Altenglische legenden.

14. De Inuencione s. crucis

Diese Legende ist, nebst der Exaltacio Crucis, bereits edirt von Morris in den "Legends of the holy Rood" für die Early Engl. Text Soc., London 1871, p. 87 ss., jedoch ohne Benutzung des Ms. Tib.

Im Ms. Tib. stehen die ersten 20 (18) Verse auf fol. 245 b Col. 2., der Rest auf fol. 230 und 232, welche nebst fol. 231 und 233 (so in unrichtiger Folge) beim bin|den unter die Homilien gerathen sind. — Varianten des Ms. Tib.:

Men aw to honure euer omang Þe cros þat al our hele on hang; And how þat haly tre was fun, Was þis feste ordand and bigun. Þat tre vs aw forto do honoure Line 5 Þat bare oure lord and oure sauioure. — Whils Constantyne, þe nobil king, Lifd here in erth in grete liking, Trew he was in dede and saw And lely lifed he in his law; Line 10 In Rome he regnid als Emperoure And gouerned it with grete honoure. So in his tyme, trewly to tell, All on þis maner it bifell: Þe Grekis and þe folk of barbary Line 15 Gederd ful grete cumpany Forto gif batail ogaynes Rome And so by strenkit it to ouercum.

And when king Constantine herd tell Off al þis fare how it byfell, Line 20 In his hert he had grete drede — For ful grete power gun þai lede. He ordand him grete cumpany Of men of armes and archery, His land with fighting to defend Line 25 And to hald it fro his enmis hend. And als he lay opon a night, Bifore þat day þat þai suld fight: Him thoght he lukid to heuyn on high: And in þe aire him thoght he sigh Line 30 Þe same cros, þat Crist was on done, And a voice sayd þus to him sone: "Ordayne þine armes on þis-kin wise: Þan sal þou ouercum þine enmise; And in þis figure fully þou trayst: Line 35 Þan thar þe no-thing be abaist. Mak þis in þine armes forþi: Þan sall þou haue þe victori". In hoc vince. He wakkend þan and was ful glad, [folio 150] For he so gude herting þan had. Line 40 Vp he rase with hert ful light And to his moder he went ful right, Þat was saynt Elyne, þe noble quene, And tolde vnto hir ilkdele bidene. Of þis tithing scho was ful fayne Line 45 And gert ordan with al hir mayne Þat he suld haue swilk armes dight Als he had sene by gastly sight. His awin armes sone doun war laid, And þe cros in his scheld purtraid, Line 50 Byfore him in batayle to bere. And so he went furth to þe were. And thurgh þe vertu of þe croyce, Als he was warned by gastly voyce, Al his enmis he ouer-come Line 55 And broght þe victori to Rome. Saint Elyne þan was wunder fayne Þat hir sun was cumen safe ogayne. And þat ilk figure of þe rode Honurde þai with mayn and mode — Line 60 Bot of þe cros no-thing þai knew, Ne no-thing wist þai of Jhesu, Ne no-thing wist þai what it ment Þat þai honurd with gude entent. Þan king Constantine gert call Line 65 Of Jewry þe maisters all, Forto enquere by þaire clergy What thing þat signe suld signify. Þai said: "sir, lely we ȝow hete: Byfor þis tyme was a prophete, Line 70 Hight Jhesus, and (in) þis same cete Was he hanged on swilk a tre. Ful many men þarbi was mend And grete vertu þarof was kend. Bot sone efter þe iews it hid, Line 75 For no might suld of it be kid. And how it was hid, sal ȝe here. Sir, it bifell in þis manere: When Jhesus vnto ded was done, Þe iews þan tok þaire counsail sone Line 80 Forto hide þat ilke haly tre,

