Page:Alexander and Dindimus (Skeat 1878).djvu/69

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VARIOUS LIMBS DEDICATED TO THE GREEK GODS.
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Ȝe ne herien nouht herteli · þe heie god alone,
Þat heuene holdeþ & haþ · to hus hole regne,
Ye have as many false gods as a man has limbs. But al so fale falce godus · ȝe fonden to queme
644As a burn bereþ now · in his body membrys.
For ȝe liknen a lud · to a litil wordle,
& this sawe ȝe sain · soþliche echone,
Þat many as a man · haþ membrys y-schape,
648Him falleþ al so fale godus · faiþfuly herie;
& so ȝe sacrifice don · to selkouþe fendus!
Every limb is dedicated to some god. For euery lime þat a lud · longeþ to haue,
Ȝe kyþen carefule · godus · & kallen hem nowþe,
652Aftur dedeus þat þei dede · diuerse names.
Michel holde ȝe of miht · minuera þe falce,
For hue[1] foundede first · folies manye;
Minerva sprang out of Jupiter's head, & þis is seggus ȝour sawe · as ȝe sain alle.
Hue was engendred wiþ gin · of iubiterus hede;
660For—þi[2] ȝe holden hure wis · & hollyche segge,
Þat hue þe hilþe of þe heed · haþ for to kepe.
Þe iaudewin iubiter · ioiful ȝe holde;
Jupiter was wrathful,
and gaurds the seat of wrath, the heart
For he was wraþful i-wrouht · & wried in angur,
Gomus holden him god · þat gieþ þe herte;
For þere ariseþ in a rink · þe rotus of wraþþe.
A god mihtful of main · martis ȝe holden;
664For he was fihtere fel · & foundur of werre,
Mars is lord of the 'breast'. He is alosed in lande · lord of þe breste;
For þere þe miht of a man · most is i-sene.
Mecury is god of the tongue; For mercurie miche spak · to mentaine iangle,
Ȝe holden him galful & god · & god of þe tounge.
Hercules, with his dozen of wonders For hercules þe endelese · þat euere is in paine,
Diuisede here on his day · a dosain of wondrus,


deo, qui regnat in celo, sed plurimis diis. Tot deos colis quot in tuo corpore membra portas. Nam hominem dicis paruum mundum; et sicut corpus hominis habet multa membra, ita et in celo dicis multos deos existere. Iunonem [lege Iuoem] credis esse deum cordis, eo quod iracundia nimia mouebatur. Martem vero deum pectoris esse dicis, eo quod princips extitit preliorum. Mercurium deum lingue vocas, ex eo quod plurimum loquebatur; herculem deum credis brachiorum

  1. MS. 'he'; see l. 656.
  2. MS. 'For-þei'