Altenglische legenden.

27. In festo sci Mathei appostoli et euang. historia.

S. Tib. fol. 263 b-266 a 2.

Saint Mathew, þe appostell of Crist Þat named es ewangelist, [H namen in named corr.] When Crist, his mayister, to heuyn assend, In liue lang efter gan he lend And went ful fer in feld and town Line 5 And preches of Cristes passioune. And till a cuntre come he swa Þat cald was Ethiopia; Þare he preched and baptist all Þat vnto rightwis fath wald fall. Line 10 And in þat seme cuntre war sted [H seme = same (vgl. mede, seke).]

Tow mawmettes, þat þe folk mis-led, [H tow st. two.] Zaroes and Arfaxat þai hight, And haldan goddes of ful grete might; [H haldan, T?.] In a cete wonand þai war Line 15 Þat þan was named Naddabar, And þe king was named þus, Of þat same cuntre, Eglippus. And þir two mawmettes, fendes of hell, Þat in þis same cete gan dwell, Line 20 Biswiked so both king and quene, And all folk wend þai goddes had bene; And for sere wonders þat þai wroght Folk of sere cetece to þam soght And offerd giftes grete plente; [H efterd st. offerd (so auch Allerseelen V. 337).] Line 25 So did þe king and his menze. Þe meruailes of þir mawmettes two Thwrgh all þe cuntre kindeld so, Þat many men of unkuth landes, When þai herd of swilk tiþandes, [H whem.] Line 30 Soght unto þam, grete and small, Als to þaire goddes grettest of all. And folk so in mistrowth to bring, Þis was þaire maners of wirking: Thurg deuils craft þai made men dom [T thurgh. H crast.] Line 35 And eghen sight þai toke fro sum, And sum croked, þat þai might noght ga: And all þat þai mahaymid swa Soght to þam als goddes gude in(o)ght; [T gudeingh, H gudeinght.] And when þaire hurthyng withdrogh, [H hurthyng, T hurtyng. þai fehlt?] Line 40 Þe folk war þan ful faine and wend [T wen.] Þat þai had helid þam with þaire hend. Wormes and serpens commanded þai [T serpentes, H serpens.] To bite men both night and day; And þe maumettes restreyned þaire bit, [And st. when? T mawmettes.] Line 45 Þan wend þe folk þai had helid it. [H heledit.] Saint Mathew, þe appostell fre, [T appostel.] When he come to þat same cete, Ogains þir mawmettes gon he preche And þe trowth of Crist to teche. Line 50 He helid all þat to him wald cum, Whilk þe deuils had made defe and dom; And serpentes þat þe deuils raysed — Þat made þam be ful mekill praysd [T mekil.] — Þe appostell, neuynand Cristes name, Line 55 Made þam to lig blind and lame; And men þat þai bifore had bitten And with þaire tanges ful sare smetyn, [tanges st. tunges?] Þe appostell thurgh name of Jhesu Made þam hale of hide and hew. Line 60 So in þat cete wond a man Þat Eunuchus was named þan, [H enmuchus.] Þe whilk had bene bifore baptiste Of saint Philip, þe appostell of Crist; And when he herd of Mathew tell, Line 65 In his hows he did him dwell. And þeder soght both more and les Þat war angerd with ani sekenes: And sone al hale þai turned hame Thurgh þe neuyning of Jhesu name; Line 70 And till þe pople so he prechid And rightwis trowth so to þam techid, [H right wistrowth.] Þat all þe folk awonderd ware Of his speking a(n)d of his lare. When it was to þe mawmettes kid Line 75 How þe appostell þaire dedes vndid, Þai ordand þam him forto greue — Bot god þarto wald gif no leue. Men come ware Mathew gan dwel, And vnto him þus gan þai tell: Line 80 "Þe mawmettes cumes with ful grete rout, [H cum es, T cumes.] And many dragons þam obout". And so þai did right als þai said. Þe folk for þam war ful affraid: For þe dragons wonder wele [H won|derd, T wonder.] Line 85 War armed with scales stif als stele; Out at þaire nese come brinand schire Windes of bronstane and of fire, And swilk stink come of it allane Þat it slogh men ful mani ane. Line 90 Saint Mathew sayned him with gude will And sone bigan to gang þam till.

