XIV.

[Sidenote: The Lamb has one hundred and forty thousand brides. St. John saw them on the hill of Sion in a dream, in the new city of Jerusalem.] “Maskelles,” q{uod} þat myry quene, “Vnblemyst I am wyth-outen blot, & þat may I w{i}t{h} mensk me{n}teene; Bot makeleȝ quene þe{n}ne sade I not, 784 Þe lambes vyueȝ i{n} blysse we bene, A hondred & forty þowsande flot As i{n} þe apocalyppeȝ hit is sene; Sant Ioh{a}n hem syȝ al i{n} a knot, 788 On þe hyl of syon þat semly clot. Þe apostel hem segh i{n} gostly drem Arayed to þe weddy{n}g i{n} þ{a}t hyl coppe, Þe nwe cyte u I{e}r{usa}l{e}m. 792

[Sidenote: [Fol. 50a.]] [Sidenote: Isaiah speaks of Christ or the Lamb. He says that He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.] Of I{e}r{usa}l{e}m I in speche spelle. If þ{o}u wyl knaw what-kyn he be, My lombe, my lorde, my dere Iuelle, My ioy, my blys, my le{m}man fre, 796 Þe p{ro}fete ysaye of hy{m} con melle, Pitously of hys debonerté Þat gloryo{us} gyltleȝ[33] þ{a}t mon con quelle, W{i}t{h}-outen any sake of felonye, 800 As a schep to þe slaȝt þ{er} lad watȝ he & as lombe þat clypper i{n} lande nem,[34] So closed he hys mouth fro vch query, Quen Iueȝ hy{m} iugged i{n} Ih{erusal}em. 804

[Sidenote 33: MS. reads _gystleȝ_.] [Sidenote 34: MS. _men_.]

[Sidenote: In Jerusalem was Christ slain. With buffets was His face flayed. He endured all patiently as a lamb. For us He died in Jerusalem.] In I{e}r{usa}l{e}m watȝ my le{m}man slayn & rent on rode w{i}t{h} boyeȝ bolde; Al oure baleȝ to bere ful bayn, He toke on hy{m} self oure careȝ colde, 808 W{i}t{h} boffeteȝ watȝ hys face flayn, Þat watȝ so fayr on to byholde; For sy{n}ne he set hy{m} self i{n} vayn, Þat neu{er} hade non hym self to wolde, 812 For v{us} he lette hy{m} flyȝe & folde & brede vpon a bostwys bem, As meke as lomb[35] þat no playnt tolde. For v{us} he swalt i{n} I{e}r{usa}l{e}m: 816

[Sidenote 35: The MS. reads _lomp_.]

[Headnote: THE LAMB WAS SLAIN IN JERUSALEM.]

[Sidenote: The declaration of St. John, “Behold the Lamb of God,” etc. Who can reckon His generation, that died in Jerusalem?] I{e}r{usa}l{e}m, Iordan & galalye, Þer as baptysed þe goude say{n}t Ion, His wordeȝ acorded to ysaye; When Ih{esu}c con to hy{m} warde gon 820 He sayde of hy{m} þys p{ro}fessye, “Lo godeȝ lombe as trwe as ston, Þat dotȝ away þe sy{n}neȝ dryȝe!” Þat alle þys worlde hatȝ wroȝt vpon, 824 Hy{m} self ne wroȝt neu{er} ȝet non, Wheþ{er} on hym self he con al clem, Hys generacyou{n} quo recen con, Þat dyȝed for v{us} i{n} I{e}r{usa}l{e}m? 828

[Sidenote: [Fol. 50b.]] [Sidenote: In the New Jerusalem St. John saw the Lamb sitting upon the throne.] In I{e}r{usa}l{e}m þ{us} my le{m}man swatte, Twyeȝ, for lombe watȝ taken þere, By trw recorde of ayþ{er} p{ro}phete, For mode so meke & al hys fare, 832 Þe þryde tyme is þ{er}-to ful mete In apokalypeȝ wryten ful ȝare. In mydeȝ þe trone þere saynteȝ sete, Þe apostel ioh{a}n hy{m} saytȝ as bare, 836 Lesande þe boke with leueȝ sware, Þere seuen sy{n}gnetteȝ wern sette i{n}-seme & at þ{a}t syȝt vche douth con dare, In helle, i{n} erþe & I{e}r{usa}l{e}m. 840