Chapter 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