Thread by @Dr_J_Freeman

For everyone who has had their #wedding postponed this last year: the order of marriage in Latin and Middle English from an early 15th century missal from York (MS Ee.4.19 @theULSpecColl) (when use of the vernacular in religious contexts was somewhat controversial). A thread: (1/

The priest is instructed to speak "to the people in [their] mother tongue in this manner". (2/

"Lo brether we er comen here be fore god and his aungels and all his halows [saints] in the face and the presence of haly kirk [holy church] for to copull and to knytt thise two bodys togyder, that es to say of this man and of this woman (3/)

...that they be fro this time forthe a body and two saules [souls] in the faythe and in the law of god and of haly kirk, for to disserve to gider ay lastand lyfe, what sou ever thay have done here be fore... (4/

I charge yow on godis be halfe and hali kyrk that if thar be any of yow that can say any thyng whi thies two may noght lawfully be wedded to gidere at this tyme say yt now owther prevaly or apertely [privately or openly] in the helpyng of yowr saules [souls] and thars bothe (5/

Alswa I charge yow bothe and ather be your selfe als ye will ansswere be for god at the day of dome [judgement] that yf thare be any thyng done privaly or openly be twene your selfe or that ye knaw any laufull lettyng whi that ye may noght be wedded to gedere at this tyme... (6/

...say it now or we do any more to this mater (7/

N [name] wyll yow have this woman to thi wyf and luf hir and wirschepe hir and kepe hir in hele [health] and in seknes, and in all othere degres, be to hir als a husband suld [should] be to his wyf and all othere forsake, and hold the onely to hir to thi lywes ende? (8/

N [name] wyll yow have this man to thi husband and to be bwxum [obedient] to hym, luf hym, obeye to hym, and wirschepe hym, serve him and kepe hym in hele and in seknes and in all other degrese, be to him als a wyff suld be to hir husband and all othere to forsake for hym... (9/

...and hald [be loyal] the onely to hym tyll thi lyves ende? (10/

Who gyfs me this woman?

Here I take the N [name] to my wedded wyfe to hald and to have at bedde and at borde, for fayrer for layrer, for better for wars, in sekenes and in hele, tyl dede us departe yf haly kyrke it will ordayne, and thare to I plyght the my trowthe (11/

Here I take the N to my wedded husband to hald and to have, at bedde and at borde, for fayrer for layther, for better for wars, in seknes and in hele, tyl dede us departe, yf haly kyrk it wil ordayne, and thare to I plyght the my trowthe (12/

Wyth this ryng I wedde the, and wyth this gold and silvere I honoure the, and wyth this gyfte I dow [endow] the. (13/