The Conuercyon of swerers (The Conversion of Swearers)

Excerpt

See
Me
Be(kyndeAgayne
My payne
Reteyne(in myndeMy swete bloode
On the roode
Dyde the good(my broderMy face ryght red
Myn armes spred
My woundes bled(thynke none oderBeholde thou my syde
Wounded so ryght wyde
Bledynge sore that tyde(all for thyn owne sakeThus for the I smerted
Why arte þharde herted
Be by me conuerted(& thy swerynge aslakeTere me nowe no more
My woundes are sore
Leue swerynge therfore(and come to my graceI am redy
To graunte mercy
To the truely(for thy trespaceCome nowe nere
My frende dere
And appere(before meI so
In wo
Dyde goseI
Crye
Hy(the

 

 

Vnto me dere broder my loue and my herte

Turmente me no more with thyn othes grete

Come vnto my Ioye and agayne reuerte

From the deuylles snare and his sutyl net

Beware of the worlde all aboute the set

Thy flesshe is redy by concupyscence

To burne thy herte with cursed vyolence

Thoughe these thre enmyes do sore the assayle

Vpon euery syde with daungerous iniquite

But yf thou lyst / they may nothynge preuayle

Nor yet subdue the with all theyr extremyte

To do good or yll / all is at thy lyberte

I do graunte the grace thyn enemyes to subdue

Swete broder accepte it theyr power to extue

And ye kynges and prynces of hye noblenes

With dukes and lordes of euery dygnyte

Indued with manhode wysdome and ryches

Ouer the comons hauynge the soueraynte

Correcte them whiche so do tere me

By cruell othes without repentaunce

Amende be tyme lest I take vengeaunce

Exodi vicesimo / non accipies nomen dei tui in vãnum

Vnto the man I gaue commaundement

Not to take the name of thy god vaynfully

As not to swere but at tyme conuenyent

Before a Iuge to bere recorde truely

Namynge my name with reuerence mekely

Vnto the Iuge than there in presence

By my name to gyue to the good credence

A my brederne yf that I be wrothe

It is for cause ye falsly by me swere

Ye knowe yourselfe that I am very trothe

Þet wrongfully ye do me rente and tere

ye neyther loue me nor my Iustyce fere

And yf ye dyde ye wolde full gentylly

Obeye my byddynge well and perfytely

The worldly kynges hauynge the soueraynte

ye do well obey without resystence

ye dare not take theyr names in vanyte

But with grete honoure and eke reuerence

Than my name more hye of magnyfycence

ye ought more to drede whiche am kynge of all

Bothe god and man and reygne celestyall

No erthely man loueth you so well

As I do / which mekely dyde enclyne

For to redeme you from the fendes of hell

Takynge your kynde by my godhede dyuyne

you were the fendes I dyde make you myne

For you swete bretherne I was on the rode

Gyuynge my body my herte and my blode

Than why do ye in euery maner of place

With cruell othes tere my body and herte

My sydes and woundes it is a pyteous cace

Alas swete brederne I wolde you conuerte

For to take vengeaunce ye do me coherte

From the hous of swerers shall not be absent

The plage of Iustyce to take punysshement

¶Vnde. Ecclesiastici .xxxiii. Vir multum iurans implebitur iniquitate et non discedet a domo eius plaga.

A man moche swerynge with grete iniquite

Shall be replete and from his mancyon

The plage of vengeaunce shall not cessed be

Wherefore ye brederne full of abusyon

Take ye good hede to this dyscrypcyon

Come nowe to me and axe forgyuenes

And be penytente and haue it douteles

Augustinus....