Altenglische legenden.

2. Hic incipit historia de s. Nicholao episcopo. [Die Leg. von Nicholaus steht im Ms. Tib. hinten nach Andreas, fol. 278 b, mit im Einzelnen oft abweichendem Text. Folgen die Varianten:]

Saint Nicholas, þe nobil clerk, [þat st. þe.] Þat witti was in goddes werk, In his barnhede by resons rife Bygan he to lede haly life. [3—4) In his barnhed he bigan Forto be an hali man.] Þat was wele witnest by his dede: Line 5 For in his stori may men rede [þus we st. may men.] Þat of none oþer find we swilk: For, whils he souked his moder milk, [sowked.] Noght-withstanding þat he was ȝing, [noghtwithstandand.] He chastyd his flesch with fasting, [chastist. fless.] Line 10 Þe ferth fery and þe sext alway Souked bot ones on al þe day — [

11—12) For two dayes in euerilk a woke Bot anes on þe day milk he toke. Hier schliesst fol. 278 und es fehlt im Ms. ein fol.

Das folg. Blatt im Ms. Tib., dessen erste Verse ganz zerstört sind, ist nur theilweise zu entziffern, selbst in der ersten Columne; lesbar sind die Versenden von 229—249, der grösste Theil der Verse von 250—270; dann beginnt die 2^te Columne, von der nur Versanfänge deutlich sind. Von V. 12—229 zählte Ms. Tib. 16 Verse weniger.

] Þat es wedynsday and frydai ilka wuke — In his barnhed — þus tels þe boke. Cumen he was of kinred gude Line 15 And gendred of ful gentill blode; Bot more gentill war his maners, Als his lessons vnto vs lers — For so with fasting in his ȝowth Ful his flessch ful wele he couth. Line 20 In ȝouth to halines þus gun he helde. And when (he) wex more furth in elde, Þat he kouth speke & graythly gang: Þan he refuysed al werkis wrang; He forsoke cumpany of schrews Line 25 And gaf him al vnto gude thews. Vnto þe scoles he went ful tentyuely, Till he had clere knawing in clergy. Sethen haunted he fast to hali kirk, With will, goddes werk alway to wirk. Line 30 Sethin was he chosen, whils he was ȝing, Thurgh þe haly gastes ordaynyng To be bisschop of þat same cete Whilk in þat tyme was namyd Myrre. For, when þaire bisschop þore was ded, Line 35 Sere bisschopes come vnto stede, Þore forto chese þam an abyll man, Als custum in þat cuntre was þan. When þai gederd ilkone in-fere, Vnto god made þai þaire prayere Line 40 Þat he suld send þam grace, forto haue Swilk a man als he vouched saue, And þat þai suld by sum signe se Whom he wold chese to þat degre. And so als þai woke on þe night, Line 45 A voyce was sent fro heuyn right Vnto a bisschop of grete pryse And sayd vnto him on þis wise: "þe first man þat þou metes to morn In kirk-ȝerd euyn þe byforn, Line 50 To ȝoure bisschop sal ȝe chese þat same, And Nicholas sal be his name". Sune on þe morn, when it was day, Furth of þe kirk he toke þe way And lukid furth into þe strete Line 55 Efter þe man þat he suld mete. So sese he cum a ful fayre childe, He haylsid him with wurdes milde: "Þi right name, gude sun, tel þo(u) me!" "Mi name es Nicholas, sir, sayd he, Line 60 Ȝowre seruand, and (I) might oght mend". Þan þe bisschop halsyd him with his hend — For als sone als he herd his name, Þan wist he wele, þat was þe same Þat god had chosen to þat degre Line 65 Þaire bisschop in þat stede to be; Þat it was he, ful wele he wist, He toke hym vp in armes & kyst, Into þe mynster so he hym bare