So þat it suld noght honurd be: Vnder þe grete hill of Caluary Þore groue þai it ful priuely, With two crosses þat theues on hang, Line 85 And also þe nayles þat war strang — Al kest þai priuely in a pyt, So þat no-man suld of þam wit. Þore haue þai liggen on þis maner Sethin more þan two hundreth ȝere. Line 90 Sethin Tytus and Vaspasian come And destroyd mony iews of Rome — For right als þai boght Jhesu fre For thritty penis of þaire mone, So war þai sold to þaire enmy Line 95 Euer thritty iews for a peny. On þis wise war þai al broght doun Vnder þe Emperure subieccione, So þat no-man wun þore sald, Of þe Emperoure bot þai wald hald — Line 100 And sethin als wide als þai er saun, Has no iew hous of his awyn. Swilk maystris war made þam omell. And efter þat tyme þus bifell: In Rome ane Emperoure was þan Line 105 Þat named was sir Adrian; Cristen law wald he none ken, Bot euer distryed al cristenmen. Þis Emperoure wele vnderstode Whore his elders had hid þe rode; Line 110 And herby persayued he it right: For cristen men both day & night Come to honure þat haly stede, And bousomly þore made þaire bede; Þai honurd þe mount of Caluary Line 115 In wirschip of þe cros namely. And þis Emperoure of Rome Wist cristen men so þeder come, Þe cros he wold noght þethin take, Bot þus he ordand for þaire sake: Line 120 In þat same place to edify A temple for þaire maumetry — For cristen men suld þan forbere In þat stede to mak prayere. Þan cristen men þat place refused, Line 125 None of þam efter þeder vsed; And so it wurthed at þe last: Þe cros al out of minde was past — And þat was, for no-man herd say Þarof ne in what stede it lay. Line 130 Lang efter þe temple of maumetry Was all distroyd fro Caluary; Þan groued þe stede with thornes & breris. And of þe cros no-thing men heris — For two hundreth ȝeres war omell Line 135 Bitwix þe tymes þat I of tell. Þan Constantine was Emperoure And rewlid Rome with grete honoure: Vnto him was tolde in þat tyde How þat þe iews þe cros gun hide. Line 140 Vnto his moder he said in hi: "Moder, sen we haue þe victori And myne enmise þus er slone Thurgh vertu of þe cros allone, And clerkis has told to ȝow and me Line 145 Þat Criste was ded on swilk a tre: Ful fayn I wold þat tre war soght And sone vnto more honure broght". Þan said his moder, saynt Elyne:

"Sun, for suth I sal noght fyne, Line 150 Þat haly tre or I haue fun". And sone hir way scho has bigun, Furth scho went with faire menȝe To Jerusalem, þat riche cete. And when þe iews herd hereof tell Line 155 Þat þe quene come þam omell, Grete wunder had þai albidene What thing hir cuming suld bimene. And al þe iews sone did scho call To cum into þaire comun hall. Line 160 Þe sertayn suth hir forto lere Of thinges þat scho wold enquere. Here-fore þe iews had mekil dout. Þai gedird togeder in grete rout And priuely þai ask þis thing: Line 165 What was þe caus of þe quenes cuming. And sum, als þai had herd of hir, Said: scho come for þe cros to spir Waron Crist vnto dede was broght. And ilkone said, þai knew it noght. Line 170 So was þore ane þat hiyght Judas, Þat grete mayster omang þam was; Saint Simyon sun for suth was he, And Simyon was sun of Ȝache. Þis Judas said: "sumdele I mene Line 175 Of thinges þat here bifore has bene. Simyon, my fader, als ȝe sall here, Told vnto me on þis manere, When he wist wele sune forto dy: " "Sun, he said, herkin me in hy! Line 180 A counsail sall I tel to þe, Þe whilk I will þou hald priue If it bifall, sun, in þi liue Þat any spir, oþir man or wiue, Or efter þe cros will þe ass Line 185 Þat Jhesu Crist on hanged was: Or þai þarfore do þe to dede, Tell þam vnto swilk a stede, Þat now es waste & al vnkid — For þore I wote wele was it hid. Line 190 And, if þou may þi ded escheu, Þan wald I þat no-man it kneu" ". Þus tald he to me in what stede Þai groue þe rode bi comun rede. Bot if we any oþer wise mai do, Line 195 I rede we tel noman þarto". Þan had þai meruail in þaire mode — For þai herd neuer are of þe rode. Þan come þai furth ilkone bidene In comun hall bifor þe quene. Line 200 Sone on þis wise scho said þam to: "Dose swith and chese one of þir two: Whethir ȝow es leuir to suffer dede, Or els to tel me in þis stede Whore Cristes cros in erth es hid; Line 205 And bot ȝe do, als I ȝow bid, Ilkone ȝe sall be brint þis day". And sone a fire scho did puruay. And when þai saw þe fyr on brede, In þaire hertis þan had þai drede, Line 210 Vnto þe quene al gun þai cry: "Lady, of vs here haue mercy, For we wote no-thing how it was. If any wote, þan wote Judas: For he was ane old prophet sun, Line 215

