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Wycliffe (Early) [1850], THE HOLY BIBLE, CONTAINING THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, WITH THE APOCRYPHAL BOOKS, IN THE EARLIEST ENGLISH VERSIONS MADE FROM THE LATIN VULGATE BY JOHN WYCLIFFE AND HIS FOLLOWERS: Edited by THE REV. JOSIAH FORSHALL, F.R.S. etc. Late Fellow of Exeter College, and SIR FREDERIC MADDEN, K.H. F.R.S. etc. Keeper of the MSS. in the British Museum (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, OXFORD) [word count] [B02010]. To look up a word in a dictionary, select the word with your mouse and press 'd' on your keyboard.
[Prologue on the book of Psalms.]
This book Sauter is clepid, that is to seie, the book of songis of Dauith, and of
Asaph, the chauntour of the temple of the Lord; wherynne is conteyned profesie of
the comynge of Crist, of his birthe, and of his power and teching; of his passioun and
his rising a&yogh;en fro deeth, and of his ascencioun and of his comynge a&yogh;en in the laste
doom; whiche songis ben red in holi cherche in to wurschiping and preising of the
Lord, knoulechinge his hei&yogh; maieste, and hise grete werkis; and that he do merci to
vs, whanne we trespasen a&yogh;ens him, brekinge hise comaundementis, that we perische
not for oure synnes.
Incipit prologus in librum Psalterij.
Whan it is knowe, alle the profetis to han spoke bi reuelacioun of the Holi Gost,
Dauid most of profetis to han spoken sum wise in wrthiere and ouer passende maner,
as the trumpe of the Holi Gost, than othere profetis. Othere forsothe profetis profecieden
bi sum maner ymagis of thingus, and withinne coueryngis of woordis, that is, bi
sweuenes, and viseouns, and deedis, and sawis; Dauid forsothe, thur&yogh; stiring of the
Holi Gost alone, withoute vttermor helpe his profecie made out. Wherfor couenabli
this boc is seid, The boc of solitarie spechis. It is also seid a Sauter, the whiche name
it toc of a musik instrument, that Ebruli is clepid nablum, Grekli a sauter, of this
Grek woord sallim, that is, touching; Latinli is seid an orgne, that is of ten cordis, and
fro the ouere part &yogh;iueth soun, bi the touch of hondis. Of that forsothe instrument at
the lettre therfore is nemned `this boc, for at the vois of that instrument Dauid song
salmys beforn the arke in the tabernacle of the Lord; and as alle the sweete songus of
that instrument weren clepid salmys, so and alle the particlis of this boc, or clausis.
Also aftir the spirituel vnderstonding wel of that instrument it taketh name, for as
that instrument is of ten cordis, so this boc techeth the al aboute keping of the ten
hestis; and as that instrument &yogh;iueth soun fro the ouere part bi the touch of hondis, so
this boc techeth wel to werche, not for ertheli thingis, but for heuenli thingus, that ben
aboue. This boc stant in an hundrid and fifti salmys, not biside the resoun of he&yogh;ere signefiyng; this forsothe noumbre is notid to most solempne mysteries. It stant forsothe of ei&yogh;teti and seuenti. And ei&yogh;tety al oon signefieth that ei&yogh;te, and seuenti the same that seuene. Ei&yogh;te forsothe signefieth the ei&yogh;tthe age of a&yogh;een rising; for sithen ther ben sixe agis of men liuende, and the seuenthe of men diende, the ei&yogh;the age shal ben of men a&yogh;een risende. Bi seuene forsothe is betocned the time of this lif, that is passid bi the oftesithes comyng of seuen da&yogh;es. Ri&yogh;tli thanne this boc is maad in such a noumbre of salmys, whos partyes signefien `the beforseid mysteries; for it techeth so vs in the seuenthe of this lif to werken and to liuen, that in the ei&yogh;the of a&yogh;een rising wee be not clad with the doublefold cloth of confusioun, but with the stole of double glorifiyng. Or therfore in that noumbre of salmys it is maad, for, as wee han seid, this noumbre stant of ei&yogh;teti and seuenti, that al oon betocnen that ei&yogh;te