Whore oþer bisschoppes bidand ware. Line 70 He sayd to þam with wurdes balde How þe haly gaste to him had talde And how þat night warned was he Þat þis barn suld þaire bisschop be. Þus was he made bisschop in barnhed. — Line 75 And ȝit in mynde of þatt ilk dede Men vses in diuers cuntres sere To chese barn-bisschops ilka ȝere. — Ful wele (he) rewlid his bisschop-rike — Bifor his tyme had none bene slike. Line 80 Euer of þe pouer he had pete, And al þat nede had helpyd he. And left hym was ful grete riches Efter his fader and moder disses. He prayd god euer him forto send Line 85 His grace, þat gude wele forto spend, Noght for no ruse of erthli thing, Bot allone vnto goddes louyng; And night and day he had in mynde Þir wurdes, þat we þus writen finde, Line 90 Whilk Crist says in his godspell And er in latyn þus to tell: Nisi quis renunciauerit omnia que possi|det, non potest meus esse discipulus: Bot if a man forsake, he says, Welth of þis werldly gude alway And lif in luf and charite, Line 95 Els my disciple may he noght be. Þarfore þis gudman Nicholas Vnto god euir prayand was Þat he suld send him hert & will Þe gudes þat he had gifen him till, Line 100 Forto spend þam leli and right With-outen louyng of mans sight. And in þat same maner he did, His almus fro mans sight he hid: Als wele was schewd by maidens thre Line 105 Þat thurgh him come till gude degre. Þaire fader was mighty man sumtyme, And pouert sethin fell vnto him, Þat n(o)ght he had to find him fode Ne his thre doghters, milde of mode. Line 110 And in dole so on a day Vnto his doghters gun he say: Þat þam bihoued bordell bigin And lede þaire life in lust of syn, To find him & þam mete and drink — Line 115 For oþer-wise kouth þai noght swink. Saint Nicholas herd tell of þis: How þir maydens suld do omis Forto find þaire fader fode, & all for defaut of erthly gude. Line 120 To þat mans hows he toke þe gate Preuely by night, þat no-man wate, A bag with gold with him he toke; And whore þir maydins wepeand woke And kepid þaire fader with grete care, Line 125 All þat gold he putted in þare [Ms. & all.] Euyn biside þa(i)re fader bedd, And preuely oway he fledd. Þaire fader, when he fand þis thing, Vnto god made he grete louyng; Line 130 And on þe morn sune ordand he To mary one of þe maydens thre; Þe eldist first was helpid to hame. And for þe secund he did þe same, And þe thrid tyme he broght al-so Line 135 Als mikel als till þe oþer two. And out of care so couerd he Þe fader and maydins thre. And al þat he herd in swilk case, Ful hertly helpyd þam he hase — Line 140 And all he did euer so priuely, Þat none wist bot god almighty. — Other vertus ful mony and sere War wroght by him in þis werld here. And in þis tyme sum will we tell. Line 145 Oft-sithes, opon þe see bifell Þat mony men fro perils sere War helpid thurgh his prayere. With stormes ones men had swilk str(i)fe Þat þai trowed titter dede þan life. Line 150 To saynt Nicholas þus þai prayd: If it war suth men of him sayd, Þat he suld help þam in þat care. Ane answerd als he bisschop ware And said: "ȝe cal me in myscheue: Line 155 Lo, I am redy ȝow to releue. Wirkes to wyn ȝowre-self fro wo, And I sall help with ȝow also". [with ist zu tilgen?] Þan hastily þe tempest fefte,

And so confort sone encreste, Line 160 With windes playn to land þai pas, And loued god and saynt Nicolas.

Ane oþer tyme so it byfell, In þat cuntre whore he gun dwell: So grete hunger wex in þat stede, Line 165 Þat þe folk fell for hunger ded. And bifell opon a sertayn day: Sere mariners come þore oway With whete fro Alysaunder right Vnto a land þat Lethow hight. Line 170 And when saint Nicholas herd tell Þat þaire passing þore furth fell, Vnto þe maryners he went. And he and þai war sone assent Þat he suld by with mesure large Line 175 A hundreth busschels of ilka barge Þat þan war charged þore with whete — And of þam was þe noumber grete; And vnto þam surely he hight Þat þai suld haue þare mesure right Line 180 When þai cum home, in þaire cuntre, Als þai it toke into þe see, So þat þaire lord suld noght þam blame. And als he sayd, þai fand þe same — Þat was to þam a wunder case; Line 185 Ful fast þai louyd saint Nicholas. In all þat land þat hunger had Made he ful ioyful men & glad, For in þat ȝere þai had none nede, Bot skilfull both to mete and sede. Line 190 And so þat grete hunger he feste, To-tyme þat god þaire corn encreste. So all þe pople both high and law Loues saynt Nicholas, als þam aw.

