<B CMMIRK>
<Q M3/4 IR SERM MIRK>
<N FESTIAL>
<A MIRK JOHN>
<C M3/4>
<O 1350-1420>
<M 1420-1500>
<K NON-CONTEMP>
<D WMO>
<V PROSE>
<T SERMON>
<G X>
<F X>
<W X>
<X MALE>
<Y X>
<H PROF>
<U X>
<E X>
<J X>
<I X>
<Z INSTR REL>
<S SAMPLE X>


[^MIRK, JOHN.
MIRK'S FESTIAL: A COLLECTION OF HOMILIES,
BY JOHANNES MIRKUS (JOHN MIRK), PART I.
EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY, E.S. 96.
ED. T. ERBE. 
LONDON, 1905. 
PP. 1.4  - 5.36  (1) 
PP. 82.9 - 85.10 (19)^]

<P 1>
[} [\1.\] }]
[}ADVENT SONDAY.}]
   Good men and woymen, +tys day, as +ge knowen well, ys cleped
Sonenday yn +te Aduent; +tat ys, +te Sonenday of Cristys        #
comyng.
Wherfor +tys day holy chyrch makyth mencyon of two comyngys
of Crist, Godys sonne, ynto +tys world, forto by mankind out
of +te deueles bondage, and to bryng hym and weldoers to +te
blys +tat euer schall last. And his o+ter comyng, +tat schall   #
be
at +te day of dome, forto deme all wikytdoers ynto +te pyt of
hell for euermor. But +te for[{m{]e comyng of Cryst ynto +tys   #
world
broght ioy and blysse wyth hym; +terfor holy chyrch vsyth
summe songes of melody, as Alleluja and o+ter. And for +te      #
comyng
of Cryst to +te dome schall be so jrus and so cruell, +tat
no tong may tell, +terfor holy chirch layth downe sum songes
of melody as: (\'Te Deum laudamus,' 'Gloria in excelsis,'\) and
'Weddyng.' For aftyr +tat day schall weddyng neuer be. +Tus
holy chirche lay+te downe songys of melody befor, yn tokenyng
of vengans +tat woll come aftyr.
   Then of +te fyrst comyng of Cryst into +tys world, +tus      #
sayth
Seynt Austyne: '+Ter ben +tre +tyngys +tat ben ryuet yn +tys
world: burth, trauell, and de+te.' +Tys ys +te testament +tat
Adam, our formast fadyr, made to all his ospryng aftyr hym,     #
+tat
ys: forto be borne yn sekenes, forto lyuen yn trauayle, and     #
forto
dye yn drede. But Crist - blessyt most he be! - he come forto
be executure of +tys testament: and was borne, and trauayld,
and dyet. He was borne to bryng man out of sekenes ynto
euerlastyng hele; he trauaylde forto bryng man ynto euerlastyng
<P 2>
reste; he was ded forto bryng man ynto +te lyfe +tat
neuer schall haue ende. +Tys was +te cause of Crystys fyrst     #
comyng
ynto +tys world. Wherfor he +tat wyll scape +te dome +tat he
wyll come to at +te second comyng, he most lay downe all maner
of pride and heynes of hert, and know hymselfe +tat he ys not
but a wryche and slyme of erth, and soo hold mekenes yn his
hert. He most trauayl his body yn good werkes, and gete his
lyfe wyth swynke, and put away all ydylnes and slewth. For
he +tat wyll not trauayle here wyth men, as Seynt Barnard
sayth, he schall trauayle ay wyth +te fendes of hell. And for
dred of deth he mot make hym redy to his God, when he woll
send aftyr hym, +tat ys: schryuen of his synnys, and allway
kepe his concyens clene not forto abyde from lenton to lenton,
but as sone as he fele+te +tat he hath synnet, anoon goo        #
schryue
hym, and mekly take +te dome of his schryft-fadyr: +ten schall
he haue yn +te day of dome gret remedy and worschip. For
ryght as a knyght scheweth +te wondys +tat he ha+te yn batayle,
yn moche comendyng to hym; ryght so all +te synnys +tat
a man hath schryuen hym of, and taken hys penans for, schull
be +ter yschewet yn moch honowre to hym, and moche confucyon
to +te fende. And +tose +tat haue not schryuen hom, hit schall  #
be
schowet to all +te world yn gret confusyon and schenschyp. +Tys
ys sayde for +te fyrst commyng of Cryst ynto +tys world.