Eunuchus sau how þat it fore: [T saw.] And hastily he sperd þe dore [H spred, T sperd.] And defendid Mathew furth to pas. Line 95 And forþermar þan þus he aff: "Sir, at þe window, if þou will, Sall I speke þir mawmettes till. And stand þou still, oure wordes to here!" Þan answerd he on þis manere: Line 100 "Opin þe dore, lat me pas out! For of zon deuils haue I no dout. And at þe window may þou se What hardines in þam sal be." [T sall.] Þe dore þai opind þan als fast, Line 105 And þe appostel furth es past. Þe dracones sone, when þai him mete, [T dragones, H dracones.] Fell bifor þe appostel fete, And still þai lay þare in þat stede, Domb and defe als þai war ded. [H ward, T war.] Line 110 Þan said þe appostel, þare he stode, To þa maumettes with milde mode: "Whare es zowre craft, ze deuils? I sai, Raise vp zowre menze, if ze may!" Þan þir deuils did þaire payne Line 115 Þaire dragons forto rais ogayne; Bot all þaire might moght none auaile: Nowþer stird þai top ne taile. Þe appostell þan thurgh Jhesu might Raised þam ogayn ful right, Line 120 And fro þe cete gert þam fare, Þat neuer man saw of þam mare. Þe mawmettes fast er fled owai And durst namore be sene þat dai.

De resuscitacione filii regis Eglippi.

Sone efter þis grete nois bigan Line 125 In þat cete with many man: Þe kinges sun with ded was tane; Þarfore men morned many ane. Bot þe twa mawmettes come in hy Vnto þe king ful hastily Line 130 And said þai suld his sun up raise; And þare-obut þai wroght sere wais. [T obout.] Bot when þaire gaudes might nogh(t) gayne, To þe king þai said: "sir, for sertayne, Þi sun es rauist fro þe full fer [H for st. fro.] Line 135 And sall be a god, als we er; Ful mekill might sal be him in, To honore þe and all his kyn." When Eunuchus herd þis thything, [H thy|thing.] What care was cumen unto þe king: Line 140 At his prayer þe appostell was Led unto þe kinges palas. And with him whent grete compani, [T u. H whent.] With wirschip, als he was worþi. Þan (þe) quene, dam Eufenise, [T þe, fehlt in H.] Line 145 A woman þat was war & wise, Fell bifor þe appostell fete And praied him hir bale to bete, And said: "welkumd, sir, ertu heder! [l. welkum?] I knaw þi cuning al-to-geder, [H cūnig.] Line 150 I wate þat þou ert cumen fro Crist, Both his appostell and ewangelist, To couer þam þat to him will craue And his seruandes of sin to saue. Neuyn his name, sir, in þis stede Line 155 Ouer my sun, þat here es dede: And wele I trow with might and mayn Þat he sall rise to life ogayn." Here-of þe appostel was wele payd And all þus unto hir he said: Line 160 "Preching of me zit none herd þou And telles to me þat þou will trow! And þarfore tell I þe gayn Þat þi sun sall be safe, sertayne." He toke þe child þan by þe hand Line 165 And said þir wordes, þare standand: "In þe name and þe powere Of Jhesu Crist, my maister dere Þat for us died þe cros opon, I bid, þou rise vp, Eustanon!" Line 170 And alsone rase þe childe fro ded. Þan was full grete ioy in þat stede. [H gretee oder grette?]

