Altenglische legenden.

33. De sancta Cecilia historia.

S. Tib. fol. 271—274b 1.

Jhesus Crist, ful of pete, To mankind es of mercy fre And schewes his pouste & his might Of(t)-sithes here unto sum men sight, [H u. T of.] So þat we may his mightes ken, Line 5 Als wele in wemen als in men, And all-þermost in maydens zing Þat will be boun to his biding. Þat may men by ensaumple se Of saint Cecill, þe mayden fre, Line 10 Þat born was of ful gentill blode And euer was haly & milde of mode, And in hir hert ful wele scho knew All þe lare of oure lord Jhesu. Vnto him was scho prayand euer, Line 15 Night and day, and sesid neuer. Of pape Urban scho was baptist And trewly trowed in Jhesu Crist. With hir frendes scho was ful dere And with all oþer folk in-fere, Line 20 Bycaus scho was both fayre & gude And untill all folk milde of mode. Hir frendes maried hir till a man Þat named was Valirian; Zong he was and faire of skin Line 25 And komen of ful nobill kyn, Bot hathin he was & unbaptist And knew no-thing þe law of Crist. Cisill durst none oþer do Bot als hir frendes tald hir to. Line 30 Þe day was sett: þai suld be wed. In clathes of cold þai both war cled; [H cold = gold.] Bot Cicill had þar-of no pride — Ful hard clething was next hir hid; Outward scho was richely arrayd, Line 35 So alls hir frendes had puruayd. Þus on þis wise when þai war wed, Ful fele folk þaire frendes fed.

When þe bridal was broght till ende, Þat ilka man þaire wai gan wende, Line 40 Cicill es þan to chamber went, Calland to Crist with gude entent. Þai herd grete noyis, þat war hir nere, [H noyis = noys.] Of angels sang and organs clere; Scho made hir melody omang Line 45 And al þus said scho in hir sang:

Fiat cor meum et corpus meum imma|culatum, ut non confundar:

Þat es on þis maner to mene: "Lord, þou mak my hert all clene And saue my body unfiled within, So þat I be noght schent with syn!" Line 50 When scho had tald all hir talent Þus unto god with gude entent, With hir husband scho went to bed, Als þe law wald, for scho was wed. Bot in hert ful wele scho thoght Line 55 To kepe hir clene, if þat scho moght. So by hir lord when scho was layd, Vntill him al þus scho sayd, Scho sayd: "sir, if it war zowre will, A cownsail haue I zow untill, Line 60 Þat bus be said now, with zowre leue — And, gude syr, luke ze zow noght greue! Ane angell, syr, of heuyn ful bright Es my speciall both day and night, A seruand unto god es he — Line 65 I luf him wele, so dose he me. And if he wit with any gin Þat þow my body file with syn Or onclene lufing to me bede, [H bising od. lufing? T?] He will be wrath for swilk in dede Line 70 And vengance will he on zow take, Þat ze sall all solace forsake And lose þe flowre of zowre zowth-hede. Swilk grewance, sir, es gude to drede." Valirian þan wex all wrathe, Line 75 For drede he durst do hir no schathe; [schathe = skathe.] Of hir wordes he was noght payde And all þus unto hir he sayde: "Woman, if þou will þat I trow Þir wordes þat þou sais me now, Line 80 Bitwix vs twa here lat me se Him þat þou sais so lufes þe! So þat I may my-self assay Whether he be angell uerray, Seruand unto god of heuyn — Line 85 Þan sall I do þi counsaill euyn. And if þou luf ane oþer man, Ful sare þou sall þe bargan ban; Nowþer sall skape with-owten scath, Bot I my-self sall sla zow bath, Line 90 With mikell schame I sall zow schende." Þan answerd scho with wordes hende: "Gude sir, scho said, greue noght þe If þou may noght goddes angel se! For here may no-man se angell, Line 95 Bot if he trow, als I sall tell, [H he be, be fehlt in T.] In a god þat made all thing, Þat was with-outen bygining And es and euer-more sall be, Mast of might and of mercy fre, Line 100 And als in his sun Jhesu Criste. If þou will trow & be baptiste, Þan say I, syr, þat þou sall se Þe angell — þat I tell to þe. [T þa st. þat.] And, sir, if þou will þis aff(a)y, [H assy, T assay.] Line 105 Till bisschop Urban tak þi way And tell him all þir wordes balde, Right als I haue to þe talde; And tell him all þi life till end, So þat he may þi mis amend! Line 110 Þan sall he, when þi trowth es trew, Cleth þe all in clething new: Whitte clathes and clene sall he gif þe. [T sal.] Þan sall þou in my chamber se Þe bright angell of god of heuyn Line 115 Þat lufes me, als I gan þe neuyn, And of him þan saltou haue What thing so þou will efter craue." Þan thurgh grace of þe haly gaste Vp he rase and went in haste Line 120 Vntill þe gude bisschop Urban, And halely talde he to him þan, With him and his wife how it ferd. And when Urban his tale had herd,

