Altenglische legenden.

                                
                                  In this mater, toforn as I you tolde, [mateere. yow. toolde.] 
                                
                                  Because it is vnkouth and wonderfull, [wondirfull.] 
                                
                                  My speritis feeble and feynt with yeeris olde, [spiritis. oolde.] 
                                  Line 80 
                                
                                  And my corage appallid and maad dull, [and my witt maad dul.] 
                                
                                  Myn eyen derkid and with the mystes full — [dirkyd.] 
                                
                                  This to seyne the myst of vnkonnyng
                                
                                  Troubleth my wit to wrihte so hih a thyng: [To trouble. witt. wryte.] 
                                
                                  I resemble vnto Polypheme,
                                  Line 85 
                                
                                  That hadde oon eye set in his forhed,
                                
                                  Nat lik Argus; of liht I kan not deeme: [can.] 
                                
                                  Which causith me, allas! whan I take heed,
                                
                                  That hand and penne quake for verray dreed.
                                
                                  Of which palysy, but grace be my leche, [palsy.] 
                                  Line 90 
                                
                                  Me to directe, I not who shal me teche.
                                
                                  Who shal speke or telle the grete myht [wwhoo(!). greet.] 
                                
                                  Of our lord god, or shewe his gret poweer,
                                
                                  Al his preisynges reherse as it is ryht, [alle.] 
                                
                                  Or synge his laudes with nootis fressh and cleer; [nootes.] 
                                  Line 95 
                                
                                  Most merueillous and vnkouth fer and neer [ferre.] 
                                
                                  Founde in his seyntes, as auctours alle accorde?
                                
                                  Fremundis story the trouthe kan recorde. [Fremvndus.] 
                                
                                  Ful wonderful was his concepcioun, [wondirful.] 
                                
                                  Shewid by myracle and toknys manyfold: [tooknys.] 
                                  Line 100 
                                
                                  For ageyn kynde, as maad is mencioun,
                                
                                  A child, that was but of thre daies old,
                                
                                  Thoruh goddis myht hath of his berthe told [byrth. toold.] 
                                
                                  And ouermor, myn auctour seith the same, [ovirmoor.] 
                                
                                  Prophesied what sholde be his name: [Prophecyed. shulde.] 
                                  Line 105 
                                
                                  The child, baptisid anoon was affter ded, [baptysed. afftir.] 
                                
                                  Callydhym Fremund by his mouth toforn.
                                
                                  And anoon affter by myracle, who take heed,
                                
                                  That no signe besiled were nor lorn, [wer.] 
                                
                                  Vpon that nyht whan Fremund was born,
                                  Line 110 
                                
                                  Daies nyne, the story doth us lere,
                                
                                  Ouer the paleis a Reynbowe dide appere. [ovir. did.] 
                                
                                  Whos thre colours, yiff men list to knowe, [to fehlt.] 
                                
                                  Gaff first a tokne and bar gret witnesse:
                                
                                  The wattry greene shewed in the Reyn|bowe [shewyd.] 
                                  Line 115 
                                
                                  Off chastite disclosed his clennesse,
                                
                                  The saphir blewh his heuenly stabilnesse,
                                
                                  The hardy red apperyng in the skye
                                
                                  His martirdam dide signefie. [did.] 
                                
                                  Noote bi this bowe quatreble of colour,
                                  Line 120 
                                
                                  Thus ouersprad be many fer contre: [ovir.] 
                                
                                  That he was born to been a gouernour, [a fehlt.] 
                                
                                  With sceptre and swerd; by roial dignyte
                                
                                  Weryng a crowne; ordeyned for-to be
                                
                                  Geyn mescreauntis to his encres of glorye [encrees.] 
                                  Line 125 
                                
                                  Lyk a conquerour, to haue of them victorye.
                                
                                  And as myn auctour doth also for him legge,
                                
                                  He hadde in thre a prerogatiff:
                                
                                  First of the heuene a treble preuylegge: [previlege.] 
                                
                                  Oon to be maide duryng al his liff, [On to the m.] 
                                  Line 130 
                                
                                  Founde of his doctryne most contemplatiff
                                
                                  To teche his sogettis dide upon him take,
                                
                                  And affter martyred he was for Cristes sake. [aftir martird.] 
                                
                                  His ffader, his mooder, lik as the story seith, [fadir. modir.] 
                                
                                  By myracle he maad hem be baptised [made.] 
                                  Line 135 
                                
                                  And by his techyng he turned hem to our feith. [tournyd.] 
                                
                                  And affter that, so as it is deuysed,
                                
                                  Forsook his kyngdham and afftir hath praktysed [practysed.] 
                                
                                  With frut and rootis, of verray parfitnesse, [frute. parfightnesse.] 
                                
                                  Space of seuene yeer to lyue in wildir|nesse —

                                  Line 140

About this Item

Title: Altenglische legenden.
Author: Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 416
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/afw1383.0001.001/588:4

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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 19, 2025.

Altenglische legenden.

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