Ormulum admonition to soldiers
in a normalised Early Middle English (East Midland dialect c 1200)
view original textand e_k thear co_men to the flum
The keyserkinges cnihtes
Til Sanct Iohan to fraynen him
Of theyre sa_wele ne_de
and Sanct Iohan hem sayde thus
Yif that ye_ wel yow lo_ken
fra_ clake and sake and fra_ that toth
That folgeth yi_fernesse
That ho_leth on the la_ge folk
and ri_peth hem and reafeth
and yif ye_ tellen for i`no_h
That that the king yow fi_ndeth
Tha_ muge ye_ thurh cleane li_f
Wel helpen yowre sa_weles
He_r he_ for`bead the cnihtes e_k
To_ folgen yi_fernesse
To_ se_cen sakes on the folk
To_ ri_pen hem and reafen
For yi_fernesse is heafed pliht
and folgeth Helles bisene
For helle`pit nis neafere ful
Ne yi_fernesse nowther
For hwa_ se it is that gre_diy is
and yi_fer after ahte
Ay als he_ ma_re and ma_re gete
Ay liste him after ma_re
and noht ne may he_ werthen ful
To_ winnen erthlic ahte
Na_ ma_r' than Helle may be_n ful
To_ swelgen mennes sa_weles
The cnihtes wearen weapened folk
To_ fihten for the le_de
To_ weren hem with wither the_d
That wolde hem ofer`gangen
and yif they hafden leafe til
Al after theyre wille
To_ taken of the la_ge`le_d
That that they scolden nit`ten
They munden fo_n at ofer`do_n
thurh sinnful yi_fernesse
and for thi_ fa_nd hem theyre king
Al that they scolden nit`ten
That they ne scolden noht the folk
thurh yi_fernesse ri_pen
and for thi_ bad hem Sanct Iohan
For`bu_gen yi_fernesse
and leaten i`hwilc o_ther man
Wel bru_ken al his a_gen