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

Horstmann, Carl, b. 1851.

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LEGENDS OF SAINTS IN MS. LAUD 108.

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65 [Leonard conf.]

SEint leonard þe confessour : a-londe eode her

Aftur ore louerdes buyrtyme : a-boute fif hundred ȝer.

his freond and is cunnes-men : þe gretteste maystres were

In þe kyngus house of Fraunce : grettore none þare nere;

And seint leonard al-so was : a gret maister with þe king; Page 457

Of þat he him bidde wolde : he wernde him no-þing.

he grauntede him alle þe prisones : þat he fore bidde wolde,

Aftur is bone ope al is lond : þat men him*. [al. hem] deliueri scholde.

¶ Þis holie man wende a-boute faste : prisones forte glade;

And ȝwane he fond ani of luyte gult : deliuered sone he made.

For-þi Men him cleopeden "prisones louerd" : and ȝuyt men doth al-so,

For non oþur halewe for prisones : so fair miracle nath i-do.—

Þe king of Fraunce him bi-souȝhte : ȝeorne ope al is miȝhte

Þat he scholde with him beo : bi dayes and bi nyȝhte,

For-te þare fulle ani bischopriche : þat he him miȝhte bi-take.

Seint leonard nolde it graunti nouȝht : ake outriȝht it gan for-sake,

And wende forth a-ȝein is wille : and bad him habbe guod day.

Formest he wende to Orlians : to prechie godes lay.

¶ Longue he prechede þare-a-boute : þat folk for-to lere;

And sethþe he wende to Aquitayne : for-to prechie þere.

Eche daye he wolde at toune beo : to prechi godes lawe,

And eche niȝhte he wende to þe wode : ȝwane it to eue gan drawe,

In is oresones to beon al one— : ac so sone so it was day,

In-to þe contreye he wolde a-boute : and prechi godes lay.— [folio 188b]

¶ Þe king hadde in þulke wode : a tour of grete bolde,

Þat he miȝhte soiourni þer : ȝwane he euere wolde.

Þe Quene was with childe grete : þudere men gonne hire bringue,

Ȝif heo þe betere miȝhte for solas : ouer-come hire childingue.

Þo he was in trauail : heo ne miȝhte ouer-come it nouȝht;

So sore heo pinede þat heo was : wel neiȝh to deþe i-brouȝht.

¶ Þe king, and alle his, gret deol maden : þat crie men heorde hem wide;

And þo seint leonard herde þar-of : he gan heorkni and a-bide.

Þo he i-heorde þat it was of men : þudere he gan wende,

Ȝif god wolde ani a-mendement : þoruȝ is bone hire*. [al. om.] sende.

To þe king he wende a-non : and axede ȝwat him were.

"beo glad," he seide, "for of þi Quene : ne haue þou none fere!"

"A, Merci, sire," quath þe king : "al mi lond ichulde*. [orig. ichulle] ȝyue

ho-so miȝhte [it] þar-to bringue : þat þe Quene moste liue!

¶ For of þe childe ne rouȝhte i nouȝht : miȝhte ich habbe hire lif." Page 458

"Sire," seide þis holie Man : "lat me i-seo þi wif,

Ȝif ich hire may to liue bringue : and þat child al-so,

Þoruȝ mine louerdes swete grace— : nere it wel i-do?"

Þis holie Man was to þe Quene i-brouȝht : þat lai ȝare to deþe;

So clene heo was with pine ouer-come : þat vnneþe heo miȝhte breþe.

¶ Seint leonard sat a-doun a-kne : and is preiere made,

Þat ore louerd hire deliueri scholde : hire freond forto glade,

And þat heo moste to liue come : and al-so þat child þere,

Þat Men miȝhten seo þat þe grace : of ore louerd muche were.

¶ Þe Quen a-non þoruȝh is bone : deliuered was of childe,

In guod lif, and hire child al-so— : þare was ore louerd wel milde!

¶ Þo þe king i-say þe Quene sauf : and þat child al-so,

For ioye he nuste ȝwat he miȝhte : with þat holie man do;

he bad he scholde of al is guod : nime ȝwat he wolde.

Seint leonard seide, "ne kepe i nouȝht : of þi seluer ne of þi guolde,

Bote a place þat ich mowe : in godes seruise inne liue."

"Certes," seide þe king, "and ichulle : al þis wode þe ȝiue."

"Ne kepe ich," quath seint leonard : "nouȝht more of þe i-bide

Bote þat ich may in one niȝhte : with min Asse ouer-ride."

¶ "Ich graunti it þe," seide þe king : "ne wende þou no so wide,

Þei heo were quickore þane ani best : þat is bi þis wode-side."

