Altenglische legenden.

21. De sancto Sixto episcopo, magistro Laurencii [S. Tib. fol. 252a2—253.] ).

In tyme of Decius Cesare, Þat used fals goddes and fendes lare, A terand with him dwelled þan Þat named was Valiriane. Saint Sixt (sest) noght for þaire aw [in H fehlt sest (T unlesbar).] Line 5 To turne þe folk till Cristes law; Mani men gert he be baptist [H gret st. gert.] And turn þam unto Jhesu Crist. Þarat had þir terantes tene. And sune þai ordand þam bitwene Line 10 Þat þis ilk bisschop suld be tane And with bitter paynes slane, Bot if he wald mak sacrafise Vnto þaire goddes þat he despice. And to fulfill þaire fals entent, Line 15 Efter þe bisschop sone þai sent

And broght him þeder, and al his men And all his clerkes þat þai kouth ken. [H kuouth.] And when þai all bifor him ware, Vnto þe bisschop said he þare: Line 20 "wirschip our goddes now, or þou wende! [H pou st. þou.] For þai sall lif owten ende [H u. T owten ohne with.] And þaire might sal euer endoure — Þar-fore I bid, þou þam honowre: And ouer al prestes þou sal be prince Line 25 Þat er wonand in þis prouince. And if þow will noght sogates do, Þou sal be ensample þam to, Þat oþer sal ensaumple take More slike maistrise forto make." Line 30 Saint Sixt þan answerd on þis wise: "Sir, I mak euermore sacrafice Vnto my lord, þe fader of heuyn, And to his sun Jhesu ful euyn; Mak sacrafice to þam will I, Line 35 And all þai fals goddes I defy." [þai st. þi.] Þan Decius was wonder wrath, And Valirian, wode war þai bath. No langar wald þai gif him grith, Bot twa dekins þai did him with Line 40 Intill a presoun strang and depe, And cumand knightes þam to kepe; Bot þe dekins in a hows þai did; And in a-noþer hole him did. [did st. hid.] Saint Laurance was of his dekins ane: Line 45 And when he herd how he was tane, He went unto him with gude will And on þis wise he spak him till: "fader, he said, whider gastow And takes noght þi sun with þe now? Line 50 Wheder wendes þou þus allane And of þi dekins takes with þe nane? Þou was neuer are wont þarto With-owten dekin seruise to do: Also say, sir, þou suld noght be [folio 168] [H Also say (T?); say st. sa, oder say ist zu streichen.] Line 55 In preson, bot I war with þe. Sen I þi will haue noght misvsed, Fader, whi hastou me refused? Sen I am boun with þe to ga And wirk þi will in wele and wa, Line 60 Whi hastou forsaken me?" And unto him þan answerd he And said: "sun, I forsake þe noght; Bot herder were to þe es wroght, Welle herder paine es puruaid þe Line 65 Þan any es ordand to me. For I am alde and out of state — Ful light pain sone may me mate; And, sun, þou es zong and mighty — Ful hard paines saltou haue for-þi; Line 70 And þe more sal be þi mede, And þarfore luke þou haue no drede! [H luke, T luk wele.] Efter thre daies, wen I am went, Saltou suffer hard turment, And to heuyn saltou folow nest, Line 75 Als dekin aw to folow prest." Saint Sixt þan, als sais þe boke, Vnto Laurance, his dekin, bitoke Al þe tresures of haly kirk, At his will with þam to wirk. Line 80 And Laurance went whare he might ken Pouer clerkes or pouer men, And to widows and maydens zing Gaf he largely of þis thing, To ilkane als he mister kend, Line 85 Vntill þe tresore was all spend. Þan Decius with grete tene was tane And said unto Ualiriane: "Bot þis bisschop be broght o daw, [H odaw (T?) st. of daw.] Sune he sall destroyn oure law, Line 90 And no-man sal be rad for þis Anoþer time to do omis; And if he for þis dedes dy, Þan sal oþer be war þarby Forto do despites þus Line 95 owþer till oure goddes or us." Þan answerd Valiriane And said: "forsuth, he sal be slane, Ger men haue of his heuid in hy! Þan sall oþer be war þarby. Line 100 So rede I we þa faiturs fese [T u. H fese = fugare, ays. fêsian.] Þat dose till us any dissese."

Þan out of preson gun þa ta Þe bisscop an his dekins twa — [T bisschop. H an (so öfter), T and.] Þe tane hight Filicissimus Line 105 And þat oþer Acapitus. Decius Cesar in þat stede Demed þam al thre to ded. And when þe dome was zolden swa, Þan answerd þe dekins twa Line 110 And said te Cesar and Valiriane: [T u. H te st. to. H Cecar.] "Ze waful wreches and will of wane, And ze wald herkin and fulfill Þat oure fader here telles zow till, Þan might ze eschew endles paine; Line 115 And els, þaroff ze be sertayne Withouten end in dole to dwell And in filth with þe fende of hell." Þan Decius was wonder wode And said to þam þat by him stode: Line 120 "Gose swith and stroy þir lurdans strang! For sertes now lif þai alto lang Forto hete us endles paine! [H hece.] Seses neuer, or þai be slaine!" Þan war þai led out of þat stede Line 125 To þe place ware þai suld be ded. [T whare.] Sone when saint Laurance herd þis say, He come and kepid þam in þe way. And bifell þat þai suld wend(e) [T wende.] By a maumettri of þe fende, Line 130 In a temple þare it stode — Decius it held a god ful gude. And when saint Sixt come nere þerby, He said: "Jhesus, god sun mighty, Þat god and lord es of renowne, Line 135 He destroy þe and bring þe doune And chace þe, foul fende, unto hell, So þat þou here no langer dwel." [T dwell.] Þan sone þe fende gan þeþin found And þe temple fell to ground. Line 140 Here-of þe folk grete fe(r)ly thoght [T u. H fely.] And said it suld ful dere be boght: In hertes þai war gretly anoyede Þat þaire goddes war so destroyde. Laurence þan come him untill Line 145 And said: "sir, if (it) war þi will, Suffer me with þe to dy And leue me noght now so lightly! For I haue done als þow me bad: Þe tresore of þine þat I had, Line 150 Ilkadele it es despe(n)d. [H desped.] And þarfore lat me with þe wend!" Sone þan, als þe knightes herd þore Þat he had þe bisschoppes tresore, Þai toke saint Laurence in þat stede Line 155 And sayd: forsuth, he suld be dede Bot if he broght þe gudes onane Þat he of þe bisschop had tane. Vnto þe cete þai him sent, Of þe Emperoure to haue iugement. Line 160 Þe bischop þare to dede þai broght, And his twa dekins left þai noght; Of þai strake þaire heuedis euyn. And hastyly þai went to heuyn. Cristen men þan, þat þar wase, Line 165 Beried þaire bodis in þat place And honord þam oft in þaire dede, Als mekill als þai durst for drede.