   The secunde comyng of hym to +te dome schall so cruell be,
and ferdfull, and horrybull, +tat +ter schal com befor xv       #
dayes of
gret drede; so by +te drede of +tes dayes +tat comen befor, a   #
man
may know aparty the horobylyte +tat schall be yn +te dome, +tat
comyth aftyr.
   The fyrst day, as Saynt Jerom sayth, +te see schall aryse
vp yn hyr styd, soo +tat +te watyr schall be hear then ayny     #
hyll,
by xl=ti= cubytys, stondyng styll yn her styd, as hit wer a     #
wall.
   The ij. day hit schall fall downe, so +tat vnne+te hit       #
schall be
yseyne.
   The iij. day +te seeswyne and +te cloppys of +te see schull
<P 3>
stond on +te see and make roryng noyse so hyddous, +tat no man
can tell hit but God hymselfe.
   The iiij. day +te see and all watyrs schull bren.
   The v. day treus and herbys schull swete blode, and all
fowles schull come togedyr and no+ter ete ne drynke for ferd of
+te dome comyng.
   The vj. day all byldyngys and castelles schull fall adowne   #
to
+te grownde, and an horrybull fyre schall aryse at +te sonne    #
goyng
downe, and +ten a+geyne at +te vprysyng of hym.
   The vij. day all stons and rockes schull vche all tobeton    #
o+ter
wyth a hydwes noyse, whech noyse God hymselfe schall know
and vndyrstond.
   The viij. day +te er+te schall quake so horribuly, +tat no   #
best
schall stond on hit, but all schall fal to +te grownd.
   The ix. day all hyllys and mowntaynys schull turne ynto
powdyr, and +te er+te schall be made playne and euen.
   The x. day men schull goo out of hur dennys +ter +tay daret
for drede so amated for fer, +tat non schall speke to o+ter.
   The xj. day all +te bones of +te ded men schull ryse and     #
stond
vp on hor graues, and +tat day all graues schull opyn.
   The xij. day sterres schull fall from heuen and spred out of
hom brennyng lemes.
   The xiij. day all men schull be redy to aryse +tat haue ben
ded befor.
   The xiiij. day heuen and er+te schull bren so horrybly, +tat
no man may tell hit.
   The xv. day heuen and er+t schull be made newe, and all men
and woymen and childyrne schull aryse vp yn +te age of xxx=ti=
+gere and come to +te dome.
   Then schal Ihesu Crist, veray God and man, come to +te
dome, and al seyntys wyth hym, and schow all his wondys all
fresch, and newe, and bledyng, as +tat day +tat he deyet on +te
crosse. And +ter +te crosse schall be schewet all blody, and    #
all
o+ter ynstrumentys of his passyon. Then sory may +tay be +tat
haue ben wont to swer by his hert, by sydes, by blod and bones
of hym; +tat schall be to hym a hygh fure and a hygh confusyon,
but +tay wer sory +terof befor.
<P 4>
   Then schall Cryst heghly +tonke hom, and prayse hom +tat han
don mercy to hor euen-cristyn, and schall say +tus to hom: 'My
fadyrs blessyd chyldyrne come+te ynto +te joy +tat euer schall  #
last.
For when I was hongry, +ge fedden me; when I was thursty, +ge
gaf me dryngke; when I was naket, +ge clo+tet me; when I was
herberles, +ge herbert me; when I was seke, +ge vyset me;       #
+gevyng
me +tat +tat was nedfull to me; when I was yn pryson, +ge come  #
to
me and confortet me. For when +ge dyddyn +tus for my loue, +ge
dydden hyt to me and as moche +tonke I kan you for +tat +ge
dydden to +te lest of myn, as +ge hadden don hit to myn owne
selfe; wherfor goo +ge now ynto +tat ioye +tat euer schall      #
last.'
   Then schall he horrubly rebuken ryche men +tat han don no
mercy, and say to hom spytwysly +tus: 'Goo +ge curset lystes
ynto +te payne of helle, for +ge hadden ynogh wherof to haue    #
fed
me and my seruantys, and +geue me dryngke, yclo+tet me, and
herbert me, and holpen me yn my sekenes, and vyset me yn my
dyses, and +ge wold not, but louet your good and not me.        #
Wherfor
goo +ge now ynto +te fyre of helle +tat ys ordeynt to +te       #
fendys
of hell wythout any mercy; for +ge wold do no mercy, and        #
+terfor +ge
schull haue no mercy.'
