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

                                
                                  Men ortreuweden þat he cristine were : ase huy miȝhten wel þo i-wite.
                                
                                  Þene þridde day aftur : þat seint laurence i-bured was,
                                
                                  Ypolyt wende to is owene hous : ase it were bi cas;
                                  Line 8 
                                
                                  Al his mayne he grette fayre : and ȝaf heom part al-so
                                
                                  Of þe milsfole dede þat he hadde : on seint laurence i-do.
                                
                                  ¶ his meyne, þat al cristine was : fair semblaunt him made i-nouȝh,
                                
                                  And sone þo it time was : toward þe mete him drovȝ.
                                  Line 12 
                                
                                  Þo þat bord was i-leid : and he was þarto i-sete,
                                
                                  And his mete bi-fore him i-brouȝht : er he hadde ouȝt i-ȝete, [folio 197b] 
                                
                                  Þe knyȝhtes comen in ate ȝate : luþere men i-nowe,
                                
                                  bi-fore decius þe Aumperour : wel filliche him drowe.
                                  Line 16 
                                
                                  ¶ Þo decius i-saiȝh him furst : a-busemare he louȝ,
                                
                                  And seide : "ypolyt, hou gez þis? : turnste to þe wouȝh?
                                
                                  honoure ore godes, ich [þe] rede : and do ore heste sone,
                                
                                  And do, ase þou art hiende kniȝht : ase þou auȝtest for-to done!"
                                  Line 20 
                                
                                  ¶ "Sire, ich habbe," quath ypolyt : "in folie longue i-beo
                                
                                  And in vnconnesse mi lijf i-leoued : ase man þat ne couþe ise;
                                
                                  Ake nouþe ich am to god i-turnd— : to late i dude so!
                                
                                  Þou do bi me al þat þou canst : for non oþur i-nelle do."
                                  Line 24 
                                
                                  ¶ "No? neltþou?" quat þis Aumperur : "þou schalt i-leue me,
                                
                                  Ase we serueden laurence er : we schullen nou serui þe!"
                                
                                  "Ȝe, god it [al. om.]  ȝeue," quath þis holie man : "þat it were bi me nouþe
                                
                                  Ase it mid him is þat þou nemmest : riȝht nouþe with luþere mouþe!"
                                
                                  ¶ "Goz forth," quath þis Aumperour : "mine tormentores, a-non,
                                
                                  And streputh naked þis luþere þef : riȝht to flechs and bon!"
                                  Line 30 
                                
                                  Þis tormentores wel ȝare were : to don þat sorie dede.
                                
                                  Þe holie man, þo he was naked : to þe Aumperour he seide;
                                  Line 32 
                                
                                  Þis holie man seide, [þis—seide al. om.]  "wenstou, wrechche, to make me naked? : nay þou, i-wis,
                                
                                  Ake þou bi-guinnest raþur to cloþie me : with Ioye of heouene blis."
                                
                                  ¶ "Nimez a-non," quath þe Aumperour : "and tormentiez him wel faste!"
                                
                                  Þe tormentores al redie weren : and heor cloþes of huy caste,
                                  Line 36 
                                
                                  Wiþ scourges and with staues al-so : huy beoten him ase huy weren wode,
                                
                                  And al defouleden is holie bodi : þat is limes ronnen a-blode;

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 481
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 22, 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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