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

                                
                                  So clene lijf he ladde ȝong : þat deinte it was to wite;
                                
                                  More godnesse ne miȝte beo : þane we findeth of him i-write.
                                
                                  Þo is fader and is moder weren dede : þis holie child Nicholas
                                
                                  luyte tolde of heore guode : þei he heore eyr was :
                                  Line 20 
                                
                                  to pouere Men he ȝaf it clene : ȝware he saiȝ neode;
                                
                                  And heo þat nolden bidde him non : stilleliche he gan hem beode.—
                                
                                  An heiȝ Man þare was bi-side : þat sethþe þoruȝ luþer cas
                                
                                  his guod was al-clene a-wei i-go : and al pouere bi-come he was.
                                  Line 24 
                                
                                  he hadde þre douȝtren faire i-nouȝ : clene and guode al-so;
                                
                                  In so gret Meseise heo weren i-brouȝt : þat heo nusten ȝwat to do.
                                
                                  Þo heo nusten ȝware-bi libbe— : for heore guod heom was bi-nome—
                                
                                  heore red huy nomen alle þreo : fole wommen to bi-come
                                  Line 28 
                                
                                  And raþer þanne heo in swuche houngur weren : to libbe bi hore| [MS. heore]  dom.
                                
                                  Þe olde man, heor alre fader : gret deol to him he nom.
                                
                                  gret pite hadde in is heorte : þe guode seint Nicholas,
                                
                                  Þo he i-heorde þe deolfole mone : þat a-mong heom alle was.
                                  Line 32 
                                
                                  Of is fader guode a nyȝt : ane beiȝ [al. weg]  of gold he nam,
                                
                                  I-wounde in one cloute : and stilleliche to heore house he cam,
                                
                                  to a derne wyndouwe softeliche : seint Nicholas gan gon
                                
                                  And caste in þat gold priueliche : and wende a-ȝein a-non.
                                  Line 36 
                                
                                  Þis housebonde a-ros a-Moruwe : ant þar-of nuste nouȝt :
                                
                                  he com and fond þane beiȝ of gold : þat seint Nicholas hadde i-brouȝt.
                                
                                  Þar-of he was glad i-nouȝ : þei he nuste ho it brouȝte;
                                
                                  he it nam and þonkede Iesu crist : þat on is meseise þouȝte.
                                  Line 40 
                                
                                  Þare-with he conseilede swyþe wel : his eldeste douȝter sone
                                
                                  With fair bruydale and gret honour : ase riȝt was for-to done.
                                
                                  Seint Nicholas i-saiȝ al þis : and naþeles ȝuyt he þouȝte
                                
                                  Þat þis selie Man neode hadde : þat he more guod to him brouȝte.
                                  Line 44 
                                
                                  A niȝt he a-waitede swyþe wel : ase ore louerd it wolde,
                                
                                  And at one fenestre caste In eft-sone : ane oþur beiȝ of golde. [folio 111b] 
                                
                                  Þis housebonde a-morewe a-ros : þat gold he fond sone;
                                
                                  he þonkede god with guode heorte : þat hadde i-heord is bone.
                                  Line 48 
                                
                                  And natheles him wondrede muche : ho is freond so wel were,
                                
                                  And þouȝte þat he a-waiti wolde : ȝif he more come þere.
                                
                                  he conseilede is oþur douȝter : swiþe wel with þis golde,

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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 241
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 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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