Altenglische legenden.

                                
                                  He was endewed with alle the giftes seuene [enduyd.] 
                                
                                  Of tholigost, this Cristes champion. [the hooly goost.] 
                                
                                  Of hooly feruence cast up his look to heuene
                                
                                  And inly syhhed of hih deuocioun; [syhed.] 
                                
                                  Void of al feynyng and symylacioun, [symblacioun.] 
                                  Line 565 
                                
                                  Lyk goddis knyht manly dide abraide,
                                
                                  Vnto the bisshop euene thus he saide:
                                
                                  "O, sere bisshop, sholde I me now with|drawe, [O sir.] 
                                
                                  Shewe by dissymylyng a maner variance?
                                
                                  Force to put of with force, is good lawe; [it is.] 
                                  Line 570 
                                
                                  But this mater requereth in substance [mateere requerith.] 
                                
                                  To be peised more iustly in ballance — [For to.] 
                                
                                  What sholde profite to my concyence [What dysavayl wer to my c.] 
                                
                                  Wynne al this world and to god doon offence? [and do to.] 
                                
                                  Ther is in soth a nothir cheuysance [chevyssaunce.] 
                                  Line 575 
                                
                                  Heer in this world for thyngis temporal, [Here. of st. for. thynges.] 
                                
                                  And a nother gostly purueiance [anothir. purvyaunce.] 
                                
                                  Touchyng the thynges that been celestial; [thoo thynges. be.] 
                                
                                  For wordly men Juparte lif and al, [Off worldly men.] 
                                
                                  Slen ther neyhboures, only to gete good; [And sleen. neyhbours.] 
                                  Line 580 
                                
                                  But goddis lawe forbit shedyng of blood.
                                
                                  This proude legat of this tirant seith [of the.] 
                                
                                  And first purposith in his legarie (!) [l. legacie?]  [purposeth in this l.] 
                                
                                  That I sholde forsake Cristes feith [shulde.] 
                                
                                  And falle falsly in tapostasie,
                                  Line 585 
                                
                                  Submytte my crowne and my regalie,
                                
                                  Aftir these thynges were fro me withdrawe, [this. fro me wer drawe.] 
                                
                                  To cerymonyes of paganysmes lawe. [paganysme.] 
                                
                                  But there anoieth noon aduersite [ther.] 
                                
                                  Where domynacion hath noon interesse, [wheer.] 
                                  Line 590 
                                
                                  Of froward malys nor of Iniquite — [malyce.] 
                                
                                  For alwey trouthe al falsheed shal op|presse. [al fehlt.] 
                                
                                  Tirantis may regne and floure in the richesse
                                
                                  As for a while, floreshyng in ther sesoun, [florysshyng.] 
                                
                                  Til thei vnwarly go to dampnacioun. [goon.] 
                                  Line 595 
                                
                                  And for my part, al lordshepe set a-side, [lordshippe.] 
                                
                                  To Cristes feith to which I haue me take, [I ha.] 
                                
                                  For lyf or deth theron I shal abide
                                
                                  Vnto my laste, and neuer my lord forsake, [nevir.] 
                                
                                  Which on a cros deied for my sake: [he deyde.] 
                                  Line 600 
                                
                                  So for his loue and feith to-gidre in deede
                                
                                  I wil weel suffre my blood for him to sheede." [that men my blood shal shede.] 
                                
                                  And heerupon this kyng most ful of grace, [here.] 
                                
                                  Most pacient and most benigne of cheer, [paciently.] 
                                
                                  Lyk goddis knyht, gan to tourne his face
                                  Line 605 
                                
                                  Bi gret auys toward the massager
                                
                                  That kam from Hyngwar, and bad him neyhen neer, [fro Ynguar. neyhe.] 
                                
                                  Ley to ere, to herkne in pleyn language [And ley.] 
                                
                                  A ful answere touchyng his massage: [this.] 
                                
                                  "Go to thi lord in al haste possible,
                                  Line 610 
                                
                                  To him reporte pleynly as I seie
                                
                                  As for answere stable and most credible: [moost stable and credyble.] 
                                
                                  How Cristes feith I neuer shal disobeie, [nevir.] 
                                
                                  But for his lawe spende my blood and deie,
                                
                                  Lyk my beheste whan I Sathan forsook [my promys.] 
                                  Line 615 
                                
                                  And of his feith the stole and ryng I took. [stoole.] 
                                
                                  Thi lord behestith thre thynges onto me: [vnto.] 
                                
                                  This kyngdam, which that I do possede, [kyndam first which yit I.] 
                                
                                  And of his tresour he grantith me plente; [graunteth.] 
                                
                                  But of his richesse, god wot, I haue no neede,
                                  Line 620 
                                
                                  And of my lif I haue no-maner dreede —
                                
                                  Sauf I wolde for my most hertis ese
                                
                                  Rathere lese al than onys god displese. [621—3) Save I wolde for my moost hertys ese & mede Rathere lese al, make this chevyssaunce, Than to my god do ony dysplesaunce.]

About this Item

Title: Altenglische legenden.
Author: Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 407
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/afw1383.0001.001/579:4

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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 23, 2025.

Altenglische legenden.

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