Ane oþer tyme opon þe se Line 195 A child was with his fader fre In a ship full fer fro land. And als þe childe held in his hand A coup, þat was of siluer clere, Als þai had dronkin wine in-fere; Line 200 Als þe childe stouped þam bihind, To tak water, þe coup to find: He and þe coup both in þat stounde Fell in se — and þe fader swunde, And all þe shipmen þat þore ware Line 205 Made murning with mekill care. Þe fadir, in wo so als he was, Cryed help fast to saint Nicholas, To send socure in þat grete nede. And sune þus was it proued in dede: Line 210 Þe childe in þe se saw þai stand [folio 137] With þe same coupe in his hand. To schip þai gat him in þat space And loued god hertly of his grace. Þe childe þis tale to þam gun tell: Line 215 "In-to þe se when þat I fell, A bisschop toke me so falland And broght me by þe right hand". Þe fadir wist þan how it was, And loued god and saint Nicholas. Line 220

Ane oþir tyme, omang his werkis, Saint Nicholas saued thre clerkis Þat demid war by þe Emperoure To suffer dede withouten socoure, For þai war acusid hym biforn Line 225 And demyd to be ded on þe morn. And when saint Nicholas þis herd Þat þai al þus with falshed ferd, Forto deliuer þam he thoght. [lesbar ist in Tib. das Reimwort thoght.] Bot þus on wunderwise he wroght. [. .was it wroght.] Line 230 Þe childer, when þai war bytraid, [. .war be|trayd.] To saint Nicholas fast þai praid [. .in hert þai praid.] [Nach 232 folgt ein Verspaar mehr: . .to god and saint Nicholas, (þat þai wald) help þam in þat case,] Þat he wuld help þam in þaire right. [(þat þai) war clene with|owten plight.] And bifell on þat same night: [. .on þe same night.] Þe Emperoure þat þam had demyd, [demid.] Line 235 So in his slepe to him it semyd Þat a bisschop, richely arayd, [ar|rayd.] Aperd vnto him and þus sayd: [235—8 = Harl.] [þusgat.] "Þou Emperoure, I cumand þe [. .þat þou thinkes to sla] To lat my clerkis pas fro þe fre, [. .and lat þam ga.] Line 240

Line 240 Or els of two þou sall haue chose: [. . I gif þe chose] To liuer þam, or þi lordschip lose". [. . þi kingdom lose.] When þis was sayd, he was oway. [. . said he went his way.] And þe Emp(er)oure, when it was day, [(þe emper) oure when it was day,] For drede he bad, þe childer al thre [. . þat þe childer thre] Line 245 Suld be deliuerd and pas furth fre. [. . suld deliuerd be.] And so þai war at hys biding. [. . (w)ar at his biding.] Vnto god made þai grete louyng [. . hertli þai made loueing] And hertly thanked saint Nicholas [. . Ni|cholas for þat dede.] Þat helpid þam so fro pain to pas. [And to þaire cuntrese safe þai ȝede.] Line 250

Allso we rede: in a sesoune, [Also. in his sesoune.] Als saint Nicholas rade thurgh a toun, [Als he come rideand thurgh a toune,] A woman, þat bi þe way gun wun, [(A wo)man þat in þat toun gan won.] Warmid water, to wasche hir sun; [wassche. son.] And when it was warm & wele boun, [Ms. þe (water) st. it.] [(And) als it stode þe fire oboune,] Line 255 Scho sett hir sun in þe caldroun. [(Scho set) hir son in þe kalderoune.] And þat same tyme herd scho say [. . ght in þat time herd scho say.] Þat þe bisschop went þore away: [oway.] Furth scho went als woman wilde, [And furth.] To se þe lordes, and left hir childe. Line 260 In þe strete lang gun scho dwell — [gan.] And þe water ful fast gun well. [ful fehlt. gan.] Til al þe last scho hir bithoght [Ms al st. at, wie Andr. 297.] How þat scho had vnwiseli wroght. [Von 262—4 sind die ersten 2 Wörter nicht sichtbar.] Scho hied hir home þe folk biforn, [And hame ful hastly gan scho pas,] Line 265 Criand: "allas, my childe es lorn!" [Criand mi child es lorn allas.] Bot hale and faire hir child scho fand, [l. fere st. faire.] [fere st. faire.] With þe water poples him playand. [faire st. him.] Ful ioyful þan þe woman was [þan in hert scho was. In der 2. Columne sind 270—77 ganz zerstört.] And loued god and saynt Nicholas. Line 270

