A Common-place book of the fifteenth century, containing a religious play and poetry, legal forms and local accounts. Printed from the original ms. at Brome Hall, Suffolk, by Lady Caroline Kerrison. Edited with notes by Lucy Toulmin Smith.

THE LIFE OF ST. MARGARET.

THE trials and martyrdom of St. Margaret appear to have been popular in England in early times. Several versions of the legend, in prose or verse, are found from the eleventh to the fourteenth centuries: four in Old English, several in Latin. The former have been printed by Mr. O. Cockayne; [Seinte Marherete, the Meiden ant Martyr, edited by Oswald Cockayne for the Early English Text Society, 1866. This contains three Old English versions; the fourth he printed in "Narratiunculæ." (See Foreword, pp. vi. vii.)] and one of them, a poem, copied about A.D. 1330, was reprinted by E. Mätzner. [Altenglische Sprachproben, Berlin, 1867, 1st Abtheilung, p. 200.]

The Auchinleck MS. at Edinburgh (date about 1310), fo. 16 b, contains another redaction, and a later one still is found in a MS. at Oxford, written about 1450 (Ashmolean, 61, fo. 145). These two have been printed by Dr. C. Horstmann. [Altenglische Legenden, Heilbronn, 1881, p. 236.] The story of the saint was also told in verse by Osbern Bokenham in 1445, among whose thirteen Legends [Roxburghe Club, 1835. A recent edition, by Dr. Horstmann, with an interesting introduction, has also been issued in Professor Kölbing's Altenglische Bibliothek, Heilbronn, 1883.] of Saints that of. Margaret stands the first.

Our Brome example is another copy of the Ashmolean poem; there being, indeed, not many years between the dates of the two MSS. The verbal variations made by the scribe are numerous, but not for the most part very important; but while, on the one hand, omitting two or three lines found in the Ashmole (which are here printed between square brackets), on the other several fresh lines are given (here marked by a, b, &c.), which are evidently omitted in the Ashmole copy. Unfortunately, however, the Brome copy is incomplete, stopping short at line 365 of the Ashmole, of which the concluding 253 lines are wanting. The numbering of the lines is made to correspond with that of the Ashmolean copy, as printed by Dr. Horstmann.

Olde and yowng þat ben here, [folio 39a] Lystyn and to me clare Wat I xall ȝow sey, How yt be-fell vp-on a day Line 4

Line 4 Off a vyrgyn fayer and swete, Hyr name wos Margarete. Hyr fader wos a nobyll clarke, And a man that cowde myche warke, Line 8 And a prynce of heye degre, No wordyer myth ther be. In Antyoch he had a wyffe That wos an hethen woman all hyre lyve, Line 12 Hyr fader wos of grete powere, And of all that cuntre governowre. False he was of hys lay, A-ȝens goddes lawys, þe soth to sey. Line 16 Teodyus [Ashmole has Theodosyus.] wos hys name, A nobyll man of grete fame. Hyr fader yt knew long be-fore That a dowter he xuld haue bore, Line 20 As the wrytyng hym told, That wan sche wax old That Crysteyn sche wyll be, And be-leve vpon þe Trynyte, Line 24 Vp-on Jesus þat vs bowth And þat all þe ward wroth. He comawndyd long be-fore, That a-non as sche wos bore, Line 28 To deth sche schuld be browght, In wat wysse he not rowth. And hyre moder that hyre bare, Made fore hyr heuy chyre, Line 32 And a-non as sche was borne Sche be-thowte hyre be-forne, In to Aȝy sche hyr sent, [folio 39b] A messanger forth with hyre went Line 36 To a noryce that was there, And bad hym put yt to hyre to lere,

And toke with hym speyndyne, For to kepe that mayd ȝyngne. Line 40 The noryce hyr kepte fore soth yn dede, And euer cheryste hyre yn hyre nede; Sche waxyd fayere and comly of chere, And of colowre fayer and clere. Line 44 All hyre lovyd yn that cuntre, Both olde and ȝyng þat hyre myth se. Whan sche waxyd more yn age, And had vndyr-standyng and k[n]owlage, Line 48 [Sche toke here to crystys lore], And be-leuyd on hem euer more; Line 50 To the fader and sune and the holy goste, Line 50a That ys kyng and lord of mytys moste, Line 50b That heuyne and erth all wroght, Line 50c To hym sche be-toke all hyr thowght. Line 50d The noryce that keppe hyr fro dysspeyere, Line 51 Had vij chyldryn that wer fayere, And wyll sche kepet hyr chyldryn vij, The viij was Margarete crystes mayd of heuene. Line 54 Talys she gowd will tell Bothe of heuyne and of hell, And how they suffyryd mertyrdhum, Line 59 Both Lawrens and Stevone, Line 60 And wat they xulld haue to þer mede, Line 57 As they deseruyd yn ther dede; Line 58 And of other seyntes many moo, How they syffyryd wyll and woo, And how thye dede ther mertydam take, All for Jesus crystes owyne sake. Line 64 Off many a seynth sche tolde þe lyffe, [folio 40a] Bothe to chyld, man, and wyffe. Whan she was xv ȝere olde Sche wos a fayer mayd and a bold, Line 68 Hyr moder hyr sette for to kepe

