye
Whech goth to town. ##ere planted he swech braunches
That #orw #e world $et his plantyng launches.
The trees he sette Pere swech frute #oo forth browt,
That $et it lestith, and euyr mote it lest.
O noble frute Pou may not to dere be bowt;
For of alle frutes me #inkith #ou are best!
Owt of #e tree of lif #ou took #i nest.
Euyr mote #ou sprede in sweche schadowid space
That #ou mote lede us to the welle of grace!
Oure fadire Norbert made #ere eke fast by
Anothir cherch; #ei calle it Viuariense.
There made he an abbotte to kepe ful streytly
The holy religioun with grete prouydense.
He bad he schuld neuyr with hem dispense,
But thei were seek. ##anne suffered he
That #ei schuld menge here rigoure with charite.
But $et #is fende whech had to hem envye,
He folowid euyr in what weye he went.
He pursewid eke vpon his cumpanye
At here entering, whann #ei to Vyuary were sent,
As scripture seith: Assur with hem euyr went.
This is to seye, whidir #at goodmen goo
The wikkid spiritis folow hem euyrmoo.
For as I seide, #is same wikkid spirith
Entred in on of that same cumpanye,
Whech man neythir be day ne nyth
Mith haue no rest but euyr began to crye.
And who he caute this wikkid maledye
I wil $ou telle now in wordes fewe.
This same man was go owte to hewe
fol. r Into #e feld or elles to swech maner werk
As plowmen vse. And what with grete hete
Of his laboure for he stood in his serk
What for #e sunne sore he gan to swete
And for he thristid his lippis for to wete,
He ran to a welle #at stood #ere beside
Tyme of #e day was euene #e nontyde.
The welle was clere, wide & eke ful cold.
Whan he cam thedir his heed wit$ grete hast
He put in #ertoo. He loked and gan behold
A wondir schadow, derk of schap, alle wast.
He sey therin #an durst he no #ing tast
For very fere, but gan to renne and fle.
Euene in his weye a wondir persone met he,
"Whos man art #ou? What dost #ou here?"
Anon #is man #out$ #is person grym;
He durst not #erfore $eue him no answere,
But fel down wood sodeynly anon rit$ #ere.
Thus seith #e story: #e deuel had in him place;
Anon he gan to rende himselue and race.
Othir men #at stered there aboute
Fownde #is man himselue #us rendyng.
They felle upon him #ere a ful grete route.
And of oure tale to make a schort endyng,
Thei led him to towne rith in #e euenyng.
Thei brout$ him to Norbert, to loke what he wil seye.
Anoon as he sette upon hym eye:
"Beholdet$," he seith, "oure enmye, #e cursed feend,
Who he is bysy euyr to slaundir oure name.
For in euery place where #at we schuld wende,
Before us he is euyr, haue he blame!
Alle #is doth he to appeyre owre fame,
That men schuld wene #is ilk vexacioun
Schuld folow euyr owre predicacyoun.
fol. v But oure lord God schal $eue us swech speed,
He schal not availe wit$ alle his #ousand snaris."
Tho gan he conioure #e spirith as it was need,
That he schuld leue al his bysy fares
And fille #is man no lenger wit$ swech cares.
He prayed oure lady deuoutly eke on his kne,
Of whom #e cherch was, #at for pe grete pite
Whech grew in hire whann hir son ded blede,
Sche schuld haue mercy & graunt bis man grace.
At #is wood man, specialy at his face.
He loked al sobir & gan no lengere race
With his handis as he had doo ere.
Thei felle on kne & #ankid God rith there.
For blessed be God #at #is ilk Sathan
Hath now no lengere powere to deuoure."
But oure Norbert, whech had a goostly sauoure
In such knowyng more #an #e puple had,
Spak onto hem a$en wit$ wordes sad.
But specialy, whan he had felt #e grete stynk
Whech went oute at #e mannes nose,
He bad #ei schuld not on #at maner #ink:
"He is not goo $it, 1 wil $ou not glose.
The deuele doth #us for #is cause, I suppose,
He resteth awhile, #at we foles schuld wene
That he were go, but #e reuers schal be sene."
Euene as he seid, soo it felle in dede;
For in his absens #e man was vexed newe,
And so tormentid #at of very nede
With bondis grete, myty, many & trewe
Thei haue him bownde: his ioyntis are al blewe.
Thus lay he stille alle #at long nyth.
The next day, whan comen was Pe lith,
fol. r Norbert is goo to expulse #is fende,
He goth to cherch & seith his messe betyme.
Aftyr his messe streith ded he sende
For #is man, & ere #at it was pryme
He holid him both fro langour & fro cryme.
God be euyr #ankid in his seyntis alle,
And on here helpyng mote we calle!
nothir #ing #ere is #at we schul not forete,
r.That fel at Premonstrate in here owne place.
So on a nyth it happed him to pace
The tyme whech depute was to exhortacioun,
For he weryed not of swech occupacioun.
Thei sette so longe #at it was ferre in #e nyth
Summe of hem eke thristid wondir sore.
He comaunded hem to take with hem lith;
And, for #ei had of othir drynk no store,
To a pitte wit$outen ony more,
Whech stood beside, he bad #ei schuld goo
And fette hem watir to slake here #rist soo.
Thei came a$en whan here pot was ful,
But or #ei entred here maistir lowde gan crye:
"What haue $e doon, iwis, be ful dul.
That watir #at $e brynge, telle $ou treulye,
lt is not clene. What nede me to lye?"
Thei seide alle #ei waschid it or #ei went;
There was no clennere vessell hens to Kent.
"We took #e watyr eke with good avyis.
What nedith $ou to sey it is not clene?
In $on watir are neythir rattis ne myis,
Ne no venym for soth, as we wene."
Thus seide #ese messageris #an al bedene.
"Weel, pore owte," seith he, "in a cup and look."
On of hem a fayre white cup forth took,
fol. v He pored in watyr, he sey therin rith nowt.
The goodman cryed: "Cast #at watyr awey! "
Thei were ful loth for to offende him owt.
Wherfor, as men #at mut nedys obey,
Owte at #e dore forth rith in the cley
They threw #e watir and fllt ano#ir ageyn.
$et eftsones: "##rowe it owt," he gan seyn,
"Lete no man drynk of #is watyr as now!
I forbede $ou, for perel #at may falle.
For if $e drynk boldly, I tell it $ow
That #ere is noon here of $ou alle
But he schal repent or he passe #is halle."
And $et eftsones he bad hem fille #e cup
The potte was tome & in #e liftyng up
Into #e cuppe. Sum come nyhere with lith;
Thei stert abak than for very drede,
So were #ei agast whann #ei sey #is sith.
The wondyr was grete, & gretter, I $ou hith,
Than men be ware, for it was wynter tyde;
Whech tyme #is vermyn are wont hem to hide.
They were astoyned, alle #at stood aboute,
Of #is merveyle, who #at it myth bee.
Norbert seyde: "Take and #rowe him oute;
It is oure enmye #at werkith #is sotilte.
His fraude is more #an his strength, leue me.
A thousand craftis hath he us to deceuyue,
But fro his snaris oure good lord schal us weyue."
xxiiii
Walked aboute in the fayre swete dewe.
As #ei walked #ei founde there a schrewe,
A wolf #ei founde whech had caute his pray,
A litil goot, and gan to bere it away
fol- r For to deuoure him, rith soo is his kynde.
Thei stert onto him & caute awey #e beest.
On of hem, #e mytiest, at his bak behynde,
Threw #is goot; he #out$ to haue a feest
Whan he cam hom; oside he gan him wreest,
In a pryvy cornere he hing him be #e feet.
There was he droppyng in his blood al weet.
The wolf folowid #e steppis of #e blood.
He #out$ he had wrong #at he schuld so lese
Swech pray as he had caute to his food.
He stood at #e $ate; he myth not chese.
With his feet he gan clawe and brese
The erde vndir #e $ate, as he wold com in.
Thei of #e hous herd a maner dyn,
Thei loked oute #ann and sey #e beest.
Thei cryed owt upon him #at he schuld fle,
But he lay stille and kept his areest.
As a tame dogge doth, rith soo ded he.
They ronne to here maystir too or thre
And teld him #e caas what was befalle.
Anoon he bad #ei schuld be called alle.
They #at were gilty and had do #e dede,
Thei confessed hemselue who #ei had doo,
And who #at #ei onto #e feldis $ede,
Founde hem medelyng #ese same bestis too,
And who #ei took #e litil goot him froo.
"Ow," seith oure Norbert, "#e beest is ful trewe;
for $e ded him wrong, he wold not ellis $ou sewe."
Thei asked mercy for that litil trespas,
As #ou pei had doo a grete synne;
Swech was Pe vsage of #at ilk plas.
Norbert bad hem: "Fet #e carkeys inne,
Bere it to #e wolf, #e more and #e mynne,
The body, be skyn lete him haue alle.
We wil not pat anothir tyme he pleyne schalle
fol. v That Norbert his meny toke awey his mete;
Thus schuld we be noted of extorcyoun.
Take him #at is his euene in the strete,
Make not of #ese to no dyuorcyoun.
Whan #is wolf had thus his porcyoun
He went streyt to wood; #ei sei him no more.
Thei herd him no lenger neydir berk ne rore.
Anothir of here bre#erin eke kept scheep in pe feld,
And anopir mannis schepperd asked him pis:
"lf ony beest come now. #ou hast no spere ne scheld.
