The early South-English legendary ; or, Lives of saints. I. Ms. Laud, 108, in the Bodleian library. Edited by Carl Horstmann.

28 [Prologue] Fabian Sebastian.

AL þis bok is i-maked of holi dawes : and of holie mannes liues Þat soffreden for ore louerdes loue : pinene manie and riue, Þat ne spareden for none eiȝe : godes weorkes to wurche; Of ȝwas liues ȝwane heore feste fallez : men redez in holi churche. Line 4 Þei ich of alle ne mouwe nouȝt telle : ichulle telle of some, [folio 88b] Ase euerech feste after oþur : In þe ȝere doth come.— Þe furste feste þat in þe ȝere comez : we cleopiez ȝeres-dai, Ase ore louerd was circumciset : In þe giwene lay, Line 8

Line 8 For to fulfullen heore lawe : and for cristinedom non nas Are longe þare-afturward : þat he I-cristned was. ¶ He was Nyne and twenti ȝer : and þrettene dawes old Are he i-baptized were : ase þe bok us hath i-told: Line 12 Al-so it fel a twelfte-dai : seint Iohan þe baptist Baptizede in þe flum Iordan : ore louerd Ihesu crist. In þat dai a twelf-monþe : ore louerd was at one feste, Þare he turnde water to win : þoruȝ is moder heste. Line 16 We holdez al-so þat dai feste : of þe þridde þinge: Ase þe þre kingues to ore louerd : presaunt dude bringe; to him heo comen ase is moder : a-child-bedde lay, After þat he i-bore was : þane þretteþe day, Line 20 Ase it fallez a-twelfte-dai— : longe heo erore him souȝten, gold. and. mirre. and An-sens : In presaunt heo him brouȝten.— Seint Fabian þrettene ȝer : pope was In rome; he turnede mani men þat luþere weren : in-to cristine-dome. Line 24 Decius, þat prince was : of heþenesse þo, he let him martri þere-fore : and oþere with him mo.

Vita sancti Sebastiani.

Telle ichulle of þe holi man : seint Sebastian. he seruede ane heþe amperour : þat het dyoclician; hext maister he was onder him : to don al is wille. Cristine Man he was bi-come : bote þar-of he heold him stille, Line 4 for no doute of Martyrdom : ake for þat he wolde longe Serui god almiȝti, are he wolde : deth onder-fonge. Alle þe men þat cristine weren : þat þe Aumperor ouȝwer founde Sone he let to deþe bringe : with fuyre oþur mid wounde. Line 8 Ȝwane ani man for cristindom : to deþe scholde beon brouȝt, Seint Sebastian heom confortede : þat heo ne dradden heom nouȝt Deth a-fonge for godes loues : Ake þat heo studefaste were; Mani he heold in þe riȝte bi-leue : þat flechchi wolden for fere. Line 12 ¶ Marcus and Marcellian : breþren weren tweie, Þe Aumperour for cristinedom : I-nome hadde heom beiȝe: he let heom binde to-gadere faste : boþe to o piler, And to þe Eorþe naylli heore fet : þat heo ne miȝten fer ne ner. Line 16

