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Copyright, 1921

THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

URBANA, ILLINOIS

The Collegiate Press GEORGE BANTA PUBLISHING COMPANY

MENASHA, WIS.

THE ALLEGORY OF THE PEARL

A fitting subtitle for the Pearl would be Paradise Regained. The poet declares how that which Adam lost the Christian may recover. The blood and water which flowed from Christ's wounds, and still mystically flow in the wine of communion and the water of baptism, have washed away all impediments between mankind and its forfeited bliss.

'Inoje is knawen þat mankyn grete
Fyrste wat; wro;t to blysse parfyt;
Oure forme fader hit con forfete
þur; an apple þat he vpon con byte;
Al wer we dampned for þat mete
To dyje in doel out of delyt,
& sypen wende to helle hete,
perinne to won wythoute respyt.
Bot per oncom a bote as-tyt;
Ryche blod ran on rode so roghe,
& wynne water pen at þat plyt;
pe grace of God wex gret innoghe.

'Innoghe per wax out of þat welle,
Blod & water of brode wounde:
pe blod vus boat fro bale of helle,
& delyvered vus of þe deth secounde;
pe water is baptem, þe sope to telle,
pat foljed pe glayue so grymly grounde,
pat wasche; away þe gylte; felle
pat Adam wyth inne deth vus drounde.
Now is per not in þe worlde rounde

Bytwene vus & blysse bot þat he wythdro},

& þat is restored in sely stounde,

& be grace of God is gret innogh.'

Man is made one in body and spirit with Christ.

'Of courtaysye, as sayt; Saynt Paule,

Al arn we membre; of Jesu Kryst;

As heued & arme & legg & naule

Temen to hys body ful trwe & tyste,

Ryst so is vch a Krysten sawle

A longande lym to be Mayster of myste."

1 Stanzas liv-lv.

LIBRAR

'Il. 457-462. Obviously, the poet means that we are attached in all our parts-extremities and middle, or "navel"-to the divine body. Osgood (ed. Pearl, Boston, 1906, note to l. 459) renders "naule" as "nail," declaring "navel"

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