What wold pou doo pan, so haue pou blys,
lf #at #ou sey a wolf or ony of his
Take ony of #i scheep and bere it awey?"
This ilk innocent to him Poo gan sey:
That he schuld ley down my scheep ageyn.
Me thinkith but he obeyed he were to blame."
Than aftir #is not longe, soth for to seyn,
This ich questioun was not spent in veyn,
But fulfillid in dede; for oute of #e wood
Cam a grete wolf rennyng, as he were wood.
He cawt a scheep in his mouth & went
Forth to wood ageyn in ful grete haast.
He #at kept hem thout$ #at he brent.
So grete care had he for #at ilk waast.
Lowde he gan crye with a grete gaast:
"Whedir gost #ou, beest, whedir wilt #ou goo?
Ley down that scheep, and do it now no woo!
In my maystiris name,  bid #e ley it down.
That #ing #at #ow beres, parde. it is not #in.
Do it no harme neythir in throte ne crown,
For if #ou do it, it wil turne the to pyin.
Ley dow(n) #at scheep, I sey, for it is myn.
Mi maystir took it me this same day to kepe."
The wolf wit$oute more leyd down #e schepe.
fol-  Anothir of hem was eke sent to kepe
The flook of scheep, & for he myth not weel,
Thei were so many, reule alle his schepe,
A ful long tyme, or it was vnderne seel,
There cam a wolf and at his feet gan kneel.
He ran aboute and kept #e scheep alday.
A soleyn kepere for scheep and eke a gay!
Thus lay he stille, #e wolf rith be #e flok.
There durst no scheep al #at day so long
Go fro his felawis for perel of a knok.
Thus kepte he hem, $et slept he among.
Whan euene was come, & silens bell rong,
These to keperis brout$ hom here scheep,
Ful sadly and sobirly; non of hem leep.
Whan alle were in dryuyn at the gate,
The $ate was sperd and #e wolf wit$oute.
With his feet knokked he sore #ereate,
As #ou$ he wold entre wit$outen doute,
He #out$ grete wrong #at had go aboute
Al #at long day, & had not for his trauayle
Neithir mete ne hire to turne him to avayle.
Oure Norbert herd ful weel #at knokkyng.
"Lete in #at man," he seith, "#ere is a gest."
Thei runne to #e ate both of elde and $yng,
Many of hem, and fond #e wolf #ere rest.
Thei cried upon him to fese him fro his nest,
But he nolde fle for no voys ne cry,
But be the ate ful stille gan he ly.
Norbert sey #is and asked his bre#erin alle
What #is myth be. Thei were alle in dowte.
Anon he ded #at othir brothir calle,
Whech here scheep at morow had led owte.
Whan he cam in, ful lowe gan he lowte;
"Wil $e wite," he seith, "whi this wolf is here?
He did #is day that he ded neuyr ere.
fol.  Whann  was wery for very laboure & feynt,
He cam to help me and, treuly as  wene,
1 schal no lesyng before $oure persone peynt.
I sey no dog ne man #ese $eris fiftene
Kepe his scheep togidir alle bedene
As ded #is wolf. He halp to dryue hem hom,
And neuyr sith from us wold he gon."
"Now," seith Norbert, " knowe his menyng.
There was no man wold qwite him his labour.
Wherfor rithfully math he tarying
To receyue of us now sum socoure.
Throwe him mete, lete him no lenger soioure."
Thei threw him mete, he caut it & went awey.
Anothir tyme #e same wolf, as #ei sey,
Ded na harm but took breed of his hand.
O myty God #at al #ing hast at weld,
Who #ou makest merveyles in oure land;
These wilde beestis obeyin onto #e band
Of holy obediens, and man is #erto rebelle.
Ful weel can scripture of swech vnbuxumnesse telle:
That #ei #at wil not obeye to goddis lawe
Alle #ing schal to hem euyr onbuxum be.
And specialy whann here soules are drawe
Owt of here body, and wit$ deueles too or thre
Be broute before the grete mageste
Of oure lord God, alle creatures #an schul fih
A$en swech men as it is ful rith!
ith many craftis, as we seide before, xxv
VV Were #ei assayed #at dwelt #oo in #at place.
The wikkid spirit wil euyrmore perse and bore,
With sundry assayes and with sundry cace,
To loke who he may renden men and race,
And brynge hem oute of #e trew rith weye,
That in his snaris he myth hem bynde & teye.
fol.  He was so bysi in his temptacyoun.
With orible sitys hem to fere and fese,
There durst no man to no occupacyoun
Go oute o nyte to do himselue no ese,
So besy was he to brynge hem in dishese.
O sleythi Sathan, thi whilis schal not availe
Ouyr #oo men #at here synnes cun wayle!
Of special fesyng $e may here, if $e list.
There was a man myth neuyr go alone
Into no place but anoon a mist
Schuld be afore him & many of his fone.
At #e last he happed into #e $erd to gone
Late at eue to voyde swech neccessarye
As we wit$ diligens into oure bely carye.
Whech was ful bysi in his armes to brace
This ich man, and he astoyned wasse.
lt semed onto him a body al of brasse.
And rolled his mynde if his feith were stronge.
He caute il counfort newly in his fey.
For be #is deuele he gan do set no store.
The man ran lithly as doth a wilde bore,
Whech was ivexed with swech a temptacioun.
He sat in swech a hous & #e deuele eke
Euene a$ens owris moo than thre.
He durst neythir stere no ones speke,
So aferd of this sith was he.
At #e last he #out$ : "##is is but frelete;
If I durst rise, I trowe he wold goo."
With #at ich thout$ he crouched him #oo
The deuele stood in #e dore, as he thout$.
Whan he with grete feith to #e dore cam,
He groped fast, but he fonde nout$.
Neuyr aftir #at day he of swech #ing rout$.
Alle a mateyns tyme #ei se he was #ere,
Wrestyng and wrastillyng in swech maner fere.
 Sey swech illusioun whan his childirn smale
Were vexed wit$ #e same. ##erfor now I schalle
Telle $ou of him a ful wondyr tale.
He waked ny al #e nyth; #at mad him ful pale.
He had swech desire to wake and to pray,
So it happed on a festful day.
He had be occupied in seruyse and #e full,
With singing and preching, as was his vsage.
$et whan nyth cam, #ou$ his spiritis were dull,
Lef he alle mirthes, he held hem but dotage.
He went into cherch wit$ ful sad visage,
Set him on his kne, wit$outen ony lith;
For his purpos was to dwelle #ere al nyth.
He say #e deuele, standyng lich a bere.
With his teth he made a wondyr crak.
He streyned his clawis as #ou$ he wold tere
And rende in peces alle #at stood there.
The man was fesed of that grisely sith,
Specialy alone and also in #e derk nyth.
What schuld he do he nyst not weel for fere.
He loked forth and sey the dore was sperd.
With his fyngeris he crouched him rith there.
He avised him weel #at he was sum deel lerd
Of swech fantasies #at he schuld not be ferd.
With myty voys al lowde be gan to crye:
"Thi wittis avayle not, Sathan, #ou$ #ei be slye.
What abides #ou, what wilt #ou, cruel beest?
Thi hokes, #i teeth haue now no powere
To sette on me no daungere ne areest.
It is but vanyte #at #ou schewis me here.
Thi rolled skyn, whech is no #ing clere,
Is but fantasie as #ou$ it were a rynde.
Thi fyry throte I counte it but a wynde.
Alle these vanytees whech #ou schewis to men,
Alle are #ei fals; schadowis be thei alle.
Go #i wey! Ful weel #is mech I ken,
Ful weel knowe I #at #ei schal sone falle,
Whann Goddis mercy wil schyne upon us alle,
Or elles whan we calle onto his gras.
Allas, #ou Sathan, weel may #ou seye allas.'
Thou #at were #e merke of God aboue;
Thou #at were swech an aungell bryth!
And for #ou fleddist fro #at goodly loue
Whech #ou had, #e loue of God almyth,
Now art #ou dampned sekirly, as it is rith,
To dwelle in #erknesse, as #ou apperist here.
Awey #ou Sathan, awey #ou raggid brere!
fol.  Thou dampned brond #at art euyr brent in helle,
Betwix lith & derknesse is no comparisoun;
Falshed with treuth may not iustly melle.
Go #i wey, and ley thi boost adown.
Thou may not noye neythir in feld ne town
But #ou be suffirid be oure lord aboue.
Thi crafty skole here it may not proue."
Thus voyded #is fend oute of his presens,
He myth not bere #e wordis to him sayde.
Falsheed to treuth may make no resistens
No longe tyme; treuth may be affirayed,
But it schal neuyr be so fully alayed
With no falshed #at he schal fle his ground.
In Goddis seruyse euyr his loueris be found.
That fel to him whan that he was chose
To be a bisschop and for to bere #at cure.
$e wil like it ful weel, as I suppose.
A wondir #ing it is who God can dispose
To worchep a man, #at semeth ful onlikly
As to oure doom, and eke ful onweldy.
There was a erle at #at tyme in Fraunce,
He hith Theobald, whech had a mariage
Procured be Norbert to his grete avaunce.
The day was set, as #ann was the vsage,
Where #ei schuld mete with ful grete costage
At a cyte, I not what is the name,
Ne #ou$ I knowe not, I am not mech to blame,
Thus lefte he hem and forth to a cyte he is goo.
