Ormulum admonition to eye-witnesses and victims of prosecution

in a normalised Early Middle English (East Midland dialect c 1200)

Cri_st yaf his a_gen le_fe li_f,

To_ tholen death on ro_de,

For hise posteles, and for the_,

and for al folkes ne_de,

For swa_ to_ le_sen al man`kin,

U_t of the de_feles wa_lde.

and the_ birth folgen Cri_stes slo_th,

and the_ birth willen swelten

For Cri_stes thewes, yif man hem

Al sakleas wile cwellen,

For swa_ to_ cwencen cri_sten`do_m.

and Cri_stes lages dilgen.

Yif that man wile cri_sten`do_m

and Cri_stes name dilgen,

Tha_ birth the_ standen thear on`yean

and weren Cri_stes thewes

and Cri_stes name and cri_sten`do_m,

Hwi_l' that thi_n li_f the_ lasteth.

and for the so_the lufe of Cri_st.

and e_k of Cri_stes thewes;

The_ birth yif that the_ falleth swa_;

Ful bli_theli_ce swelten.

and tha_ thu_ folgest openli_ce;

The la_ferd Cri_stes bisene.

That for man`kines lufe swalt;

Ful bli_theli_ce on ro_de.

and e_k the la_ferd Cri_st at`fleah;

For the_ to_ yefen bisene.

That thu_ miht fle_n. and bergen swa_.

Thi_n li_f with Godes leafe;

and scunen tha_ that willen the_.

Withu_ten gilte cwellen;

Yif thu_ ne miht noht habben ye_t.

Go_d lust, go_d miht, go_d wille.

To_ tholen martirdo_m for Cri_st;

and for the rihte leafe.