   Then woo schall be to hom +tat schall here +tys rebuke yn    #
+tat
day; +ter schall no pleder helpe, ne gold, ne syluyr, ne othyr
yftes; but as a man hath don, he schall haue. He schall haue
accusars aboue hym, wythyn hym, on aythyr syde hym, and vndyr
hym, +tat he schall no way scape. Aboue hym schall be Crist his
domes-man so wro+te, +tat no tong con tell, for he dyt no       #
mercy;
wythyn hym his on concyens accusyng hym of +te lest +toght +tat
euer he dyd amys; hys angyll on +tat on syde tellyng hym redely
wher and how oft he ha+te don amys; on +tat o+ter syde fendes
chalenchyng hym horres as by ryght; vndyr hym helle +geonyng,
and galpyng, and spyttyng fyre and stench forto swolon hym
ynto +te payne +tat neuer schall haue ende.
   Thys, good men, +ge schull know well +tat yn +te day of dome
pore men schull be domes-men wyth Cryst, and dome +te ryche.
For all +te woo +tat pore men hauen, hit ys by +te ryche men;
<P 5>
and +togh +tay haue moche wrong, +tay may not gete amendes,
tyll +tay come to +tat dome; and +ter +tay schall haue all hor  #
one
lust of hom. For when +tay haue wrong, and mow gete non
amendys, +ten +tay pray ful hertely to God forto qwyt hom yn
+te day of dome; and woll he truly. For +tus he sayth by his
profyt: 'Kepytt your veniauns to me, and I wyll qwyt you.'
Wherfor, syrs, for Goddys loue, whyll +ge byn here, makyth
amendes for your mys-dedys, and maky+te hom your frendes
+tat schall be our domes-men, and tryst +ge not to hom +tat     #
schall
com aftyr you, lest +ge ben deseyuet, and dredyth +te payne of  #
hell
+tat schall last wythouten any ende.
   Seynt Bede telle+te +tat +ter was a husbond-man here yn      #
Englond
+tat fell seke, and lay as for ded from +te euentyde tyll +te   #
morow.
+Ten aros he, and departed his gedys yn +tre partyes, and his   #
partye
he gaf to pore men, and +gede and was made a monke yn an abbay
+tat stod by a watyr syde. Ynto +te whech watyr ych nyght he    #
+gede
yn, wer hyt neuer soo coold forste, and stod ther long tyme of  #
+te
nyght. And when he was asket, why he put hymselfe ynto so
moche penaunce, he vnswered: 'Forto eschoyn +te more payne
+tat I haue seyn,' and ete barly-bred, and dranke watyr all his
lyfe aftyr. And he wold tell to relygyous men +te payne +tat he
segh, +tat was soo gret, +tat he cowthe not tel hit openly. He
sayde +tat an angyll lad hym ynto a place +tat on +te toon syde
was suche a colde, that no tong myght tell +te payne +terof;    #
and
on +tat o+ter syde was suche a hete, +tat no man myght tell +te
payne +terof, ny of +te hete: and sowles wern cast out of +tat  #
won
into +te to+ter. And so +tat angyll schewet hym +te fyre +tat   #
come
out at +te mow+te, +tat was +te fyre of hell; +tat was so       #
hote, +tat als
ferre as he myght seen hit, hym +toght he brennet for hete. And
yn +te lees +terof he segh sowles bulmyng vp and don, cryyng
horrybuly, and a noyse of fendes cryyng: 'Sle, sle, sle, sle,   #
sle,
sle, opon +te broche, rost hote, cast ynto +te cawdren, sethe   #
fast
yn pyche, and cood, and brymston, and hot leed!' +Tus +tay +tat
ben dampnet to hell, +tay styntyn neuer to cry and +gelle: 'Woo
ys hym +tat +tedyr schall goo.' God hymselfe scheld vs +terfro,
and bryng vs to +te blys he boght vs to. Amen. 


