Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne".

[The Tale of the Witch and her Cow-sucking Bag; [See a later version in Laud 416 (A.D. 1459), leaf 1: extracts printed in Reliq. Antiq., ii. 27.]  and how a Bishop faild to work her Charm, because he didn't be|lieve in it.]

                                    Þere was a wycche, and [It was D, and om. D.]  made a bagge,
                                  
                                    A bely of leþyr, a gretë swagge,
                                  
                                    She sygaldryd so þys bagge bely [bagbely O.] 
                                  
                                    Þat [þat, om. D.]  hyt ȝede and soke mennys ky,
                                    Line 504 
                                  
                                    At euene, & at morw [on morue O, at morwe D.]  tyde,
                                  
                                    yn here pasture, oþer [or OD; D om. ellys.]  ellys be syde.
                                  
                                    long [Longge O.]  hyt ȝede aboutë fast, [alaboute faste O, oueral faste D.] 
                                  
                                    Tyl hyt was parceyued [parseyuyd O.]  at the last; [laste OD.] 
                                    Line 508 
                                  
                                    Þan al [Þanne alle O, alle D (om. þanne).]  þe godemen of þe toune,
                                  
                                    Byfore þe bysshop dyden [be-forn . . . dede D.]  here somoune;
                                  
                                    Þey dyden þe baggë [bagge O, þei do þe bagge D, bag H.]  with here bere,
                                  
                                    To wetë what she shuld [qwat she schal D.]  answere.
                                    Line 512 
                                  
                                    hyt was shewyd byfore [to D.]  þe bysshop,
                                  
                                    Þat she dyde to goo [dede go O.]  swych a melk [melke O.]  slop, [dede it gon with a meche sop. D.] 
                                  
                                    Þurgh wycchecraft & mysáuenture,
                                  
                                    To sugke here keyn [soukyn her ken D.]  yn here pasture.
                                    Line 516 
                                  
                                    Þe bysshop merueyled, & oþer mo,
                                  
                                    how þat she myȝt [myghte O.]  do hyt go. [so go O.] 
                                  
                                    "Dame," seyd þe bysshop, "do þy quen|tyse,
                                  
                                    And late vs se [see O, sen D.]  how hyt shal ryse."
                                    Line 520 
                                  
                                    Þys wycche here charme began to sey, [be-gan a-non D.] 
                                  
                                    Þe slop ros vp, and ȝede þe weye. [wey O, þe bagge vp ros & gan to gon D.]

About this Item

Title: Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne".
Author: Mannyng, Robert, fl. 1288-1338.
Canvas: Page 19
Publication: London :: Pub. for the Early English text society, by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co., ltd.,; 1901-[03].

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aha2735.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/aha2735.0001.001/27

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Full citation: "Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne"." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aha2735.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 14, 2025.

Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne".

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