Line 215 Þe laws wele better mai he cun; His elders war of þe alde state, And of þaire werkes sumdel he wate". Þan lete scho al þo oþer go And Judas toke hir vnto. Line 220 And for he wald tell no resoun, He was done in depe dungeoun. And þore he lay in mirknes grete Seuyn dayes with-outen drink or mete. For hunger he cried on þe seuynd day: Line 225 "Saue me, and I sall yow say Whore ȝe sall fynd þe rude tre, Als my fader tolde vnto me. Vnto me es þis mater dym, Bot sum knawing I haue by him". Line 230 Fro prisun þan was Judas tone, [folio 151] And furth went with þam ilkone Vnto þe mount of Caluary; Þam folowd ful grete cumpany. And when þai come whore þai wald be, Line 235 Þan Judas knelid doun on his kne, He said: "lord, þat all has in walde, If tales be trew þat men has talde: If þou be he þis werld bigan And verrayli es both god & man Line 240 And of a maiden in erth was born, Als sere prophetis haue said biforn: Send us sum takening of þi grace, To find þe rude-tre in þis place Wharon þi self wald suffer dede, Line 245 If it be hid here in þis stede". Als Judas þus gun his prayers make, Þe hill obouen bigan to quake And þarof rase a ful grete reke, Bot þat was ful wele smelland smeke. Line 250 Ful mekil mirth was þam omell — Fo(r) neuer man feld swetter smell. Þan Judas fast bigan to cry And he said ful stedfastly: In veritate, Christe, tu es redemptor mundi: Line 255 "In suthfastnes, lord Criste, I trow Þe sauioure of þis werld es þow, Þat born was of þe mayden chaste And sall be euer of mightes maste; Vnto þi law I wil me take, Line 260 And þe Jeus law euer I forsake". Þan cristen man þai gan him mak And turned his name to Quiriak. — Sethin was he bisschop in hali kirk And hali werkis oft gun he wirk. — Line 265 Þai biheld whore þe smel come out: And fast grubed þai þore obout; So depe þai grubbed & so fast: Thre crosses fand þai at þe last, Ane of Crist, both large and lang, Line 270 And oþer two þat theues on hang. Bot þore was noman þat knew Whilk was þe cros of Jhesu. Þan Quiriak prayd with hert and hend Þat god suld þam þe nailes send Line 275 Þat nayled Crist þe rude vnto. And sune when he had prayed so, Thre nayles aperd vnto þare sight