He heuyd his handes to heuyn on hight Line 125 And said þus to god moste of might: "Lord Jhesu Criste, loued mot þou be Þat sawes þe sede of chastite And gifes unto men cha(s)te cownsaylle [H u. T chate.] Þat to þaire sawl m(a)y mekill availe! [H T my st. may.] Line 130 Þou tak þe fruit now als þine awin Of þe sede þou has in Cicill sawn — For it waxes and multiplise, Als men may se on þis wise. A spows scho toke, with hir to dwell, Line 135 Þat als a lion was fers and fell And rebell both by night and day Ogains þe lessons of þi lay: Now meke to þe has scho made him Als a lamb, in sawl and lym — Line 140 For war he noght unto þe meke, [H moke. ] Saluyng of me wald he none seke. And, sen he has to saluyng soght, Lord, saue him and forsake him noght!" Þis when he had his praier end, [H þis = þus.] Line 145 Byfor þam sone þai saw descend Ane ald man and stode þam bitwene, All cled in lynnen cloth ful clene, And in his hand he had a boke All of gold letters, on to luke. Line 150 Valirian, (when) he saw þis sight, [when fehlt in H T.] Might noght luke ogains þat light: For drede he fell doun in þat stede And still he lay als he war ded. Þe ald man þan his right hand toke Line 155 And lifted him up, and bad him loke What thing was wretyn in þat bill Þat he had þare broght him till. Valirian þan þe letter tase And þus was wretyn in þat place: Line 160

Unus dominus. vna fides. vnum bap|tisma.

Þat es on þis maner to mene: "A god es euer all-bydene, And als a faith all folk sall haue, And a baptym, all sawles to saue." When Valirian had red þis bill, Line 165 Þan said þe ald man þus him till: "Trowes þou þis als þou may rede, Or dwelles zit þi hert in drede?" Þan answer þus Valirian: [H answer, T answerd. T Valerian.] "What thingh might be till erthli man — [T u. H thingh.] Line 170 To rede or els with mowth to neuyn — More forto trow vnder þe heuyn? In my wit I trow ful wele Þat here es writen euer-ilkadele." Whils Valirian þir wordes gan say, Line 175 Þe ald man was sone o way — And how he went, no-thing þai wist. Þan þe bisschop Valirian baptist & bad him trow with conciens clene Als he þare had herd and sene. Line 180 Valirian grantes with gude will [folio 192] [T granted, H grantes.] All his bidinges to fulfill. Þan hame ogain he bad him ga Vnto Cicill, þat he come fra, And confort hir with all his mayne. [H confert.] Line 185 Þus to his wife he went ogayne. To Cisill chamber sone he went, To thank hir þat him so had sent To get saluing of all his sin And gude lifing so to bygyn. Line 190 Kneleand in praiers he hir fand, And sone bifor hir saw he stand Godes angel, schineand so bright, Þat all þe hows lemid of light; Twa corons in his hand he broght — Line 195 So worthi neuer in werld war wroght: Vnto Ciscill he toke þe tane, Þat oþer unto Valiriane, Opon þaire heuides he set þam rathe, And all þus said he to þam bathe: Line 200 "Kepes þir corons zow bitwene With chast bodys and hertis clene! Fro paradis I haue þam broght — For in þat ilk place war þai wroght; To zow mi lord has þam puruayd." Line 205 Þan to Ualirian þus he said: "For þat þow wald assentand be Vnto counsail of chastite,