Ane oþer miracle, clerkis knew, Was of a cristen man & a Jew. Þe iew vnto þe cristen man lent Grete summes of gold with gude entent; And a borgh of him gun he frayne Line 275 To haue his gold trewly ogayne And þis mater in spekeing was In þe kyrk of saynt Nicholas. [278 ff. die Versanfänge lauten:] [In a kirk . .] Ane image of him was standand þore, [Ane im(age) . .] And þe cristen man with-outen more [And þe cristen. .] Line 280 "Lo, þis sal be my borgh", he sayd, [He þis (!) sall be . .] "Þat of þi gold þou sall be payd [þat of þi gold þ . .] And þat I sal couenand fulfyll". [And þat I sall for(ward) . .] Þe iew sayd: "I assent þartill". [þe iew said I assent . .] So when þai war fully assent [So war þai þare . .] Line 285 To hald þaire forwardes, home þai went. [þai turned . .] Both þai kepid þe day sertayne. [Both þai kep . .] When þe gold suld be paid ogayne, [When þe go(ld) . .] Þe cristen man controued a wyle [Bot þe . .] How þat he might þe iew bigyle: [How . .] Line 290 Ane holl staue þan ordand he [A ho . . .] And þorein hid he hys mone, [And . .] Þe iewes gold þorin he hid — [All þ . .] Þat he was cristend, euil he kid! [þat . .] With þat staf on þaire sertain day [And w . . .] Line 295 Vnto þe kirk he toke þe way, [Vnto þe k. . . Dann folgen die Anfänge: And . . , Als . . (zu 300), es scheinen also 297—8 zu fehlen. Weiter unten sind noch lesbar die Anfänge Vn(to) . . , þe c . . , þa(t) . . (zu 308—310): noch tiefer: Both, He, His, And, þe. Die Columne scheint mit V. 320 geendet zu haben. Von der 1. Columne auf der Rückseite ist nichts leserlich. Da aber die 2. Columne bereits mit S. Thomas beginnt, dessen Titel noch unten in der 1. Columne stand, so muss Nic. bereits mit V. 360 (u. Schlussversen — die Columne hat 48 Zeilen) geendet haben.] Feynand him swilk hurt to haue He might noght walk with-outen staue. With þe iew ful sune he mett, Als þai bifore had forward sett. Line 300 Þis staf he puted þe iew in hand.

He set it doun and lete it stand, And vnto him þus gun he say: "Pay me my gold! þis es þi day". Þe cristen man þan vnto him said: Line 305 "Sir, all þi gold I haue þe paid". Þe iew sayd þan: "þou has mis-gone, For to me payd þou neuer none". Þe cristen man þan athes sware Þat it was fully payd right þare. Line 310 Þe iew þan answerd als he knew: "Þi borgh ne þou er nowthir trew, Bot if þou pay me my mone Þat I so lely lent vnto þe". Þe cristen man þus answerd þore: Line 315 "I haue þe payd. Þou gettis namore". His staf þan in his hand he hent And hamward by þe way he went. Vnto þe image þan said þe iew: "Now wote I wele, þou es vntrew; Line 320 And bot I haue my gold ogayne, I trow ȝowr law be bot a trayne". Þus went he furth makand his mone, Als þe cristen man bifore was gone. Sune þore bifell a ferly case, Line 325 Als saynt Nicholas wold it was: Þe cristen man euyn in þe strete Whore two wayes on cros gun mete, Sodanly he fell on ful fad slepe — For þarfro might he noght him kepe; Line 330 His staf with þe gold lay him biside. So come a cart in þat same tyde With wylde bestes, þat wald noght blin Bot ouer þe man right gun þai ryn. Sunder þai crussed him on þe molde, Line 335 And þe staue brak with þe golde; And so þe man sune dede þore lay, And þe gold bisyde him in þe way. Þan þe iew, als he went home, And oþer men þat with him come, Line 340 Saw þis man, how he lay dede, And his gold strewd in þat same stede. Þe iew al þe suth to þam sayd How þe cristen man had him bitrayd, And of his borgh he told þam als Line 345 And said þai both war funden fals. So when þe folk wist how it was, Þai praid all to saint Nicholas Þat man þore forto rays & mend, So þat þe suth might so be kend. Line 350 And þe iew on þat couenand Graunted to cristen law at stand. Þe man rase vp sune þam omang. And vnto þe kirk ogayn þai gang, And þore þe iew þan baptist was; Line 355 And fast he thankid saint Nicholas Þat was his borgh so trew & gude. He toke his gold and home he ȝode. Þe cristen man his lif amend, And so both þir men made gude end. — Line 360