and seuene. Ei&yogh;te forsothe betocneth the newe testament, the fadris forsothe of the newe testament to ogdoadi, that is, to ei&yogh;te deseruen. Thei kepen forsothe the ei&yogh;the dai of the resureccioun of Crist, that is, the sone dai, and the vtas of seintis, and abijden the ei&yogh;te of the a&yogh;een rising. Bi seuene forsothe is betocned the olde testament therfore; for the fadris of the olde testament serueden to ebdoady, that is, to seuene. Forsothe thei kepten the seuenthe dai, and the seuenthe wike, the seuenthe moneth, the `seuenthe &yogh;er, and the seuenthe &yogh;er of the seuenthe, `that is, the fiftithe, that is seid iubile. Wherfore Salomon seith, “&YOGH;if partis seuene and also ei&yogh;te.” And Mychias, “Wee shul reren ‘vp on hym seuen shepperdis, and ei&yogh;te primatis.” Weel therfore this boc in that noumbre of salmys is maad, whos partis betocnen the doctrine of either testament, that bi that be shewid the hestis of either testament to be contened in this boc. This boc forsothe is deuydid bi thre fifties; bi the whiche thre statis of cristene religioun ben betocned. Of whiche the firste is in penaunce, the secounde in ri&yogh;twisnesse, the thridde in preising of the euere lastende lif. Wherfore the firste fifti is endid in penaunce, that is, the salm that begynneth “Haue mercy of me, God;” the secounde in ri&yogh;twisnesse, that is, this salm, “Mercy and dom I shal singen to thee;” the thridde in preising of the euere lastende lif, that is, this woord “Eche spirit preise God.” And for these thre thingus techeth Dauid in this boc, therfore this threfold distinccioun of salmys is maad. Also it is to be notid, this scripture mor than othere to ofte ben vsid in chirche seruysis, that therfore is don, for in this boc is the fulle ending of the hole boc of Godis woord. Heer forsothe ben discriued the meedis of goode men, the tormentis of euele men, the pleyne techyngus of begynende men, the forth going of profitende men, the perfeccioun of ful comynge men, the lif of actif men, the spirituel beholding of contemplatif men; heer also is ta&yogh;t what synne doth awei, what penaunce restoreth, what the gilti of synne othenkende seye, that is, “Lord, in thi wodnesse vndernyme thou not me,” and in an other place, “Haue mercy of me, God, aftir thy mychile mercy;” and what bi penaunce be purchasid, whan he vnderioyneth, “I shal teche wicke men thi weies, and vnpitous men to thee shul be conuertid;” bi whiche is shewid to no man, hou myche euere ‘trespasinge to be, to mystrosten of for&yogh;iuenesse, and of the merci of God, taken to the mecnesse of othenking; whan forsothe
wee beholden Dauid, a man sleere and auoutrer, bi penaunce maad a doctour and a
profete, to no man doende penaunce is laft place of wanhope; as of the conuerting of
Powil and his auaunsing in to apostil of the mercy of God pleynli wee ben certefied.
Wherfore the chirche vsith in offisis, as the profecie of Dauid, the epistolis of hym
more than of othere; and therfore this profecie is oftene had in vse, for among
othere profecies it passith in openyng of sawys; tho forsothe thingus that othere profetis
dercly and as bi figure seiden of the passion and the resureccioun of Crist, and
of the euerlastende geteng, and of othere mysterijs, Dauid of profetis most excellent so
euydentli openede, that more he be seen to euangelisen than to profecien.
Wycliffe (Early) [1850], THE HOLY BIBLE, CONTAINING THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, WITH THE APOCRYPHAL BOOKS, IN THE EARLIEST ENGLISH VERSIONS MADE FROM THE LATIN VULGATE BY JOHN WYCLIFFE AND HIS FOLLOWERS: Edited by THE REV. JOSIAH FORSHALL, F.R.S. etc. Late Fellow of Exeter College, and SIR FREDERIC MADDEN, K.H. F.R.S. etc. Keeper of the MSS. in the British Museum (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, OXFORD) [word count] [B02010]. |
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