Altenglische legenden.

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Title

Author

Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851.

Publication

Heilbronn,: Gebr. Henninger,

1881.

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Subject terms

Saints -- Legends

English poetry

Legends

Cite this Item

"Altenglische legenden." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/AFW1383.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 8, 2024.

Pages

Page [339]

14. Legende vom Crucifix, aus Ms. Ashmol. 61, fol. 26b.

                      
                        By-twyx two knyghtys be-ȝond þe se
                      
                        Fell a gret conteke to be.
                      
                        By-twyx þem felle syche wreth & wo,
                      
                        That þe one weyted þe oþer to slo.
                      
                        This sleyne knyght hade a chyld,
                        Line 5 
                      
                        A douȝhty bachyler & wylde.
                      
                        This chyld toke hym to rede
                      
                        Forto venge his fader dede.
                      
                        He gerte hym grete powere (&) myght,
                      
                        To besege þe oþer knyght.
                        Line 10 
                      
                        The oþer knyght perseyued hym wele
                      
                        And droff hym to his best castelle.
                      
                        Than was he besegyd so streytly,
                      
                        That he durste come oute on no party
                      
                        Off all þe XII moneth, with no deseyte:
                        Line 15 
                      
                        So was he beseged streyte.
                      
                        Messe ne matyns he ne herd
                      
                        Ne neuer to þe chirche he ferde.
                      
                        And it was in þe lentyne tyde,
                      
                        When men schuld leue wreth & pride.
                        Line 20 
                      
                        Than felle it on þe gode-frydey:
                      
                        The knyght þat in þe castell ley
                      
                        Lukyd out & saw men go
                      
                        To þe chyrche to & fro;
                      
                        Barefote to þe chyrch (þei) ȝede,
                        Line 25 
                      
                        To aske mersy fore (þer) mysdede.
                      
                        The knyght thouȝht: "it is longe gone
                      
                        That messe at þe chirche I herd none.
                      
                        What-so-euer god fore me wylle wyrche,
                      
                        I wylle ryse & go to þe chyrche".
                        Line 30 
                      
                        He drew on his hose & schone, [folio 27] 
                      
                        And dude þe ȝatys be vndone;
                      
                        Barefote he ȝede, as is þe gyse,
                      
                        To chirche, to here godys seruys.
                      
                        And as he þe wey to þe chirche name,
                        Line 35 
                      
                        His enmy sone aȝens hym came,
                      
                        And seyd: "tratoure, now schall þou dyȝe
                      
                        And my faderes deth full dere abyȝe!
                      
                        No werldys gode þe schalle saue,
                      
                        Bot thou þi deth of me schall haue".
                        Line 40 
                      
                        The knyght saw none oþer bote,
                      
                        Bot fell on kneys before his fote
                      
                        And seyd: "offe me þou haue mersy,
                      
                        Fore hym þat lyȝht in þe virgyne Mary
                      
                        And sofryd deth on þe rode tre
                        Line 45 
                      
                        This dey, to saue both þe & me,
                      
                        And foregaffe hym þat his blode spylte:
                      
                        Right so þou foregyff me þat gylte!
                      
                        I ame as a presonere in þis place,
                      
                        I put me now all in þi grace,
                        Line 50 
                      
                        That godys grace be on þe lente
                      
                        At the dey of Jugemente".
                      
                        This knyght þat was his enmy
                      
                        Herd hym praye so reufolly,
                      
                        And seyd: "seth þou haste me besouȝht
                        Line 55 
                      
                        Fore Jhesu loue, þat dere vs bouȝht,
                      
                        And fore his moder loue so dere,
                      
                        Fore them I grante þe my powere".
                      
                        This Iche chyld sone doūne lyȝht
                      
                        And in gode loue kyssed þe knyȝht.
                        Line 60 
                      
                        "We be now frendys, þat are wer wrothe.
                      
                        Go we now to þe chyrche bothe
                      
                        In gowd loue & parfyte charyte
                      
                        Fore his sake þat ordeynd þus to be!"
                      
                        The knyght was glade veraly,
                        Line 65 
                      
                        And so wer all þat compeny,
                      
                        That he foregyffe (hym) þis mysdede.
                      
                        And to þe chyrch than both þei ȝede.

Page 340

                        
                        Before þe cros þei knelyd doūne,
                      
                        In þe worschyppe off Jhesus passyoune
                        Line 70 
                      
                        Forto kysse þe crosse þat dey,
                      
                        As custome is in crysten ley.
                      
                        The eldere knyght fore honour
                      
                        Ȝede fyrst & kyst hys creatour.
                      
                        After þan ȝede þe chyld,
                        Line 75 
                      
                        That was becomme meke & mylde;
                      
                        With þe tokyne he ganne hym blysse
                      
                        And knelyd downe þe crosse to kys.
                      
                        The crusyfix, þat there was leyd,
                      
                        His arme fro þe crosse vppe breyd
                        Line 80 
                      
                        And clyped þe chyld hym betwyx,
                      
                        And sethe hym kyssed þe crusyfix.
                      
                        All þe parysch, boþe olde & ȝenge,
                      
                        Perseyued & saw þat clyppenge,
                      
                        And how þe crucyfyx hym kyste;
                        Line 85 
                      
                        The saw it alle & wele it wyste,
                      
                        And þei thankyd suete Jhesu
                      
                        Off þat merakyll & þat vertu.
                      
                        Off þis chylde was grete selcouthe
                      
                        That þe crucyfix kyste his mouthe;
                        Line 90 
                      
                        Neuer-þe-les ȝit Iwys
                      
                        In his herte was myche blys,
                      
                        And all þe folke þat saw þat thinge
                      
                        Made to god grete thankynge.
                      
                        Of thes two knyghtys how it betyde
                        Line 95 
                      
                        The merakylle spronge wele wyde,
                      
                        And euery mane þerof gane telle,
                      
                        Prestys in prechingys þerof cane spell,
                      
                        So þat euery man in þat contre
                      
                        Lyue(d) well þe more in charite
                        Line 100 
                      
                        And all men þe sonere foregaue
                      
                        There wreth þat þei to oþer haue.
                      
                        Sykyre þou be he was ryȝht wele
                      
                        That gode fore hym dude sych merakell!
                      
                        A syngne it was of grete loue,
                        Line 105 
                      
                        That god all-myȝhty of heuen aboue
                      
                        Prefer(d) hym to kys so lawly,
                      
                        Fore he mekyd his herte so hye.
                      
                        Now may ȝe se, god loues þem dere
                      
                        That foregyue þer wreth in þis werld here.
                        Line 110 
                      
                        So schall his wreth on hym be sene
                      
                        That here wylle not foregyffe þer tene.
                      
                        Therefore prinsypally I hold it beste
                      
                        Forto loue pece & lyue in reste.
                      
                        And þat it myght so be,
                        Line 115 
                      
                        Prey we all fore charite!
                      Amen quod Rate.

Notes

droff = drew.

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Ms. he u. his st. þei u. þer.

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Ms. he u. his st. þei u. þer.

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Ms. sofeyd.

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foregyffe = forgaffe. Ms. them st. him.

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Ms. he st. hym,

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Off st. to?

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Ms. strong st. sprong,

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Ms. lyue.

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Ms. prefere.

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hym plur.?

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Altenglische legenden.

About this Item

Pages

description Page [339]

14. Legende vom Crucifix, aus Ms. Ashmol. 61, fol. 26b.

description Page 340

Notes

Page [339]

Page 340