Altenglische legenden.

Off Agamenoun vndir the large empire, Born in Athenys, of grekys roial lyne, Blissid Giles, thy grace lat enspire In-to my penne, the tratys tenlvmyne; Cast doun thy look, lat the streemys shyne Line 5 Of thy tweyn eyen, this processe to con|veye, Bynfluence of grace, which is divyne, Me to directe of that I wolde seye: In thy worship compendiously to write, By a maneer breef compilacioun Line 10 To remembre, so as I can endite, Thy glorious lyff, thy conversacioun, Thoruh al the world in every regioun Rad and rehersyd, bexaumplysful notable, Lyk a myrrour of contemplacioun Line 15 To folk that cast them in vertu to be stable. A litil glene gadryd in the feeld Tween large shokkys of parfit hoolynesse, Mong grete shevys that I ther beheeld To gadryn vp eerys did my besynesse, Line 20 Greyn tryed out, celestial of swetnesse, To fostre and feede folk contemplatyff, Ful in purpoos breeffly to expresse Sentenciously thy myraclys and thy lyff: Wherupon, my purpoos to fulfylle, Line 25 By goddys grace, fortvne or aventure Ther was to me brouht a litil bille Of gret devocioun by a creature, Requeryng me to do my besy cure Afftir the tenour oonly for Giles sake Line 30 Out of latyn translate that scripture, Folwyng the copee this labour vndirtake. To whos requeste I lowly did obeye, Breefly this stoory to put in remem|braunce, Long processe lefft, took the nexte weye — Line 35 For shorte meetrys don gladly gret ple|saunce, By cleer repoort rehersyd the substaunce, Prolixite forto sette a-syde; Bood no lenger, but gan my penne avaunce, Trustyng seyn Gile forto be my guyde. Line 40 Compendiously was remembrid thus, So as in ordre I shal rehersen heer. Thy fadir was namyd Theodorus, Callyd Pellagia was thy moodir deer, Of roial blood bothe born I-feer; Line 45 Thy youthe fostryd, bookys determyne, With dilligence, vertu forto leer And profite in vertuous disciplyne. Thus disposyd in vertu to profite, Lyk thy maistris, which tauht the spelle & reede, Line 50 Tendre of age gretly list delite, As seith thy liff, in almesse-deede: Of compassioun castist of thy weede, Gaff it freely to oon that quook for cold: Which was maad hool, refresshyd in his neede — Line 55 First myracle in thy legende toold. Fadir, moodir anoon as they were ded, Thu dist reioisshe ther tresour and rich|esse, Thy patrymonye for moost goodly speed Thu gaff to poore of merciful almesse. Line 60 Anothir poysowned, the venym dist re|presse; To oon also, with a feend travayled, Thy prayer and expert hoolynesse To his recure hath souereynly avayled. Thy myraclys sprad in thy contre, Line 65 For teschewe veynglory and fals pryde Of perfeccioun, fleddist ovir the se,

Preysyng of peeple forto sette asyde. Vnto shipmen savacioun and guyde, Madist the tempest graciously asswage Line 70 And fro perisshyng dist so for them pro|vide, From al pereil to fortune ther passage. Sike and poore thu list also visite, And alle that wern in tribulacioun. Of the wydewe, callid Theocrite, Line 75 To hir douhtir thu were sauacioun, Of oold langoure hir consolacioun; To al the contre pleynyng for skarsete, By thy prayer and mediacioun They did habounde with gracious plente. Line 80 Whan the heremyte Veredemyus Was ferre absent — thy stoory doth ex|presse — Thoruh thy meryt notable and vertuous Thu madyst a penaunt hool from al sik|nesse. Toward desert thy Journe thu dist dresse; Line 85 With coold watir and herbys rauh and greene Complet thre yeer — thy stoory berith witnesse — Laddist thy liff, of colour pale and leene. God of his grace had vpon the mynde: Lyst ordeyne, for a restoratyff, Line 90 To thy repaast whit as snowh an hynde With plentevous mylk, to fostre therby thy liff. Myd sharpe breerys, thu were contem|platyff, Thy body peyned with rigerous conty|nence, Ageyn Sathan of custom was thy striff. Line 95 Dauntyng thy flessh by vertuous ab|stinence, Thy foode was nouthir on flessh nor fissh, Sool by thy-silff in a desert place, Othir deyntees cam noon in thy dissh But frute and rootis, which thu dist up race — Line 100 Beestys reioisshyng to looke vpon thy face; Moong sharp busshys keptist thy hermy|tage; As I toold erst, among by goddys grace Soowk of an hynde which that was savage. Thus of custom the hynde kept hyr tyme Line 105 At certeyn houres duryng ful thre yeer: Wente in pasture, gresyng fro the pryme; Toward mydday she cam with ful glad cheer, Of god provided to be thy vitaleer, With a repaast of(hyr) mylk moost soote; [Ms. thy st. hir.] Line 110 She was thy cook, she was thy boteleer, Ageyn the constreynt of hungir to do boote. This myracle and this vnkouth thyng Was at Tuskan, to Gascoigne adiacent, Vpon Burgoyne regnyng ther as kyng, Line 115 As I reede, his name was Fluent, Which in huntyng set al his entent, Curteys, gentyl in al his governaunce; To conclude shortly in sentement, He was soget to the kyng of Fraunce. Line 120 At Mount-pilerys holdyng his soiour, As thy stoory, Giles, makyth mynde, Vpon a day the kyng with gret lobour, Al his meyne, noon was lefft behynde, Houndys vncouplyd, to chasen at thyn hynde, Line 125 Royal lymerys, with alauntys huge. Thy beeste swift lefft hem echoon behynde, Ran to thy feet for socoure and refuge. The kyng, the bisshop, thy stoory who list reede, Of that kyngdam, cam to thy presence: Line 130 Hurt with an arwe sauh thy wounde bleede, Proferyd amendys and gold for ther offence. The kyng in wyl thy wrong to recompence, By the assigned of hool affeccioun To bylde of monkys in goddis reverence Line 135 A monasterye withynne his regioun: At thy request the bisshop and the kyng Condescendid, with a condicioun: That thu woldist accomplissh ther askyng To been abbot of that religioun, Line 140 Sett a ground of hih perfeccioun By good exaunple, take of thy persone, And of desert leve thy mansioun For comoun profit, and lyve nat so allone. At ther prayer with al hvmylite Line 145

