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

                                
                                  Al is lijf þe selie man : leouede in teone and wo.
                                  Line 162 
                                
                                  Þo he was of Nin houndret ȝer : and to and þritti old,
                                
                                  Þe strencþe him failede in is limes : is bodi bi-cam al cold;
                                  Line 164 
                                
                                  he ne miȝte nouȝt a-boute þe eorþe swinke : ne þe weodes up drawe;
                                
                                  Of is lijf he was a-nuyd : and wolde beo ded wel fawe.
                                
                                  he sat and carede of is lijf : he cleopede is sone Seth:
                                
                                  "leoue sone," he seide, "ich am weri of leoued : and wilni muche mi dez.
                                  Line 168 
                                
                                  Þo ich was out of parays idriue : ore louerd bi-hiet me þere,
                                
                                  With eoyle of milce to smeorie me : ȝwane it time were.
                                
                                  So longue ich habbe þare abede : þat i-ne may libbe more;
                                
                                  to parays þov most þare-aftur go : and bidde him milce and ore.
                                  Line 172 
                                
                                  Þe Aungel þov schalt þare finde : þat drof me fram þe ȝate;
                                
                                  Seie, ich abide þulke bi-heste : and me þinchez it comez to late,
                                
                                  And seie, elde me hath ouer-come : þat I-ne may libbe longue,
                                
                                  bide him þat ich deiȝe mote : and þe eoyle of milce a-fongue."
                                  Line 176 
                                
                                  "I-ne can nanne wei," quath is sone : "þuder-ward, ase ich wene."
                                
                                  "Leoue sone," Adam seide : "þe wei is wel i-sene.
                                
                                  Ȝwane þou comest to þe heued of þis valeie : a grene wei þov schalt wiende,
                                
                                  Þat gez euene riȝt puyr est : and to parays gez þat on ende; [folio 25] 
                                
                                  Þare-forth comen þi moder an ich : þo ich parays for-liet:
                                
                                  Euerech stape þat we stepen : for-barnde onder ore fet;
                                  Line 182 
                                
                                  Ne miȝte þare neuere-eft gras on growe : and al þe wei elles is grene;
                                
                                  For þe foule sunnes þat we duden : ore stapen beoth euere i-sene.
                                
                                  Þare þov miȝt with-oute faille : to parays euene gon."
                                
                                  Seth nam is fader blessingue : and wende him forth a-non.
                                  Line 186 
                                
                                  Þe stapen he fond for-welewede : ase is fader him sede.
                                
                                  Þo he to þe ȝate cam, : he ne dorste gon in for drede.
                                  Line 188 
                                
                                  An Aungel cam sone to [MS. te?]  [þe] ȝate : and axede ȝwat he souȝte.
                                
                                  he seide þat one tiþingue to him : fram is fader he brouȝte:
                                
                                  Þat he wes old and weri of leoued : and þat he was of-longued sore
                                
                                  After þe bi-heste þat him was bi-hote : for he ne miȝte libbe non-more.
                                
                                  ¶ "Ȝe," seide þe Aungel, "is he so? : he ne schal þarof nouȝt doute.
                                
                                  pult in þin heued here atþe ȝate : and stond þi-sulf with-oute!"
                                  Line 194 
                                
                                  So gret deliȝt he hadde and Ioye : of þe foulene murie song;

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 6
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 21, 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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