Legends of the holy rood; Symbols of the passion and cross poems. In Old English of the eleventh, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries. Edited from Mss. in the British Museum and Bodleian Libraries, with introduction, translations, and glossarial index, by Richard Morris.

Page [87]

IV.

FINDING OF THE CROSS.

De Inuencione sancte crucis.

                        
                          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;
                          Line 4 
                        
                          Þat tre vs aw forto do honoure
                        
                          Þat bare oure lord and oure sauioure.
                        
                          Whils Constantyne þe nobil king
                        
                          Lifd here in erth in grete liking,
                          Line 8 
                        
                          Trew he was, in dede and saw,
                        
                          And lely lifed he in his law;
                        
                          In Rome he regnid als Emperoure,
                        
                          And gouerned it with grete honoure;
                          Line 12 
                        
                          So in his tyme, trewly to tell,
                        
                          All on þis maner it bifell:—
                        
                          Þe grekis and þe folk of barbary
                        
                          Gederd ful grete cumpany,
                          Line 16 
                        
                          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
                          Line 24 
                        
                          His land with fighting to defend,
                        
                          And to hald it fro his enmis hend;
                        
                          And als he lay opon a night,
                        
                          Bifore þat day þat þai suld fight,
                          Line 28 
                        
                          Him thoght he lukid to heuyn on high,

Page 88

                        
                          And in þe aire him thoght he sigh
                        
                          Þe same cros þat crist was on done,
                        
                          And a voice sayd þus to him sone:
                          Line 32 
                        
                          "Ordayne þine armes on þis kin wise,
                        
                          Þan sal þou ouercum þine enmise;
                        
                          And in þis figure fully þou trayst,
                        
                          Þan thar þe no thing be abaist;
                          Line 36 
                        
                          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;
                          Line 44 
                        
                          Of þis tithing scho was ful fayne
                        
                          And gert ordan, with al hir mayne,
                        
                          Þat he suld haue swilk armes dight,
                        
                          Als he had sene by gastly sight;
                          Line 48 
                        
                          His awin armes sone doun war laid
                        
                          And þe cros in his scheld purtraid,
                        
                          Byfore him in batayle to bere,
                        
                          And so he went furth to þe were;
                          Line 52 
                        
                          And thurgh þe vertu of þe croyce,
                        
                          Als he was warned by gastly voyce,
                        
                          Al his enmis he ouer-come
                        
                          And broght þe victori to Rome.
                          Line 56 
                        
                          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 Ihesu,
                        
                          Ne no thing wist þai what it ment
                        
                          Þat þai honurd with gude entent.

                          Line 64

Page 89

                        
                          Line 64 
                        
                          Þan king Constantine gert call
                        
                          Of Iewry þe maisters all,
                        
                          Forto enquere by þaire clergy
                        
                          What thing þat signe suld signify:
                          Line 68 
                        
                          Þai said, "sir, lely we ȝow hete,
                        
                          Byfor þis tyme was a prophete
                        
                          Hight ihesuc, and [in] þis same Ceté
                        
                          Was he hanged on swilk a tre;
                          Line 72 
                        
                          Ful many men þarbi was mend,
                        
                          And grete vertu þarof was kend,
                        
                          Bot sone efter þe iews it hid,
                        
                          For no might suld of it be kid,
                          Line 76 
                        
                          And how it was hid sal ȝe here.
                        
                          Sir, it bifell in þis manere—
                        
                          When ihesuc 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,
                          Line 84 
                        
                          With two crosses þat theues on hang,
                        
                          And also þe nayles þat war strang;
                        
                          Al kest þai priuely in a pyt, [folio 150:2] 
                        
