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

                                
                                  ¶ Ich les hom suþþe, & al my good : þat ich scholde bi leþe mi lif;
                                
                                  Mene bileueþe oþer solas non : bote my sones & my wif.
                                  Line 100 
                                
                                  þo mi wif me was by-nome : nas me wo y-nou?
                                
                                  ȝif ich dorste sigge, ich was : ibroȝt in more wo wit wou.
                                
                                  Me nas bileueþ bote mi sones : þat al myn herten were:
                                
                                  þo sei ich whare wilde bestes : awei to wode hom bere,
                                  Line 104 
                                
                                  & icham a wrecche & frendles : bileueþ nou alone,
                                
                                  al nakeþ & bar of alle gode : as ich sprong out of þe stone!
                                
                                  ¶ wel ichot þat iob hadde : y-nou of care & sore;
                                
                                  a lone wrecche as icham : me þincþ ichaue more:
                                  Line 108 
                                
                                  for he hadde frend & wif also : him forto bimene,
                                
                                  me nis bileueþ wif ne frend : to solaci me ene.
                                
                                  a dunghupel warup he him reste : him was also bileueþ:
                                
                                  of al my god so moche y naue : þat ich mow rest op my hed.
                                  Line 112 
                                
                                  of al men þat euer were : me þinch icham mest wrecche—
                                
                                  ac whan god wol so þat ich schal : of noþing I-ne recche."
                                
                                  þo he hadde al y-mad his mone : þat reuþe hit was y-nou,
                                
                                  In sorue & care spitosliche [Ashm pitosliche]  : touard toune he drou.
                                  Line 116 
                                
                                  ¶ þer he ȝede & beþ his mete : þat al folc reuþe hadde
                                
                                  þat so fair man & stalworde : in meseise his lif ladde.
                                
                                  hai-ward hi made him of þe toun : hor corn forto wite,
                                
                                  þat he miȝte in treunesse : his liflode be-ȝite.
                                  Line 120 
                                
                                  his lordinges he paide wel : & al oþere also—
                                
                                  for ho-so haþ wit him godes grace : he ne schal neuer mis-do.
                                
                                  for he ne couþe noȝt his mester : gret sorue he hadde ynou;
                                
                                  his wo he nom in pacience : to eche godnesse he drou.
                                  Line 124 
                                
                                  heyward he was fiftene ȝer : in gret sorue & care;
                                
                                  ne com noman nei him þat him kneu : his frend him [Ashm. frendes, him om.]  were wel bare.—
                                
                                  ¶ ac [om. in Ashm.]  hit bifel þat þe emperour : þat his lord er was,
                                
                                  y-worreþ was of a noþer king : þorou a luþer cas.
                                  Line 128 
                                
                                  sone him misseþe þis gode kniȝt : & ofte he sede alas.
                                
                                  to many lond he sente aboute : to seche seint eustas.
                                
                                  tuei kniȝtes þat his felaues were : þat soȝte him suiþe wide,
                                
                                  In his baille hi mette him : as hi come þer-ford ride.
                                  Line 132 
                                
                                  seint eustas i-kneu hom wel : & hi him noȝt wit-alle—
                                
                                  for ho-so is in meseise & in sor : his heu wole sone falle.
                                
                                  ¶ "knowest," hi sede, "eni man : þat hatte placidas?"
                                
                                  he sede nai, & sede soþ : for he het eustas.
                                  Line 136 
                                
                                  þo gonne þis kniȝtes sike sore— : & hit was nei eue:
                                
                                  þis haiward hom baþ suiþe faire : al niȝt wit him bileue.
                                
                                  þo hi come hom to his In : he made hom faire chere

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 396
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 23, 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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