Epyre it is called; it stood rith in his weye.
There fonde he #e Saxones & with hem many moo
Before Lothary #e emperoure, soth for to seye.
The clerkis of Parthenopole, not on ne tweye,
But a grete noumbyr eke fonde he there,
Rith for #is cause: before #e emperour #ei were
To chese a bisschop, for here elde was ded.
There was a cardinale eke come fro Rome.
Many causes gunne #ei bete and tred,
But #e first of alle & why #ei #idir come
Was for to chese, aftir #e elde custome,
A holy man whech myth gouerne #at plas.
President of #is eleccioun a holy bisschop was;
Thei called him Albon, bisschop of Metense.
Before his presens #ese clerkes named thre
Of whech Norbert of Goddis presciense
Onknowyng him, onknowyng his mene,
Was chose for on. ##is bisschop, #at was so fre,
Made a tokne to #e cheseris ful pryuyly
That #ei schuld chese #is Norbert solemply,
fol. 42r What for #e auctorite of #is worthi man,
What for #e goodnesse and #e hye fame
Of #is ilk Norbert -- for no man reporte can
Of him ne of his ony spot of blame --
Therfor, as 1 seide, for his good name
These clerkis stert to him & leyd on him hand.
For it happed Norbert that tyme to stand
Amongis othir folk to se #e chaunce.
Thus seide #e clerkis alle #at cheseris were:
"This is oure wil, #is is oure ordinaunce,
That oure fadere Norbert, whech standith here,
Schal take upon him rith at oure prayere
To be oure bisschop and gouerne us alle.
Or #is day seuenyth we wil him stalle
At oure owne cost, for he is but pore.
He pleseth us #e bettir, we telle $ou treuly.
We wil not lich othir men oure bisschopis rore."
This ich Norbert stood ful sobirly.
He had no tyme to pleyne him ne to cry,
Ne make non excuse, but to Lothary #e kyng
Was he led forth with outen tariing.
Whan #e kyng herd #at Norbert was chose,
He comendid heyly #e cheseris alle.
He seide sewirly #ei coude weel dispose
For here owne cherch; #ei had weel ifalle
lnto #is vnite swech a man to calle
That dred God and was of good lyf
His conuersacioun was iknowe ful ryf.
Wherfore to #e legate was he led anon;
There was he confermed with outen ony more.
Thei went with him #e cheseris euerychon;
Thei sungyn and cryed ful lowde and sore.
Te deum laudamus, as is the lore
And eke #e custom of euery eleccioun,
Was sunge #ere in his institucyoun.
fol- 42v Thus in #e myddis of a froward nacyoun
Was #is man sette to proue his paciens.
To no ese of himselue but to vexacyoun
Toke he #at lordchep and that residens;
To swech chaunce as God sent he $aue obediens.
For #e puple he dwelt among of very propirtee
Are hard of beleue and sturdy, leue me.
Sclaues and Saxones are #ei called be name;
The on of hem is named ful of scharpnesse,
The othir hath a vocable of heuy fame.
For Saxone betokneth #e grete hardnesse
That is in a ston. Here hertis, as I gesse,
Were ful hard to goodnesse to brynge.
The othir meny, the Sclauys, in expownyng
Meneth as mech as scharpnesse of a nayl.
Thus leuyth he #e eesy lyf of contemplacyoun,
And to actyf lyf he turnyth his sayl.
He hath now left the swete occupacyoun
Of Racheles scole & of all hire nacyoun.
He may not chese: Lya must be plesed,
Because #at with childir sche is so icesed.
He had cast him first in his conuercyoun
For to go to #e he#en, #e feith hem to preche.
And for he lefte #is heuenly disposicioun.
Therfor oure lord God wold he schuld teche
To #is sturdy nacioun to loke if he myth reche
To bryng hem to #e $ok of holy buxumnesse;
This was his occupacyoun euyr, as 1 gesse.
hech tyme he was confermed, thei hem led xxviii
Whech tyme he was confermed , thei hem led
Hom to his cite where he schuld be stalled.
Euery man was steryng, #ere was no man in bed;
The day of his entre #ei nede not to be called.
Whan he cam #edir it semt he was walled
Alle with men in euery side, so #ik #ei went #ere,
fol. 43r The grete of #e cuntre were glad for #is cause,
For #ei had a man whech was of grete name,
The smale men were mery, schortly in a clause,
And of this eleccion made ful grete game,
Because #e pore men #at were blynd & lame
Schuld be refreschid be #is mannis comyng.
For it was reported he loued swech #ing
Barfote went he in a ful pore wede,
A mantyl had he ouyrest white & #reedbare
Amongis alle #e puple ful lowly he $ede;
He took no more upon him #an #ou$ he ware
On of #e lowhest #at went among hem #are.
Thei entred into #e cyte & forth to #e paleys;
At #e grete $ate stood porteris with baleys
Whech knew not here lord, he was so pore.
On of hem stert to him & #us he seyd #an:
"Beggeris inowe are in at this dore.
Therfor go bak, withdrawe #e, good man.
Thou schewist ful weel #at litil good #ou can,
Make space for my lord, he comth rit$ anoon.
But #ou go rummere. I swere be Seynt lon
I schal make #e goo." The puple cryed lowde:
"What dost #ou, losell, wotest not what he is?
That same man, #ou$ pore be his schrowde,
He is #e bisschop of this see iwis."
The porter was aferd whann he herd #is,
He fled ful fast and wold a go awey,
But Norbert ded him calle & #us to him gan sey:
Be not aferd, myn owne brothire dere,
Ne fle not for my sake, what euyr #ou sayde,
For I sey the treuly, #ere is no man here
Hey ne lowe, woman ne no mayde,
##ou$ #ei avisement in here langage layde,
Coude a gessed #e treuth so weel as ded #ou.
Thyn eyne be more clere, 1 telle the rit now,
fol. 43v That callest me a begger #an her eyne were
That chose me to worchep or to degree.
Hide not thiselue, ne fle not for fere.
Trost me sikirly, #ou hast thank of me.
So art #ou worthi, #ou flaterist not, parde."
O noble meknesse #at hast mad #i nest
ln Norbertis herte and #ere hast #i rest!
Euyr art #ou stabil in #at same place,
And euyr wilt #ou dwelle to his lyuys ende.
Thus was #is man stuffid al with grace;
Thus began he in his exaltacioun to bende
His lyf al to mekenesse. Crist mot us sende
Euyr swech condiciones to rest in oure breest
Whech were ifounde in this noble preest.
He had mende of #e apostle #at seith on #is wise:
To a bisschop, he seith, is gret perfeccyoun
Ouyr his owne hous to be a iustise;
That he sette #e gouernaunce in swech asise,
So #at it plese God aboue alle #ing,
And to his neybouris it be a fortheryng.
Thoo called he #e officeres #at longed to his hous
To wite what expens #ertoo were dew.
To here her acounte was he desirous,
Because Pat #is lordchep to him was new.
His officeres com, alle #at were ful trew;
Thei $oue #er acounte of #e receytis alle,
But whan #ei had doo to serue his halle,
Thei myth not suffise for half a $ere,
Alle #e rentis & profitis #at longid to him.
Thoo seide he anoon to a grete officere
That stood beside, a sere he was ful grym:
"This ich acounte is to me ful dym.
Was #is cherch neuyr bettir in his expense?"
This othir man, whech had long experiense
fol. 45r Off alle #ese rentis, answerd in #is wise:
"lt was sumtyme endewid ful weel
And ful plenteuously in al maner asise;
That is to seye both in clothing and meel,
But now is it wasted ny euery deel.
For summe #at were bisschopis here in #is place,
Thei $oue awey #e londes with sory grace
To here bretherin & nevys, rith as hem lest.
Whech possessiones are kept now ful strong,
And #oo are not #e werst but rather #e best.
It schuld be ful hard to redresse #is wrong,
Grete cause whifor #ei haue had hem long.
The men be grete eke #at hem now holde,
Stuffid with lenage, of corage ful bolde."
And is it thus," seide #is noble prelate,
"It must be redressed in al goodly hast.
I wil not in this matere drede non astate,
For swech maner dreed comth not fro #e gast
Whech enspirith al #ing with his swete tast.
1 wil," he seith, "send oute in al hasty wyse
To euery man #at they may hem avyse.
Thei falle not in #at sentens whech I wil proclame!
That whosoeuyr hath ony possessioun
Longyng to my cherch in Goddis name
I wil now charge hem, and on my benysoun,
That #ei resyne hem withouten condicioun,
And lete #e cherch haue his rith ageyn."
His messageris are sent, soth for to seyn,
Thorwoute #e diosise and proclamed #is #ing.
Thei #at were gilty grucchid ful sore;
Thei #at were clere seid it was a good beginnyng.
Thei sette be his maundment ful grete store;
The othir part seide he had leyd his ore
Ferther in the watyr #ann he myth rowe.
But neuyr#elasse whan #ei gunne knowe
fol. 45v The lif of #is man #ei were sumwhat aferd.
Thei were brideled be reson but $et wold not #ei
Want here possession neythir feld ne $erd,
Pasture ne graunge, corn, chaf ne hey.
Than was he compelled upon hem to ley
The bittir swerd of curs with auctorite.
Than were thei aferd, be too and be thre,
He is oute of the lawe, as #e cyuyle seith,
Ne in no corte schal he plete ne apere.
This grete perel before hem he leith.