In the fyld hyr faderys schepe. Hyr felowys ded hyr be-holde, Whan sche to Jesus preyed wolde, Line 72 How sche hyr preyore be-gane to make Line 72a On to Jesus þat he myth hyr to hym take. Line 72b

Ther wos in that cuntre a kyng, A nobyll man of grete conyng, He wos a prynce of myche myth, Olybryus that knyth hyth. Line 76 All Aȝye, as I ȝow tell, Wos hys owyn to gyue and to sell, Also he serwyd day and nyth Hys falsse goddes, I ȝow be-hyth. Line 80 He serue euer the devyll of helle, And crysten mene he ded qwelle. From Antyoche on to Azey, Be mylys more than fyfty, Line 84 Euer to dysstrow crysten men He ded hys pore euer than; What with warre and with stryffe, He lefte but v. [Ashmole has few, not five.] pepyll a-lyfe. Line 88 Than yt be-fell vp-on a day, As he rode forth on hys wey, He sey þat lovely mayden clene, Kepe chepe vp-on the grene, Line 92 A-non he comandyd a knyth To feche hyr a-non ryth. The knyth wente a-non hyr too, And seyd sche must with hym goo. [folio 40b] Line 96 The mayde þat wos so myld of chyre Answerd hym as ȝe xall here, And seyd sche had no-thyn to do, Owte of hyr grownd with hym to go. Line 100 Sche preyed hym, fore hys curtesye,

To passe hys wey and let hyr a-bye. And schortly hys tale to telle, He wente from þat damselle, Line 104 And cam [MS. has "to cam," cam being interlined in the wrong place.] to Olybryus þe kynge And told hym all þat tydynge, Line 106 That sche wod not hym cum to; [Line 107 in Ashmole rymes with the two preceding lines, and l. 109 a is omitted.] For no thynge that they myth do, But they [schuld] with hyr stryffe, And hyr thr[e]te vp-on hyr lyue. Line 109a To Jesus cryste gan sche calle, Line 110 That suffyrd deth for vs alle, That he wold hyr defend, Fro thow men that wer hynd, Line 113 And be-sowth hym of hys grace, Hyr to sokyr yn euery place, And seyd, "lord, for thy love I wyll dey, Line 116 And for-sake all thy werdely cumpany." Line 117 Than spake syr Olybryus On to his men he seyd thus, "Off all the men that I haue here, Line 120 That non of them can bryng hyr nere? And they hyr to me bro[w]th, Full sone I schud schonge hyr thowte; Sche schud op-on my goddys be-lewe, Line 124 Or ellys I schuld hyr full sore greve." Line 125 They went a-ȝen to that mayde, And on to hyr thus they seyd, "Thow muste cume a-non with vs Line 128 On to owre kynge syre Olybryus, [folio 41a] But thow cume with-owte stryffe Line 130 We schall rew [I.e. reeve.] the of þi lyffe."

Wyth them sche went, meke and styll, On to the kyng a-ȝens hyre wyll, And full fayere sche gan hym grete. Line 134 He askyd hyre name, and sche seyd, "Margarete." He seyd, "yff thow be boryn fre, For-soth my leman thow xall be, I wyll haue the to my wyffe, Line 138 To leue yn joy all thy lyffe, Goolde and reches I wyll þe ȝyffe, All the wyll that thow may leve." Sche seyd to hym a-non than, Line 142 "I wyll haue non erdely man, But for the love of Cryst alone, I wyll be baptysyd yn a fonte stone; For sothe I wyll hym neuer foresake, Line 146 For non erdyly man to take." Than a-non to hyre he seyd, "We ded Jesus Cryst to deth, And ded hym streyn vp on þe rode, Line 150 Tyll he swete watyr and blode, And crownnyd hym with a crown of thorne; [MS. has throne.] Yf thow leve on hym thow arte for-lorne." To hym sche seyd a-non ryth, Line 154 "Syre, he ys a lord of myth, And deyed on crosse for all man-kynd, For that we schull haue hym yn mynde. He rosse from deth and to helle wente Line 158 The fyndys powre for to schente, And many sowllys he fete owte there, That long yn peynys were." To stryve with hyre he fond no bote, Line 162 But dede hyre bynddyn hand and ffote. And keste hyre yn presun strong, [folio 41b] For to ouer-cume hyre with worng.

