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

                                
                                  Ne sweriez him nouȝt þene oth : as ich me onder-stonde.
                                
                                  Nov wolde ȝe holi churche : In grete seruage do,
                                
                                  In more þane ani lewede man beo? : nai, it ne worth nouȝt so."
                                  Line 2000 
                                
                                   [Miles.] ¶ "Me þinchez wel," quath sire Reynaud : "þat þov nelt do no-þing
                                
                                  Of þe heste þat we bringez : fram ore louerd þe king!
                                
                                  Al-so in is half we hotez þe : þat þov a-soili al-so
                                
                                  his bischopes þat þov hast : In mansinge i-do."
                                  Line 2004 
                                
                                   [thomas.] ¶ "bev frere," quathþ [MS. quathy]  seint thomas : "it nis mi dede nouȝt,
                                
                                  Ake þoruȝ þe popes owene mouthþ : in sentence heo beoth i-brouȝt:
                                
                                  ¶ And þou wost wel it ne fallez nouȝt to me : þe popus dede on-do."
                                
                                   [Miles.] "Þei þe pope it hete do," quat sire Reynaud : "þoruȝ þe it is i-do."
                                
                                  ¶ "ȝif þe pope hath," quath thomas : "In sentence i-brouȝt [thomas.] 
                                  Line 2009 
                                
                                  heom þat habbez me mis-don : he ne mis-paiez me nouȝt."
                                
                                   [Miles.] ¶ "In eche manere þov schewest wel" : sire Reinaud seide þo,
                                
                                  "For-to a-nuye ore louerd þe king : and þat þov art is fo.
                                  Line 2012 
                                
                                  Ȝware-þoruȝ we i-seoth wel : þat þov wilnest to don him wo,
                                
                                  And woldest beo king in is stude— : ake þou ne worst neuere so—
                                
                                  And ȝif þou miȝtest, bi-nime him is crovne— : ake so ne schal it nouȝt go." [both lines transposed in other MSS.] 
                                
                                  ¶ "Certes, bev frere," quath seint thomas : "I-ne þenche no-þing þer-to,
                                  Line 2016 
                                
                                  Ake raþur ichulle him þer-to helpe : so muche so ich mai,
                                
                                  And for him and for his honour : ich bidde niȝt and dai.
                                
                                  For þare nis nouþe man on eorþe : þat ich louie, i-wis,
                                
                                  So muche ase him, sauue is fader : þat ȝeot mi louerd is.
                                  Line 2020 
                                
                                  A-seinte Marie dai Maugdeleyne : for-soþe i segge þe,
                                
                                  Þo þe a-cord was formest i-maked : bi-twene mi louerd and me,
                                
                                  he seide me þat ich lete a-mansi : alle þat hadden mis-do
                                  Line 2023 
                                
                                  Mine churche þat is his owene Moder— : and ich habbe idon so."
                                
                                  ¶ "A-voy, sire preost," quath þis oþur : "to muche þov spext neiȝ,
                                
                                  Þov desclaundrest þin owene louerd : þov ne art noþer guod ne sleiȝ!
                                
                                   [Miles.] Seistþov þat mi louerd þe king : In mansinge let do
                                
                                  Alle þat maden is sone king? : ne consentede he þer-to?
                                  Line 2028 
                                
                                  Nas it al is owene dede : and bi none oþur mannes lore? [folio 83b] 
                                
                                  A-voy, sire preost, bi-þench þe bet : ne seie þov so namore."
                                
                                  ¶ "Certes, sire," quath seint thomas : "þou wost wel it was so, [thomas.]

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Title: The early South-English legendary ; or, Lives of saints. I. Ms. Laud, 108, in the Bodleian library. Edited by Carl Horstmann.
Canvas: Page 164
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
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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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