Eke in as mech as #ei were of oure feith,
Thei thout$ grete synne here fadir to offiende,
Wherfor #ei sent to him #at #ei wold amende
Alle her defautes, & eke restore him his good.
Who is glad but he, for now are #ei frendis
As on his side. But here bittir mood
Is not staunched, fro slaundir #ei sey #at he schendis
Alle gentilmen aboute him, for fro hem he rendis
Here temperal lyuyng; in euele tyme cam he #ere. 3065
Thus gunne #ei his name aboute #e cuntre bere.
But #e man had take so sikir & pleyn a weye
Of treuth & rithwisnesse #at it avaylith nowt
Alle #e langage #at #ei can clater and seye.
For he was clene #e lesse #erof he rowt.
There was no cherch ne parsch but it was sowt
And visitid both be him and his officeris,
And alle to amending & norching of good maneris.
The prestis stered here puple for to teche
Who #ei schuld leue onto Goddis plesaunce.
To religious men he was a very leche;
He made here houses with ful grete puruyaunce.
And ouyr mysdoeris he set swech gouernaunce,
That #ei were punchid hardily at #e fulle;
Thei were not excused be lettir ne be no bulle.
fol. 44r Officiales and denes #at had gouernaunce
Ouyr #e puple he charged in Cristis name,
That #ei schuld punch alle #e myschaunce
Whech regned in presthood, specialy #at defame
Of onclene lecchery whech defouled here name.
He seide #er schuld no preste lyue about him
But he were chaast, loked he neuyr so grym.
The vicious men took this ful heuyly;
Othir were wroth eke; he took here good hem froo
Whech Pei fro #e cherch had occupied wrongfully.
This was #e cause #at #ei and many moo
Spoke of him euele. ##ei seide mech care & woo
Was com to #e cuntre sith that comelyng
Was #us entred for to be here kyng.
But he kept his constaunce at alle tyme,
He wold not chaunge neythir for euele ne good,
For seide #ei weel or seyde ony cryme,
Were #ei sobre or ellis wer #ei wood,
He chaunged neuyr his gouernaunce ne his mood.
fore Pe paleys, not fro it but litil space, xxix
 There stood a cherch onto oure lady dedicate.
Thedir made he ful ofte tyme his pace,
Whech tyme #at he list to be desolate.
He was #ar sumtyme ful erly and ful late
ln his contemplacioun, in prayere al alone,
Betwix God and him makyng his mone.
ln this same cherch of chanones seculere
Was #an a college of twenty persones & no moo. 31 10
Thei kept here obseruaunce in cloystir & in qwere
Mech #e bettir Pat he cam too and froo
So often as he ded. But he desired #oo,
Because it was ny him, his bre#erin schuld be #ere.
He seide he himself wold al #e costes bere
fol. 44v Both to the pope and eke onto #e kyng.
He profered hem eke a bettir place #an #at.
This peticioun was not to here lykyng,
For #e chanonis of #e gret cherch seid him ful plat,
There schuld no man wit$ hood ne wit$ hat
Take awey fro hem here possessioun;
For if he ded he schuld haue #e malysoun
Of Iesu Criste and owre fader the pope
Whech had confermed it be many a bulle.
Thus was oure Norbert frustrate of his hope;
But $et at the last his hert gan he up pulle,
And took vpon him auctorite at #e fulle,
That sith he was hed and souereyn of hem alle,
Nedys to his entent #ey must bowe and falle,
3130
At #e last thei consented to his entent;
To his obediens mekely gun #ei bende.
So are #ese twenty chanones to ano#ir place sent
Forth with alle here cariage gladly #ei went
Because #e place #ei go to is more solacious,
More plenteuous of mete, & more spacious.
His bre#erin are entred eke to here possessioun.
He loued #ei schul not fer fro him dwelle.
He was #ere with hem in ful grete deuocyoun,
Both day and nyth, schortly to telle.
He loued ful euel wit$ worldly #ing to melle,
But #at he must nede of very offise.
Religioun, he seide, was very paradise.
he noumbre of his bre#erin grew fast and sore xxx
Both in Sueue and Saxone cuntres ful wyde.
In Sueue had neuyr be no religioun before;
In Saxone had #ere be, but it gan sore slyde.
Here meknesse was distroyid wit$ sory pryde
Whech #ei had caute of possessioun temporal;
For of euery religioun plente is the fal.
fol. 46r The cuntre al aboute gan grucch sore & seye:
"These ich newe comelyngis wil us ouyrgrowe."
Vpon Norbert eke euele langage #ei leye.
Thei seid he was com thidir here cuntre for to sowe
Thus woluys #e scheep gun hurt both & bith.
But #ese good men were endewid with #e lith
Of very innocens whech hem defended.
But for alle here clennesse bityn thei were,
With ful bittir tungis whech were neuyr amendid,
But labbyng and roryng as doth ony bere.
For #ei #at dwelt wit$ him in houshold rith #ere
Vndir his sidis, his sidis ful sore bytyn
Ful pryuyly with malice, & if $e wil wytyn
Euene as #e sautere seith of #e wikkid tungis:
Nedderis venym is vndir swech tungis alle,
For thei laboure to destroye #e lungis
That are in a man & his entrayles alle.
Very serpentis me thinkith #at I may hem calle.
The seide of #is man #e kyngdames he schuld lese
Both of Saxon and Sueue, Teutonie and Frese.
They seyd fals #erof, for he cam hem to lede
To #e kyngdam of heuene to #at blissid lif
Thus are schrewis wont to qwite a man his mede
Whan a man is bysy and eke inquysityf
Alle vicious lyuyng fro hem for to dryf!
But of special persecucioun wil we now telle,
Whech #at to Norbert at #at tyme felle.
The holy tyme is come in whech nien are clene,
Lenten I calle it, when men of here synne
Go onto cherch as #ei are taute bedene
To #rowe awey #e filth whe(ch) #ei are inne.
Norbert for he loued soules to wynne
Sat al #at tyme ful besily in his place
To reconcile men fro synne onto grace.
fol. 46v The Lent went fast; Maunde ##ursday is come,
Whann of that sacrament a commemoracioun
We maken ful deuly as is the custome,
Nowt only we, but euery cristen nacyoun,
For #ann is tyme to make purificacyoun
Of alle here synnes #ei #at Cristen be.
Alle #is holy tyme ful dewly sat he,
This same Norbert, bysy to reconcyle
Synful soulis and brynge to charite.
Thei cam onto him fer fro many a myle;
But among othir at #e dore where he
Sat and schroof, with ful grete sotilte
There cam a man in a mantell al ihid
Whech with alle #at euyr he myth preye or bid
Anon #e portere to his maystyr #is told:
"There is a man withoute, sere, Pat of his syn,
If $e wold schryue him he seith he were behold
Onto $ow whil #at his lyf myth hold."
"Lete him stande," seith Norbert, "stille withowte."
So stood he stille til alle #at were abowte
Were serued and igo, but euyr he presed fast
To entre to #is hous; but euene anoon,
As Norbert sey him, he seid to him in hast:
"Stand stille #ere #ou standist in name of Seint loon.
Come me no nyhere, meue not #i toon!"
The seruauntis come in, & he bad #ei schuld take
This ich man & owt of his clothis him schake.
Whann #at his mantell was itake awey
Thann sey #ei a knyf whech hing be his side,
Ful scharp igrownde: what nedit$ more to sey?
It was ordeyned to make woundis wyde;
Malice had made him a ful special gyde,
To bringe in veniaunce, but oure blessed Iesu
Wold not suffir his seruaunt #at was so trew
fol. 47r To falle in perell ne in no myschaunce.
But whann #is man was caut #us openly
In his treson he list no thing to daunce,
But was sore aferd. ##oo #ei asked him why
That he cam in with wepun #us priuyly.
He teld hem pleynly in ful schort manere
That certeyn men, both prestis & seculere,
Had hered him #at tyme to #is entent,
That he schuld sle #e bisschop in #is manere.
They freyned & he told hem or he went
What maner men & who many #at #ere were
Whech him counceled #is treson for to rere.
Whann it was wist, grete merueyle alle #ei hadde
That men #at were of wittis wondir sadde
And eke of councell wit$ #e bisschop #anne
Schuld be so wikkid for to #ink or doo
Swech a tresoun. Euery man gan banne;
But oure Norbert is not gouerned soo.
With mery chere and wordis according Pertoo,
Thus seyde he #ann to hem #at stood beside:
"Wondir not mech #ou$ now at #is tyde
Owre cruell enmies haue entised #is man
To do this dede; for #is is #at same day
As #e gospell ful nobilly witnesse can,
In whech #e lewis, wit$ ful grete aray,
Sowt oure lord to bryng him to abay.
Weel were he alowid #at in ony houre
Of this day with myscheef or laboure
Mith suffre deth. ##erfor lete us now doo
As oure lord dede: foreue alle trespas.
So myth we sekyrly scapen fro alle woo,
And sonnere falle onto #at goodly graas
Whech men schul haue before #e glorious faas
Of oure lord God, for #us counceled he:
Do weel to hem #at hate $ou, whateuyr #ei be.
 $et for al #is, this retour is put in hold,
For nowt elles but for he schuld hem fese
That for to sende him of treson were so bold.
He had not #ere #ou$ no grete desese.
Thus alle men #at wil oure lord plese
Schul scape daungeris, #ou$ #at #ei be grete.
