[MR] Merry Christmas

[Geffrei Maudeleyne]

And it was don in tho daies, a maundement wente out fro the emperour August,
that al the world schulde be discryued. This firste discryuyng was maad of
Cyryn, iustice of Sirie. And alle men wenten to make professioun, ech in to
his owne citee.  And Joseph wente vp fro Galilee, fro the citee Nazareth, in
to Judee, in to a citee of Dauid, that is clepid Bethleem, for that he was
of the hous and of the meyne of Dauid, that he schulde knouleche with Marie,
his wijf, that was weddid to hym, and was greet with child. And it was don,
while thei weren there, the daies weren fulfillid, that sche schulde bere
child. And sche bare hir first borun sone, and wlappide hym in clothis, and
leide hym in a cratche, for ther was no place to hym in no chaumbir. And
scheepherdis weren in the same cuntre, wakynge and kepynge the watchis of
the nyyt on her flok. And lo! the aungel of the Lord stood bisidis hem, and
the cleernesse of God schinede aboute hem; and thei dredden with greet
drede. And the aungel seide to hem, Nyle ye drede; for lo! Y preche to you a
greet ioye, that schal be to al puple. For a sauyoure is borun to dai to
you, that is Crist the Lord, in the citee of Dauid. And this is a tokene to
you; ye schulen fynde a yong child wlappid in clothis, and leid in a
cratche. And sudenli ther was maad with the aungel a multitude of heuenli
knyythod, heriynge God, and seiynge, Glorie be in the hiyeste thingis to
God, and in erthe pees be to men of good wille. And it was don, as the
aungelis passiden awei fro hem in to heuene, the scheephirdis spaken
togider, and seiden, Go we ouer to Bethleem, and se we this word that is
maad, which the Lord hath maad, and schewide to vs. And thei hiyynge camen,
and founden Marie and Joseph, and the yong child leid in a cratche. And thei
seynge, knewen of the word that was seid to hem of this child. And alle men
that herden wondriden, and of these thingis that weren seid to hem of the
scheephirdis. But Marie kepte alle these wordis, berynge togider in hir
herte. And the scheepherdis turneden ayen, glorifyinge and heriynge God in
alle thingis that thei hadden herd and seyn, as it was seid to hem. And
aftir that the eiyte daies weren endid, that the child schulde be
circumcided, his name was clepid Jhesus, which was clepid of the aungel,
bifor that he was conceyued in the wombe. And aftir that the daies of the
purgacioun of Marie weren fulfillid, aftir Moyses lawe, thei token hym into
Jerusalem, to offre hym to the Lord, as it is writun in the lawe of the
Lord, For euery male kynde openynge the wombe, schal be clepid holi to the
Lord; and that thei schulen yyue an offryng, aftir that it is seid in the
lawe of the Lord, A peire of turturis, or twei culuer briddis.

 

Text: Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, Middle English from John Wycliffe's Bible
1348-9