Altenglische legenden.

Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851., Barbour, John, d. 1395.

I.
Die nordenglische Legendensammlung
des Ms. Harl. 4196 (und Ms. Cott. Tiber. E VII).

I. De s. Andrea apostolo historia).*. [Diese, die Sammlung des Ms. Harl. 4196 beginnende Legende ist in dems. Ms. am Schlusse der Sammlung fol. 197b (hinter Katharina) nochmals wiederholt, zugleich mit Anastasia, fol. 199b, die bereits im ersten Theil des Ms., der Homiliensammlung, voranging, beide von derselben zweiten Hand, die von fol. 165 ab den letzten Theil der Sammlung geschrieben hat; ein am Rande von derselben Hand vermerktes Vacat bezeichnet indessen beide Legenden als dort nicht gültig. Dieser 2^te Text des An|dreas umfasst nur die ersten 258 Verse (das Miraculum fehlt) und weicht im Einzel|nen vielfach ab (er ist kürzer), stimmt dagegen buchstäblich mit dem im Ms. Tiber. E VII fol. 277b hinten, nach Katharina, folgenden Texte dieseI Legende überein, woraus eben dieser 2^te Text des Ms. Harl., wie fast alle Legenden von fol. 165 ab, buchstäblich entnommen ist. Leider ist Ms. Tib., die frühere und bessere Hs., durch Feuer sehr beschädigt, und von je 2 Columnen einer Seite nur eine (auf der Vorderseite die linke, auf der Rückseite die rechte) ganz oder grösstentheils (bis auf die obersten 3—5 Verse) lesbar, von der andern meist nur Anfänge oder Schluss|wörter einzelner Verse. Die Texte des Ms. Tib. haben durchaus den Vorzug; es ist nothwendig, die Lesarten desselben genau zu verzeichnen, wenn auch, bei der theil|weisen Zerstörung dieser Hs., Ms. Harl. der Ausgabe zu Grunde zu legen ist.]*. [Hier folgen die Varianten des 2^ten Textes des Ms. Harl. (=Tib.):]

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Page 8

Quomodo s. Andreas vicit diabolum.

A nobil bisschop, als we rede,

In halines his life gun lede.

280

He lufed saint Andrew al his life

And euer he vsid þis reson rife:

In al þe dedis þat he su(l)d do,

Þus said he, when he went þarto:

"Þis werk here I bigyn to schew

285

In þe name of god and saint Andrew".

Þus vsid he euir in all hys dede:

So hopid he his werk suld wele spede —

In saint Andrew he had swilk trist;

And of þat merk no-thing he myst.

290

Bot þan þe fende, oure enmy,

Vnto þat bisschop had grete enuy;

For he to god hys hert had sett,

He did his force þat life lett:

He assayd him with moni a syn.

295

Bot on none wise he might him wyn.

Til al þe last he wroght a wile

With lusty luf hym to bigyle.

To ger hym fall in foul lichery,

He schop hym to be like a fayre lady,

300

Vnto þe bisschops palays hastid he

And said þat he wold schriuen be.

Þe bisschoppes menȝe gun him tell

How þore was cumen a damysell,

Þe fairest þat þai bifore had sene,

305

And said scho wold be schreuen clene.

When þe bisschop þis tale had herd,

Vnto þo men þus he answerd:

"Gose, ledes hir to mi penitancere!

For of me has he playn powere".

310

Bot when þe ladi herd þis tale,

Scho sayd: "for suth, I neuer sale

Reherce how þat I am gylty

Bot to þe bisschoppes awyn body;

I haue in hert swilk priuete:

315

I will none wit bot god and he".

Þus when þe bisschop wist hir will,

He bad scho suld be broght him till.

Þai broght hir furth þan him bifore.

And ful mekely, when scho com þore,

320

Doun scho knelid bifor his kne

And sayd: "lord, haue mercy on me

And here my tales all vntil ende!"

He wist noght þat it was þe fende,

"Tel on, he sayd, my doghter dere,

325

Þi hert all halely vnto me now here!

I sall þe here euer-ilka thing

And counsayl þe efter my cunyng".

"Sir, scho sayd, all-if ȝe now se

I am pouer and in pilgrym degre,

330

Cumen I am of kyng and quene

And in grete bewtes haue I bene

And fosterd furth full tendirly —

Of tender eld als ȝit am I.

Bot neuer-þe-lese in all mi ȝowth

335

Ay wirschip Crist ful wele I kouth.

And when I past out of barnhede,

Þe king, my fader, gun me bede

Þat a riche prince suld me wed.