For of #is matere we wil no lenger trete.
hus lyuyd #is bisschop in ful holy lyf. xxxi
 Wit$ clennesse and stody was his moost laboure
The mouled ydilnesse fro his soul to dryf;
To Goddis seruyse $ede he euery houre.
This was to #e world a ful swete sauoure;
His good ensaumple was to sum men #ere
Very lyf as $e ful weel may lere
ln #e apostel; to summe eke it was
Deth and harm, to hem #at loued it nowt.
$ete schul $e here, if $e wil list a cas,
That with grete malys upon him was sowt.
But of swech tresoun he ful litil rowt,
So was his trust sette in God aboue,
Whom he serued both with fere and loue.
His vsage was #oo, as we seyde wel late,
To kepe #e seruyse both be nyth and day.
Onto #e chauncell mad he many a gate
With his chapeleynis, in ful prestly aray.
There was a clerk whech was #oo ful gay,
Coragous and strong, malicious eke #ertoo;
A$ens his ordre mech #ing had he doo;
Wherfore Norbert wold alday him snybbe.
This same clerk was hired, as 1 wene,
Of certeyn men #at were onto him sibbe
As of malice, of angir and of tene.
"This sory bisschop," #ei seid, "#at is so lene,
Schal neuyr be in pees, but grucchin alle his lyfe.
Go forth, #ou man, take in #in hand a knyf,
 Wayte vpon him whan he to mateyns goth.
Take and serue him, #an schul we be in pees.
He is euyr chidyng, euyr angry and wrooth."
This ich clerk, withouten ony sees,
Hath leyd him pryuyly rith where #e prees
Of clerkis schul com, whan #ei to mateyns went;
Ful sikyrly wend he haue had his entent.
Thei came too and too as was #e vsage,
Clerkes $eden soo, and #e bisschop last.
This cruell man whech had take #is wage
In his hert hat$ determyned and cast:
"The hinderest man, go he neuyr so fast,
He schal haue #e wownde ere #at he pase."
But it happed #at nyth, of oure lordis grase,
Norbert in #e myddis of hem at #at tyde
Went forth, ful mekely takyng no gret heed
At swech dominacyoun whech soundit$ into pryde
Ful often tyme. Thus forth he $eed.
This clerk roos up with ful grete speed,
On him #at last went he leyd on ful sore,
And #at ich man began to crye and rore:
"What are #ou," he seid, "in vertu of God aboue,
That smytist me so and I greue #e nowt?
This maner brothirhod is not groundid in loue!"
"O," seyde #is theef, "almys haue 1 wrowt;
That ilk man, whech #at I haue sowt,
He is skaped and goo or #at I wist."
And with #at word fro hem is he twist.
Do him no harm, lete him scape and goo.
Goddis will must be fulflllid ay.
If he haue powere to sle me, welkom #at day.
Thei slepe not alle, #ei #at hedir him sent,
Thei wil not leue til #ei haue here entent."
xxxii
At Premonstrate, #ei gunne to falle in dwere,
Because here heed was #us fro hem reft.
For now are runne the dayis of too $ere,
Sith #at Norbert to hem, both leef and dere,
Cam not there. Wherfore sum men seyde
That ilk reule to whech thei were teyde
Mith not lest withoute a gouernoure.
Summe seyde #is: #at he schuld come ageyn.
"Who schul #e scheep doo in storm and stoure,
Who schul #ei doo in wyndis and in reyn
But if here schepperd he wit$ hem?" ##us #ei seyn.
Summe seid it was best for to chese anothir.
Thus is #ere differens betwix brothir & brothir.
Whech he had planted schul now drye away.
Therfor with gouernaunce he will hem now rayle.
Withouten ledere #er may no man saile,
This wist he weel. Therfor he dede calle
Off #is religio(un) #e saddest and wisest alle.
Whan #ei were come, he asked hem in fere
What was here councell, & who #at #ei schuld doo?
Summe of hem #at stood be him there
Seyde #ei wold dwelle wit$ him euyrmoo,
For fro here maistir #ei seide #ei coude not goo.
Summe seyde #ei wolde chese anothir place,
And leue #ere as God wold send hem grace.
But alle consented vndir a prelate to dwelle
That myth hem sette in stedfast gouernaunce.
Whan he herd #is, a schort processe to telle,
He took #is matere into contynuaunce.
He bad hem go hoom & kepe her obseruaunce,
Saue a fewe whech he held there stille.
He seide onto hem #at #is was his wille:
Thei schuld avise hem sadly euerychon
Whom #ei wold chese & he schuld on his side
Examine here meritis. ##ere schuld no fauour gon
But wit$ mekenesse, wi$outen ony pryde,
And with charite bis matere wold he gide.
Thus seide he to hem & aftir a grete while
His messageris sent he many a myle.
Men of credens, #ei went to euery hous
Of bis ordre assignyng hem here day,
Whan #at #ei schal. in tyme moost gracious,
Haue here eleccyon onto Cristes pay.
As #ei were assigned, so ded #ei wi$outen nay.
Thei chose a man aftir his owne entent,
And of here choys letteris haue #ei sent.
Thann happed it soo: #at man whech was chose
Was dwelling #ere, but Norbert kept it cloos.
For grete causes sewirly. as 1 suppose,
Of #is eleccioun wold he make no roos
Onto #e tyme #at he knewe his foos,
lf ony were there. For euyr was his vsage
To bere a matere with ful sad visage
A long tyme or he wold speke it owte.
He wold first proue euery mannys entent,
And ransake #e hertis of hem al abowte.
Thann wold he performe his appoyntment,
And sey, "Seres, 1 suppose $e be bent
Alle with on hert to swech conclusioun.
Were it ordinaunce, were it eleccyoun."
This same man eke, whech was chose #us newe,
Thou$ it were kept ful priuyly in counsaile,
Alle #is councell ful pleynly #oo he knewe
Be reuelacioun, he knew it wit$outen faile.
Whil he lay praying & gan sore to wayle,
Oure lord appered to him, as he thout$.
Norbert, his fader, to #at presens him brout$.
Oure lord put oute his rith hand ful hertly,
And receyued #is ilk same man #at tyde.
"Behold, lord," seid Norbert, "#is same is he #at I
Haue chose vndir me for to be #i gide
Ouyr alle #oo men whech #at wil abide
ln #at holy lyf of very religioun,
Whech haue made to #e here professioun."
Aftir #is reuelacioun mad upon #is wise
Onto #is man, Norbert ded him calle.
Whann Norbert was set amongis hem as iustise,
And his bre#erin were gadered aboute him alle,
He seid #us to hem: "My conceyt open  schalle
Al pleynly to $ou my bre#erin #at be here.
This ich man #at sittit$ amongis us in fere
ls chosen be God and eke be al #e hous
Of Premonstrate to be abbot there.
Thou$ #e occupacioun be ful perilous,
$et wil 1 bidde #e & pray #e both in fere
That #ou take it, bro#ir, and haue no dwere.
God he schal help #e, whech hath #e chose."
This othir man answered, as 1 suppose,
Rith on #is wise, #at sothly his entent
Hath euyr be, sith he to #at relygioun
Was flrst receyued, to be obedient
Onto his souereynes & what #ei bad him don.
"Vnto my powere," he seide, "I fulfillid it son;
Therfor 1 wil not refuse now #is charge.
1 am not fre, 1 stand not at my large.
I wil go onto hem & with al my myth
I wil asay if ony profith may I doo.
If #at I do it, #an wil , as it is rith,
$eue grace and #ank to God & no moo;
If I spede not, fro hem wil  goo,
And come a$en, fadere, for vndir the,
And vndir thi comaundment euyr wil I be."
A$en onto him Norbert spak ful sone:
"Go forth, good sone, and be not aferd.
Goddis hand in alle #at is to done
Schal euyr be with #e. It is his vyny$erd
Where #ou schal werk, parde; #ou art lerd
Who #ou schal doo. Go now on my blessing."
This ilk man #e nexte morownyng
Taketh his leue, & forth he went apase,
With too felawes, sad men for the nones.
He himself was abbot of that place
Whech we call of Premonstrat #e wones,
A ful fayre place of tymbir & of stones;
On of #e othir was abbot of Antwerpense,
A grete place endewid with grete expense;
Of Florifiense, where dwelt #e noble clerk,
Petir icalled, whech with grete laboure
Drowe on #e sautere a ful noble werk.
I wot ful weel I set not amys my merk
For I say #is book withinne fewe dayes.
This same werk I proued at assayes.
Anothir abbot was made eke at Laudune,
Anothir at Vyuary, #e #irde at a place
Whech #at #ei calle rith of elde custume
Good Hope. Thus with very grace
Began #is ordre his braunches to brace,
And spryng in erde; for first were #ei sex,
And aftir to grettir noumbir gun #ei wex,
That al #e world is ful of hem now.
God $eue hem grace to kepe here ordre weel,
And to drawe so depe in #at holy plow,
That #ei turne not bak at no tyme ne ceel.
If #ei do #us, mercy schal be here meel
In heuene blesse where #ei schal dwelle.
Of othir #ingis now I wil $ou telle.
His aduersaries considerying his paciens.
 Wha-t sorow and angir #at he had bore ful longe,
Consideryng eke his lif and innocens
Who he had suMered many a sory pronge
Of here venym, #ei slaked sumwhat #e tonge,
Araying hem to saluen a$en swech wounde
Whech #ei had mad and lay $et al onbounde.