And (þe) king, when he saw þis dede, [þe fehlt in H; T?] In his hert he had grete drede And to þe appostell bad bring Line 175 Besandes and many riche ring, & a coron of go(l)d ful bright [H god st. gold.] Als to him þat was moste of might, And a mantill of purpure pall Als lord and maister moste of all. Line 180 He sent bedels furth forto cry [folio 180] & bad þai suld cumand in hy Þe folk to cum se, more and les, Grete god in a mans liknes. [181—184) sind in H nachgeschrieben.] [H likines.] Þe appostell, when (he) herd þaire bere, [T he, fehlt in H.] Line 185 Answard þar-to on þis manere: "I am nogh(t) god, for soth, said he, Bot I am ane of Cristes menze, And in his name I haue bigun And raised right þe kinges sun." Line 190 Þan þe folk of þat cete Gederd samin ful grete plente, Vnto þe appostell haue þai soght, And grete giftes to him þai brogh(t) [H giftes.] Of gold and siluer and precius stanes, Line 195 And oþer nobillay for þe nanes Þai proferd him ful grete plente. And unto þam þus answard he: "Takes zowre gold and siluer bright Hethin owai out of my syght, Line 200 And takes all þis þat ze me bring, And all þat I had of þe king! And sen Jesus at oure prayere Has raised his sun on þis manere, Makes a kirk for Jhesu sake Line 205 Þat ze mai in zowre prayers make! And þeder sall ze gader in-fere, Goddes word and his lawes to lere." At his word þai bigan to wirk And sexty men sone mede a kirk, [H mede = made.] Line 210 And efter þat in thretty dais Was it endid, þe stori sais. When it was endid in all thing, Þe appostell named it þus: "risig" — [H T risig.] Bi rison þat it was bigun Line 215 Thurg raising of þe kinges sun. And to þat kirk þe folk fast presed, And Cristes law so fast encresed. Saint Mathew þan still dwelled þare Twenti zere and thre or mare, Line 220 Als bisschop suld, in grete degre. And many prestes ordand he And bisschoppes made he in þat land And dekins, under þam to stand. He wroght fele kirkes on þis wise, [H rison.] Line 225 So forto mayntene goddes seruise. And all þe folk turned unto Crist And come to him and war baptist. Þe king Eglippus he baptist al-swa, And his quene Eufenissa, Line 230 And his sun þat raised was, [T son.] And (all) þe pople in his palas. [T all, fehlt in H.] His doghter Effeg(e)nia [H Effegnia.] In maydenhed gan baptym ta, To þe appostell gan scho vnder-take [H manydenhed.] Line 235 At kepe hir clene for Cristes sake. [H seke, T sake.] And Eufranon, þat raised was, Till a bisschop he ordand has And mede him maister of mani (men), [H mede = made.] [T made. T men, fehlt in H.] Cristes laus to þam at ken. Line 240 Lang efterward þan fell it þus Þat þis gude king Eglippus Died and to god gaf his gaste, And his sun efter him in haste. And þe empire þan halely zode Line 245 Till his broþer son, als haire of blode — Hirtacus hight þat ilk man, Þat for þaire king was corond þan. And hastily, when he was king, Sone he vmthoght him of þis thing: Line 250 Þat unto his wife wald he ta Þe kinges doghter, Effigenia, Þat of þe appostell had baptist bene, Unto Criste forto kepe hir clene,

& of him had scho abit tane, Line 255 In chastite to lif allane, And maistres was scho made alswa Of two hundreth maydens or ma. King Hirtacus þe appostell praies [T appostel.] And on þis wise to him he sais: Line 260 "Half my kingdom sall þou haue To do þis thing þat I will craue: No-thing bot help with-owten strif Þat Effigenia war my wife."

Causa quare mortuus est appostolus.