In þe erth schineand ful bright. Þai toke thre nayles & crosses thre And bare þam to þe riche cete. Line 280 Ful mikel folk come þam ogayne And of þare fare þai war ful fayne. And on a bere þore gun men bring A ded bodi vnto þe beryiing. Quiriak bad þam þat it bare, Line 285 Set doune þe bere omang þam þare — So forto proue þare, or þai pas, Whilk of þa crosses Cristes was. Quiriak fast vnto god prayd, And ane cros to þe cors he layd, Line 290 And sethin ane oþer he laid þartill — Bot ȝit euer lay þe bodi styll. Þe thrid cros þan he toke forþi And layd it vnto þe ded body: And als sune als it neghed nere, Line 295 Þe cors rase up both hale and fere. And al þe folk þat saw þat sight Loued god with al þaire might. And so þai past into þe toun With a ful fayre processioune; Line 300 Al loued þai god with ioyful mode, And saynt Elyn scho bare þe rode. Þan sone omang þam herd þai ȝell A ful grete dyn of deuils of hell: Þai cried: "allas and wayloway! Line 305 For dole what sal we do þis day? Þe tre es funden, whilk we suppose Sall ger vs all oure pouwer lose: For we haue power in no place Whore men on þam þat takin mase. Line 310 Now mun oure power fro us pas — Wo wurth þe while it funden was! For fro þat figure bihoues vs fle: So with man-kind ouercumen er we; It puttes oway all oure powere, Line 315 So þat we mai noght negh it nere — Bot if we may with any gyn Mak þam to do dedly syn: Þan with þam wil I wun and wake, For all þe crosses þat þai can make! — Line 320 Bot I may neuer no-man spill With syn, bot if þam-seluin will. Asay I sall with sere sutelte To ger men syn and serue me". Quiriak said þan to þe fende: Line 325 "Þou wikked deuil, þi way þou wende, Vnto þe deppest hole of hell, Euermore in dole to dwell! For funden es now þe haly tre Þat fellis þi pride & þi pouste". Line 330 Þe fendes þan with hidose cry Vanist fro þam ful sudanly. Þan went þai furth with meri mode, Vnto þaire temple þai bare þe rude. Þan þe nobil quene Eline Line 335 Gert make a case of syluer fyne With gold and precius stones plente, And closid þarin þat haly tre. And on þe mount of Caluary

Gert scho mak a kirk in hy, Line 340 And þore scho set þe haly tre, Of all men honord forto be. And sone when it was þeder broght, Fro sere sides men þeder soght; And ful grete grace was þore schewd Line 345 And grete releue to lerd and leude. Thurgh cristen land so es it kend Þat fro þe fendes it mai us fend, So þat þai may do us none ill, Bot if oure-self assent þartill. Line 350 For in werld has he no powere Night ne day to negh us nere, If we his werkis will forsake And Cristes cros opon vs make. God grante us grace so to honoure Line 355 Þe cros þat bare oure sauioure, Þat we may to þat blis be broght Whilk Crist with his blode to us boght!

