Hours of the Cross Matins

What follows, esteemed readers, is the “Matins” from an Hours of the Cross taken from the Vernon Manuscript which dates from approximately 1400. The Latin beginnings of all six hours show the state of Latin, both its forms and pronunciation, in 14th century England. The English, according to various sources, comes from the West Midlands.¹ Patris Sapiencia, sive Horae de Cruce Patris sapiencia, veritas diuina deus homo factus est hora matutina, A notis discipulis cito derelictus, A Iudeis traditus, venditus, afflictus. Adoramus te, criste, & benedicimus tibi, Quia per crucem tuam redimisti mundum. [Oremus] D[omi]ne Ihesu criste, fili dei viui, qui pro nobis reis passionem in cruce ad morte pie sustulisti, ob nostram vitam redimendam: In iudicio futuro animabus nostris & in hora mortis nostre succurrere digneris; prestando viuis misericordiam & graciam, defunctis veniam & requiem, ecclesi pacem et concordiam, & peccatoribus vitam & gloriam sempiternam. Qui vivis & regnas deus per omnia secula seculorum. amen. Erliche in þe morwenyng: Ihesu þe Iewes gunne take, His frendes and his disciples: Hedden him sone forsake; Þei blyndfelden him and Boffeteden: and al nigt heold him wake: And al soffrede swete Ihesu: ffor monkunne sake þat sorwe. How may I for-ȝete Ihesu: At Euen or at Mor[w]e? v. Crist, honoured mote þou be, Þat bougtest al þe world on tre! or. Lord Ihesu, godus² sone: þat synful mon wolt not tyne, Bi-twenen vr soules and þi dom: Puttest þe in hard pyne: Þi Cros, þi Deþ now and euere: And at vre endyng-tyme Graunte liuynde³ men: Grace and Merci þyne; To dede, reste and pardoun; To Churche, pes, loue in londe: To sunful, contricioun. v. Cristes passion, heuene kyng, Bring us to blisse þat is wiþ-outen endyng. Vernon Manuscript, 14th century⁴ I shall continue with the Hours of the Cross to the end and then see what else I can find lurking in the middle ages or perhaps late antiquity. Peregrinus Thank you for reading Peregrinus. Subscribed 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 godus = godes: genitive singular God. “-us” genitive is an alternate to “-es” in northern and (north) midlands dialects of ME. 3 -ynde, -inde, -ande, etc. = participle ending (i.e. “-ing”) cf. German. 4 See Horstmann, ed. (1892) pp. 37-8 in Books in the “Reference & Guides” section of the Peregrinus page. © 2024 Peregrinus 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104