Here-of þe appostell was noght payd Line 265 And to þe king al þus he sayd: "Dere sun, he said, ne wate þou noght How wisely þat woman has wroght? In hir fadir tyme biforn To chastite þan was scho sworn Line 270 And spowse þan was scho made ful euyn To Jhesu Crist, þe king of heuyn, And hali abit has scho tane, To serue him als lord allane. How suld it ani-wise be sua [T swa.] Line 275 Þat þou hir to þi spouse sold ta Þat es spowsed lang tyme or now Vntill a migtier king þan þou?" And alsone als king Hirtacus Herd þe appostell answer þus, Line 280 Oway he went and was ful wrath And thoght to wait him with sum skath, Bot furth he went þan on þis wise. And þe mayden to þe appostell crise: "I pray þe, blis me with þi hand Line 285 Thwrgh him to wham þou es serwand, [T thurgh, seruand.] And all þir maydens euerilkane! For wele I wate, we mun be slane: Zon cursed king oure bane will be Þat mani a tyme has manast me." Line 290 Þe appostell blisced þam euerilkane, And bad þam traist in Crist allane And drede noght forto dy for him Þat for þam died with panes grim. [T u. H panes.] Þai granted all with gude entent, Line 295 Þan till his mes þe appostell went. And when his mes was said and done, To Jhesu Crist he made his bone Þat he suld so his seruandes saue, Fro right trowth þat þai noght raue. Line 300 And, als it was oure lordes will, In þe kirk so dw(e)lled he still. Praiand to god with gude entent: Vntill þe king his men had sent And bad þam þat he suld be slane. Line 305 Into þe kirk þai come ilkane. And he þat was þaire slaghter man [T þat, H had.] Vnto þe appostell playnly ran And bare him thurgh with-owten let, Þat þe swerd and þe auter met. Line 310 On þis wise was he marterd þare And whent to blis for euermare. And when þe folk herd say als sone How þe king þis dede had done, Till his palais þai went with fire: Line 315 To brin him þare was þaire desire; Ilkone þai swore þai swld him brin All quik his awin palas within. Þan to þam went bisschop and priste And all dekins þat war þam neste, Line 320 And all men of religioune, Þat vnto godes bidinges war boun, Praied þe folk faire forto blin, Þat þai suld noght þe king so brin; Þai said: "ilkone us war ful lath Line 325 Þat ze to him suld do slike skath, For-whi it es oure lordes will Þat we do gude ogaynes ill. Bot we will halow with gude chere Þe marterdom of oure maister dere Line 330 And entre him, als es worthi — [entre = inter.] For god will quite all right wisly. And lat us resaiue with gude will What grace so god will send vs till." Efter þis cownsall þan þai wroght, Line 335 To berying faire þai him broght. And furth in Cristes law gan þai lend, Als þe appostell had þam kend. Þan Hirtachus, þat cursed king, Sone efter gert samyn bring Line 340 Al þe burgas wiues of þat cete

And vnto þam þus cumand he: "Smertly, he said, luke þat ze ga Vntill þe maiden Effigenia And luke if ze hir hert may bring Line 345 For to be at my biding." Þe kinges (sand) sone haue þai broght; [sand fehlt in H (T?).] Bot all þat trauail was for noght: Þai might wit no maner of gin Vnto þe kinges will hir win. Line 350 And when þe king þis vnder-stode, He was so wroth: nere wex he wode. And sone he gert ordayn a fire Of kiddes and brandes brinand schire All obout þam in compas Line 355 Whare Effigenia and hir madins was, [H madims.] Seruand god both night and day, [H might st. night.] And "sertainly" þe king gan say, "Þe beggers sall be brint-ilkane, And oliue sall be leuid nane." Line 360 Bot when þe fire was best brinand, Als þe king bifore cumand: [H And st. Als (T?).] Effigenia had grete care, [H Effigemia.] And hir madens had mekil mare; Scho put hir all in goddes will: Line 365 And sone ane angell come hir till, And saint Mathew he come him with Þat in þat stede had gifen hir grith; With bright bemes þai both var braid; [H var = war.] And all þus vnto hir þai said: Line 370 "Effigenia, drede þe noght! For þis fire, þat þus es wroght, [folio 181] It sall noght harm þe hide ne hew— Þarfore luke þou in trowth be trew! For he þat has ordand þis payn, Line 375 Vnto him sal it turn ogain And brin his palais doun þis day." When þis was said, þai went oway. And grete wind fra god was sent, And all þe fire, right als it brent, Line 380 Vnto kinges palays it stert And þare it brent, als god it gert, So wightly, þat no-man might win To liuer noght at was þarin, An unnethis þe king and his sun Line 385 With þe life oway er wun. Bot þat sun ful sone onane With a wikked euill was tane, So, for grete paine he rared and cride, And so, calland þe deuill, he died. Line 390 Þe king also, suthly to tell, Was smetyn with ane euill of hell Right fro þe heuid unto þe hele, Þat no-thing mig(ht) his cares kele. And for his euil was incurabill, Line 395 Þus foul him fell, with-owten fabill; He stikked him-self opon his swerde And went to him þat him so lerid: Þat was þe deuill, his mayster dere— God schilld his seruandes fro þat fere! Line 400 And Effig(e)nia in all thing Led hir life to goddes louing And lifed and died in goddes seruice— God grant us to wirk on þat uice, [H uice = wise.] So þat oure sawls may saued be— Line 405 Sais all amen, par charite! A. M. E. N.

