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

                                
                                  ¶ In a time on of is pouere Men : wende of lif-dawe,
                                
                                  And is beste best to heriet : men brouȝte him, ase it was lawe.
                                
                                  Þo cam þis selie mannes wif : þat careful widewe was,
                                
                                  And mette with þis holie man : ase ore louerd ȝaf þat cas :
                                  Line 482 
                                
                                  heo cride on him deolfulliche : merci and is ore,
                                
                                  And seide him, bote þat o best : luyte guod heo hadde more;
                                
                                  heo [al. Ne heo]  nuste in ȝwat manere : ne hou [al. for meseise]  heo miȝhte liue,
                                
                                  heo bad him for þe loue of god : þat best a-ȝein hire ȝiue.
                                  Line 486 
                                
                                  ¶ "Guode womman," seide þe holie man : "þou wost wel hou it is,
                                
                                  Þat þat chief louerd habbe þe beste ayȝte : ȝwane is man is ded, i-wis."
                                
                                  To is clerkes he seide a-latyn : þat þe widewe it ne under-stod :
                                
                                  "Me þinchez it a luþur lawe : and noþur riȝhtful ne guod.
                                  Line 490 
                                
                                  Þis guode wif hath i-lore hire louerd : þat al hire guod forhtþ drouȝ,
                                
                                  And to leose þare-aftur ire [orig. is]  beste best : me þinchez it is wouȝ;
                                
                                  In þat on were lure [orig. luþur]  i-nouȝ : þei heo ne lore þat oþur al-so.
                                
                                  Þe deueles lawe it is of helle : and þoruȝh god neuere i-do. [folio 184] 
                                  Line 494 
                                
                                  ¶ "Guode wif," he seide, "ȝif ich [þe] take : a-ȝein þi best to lone,
                                
                                  Woltþou it witie to mine bi-hofþe : for-to ich it axi eft-sone?"
                                
                                  "Ȝe, [al. A ȝe]  sire," quath þe widewe : "god ȝelde þe þin ore!"
                                
                                  Þe widewe nam hom hire best : and ne ȝeld it him nammore.
                                  Line 498 
                                
                                  Þis Auntur bi-fel ofte siþe : ȝwane men him wolden bidde ouȝt;
                                
                                  heriot of pouere men : he ne wilnede riȝht nouȝht.—
                                
                                  ¶ We ne mowen rikeni nouȝt [al. nowhar neȝ]  : alle is guode dedes.
                                
                                  For euere in strong penaunce i-nouȝ : is lif he gan lede,
                                  Line 502 
                                
                                  And treuliche heold up holi churche : and wuste hire fram ech wouȝ.
                                
                                  Þare-fore hadde þe deuel of helle : to him onde i-nouȝ :
                                
                                  he bi-gan for-to a-rere contek : bi-tweone him a-non
                                
                                  And þe king hanri þat was þo : þe kingues sone Ioan.
                                  Line 506 
                                
                                  Þe king and muche del of is folk : a-ȝein holie churche was,
                                
                                  Ase king henri, is graunt-sire : hadde a-ȝein seint Thomas;
                                
                                  And þat couent of caunturburi al-so : a-ȝein him hul[d] wel faste;
                                
                                  Ofte huy nomen louedai : ake þet contek euere i-laste.
                                  Line 510 
                                
                                  ¶ A legat was þo in engelonde : þat a-ȝein him was al-so.
                                
                                  Ake studefast was euere þis holie man : þei he luyte help hadde þar-to.
                                
                                  huy ne miȝten a-cordi for no-þing : ake þe lengore þe worse it was;
                                
                                  Ake euere nam þis holie man : ensaumple of seint thomas.

                                  Line 514

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 445
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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