Notes

• honour.
• oure.
• 3—4) fehlen.
• 5—6) þat bare Jhesus oure sauyowre, Vnto wham be euer honowre.
• Lifed here in erthly likeing.
• regned.
• All fehlt.
• beide þe fehlen.
• To.
• with st. by.
• 21 ff. Die erste Col. des fol. 230, bis V. 68, ist fast ganz leserlich.
• gan.
• to fehlt. fra.
• Bifor þe day.
• luked.
• segh.
• same fehlt. Crist here was.
• þus fehlt. vnto.
• kin fehlt.
• þat st. þan. saltow.
• in fehlt. luke st. fully.
• For if þou traist in þis anely.
• sal. Die lat. Worte fehlen.
• nobill st. gude. þan fehlt.
• 41—44) Saint Eline þe nobill quene, Scho was his moder als I wene, To hir he tald ilkdele bidene Als he had in sweuen sene.
• þareof þan was scho wonder faine
• And ordand fast with.
• His armes to ordain and to dight
• Als he had sene on þe night.
• sone fehlt. was.
• And þe cros sune was purtrayd.
• batayl.
• furt.
• Als it was said him by þe v.
• All. enmise.
• His moder þan was wonder fain.
• sune. cummen.
• þe st. þat ilk.
• Honord.
• 63—4) þai honord it with gude entent, Bot none of þam wist what it ment.
• Costantine. did st. gert.
• Of þe iewri.
• thing fehlt. singne.
• Der erste Vers der 2. Col. ist nicht sichtbar; ein Verspaar (70—71) fehlte.
• 69 ff.) Die folg. Rede ist ohne Schluss; der Dichter vergisst allmählich die Redenden.
• Was Jhesus done on swilk a t(re).
• 72 ff. Die Versenden sind oft zerstört.
• þat by.
• þar off.
• þarof st. of it.
• may man st. sal ȝe.
• þus st. Sir. on.
• þan fehlt. toke þaire rede ful sone.
• ilke fehlt.
• And in þe hil of Calueri.
• þore fehlt. preuely.
• And oþer twa þat þe theues on hang.
• als. so strang.
• preuely.
• And þare þai lay on.
• Doluen st. sethin. twa.
• Till st. sethin.
• destroyed mani iewes in.
• 93—96) fehlen (!).
• And broght þat cuntre toure and (toun?)
• In þe Em|peroures subieccioune.
• Bot he of þe Emperour wald hald.
• 101—2) fehlen.
• Ful many maistris ys. . omell.
• 105 ff.) Fast nur noch die Versanfänge sind sicht|bar.
• destroyd he. al fehlt.
• Whare. .
• hereby.
• Opon þe m(ount of) Caluery
• In honor of. .
• And when þe. .
• Wist cristen men. .
• wald.
• þus fehlt.
• 121—24) Die Anfänge wie in H.
• V. 125 ist ganz zerstört.
• 125 ff.) Von der 1. Col. der Rückseite sind nur die Versenden der ersten Hälfte lesbar.
• es st. was.
• . . as man herd say.
• fra.
• . . with. . and breres.
• crois. heres.
• tyme. .
• rewled.
• (Told) was it to him in þat tide.
• gan.
• lesbar scheint. . I be. .
• slane.
• allane.
• . . (cler)|kes sais vs. . suld be
• . . .ed on swilk a tre.
• wald.
• honoure. Die folg. Verse sind fast ganz zerstört; lesbar sind nur einzelne Wörter: forsuth 150, haly tre 151, sone hir 152, scho 153, when þe iewes had. . 155, . .quene was þeder cum(en) 156, (awond)erd war þai albidene 157, cumyng 158, iews sone did 159. —
• þis ilk Judas said: me menes
• 175 ff.) Die 2. Col. ist ganz lesbar.
• Thurgh elders of myne anciens,
• And my fader als ȝe sall here
• Talde to. of.
• When paynes of ded had him hent.
• Sun he said to me tak tent.
• kounsail.
• preue.
• If (eu)er it. sun fehlt.
• enquere st. spir. oþir fehlt.
• Or efter þe rode tre to ass
• Wharon þat Jhesus hanged was,
• 187—8) Tell sun vnto þe stede, Or þai do þe vnto ded.
• 189—190) fehlen.
• þe st. þi. eschew.
• knew.
• any fehlt.
• Neuer man sal cum þarto.
• þan war þai somond albidene
• Forto cum bifor þe q.
• And sune when þai war cumen hir to,
• Scho said: chese ȝow ane of þir two.
• wheþer. leuer. ded
