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

                                
                                  And he him sente word a-ȝen : þat he scholde þene preost take
                                
                                  And on-ordeini him of euerech ordre : and ase a lewede Man him make,
                                
                                  And sethþe don him in strongue warde : þat he neuer-eft þar-of ne wende,
                                
                                  In penaunce and in pine i-nouȝ : his sunnes for-to a-mende.
                                  Line 432 
                                
                                  Þe bischop of Salesburi : dude seint thomas heste;
                                
                                  So þat þe preost was i-brouȝt : In tormenz bi þe meste.
                                
                                  Þe tiþinge her-of sone : to þe kinge cam,
                                
                                  Þat a luþer þef, a manquellare : hadde a so liȝt dom.
                                  Line 436 
                                
                                  him þouȝte þat it nas nouȝt riȝt : ne þat it ne miȝte nouȝt beo so.
                                
                                  And phelipe de boys, a Chanoyne : him hadde al-so mis-do:
                                
                                  Þare-fore was ech oþur clerk : þe more him a-ȝen wille;
                                
                                  him þouȝte þat swuch lawe scholde : þe pais of þe londe a-spille.
                                  Line 440 
                                
                                  To westmunstre he let somony : alle þe bischopes of engelonde,
                                
                                  And oþure, þe gretteste clerkes al-so : and þe hexte, ich onder-stonde.
                                
                                   [Ait Rex.] ¶ "Beav seignours," þe king seide : "I not ȝwat ȝe habbeth i-þouȝt;
                                
                                  Ȝif ȝe goth forth with ower wille : ore pais ne worth riȝt nouȝt.
                                  Line 444 
                                
                                  Ȝif a clerk hath ane Man a-slawe : oþur strong þeffþe i-do,
                                
                                  And he mouwe þanne desordeined beo : and to liue comen so,
                                
                                  heo wollez þanne mis-don al day : and beon þare-oppe wel bolde,
                                
                                  And so schal þe pays of þe londe : wel vuele beon i-holde.
                                  Line 448 
                                
                                  Luyte heom wolde rechche : to leosen heore ordre so,
                                
                                  Ȝwane heo for heore ordre ne spariez nouȝt : þefþe for-to do! [folio 66] 
                                
                                  And euere þe herre heore ordre is : me þinchez bi puyr lawe,
                                
                                  þe strengore scholde heore dom beo : ȝwane heo wolden to þefþe drawe."
                                
                                   [Ait Thomas.] ¶ "Sire, sire," quad seint Thomas : "ȝif it is þi wille,
                                
                                  Lothz vs were any-þing to don : þi pays for-to a-spille.
                                  Line 454 
                                
                                  Þe clerkus þat beoth I-ordeynede : þov wost wel heo berez a signe
                                
                                  Þat heo beoth lymes of holi churche : þat so noble is and digne;
                                  Line 456 
                                
                                  Ȝif heo weren with þulke signe : to vile deþe i-do,
                                
                                  A-viled were al-holi churche : and foule i-schend al-so.
                                
                                  And ȝif heo beoth formest onordeined : and for þulke sulue dede
                                
                                  Sethþe þoruȝ dom to deþe i-brouȝt : it nere nouȝt wel to rede:
                                  Line 460 
                                
                                  For it nas neuere lawe ne riȝt : double dom to take
                                
                                  For o trespas, ase ȝe wel wuteth : and sunne it were to make;

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 119
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Early English text society by N. Trübner & co.,; 1887.
Subject terms: Christian saints

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aha2708.0001.001
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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 19, 2025.

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

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