Mayd Margarete all that nyth Line 166 In presun lay with mych on-ryth, And on the mowrow whan yt was day, They sente for hyr, the sothe to sey. They browte hyre be-forn Olybryus, Line 170 And sone to hyre he seyd thus: "Margarete, be-leve vp-on my lore, [MS., "lord."] Or I chall the grewe full sore, Thy goddys that þou dost on be-leve, Line 174 Schall not saue thee [MS., "me."] from my greve. Trow on me and be my wyffe, And leve yn joy all thy lyffe; All Antyoche and all Aȝye, Line 178 Aftyr my deth I geve yt the, Sylke and goold and purpyll pall, And I the wed, weryt thow xall, Wyll fyrryd with ryche armynge; [I.e. ermine.] Line 182 In all thys warlde ys þer non more fyne; [And with þe beste metys þat is in lond, I schall þe fede, I vnderstond;] And Jesus Cryst pute owte of þi thowte." Line 186 "Nay," sche seyd, "thyt wyll I nowth. Jesus wyll I neuer for-sake, Fro all that ys yn erth to take." Olybryus seyd, "yt schuld be sene full sone, Line 190 Wat thy goddys wyll fore the done." He bad hys servanttys, as I vndyr-stond, Take and bete hyre, fote and honde. [The sergeantys dyde as he heme bade, Line 194 They turment hyre as þei were made; They bete hyre with scow(r)gys stronge, And turment hyre with grete wronge]; They bete hyre, both man and wyffe, Line 198 And faste with hyre they gan stryve,

Tyll the redde bloode fell downe, To the fote from the crowne, Tyll they wente sche had be dede, Line 202 So faste on hyr they had leyde. Than seyd Olybrys, ther he stode, [folio 42a] "Margarete, thynkys thow thys good, Be-leve on my lord and be my wyffe, Line 206 And I wyll no more with the stryffe. Haue mercy of thy fayere fleysse, And on thy skyne that ys so nesse." To Jesus cryst sche cryed than, Line 210 That deyd fore the love of man, That of a vyrgyne wos borne, For man-kynd schull note be fore-lorn,— "Thys peynys that I suffur and yn swy[n]ke Line 214 Be full swete to me, as me thynke, All the peynys that I here dryve Be swetter to me than ony thyng a-lyve." Olybryus seyd to hys servantys thoo, Line 218 "Sche gyffe no-thyng of all thys woo, For all the peynys that I hyr gyffe Sche woll not on owre goddys be-leve." He bad hys servantys euery-chone, Line 222 That they xuld turment hyre a-non. The servantes ded as he them bad, Lytyll mercy on hyre they hade, With there naylys they gan hyre fleysse draw, Line 226 Lyke as howndys had hyre knaw. Also hyre eyne that wer so bryth, They put them owte and marryd hyre syth, They ded hyre myche peyn and woo; Line 230 They ded reue the skyn frome þe fleysse soo, Many of the pepyll that were there, In ther hartys were full sore, And seyd to hyr standyn there, Line 234

Line 234 Whan they sey hyre so sore tere, And seyd, "fayre mayd Margarete, That arte so fayre and so swete, [folio 42b] Turne to hym and be hys wyffe, Line 238 And no more with hym stryffe. Mayd Margarete, fore the woo haue care, And woll that þou sauyd were." "Aftyr ȝou," [MS. has the.] sche seyd, "I [MS. has sche.] wyll not doo, Line 242 But goo ȝowre wey me froo, All thoo þat for me do now repente, And se me haue thys turment, As thynkyd bothe good and ylle, Line 246 They schall be qwyttyd aftyr ther wyll, The angell of Cryste cumme me too, As faste as he myth cumme and goo."

