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English fragments from Latin medieval service-books

From the Marriage Service.

Reading edition

1I aske þe banes betwen I de B and A de C. ȝif any man or woman kan sey or put any lettenge of sybrede, wherfor they may not, ne owght not, to come togedere be lawe of holy chirche, do vs to wete.

2Lo, syres, we been her gadered togedere befor god and alle his aungelis and his seyntis, in þe sith of holi cherche, to knette togedere two bodies, that is to sey, þis man and þis woman, to þis ende, þat fro{m} þis tyme forward þei moste be o flesch, and two sowles in þe feith and in þe lawe of god, to deserue togedere euer lastyng lyf in amendement of that þat þei haue do amys herbefore: wherfor I amones ȝow alle, that, ȝif þer be any of ȝow þat knowe any lawful lettyng whi þis man and þis woma{n} mai not be wedded togedere lawfulli, þat now he sey and knowliche it.

Also I charge ȝow, bothe man and woman, þat ȝif ony of ȝow haue made any contract p{r}iuyli 3before þis tyme, or any avow mad, or ony other cause knowe, whi þat ȝe mai not come to-gedere lawfulli, now knowliche it.

N. Wiltow haue þis woman to þin wyf, and loue here, and worshipe here, and holde hire, and kepe here in seknes and in hele, as an hosbonde owyth to his wif, and alle oþer women to forsaken for hire, and only to drawe to hire as longe as ȝowre bothe lyues to ged{er}e lasten?

4N. Wiltow haue þis man to þin housbonde, to been buxum to hym, and serue hym, and loue hym, and worschipe hym, and kepe hym in syknes and in hele, as a wif owith to do here housbonde, and alle oþer men forsaken for hym, and only to drawe to hym as longe as ȝowre bothyn lyues to-gedere lasten?

I .N. take the N. to myn wedded wyf, to haue and to holde from þis day forward, for beter, for wers, for richere, for porere, for fayrere, for fowlere, in seknes and in helthe, til deth vs departe, ȝif holy chirche it wil ordeyne: and therto I plithe þe myn trewthe.

I .N. take the N, to myn weddid housbonde, to haue and to holde from þis day forward, for beter, for wers, for richer, for porere, for fayrere, for fowlere, in seknes and in hele, to be boner and buxu{m}, 5as a wyf owyd to hur husb[an]dd,5 til deth vs departe, as holi cherche it 5wil5 ordeyne: and therto i plith the myn trowthe.

6With þis ryng I þe wedde, and þis gold and siluer I þe ȝeue, and with al myn bodi I the worschepe, and with al myn wordlich catel I the honowre.

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