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

                                
                                  ¶ For him heo songun þe heiȝe-masse : and to ore louerd criden faste,
                                
                                  And ore louerdes flechs and is blod : heo ȝeuen him atþe laste,
                                
                                  And spreinden him with holi watur : and heore oresones heo seide.
                                
                                  With Croiz and with procession : to þe put heo gonne him lede,
                                  Line 80 
                                
                                  And heiȝliche songun þe letanie : and holi water with hem bere,
                                
                                  And alle louerdes halewe beden : þat heo heore [r. his]  help were.
                                
                                  Þe prior on-lek þe puttes dore : bi-fore heom ech-on,
                                
                                  And seide : "beu frere, lo here þe wei : þat þou wilnest for-to gon.
                                
                                  Ake ȝif þou wolt bi ore rede do : þi þouȝt þou schalt wende
                                
                                  And in oþur manere þine sunnes bete : ase god þe grace wole sende;
                                
                                  Fewe here comen euere aȝen : þat wenden here-In bi-fore,
                                
                                  Ake heo beoth for tormentingue and for wo : lif and soule for-lore."
                                
                                  ¶ "Certes, sire," quath þis kniȝt : "rede ȝwat þov me rede,
                                
                                  In ore louerdes name þane wei ich take : to bete mine misdede.
                                  Line 90 
                                
                                  Ake for is loue þat us deore bouȝte : biddez for me ech-on!
                                
                                  Lif and soule god ich bi-take : and In his name ichulle In gon."
                                  Line 92 
                                
                                  he blessede him, and wende forth In : and bi-tok god is flesch and is bon;
                                
                                  Þe prior spreinde him with holi water : and lek þe dore a-non.
                                
                                  Þis guode kniȝt wende him forth : wel baldeliche and faste,
                                
                                  In one holewe weie onder eorþe : and to god is heorte caste;
                                  Line 96 
                                
                                  Swyþe deork it was, þat he ne say riȝt nouȝt : ne no-þing him ne a-gaste.
                                
                                  So longe þat him þouȝte he i-saiȝ : wel feor liȝt atþe laste.
                                
                                  Þuderward he wende baldeliche : so þat he cam þere neiȝ:
                                
                                  Þe faireste feld þat miȝte beo : atþe weiȝes ende he iseiȝ. [Pulchra via.] 
                                  Line 100 
                                
                                  ¶ Þare-Inne he wende murie i-novȝ : and a-midde þe felde he fond
                                
                                  Þe faireste halle and þe nobleste : þat miȝte beo in ani lond.
                                
                                  Ake þet weder nas nouȝt cler : bote ase it were neiȝ eue.
                                
                                  Forto bi-holde þat noble weork : ane stounde he gan bi-leue.
                                  Line 104 
                                
                                  Þe walles neren nouȝt i-hole : ake al a-boute i-wis
                                
                                  With pilers and with qvoynte Arches : ase þis Monekene cloistre is.
                                
                                  In he wende a godes name : and sette him al one an heiȝ;
                                
                                  he bi-heold a-boute in-to eche huyrne : and þat quoy[n]te weork he seiȝ.

                                  Line 108

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 202
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/aha2708.0001.001/250:3

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 19, 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