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

                                
                                  þeos fif fingres þe deuel hath : and heore names, i-wis.
                                  Line 320 
                                
                                  þare-with he tollez men to him : ȝwanne men stondez feor a-to
                                
                                  And with fol þouȝt toward him lokiez : and nutez ȝwat he wollez do,
                                
                                  And heore Inwit heom seith : þat swyþe gret sunne it were,
                                
                                  And grete wille huy habbez þer-to : ȝif huy dorsten for fere.
                                  Line 324 
                                
                                  ¶ þe deuel stant and wolde fain : henten heom bi þe polle:
                                
                                  with "luttle man," is leste finguer : he bi-guynneth heom furst to tolle
                                
                                  And seith, "ȝware-of art þou of-drad? : a luyte sunne it is"—
                                
                                  he makez þe sunne luyte Inovȝ : for þe finguer is luyte, i-wis. [folio 136] 
                                  Line 328 
                                
                                  Ȝif he ne may with is luytel finguer : ane man to sunne teche,
                                
                                  with is felawe he tolleth next : þat men cleopieth "leche,"
                                
                                  And seit, "ȝe, god is leche guod : and ful of milce and ore,
                                
                                  he wole wel hele and fur-ȝiue : þei þe sunne were wel more;
                                  Line 332 
                                
                                  he nis nouȝt so wrechful ase men weneth : he hath þe deore a-bouȝt;
                                
                                  wel more sunne he wole fur-ȝyuen : þare-fore ne dred þe nouȝt."
                                
                                  And bote he mouwe þare-with i-winne : he pult forth is felawe,
                                
                                  þe "longue finguer," þat sit him next— : þat alle weren huy to|drawe!—
                                  Line 336 
                                
                                  And seith, "man, þov art ȝung I-nov : þou miȝt libben ȝeot wel longue
                                
                                  And þine sunnes bieten wel : þei huy weren ten so strongue.
                                
                                  Scholdestov nouþe þine wille lete : ȝwat scholde þi ȝungue blod?
                                
                                  þou miȝt libbe longue I-novȝ : and a-mendi al þi mod."
                                  Line 340 
                                
                                  Bote he [MS. ȝe]  mouwe ȝeot makie man : þare-with don a-mis,
                                
                                  he tollez him with þe "techare" : þat is nexte felawe is.
                                
                                  And seith, "lo þere þilke preost : and þilke knyȝt al-so
                                
                                  And þilke person, and manie oþure : þat more sunne habbez i-do,
                                  Line 344 
                                
                                  And natheles huy beoth guode men : and guod lijf ledez i-nouȝ.
                                
                                  þilke man nas neuere I-bore : þat oþur-ȝwile ne dude sum wouȝ.
                                
                                  Seint powel with is owene hond : Manie men he slovȝ,
                                
                                  And þe Marie Maudeleine : þat [al. om.]  to lecherie drovȝ,
                                  Line 348 
                                
                                  Seint peter þries in one nijȝt : for-sok ore louerd al-so;
                                
                                  And al-so loke þis oþur helewe : ȝwat sunne huy habbez i-do:
                                
                                  Ake þei huy beoth In heouene nouþe : ne worst þou neuere so heiȝe.
                                
                                  More sunne þane þou wolt do : þov miȝt biete, are þou deiȝe:
                                  Line 352 
                                
                                  þou woldest beo holiore þane ani man. : bi-holt þe al-a-boute:
                                
                                  A misdede wole beo sone ibet. : ȝware-of hast þou doute?"

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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 309
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 20, 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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