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

                                
                                  Seinte Scholace, his soster : blac Nonne he let hire make,
                                
                                  And teiȝte hire penaunce forto don : to faste and to wake.
                                  Line 8 
                                
                                  Þeos tweiȝe holie creatures : eche ȝere hadden ane wone
                                
                                  to comen to-gadere some Tyme : and tellen of godes sone;
                                
                                  Ake heore noþer in oþeres Abbeye : bi-leue come ne miȝte
                                
                                  Ne duelle for none þinge : oute of heore celle bi Niȝte.
                                  Line 12 
                                
                                  ¶ Þo þis guode holi mayde : i-brouȝt was in grete Elde,
                                
                                  hire longuede with hire broþer to speke : feble heo hire felde.
                                
                                  Þo heo hadde to him i-sent : and to-gadere heo weren i-come,
                                
                                  Al dai heo tolden of godes priuetez : seinte Marie sone,
                                  Line 16 
                                
                                  Of þe Ioye of heuene : hou holi men heore [lif] ladden;
                                
                                  Þare-of al heore Ioye was : þat heo to-gadere hadden.
                                
                                  Sorie weren þis holie þingus boþe : for it was sumdel neiȝ Eue.
                                
                                  Seint Beneit to is soster seide : þat he ne miȝte no leng bi-leue.
                                  Line 20 
                                
                                  Seinte scholace sori was. : "broþur," heo seide, "þin ore,
                                
                                  Þis holie wordus so murie beoth : ȝeot we moten telle more;
                                
                                  Ȝwane we In godes seruise beoth : we ne doz nouȝt ore ordre breke.
                                
                                  Ich am so feble þat ich ne wene : neuer-eft more with þe speke;
                                  Line 24 
                                
                                  bi-leue we þis one Niȝt to-gadere : for his loue þat deore us bouȝte,
                                
                                  Ich wot þat he it wole us for-ȝiue : ȝwane we it doth in guode þouȝte."
                                
                                  "beo stille," seide seint beneit : "loke ȝwat þou dest telle,
                                
                                  Wel þov wost þat ine mai beo : bi niȝte fram mine celle."
                                  Line 28 
                                
                                  Þo scholace i-saiȝ þat it ne heold : to bidde hire broþur more,
                                
                                  hire heued he hangede a-doun : and bi-gan to wepe sore.
                                
                                  "Louerd," heo seide, "þat þov art : ful of milce and ore,
                                
                                  Lat me, louerd, ȝif þi wille it beo : i-heore more of þi lore;
                                  Line 32 
                                
                                  ¶ Ne lat nouȝt mi broþur to-Niȝt : fram me, louerd, wende,
                                
                                  Ake soffre us with tales of þe : bringe þis niȝt to ende."
                                
                                  Ase þis Maide loke [r. lokede]  opward : þo heo hadde i-don hire bone,
                                
                                  Þat weder þat was so cler and fair : bi-gan to chaungie sone;
                                  Line 36 
                                
                                  hit bi-gan to þondri and hauli : leiȝten and eke rine,
                                
                                  Þat feor with-Inne Niȝte it was : er þat weder wolde a-fine.
                                
                                  ¶ Þo ne miȝte seint beneit : for þe wedere þannes i-wende. [folio 96b] 
                                
                                  "Soster," he seide, "ȝwat hastþov i-don? : þou fondest me to schende;
                                
                                  Ȝif it nere ore louerdes wille : wel ne dost þov nouȝt,
                                
                                  Þat i-schal mine ordre breke : so nadde ich neuere i-þouȝt."

                                  Line 42

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 198
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 21, 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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