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

                                
                                  "Ȝif þe bischopus," he seide, "bi-fore me : hadden i-do heore miȝte,
                                
                                  hit ne hadde i-beo non [r. nou?]  neod þare-fore : to contecki ne to fiȝte,
                                
                                  For are þis it were stable i-novȝ : þoruȝ gode mannes siȝte.
                                
                                  Nouþe god for is grace : sende holi churche hire riȝte!
                                  Line 1588 
                                
                                  For þat þe bischopus bifore me weren to nesche : ase ich nouþe i-finde,
                                
                                  Þe studefastore i mot beo : oþur it worth al bi-hinde.
                                
                                  Ich wot wel þat heo habbeth here-bi-fore : þe customes in engelonde
                                
                                  .I.-vsed heom al-to muche : holi churche to schonde;
                                  Line 1592 
                                
                                  And þei heo habben i-beon suffred longe : and to custome i-drawe,
                                
                                  Þare ne may no man for-soþe segge : þat heo beoth riȝt ne lawe.
                                
                                  For ore louerd louez riȝt and sothnesse : and none vuele costomes, i-wis,
                                
                                  And þat he schewez wel bi o word : þat In þe godspel is:
                                  Line 1596 
                                
                                  For ore louerd euenez him-self : to sothnesse þere,
                                
                                  Ake he ne eueneth him in none stude : to costome þat aȝein þe riȝte were.
                                
                                  Þare-[fore] me þinchez riȝt it is : þat we to sothþnesse drawe,
                                
                                  And destourbi þe vuele costomes : þat beth a-ȝein þe lawe;
                                  Line 1600 
                                
                                  Þare-fore i-nelle none costomes : soffri bi mine miȝte
                                
                                  Þat aȝein sothnesse beoth : and a-ȝen holi churche riȝte."
                                
                                  here man mai i-se þat vuele lawes : no guod Man nele a-fonge,
                                
                                  Ake destourbi heom mid al is miȝte : þei heo habben i-beo i-holde longe;
                                  Line 1604 
                                
                                  For he þat sosteinez vuele lawes : ase wel he haueth sunne,
                                
                                  bote he heom a-legge ȝif he may : ase he þat heom deth bi-gynne.—
                                
                                  Þo þe king of Fraunce i-heorde : and oþure þat þare were,
                                
                                  Þat seint thomas ne dude þe kinges wille : no-þing apayd heo nere.
                                
                                   [rex francie.] ¶ "Sire bischop," quath þe king of Fraunce : "Ich i-seo wel novþe þi wrong:
                                
                                  Þe king þe beot loue i-nov : þet strif is nov on þe i-long.
                                  Line 1610 
                                
                                  Wolt [r. wost]  þov nouþe is lawes him bi-nime : þat neuere him nere bi-nome,
                                
                                  Þe kingus heo[m] habbeth alle i-holde : þat bi-fore him habbeth i-come,
                                
                                  gret Maister þov woldest a-londe beo : to muche were þi power.
                                
                                  to muche ich habbe honouret þe : In mine londe her;
                                  Line 1614 
                                
                                  bote þov suffri him is riȝte lawes : Ichulle bi-come þi fo,
                                
                                  And ȝif we beoth þine fon boþe : I-not ȝwodere þov miȝt go."

                                  Line 1616

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 152
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/aha2708.0001.001/200:3

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