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Jeninium Quatuor Temporum
Par Élodie MONTEAU
Publication en ligne le 28 février 2013
Texte intégral
1/192r/ The quater temper shall be þis weke called þe ymbre dayes, Wednysday, Fryday and Satirday, which dayes kalixte þe [pope of Rome] ordeynd by a generall councell to be fasted iiij tymes in þe yere, for certeyn causes and resons folowyng. Holy ffadirs in þe olde lawe they fasted iiij tymes in þe yere ageyns iiij high festis. And what caused and moved þe holy ffadir [pope] of Rome kalixte to make vs fast iiij tymes in þe yere. First in Marche or ny by þat tyme, þe first Wednesday of clene Lent, and þat tyme abowte marche is a tyme þat dryeth
2/192v/ þe erth and all þat is in þe erth. Wherefore, we fast þat tyme to drye vp the erth of our bodyes, þe superflue humoris þat be noyeus to the body and more to þe soule. For þat tyme, þe humoris of fflesshly lustis and carnall desyres and concupiscens encresith more in a man þan any tyme in þe yere. Also was fast in Witson weke, þat we may [haue] grace of þe holy goste to lyfe in perfite charytee, to love God principally and our even cristen as ourself aftir Goddis precept. And for to haue mekenes in our hertis and clerely to putte away all pryde, wrath and envy þat oft reynyth in man kynd, we fast also betwix harvest and sede tyme, þe Wednysday aftir þe exaltacion of þe holy crosse, in þe moneth of Septembre aftir harvest, þat we may haue grace to gaddir frutes of God into þe barne of our conscience. And bi example of gode lyving to sowe þem ageyn with vertuous vsyng amongis þem þat we may be conuersaunt with bothe to pore and to ryche. Also we ffast in Aduent þe Wednysday aftir Seint Luce in Decembre, biforn Cristemas and þat is in winter. Wynter sleeth all vntristy, wedis and noyus, therefore we fast þat tyme to slee and distroye all stinking wedis of vycious lyving which hathe grounded in vs be custom of syn. Which synne causeth and maketh aungellis and gode men to withdrawe from vs and fle our ffelyship, ffor riȝt as nettlis and wastefull wedis brenne and distroye swete smellyng roses and gode erbis þat be nye þem, right so a vycious man or a woman stirrith on ffyre them þat be in their company to synne and wrecchednes. For þese iiij causes, we fast iiij tymes in þe yere at euery tyme iij dayes, Wednesday, Fryday and Satirday. And þat signifieþ iij speciall vertues þat helpith man to grace, silirus : oracionem, jeinnium et elemosinam, þat is to sey, prayer, ffasting and almus
3/193r/ dede. Aftir þe opynyon of many men and diuerse cuntreys speche, these quatuor temporum be called ymber dayes. Cause whi is þis ? Olde ffadirs on tho dayes whan þei shulde ffast, þei wolde ete cakes þat were bake vndir þe asshes in þe ymbirs. And þat was callid panis subciuericius, þat is to sey brede vndis asshes. So þat in etyng of bake brede vndir asshes in þe ymbres, þei remembrid þat þei were but asshes, and þei shuld to asshes torne ageyn. And so bi þat remembraunce, thinking vpon þeir deth, þei putte away all delytis of delicius metis and drinkis, and had but esy and sustinaunce, no more þan nedid þem. And so shulde euery man doo schewe more abstinence þo dayes þan oþir. And all þo þat be of lawfull [age] be bounde to fast þose iij dayes. Et cetera.