<P 82>
[} [\19.\] }]
[} (\DE DOMINICA IN QUADRAGESIMA SERMO BREUIS.\) }]
   Good men and woymen, +tys day ys called in holy chyrch
Sonday yn Quadragesin. +Ten ys quadragesin a nowmbur of
fourty; for fro +tis day to Astyr ben forty dayes +tat byth     #
+te te+tedayes
of +te +gere. And for ych man dothe forfet more o+ter las,
+terfor, forto make satysfaccyon for +tat gylt, yche man ys     #
holden
by +te lawe of holy chyrch to fast +tes fourty dayes, outtaken  #
hom
+tat +te lawe dyspensyth wyth for nede. That ben chyldyr wythyn
xxi +gere, woymen wyth chyld, old men passed age and myghtles
to fast, pylgrymys, and seke, and pore, and +tes +tat labryn    #
sore
fore hor lyuelod: +tus +te lawe dyspensyth wyth apon hore
concyens. +Ten for bycause +tat Sonday ys no day of fastyng,
+terfor +ge schull begyn your fast at Aske-Wanysday, and +tat   #
day
com to holy chyrche, and take askes at +te prestys hond, and    #
ber
forth in your hert +tat he sayth to you, when he layth askes on
your hedys. +Ten he saythe +tus: 'Man, thynke +tat +tou art but
eskys, and to eskys +tou schalt a+geyne turne.' +Ten byn +ter   #
+tre
dyuerse skylles why +ge schull fast +tes fourty dayes.
   On ys, bycause as +te gospell of +tys day telly+te, how      #
+tat +te
Holy Gost lad our Lord ynto desert +tat was bytwyx Ierusalem
and Ieryco, forto be temptyd of +te fende. And was +ter fourty
dayes and so mony nyghtys fastyng for our loue, schouyng to vs
and all cristen men and pepull +te uertu and +te mede +tat      #
comyth
of fastyng; +te wheche uertu and mede ben expressed yn +te
<P 83>
preface yn +te masse +tat ys sayde in holy chyrche +tes fourty  #
dayes.
Ther ys sayde +tus: '+Te bodely fast +trostys don vysis, and    #
lyfty+te
manys hert to God, and +gevyth hym vertu and mede; hit +geuyth
hym mede in Heuen +tat euer schall last, and uertu yn er+te     #
gret.'
For, as clerkys telly+te and techyth, for +te spolde of a       #
fasting man
may sle any eddyr bodyly. Then, moche mor, he schall sle +te    #
myght
of +te deuyll, +tat ys +te old eddyr, +te fende of hell, +tat   #
come to Eue
yn paradyce in lyckenes of an eddyr, forto tempt hur of         #
gloteny,
of vayne glory, and of couetyce. Ryght so he come to Crist yn
lykenes of a man, lest he had ben knowyn, and temptyd hym of
+tat same synne. Thus, as +te gospell telly+te, when Crist had  #
fast so
long, and was by kynd of manhed anhongred, +te fende come to
hym, and schewed hym stonys, and sayde: 'Yf +tou be Godys
sonne, make +tes stonys brede'; +tat ryght as Eue, when scho    #
sygh
+te appull, was raght forto ete +terof, ryght so he had hope    #
forto
haue made Crist, and so by gloteny haue eten of +te brede: for
gloteny ys not yn a manys mete, but yn foule appetyte. +Ten
sayd Crist to hym: 'A man schall not only lyue by bred; but
yche word +tat go+te out of Godys mow+te.' +Ten +te fende toke
Crist, and set hym on a pynacull on +te tempull, and sayde: 'Yf
+tou be God sonne, bryng +tyselfe downe wythout monys helpe,    #
+tat
I may know +te for Godys sonne.' Then sayde Crist: 'Tou schalt
not tempte God, +ty Lorde.' +get, +te +tryd tyme, he toke hym,  #
and
set hym on a hegh hulle, and schewed hym all +te kyndomes of    #
+te
world by takyng, and all +te ioyes of hom. And when he had all
told hym, he sayd +tus to hym: 'All +tes I woll +geue +te, so   #
+tat
+tou wolt fall don to +te er+te and worschyp me.' Then he       #
vnswared
and sayde: 'Goo on bak, Sathan, hit ys wryttyn: +tou schalt
worschyp +ty Lord God, and only serve hym.' +Ten +te fende      #
lafte
hym, and angelys comyn, and broghten hym mete.