And þan I was full sore adred

340

Þat my lord Crist suld be euyl payd,

And vnto my fader þus I sayd:

Þat erthli husband wald I none,

For vnto Crist I had me tone,

'Vnto him haue I hertly hight

345

To kepe me clene both day & night;

Þarfore none oþer may I take,

For his lufe sal I neuer forsake'".

When mi fader herd me so say,

Ful wroth he went fro me oway,

350

He said I suld wirk at his will

Or els be puted vnto paynes ill.

Þan in my hert I toke þis thoght:

Þat leuyr me war in bale be broght,

In wildernes al-way to wake,

355

Þan Crist, my spous, forto forsake.

Oway I went þan so priuely,

Þat no-man wist bot god and I.

Sethin, haly fader, suth it es,

I haue herd of youre halines,

360

How ȝe er blith, and euir has bene,

To confort þam þat kepis þam clene.

Þarfore I thoght: and I might wyn

Vnder ȝoure ward and wun þarin,

Þan suld I liff in rest and ese,

365

With gude prayers my god to plese,

And so forsake þis werldely liue

And lere condicions contemplatiue".

When þe bisschop herd þir wordes wise, Page 9

Ful gretely gun he him auyse;

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

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;

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 —

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,

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,

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".

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,

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

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,

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.

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,

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".

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

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

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.

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

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;

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, Page 10

A harder question now sal he haue

460

And more maystry, if þat I may:

So sall we best his wit assay.*. [Ms. euyn.]

Go, bid hym here vnto vs (n)euyn

Whore þe erth es hegher þan þe heuyn?"

Þe porter went and told þis tale.

465

Þe palmer answerd with wurdes hale:

"Go, say þi lord he suld haue mynde

How Crist in erth he toke mans kynd.

He lightid in a mayden mylde,

And fleschly was scho neuer filde;

470

Of hyr bodi he wold be born,

And of erth was scho made biforn.

Seþin Crist vp vnto heuyn ascend

With mans kinde, als wele es kend:

Mans kinde so made of erth & clay

475

In Cristes auwen person wuns al-way.

In his persoun so may we neuyn

Þe erth es hegher þan any heuyn

Go, say þi lord þus in þis manere!"

Þe porter went with ful gude chere,

480

He rehercyd vnto ȝong and olde

Euyn als þe palmer had him tolde.

And al þai said, als þai gun fit,

Þat þe palmer was parfite in wit

And þat he was wurthi to prais.

485

Þan þe woman to þe porter says:

"Þe thrid thing sal þou bid him do;

And if he answer wele þarto,

Þou sall haue leue to bring him ner

And noman sall oppose him fer.

490

Aske him: how fer þe space es set

Fro heuyn to erth, by mesure mett?

And if he now þe maystri gete,

Þan baldly bring him in to mete!"

Þe porter went and told ilk dele,

495

And sayd: "syr, if þou now say wele,

Þi mete for þis sal þou haue

And no-man sall more of þe craue

No-thing, bot tel þam þis resoun,

Þe space fro heuyn till erth here doun".

500

Þe palmer said: "þis sall be kend

Of þam self þat þe heder send:

It es a deuil þat sittes byfore

In wedis als it a woman wore;

Go, tell vnto him hardily

505

He knawes þe space better þan I,

For he fel doun fro heuyn to hell —

And doun fro heuyn ȝit neuer I fell;

Þe space fro heuyn wele may he ges,

For he has mett how mekil it es.

510

Go, sai him þus with sembland sad!"

Þan was þe porter wunder rad;

Bot neuer-þe-les ȝit went he in

And told þis tale to more & myn.

Al war awunderd þat it herd.

515

And when þe fende saw how it ferd,

He made grete noys omang þam all

And bare oway half of þe hall.

Þan had þe bisschop mekill wo

And sorow, for he assentyd so

520

With foul syn his saul to schende

Thurgh fals fanding so of þe fende

Efter þe palmer ful sone he sent;

Bot noman wist whore he was went.

Þe bisschop was þan ful wo forþi,

525

And sune he gert samyn his clergi,

He chargid al folk to fast and pray

And do penaunce both night & day,

Þat god his grace to sum wold send:

So þat þe palmer might be kend

530

Þat to þe deuyl had done swilk gref

And helpid out of þat mischef.

On þe night in vision warnid he was

How saint Andrew him helpid has.

Þan loued he god with wurdes hend

535

And thankid saint Andrew, his frende.

And on þe morn he told þis thing

Al opynli vnto olde and ȝing.

Saynt Andrew wirschiped he euermore

More derely þan euer he did bifore,

540

And lifed and endid in goddes seruise.

God graunt vs to wirk on swilk wise!

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