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

13 Barnabe

SEint Barnabe þe Apostle : þat guod was and hiende, I-Martred he was for godes loue : in strongue deþe atþenende. After þat ore swete louerd : to heouene gan i-wende, Þe Apostles precheden cristindom : ase he heom gan wit siende: Line 4 ¶ Seint Barnabe i-saiȝ þo : þat his bi-leue nas nouȝt: he turnde sone to þe Apostles : and to ore louerd al is þouȝt. Of lond he hadde ane grete feld : and he it solde wel faste, to þe Apostles he wende anon : and to heore fet þe panes caste Line 8 And for-sok al þis world [r. worldes] guod : and heore felawe bi-cam, And I-martred he was with heom : for loue of cristindam. Sethþe þo seint powel : to þe Apostles wende, Þe Apostles ne lefden it nouȝt : þat ore louerd him to heom sende, Line 12 Ake wenden þat he a gylur were : so þat hit was longue—

For he hadde so luþur man i-be— : are huy dorsten him vnder|fongue. ¶ Seint Barnabe i-knev him ferst : so þat he formest brouȝte Þe apostles in cuthrade with him : and in riȝte þouȝte, Line 16 And tolde heom hov ore swete louerd : bi weye to him cam And smot him and bi-nam him is siȝt : and brouȝte him to cristindom. ¶ Sethþe þo fram Ierusalem : þe Apostles gonne wende, For-to prechi godes lawe : þat so guod is and hende, Line 20 And to þe londe of Cypre : seint Barnabe huy gonne þo sende: [This v. om. in other MSS.] Ase he wende forth in is wei : in one stude he fond A felauȝschipe of quoynte Men : þe wiseste of al þe lond. he spac with heom so quoynteliche : ase he bi heom cam, Line 24 Þat þar nas non of heom alle : þat ne wondrede of his wisdam. "Sire sire," seide on of heom : þat was of grete fame, "Tel us of ȝwannes þou art : and ȝwat is þi name, And fram ȝwannes þou art hidere i-come : and for ȝwuche þingue; Line 28 Þou comest here into ore lond : ich wot for sume tiþingue." ¶ Seint Barnabe þis holie Man : fondede in eche pointe to answerien heom wel quoynteliche : for huy weren heom-self so quoynte. "Sire," he seide, "þov axest wel : and ich ou wulle telle: Line 32 Barnabe ich am i-cleoped : þe deueles fo of helle, Iesu cristes man ich am : þat me gan hidere siende, Fram Ierusalem ich am i-come : and þus a-boute wiende For-to prechi is holie name : þat brouȝte us out of biende. Line 36 Bi-leueth on him and ȝe worþeth in Ioye : euere with-oute ende." he prechede so þis grete men : þat huy turnden heore þouȝt And weren þare to cristindom : þoruȝ seint Barnabe i-brouȝt And bi-liefden on Iesu crist : and heore heorte ope him caste, Line 40 And prechede also of ihesu crist : and turnde þut folk wel faste. [folio 32] Seint Barnabe wende him forth : and to þe londe of cipre he com, to tuyrne men to ihesu crist : and to prechi cristindom. He cam and fond a foul dede : þat schendful was to do: Line 44 Men vrne nakede al a-boute : and wummen al-so. Seint Barnabe was þar-of a-schamed : for it was a schenful dede Þat þe schrewene neren a-schamede nouȝt : to schewi heore wrechhede.

To þe temple he wende a-non : ope ȝwan huy a-vouweden heore schame, Line 48 And a-mansede þat sori temple : in ore louerdes name. A-non with þis mansingue : al þat on half dachste a-do^vnn Þoruȝ grete wreche of þis temple : with gret noyse and soun. Þo þe schrewes i-seiȝen þe wreche : þat so schamelese were, Line 52 huy bi-lefden þulke schendfole dede : huy ne dorsten non-oþur for fere. þis holie man wende him forth : ferrore in þe lond : [MS. londe] Tymon, þat was an holi man : in a stude he fond, Þat in a strong acces was of a feuere : and al atþe deþe neiȝ. Line 56 Seint Barnabe of-þouȝte it sore : þo he him i-seiȝ. Þe godspelles of seint Mathev : with him euere he ber In a bok; ase god it wolde : with him he hadde as þer : Þis bok he leide ope þis man : ase he so sijk þer lay : Line 60 he bi-cam anon hol and sound : ase al þat folk i-say, [MS. i isay] And wende forth with him a-boute : hol and glad i-novȝ, And prechede ȝeorne of ihesu crist : and folk fram sunne drovȝ. Of ore swete louerd of heouene : seint Barnabe hadde swich grace Line 64 Þat, ȝif he founde ani sijk man : ase he wende in ani place, And he leide ope him þis bok : þat so holi and guod was Of þe godspelles of seint Mathev : so strong siknesse non nas Þat he þoruȝ ore louerdes grace : ne helde þar-of a-non; Line 68 Þare-þoruȝ he maude mani men : to Iesu criste gon. Þoruȝ vertue of þis holie Man : and of þis holie bok al-so Muche fair miȝthte ore louerd hath : in his seriaunz ido. Þis holie man seint Barnabe : ȝet forþere he wende Line 72 And prechede þe giwes faste : hore lijf for-to amende. Manie he tornede to cristindom : and þene holi gost on heom tende, Þoruȝ miracles þat he dude : and þoruȝ grace þat god him sende. ¶ Bareu was a luþur giv : þat euere weorrede faste Line 76 Seint powel and seint Barnabe : and cudde it at þe laste : For þo he fond seint Barnabe : þat folk to ore louerd so wⁱende, To þe luþere Iustise of þe lond : þe tiþingue he gan siende. Þis holi man was sone i-nome : and to dome i-brouȝt. Line 80 huy tormenteden him harde and stronge : forto torni is þouȝt

Alle manere turmenz huy him duden : þat huy miȝthten on bi-þenche : huy ne miȝthten him nouȝt ȝeot enes make : fram god is þouȝt blenche. ¶ Ase huy weren with al heore miȝte : a-boute him [al. om.] faste and longue For-to defouli þis holie man : with tormenz harde and strongue, ¶ Þe Aumperores o cosin : þat of gret power was, [folio 32b] Line 86 In-to toune cam þulke time : ase it feol bi cas. Þe giwes weren so sore a-drad : laste he hem bi-nome Line 88 Þoruȝ strencþe seint Barnabe : and ladde him to rome : A-niȝht huy nomen þis holie man : ase he was to-raunsed so, And teiden ane rop a-boute is necke : and knutten him faste þerto And drowen him out of heore synagoge : with seoruwe and pine i-novȝ, Line 92 And sethþe al-so bi þe sweore : out atþe ȝate men him drovȝ And mauden a-boute him swiþe gret fuyr : and barnden him al-to nouȝte. his soule wende to þe Ioye of heouene : þat he wel deore a-bouȝte. ¶ Þo nomen þe luþere men heore red : ȝwanne huy miȝten atþe laste, his bones þat weren bi-left vn-barnd : a-midde þe .se. to caste. Ake cristine Men þat weren bi-side : stelen to bi niȝte And bureden as wel stilleliche : with ase gret honour ase huy miȝte. Nov bidde we ȝeorne ihesu crist : king of alle kinge, Line 100 For loue of seint Barnabe : þat he us to heouene bringue.