• at st. to. to þe st. in þis.
• whare.
• brent.
• fire.
• hertes. þan fehlt.
• And to. loud st. al. gan.
• here fehlt.
• wate. neuer st. nothing.
• wate.
• 215—216) fehlen.
• 217—18) For he es man of þe ald state, Of his elders sumdele he wate.
• all þa.
• toke scho.
• Bot st. And. resoune.
• Put he was in depe presoune.
• þare. penance st. mirknes.
• on fehlt.
• sal ȝow.
• Die 1. Col. von fol. 232 ist ganz lesbar.
• sal. rode.
• tald to.
• 229—30) fehlen. Dann folgt lat. Ueberschrift: Quomodo sca crux inventa fuit.
• Fra preson. tane.
• he went. ilkane.
• þere st. þam. foloud.
• When Judas come whare he wald be,
• Doun he kneled opon his kne.
• both fehlt.
• of Mari.
• prophetes has.
• Wharon þar þou wald. ded.
• þus fehlt. gan.
• a grete smoke out.
• And went ouer al þe folk obout.
• þan st. ful.
• ful loud gan cri.
• Statt 254—6 liest T. nur: Jhesus es god al|mighty. Das lat. Citat fehlt.
• He es oure lord of mightes maste.
• 259—260) Jewes law I here forsake, To cristendom I will me take.
• make.
• Quiriake.
• Seþen. of st. in.
• And mani wonder werkes gan wirk.
• Bot whare þai saw þe smoke cum out,
• þai went and grubbed doun þarobout.
• So fehlt. and ferly fast.
• Ane þat was cristes large and lang.
• twa.
• 271—2) Bot none of þam wist of þa thre, Whilk oure lordes cros suld be.
• praide.
• him st. Crist.
• Die 2. Columne ist in der ersten Hälfte meist lesbar.
• þe thre. to þaire.
• schinand.
• þan toke þai þam & crosses (thre)
• And samyn þai went to þe ce(te).
• And oþer folk come þare. .,
• 281—2) umgesetzt.
• þat on a bere. .
• to berying.
• And Quiriac.
• Set þe bere sone.
• So fehlt. Forto asay þare. pass.
• vnto god fast praied.
• And ane of crosses. 291 anoþer.
• ȝit fehlt.
• þare toke he þan.
• it. fehlt. man st. body.
• sone. him nere.
• Up he rase both.
• And furt þai went into þe toune.
• a fehlt.
• And loued god.
• 301—2) umge|setzt.
• A grete dyn. .
• 304 ff. Statt deuils u. fendes ist der sgl. zu lesen, wie in Ms. Tib.
• 305—8) sind ganz zerstört; lesbar ist nur Allas als Anfang von V. 305.
• y st. we.
• whare.
• lesbar sind nur die Anfänge:
• þa(t). .
• Wo w(urth). . 313 Fra þat. .
• Now may. .
• þe cros w. . all my. .
• So þat I may noght. .
• Bot if I may. .
• Mak þam to do. .
• 319—320) fehlen.
• And neuer may I no. .
• With sin bot if. .
• Statt 323—4 hat T. 4 Verse: Mi might es lor(n). ., Bot fande I mot. ., With quaintise. ., To ger men syn. .
• Von der 1. Col. der Rückseite sind nur die Versenden sichtbar.
• wend.
• . . fare and þi powste.
• . . in hy (?)
• . . went with mery mode
• . . temple bare þe rode.
• . . and many a precious stane.
• . . þe cros þarin allane.
• . . on þe hill of Kaluari.
• þare. þat haly.
• . . men forto honorde be.
• . . (m)any wonders was þare wroght.
• 345—6) fehlen.
• . . so es alway knawen and kend.
• fende.
• he.
• 348 ff. Statt deuils u. fendes ist der sgl. zu lesen, wie in Ms. Tib.
• . . takin of þ. . make.
• lene st. grante.
• (Wh)ilk he. . — Im Ms. Tib. schliesst sich diese Leg. unmittelbar an die Kreuzauffindung an, bis V. 422 auf den unrichtig gebundenen foll. 232b, 231, 233, die Fortsetzung auf fol. 246—8. Ein älterer kürzerer (454 V.) Text ders. Legende ist der Homiliensamm|lung des Ms. Ashm. 42 (u. Cbr. Gg. V, 31) angehängt, aus dem der spätere Text im Ms. Tib. sich entwickelt hat. Der Text in Tib. zählt c. 940 V., ist also um 125 V. länger als Harl.—Lesarten des Ms. Tib.: bis V. 15 sind nur einzelne Worte lesbar.