Þe godspell also of þe mess Untill us ful wele witnes How saint Mathew, þat we of mene, A toller was, with-owten wene, [H tolled, T toller.] Line 410 And kepid toll in a cete, And ful werldly man was he. Till ore lorde Crist, als was his will, Come on a tyme þat cete vntill: And sone he saw whare Mathew sat— Line 415 With tolling mikell gude he gat. And unto him all þus said he: [T al.] "Leue þat craft and folow me!" And als sone als he herd þat steuyn, He was so fild of grace fro heuyn: Line 420 All erthly gude sone he forsoke And with Jhesu þe way he toke— Al failand thing forsoke he fast And soght riches þat euer sall last, Ensawmple untill us at gif Line 425 To do þe same here, whils we lif. [H he we.]

Þis same Mathew bifor þat tyme, Als saint Luce witnes of hym, [T Luke.] In his hows made to Crist a feste With oþer men þat war oneste. Line 430 And als he was þare at þe mete, Vnto him come nowmber ful grete Of puplicanes and phariseus, [T pharisews.] Þat sum war gude men and sum schrews. And þase ilk þat war sinful men, Line 435 Said to his desciples þen: "Whi ettes zowre maister in þir wanes With so many puplicanes? Vs think, him aght wele to forbere To ett with þam þat sinful ere." Line 440 Þus þai þat neuer bifore had knawn Nowþer oþer mens hertes ne þaire awin, Enchesond him in þat he wroght. Bot he þat knaws both dede and thoght, With soft wordes, þam forto lere, Line 445 Answard to þam on þis manere:

Non est opus ualentibus medicus, sed male habentibus.

"It es no nede, he sais, to teche A hale man forto haue a lache, [H lache st. leche.] Bot þe man þat feles sekenes sare Nedes to layt a leches lare." Line 450 Þus said he, sinful men to blame And þam to strenkith þat trowed his name And þam þat trew trowth wald bigin More stabilly forto stand þarin. And þam þat in grete pride wald rise Line 455 Cald he to mekenes on þis wise, With faire liknes he wald þam lere, When þat he said on þis manere: "Whare so ze wend in ilka way, Of me on þis wise luke ze say Line 460 Þat I luf mercy on all wise More þan I do sacrafice." [T sacrifise.] Þat es to mene: I will, men be Mercifull in ilk degre And schew gude werkes in word & hand, Line 465 More þan to mak till me ofrand. Lo how faire he teches þare Þo men þat mislifand ware [þo st. to?] To mend þam-self of all misdede, And to help oþer þat had nede, Line 470 And alkins greuance to forgif, And lely in þe lawes to lif And wirschip god euer on al wise— And seþin mak þaire sacrafice. And forþer-mar þam forto ken Line 475 Þat said he ette with synful men, And his lare lely þam to lere, Zit said he more on þis manere: "I come noght forto call allane Right-wis men, and oþer nane, Line 480 Bot I come forto call parchance Synful men unto penance And þam to teche, I come ful euyn, How þai sall win þe blis of heuyn." Now in þis godspel may men se Line 485 How Jhesu, ful of all bownte, No hething in his hert wald think With sinfull men to ett and drink— And was, by-cause þat his techeing Vnto amendment might þam bring. Line 490 Bot sum had hertes hard als stanes, And sum come when he cald þam anes— Als saint Mathew with hert glad Forsoke all hally þat he had, Land and linage, robes and rent, Line 495 And folod Crist with gude entent. [T folowd.] Forsake we so þis werldes gude, Þat euer es fayland als þe flode, And folow we Crist for heuen blis— Alweldand god þat wai us uis. Amen. Line 500