Altenglische legenden.

                                
                                  And efterward þus it bifell:
                                
                                  A sertan day in ilka zere
                                  Line 85 
                                
                                  Held king Herod solempne and dere
                                
                                  And made gret festes in zeres biforn:
                                
                                  For on þat ilk day was he born;
                                
                                  And bi þat eaus, þe suth to say,
                                
                                  A reall feste he made þat day,
                                  Line 90 
                                
                                  With men þat war of most pouste
                                
                                  Of all þe landes in Galile.
                                
                                  Þar ware minestrals many & inogh [& ist zu tilgen?] 
                                
                                  Þat diuers gle þat day furth drogh,
                                
                                  Tregetoures in halles and hales,
                                
                                  And als dissores with diuers tales —
                                  Line 95 
                                
                                  Þare was all maners of menistralsyes
                                
                                  Þat used es at grete mangeryes.
                                
                                  Saltacio filie Herodiadis.
                                
                                  A doghter had Herodias,
                                
                                  A gentill damisell scho was.
                                  Line 100 
                                
                                  And (in) scho come in-to þe hall [T in, fehlt H.] 
                                
                                  Bifor þe king and his gestes all.
                                
                                  Þe mayden þare bigan to play
                                
                                  Ful sotilly, þe suth to say,
                                
                                  Scho daunced and tumbild diuers saut
                                  Line 105 
                                
                                  Ful faire and wele, with-outen faut,
                                
                                  Þat all þe gestes bigane to glade
                                
                                  Of þe gle þat þis maiden made;
                                
                                  Scho made men meri most and leste
                                
                                  Þat cumen war to þe kinges feste.
                                  Line 110 
                                
                                  Warfore þe king grette athes sware [T wharfore.] 
                                
                                  Bifor all lordes þat war ware: [l. þare st. ware?] 
                                
                                  Þat þe maiden of him suld haue
                                
                                  Wat so scho wald efter craue, [T what.] 
                                
                                  And on þis wise he said hir till:
                                  Line 115 
                                
                                  "Aske of me, mayden, what þou will,
                                
                                  And gladly sall I gif (it) þe, [T it, fehlt in H.] 
                                
                                  Half-dele my kingdome it it be", [H lingdome.] 
                                
                                  And þarto athes gan he swere,
                                
                                  All folk þaron witnes to bere.
                                  Line 120 
                                
                                  And when þe king þusgat had sworn
                                
                                  To þe maiden þat plaied him biforn,
                                
                                  Out of þe hall full sone scho gase
                                
                                  Vntill hir moder Herodias,
                                
                                  What scho suld craue þare forto spir,
                                  Line 125 
                                
                                  And on þis wise scho said till hir:
                                
                                  "Moder, scho said, my lord, þe king,
                                
                                  Has graunted to me myne asking:
                                
                                  If I ask halfdele his kingdom,
                                
                                  To gif it me, he es bousom;
                                  Line 130 
                                
                                  Þarto he has sworn athes sad".
                                
                                  Þan vas þe moder meri and glad, [H vas, T was.] 
                                
                                  And sone, when scho þir wordes herd,
                                
                                  Till hir doghter þus scho answerd:
                                
                                  "Doghter, wend vnto þe king
                                  Line 135 
                                
                                  And luke þou ask none oþer thing
                                
                                  Bot Jon heued, of baptist, to be
                                
                                  In a disch deliuerd unto þe;
                                
                                  In þe kinges presoun he dwelles; [T dwells.] 
                                
                                  Ask his heuyd and no-thing els!"
                                  Line 140 
                                
                                  Þe may was till hir biding baine,
                                
                                  In to þe hall scho went ogayne,
                                
                                  Baldly forto ask hir bone,
                                
                                  And to þe king þus said scho sone:
                                
                                  "Mi lord, scho said, als þou hight me,
                                  Line 145 
                                
                                  Þis bone now will I ask of þe:
                                
                                  Þou gif to me Jon, þe Baptist, heuid,
                                
                                  Þat of(t) my moder rest has reued, [H of, T oft.] 
                                
                                  And in a diff þat it be laid!
                                
                                  Forto fulfill þat þou are said."
                                  Line 150 
                                
                                  Þan chaunged þe kinges mode,
                                
                                  Vhen he hir asking understode; [H vhen, T when.] 
                                
                                  And for he had so said hir to,
                                
                                  He wist noght what was best to do.
                                
                                  What for þe ath þat he had sworne
                                  Line 155 
                                
                                  So many kinges and princes biforn,
                                
                                  And for þe nowmber of folk ful grete
                                
                                  Þat samen sat þare att þe mete,
                                
                                  He wald o nane wise greue þe barn
                                
                                  Ne þat scho suld hir asking tharn,
                                  Line 160 
                                
                                  Sen it es swa granted in þaire present. [H it es swa, T it was, swa fehlt.] 
                                
                                  Bot unto preson sone he sent
                                
                                  And bad men suld Jon heuyd of smite
                                
                                  And gif it till (þat) mayden tite, [þat fehlt in T u. H.] 
                                
                                  To bere it att hir will oway, [H bereit.] 
                                  Line 165 
                                
                                  For mirth þat scho has made þis day.
                                
                                  Turmentoures þan made þam boune
                                
                                  And went ful prestly to prisoune

About this Item

Title: Altenglische legenden.
Author: Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 125
Publication: Heilbronn,: Gebr. Henninger,; 1881.
Subject terms: Saints -- Legends; English poetry; Legends

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afw1383.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/afw1383.0001.001/263:2.27.1

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Full citation: "Altenglische legenden." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afw1383.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 24, 2025.

Altenglische legenden.

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