Line 145 In thyn avys thu were condescendid, That the religioun myht encreesid be By thy presence, and vertuously amen|did — Circumstauncis breefly comprehendid: Thoruh oo persone, often hath be prevyd, Line 150 Al a religioun myhte been amendid, By oo good man socouryd and relevid. In this mateer it needith nat to tarye. To daunte thy flessh — the trouthe was weel seene — Whan thu leftist to been solitarye, Line 155 Feedyng thy-silf with rootis rawh and greene, Drank welle watir, of colour megre & leene; Thy wounde open, thy blood distillyng doun As dewy droopys ageyn the sonne sheene, Ay to remembre on Cristis passioun: Line 160 Prayeng the lord duryng al thy liffe, Bexperience as it was afftir founde, In remembraunce of Cristis woundys five That evir bleedyng shuld be thy wounde, That no leeche with salue shulde founde Line 165 Thy grevous hurt to staunche it or to bynde, Cristis carectis, large, wyde and rounde Eternally tenpreente hem in thy mynde. The sayd abbey accomplisshid and I|wallyd, The kyng present in his roial estat Line 170 With the bisshop whan that thu were stallyd: Meek of thy poort, nat pompous nor elat, Lovyd and drad, with grace fortunat, Launpe and lanterne of perfeccioun, [Ms. launpe = laumpe.] Tauhtist thy sogettys eerly and eek lat Line 175 To profite in ther religioun; Fastyng, wakyng, and liggyng hard a nyht, To thy disciplis patroun and exaunplarye, First at matynes settist vp the liht In eche party of the seyntuarye; Line 180 Kneelyng in chirche or in thy librarye Evere in study or contemplacioun, Pastor callid — nat a mercenarye; With a bridil of castigacioun Madist thy flessh meekly to obeye Line 185 To the spirit, voyd of rebellioun. Of alle thy werkys discrecioun bar the keye, With hih prudence and no presumpcioun: Tweyne of counsayl, equyte and resoun, Lyk a fadir peised rigour and clemence, Line 190 Tween thextremytees hate or affeccioun Rewlyng thy covent vndir obedience, Witt and discrecioun kept egal the ballaunce Attwen cherisshyng and iust correcciouns; Thu bar the torche of prudent gover|naunce Line 195 Fro parcial drauht of fals dyuysiouns, Resoun repressyd foreyn occasiouns, With softe speeche and with woordys fayre Wer sett a-syde alle rebelliouns — To thy precept was no soget contrayre. Line 200 Swifft of wynge, fliht of thy good fame By cleer repoort cam to the audience Of kyng Charlys, and of thy parfiht name. Wherof supprysed, with spiritual fer|vence By auctoryte of royal excellence Line 205 Sent to the devoutly by massage, Beyng thy-sylf at Aralatence. Toward hym holdyng thy viage, Mettist a man which in his entraile Was oppressyd by the feendys myht — Line 210 A wykkyd goost so did hym assayle, Alle men feerful to comen in his siht. But of compassioun and grace of Cristis myht By thy prayer he was maad hool by grace. Afftir this myracle Charlys the noble knyht Line 215 In bothe his armys the meekly did enbrace. The kyng lowly, with devout obeisaunce Prayde, thu woldist in thyn orisouns Haue hym dayly in thy remembraunce: Sith it stood so, for short conclusiouns, Line 220 He hadde offendid of froward mocioun In a synne, terrible to descryve,

