Altenglische legenden.

                                
                                  Ful gretely gun he him auyse;
                                  Line 370 
                                
                                  First he meruayled in his minde
                                
                                  How scho was cumen of gentil kinde,
                                
                                  And how scho was of tender eld,
                                
                                  Had so clere wit, at will to welde, [folio 135] 
                                
                                  And þat scho was namore adred
                                  Line 375 
                                
                                  In vnkuth stede forto be sted.
                                
                                  Ful mekely þan vnto hir he said:
                                
                                  "Mi doghter dere, be noght affrayd!
                                
                                  Þe spous þat þou has tane þe to,
                                
                                  Will gif þe grace ay wele to do;
                                  Line 380 
                                
                                  Fro erthli folis he will þe fend
                                
                                  And gif þe blis with-outen end.
                                
                                  And I, als a seruand of his.
                                
                                  Grauntes me to wirk als þou will wis!
                                
                                  Here sall be no-thing þe to greue —
                                  Line 385 
                                
                                  Lend, whils þe list — I gif þe leue.
                                
                                  And this day sall þou with me ete,
                                
                                  More of þis mater forto trete."
                                
                                  Þe fende answerd and (said): "sir, nay,
                                
                                  Bid me noght ett with þe þis day,
                                  Line 390 
                                
                                  Lat me ett els whore so þou will, —
                                
                                  For drede of sum suspecion of ill
                                
                                  With sum might (haue) so bisene, [der Vers ist verderbt; haue ist zu ergänzen?] 
                                
                                  Wold haue suspecion vs bitwene —
                                
                                  And þat war litel force for me,
                                  Line 395 
                                
                                  Bot þe halines, fader, of yowre pouste".
                                
                                  Þan said þe bisschop: "caus es þat none.
                                
                                  We sal noght be bi us-self allone,
                                
                                  Þar sall be oþer inowe at none".
                                
                                  Þan sayd sho: "sir, ȝowre will be done".
                                  Line 400 
                                
                                  Þan wesch þai sone and went to mete.
                                
                                  Bifor him-self was made hir sete.
                                
                                  Þe bisschop ay hertly hir bihelde —
                                
                                  Him thoght hir faire als floure in felde;
                                
                                  So swete him thoght both cheke & chin,
                                  Line 405 
                                
                                  Þat lust wounded his hert within.
                                
                                  Þe fende defigurd him fayre þarfore,
                                
                                  To wound his hert ay more & more.
                                
                                  So hertly he byheld hir face,
                                
                                  Þat he thoght: when he might (haue) space
                                  Line 410 
                                
                                  To haue þat woman at his will,
                                
                                  Þe wretchid werk he wold fulfill.
                                
                                  Bot saint Andrew, his faithful frend,
                                
                                  Saw he was ouer-sett with þe fend.
                                
                                  He putted him in a palmer state,
                                  Line 415 
                                
                                  And come vnto þe bisschop ȝate,
                                
                                  And on þe ȝate fast knokkid he
                                
                                  And asked almus par charite,
                                
                                  And of þe bisschop gun he craue
                                
                                  Þat day in þe hall his mete to haue.
                                  Line 420 
                                
                                  Sanctus Andreas erat peregrinus.
                                
                                  Þe porter told þe lord in his sete
                                
                                  How swilk a palmer askid him mete,
                                
                                  And askid if he suld him in lat.
                                
                                  Þe lady answerd vnto þat,
                                
                                  Scho sayd: "sir, if it be ȝoure will,
                                  Line 425 
                                
                                  I rede we proue him by sum skill.
                                
                                  Palmers walkes both fer and nere,
                                
                                  Sum questioun we will enquere;
                                
                                  And if he answer wele vnto all,
                                
                                  Þan es he wurthi to ette in hall".
                                  Line 430 
                                
                                  Þe bisschop answerd þus þarto:
                                
                                  "Damysell, þat can ȝe best do.
                                
                                  Says, what ȝe will, to him in hy!"
                                
                                  Scho sayd: "Igraunt, sir; graunt mercy!"
                                
                                  Þe porter, bad scho, suld be boune
                                  Line 435 
                                
                                  And ask of þe palmer þis resoune:
                                
                                  Of all þis werld in litel space
                                
                                  Whore god has scheud most might & grace?
                                
                                  Þe porter with þis message went
                                
                                  And said þe palmer how he was sent
                                  Line 440 
                                
                                  Þis questioun forto enquere.
                                
                                  And he answerd on þis manere:
                                
                                  "Sir, sen þis werld was first bygun,
                                
                                  A mans face was neuer ȝit fun
                                
                                  Like to a-nother in al making.
                                  Line 445 
                                
                                  Þarfore I say in so litill thing
                                
                                  Has god noght schewd slike might & grace
                                
                                  Als he has schewd in a mans face.
                                
                                  Þe space es litil forto discryue,
                                
                                  And þorein er þe wittes fyue
                                  Line 450 
                                
                                  Þat rewles all a mans lifing here.
                                
                                  Go, tell þi lord on þis manere!"
                                
                                  Þe porter went & tald þus all.
                                
                                  Þan al þe folk within þat hall
                                
                                  Sayd þat þe palme(r) answerd ful wele;
                                  Line 455 
                                
                                  Bot þe deuyll likid yt no dele.
                                
                                  Þe bisschop sayd: "lo, dere damysell,
                                
                                  Will ȝe oght els vnto him tell?"
                                
                                  Scho sayd: "syr, ȝa; and ȝe vouche saue,

About this Item

Title: Altenglische legenden.
Author: Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 9
Publication: Heilbronn,: Gebr. Henninger,; 1881.
Subject terms: Saints -- Legends; English poetry; Legends

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afw1383.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/afw1383.0001.001/147:2.2

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Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:afw1383.0001.001

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Full citation: "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 June 22, 2025.

Altenglische legenden.

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