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

                                
                                  Ȝwat power þe king þe hath bi-take : and to ȝwuche guode i-br[o]uȝt,
                                
                                  Al is wille þov most soffri : and a-ȝen him ne beo þov nouȝt!
                                
                                  In muche wo þov bringst us alle : and holi churche also,
                                
                                  And þin owene bodi In perile : bote þov is wille do.
                                  Line 852 
                                
                                  Ȝif þov þis wel onder-stode : me þinchez for-soþe, i-wis,
                                
                                  Þov woldest fondi him to paye : and elles þov dudest a-mis."
                                
                                   [episcopus Wincestrie.] ¶ Þo seide þe bischop of wynchestre : "sire gilbert, beo stille! [folio 70b] 
                                
                                  We sospendiez swuch conseil : for it nis nouȝt wurth a fille.
                                  Line 856 
                                
                                  Ȝif þe Erchebischop scholde beo : al to þe kynges wille,
                                
                                  Þe honour of holi churche he lore : and is soule he miȝte so spille."
                                
                                   [episcopus Cicestrie.] ¶ Þe bischop hyllarie of Chichestre : bi-gan to speke þo:
                                
                                  "Sire," he seide, "mi conseil is : hou-so it euere go,
                                  Line 860 
                                
                                  Forto fondi In faire manere : to paie þe kingues wille
                                
                                  With faire bi-heste, for-to eft-sone : þat it were sumdel stille;
                                
                                  Þanne we miȝten, ȝwane we weren : of þusse destresse i-brouȝt,
                                  Line 863 
                                
                                  Þe betere a-cheui In ore conseille— : for nouþe ne do we riȝt nouȝt."
                                
                                   [episcopus lincoln'.] ¶ Þe bischop Robert of lincolne : radde wel þare-to.
                                
                                  "Sire Erchebischop," he seide : "for-soþe þov most it do;
                                
                                  Oþur þov schalt leose þine bischopriche : and per-Auenture þi lif;
                                
                                  Þanne bi-ȝete þov wel luyte : me þinchez, of þis strif."
                                  Line 868 
                                
                                   [episcopus Exon'.] ¶ Þe bischop bartholmev of Eccetre : bi-gan to segge is þouȝt:
                                
                                  "In al þe soruwe of þe world : and care we beoth i-brouȝt.
                                
                                  betere it were þat on heued : In peril him brouȝte,
                                
                                  Þane al-holie churche were bi-neþe : and i-do to nouȝte."
                                  Line 872 
                                
                                   [episcopus Wigorn'.] ¶ Þe bischop Roger of wyrecestre : longe in þouȝte stod;
                                
                                  "I-nelle ov segge on ne oþur : for i-not ȝwat is guod.
                                
                                  Ȝif ich radde him for-ta-bouwien : al-to þe kingus wille,
                                
                                  Min owene Mouth him-sulf demez : al-holi churche to spille;
                                  Line 876 
                                
                                  And ȝif ich rede aȝen him to beo : In þis place sum is
                                
                                  Þat wolde telle þe kinge fore : and maken him mi fo, i-wis—"
                                
                                  bi þe bischope of londone : þat ilke word he sede;
                                
                                  for he was euere a-ȝein seint thomas : with wordes and with dedes.
                                
                                  "Þare-fore," he seide, "on ne oþur : I-nelle segge i-wis.
                                
                                  guod conseil god us ȝiue— : for muche neod it is."
                                  Line 882 
                                
                                  Þare nas non þat couþe is conseil : with menske bringe to ende,
                                
                                  Ne þat wuste hov heo miȝten best : ovt of þe chaumbre wende.

                                  Line 884

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 131
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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