Altenglische legenden ...

                                
                                  þat euer es faine us for to shende
                                
                                  & for to wyn us in to his wombe;
                                
                                  þan may men mene þe hony combe
                                
                                  Un to welth of þis werldes riches,
                                
                                  þat so swete to sum men es,
                                  Line 610 
                                
                                  þare to take þai so mekill hede
                                
                                  þat of no perils haue þai drede,
                                
                                  Nowþer of god, ne of þe day of dome,
                                
                                  Ne of perils þat er to come.
                                
                                  & who so with þe werld so lendes,
                                  Line 615 
                                
                                  Or tristes in luf of lifand frendes,
                                
                                  He may be likkend un to a man,
                                
                                  Of wham ensaumple tell I can:
                                
                                  A kyng sum tyme of grete powere
                                
                                  Had a sun, was to him dere,
                                  Line 620 
                                
                                  To wham he gaf riches plente,
                                
                                  Als þi fader has done to þe;
                                
                                  He bad him wax and multipli.
                                
                                  Bot þan þis childe fell to foly,
                                
                                  & wrong his fader gude he spend.
                                  Line 625 
                                
                                  And fell ogains þe zeres end:
                                
                                  þat kyng warned his sun to cum
                                
                                  Un to his court, to here his dome
                                
                                  & graith a count þore for to zelde
                                
                                  Of godes þat he had in his welde.
                                  Line 630 
                                
                                  þan had þe kynges sun mekil care,
                                
                                  For all his gudes so wasted ware.
                                
                                  He thoght þat he had frendes thre,
                                
                                  & in his nede proue þam will he;
                                
                                  To þam he had gyfen grete riches,
                                  Line 635 
                                
                                  þarfore his trist more in þam es.
                                
                                  þe first he had gyfen mekill pelf
                                
                                  & lufed him wele more þan him self,
                                
                                  þe secund lufed he holde & zing
                                
                                  Euyn als him self in alkyn thing,
                                  Line 640 
                                
                                  þe third frende lufed he noght so wele,
                                
                                  Bot les þan him self bi sum dele.
                                
                                  Un to þe first frende first he went,
                                
                                  & tolde un to him his entent,
                                
                                  And prayd him for to be his belde
                                  Line 645 
                                
                                  Un to þe court a count to zelde,
                                
                                  & help him in his sorows strang,
                                
                                  Sen he had shewed him luf so lang.
                                
                                  He answerde & said: sertes, nay,
                                
                                  With my frendes make I fest þis day,
                                  Line 650 
                                
                                  þerfore I may noght pas þis stede,
                                
                                  & I wote wele þou mun be dede;
                                
                                  Haue here a cloth to couer þe,
                                
                                  þat þou þine awin syte sal noght se,
                                
                                  & oþer help hete I þe none.
                                  Line 655 
                                
                                  þan went he furth full wil of wone.
                                
                                  Sone come he to his secund frende,
                                
                                  & tolde un to him þis tale til ende
                                
                                  How he was cald a count to zelde,
                                
                                  And prayd him for to be his belde,
                                  Line 660 
                                
                                  Als he to him bifore was bayn.
                                
                                  þat oþer said: I walde ful fain,
                                
                                  Bot now I may noght tent þerto
                                
                                  For charge and thing I haue to do;
                                
                                  I will wende with þe all þe gate
                                  Line 665 
                                
                                  Till þou cum to kynges zate,
                                
                                  Bot home ogaine þan bus me turne.
                                
                                  þe kynges sun þan sore gan murne.
                                
                                  Un to þe third frende went he sone
                                
                                  For wham he had ful litell done,
                                  Line 670 
                                
                                  His noy he tolde to him by name,
                                
                                  & said: sir, I may noght for scheme
                                
                                  Hertly helping of þe craue,
                                
                                  For littell on þe I uouched saue,
                                
                                  & þai þat l gafe gude plente
                                  Line 675 
                                
                                  Full fantly now has failed me; [fantly st. faintly. v. 999.] 
                                
                                  I may noght ask of þe bi skill,
                                
                                  Bot it þou wolde of þi gude will, [Ms. it st. if.] 
                                
                                  Wende with me a litell space
                                
                                  & help to get my fader grace.
                                  Line 680 
                                
                                  He answerd þan with meri chere,
                                
                                  & said: þi dedes er to me dere,
                                
                                  I know þe for my faithfull frende,
                                
                                  And gladly will I with þe wende
                                
                                  And pray for þe þi fader un to,
                                  Line 685 
                                
                                  And els what þou will bid me do.
                                
                                  Berlam said: sir, þis was a frende!
                                
                                  Bot þus þis tale may be remende:
                                
                                  God es þis kyng, sir, wele we ken,
                                
                                  And his suns er all cristen men,

                                  Line 690

About this Item

Title: Altenglische legenden ...
Author: Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 234
Publication: Paderborn,: F. Schöningh,; 1875.
Subject terms: English poetry; Legends

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afy7823.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/afy7823.0001.001/278:7.2

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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:afy7823.0001.001

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Full citation: "Altenglische legenden ..." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afy7823.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 23, 2025.

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