Though it may seem illogical to have as the last poem in this collection of mediæval Marian poetry a lyric that is part dialogue, part lullaby, it needs to be pointed out that, according to Woolf (1968:147), there was a space of at least a hundred years between the beginning of devotion to the Christ Child and the appearance of this devotion in vernacular poetry. The lullaby which concludes this selection of mediæval lyrics is contained in what Brown (1924: xvi - xvii) describes as
one of the most important collections of religious lyrics . . .,
that preserved in Joyn Grimestone's Commponplace Book
(Advocates MS.18.7.21)
The only thing known about Grimestone is that he was a Franciscan friar. The poem in question is a summary of events from Christ's Life and a prediction of His Agony on the Cross and His Resurrection. Though it appears to have little intrinsic poetic merit, being written in simple, unadorned language, it betrays a deep compassion and tenderness on the part of the poet for the Holy Child and His Mother.
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE BLESSED VIRGIN AND HER CHILD
Lullay, lullay, la lully, Mid dere moder, lully
Als I lay vp-on a nith As; upon; night
Alone in my longging yearning
Me þoughte i sau a wonder sith thought/ saw/ sight
a maiden rokking rocking
þe maiden wolde with-outen song intended without
Hire child o slepe bringge to coax her; to sleep
þe child þoughte sce d(id)e him wronged
wrong
& bad his moder sengge bade; sing
'Sing nov, moder,' said þat child now
'Wat me sal be-falle 10 will happen to me
Here after wan i cum to eld I grow older
So don modres alle as all mothers do
Ich a moder truele every true mother
þat kan hire credel kepe guard her cradle
is wone to lullen louely is wont to lull sweetly
& singgen hire child (to)o slepe croon to sleep
Swete moder, fair & fre noble
Siþen þat it is so. since that is the case
I preye þe þat þu lulle me I beg that thou lull me
& sing sum-wat þer-to.' 20 something about it.
'Suete sone,' seyde sche, sweet son, said she,
'Wer-offe suld i singge? about what should
Wist i neuere ʒet of þe; never knew more of thee
Beren þu salt Messye". the Messiah; shalt bear
I wondrede michil in my þouth wondered much; mind
for man wold i rith none. 30 I knew no
"Marie", he seide, "drede þe nouth fear thou nothing
Lat god of heuene alone. leave it to Heaven's God
þe holi gost sal don al þis." Holy Spirit; accomplish
He seyde with-outen wone contrary to custom
þat i sulde beren mannis blis should bear mankind's joy
þe my suete sone.
He seide, "þu salt beren a king
In king dauit-is see, in King David's seat
In all Iacobs woniing dwelling
þer king suld he be". 40 there He will be King.'
He seyde pat elizabetz
Pat baraine was be-fore barren
A child conceyued hatʒ - had conceived
"To me leue þu þe more." better to believe
I ansuerede bleþely joyfully
for his word me paizede: pleased me
"Lo! godis seruant her am i!" God's; here
Be et as þu me seyde." Be it done
þer, als he seide, i þe bare there; bore
On midwenter nith, 50 midwinter night
In maydened with-outen care, virginity; labour pangs
Be grace of god almith. by
þe sepperdis þat wakkeden in þe wolde shepherds; down
Herden a wonder mirthe heard; wonderful sound
Of angles þer, as þei tolde, angels there
In time of þi birthe. at the time
Suete sone, sikirly certainly
no more kan i say: I can say no more
& if i koude fawen wold i, I could, I gladly would
to don al at þi pay.' 60 to do all to thy liking.
'Moder,' seid þat suete þing that sweet creature
'To singen I sal þe lere teach
Wat me fallet to suffring, suffering will befall me
& don wil i am here what I have to do here
Wanne þe seuene daizes ben don when seven days are up
Rith as habraham wasce, like Abraham
Kot sal i ben with a ston circumcised
In a wol trende place
Wanne þe tuelue dayzes ben do, when twelve days are up
Be leding of a stere 70 led by a star
þe kingges me sul seke po three kings shall seek me
with gold, ensens, & mirre. frankincense and myrrh
þe fourti day, to fille þe lawe fortieth; fulfil
We solen to temple i-fere; shall go
þer simeon sal þe sey a sawe where; will say something
þat changen sal þi chere change thy colour
Wan i am tuelue ʒer of elde, When; twelve years old
Ioseph & þu, murningge, weeping
Solen me finden, moder milde shall find me
In þe temple techingge. 80 teaching.