Fourty mark #ei seni him amongis hem alle
To amende with here formere greuaunce,
With whech #ei had fro here lordchep falle.
Thei asked fo$efte of alle here gouernaunce
And made to him a ful grete repentaunce
Of alle defautes whech #at #ei had doo.
The castell $ates opened #ei alsoo,
Whech #ei had sperd long tyme before:
For sith he cam, he myth no entre haue.
Thei sette be him #an so litil store,
That non of his, swiere, $eman, ne knaue,
But if #ei wold here lyues as #an laue,
Mith make no maystryes #ere in no wise.
Here hertis are now sette in othir sise.
Thei lete him in to alle his strengthis there.
With mech worchep & with ful grete prees.
Praising God with gladness & with fere,
Thay prayed oure lord #at he schuld encrees
This mannes goodnes #at it schuld neuer sees.
Thus seid #ei alle, and #at he worthi was
To be a bisschop of a bettir plas.
Fro perel of deth whech ful sotilly
Was ordeyned for him, God fro him it drow.
Thus are (#) e tecches, whech were ful row,
Falle onto meknesse. Blessed be swech a lord
That #us can turne, #at #us can reule #e world. ;-
Thus hath mekenesse ouyrcome here cruelte
With gidyng of grace. God seid, so I wene,
That whosoeuyr haue humylite
He schal be heyued and #at schal be sene:
Hestir for meknesse was made a qwene;
Norbert a bisschop was mad for #e same.
The world vseth not ofte swech maner game!
The #irde $ere felle al #is good chaunce
Aftir he was chose, & sithin fully fyue $ere
Ful nobilly helde he in gouernaunce
Alle his puple whech was gadered #ere.
Fro day to day he gan hem euyr to lere.
Alle religioun and alle maner honeste
Worchep to God aboue al thyng set he.
Onto oure feith he was euyr a tutoure.
He loued therof so weel the vnytee,
That with his myth and al his laboure
Heresye and scisme ful greuously punchid he.
To desolate folk a fadere wold he be,
He visited ful weel, bylyng not only here wones,
But teching hem #e forme of religioun.
He took more heed at soules #an at stones.
His besynesse was al set to sauacyoun
Of his subiectes, whech fro dampnacyoun
He drow euyr more, and euyr mot #e fame
Of his good dedis lest & eke #e name.
I #is same tyme, as elde cronicles seyn,
  Fel a scisme of whech is dool to here;
But neuyrpelaise I must telle $ou al pleyn
Swech maner #ing as I fynde wrytin here.
Too popes regne(d) at ones #at same $ere
As now #ei doo, God amende #e caas!
The o pope thus he named was
fol. Slv Innocent #e secunde whech be dew eleccioun
Was made pope. ##e othir eke hith #us,
As #is story seith, Petir #e Leoun;
But othir bokes sey he hith Anacletus
Whatsoeuer he hit$, contrarye to Iesus,
Whech is prince of pees, was he euyr founde.
The cause #at he was #us susteyned in #at grounde
Was his grete kynrod, for #ei were strong
And meyntened him with al here hool myth,
Notwithstandyng #ei ded ful grete wrong;
For #is ich Innocent had only #e rith.
Be trew processe was he eke elith;
But #e othir with seculere hand kept #e cyte,
Made lawes and ordinaunces of whech is pite
To speke and here, but #at it must be doo.
The statutes of holy faderes before,
This ich Petre took no heed thertoo.
Thorw $ates & walles ded he #rille and bore,
Alle #oo strengthes rent were and tore
That stood a$ens him; and #oo #at were his
Are bylid up with mech cost iwys.
This lnnocent was fayn for to come awey
And saue his lyf with hise for a while.
Onto the emperoure Lothary, as #ei sey,
Came he down fro Rome many a myle,
Pleynyng to him of his wrong exile,
Praying him of help and #at in hast;
But if he help alle will turne to wast.
Thus seide #is pope onto this emperoure:
"Princes are gadered now on euery side
To susteyne #e rith, #e fredom, #e hounour
Of holy church." To Rome wil #ei now ryde.
Prelatis reden wit$ hem #e treuth to gide,
Amongis whech Norbert was chose for on.
Thus ryde #ei forth in cumpany euerychon.
Schort processe to make, #ei are com to Rome
Wit$ grete prees & mech folk rydyng in fere.
The pope Innocent is set #ere in his trone
Be #e strength of Lothary as $e may here.
And #e same emperoure, wit$outen ony dwere,
Was crowned #ere be #e popis hand,
A noble prince, #at durst wel tak on hand
A ful grete daungere for Cristes sake.
A worthi man in armes euere was he holde.
The elde cronicles witnes, I vndirtake,
That he was in bataile ful hardy & bolde,
Wyse of councell eke, for neuer wold he folde
Ne falle fro #e treuth in no manere wise.
His manhod was proued at best deuyse
In many cuntrees, specialy in Cycile,
In Saxone, in Almayne & ouyr al aboute.
The realte of Rome be many a myle
Was augmented be him wit$outen doute.
Of #is mannis praysing I wil no more oute,
But schortly conclude #at #is same emp(er)oure
Loued Norbert soo #at vnneth no houre
Mith he be fro him: his lyuyng was so clene,
His doctrine so good, his ensaumple so swete.
But so mech trauayle had he, I wene,
This same bisschop, what wit$ cold & hete,
In mystemperure, in drye and in wete,
That he took seknesse whech wold not awey,
But in schort tyme, sothly to sey,
lt broute him to a ende; for aftir he was com hom
To Parthenople, his seknesse com ful fast,
That foure monthis as stille as ony ston
Down in his bed ful lowe is he cast.
The lif #at we haue here may not euyr last,
Neithir in him ne in no othir with.
Thus tooke he leue of #is erdely lith.
He went to #e othir #at is mech more clere.
He myth not euele deye, as Seynt Austyn seith,
For he lyued weel whil he was here
Both in gouernaunce and in his feith.
Thus is he rauyschid onto #at goodly heith
Where Goddis presens is schewid euyrmore.
There hat$ he his guerdon for his trewe lore.
Eyte $ere, as we seyd, gouerned he
His bisschoprik with ful bysy holynesse.
The $ere of oure lord, as wryten fynde we,
A thousand a hundred foure & thirty, as I gesse,
Is #e date of his deth & his last sekenesse,
The Wednysday euene in Pentecost feest,
The eyte ydus of luny, as seith oure geest.
Whan he was ded #ere felle a grete staunce
Betwix #e hed cherch in #e same stede
And Seynt Mary cherch whech be his gouernaunce,
And be his prouydens, as $e ful wel may rede
Befor in #is book, it is no drede
He ordeyned there a hous of religioun
Of his owne bretheryn & of his fu(n)dacioun.
And translate #ens #e chanonys seculere.
This cherch made cleym in this wyse:
Thei seide because he was here bisschop #ere,
And was in manere here lord and iustyse,
It was grete reson, as #ei gun deuyse,
That he schuld be byryid in #e heed plas,
Because #at heed of #at diocise he was.
The othir men made grete resonis why
That #ei schuld haue him in possession.
Here grete argumentis in swech kende #ei ly:
Thei seide he wan hem with exhortacioun,
And broute hem owt of here owne nacioun
To serue God #ere, wherfor sith #at he
Here fadere was, it semeth reson, parde,
That he schuld logge among his childir dere.
Fer#ermore, anothir resoun thei brout$
That or he deyid out of #is world here,
With weel avised speche & parfth thout$.
He comaundid his body #at it schuld be brout$
Onto his bretheryn, for #at was his will.
Who do #e reuers, #ei #ink he doth ill.
Vpon #is stryf onto #e emp(er)oure #ei sende.
For sekirly, #ei sey only his iugement
Wil thei obeye, and non othir ende
Schal #ei pursewe. ##e messageris are sent
Rith fro both sidis, and #ei #at went
Taryed eyte dayes or #ei come ageyn.
In alle #is tyme, schortly for to seyn,
ls #e body bore fro place onto place,
Fro cherch onto cherch where #ei sing & rede
Diriges and masses onto Goddis grace.
Alle prestes aboute to #at seruyse $ede;
The lewid puple #ei seide here crede.
Thus was he kept alle #oo eyt dayes,
For so long #e messageris mad here delayes.
And notwithstandyng #e wedir was so drye
That #e grasse in #e feldis was al tobrent,
And alle #ing was, if 1 schuld not lye,
$et be myth of God omnipotent
Whech wol not suffre his seruantis to be schent,
Norbertis body $aue neuyr no stynk
ln al #is long tyme. Lord, whann I think
Of #e incoruptibilnesse #at sum folk haue
Aftir here deth, it is a demonstracioun
Onto my reson, #at #ei whech schul be saue
And led onto heuene aftir #e resurreccioun,
Schul bere here bodies with hem to #at mansioun.
For sith #e body may be clene #us alone
lt schal be mech clenner whan he schal gone
Forth in the felauchip onto #e blisse
With his soule #at schal schine ful brith.
Whereof al solace #ei schal neuyr mysse
As #ese elde clerkis in here bokes writh.
Alle #is is iseide for #is noble with,
Norbert I mene, #at lay so longe on grounde,
And in his flesch was no sauoure founde
Of no onclennesse in no manere wise.
The messageris #at were sent to #e emp(er)oure
To be in #is matere a rithful iustise,
Are now com hom with grete laboure.