Þis tale, þat last es set in stede, Was done efter saint Nicholas dede. Bot als men may rede, in his life He was medcyn to man and wife. Til at þe last his force gun fayle, Line 365 When god wold tak him fro trauayle. He wist wele when he suld oway; Þarfore þis salme þus gan he say

In te domine speraui, non confundar e. c. —

And es in inglis, luke who list: In þe, my lord, es all my trist, Line 370 And als lang als I trayst in þe, Ne sall I neuir dissayued be — And on raw he gun reherce, Vntil he come vnto þis vers:

In manus tuas, domine, commendo c. e. —

Þat menes þus: lord, in þi hend, Line 375 Forto be saued, my saul I send, For þou it boght and þine it es, My lord, my god of suthfastnes — And with þir wurdes he went his way And lendis in life þat lastes ay. Line 380

Line 380 Efter Cristes birth þan dyed he Thre hundreth ȝere fourty & thre. Enterd he was in toumbe of stone And a marble - thrugh laid him opon. At his heuyd oyle gun apere Line 385 And at his fete water ful clere, Þat medcyn was to mony mischeue And to al febill ful grete releue. Fell efter, when þat he was dede: A nobill man com in his stede, Line 390 Þat ful wele did with - outen dout; Bot with enemys he was put out. And for þaire wirking was all wrang, Þe oyle sesid and namore sprang. Bot sethin, als it liked to oure lord, Line 395 Vnto his state he was restorde. And als sone als he entrid þore, Þe oyle sprang, als it did bifore. So was it schewd, als all men said: Saynt Nicholas was of him payd. Line 400

A Iew wund sumtyme in midlerd [folio 138] Whore saynt Nicholas was enterd, And thurgh his might oft herd he say Sere miracles war done ilka day. Of his lifing wele lere him list Line 405 And in his help he had gude trist. So þat in his hows ordand he has Ane image of saynt Nicholas. And on a tyme swilk tithinges come, Þat him bihoued wend furth fer fro home. Line 410 Vnto þat image he þan bytaght Both land and rent and all his aght, Al erthly gudes, both gold and fe, And to þe image þus sayd he: "Lo, Nicholas, al myne erthli thing Line 415 I put haly in þi kepeing, To kepe it, till I cum ogayne, For I trow þe with - outen trayne. And if I find þou be n(o)ght trew, Ful bitter bales I sal þe brew". Line 420 Þan went he furth & wold noght dwell. [Ms. firth.] And sone efter so it bifell: Theues had ordand þam þarfore And stale oway all his tresore, His iewels toke þai euer - ilkone, Line 425 And left þe image þore allone. Þe iew come home þat oþer day And fand al robbid on euyl aray To þe image he went with bitter brayd And on þis wise þarto he sayd; Line 430 "Nicholas, say, left I noght þe To kepe my gudes saueli to me, Als man, I leuid for trew and lele? Whi haues þou sufferd theues it stele? Þou haues done to me vntreuly: [s in haues ist von and. Hand zugesetzt.] Line 435 I sal be vengid on þe forþi, It sal be boght with bitter payne, Bot if þou get my gude ogayne". He bet þe image, when he was greuid, Trowand so to be releuyd, Line 440 Of his gudes to haue restoring. And so bifell a ferly thing: Als þe theuis in certayn tyde Partid þaire pelf bi a wud side, Saynt Nicholas to þam aperd Line 445 Als he had bene bet with a ȝerd, And vnto þam al þus he said: "For ȝow am I þus euyll arayd, For ȝe haue wr(o)ght þe werkis wrang Wharfore I suffer paynes strang. Line 450 And bot ȝe wil wightly bere ogayne Þe gudes þat ȝe haue tane with trayne, Goddes vengeance sal on ȝow be tone And hangid sal ȝe be euerilkone". Þan war þai ferde and answerd þus: Line 455 "What ertow þat sais so till us?" He said þan: "ȝe sall wele vnterstand: I am Nicholas, Jhesu Crist seruand, Vnto wham þe iew bitoke his gude. Þus haues he bet me, sen ȝe ȝode". Line 460 For þir wurdes war þe theuis so rad, Þat al þe gudes ogayn þai had. And vnto þe iew þai told þaire thoght, And he told þam how he had wroght With þe image, and all þe case. Line 465 And al þai loued saynt Nicholas. Þe theues bicome gude cristin men, And þe iew was cristend þen, And al þai endid in goddes seruyse — God graunt us to end on swilk wise! Line 470