Þis guode man a-boute þis wode wende : opo[n] is Asse wel stille

And bi-rod al-so muche place : ase it was is wille.

Þe king, þo it i-marked was : liet wal makie a-boute,

And Aftur is wille he liet a-rere : noble hous and proute.

¶ Þare seint leonard Monk bi-cam : ase it an Abbeye were,

And mani oþere he nam in to him : ore louerdes lawe to arere.

he bi-gan þare a religion : of ordre swiþe strongue;

Clerkus þat wolden guode men beo : to him he gan hem fongue.

Nier þane a gret Mile wei : no watur nadden huy þere; [folio 189]

Seint leonard hopede amendi þat : ȝif godes wille it were :

he bi-gan openi þe eorþe a luyte : and is oresones he made.

A swiþe fair welle þare sprong up : þat þare-inne men miȝhte wade.

Þo miȝhten huy habbe watur i-novȝ : þe ȝwile þat hous i-laste,

Þoruȝȝ godes grace and seint leonardes bone : þat heore miȝhte*. [on the margin.] þare|to casten.— Page 459

¶ "prisones louerd," seint leonard : ful wide i-cleopud was:

Ore louerd him schewede fayr miracle : for some þingue it was*. [al. & noȝt for noȝt it nas]!

For ȝwane prisones criden to him : manie with dreorie chere,

heore biendes borsten alle a-to : and huy deliurede were;

Manie comen to þonki him : and heore feoteres with heom bere,

And manie to serui ore louerd crist : bi-lefden with him þere.

¶ Seue Men with alle heore freond : þat weren of is kunne,

Þo huy heorden of is guodnesse telle : huy solden lond and wunne,

And wenden and woneden þare with him : holi lif to lede;

Þis holie Man of godes lawe : gan heom wissi and rede.

So fair Miracle ase of him was : no man nouȝwere nuste;

Mani sik Man þare hadde bote : þat to him wel truste.—

¶ Atþe laste þo*. [MS. þe] he scholde heonne fare : longue at-fore he it wuste;

his breþren he cleopede alle to him : and wel mildeliche hem custe,

And wende to þe Ioye of heouene : þo god aftur him sende.

Gret deol alle is breþren maden : þo he þannes wende.

Ȝif ore louerd fair Miracle dude : on eorþe bi is liue,

Aftur þat he was heonne i-wend : he dude swuche fiue.

¶ For miracle þat þare was : muche folk þudere gan falle,

Þat þe place ne miȝhte nouȝht : bi manie holden alle.

¶ Þat folk cride on ore louerd ȝeorne : þre daiȝes and þre niȝht,

Þat he scholde, ȝif is wille were : þar-of don insiȝht.

huy i-seiȝen þo þe contreie al-a-boute : i-heoled al mid snowe,

And a place a-midde fair and grene : Men miȝhten þaron mowe.

Þo iseien huy þat ore louerd wolde : þat þis guode man leiȝ^e þere:

huy lieten him bere þudere a-non : and a wel fair churche a-rere;

100

Þat al þe folk þat þudere cam : ne miȝhte fulle þe place

Þat ore louerd him hadde i-chose : þoruȝ is swete grace.—

¶ Þe scherreue of leouns : feteres made strongu[e]

And in þe hexte tour of þe castel : þare he liet heom*. [MS. heom heom] hongue,

104

So heiȝe, þat ech man heom miȝhte i-seo : þat bi þe weyȝe scholde wiende,

And euerech man þat þar-on were : þe more him for-to schende;

Þat Men þat schuuych torment iseiȝen : þe more scholden drede,

Laste huy weren þaron i-brouȝht : to don ani mis-dede. Page 460

108

So þat he nam ane trewe Man : for a luyte lesingue

And dude him binde swiþe faste : and in þulke feoteres bringue.

With pine and sorewe þis seli man was : almest i-brouȝt to deþe;

To seint leonard he cride ȝeorne : ase he miȝhte speke onneþe.

112

¶ Seint leonard cam a niȝht to him : in swiþe ȝwite wede:

"For þou hast to me ȝeorne i-bede : here ich am," he seide; [folio 189b]

"Þine strongue feteres bring with þe : ne haue þou none drede,

And a-ris up sone a[nd] cum forth with me : for henne ichulle þe lede."*. [vv. 115 & 116 al. transposed.]

116

¶ Op a-ros þis selie man : with wel glade chere;

his feteres borsten sone a-two : for huy bi-comen ful sere,

And seint leonard ladde him forth : ase he is felawe were,

To þe churche þat he inne lay : and hanguede is feteres þere.