                          So þat no man suld of þam wit;
                          Line 88 
                        
                          Þore haue þai liggen, on þis maner,
                        
                          Sethin more þan two hundreth ȝere,
                        
                          Sethin Tytus and vaspasian come
                        
                          And destroyd mony iews of Rome;
                          Line 92 
                        
                          For right als þai boght ihesu fre
                        
                          For thritty penis of þaire moné,
                        
                          So war þai sold to þaire enmy
                        
                          Euer thritty iews for a peny;
                          Line 96 
                        
                          On þis wise war þai al broght doun,
                        
                          Vnder þe Emperoure subieccione,
                        
                          So þat no man wun þore sald
                        
                          Of þe Emperure bot þai wald hald,

                          Line 100

Page 90

                        
                          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:—
                          Line 104 
                        
                          In Rome ane Emperoure was þan
                        
                          Þat named was sir adrian,
                        
                          Cristen law wald he none ken,
                        
                          Bot euer distryed al cristenmen;
                          Line 108 
                        
                          Þis Emperoure wele vnderstode
                        
                          Whore his elders had hid þe rode,
                        
                          And herby persayued he it right,
                        
                          For cristen men both day and night
                          Line 112 
                        
                          Come to honure þat haly stede,
                        
                          And bousomly þore made þaire bede;
                        
                          Þai honurd þe mount of caluary,
                        
                          In wirschip of þe cros namely.
                          Line 116 
                        
                          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;
                          Line 124 
                        
                          Þan cristen men þat place refused,
                        
                          None of þam efter þeder vsed,
                        
                          And so it wurthed at þe last
                        
                          Þe cros al out of minde was past,
                          Line 128 
                        
                          And þat was for no man herd say
                        
                          Þarof ne in what stede it lay.
                        
                          Lang efter þe temple of maumetry
                        
                          Was all distroyd fro Caluary,
                          Line 132 
                        
                          Þan groued þe stede with thornes and breris,
                        
                          And of þe cros no thing men heris;
                        
                          For two hundreth ȝeres war omell,
                        
                          Bitwix þe tymes þat I of tell. [folio 150b] 

                          Line 136

Page 91

                        
                          Line 136 
                        
                          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,
                          Line 144 
                        
                          And clerkis has told to þow and me
                        
                          Þat criste was ded on swilk a tre,
                        
                          Ful fayn I wold þat tre war soght
                        
                          And sone vnto more honure broght."
                          Line 148 
                        
                          Þan said his moder, saynt Elyne,
                        
                          "Sun, for suth I sal noght fyne
                        
                          Þat haly tre or I haue fun."
                        
                          And sone hir way scho has bigun,
                          Line 152 
                        
                          Furth scho went with faire menȝé,
                        
                          To ierusalem, þat riche ceté.
                        
                          And when þe iews herd hereof tell
                        
                          Þat þe quene come þam omell,
                          Line 156 
                        
                          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,
                          Line 164 
                        
                          And priuely þai ask þis thing,
                        
                          What was þe caus of þe quenes cuming.
                        
                          And sum, als þai had herd of hir,
                        
                          Said scho come for þe cros to spir,
                          Line 168 
                        
                          Waron crist vnto dede was broght,
                        
                          And ilkone said þai knew it noght;
                        
                          So was þore ane þat hiyght Iudas,
                        
                          Þat grete mayster omang þam was;

                          Line 172

Page 92

                        
                          Line 172 
                        
                          Saint simyon sun for suth was he,
                        
                          And Simyon was sun of ȝaché.
                        
                          Þis Iudas said, "sumdele I mene
                        
                          Of thinges þat here bifore has bene;
                          Line 176 
                        
                          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 you hald priué;
                        
                          If it bifall, sun, in þi liue [folio 150b:2] 
                        
                          Þat any spir, oþir man or wiue,
                          Line 184 
                        
                          Or efter þe cros will þe ass,
                        
                          Þat ihesu crist on hanged was,
                        
                          Or þai þarfore do þe to dede,
                        
                          Tell þam vnto swilk a stede,
                          Line 188 
                        
                          Þat now es waste and al vnkid,
                        
                          For þore I wote wele was it hid;
                        
                          And if þou may þi ded escheu,
                        
                          Þan wald I þat no man it kneu.'
                          Line 192 
                        
                          Þus tald he to me in what stede
                        
                          Þai groue þe rode bi comun rede,
                        
                          Bot if we any oþer wise mai do,
                        
                          I rede we tel noman þarto."
                          Line 196 
                        
                          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
                          Line 204 
                        
                          Whore cristes cros in erth es hid,
                        
                          And bot ȝe do, als I ȝow bid,
                        
                          Ilkone ȝe sall be brint þis day."
                        