Be mery, $e men, for the day is $oure.
$e Premonstratis euyr, mot God $ou saue,
$oure hool entent in #is matere schul $e haue.
The body is bore to Seynt Mary cherch
Where his bre#erin dwelle. ##e emperour wil soo;
Aftir his comaundment men mut nedis werch.
Thus is he byryed and al #e offise doo.
Who sang #e masse or seid #e sermoun #oo,
$e gete not of me; myn auctour tellet$ nowt
But #at his bodi solemply was browt
Onto #e erde & leyde before #e autere,
Halowid of #e crosse, sothly #us he seith.
Aftyr was he rered & leide in #e qwere
In a fayre tombe of a grettere heith.
Thei #out$ it was encresing to here feith
And eke enhaunsyng to here religioun
Euery day of his graue to haue a visioun.
Thus lith he stille ful fayre in #e qwere
Abydyng in hope on Cristis mercy
Whann he schal risyn, as we seid weel ere,
And apperen to #e dom with seyntis in #e sky.
Thei #at ful lowe now in #e ground ly
Schul rysyn #ann into euyrlastyng rest;
There schal not hold hem cophre ne chest.
Grete argumentis are #ere, many and fele,
That #is ilk man for his werkis vertuous.
And for #e penaunce he ded in his hele
Schuld be, be liklynesse, dwelling in #at hous
Whech as scripture seith is so solacious.
For reuelacionis were had in this matere
Of certeyn persones, as $e may here.
The same day and oure #at he on deyid.
Whan #at his soule out of his body went,
There was a bro#ir of his #at long had he teyid
To streyt lyuyng with al his entent.
This same brothir in a traunce was hent
Alle sodeynly where he sey his maystir goo
A ful fayre persone and white clothis alsoo.
This sey he #ann, & in his hand he held
A braunch of olyue ful fayre & ful grene.
Swech maner braunches had he seyn but seld,
But neuyr#elasse #is man as I wene
With dredful hert asked him bedene
Certeyn demaundes of whech #is was on:
"Maistir," he seith, "whidir wilt #ou goon?"
His maystir answerd & seid to him thoo:
"I come now fro paradise with #is olyue,
And streyth to Premonstrate now schal I goo
To plante #is braunche #ere #at it may thryue.
There is no man now dwelling on lyue
That hat$ swech ano#ir, #is dare I say."
Thus went he forth. he #out$, in his way.
For ferre fro Premonstrate stood her mansioun.
But within certeyn dayes men #at be #e wey
Rydyn, and went onto hem gun sey
That here maystir was ded; #an knew #ei weel
Who #at he deyid at #at same seel.
Anothir reuelacyon was had in #is wise;
There was a brothere, a preest he was, #ei sey.
He #out$ his fadere, as he coude deuyse,
Appered onto him with stature fayre & hey,
Walkyng before him in a ful grene wey,
But sodeynly, er #e mountenauns of an oure,
As he #out$, he was turned to a floure.
And #is same floure aungellis hent anoon;
Thei bare it up forth into the sky.
This same man wook & #out$ his drem vpon,
And dempt ful euene as it was hardyly
That #is same avisioun whech was so mysty
Ment not elles but #at his fadyr was goo
Fro #is world, his dreem ment rith soo.
Onto his prioure he ran in hasty wise,
Praying him to graunt him now #is bone:
That he #at day myth to #at hye iustise
Comende #at soule as he was bounde to done
Of his fadere. The prioure answerd sone:
"What tokne hast #ou #at #is man is past?"
He told hi(s) drem onto him in grete hast.
The day was noted and founde ful stedfastly
That it was soo; blessed be God almyth
That for to schewe us is now so redy
Who #at his seyntis are ledde onto #e lith.
There was amongis hem eke anothir whith
##at was wit$ Norbert long tyme conuersaunt.
Aftir his deth he prayed God he schuld graunt
To sende sum tokne and eke sum answere
Wheythir his maistir were in blesse or nowt;
Ful fayn wold he in #is matere lere;
With mech prayere bysily hath he sowt.
Oure blessed lord, #at hat$ us so dere ibowt,
Wold not leue him alone #us desolaat
But $aue him answere, #ou$ it were rith laat,
A grete reuelacioun and a ful fayre sith
Of his noble maystir whech was fro him goo.
As he lay in rest upon a holy nyth,
He #out$ he was rauyschid into a hous #oo
So fayre and so brith had he seyn no moo.
It passed #e sunne, #e brithnesse #at was #ere.
Amongis othir felauchip #at togidyr were
He beheld his maystir on whom his desire
Was ful sore sette, & whan he him sey
With brennyng loue, as man #at was on fyre,
Before his feet al plat he gan him ley;
His wittis for ioye were ny awey.
"O maystir," he seyde, "for Goddis hye myth,
Telle me of #in astaat, and if al #is lith
Be to #in counfort and #i consolacioun."
His maystir cam ny & lift him fro #e ground.
"Rise up," he seith, "fro #i prostracioun,
Myn obediensere, and weel be #ou found,
ln #is same ioye #at is eterne and round.
Thou wold fayn wite if I endewid were.
Thou$ #i demaund be hard, $et schal #ou lere;
For who #at knokkit$ bisili sumtyme schal in.
Come nyhere to me, & lete us sit adown.
I do #e to wite clensed of alle syn
Am I with mercy, whech is to me bown."
This ma<n> seye a sete as brith as ony crown,
Where Norbert was set in ful grete rest.
Swech wordes he seyd: "I am passed #e werst.
For to #e I telle my brothir #at art here
##ere may no desese a$ens me avayle.
I am in al qwyete saue in maner I wayle,
As aungellis doo, for fere of the doom."
Whan #is was seyd #e man awook soon
Hugely counforted be this avisioun.
$et or he went fro him to his fadir he seyde:
'Fadir, I pray the of thy benysoun,
I pray #e eke, for loue of Mary #e mayde,
Telle me in treuth if #ou were euel apayde
That I cam not to the whan #ou were seek?"
Norbert him answerd wit$ wordis ful meek:
"Thou schal come," and wit$ #is word anoon
The avision is goo, and counforted is #e man.
Sey him neuyr so myry as he was #an.
Of #ese avisiones no more telle I can.
For #ei be de(r)k, and so must thei be.
The apostill seith soo, leuyth now me:
That al #at euyr we se here of #e o#ir lif,
We se it as in a myrowre or in a glas.
Therfor in #is mater to be inquysitif
Grete perel it is, and euyrmore was.
We schal pray God to spare oure trespas,
And bryng us to blesse #er Norbert is inne.
And specialy $e men, #at be of his kynne
And cleyme his fadirhood, loke #at $e hope
If #at $e folow #e steppis of his holy lif,
$e schul come sumtyme to #at blessed cope
That wit$ largenesse of charite may fort$ drif
Alle debate and desese whech #at caytif,
The deuel of helle, acloyith men withal.
To #is entent down wil we fal
On both oure knees, praying oure lord
To lede us and spede us in #is lif present,
That we may kepe loue and concord.
And eke for to purchase very amendment,
So #at oure synnes may here be brent
Wit$ penaunce doying, #at we may haue grace,
ln heuene blesse before Goddis face.
hese wordis folowand are drawyn ful schortly
Owt of a book #at lith at Capenbregense.
Here foundouris lif is wrytin #ere seriously;
But #ei hemselue #us in schorter sentense
Brigged it thus onto the complacense
Of here bre#erin whech desired #is lif,
And of here desire were rith inquysitif.
In Westphale parties sprang a ful clere lith,
A post of #e cherch, a heuenely messagere,
Norbert called, so grete with God of myth,
That ful of grace he was and of powere
Of ful grete continens, of eloquens a good skolere,
Formere and norchere of holy religioun,
Whech was eke causere of grete fundacioun
Off many houses #orw out dyuers londes.
A prechoure of penauns was he wit$ #e best.
A trewe berere of Cristes owne sondes
Was he hold be est and eke be west.
Thus cryed he to hem #at lay #at tyme in rest
And knew not God arayet$; he seith #e weye
Of oure lord and alle his styes $e feye.
Spirith of prophecye, and #at in wondir wise,
Had #is man; and, if $e list to here,
A speciall prophecye #is epistel doth deuyse:
Who #at in Westphale, a$ens a ful dere $ere,
He told hem alle #at were gadered in fere,
His bre#erin, I mene, of hungir #at was comyng,
Whech schuld, he seid, come for here chastisyng.
And as he seide, so it cam in dede.
Grete hungir #ere was of al maner vytayle,
So sodeyn derth men to deth #oo $ede,
That sodeyn pestilens gan hem soo assayle.
And in #is hungir, wit$outen ony fayle,
He bad his bre#erin #at #ei schuld not spare,
But $eue to pore #ou$ #at #ei were bare.
As he comaunded so ded #ei til at #e last
Vpon a tyme #ei $oue so mech away
That whan #ei came onto here owne repast
Thei had rith nowt. ##ann gun #ei alle to say:
"Where is oure maistir? Lete him now assay
His grete maystries." But he ful mekely:
"Bre#erin," he seyde, "affray $ou not forthi,
For it is writyn openly in Scripture --
If $e wil stody, $e may it pleynly rede --
'The rithful man whech God hat$ in cure
Schal not be suffered, withouten ony drede,
To dey for hu(n)gyr'." These men forth #ei $ede,
Thei fonde mete rith as here fadere seyde.
