Altenglische legenden.

                                
                                  Fyftene cubetes it was one lenghe;
                                
                                  Cristofere þan garte þay bynd,
                                
                                  Hys handis bakwarde hym byhynde,
                                
                                  And one þat bynke þay band hym faste,
                                
                                  Ay qwyles þe Iryne ropis myghte laste.
                                  Line 805 
                                
                                  Than comanded þat renegate
                                
                                  Þat bynke with fyre þay solde make hate;
                                
                                  Bylyfe þay tuke bothe terre & pykke
                                
                                  And wilde fire þat was full wykke,
                                
                                  Qwyke bromstone þay did þer-to
                                  Line 810 
                                
                                  And oþer thynges many moo,
                                
                                  And alle this vndir þe bynke þay thraste,
                                
                                  And with þayre belyes þay blewe ful faste,
                                
                                  Till it was rede one ilke a syde
                                
                                  Als rose es in þe somers tyde.
                                  Line 815 
                                
                                  Cristofere on þat bynke he laye
                                
                                  Fra it was prime appone þe to daye, [Ms. to daye, to ist zu tilgen?] 
                                
                                  Als nakede als he was borne,
                                
                                  Till it was mydday one þe morne.
                                
                                  Þe tourmentours, at blewe at hyme,
                                  Line 820 
                                
                                  Criste forschope þame bothe lythe & lyme:
                                
                                  Some were tournede þe face byhynde,
                                
                                  Some were crokede, & some wer blynde.
                                
                                  & with a blaste þer come a thondir:
                                
                                  Twa thowsande saraȝenes were smetyne in-sondir,
                                  Line 825 
                                
                                  Some þe body fra þe hede,
                                
                                  Brynte als blake als pyk or lede;
                                
                                  Of þame þer come þe fouleste stynke
                                
                                  Þat euer any mane myghte see or thynke.
                                
                                  Þe bynke of Iryne þat Cristofere bare
                                  Line 830 
                                
                                  Als waxe awaye it meltyde þare,
                                
                                  And he stode vp bothe hale & fere,
                                
                                  Smyland with a semly chere.
                                
                                  And to þe kynge he sayd: "here may þou see
                                
                                  My goddis myghte & his poustee:
                                  Line 835 
                                
                                  For alle þe elemenfis are in his walde,
                                
                                  Wheþer he will þay be hate or calde.
                                
                                  Me hase thoghte þis fyre als cole
                                
                                  Als I had lyggene in a water polle,
                                
                                  & als so softe to my lykynge
                                  Line 840 
                                
                                  Als dewe es in a may mornynge.
                                
                                  For-thi þou lefe thyne eresye
                                
                                  And crye to Criste for his mercy,
                                
                                  Þat þus hase saued in þi syghte
                                
                                  His seruand thrugh his mekill myghte."
                                  Line 845 
                                
                                  "Fy, he saide, þou wiche strange!
                                
                                  I had þe leuer one galous hange
                                
                                  & sythene with wylde horse drawe,
                                
                                  Or þou sold gare me torne my lawe.
                                
                                  Commes hedir swythe, my knyghtes kene,
                                  Line 850 
                                
                                  And helpes me wele, þat it be sene!
                                
                                  For I hafe ordeyned swylk a wyle,
                                
                                  He sall no lengare vs bygyle:
                                
                                  If þat he will (noght) byrne with lowe, [noght fehlt im Ms.] 
                                
                                  We sall hym slaa with schotte of bowe.
                                  Line 855 
                                
                                  Takis hym bylyfe in-to ȝour welde
                                
                                  And ledis hym faire in-to þe felde,
                                
                                  Appone a bent withowt þe borghe
                                
                                  With scharpe arowes ȝe schote hym thurghe!
                                
                                  And, be Mahowne, if þat ȝe spede,
                                  Line 860 
                                
                                  I sall ȝow qwyte full wele ȝour mede."
                                
                                  Thay bande hym þane naked vntill a tree,
                                
                                  Þat gret dole it was to see,
                                
                                  In a felde þat was full playne,
                                
                                  Þare whethirs calde were hym agayne.
                                  Line 865 
                                
                                  Abowte hym come many stowte saraȝyne,
                                
                                  For to do hym sorowe & pyne;
                                
                                  Thay bente þair bowes tyte & sone
                                
                                  And schote þaire arowes agayne þe mone.
                                
                                  Was neuer arowe þat greued hym
                                  Line 870 
                                
                                  Ne þat hym towched lythe nor lyme —
                                
                                  God schewed þer a meracle faire:
                                
                                  For alle þaire arows hange in þe ayre,
                                
                                  Als thike als leues dose on trees
                                
                                  Or ells þat þay were swarmes of beese.
                                  Line 875 
                                
                                  Thre hundrethe knyghtis Iwys þer ware [folio 129] 
                                
                                  Þat schote at Cristofere body bare.
                                
                                  Þe kynge of this when he herde telle,
                                
                                  Downe he come fra his castelle,
                                
                                  With many a knyghte of his menȝe,
                                  Line 880 
                                
                                  Þat grete mervaile for to see.
                                
                                  And als he lokede vp-on heghe,
                                
                                  Ane of þe arowes smate owte his eghe.
                                
                                  The kynge sterte whare þat he stode,
                                
                                  And nerehande wexe he welland wode.
                                  Line 885 
                                
                                  "Allas, he sayde, for sorow & care,

About this Item

Title: Altenglische legenden.
Author: Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 464
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/afw1383.0001.001/636:4

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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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