                          And sone a fire scho did puruay,

                          Line 208

Page 93

                        
                          Line 208 
                        
                          And when þai saw þe fyr on brede,
                        
                          In þaire hertis þan had þai drede:
                        
                          Vnto þe quene al gun þai cry,
                        
                          "Lady, of vs here haue mercy,
                          Line 212 
                        
                          For we wote no thing how it was;
                        
                          If any wote þan wote Iudas,
                        
                          For he was ane old prophet sun,
                        
                          Þe laws wele better mai he cun;
                          Line 216 
                        
                          His elders war of þe alde state,
                        
                          And of þaire werkes sumdel he wate."
                        
                          Þan lete scho al þo oþer go,
                        
                          And Iudas 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.
                          Line 224 
                        
                          For hunger he cried on þe seuynd day,
                        
                          "Saue me and I sall yow say
                        
                          Whore ȝe sall fynd þe rude tre,
                        
                          Als my fader tolde vnto me;
                          Line 228 
                        
                          Vnto me es þis mater dym,
                        
                          Bot sum knawing I haue by him."
                        
                          Fro prisun þan was Iudas tone, [folio 151:1] 
                        
                          And furth went with þam ilkone
                          Line 232 
                        
                          Vnto þe mount of Caluary;
                        
                          Þam folowd ful grete cumpany.
                        
                          And when þai come whore þai wald be,
                        
                          Þan Iudas knelid doun on his kne,
                          Line 236 
                        
                          He said, "lord, þat all has in waldë,
                        
                          If tales be trew þat men has talde,
                        
                          If þou be he þis werld bigan,
                        
                          And verrayli es both god and 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,

                          Line 244

Page 94

                        
                          Line 244 
                        
                          Wharon þi self wald suffer dede,
                        
                          If it be hid here in þis stede."
                        
                          Als Iudas þus gun his prayers make,
                        
                          Þe hill obouen bigan to quake,
                          Line 248 
                        
                          And þarof rase a ful grete reke,
                        
                          Bot þat was ful wele smelland smeke;
                        
                          Ful mekil mirth was þam omell,
                        
                          Fo[r] neuer man feld swetter smell;
                          Line 252 
                        
                          Þan Iudas fast bigan to cry,
                        
                          And he said ful stedfastly,
                        
                          In veritate, christe, tu es redemptor mundi,
                        
                          "In suthfastnes, lord criste, I trow,
                          Line 256 
                        
                          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 Ieus law euer I forsake."
                        
                          Þan cristen man þai gan him mak
                        
                          And turned his name to Quiriak,
                        
                          Sethin was he Bisschop in hali kirk,
                          Line 264 
                        
                          And hali werkis oft gun he wirk.
                        
                          Þai biheld whore þe smel come out,
                        
                          And fast grubed þai þore obout;
                        
                          So depe þai grubbed and so fast,
                          Line 268 
                        
                          Thre crosses fand þai at þe last;
                        
                          Ane of crist both large and lang,
                        
                          And oþer two þat theues on hang,
                        
                          Bot þore was noman þat knew
                          Line 272 
                        
                          Whilk was þe cros of ihesu.
                        
                          Þan Quiriak prayd, with hert and hend,
                        
                          Þat god suld þam þe nailes send
                        
                          Þat nayled crist þe rude vnto;
                          Line 276 
                        
                          And sune when he had prayed so
                        
                          Thre nayles aperd vnto þare sight, [folio 151:2] 
                        
                          In þe erth schineand ful bright;
                        
                          Þai toke thre nayles and crosses thre

                          Line 280

Page 95

                        
                          Line 280 
                        
                          And bare þam to þe riche ceté;
                        
                          Ful mikel folk come þam ogayne
                        
                          And of þare fare þai war ful fayne;
                        
                          And on a bere þore gun men bring
                          Line 284 
                        
                          A ded bodi vnto þe beryiing.
                        