Nevere of purpoos in his oppynyoun Therof to been confessyd in his lyve. Nat longe aftir, beyng at thy masse, Line 225 By gret avys praidest for the kyng In thy Memento, list nat lihtly passe. Tyl Crist Jhesu grauntyd thyn axing, In a bille the trespas rehersyng With goldene lettris, cast on the auhteer, Line 230 Brouht by aungil from hevene descendyng, Of al the caas declaryng the maneer. To mor encrees of this vnkouth my|racle — As the bille in ordre did expresse — To thy request was maad noon obstacle: Line 235 "Crist hath foryove of his gret goodnesse The kyngis gilt thoruh thy parfitnesse". Alle circumstauncys pleynly out declarid, Attween you too as thu dist hym confesse, Trewly in ordre, ther was no poynt I|sparid. Line 240 This vnkouth bille by an angil brouht Cast on the auhteer, briht as the sonne shoon — What was writen noman kneuh riht nouht, Woord nor sillable, but thy-silf alloon; They gaff a liht lik a charboncle-stoon Line 245 Thoruh the Chapel — the scrowe shoon so sheene — Among hem alle sothly was nat oon Except thy-silff, knew what they did, meene: Grauntyd to the for a prerogatiff, In this bille with this addicioun: Line 250 "What synful man list amende his liff Ful repentaunt with contricioun And the sacrament with confessioun, The lord above shal hem to mercy take Thoruh thy prayeer and hooly orisoun, Line 255 So that they list ther synne to forsake". Charlys restoryd vnto goostly helthe By thy notable informacioun, To gret encrees of this wordly welthe And gret prosperite of al his regioun, Line 260 At thy departyng from his roial dongoun To dissevere ye tweyne were so loth: Of fervent love and trewe affeccioun — Thy lyff remembrith, that ye wepte bothe. Repeyryng hom, by thy decert, ay morid Line 265 Bencrees in vertu — Crist Jhesu was thy speed — A dukys sone was to liff restoryd By thy prayeer, which lay affore the deed. Among thy brethre with obeissaunce & dreed, Comyng hom, brouht in with glad visage, Line 270 Abood nat longe, clad in a pilgrym weed Toward Rome madist thy viage — Cause of thy goyng in thy liff expressyd Was of gret ȝel and gret affeccioun, [ȝel = zeal.] Ful weel expert, for grace hath so dressyd Line 275 Thy pilgrymage toward Rome toun, And to expleite al thyn entencioun Noon obstacle, as it is comprehendid. To thy request and iust peticioun Graciously the Poope is condescendid. Line 280 Gret heed he took to thyn hoolynesse And to thy famous gret hvmylite, Sette thy chirche for evir in sikyrnesse And thy religioun in tranquillite, By bulle asselyd, with many liberte, Line 285 Peynnes annexid by ful hard sentence Ageyn alle tho that of iniquite To thy covent did violence. And by anothir favourable sygne, Of god enspired, the pope did his peyne, Line 290 Lyk a fadir gracious and benygne Putte thy freedamys to stonden in cer|teyne: Vnto thyn hous he gaff doorys tweyne By crafft out-corve, wrouht by fressh entaille, Maugre alle tho that list at it disdeyne — Line 295 Thyn hous tenpugne they shal nat pre|vaylle. Thes seid doorys corve out of cipresse, Brouht to Tibre they fond noon obstacle, Next to that stronde, thy stoory seith ex|presse, They fro Tibre conveid by myracle Line 300 To thy closet and litil tabernacle, Brouht to londe with gret solennyte Afore thy steepil with many fressh pynacle. In which doorys, who lyst thy stoory se,

Was hool complet lyff of the apostlys twelue Line 305 In fressh picture, with liffly quyk ymages — Thouh Pygmaleon hadde be ther hym|selve, He coude haue maad no goodliere visages — Reised bentaile vpon smale stages, Garnysshed with gold, fret with stoonys ryche. Line 310 Blissid Giles, by thy pilgrymages Thu gat thes lowkys, to which ther be noon liche: Kept in thy chirche for a memorial, Tokne of ful graunt and confirmacioun That thy mynstre in especial Line 315 Fraunchysed was, for pleyn conclusioun, From al maneer Jurediccioun Of foreyn poweer, by thyn hoolynesse, Prelat nor prynce of no presumpcioun Thy libertees nor fraunchise to oppresse. Line 320 By a spirit oonly of profecye Knewh beforn whan thu shuldist pace; Thy brethren present, with many wepyng ye, On a sonday kneelyng in the place Spreynt with teerys lookyng on thy face, Line 325 Whan that thu gaff, as I can remembre, Thy goost to god, conveied vp by grace With hooly angelis, moneth of Septembre.