Altenglische legenden.

                                
                                  Þen seide þe Emperour: "þis leue I wel
                                
                                  Þat þis beo soþ, eueridel.
                                
                                  But tel me, child, ȝif þat þou con,
                                
                                  Hou fele dedes payeþ best god of mon?"
                                
                                  Þe child seide: "deedes þre.
                                  Line 485 
                                
                                  Ichulle ou telle, whuche þei be.
                                
                                  Ȝif a mon liueþ and haþ chaunce
                                
                                  To leden his lyf in rihtful penaunce
                                
                                  And kepen him from þe fendes fondynge
                                
                                  And his herte out of wikked lykynge,
                                  Line 490 
                                
                                  God is payed of þat enprise, [A. apaȝed.] 
                                
                                  He schal han heuene for his seruise. [A. haue.] 
                                
                                  Þat oþur payȝeþ god muche in herte:
                                
                                  Ȝif a mon beo large in pouerte,
                                
                                  Þonken god wiþ good wille
                                  Line 495 
                                
                                  His pouerte, boþe loud and stille,
                                
                                  Wolde bleoþelich helpen and keuere
                                
                                  His euen-cristne þat beoþ pouere;
                                
                                  Ȝif he mowe do no more
                                
                                  But in his herte rewen hem sore,
                                  Line 500 
                                
                                  He schal han heuene for his goode wille [A. haue, god.] 
                                
                                  At his endynge, and þat is skille.
                                
                                  Þe þridde payeþ god ful muche: [A. miche.] 
                                
                                  Ȝif a mon beo in eorþe riche
                                
                                  And beo I-come of riche kunne, [A. kynne.] 
                                  Line 505 
                                
                                  Forsakeþ richesse and worldes winne
                                
                                  And takeþ his penaunce in pouerte:
                                
                                  Þerfore in heuene he schal be".
                                
                                  Þen seide þe Emperour: "þis I leeue.
                                
                                  Leoue child, tak hit not a-greeue,
                                  Line 510 
                                
                                  Whi fasteþ men friday so muche,
                                
                                  More þen eny oþer day in þe wike?"
                                
                                  Þe child onswerde him aȝeyn:
                                
                                  "For þrettene resons, þat I con seyn.
                                
                                  Þe furste reson, I ow telle con:
                                  Line 515 
                                
                                  On a friday god made mon,
                                
                                  In þe vale of Ebron, þorw his grace,
                                
                                  And schop him aftur his oune face.
                                
                                  Þat oþer is, woltou me leeue:
                                
                                  Vppon a fridai god made Adam & Eue,
                                  Line 520 
                                
                                  And loren paradis, as I ow telle,
                                
                                  And siþen weore I-dampned to helle.
                                
                                  Þe þridde reson, I wol ou telle:
                                
                                  On a friday Caym slouh Abelle,
                                
                                  Þe furste martir, for-soþe I-wis,
                                  Line 525 
                                
                                  Þat euer dyede for Jhesus. [A. euere.] 
                                
                                  Þe feorþe reson is ful swete:
                                
                                  Hou Gabriel vr ladi gon grete
                                
                                  Vppon þe friday wiþ milde mood;
                                
                                  Godes sone tok in hire flesch and blood,
                                  Line 530 
                                
                                  In þat ilke holy virgyne Marie,
                                
                                  Wiþ-outen wem of hire bodye.
                                
                                  Þe fifþe reson, þat is bifore:
                                
                                  On a friday godes sone was bore.
                                
                                  Þe sixte reson is feir enprise:
                                  Line 535 
                                
                                  How Jhesu Crist was circumcise.
                                
                                  Þe seueþe reson, I telle con: [A. seuenþe.] 
                                
                                  How seynt Steuene, godes mon,
                                
                                  Þorw Heroudes and his false red
                                
                                  On a friday he was stened to ded.
                                  Line 540 
                                
                                  Þe eiȝteþe reson, I wol ou telle,
                                
                                  Ȝif ȝe wollen a stounde dwelle:
                                
                                  Hou seynt Jon þe Baptist
                                
                                  Was martred for þe loue of Jhesu Crist
                                
                                  In þe heruest after þe Assumpcion:
                                  Line 545 
                                
                                  Þat is I-cleped þe Decollacion.
                                
                                  Þe niþe reson is ful good:
                                
                                  Hou Jhesu Crist was don on rood
                                
                                  For þe gult of Adam and Eue;
                                
                                  Þe blod he bledde for vre bileue.
                                  Line 550 
                                
                                  Þenne is þe tenþe reson
                                
                                  Of vre ladi þe Assumpcion,
                                
                                  Vppon a friday ȝeld vp þe gost
                                
                                  To hire sone, þat heo louede most;
                                
                                  Þerfore in heuene þe virgyne is
                                  Line 555 
                                
                                  Bodi and soule, forsoþe I-wis;
                                
                                  Jhesu is kyng, and heo is qween—
                                
                                  I-blesset mote þe tyme ben!
                                
                                  Þe elleueþe reson is ful trewe,
                                
                                  Of þe apostel seint Andrewe,
                                  Line 560 
                                
                                  Vppon a friday was don on crois
                                
                                  And seide, "Jhesu", wiþ milde vois
                                
                                  And, "Jhesu", clepede, "In trinite,
                                
                                  Þis passion I suffre for þe".
                                
                                  Þe twelfþe reson is ful good:
                                  Line 565 
                                
                                  Hou seynt Eleyne fond þe rood
                                
                                  Vppon þe Mount of Caluarie—
                                
                                  Vppon þat crois Jhesu gon dye:
                                
                                  Þer was þe holy crois I-founde,
                                
                                  I-dolue deope vp of þe grounde.

                                  Line 570

About this Item

Title: Altenglische legenden.
Author: Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 347
Publication: Heilbronn,: Gebr. Henninger,; 1881.
Subject terms: Saints -- Legends; English poetry; Legends

Technical Details

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/afw1383.0001.001/518:4

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DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

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Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:afw1383.0001.001

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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 18, 2025.

Altenglische legenden.

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