God, Our Lady, St. John A thorough prayer

Today’s poetry selection, esteemed readers, comes from the late 14th / early 15th century. The three parts – To God, To oure Lady, and To Seynt Iohn – follow each other in the manuscript and form one prayer rather than three separate poems, per se. I note how God receives takes up the first six lines, followed by six lines for our general state of sinfulness and cry for mercy, followed by six lines each for the Blessed Virgin and John the Baptist. The rhyme scheme of the first six lines, aabccb is repeated in the subsequent six-line groups: ddeffe, gghiih, etc. Also or note are the occasions when a final “-e” needs voicing in order for the metre to sound right.¹ To God God, þat madist al þing of nouȝt And with þi precious blood us bouȝt, Mercy, helpe, and grace! As þou art verry God and Man, And of þi syde þi blood ran, forȝeue us oure trespace! Þe world, oure flesch, þe feend oure fo, Makiþ us mys-þinke, mys-speke, mys-do; Al þus falle in blame Of alle oure synnes lasse and moore, Swete Ihesus, us ruweþ soore; Mercy for þin holy name! To oure Lady Marye, Goddis modir dere, Socoure & help us while we ben here Gouerne, wisse, and rede; As þou art modir, mayden, and wijf. Clense us fro synne and graunte good lijfe, And help us in our need! To Seynt Iohn Seynt Iohn, for grace þou craue Þat of his mercy he wole us saue, As þou nexst hym were boren [on] b[r]este; And whanne we schulden fro hens weende, Thou gete us grace to make good eende, In heuene blis wiþ hym to rest! AMEN. Wheatley Manuscript² Thank you for reading Peregrinus. 1 For unfamiliar vocabulary, please see Middle / Early Modern English Glossary in the “Reference & Guides” section of the Peregrinus page. As ever, please also remember that “þ” = “th” and “ȝ” = “g,” “gh” in the middle of a word; “g,” sometimes “y” at the beginning of a word. 2 See Day, ed. (1921) pp. 73 - 74 in Books in the “Reference & Guides” section of the Peregrinus page. © 2024 Peregrinus 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104