Anonymous. Pearl
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'If I þis mote þe schal vnhyde,
Bow vp towarde þys borne3 heued,
And I anende3 þe on þis syde
Schal sve, tyl þou to a hil be veued.'
Þen wolde I no lenger byde,
Bot lurked by launce3 so lufly leued,
Tyl on a hyl þat I asspyed
And blusched on þe burghe, as I forth dreued,
By3onde þe brok fro me warde keued,
Þat schyrrer þen sunne wyth schafte3 schon.
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In þe Apokalypce is þe fasoun preued,
As deuyse3 hit þe apostel Jhon.
As John þe apostel hit sy3 wyth sy3t,
I sy3e þat cyty of gret renoun,
Jerusalem so nwe and ryally dy3t,
As hit was ly3t fro þe heuen adoun.
Þe bor3 wat3 al of brende golde bry3t
As glemande glas burnist broun,
Wyth gentyl gemme3 an-vnder py3t
Wyth bantele3 twelue on basyng boun,
Þe foundemente3 twelue of riche tenoun;
Vch tabelment wat3 a serlype3 ston;
As derely deuyse3 þis ilk toun
In Apocalyppe3 þe apostel John.
As John þise stone3 in writ con nemme,
I knew þe name after his tale:
Jasper hy3t þe fyrst gemme
Þat I on þe fyrst basse con wale:
He glente grene in þe lowest hemme;
Saffer helde þe secounde stale;
Þe calsydoyne þenne wythouten wemme
In þe þryd table con purly pale;
Þe emerade þe furþe so grene of scale;
Þe sardonyse þe fyfþe ston;
Þe sexte þe rybé he con hit wale
In þe Apocalyppce, þe apostel John.
3et joyned John þe crysolyt
Þe seuenþe gemme in fundament;
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Þe a3tþe þe beryl cler and quyt;
Þe topasye twynne-hew þe nente endent;
Þe crysopase þe tenþe is ty3t;
Þe jacynght þe enleuenþe gent;
Þe twelfþe, þe gentyleste in vch a plyt,
Þe amatyst purpre wyth ynde blente;
Þe wal abof þe bantels bent
O jasporye, as glas þat glysnande schon;
I knew hit by his deuysement
In þe Apocalyppe3, þe apostel John.
As John deuysed 3et sa3 I þare:
Þise twelue degres wern brode and stayre;
Þe cyté stod abof ful sware,
As longe as brode as hy3e ful fayre;
Þe strete3 of golde as glasse al bare,
Þe wal of jasper þat glent as glayre;
Þe wone3 wythinne enurned ware
Wyth alle kynne3 perré þat mo3t repayre.
Þenne helde vch sware of þis manayre
Twelue forlonge space, er euer hit fon,
Of he3t, of brede, of lenþe to cayre,
For meten hit sy3 þe apostel John.