men and women also, and thrust them in prison for gold and silver, and tortured them with unspeakable tortures, for never were any martyrs so tortured as they were. They were hanged up by the feet and smoked with foul smoke. They were hanged by the thumbs, or by the head, and coats of mail were hung on their feet. Knotted strings were put about their heads and twisted till they penetrated to the brains. They put them in dungeons in which were adders and snakes and toads, and killed them thus. ...

19

on 21

and be dæies, carlmen and wimmen, and diden ? heom 3 in prisun efter 4 gold and sylver, and pined 5 heom untellendlice 6 pining," for ne uuæren 8 nævre nan martyrs swa 19 pined alse 11 hi wäron. Me 12 henged 13 up bi the fet 14 and smoked heom mid ful 15 smoke. Me henged bi the thumbes, other 16 bi the hefed, 17 and hengen 18 bryniges

fet. Me dide 2 cnotted strenges abuton 22 here 20 hæved 17 and uurythen 23 to 24 that it gæde 25 to the hærnes 26 Hi dyden heom in quarterne 27 thar 2 nadres 29 and snakes and pades wæron inne, and drapen heom swa.10 I ne can ne I ne mai 32 tellen alle the wun

ne alle the pines 34 that hi diden wrecce

36 this land; and that lastede tha .xix. wintre 37 wile 38 Stephne was king, and ævre 39 it was uuerse 40 and uuerse.

her 20

30

31

der 33

35

men

on

I cannot and I may not tell all the wonders nor all the tortures that they did to wretched men in this land; and that lasted the nineteen years while Stephen was king, and ever it was worse and worse.

Ich 41

æm elder then ich 41 wes, a wintre and a

lore; 12

45

50 eom

Ic 41 wælde 43 more thanne ic dude, 44 mi wit ah *

to ben more. Wel lange ic 41 habbe 46 child ibeon 47 a weorde and ech 48

a dede; Theh 49 ic beo 50 a wintre eald,51 to ying 52 I

a rede.53 Unnut 54 lyf ic habb ilæd,55 and yiet, 66 me

thincth, ic lede; Thanne ic me bethenche, 57 wel sore ic me

adrede.58 Mest 59 al thæt ic habbe ydon

ys idelnesse and chilche; Wel late ic habbe me bit hoht, bute

do milce.63 Fele 6 ydele word ic habbe iqueden 65 syth

then 66 ic speke cuthe,67 And fale 64

yunge 68 dede ido, thet me ofthinchet 69 nuthe.70

I am older than I was in winters and in

lore; I govern more than e'er I

my wisdom should be more. Full long time have I been a child in word

and eke in deed; Though I be in winters old, too young am I

in rede. Useless is the life I lead, and long, methinks,

have led; When I remember me of this, full sore am I

a-dread. Nearly all that I have done is childish and of

naught; But, save God show me mercy now, too late

is this my thought. Many idle speeches have I spoken since

speech to me was lent; And many a foolish deed have done, that I

must now repent.

60

61

62

me God

IO

8 were

9

never 13

45 ought

46 have

49

as

47 been

43 also 53 counsel

54 useless

18

1 men ? put 3 them 4 after (i.e. to obtain) 6 tortured unspeakable 'torture

one (i.e. they indefinite) hanged

15 foul 16 or head hung 19 corselets (as weights) 20 their 21 cords 22 about 23 twisted went,

prison

may 33 evils 34 tortures

35 wretched

36 in

39
ever

41 | 42 in years and in knowledge govern

50
though am 51 old 52

young 56

still 58 I am frightened

59

almost ishness

63

64

55 led

57 bethink 60 done

61 child65 spoken

25

27

24 till 28 where

penetrated

26 brains 30 toads

31 killed

62 unless

29 adders

32

37

ne

21

22

28

All too often have I sinned in deed and eke

in word; All too freely have I spent, too little laid in

hoard. Almost all I now mislike of things I liked of

yore; Who follows over-much his will, betrays him

self the more. Had fortune only favored me, I might have

done more good; Now for weakness and for age, I may not,

though I would. Old age is stolen me upon, ere that I it wist; I could not see before me for the smoke and

for the mist. Timid we are in doing good, in evil all too

bold; More awe of man than awe of Christ doth

every person hold. Who doth not well, the while he may, shall

often rue it sore, When comes the time to mow and reap what

he has sown before. Do ye for God the best ye may, the while ye

are in life; And let no man hope overmuch in child nor

yet in wife. He who doth himself forget for wife or else

for child Shall come into an evil place save God to him

be mild. Let each some good before him send, the while

he may, to heaven; For better is one alms before than afterward

29

30

20

20

35

Al to lome ' ic habbe agult ? a weorche 3 and

ec * a worde; Al to muchel ic habbe ispend, to litel yleid 5

an horde. Mest 6 al thet me licede? ær, nu hit' me

mislicheth; 10 The 11 mychel 12 folyeth 13 his ywil, him sulfne

he biswiketh.14 Ich mihte habbe bet 15 idon, hadde ic tho 16

yselt he; 17 Nu ic wolde, ac 18 ic ne mei 19 for elde 20

for unhelthe; Ylde 20 me is bistolen on, ær ic hit awyste; Ne mihte ic iseon 23 before me for smeche 24

ne for miste. Ærwe 25 we beoth 26 to done god, and to yfele 27

al to thriste; More æie stent man of manne thanne him

do of Criste. The 11 wel ne deth 31 the hwile he mei,32 wel

oft hit hym scæl ruwen, 33 Thænne 34 hy mowen sculen 36 and ripen, 37

ther 38 hi ær seowen.39 Don ec 40 to Gode wet ye muye,

32 the hwile ye a life; Ne hopie no man to muchel to childe ne to

wyfe; The 11 him selve foryut 43 for wife other for

childe, He sceal cume an uvele stede 44 bute 45 hym

God beo milde. Sende ach 46 sum god biforen hym, the hwile

he mei, to heovene; Betere is an elmesse 47 bifore thenne beon æfter

seovene. Ne beo the leovre 48 thene the sulf thi mei 49 ne

50 Sot 51 is the 11 is othres mannes freond betre thene his aye. 52

30 Ne hopie 63 wif to hire were,54 ne wer

to his wife; Beo 55 for him sulve ævrich 56 man, the hwyle

he beo 57 alive. Wis 58 is the 59 him sulfne bithencth 60 the

hwile he mote 61 libbe, 62 For sone 63 wulleth 64 him foryite 65 the

fremde 66 and the sibbe.67

41

buth 26

42

are seven.

thi maye

own.

54

And hold not dearer than thyself thy kins

man or thy son; Foolish to be another's friend rather than thine

30 And let no wife in husband hope, nor husband

in his wife; Be each man for himself alone, the while he

is in life. Wise is who bethinks himself the while he

liveth yet ;

For him will stranger - ay, and friend, soon

enough forget.