Til i be þretti at þe leste thirty at least
I shall neuere fro pe suerue, leave
But ay, ben at þin heste always be at thy behest
Ioseph & þe to serue to serve Joseph and thee
Wan þe þretti ʒer ben spent
I mot be-ginne to fille
Wer-fore i am hidre sent,
þoru my fadres wille.
Ion baptist of merite most John; most deserving
Sal baptize me be name; 90 shall baptise Me by Name
þan my fader & þe holi gost then Father; Holy Spirit
Solen witnessen wat i ame. shall bear witness
I shall be tempted of satan by
þat fawen is to fonde, who is eagerly prepared
þe same wise þat was Adam, the way he did with Adam
but i sal betre with-stonde. better withstand
Disciples i sal gadere gather
& senden hem for to preche, send them forth; preach,
þe lawes of my fader the laws of my Father
In all þis werld to teche. 100 teach
I sal ben so simple unassuming
& to men so conning wise to mankind
þat most partize of þe puple that most people
Sal wiln maken me king.' will desire to make
'Suete sone,' þan seyde sche, she
'No sorwe sulde me dere, no sorrow would hurt me
Miht i ʒet þat day se if I could but see
A king þat þu were.' that thou wert king
'Dowey, moder,' seide þat suete leave it; sweet one
'Perfor kam i nouth, 110 I did not come for that
But for to ben pore & bales bete be poor/ break the bonds
þat man was inne brouth brought into
þerfore wan to & pretti ʒer ben don therefore; thirty-two
& a litel more, and a little more,
Moder, þu salt maken michil mon lament greatly
& seen me deyʒe sore. watch Me die in agony
Pe sarpe swerde of simeon sharp sword of Simeon
Perse sal þin herte shall pierce thy heart
For my care of michil one for my care of many a one
Sore þe sal smerte. 120 sorely shalt thou suffer
Samfuly for i sal deyʒe shamefully
Hangende on þe rode, hanging; cross
For mannis ransoun sal i payʒe to ransom mankind; pay
My owen herte blode.' my own heart's blood
'Allas! sone,' seyde þat may, alas; maiden
'Siþen þat it is so, since this is
Worto sal i biden þat day why must I live till then
To beren þe to þis wo?' to bring; woe
'Moder,' he saide, 'tak et lithe be at ease
For liuen i sal a-ʒeyne, 130 I shall live again
& in þi kinde þoru my mith, in thy nature; power
for elles i wrouthte in weyne. else; have striven; vain
To my fader I sal wende go
In myn manhed to heuene; in My Human Nature
þe holi gost sal þe sende the Holy Spirit
With hise sondes seuene. seven gifts.
I sal þe taken wan time is fetch; in due course
To me at þe laste, to Me in the end
to ben with me moder in blis-
Al þis þan haue i caste. 140 predicted
Al þis werld demen i sal world; judge
at þe dom risingge, resurrection
Suete moder, here is al
þat i wile nou singge.'
Sertynly, þis sithe i say certainly; sight I saw
þis song i herde singge, I heard being sung
Als i lay þis zolis-day Christmas Day.
Alone in my longingge. yearning.
The poet's repetition of his being alone in (his) longingge (2;148) emphasises the pangs of loneliness experienced by himself particularly at Christmas, the family feast, since the poem is the fruit of a Christmas meditation. The tenderness of the relationship between Jesus and Mary is emphasised by the repetitive use of the word suete (17;20) in their address to one another. The poem is a lengthy one, which may have been written as part of a Christmas production.
Perhaps Grimestone, being a Franciscan friar, was attempting to enkindle devotion to the Christ Child, as it is St Francis of Assisi who is believed to have introduced the Christmas crib into the Catholic Church, and who in the Franciscan Order which he founded introduced a spirituality which, while it preached spiritual and material poverty and asceticism as ideals for which to strive, is unsparing in warmth, kindness and spontaneity.
Dr Luky Whittle
Image by Catherine Nicolette
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