   Then, for +te fende ys most bysy forto make yche man to gylt
yn +tes +tre synnes, most +tes fourty dayes, +terfor you        #
nedythe +tre
helpys a+geynys hom; +tat ben +tese: a+geynys gloteny,          #
abstynens;
a+geynys pryde, mekenes; a+geynes couetyse, largenes. Then      #
a+geyne
gloteny +ge most fast, +tat ys, not ete befor tyme; but abyde   #
tyll
none of +te daye. And when +ge byn at your mete, ete +ge not
<P 84>
frechudly, no more +ten ano+ter tyme, ny sytte for lust no      #
lengyr
+ten ano+ter day, and be+te well war +tat +ge fast, bo+te day   #
and nyght,
as Crist dude. Ther byth mony +tat fastyn +te day at on mele;
but +tay wyll sytte moche of +te nyght, and drynke, and soo     #
full
hor wombe wyth drynke as well as wyth mete; and +tay +tat don
so, don gloteny. And also +ge most fast from all maner flesch
mete and whyt-mete; for as Ierom says: 'Eggys and chese byn
molton flesche, and mylke ys wyth blod.' And forto shew         #
ensampull
of holy chyrch, takyth hede on +te prest +tat go+te to
masse, +tat ys, to Godys bord, how he at hys bygynnyng bow+te   #
his
knees to God, and byddy+te all o+ter do soo; and also, at +te   #
end
of hys masse, he byddu+te all men bow herre hedys to God. So do
+ge when +ge gon to your Lord: furst worschip +ge God wyt a     #
Pater
Noster and an Aue o+ter mo, as your deuocyon ys, and maketh
a crosse on your mete, and aftyr mete +tonkyth God wyth ano+ter
Pater Noster and an Aue, +tat euer sendyth you mete at your 
nede. +Tus +ge schull a+geynes gloteny.
   And a+geyn vayn glory +tat ys yn mannys hert, +ge most fast
wythyn-forth gostly. +ge schull put away all euell +toghtes of
heghnes, and haue +toghtys of lones. +Tenky+te how a man ys
borne febull, and seke, and naked, and pore; and how he go+te
yche day a journay toward his deth, woll he, nyll he; and how
+tat, at +te last, dethe comy+te and casty+te hym downe seke    #
yn hys 
bed, gronyng and sykyng, and sone casty+te vp hys mete and hys
drynke, and turnet hyde and hew; and how his brethe stinkyth,
hys lyppys wexyn blew, hys face pale, hys een +golow, hys       #
mow+te
fro+tys: and so, at +te last, wyth depe +goskyng +geldyth vp    #
+te gost.
Then lythe +ter but a stynkyng stoke of +gerthe, and ys hyed    #
to be
putte ynto +te er+te, and laft +ter, and sone for+getyn. Hold   #
+tys yn
your mynd; and I hope +tys schall put away pryde.
   A+geynes couetyse +ge schull fast wythyn and wythout.        #
Wythyn:
for oure bysy +toghtys of wo[{r{]ldys occupacyon and of         #
hardnes, to
hold good a+geynes Godys byddyng. Also wythout: your hondys
+tat han ben ay redy forto take, now +ge schull make hom redy
forto reche +te pore mete, and drynke, and +tat +tay han nede
to; for +te hondys be not wor+ty to heue vp to God, +tat be not
wont to reche +te pore mete. And +ti[{l{]ke folke +tat han ben  #
bysy
erly and late to walke aboute worldely good, now schuld be
<P 85>
bysy, alsoo, to vyset pore and seke, and goo on pylgrymage, and
goo to +te chyrch, to here Godys seruyce. And +ge +tat ha+te    #
before
fast for chynchnes, now schall spare on hys mou+te, to +geue    #
suche
+tat haue nede. Thys fast plesyth God more and helpeth +te      #
soule
hegly; for ryght as watyr quenchyth fyre, ryght so almys-dede
quenchyth synne. Wherfor +te profyt sayth +tus: '+geue allmes,
and all +tyng schall be clene to you, soo +tat hyt be +geuen    #
wyth
good wyll.' But, mor harme ys, +ter byn mony +tat han mor lust
to fede hor owne bodyes wyth lusty metys, and drynkes, and
daynte+ts, +ten forto +geue a pore man a schyue of bred.   