Mi lord Jhesu, of mercy fre, Sendes þe þus bodword by me: Line 210 What thing of him so þou will craue, Ask: and sone þou sal it haue, What thing so euer þou will of mele — So þat it be to þi sawl hele." Valirian þan made his asking Line 215 And said: "I zern none oþer thing Ne no-thing es to me so swete Als es, my broþer bale to bete. Wald my lord, dere Jhesus, Help my broþer Tyburcius Line 220 In his law forto be fre And cristen man, als he mad me, Þat we might both parfitely lif And both oure gastes unto him gif!" When þe angell þir wordes herd, Line 225 To Valirian þus he answerd And said: "þi will it sall be done, For-whi þou askes in þi bone Þat mi lord likes forto haue Better, þan þe likes if to craue. Line 230 Þarfore, als my lord has won þe Thurgh Ciscill, his seruand fre, So thurgh þe now sall he win Þi broþer out of bandes of sin. And þou and he sall samyn cum Line 235 Vntill þe mede of marterdome." When þis was said, he went up euyn Wit grete brightnes to blis of heuyn. And Valirian þan with his wife [H wisth.] Ful halily ay led þaire life. Line 240 And efter þis, right als god walde, Tyburcyus, þat I of talde, Þat broþer was to Valiriane, Opon a day come him-allane To luke how þat his broþer ferd, Line 245 For halines he of him herd. And als he entred in þaire hows, He kissed him, and als his spows, He kissed Ciscell and said þus: "Gude sauore es here omanges vs — Line 250 Of rose and lilyes me think it like — Sen I was born, felde I neuer slike, [H lorn.] So swete sauore feld neuer man." Þan spak his broþer Ualirian: "Broþer, sen god vowches saue Line 255 Þat þou þis swete sauore may haue, Hardily now hete I þe: If þow in trowth will stedfast be [H stedifast, T stedfast.] And luf oure lord Jhesus allane, Vnto whas lare we haue us tane: Line 260 Þan sall tou se and here þe steuyn Of þe angell of god in heuyn And so be saued, for certayne." Tyburcius said to him ogayne: "And I might godes angell se, — Line 265 A verrayer takin might noght be: Þan will I turn vntill his lay." When Ciscell herd him sogat say, Down scho fell and kissed his fete, And þan scho said þir wordes swete: Line 270 "Now will I grante, whore so I wende, Þou es my kosyn & my dere frende. For als þe luf of Jhesu fre Has made þi broþer assent to me, So sall he turn þe forto take Line 275 His might & maumetry forsake. And, sir, sen þou es redy now To tak his trowth & trewly trow, With þi broþer saltou ga Vntill þe bisschop þat we come fra, Line 280 And be bowsom what he will bid." Als scho has demid right so þai did. Of þe bisschop was he baptist þan And bycome a ful haly man. So þat god gaf him slike grace, Line 285 Þat he might se in ilk a place [H be st. he.] Angels of god ay at his will And all his liking tell þam till, [T likeing.] And of þam might he ask and haue What thing so he wald efter craue. Line 290 Þus þir breþer bot(h) in-fere [H T bot.] And Ciscill, þat was to þam dere, Lifed in luf and charite And honord god in all degre. — [T al.]

Passio sanctorum Tyburcii et Valeriani.

Tiburcius and Valiriane, Line 295

Line 295 Fro-time þat þai had baptime tane, To serue god ay war þai boune, And fast þai prechid in feld & toun Ogains þaire mawmettes more & min Þat þai bifore affied þam in. Line 300 To tell þaire life, it war ful lang, Or meruayles þat war þam omang; Bot in þis tretice will I tell What ferlis in þaire ded byfell And what wonders god for þam wrogt Line 305 Yn time þat þai to ded war broght. Þare wond a prince þare in þat land Whare þir two breþer war precheand — Þar lifed all on maumettry: [T u. H þar, st. þat?] Vnto þam had he grete enuy Line 310 And said, with dole þai suld be dede Bot if þai tite wald turn þaire rede. Sone he has efter þam sent. And when þai come in his present, Þai prechid so of Cristes lay: Line 315 Þe prince had no power to say Ne forto do na harm þam till, Bot sone he granted to wirk þaire will. To Cristes law so turned he; So did all haly his menze, [T halely.] Line 320 & all þo men war turned ilkane Þat suld haue bene þe breþer bane. And sone when saint Ciscill herd tell Of all þis fare how it bifell, Vnto þam ful sone scho soght; Line 325 And prestes þedir with hir scho broght, Þat baptist þam biliue ilkane, To lif in Cristes law allane. When þis ilk pri(n)ce Maximius [H price.] And his menze war baptist þus, Line 330 Saint Ciscill confort þam ful wele And bad þam forsake ilka dele Þaire mawmetri þat þai on trow, And unto Jhesu baynly bow; Scho bad þam leue þe werkes of night Line 335 And cleth þam in armurs of light. Scho said: "zowre cours ze haue fulfild Ful worthily, als Jhesus willd; [T wild.] A grete bataile ouer-cumen haue ze: And þarfore sall ze corond be Line 340 With corons þat Criste sall zow gif, In lastand blis ay forto lif. Þarfore bese noght abaist, to take Marterdom for Cristes sake!" Þai granted all to do his will Line 345 And his biding forto fulfill; Almachius þan, þe cursed king, When he herd of þis tiþing, He cumand þat þai suld ilkane Mak sacrafise or els be slane. Line 350 And for þai wald noght wirk his will, Ful hard paines he put þam till, And at þe last with-outen lite All þaire heuides he gert of smite. [T heuiddes.] And when þaire bodis so war schent, Line 355 Þaire sawles sone to heuyn went, Þat men might se with-owten mis How angels led þam unto blis. And mani folk for þat ilk sight Turned to Crist and trowed right. Line 360 Maximius, þat gude conuers, Omang þam gan þir wordes reherce, He said: "I se þaire sawles ilkane With angels vnto heuyn be tane In þaire wenges, þat þai noght fall, Line 365 And like clene uirgins er þai all". Almachius þe king herd tell Of all þis fare how it bifell, And how Maximius had said, And how his folk war all affraid: Line 370 He cumand smertly on þe morn [folio 193] To bring Maximius him byforn, And grefe turmentes to him he wroght, Vntill he vnto ded was broght. [T vntil.] His saul was hastly hent to heuyn, Line 375 With more solace þan men may neuyn. Almachius, þat wikked king, When he had done þus al þis thing And saw þus þat Ualiriane And all þir oþer saintes war slane, Line 380 Þarfore he thinkes in his mode At geder to him al þaire gude. [Nach 382 fehlt ein Verspaar.] To Valiriane hows first þai haste,

