The early South-English legendary ; or, Lives of saints. I. Ms. Laud, 108, in the Bodleian library. Edited by Carl Horstmann.

                                
                                  Þoruȝ hire clergie þat holi Maide : resones made so quoynte
                                
                                  Þat þe Aumperour ne non of his : ne couþe hire ansuerie in none pointe.
                                
                                  "Maide," he seide, "þou schalt a-bide : In warde here mid me
                                
                                  And oþere ichulle bi tyme finde : þat schullen Answerie þe."
                                  Line 64 
                                
                                  Þis Aumperour sende anon : wide a-boute is sonde
                                
                                  Þat þe gretteste maistres of clergie : to him comen In eche londe,
                                
                                  grete Mede of him to habbe : to don a luytel Maystrie,
                                
                                  And for-to susteinen op heore lawe : þoru strencþe of clergie.
                                  Line 68 
                                
                                  So þat þare comen fifti Maistres : þe gretteste þat man fond
                                
                                  Also wide ase men miȝten seche : ouȝwere In ani lond.
                                
                                  Þe Aumperour heom seide a-non : ȝware-fore he after heom sende:
                                
                                  For-to desputi a-ȝein a ȝong womman : þat al heore lawe schende.
                                  Line 72 
                                
                                  "Nou is þis," þat .o. Maister seide : "gret schame, ich onder-stonde,
                                
                                  An Aumperur to sende a-boute : so wide in eche londe
                                
                                  After þe gretteste Maistres, for-to despuyti : a-ȝen a fol wenche,
                                
                                  Ȝwane on of heore knaue miȝten sone : hire resones alle a-quenche!"
                                
                                  "Nai," seide þis Aumperour : "heo is wisore þane ȝe wene;
                                
                                  Ȝif ȝe mouwen ouȝt aȝen hire don : sone it worth i-sene.
                                  Line 78 
                                
                                  For ich habbe leouere þat ȝe hire ouer-come : with resones In some wise,
                                
                                  Þane we with strencþe hire maden : to don þe sacrefise."
                                  Line 80 
                                
                                  "Lat bringue hire [superscribed.]  forth," seide þat on : "and heo schal segge a-non
                                
                                  Þat heo ne spac neuere wit wisore men : are heo fram us gon."
                                
                                  ¶ An Aungel to þis maide cam : and bad hire of no-þing drede,
                                
                                  And seide heo scholde heom alle þoru hire reson : to cristinedom lede,
                                
                                  And heo alle scholden þoru hire reson : a-fonge martyrdam.
                                
                                  Þo þat Maide i-herde þis : gret Ioie to hire heo nam,
                                  Line 86 
                                
                                  baldeliche heo eode forth : þo men aftur hire come.
                                
                                  "Sire," he [= heo]  seide to þe Aumperur : "ȝifst þou a wis dom
                                
                                  Þat þus fale maistres of clergie : bringest and sest a-benche,
                                
                                  And me-self to desputy a-ȝeines heom : þat nam bote a fol wenche?
                                
                                  And ȝif þat heo me ouer-comez : þou bi-hast heom gret mede,
                                
                                  And makest me mid strencþe with heom speke : and ne bi-hast me bote luyte! [folio 57] 
                                  Line 92

About this Item

Title: The early South-English legendary ; or, Lives of saints. I. Ms. Laud, 108, in the Bodleian library. Edited by Carl Horstmann.
Canvas: Page 94
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Early English text society by N. Trübner & co.,; 1887.
Subject terms: Christian saints

Technical Details

Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aha2708.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/aha2708.0001.001/142:3

Rights and Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

IIIF

Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:aha2708.0001.001

Cite this Item

Full citation: "The early South-English legendary ; or, Lives of saints. I. Ms. Laud, 108, in the Bodleian library. Edited by Carl Horstmann." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aha2708.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 20, 2025.

The early South-English legendary ; or, Lives of saints. I. Ms. Laud, 108, in the Bodleian library. Edited by Carl Horstmann.

Annotations Tools

Actions

About this Item

Technical Details

Rights and Permissions

Related Links

IIIF

Cite this Item