Than be-spake syre Olybryus, Line 250 With wylde wordys seyd thus, "Margarete, I haue [s]weche poste, That blynd I haue mad the all moste, For be-fore thow haddys thy syte, Line 254 Now þou haste non throw my myth. Trow on my god, thow mayde," "Nay, for-soth syr," sche seyd, "For thy goddys þat thow be-levys on, Line 258 They arn dom as ony ston, My lord to me ys full kynd, He schall neuer owte of my mynd. Yff thow haue pore of my fleysse Line 262 To do þi wyll, both arde and neysse, To reue the skyne from the bon, Powre of my sowll gettys thow non." To hyr a-non than he seyd, Line 266 [In depe prisone þou schall be leyd] [The Brome has, l. 267, erroneously, "We pute Jesus Cryst to death."]

And yn presune thy body schall ly, Thy fayre fleysse for to dystroy, Than thow schall be bowndyne, fote and hand, Line 270 With bondys of yryn grete and strong." [folio 43a] "Jesus cryst," sche sayd hym tyll, "He may delyuer me whan he wyll." Fast yn presun they gan hyre done, Line 274 The Angell cume to hyre full soune, Be the grace of god all-myth, As the sune schynyt bryth: With parte of the crosse god was on done, Line 278 To that vyrgyn he camme full sone, And seyd to hyr with myld steuyn, "Blyssyd thow arte, with all that ys yn heuyne! The fadyr, þe sune, and the holy goste, Line 282 Lord and kyng of mytys moste, Thys croce to the hath seynte, Thy enmyse there with to defend." Sche seyd, "lord, blyssyd thow be! Line 286 That thys gyfte haste sente to me, All-mythy god, I the prey, A bone thow graunte me to-day, That I may with syth them see, Line 290 What they be thus turment me." The Angell bad hyre dowth notte, For to heuyne sche schull be browth, "Thar was no tunge that tell myth Line 294 Off joy þat wos made of the to nyth, Off all the meledy that ys yn heuyne, The, Margarete, for to wyffyne." [This word is "neuyne," i.e. to name, call, in Ashmole.] And be the grace of god all-myth, Line 298 Ther anon sche had hyre syth. The holy Angell passyd hyre fro, Off hym sche sey non moo,

Sche lokyd hyre a lytyll be-syde, Line 302 And sey a fowll dragun by hyre glyde, That of colowre as gres grene, With fyre flamynge, full to sene, [folio 43b] Owte of hys mowth brenynge bryth. Line 306 Sche was a-ferd of that syth; Sche fell downe on to the grownd, For fere tryndylld yn that stownd. He toke hyre yn hys mowth a-non, Line 310 And swalowd hyr vp body and bon; And whan he had so hyr doo, Ther he myth no ferder goo, But to-broste vp-on the grownd, Line 314 The mayde came owte saffe and sownd! And as yt was, be crystys wyll, With-yn hym sche had non ylle. But vp on the dragone sche stod, Line 318 With glad chyre and mylde mode, And thankyd Jesus of his myth, That sche had ouer-cume that fowll wyth. Sche vnder-stode wyll that yt was Line 322 Throw the vertu of the holy crosse, That fowll Dragun was slayne there, Throw goddys myth and hyre preyore. A-non sche wente the dragone fro, Line 326 And sey a-nother cume hyre too, A gresly syth fore-soth was he, So fowlle a beste myth neuer man se. To hym sche wente, I vnder stond, Line 330 With the holy crosce yn hyr honde, And smote hym so vpon the fynnys, That he myth a-byde hyr dynnys. She streyffe with hym so long, Line 334 That throw crystys myth so strong, Down to the grownd sche hym keste,

And with hyr wympyll bownd hym faste. In hys neke sche sete hyre foote, Line 338 To stryve with hyre he fond non bote, To hym sche seyd, "I cvnger the [folio 44a] That wat thow arte thow tell me, For thow arte so lothely a thyng, Line 342 Wat thow arte I wyll haue wetyng, For beste sey I neuer non So lothely for to loke vp-on." He seyd, "for thy lordys sake, Line 346 Fro my neke thy foote thow take, I haue gonne wyd be watyr and be lond, Ȝyte wos I neuer so sore bownd; My rythe name hyth Belgys, Line 350 For to lye non a-vayle ys, My broder hyth Resun that þou slew, In the warld we ded sorow i-now. Brostyn and ded ys my broder, Line 354 And thow haste ouer-cume me, I sey no nother. Whan we wer both to-geder We made the sone to sle the fader, We stroyed the pepyll day and nyth, Line 358 And ded all the sorow that we myth. In a Dragonys wyce we wer sent to the, To spylle thy wyt and make þe wod to be. The kynge Syr Olybryus Line 362 In thys lekenes sente to þe vs For to stroye thy fayre body With hys crafte of negramency." . . . . .