For he was man of reches maste. Þai come unto Ciscill, his wife, Line 385 Stoutly and with ful grete strife And bad hir lay furth þe reches Þat war hir maysters, more & les, "For als traitur to dede he zode And (þe) king sall haue all his gude". [T þe, fehlt in H.] Line 390 Saint Ciscil gan grete mornig mak; And so unto þa men scho spak Þat all þai turned þam unto Crist. And in his name þai war baptist, Þai forsoke all þaire maumetry Line 395 And trowed in Jhesu almighty; Him þai wirschipt als þe wise And lifed and died in his seruise. Bot when Almachius herd of yit, [H yit od. þit? T?] Wode he was, out of his wit. Line 400 He bad þat Ciscill suld be soght And hastily bifor him broght; [T hastili.] And al hir howsing cumand he Þat it with fire all brint suld be. Bot first he frained with eger mode, Line 405 Whare was all Valirian gude. And scho said þat scho gan it take Vnto pouer men for goddes sake. At þa wordes was he full tene And bad all suld be brint bidene Line 410 Hows and catell, more and min, And als hir-self he bad þam brin. And sone, to fulfill his desire, Al hir place þai set in fire; Hir-self in mides gert þai stand, Line 415 And all obout þe fire brinand. Bot all þat here(!) to hir was sene Als scho in ane erber had bene Clene and faire with flores bright. So stode scho a day and night, Line 420 Prayand to god wit hert ful hale. And when Almachius herd þis tale, He biddes þam þat broght þe tiþandes Smite hir hede of, þar scho standes. His slaghter-man to Ciscill went Line 425 Whare scho stode in gude entent; To god hir prayers gan scho make And bed hir nec furth till þe strake. Þe custum was in þat cuntre Þat none suld strike bot strakes thre. Line 430 And when he had thre strakes hit, Zit was hir hals noght sunder kit, Hale war sum of sins and uaines. And so he left hir in grete paines — For þe lau was, als I said are, Line 435 He suld gif thre strakes & nomare. So opon hir knese scho sat, Lifand thre daies efter þat. And maidens þat had with hir bene Come unto hir albidene, Line 440 And al þa daise scho sesed noght To confurt þam so als scho moght. Efter þe pape Urban scho sent And tald unto him hir entent: "Sir, scho said, god has gifen me Line 445 In þis liue þir daies thre, Als I him praied, and by þis scill: Þat I might tell to þe my will. All my maidens to þe I gif, To zeme þam wele, ay whils þ(a)i lif, [H þi.] Line 450 And teche þam wiseli forto wirk; And in mi name þou mak a kirk Þat mi maidens may dwell in euyn [H eyuyn.] And serue god with will and steuyn". When þis was said, ful sone in haste Line 455 Vnto god scho gaf þe gaste. And þe bischop, when scho was dede, Beried hir in þat same stede And made a kirk of ful grete spens In wirschip and in grete reuerence Line 460 Of Jhesu Crist, oure sawiowre — [H sawiowire.] Vnto wham be euer honore!

Amen. Amen. Amen.