Whann othir men for hungir abouten deyde,
Alle that tyme thei had good plente.
Blessed be swech a steward in a plaas!
Anothir #ing felle eke in that cuntre:
Amongis his bre#erin on seek #ere waas.
He lay in #e fevyris, abidyng Goddis graas;
The man was spedful onto #e houses nede.
Norbert streith onto his bed #oo $ede.
"Rise up," he seyth, I bidde in Goddis name,
Go do #is erand, for #ou can do best."
This man #out$ he had be mech to blame,
But he obeyid his fadere, as it was best.
He roos up redyly fro his sekly nest;
He felt him hool, and hool was many a day
As fro #at seknesse. Blessed be God for ay!
Anothir #ing is touched here alsoo
ln #is epistil: who #at be inward counsaile
Of #e holy goost, he and his bre#erin #ertoo
Chose hem a reule of whech #ei myth not faile.
For there fynde #ei al #ing #at wil avayle
Onto good lyuyng and onto religioun.
This ich reule at #e frst fundacyoun
Of his clerkis #e noble Austyn mad.
But #is same reule more streytly for to kepe
Norbert hat$ ment his bre#erin eke be glad
Of #at streytnesse. ##ei wil delue more depe
ln here perfeccioun, morne, wayle and wepe,
As men #at pleyne of #is worldly woo.
The streyt poyntis #at #ei addid #ertoo
Was harder habite and eke hardere mete,
Wollen clo#is next hem for to were;
Neythir fatte ne flesch wold #ei not ete.
This was #e wil of hem #at dwelt #ere.
Ion #e Baptiste, #ei seid, he schuld hem lere
Who #ei schuld wynne heuene wit$ abstinense.
Thus was this ordre grounded in excellense.
Sat in chapetir amongis his bre#erin alle.
Whan euery man had accused his cryme,
Into othir daliauns goostly gan #ei falle.
Norbert seyd #an: "Bre#erin, to $ou I schalle
Telle a tale whech #at I wil $e knowe.
I knewe a man wit$in a litil throwe
That lay in stody and in his orisoun
A ful long tyme, #at God of his grace
Schuld sende to him sum reuelacioun
What reule he myth to his flok purchace.
And as he lay rith before his face
Appered Seynt Austen, whech had #oo in hand
A reule of gold, as I vndyrstand.
Whech reule took he onto #at same with
Whom he appered to and #us sayd to him: "Sone,
He #at #ou seest, if #ou be hold al rith,
He is Austen, bisschop sumtyme of Ypone.
Now hast #in askyng, now hast #ou #i bone:
A reule vndir whech if thi childir hem cure,
Thei schul not drede aftir here sepulture
The ferful doom, but sekyrly #ereto stande
Before #at iustise and fauoure schul #ei haue.
This dare I sauely on me take on hande,
If #ei kepe #is, that #ei schal be saue,
And go to blesse at that grete octaue."
This same tale #at Norbert to hem told
Was of himselue sekyr, be $e bold.
It is #e manere of seyntes to do soo:
So ded lon #e grete euangelist,
So ded Seynt Poule whan he wrote alsoo
Who oute of #e world sodeynly he was twist
Vp onto heuene, & he himselue nyst
Wheithir his body was #ere or nowt.
Of #is matere #e ende as now is sowt.
Anothir miracule schal I now specyfye
Of #is same man, and #at a wondyr #ing.
He sang a masse ones at Florefye,
And sodeynly before his vsyng
He sey a drope of blood where it hyng
Rith on #e patene. His dekne stood by.
He hith Rudolf, and he called him more ny.
"Seest #ou, brothir," he seith, "#at I now se?"
The othir seyde: "Maystir, weel inow."
Both were #ei gode, it schuld not elles be
That swech a visioun gracious to hem drow.
Norbert was ny fallen into a swow,
But of deuocyoun sore he gan to wepe,
And aftir #at with his lippes to swepe
The blood away fro #e fayre patene.
He wasched it weel whann masse was idoo.
This same religioun of custome, as I wene,
Wascheth here patenes of vse euyrmoo,
Whech custom grew ful long tyme agoo.
Of #is same dede, sothly as I suppose,
This same epistel writith #us in prose.
At Traiect eke is a wondir sith.
A pees of silk with aungellis #idir was brout$;
The puple sey it, who with bemys bryth
Out of heuene down to #e cherch #ei sout$,
And leyd #at silk, ful merueylously iwrout$,
Vpon #e toumbe where Seynt Seruase lay,
Whech was deed newly #at same day.
This same silk Norbert. whan he was #ere,
Desired to see. ##e prestis answered sone
That here elderes up #ei ded it spere
ln a hucch whech #ei durst not ondone.
There was no man #at dwelt vndir #e mone
That in #at hucch was hardy onys to look,
So grete dreed of it #oo #ei took.
The hucch is opened, and ful sodeynly
The silk fley out and to #e roof in hast
He mowntith up; alle #e puple it sy.
There hing it still ful merueylously;
Summe were astoyned, summe were aferd
Lest #e grace of God were now isperd.
Fro here cherch #ei dempt it wold awey,
But it hing stille lich a bird flikyryng.
Norbert ful sadly onto hem #us gan sey:
"We schal sone se what is #e signifying.
Go we to masse in hast & make no tarying."
He made him redy, & whan he was at messe,
Oute of #e roof #e silk #o gan it dresse,
And cam ful esely down on to #e qwere.
He leyd him euene upon #e armes too
Of oure Norbert that stood at #e autere.
He took it to him with grete deuocioun #oo,
Falt it togidir wit$outen ony moo,
And leyde it there where it was before.
Here may $e proue be very open lore
That in #is bisschop Seruase #us inamed
Was ful grete vertu schewid be God of myth;
And in oure fadere Norbert euyr onblamed
Was ful grete feith both be day and nyth;
For his prayere was so clere and bryth,
He myth not want #ing #at he wold haue.
Thorw his prayere #e sunnere God us saue!
There was a man eke I vndyrstand
Whech was ful cruell and ful couetous.
He dwelt be a place whech #ei clepe Boneland.
He kept fro hem here londys and here hous,
$et dede he #ing #at was more perilous:
For certeyn rentis held he to his bane,
That longed to #e cherch of Partenopolitane.
And notwit$standyng #ere durst no man for dreed
Speke onto him a word of #is matere:
$et oure Norbert boldly onto hem $eed.
He teld him #e perel and eke #e grete daungere
Whech he offendid God with his powere.
The man answerd ful sone to him agayn:
"I haue no land fro $ou, soth to sayn;
This #at I haue, it is myn herytage,
Whech $e schal not, no, non of $ou alle,
Haue fro me. I haue be at grete costage;
I haue made #eron both houses & eke walle.
Lete be $oure laboure, clepe no more ne calle.
$e gete here ryth nowt, #ere is no more to seyn;
$e haue $oure part, turne now hom ageyn!
Norbert answerd: Man, #ou schal rew ful sore
Alle #is extorsioun, and alle #is couetise."
He turned his bak, he seid to him no more.
But his thretyng be #e hey iustise
Was executed, and #at in wondyr wyse.
For #at same $ere of enmyes was he slayn;
And #ann #e cherch entred #e londys agayn.
Anothir tyme in #e emperoures hoost
Whilis #at he was, #is noble Norbert I mene,
He happed to come onto a noble coost
Onto a cyte Augusta, as I wene
So it hith. There was his prophecye sene,
Whech him was graunted of oure lord Iesu
To haue in brest, prophecye good and trew.
It was his vse whan he to cherch schuld goo
To knele down threis & #us #an wold he say:
"Pees to #is hous, pees be here euyrmoo,
Pees rest upon $ou withouten ony nay."
Thus sayde he there #at ilk same day
And aftir aspied he #at pees dwelt not #ere
Amongis #e puple #at aboute him were.
"I haue desired, my bro#ir, a ful long tyde,
That pees schuld dwelle here in #is cumpany.
It wil not be; he is oppressid wit$ pryde.
Lete us go hens, lete us walk more wyde;
Here is no rest and #at schal sone be sene."
As he seyde #ann, so it felle bedene.
For #e emperoure, #at was ful iuste & ful trewe.
For certeyn trespaas #at #e puple had doo,
Of #at cyte here hedis of he hewe.
This knew #is man long or it felle soo.
Swech merveyles ded he and $et many moo,
But in #is epistil is no more now told.
For matere fayleth, I am no lenger bold
Onto $oure reuerens of #is man to wryte.
Mi noble fadere, norischere of us alle
And specialy of me, wolde God I coude endyte
Sum goodly #ing wit$ whech 1 myt$ now calle
Onto $oure grace, and in $oure seruyse falle.
But now conclude I, as $e $oue comaundment
Be $oure messagere #at $e to me sent.
Go litil book to hem #at wil #e rede.
Sey #ou were made to #e abbot of Derham;
Fast be Stoke it stant wvt$outen drede.
lt is to lordes and gentilys alle in sam
And eke to pore men a very Iulianes ham.
The abbotes name was called at #at tyde
The good lon Wygnale, #at neuer wold him hide
For no gestis but rather he wold hem seke.
The freris name #at translate #is story
Thei called Ion Capgraue, whech in Assumpcion weke
Made a ende of alle his rymyng cry,
The $ere of Crist oure lord, wit$outen ly,
A thousand foure hundred & fourty euene.
Aftyr #is lyf, I pray God send us heuene!
ffeliciter