                          Quiriak bad þam þat it bare
                        
                          Set doune þe bere omang þam þare,
                        
                          So forto proue þare, or þai pas,
                          Line 288 
                        
                          Whilk of þa crosses cristes was;
                        
                          Quiriak fast vnto god prayd
                        
                          And ane cros to þe cors he layd,
                        
                          And sethin ane oþer he laid þartill,
                          Line 292 
                        
                          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 296 
                        
                          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,
                          Line 300 
                        
                          With a fful fayre processioune;
                        
                          Al loued þai god, with ioyful mode,
                        
                          And saynt elyn scho bare þe rode;
                        
                          Þan sone omang þam herd þai ȝell
                          Line 304 
                        
                          A ful grete dyn of deuils of hell;
                        
                          Þai cried, "allas and wayloway,
                        
                          For dole what sal we do þis day;
                        
                          Þe tre es funden whilk we suppose
                          Line 308 
                        
                          Sall ger vs all oure pouwer lose,
                        
                          For we haue power in no place,
                        
                          Whore men on þam þat takin mase;
                        
                          Now mun oure power fro us pas,
                          Line 312 
                        
                          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 316

Page 96

                        
                          Line 316 
                        
                          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,
                          Line 320 
                        
                          For all þe crosses þat þai can make,
                        
                          Bot I may neuer no man spill
                        
                          With syn, bot-if þam seluin will;
                        
                          Asay I sall, with sere sutelté,
                          Line 324 
                        
                          To ger men syn and serue me."
                        
                          Quiriak said þan to þe fende [folio 151b:1] 
                        
                          "Þou wikked deuil þi way þou wende,
                        
                          Vnto þe deppest hole of hell,
                          Line 328 
                        
                          Euermore in dole to dwell;
                        
                          For funden es now þe haly tre
                        
                          Þat fellis þi pride and þi pousté."
                        
                          Þe fendes þan with hidose cry
                          Line 332 
                        
                          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 336 
                        
                          Gert mak a case of syluer fyne,
                        
                          With gold and precius stones plenté,
                        
                          And closid þarin þat haly tre;
                        
                          And on þe mount of caluary
                          Line 340 
                        
                          Gert scho mak a kirk in hy,
                        
                          And þore scho set þe haly tre
                        
                          Of all men honord forto be;
                        
                          And sone when it was þeder broght,
                          Line 344 
                        
                          Fro sere sides men þeder soght,
                        
                          And ful grete grace was þore schewd,
                        
                          And grete releue to lerd and leude;
                        
                          Thurgh cristen land so es it kend,
                          Line 348 
                        
                          Þat fro þe fendes it mai us fend,
                        
                          So þat þai may do us none ill,
                        
                          Bot-if oure self assent þartill;
                        
                          For in werld has he no powere,

                          Line 352

Page 97

                        
                          Line 352 
                        
                          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 356 
                        
                          Þe cros þat bare oure sauioure,
                        
                          Þat we may to þat blis be broght,
                        
                          Whilk crist with his blode to us boght.

About this Item

Pages

Page [87]

IV.

FINDING OF THE CROSS.

Page 88

Page 89

Page 90

Page 91

Page 92

Page 93

Page 94

Page 95

Page 96

Page 97

Notes

Legends of the holy rood; Symbols of the passion and cross poems. In Old English of the eleventh, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries. Edited from Mss. in the British Museum and Bodleian Libraries, with introduction, translations, and glossarial index, by Richard Morris.

About this Item

Pages

description Page [87]

IV.

FINDING OF THE CROSS.

description Page 88

description Page 89

description Page 90

description Page 91

description Page 92

description Page 93

description Page 94

description Page 95

description Page 96

description Page 97

Notes

Page [87]

Page 88

Page 89

Page 90

Page 91

Page 92

Page 93

Page 94

Page 95

Page 96

Page 97