Line 16 So heo stoden al ane day and a niȝt : þat non ne miȝten fram oþer; Eiþur of heom ofte to oþere seide : "here is ioye, leue broþer!"— guod it is and murie : breþren to wonie i-fere! Euere heo precheden cristindom : mid wel glade chere. Line 20 Þe Aumperor let nimen ane spere : ase heo stoden to-gadere i-bounde, Þoruȝ heore heortene he let heom smite : þat heo deiden in a luyte stounde. Sebastian was þo i-wreid : þat he heom ȝaf þane red to holden op faste heore cristindom : þei heo scholden beo ded. [folio 89] Line 24 Þe Aumperor let him cleopie : "Sebastian," he sede, "to þe al mi truste was : mi lond to wissi and rede, Of alle þing þat min is : Ich ȝaf þe mest power, to holden op min honour : and to saui it fer and ner: Line 28 Ich habbe to þe suspecion : Ake for-soþe i-ne segge it nouȝt, Þat þov a-ȝen me and a-ȝen min honour : Itorned hast þi þouȝ[t]." Sebastian seide, "sire Aumperour : Aȝen þe neuere I nas, Ake mid þe and al þine þinge : to þin honour ich was, Line 32 And ofte ich habbe niȝt and daiȝ : godes sone bi-souȝt, Al-so wisliche ase he with is heorte blode : deore us hauez i-bouȝt, Þat he þe ȝyue power gret : and wille and eke þouȝt to leten þine false godes— : for heo ne helpeth þe nouȝt." Line 36 ¶ Wod-wroth was þis Aumperor. : "Sebastian," he seide, "habbe ich þus i-holde þe? : turne þi þouȝt, ich rede! bote þov honouri ore godus : to swuche pine i schal þe take Þat, are þov beo to deþe i-brouȝt : ech lime þe schal ake." Line 40 "Sire," seide Sebastian : "þine þretningue ne drede i nouȝt, More me greuez þat þou nelt : habbe reuþe in þi þouȝt And honouri him þat made þe man : ant þine maumates bi-leue, Þat ne mouwe helpe nouȝt : for heo beoth doumbe and deue." Line 44 Þe Aumperour in grete wrathþe was : þesne holi man he let take, And dude him leden into þe feld : and binde him to a stake, he let archers to him scheote : ase it were to one marke; With quareles and with Arewene : heo maden him woundes starke. Mani on wende þoruȝ-out him : in a luytel ȝwyle heo stikeden al-so þicke on him : so yrichon deth of piles. Line 50 Þo heom þouȝte þat he was ded : hom heo gonne i-wende;

On-bured heo bi-lefden him þare : his bodi for-to schenden. Line 52 A cristine womman, þat heiȝte Yreine : wende þudere bi niȝte Forto burien þat holi bodi : ȝif heo it finde miȝte. heo cam and fond him hol and sound : he nadde nouȝt one wounde; With gret Ioye heo ladde him to hire hous : and glad was þat heo him founde. Line 56 ¶ Þene feorþe dai Sebastian : wende to þe Aumperour. "Sire," he seide, "ichulle þe telle : þat fallez to þin honour: Ȝe mis-bi-leuez, and men doth eov : a-mis to onderstonde Þat cristine men scholden harm do : to þe and to al þine londe. Line 60 For i-sosteyned and i-saued : it is þoruȝ heore bone More þane þoruȝ ouwer Maumates : þat ne beoth nouȝt wurhþ a spone. For we biddez nyȝt and day : god, þat me hidere sende, Þat he eov ȝiue long lijf : ȝif ȝe eov wollez a-mende." Line 64 "hou is þis?" quath þe Aumperour : "ȝweþur þov a-liue beo? Nartþou nouȝt Sebastian : þat ich a-felde let sle?" "Ȝe," he seide, þis holi man : "a-liue ich am nouþe her, hol and sound, with-oute wounde : to schewen þe godus pouwer, Line 68 And to schewen þat ȝe onriȝt doth : cristine Men to sle, [folio 89b] For heore bi-leue is riȝtful and guod : and ouwere nis wuyrth a stre. Þare-fore on þine soule þench! : ne bi-lef þou nouȝt on a stone, Ake on him þat us deore a-bouȝte : þat is godes sone al one." Line 72 ¶ "Ovȝ," seide þe Aumperovr þo : "ȝware is ovre miȝte? Schal þis þeof þoruȝ is wichchinge : a-ȝen us with wordes fiȝte?" he let nimen sebastian : and hom to is paleis lede. For no miracle þat he dude : to wide scholde sprede, Line 76 Laste Men torneden to cristindom : In-to a priue stude he him ladde, With staues he let him to deþe beten. : and þo heo a-slawe him hadde, In one Chaumbre foreine : a-midde þe fuylthþ-hede he let him honge with a rop— : and þat was a vil dede— Line 80 Þat bodi forto schende : for he hadde drede Þat cristine Men him wolden stele : and is bodi a-wei lede. bi niȝte cam þis holi Man : to a womman, þat het lucine, And tolde hire hou he ymartred was : and in ȝwuche pine, Line 84 An hou filliche is bodi heng : and þat heo ase sone ase heo miȝte his bodi fette, and burien it : a-mong cristine men bi niȝte.

Þis guode womman at Midniȝt : dude ase he hadde i-bede: Fette þat bodi and burede hit : In a wel fair stude. Line 88 Þus seint sebastian þe holi man : is lif brouȝte to ende, And fram þe pine of is liue : to þe blisse of heuene he gan iwende.

Notes

• MS. was was