Altenglische legenden.

Ms. Caj. Coll. enthält folgenden Schluss:

For Jhesu loue, my spouse gay, Line 665 Þat born was off a maydyn chast. My soule to hym beteche I ay, For I haue louyd hym alþer-mast."

Þanne þat sareȝyn bad hys men Þat þey scholden lede þat maydyn gent Line 670 Out off þe burghe-ȝates þen And geuen here þere here jugement. Ful blyþe & glad þat fayre may Out off þe tounward sche went. Wiþ many a man þat ylke day Line 675 In þe toun sche was be-ment.

Whan sche was led to þe place for soþe Þere sche scholde I-hedyd be, Wyues fele & maydenys boþe Folewyd here off þat cyte, Line 680 Makyng sorewe & wepynge harde For þat maydyn ffayr & ffree. Sche turnyd anon vnto hem-warde And sayde, as I schal telle þe:

"I pray ȝow alle þat ȝe gon hom, Line 685 Ȝe wyuys & ȝe maydenys bryȝt! Dystourbles nouȝt my martyrdom! But bes fful glad: ffor he me hyȝt, Þat lord þat is ouer alle þynge, Soone afftyr when I martyryd be, Line 690 To heuene blysse he schal me brynge." Sche knelyd doun & vp gan see,

To heueneward, þere sche hadde tyȝt, Sche sayde: "Jhesu, my loue ffre, Off al þat I leue in þe ryȝt, Line 695 Lord, þis day I þanke þe.

A voys fro heuene oure lord dede sende, Þat alle it herde þat þer werej: Line 730 "My ȝatys ben open, my leue ffrende, Come to me, my douȝtyr dere!

To suffre þe deþ in þe name off me, Douȝtyr, drede þou no-wyȝt! Be-ffor me schalt þou corownyd be: Line 735 For hedyr hast þou longe I-tyȝt. Þe cumpany off aungelys schene Schal come agayn þy soule bryȝt And brynge þe to þis place clene, Þer euere is day & neuere nyȝt. Line 740

Come, my douȝtyr! come now smerte! For herd is now þyn orysoun. For alle þat þe haue in here herte And blely here þy passyoun, And alle þat on þe calle in nede Line 745 Wiþ hertely deuocyoun, Off here prayer schole þey spede And þer-to haue my benysoun."

Off þis answere, when it was herd, I-wundryd was many a man. Line 750 Sche stoupyd doun vndyr þe swerd — Here swyre was whyt as ony swan. Swyþe he smot here hed off þere — But for þe blood þe mylk out ran. Aboue here stood þat manquellere, Line 755 He was ful blak, he was ful wan.

Anon come aungelys from þe ayr And flowe awey wiþ here body, And beryyd it, þat swyþe was fayr, In þe mount off Synay, Line 760 Þere gaff þe lawe god off heuene Vnto þe prophete Moysy.