120

Euere ase huy bi þe weye eoden : þis holie man with him tolde,

Ase þey he hadde is felawe i-beo : bi þe hond he gan him holde.

Þe schirreue cam an oþur day : and is feteres souȝhte:

he saiȝh þat he tolde luyte of him : þat heom þudere brouȝhte.*. [al. 2 vv. more.]—

124

¶ A luþur Man in gret power : in an oþur stude was also,

Ane gultelese Man he hadde i-nome : and in strong prisone ido.

he heorde telle of seint leonard : þat þe prisones help was,

And þouȝhte fram him is prisun wite : with som quoynte cas:

128

he liet maken of lim and ston : a wonderliche deop put,

And wit strongue dores of Ire and stiel : swyþe faste he was i-dut;

On-ouewarde þe fallinde dore : þo þe guode Man was þar-inne,

A strong ȝwuchche of Ire he liet maken : with wel quoynte ginne:

Þare-inne he dude staleworþe Men : þane prison for-to wite,

133

Þat seint leonard ne scholde neiȝh him come : bote he were underȝite.

Þe selie Man þat bi-neoþe was : in so strong warde i-brouȝt,

Criede ȝeorne on seint leonard : þat he ne fur-ȝete him nouȝht.

136

¶ A nyȝht cam þis holie man : And þe ȝwuchche he fond þere:

Sone he ȝweluede hire op þe doun : and heom þat þare-inne were,

And sethþe he brac þe Irene dore : and ase a maister he wende a-doun,

with swyþe gret lyȝht of heouene : and spac with þat prisoun:

140

"Slepestþou?" he seide, "ich am i-come : þat þou hast i-cleopud so, Page 461

Godes desciple leonard. : ȝwat woltþou habbe i-do?"

"louerd," seide þis selie man : "al-so wis ich bidde þe

Ase ich am gultles here i-do : þat þou helpe me."

144

A-non-riȝht þis holie Man : þe Gyues he to-brac,

And bi-tweone is Armes he bar him forth : no man a-ȝein him ne spac,

And so hom to is owene hous : bi-twene is Armes him bar,

he bad him beon a guod man : and sette him a-doun þar.

148

¶ Þis luþere men wit alle hore ginnes : fiebleliche habbuth a-guonne,

huy miȝhten hangen up heore Ax : and leuen weork*. [a. l. w. al. om.] : for luyte huy þare wonne!—

¶ A luþer man in Alemaygne : an onkouth pilegrim nam

151

And brouȝhte him into strong prisoun : and ȝaf him swiþe hard dom,

Þat bote his freond him wolden out bugge : he scholde bi-leue þere.

Þis selie Man nadde no freond : and Maude wel reulich chere,

he bad for seint leonardes loue : þat he merci of him hadde;

And he nolde him oþur merci do : bote into þat strong prisone him ladde.

156

¶ To þe louerd of þat Castel : seint leonard a-niȝht cam

And [hiet] him late gon is seriaunt : þat he with vnriȝhte nam.

An oþur niȝht eft-sone he cam : and þe þridde niȝht also, [folio 190]

And hiet him deliuri his seriaunt. : ake neuere he nolde it do.

160

¶ Seint leonard ladde þis selie man : fram þe prisone a-mong heom alle;

Þe heiȝe tour of þat Castel a-non aftur him : a-doun gan falle

And a-slov al þat folk þat þare was : bote þene louerd one;

Ake boþe is leggues breken a-two : with fallingue of ane stone,

164

Þat neuereft ne miȝhte he beon hol : noþur of flechs ne of bone;

Croked he was al is lif : he nuste to ȝwam mene is mone.—

¶ Also in Brutayne was a knyȝht : þat in strong prisone was i-brouȝht;

To seint leonard he cride faste : þat he ofte hadde i-souȝht.

168

Streite wardeines ouer him þare weren : boþe nyȝht and day,

Þare he with strongue feteres : in prisone i-bounde lay.

Seint leonard a-mong alle þe wardeins : in-to þe prisone cam

Ase a maister þoruȝ heom alle : þisne selie knyȝht he nam,

172

his biendes he brac formest a-two : and ladde him bi þe hond

A-mong alle is wardeins : hom in-to is owene lond;

¶ his feoteres he tok him in is hond : þat he forth with him bar Page 462

To seint leonardes Chapele : and a-mong oþure hieng heom þar.

176

Þo ne dorste non of þe wardeines : a word speke with mouþe.

Swuch a man may wel mayster hote : þat so heom a-gaste couþe!

Þe Miracles þat he for prisones dude : ne may no man telle.

Nov god for þe bone of seint leonard : us schilde fram þe pine of helle.

180

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