Sammlung altenglischer legenden, grösstentheils zum ersten male hrsg. von C. Horstmann.

Oratio ad Erasmum.

Seynt Erasmus, thu holi bisshopp And goddes owne martir, as we tristly hopp: Line 100 As thu on þe sonday offred vp thi good For þe loue of oure lord þat dyed on þe rood, And as þ^u on þe sonday suffrest þi disese For oure lordes loue, whom þ^u woldest plese: Thu receyue oure prayer and oure offryng Line 105 To the worship of god & his plesyng, And saue vs alle from al maner payne, Yf it be goddes wille and also thyne, And saue vs alle fro hem þat ben oure foone, Both bodely and gostly þat vs disese none, Line 110 And thurgh þe mercy of god & also þi mede Graunte vs repentance for oure mysdede,

And houslyf to our gostly helthe, or we hens wende, And þe sacrament of anoyntyng at our last ende! When we be ded & in peyn for synne, Line 115 In þe fire of purgatorie, when we be there ynne: Help vs in that woo, be it more or lesse, þat we may come to ioye aboue þer al|way is blisse! ALmyghti god in Trinite, One in godhed & persones thre, Line 120 Fader and sone and holy gost, That art lord of myghtes most: We pray the, lord, that thu here vs For þe loue of synt Erasmus! Whos good werkes & good lyvyng Line 125 Vnto the, lord, was ful plesyng: Worshipp to the he dede alway, But pryncipally on the sonday, With mattynes, masse and orisone And other workes of deuocione. Line 130 On þe sonday euermore thus wold he wirke: He taught the peple, prechyng in the kyrke, And on the sonday he yeaue his good To the pore peple for here bodely food — Thus he fed hem with goddis worde, Line 135 (&)settyng hym honestly at his owne borde; [& fehlt. hym = hem.] And in the sonday he fond gret light Brennyng in þe churche faire & bright In worship & honour of god in Trinite And of the seyntes that in heuen be. Line 140 And on the sonday, lord, for thi loue He suffred shame and gret reproue For many yeris, as many men say; He had gret turmentry on the sonday: On the sonday ful evel he was arayd Line 145 Thurgh II tyrantes, aforne as y sayd, And thus on the sonday ful paciently He suffred most part of his turmentry, And on the sonday forsoth he was slayne For the loue of god, this is certayne, Line 150 And on the sonday he went to blisse — God bryng vs theder, whan his wille ys. GOd, þat of thi goodnes & of þi gret grace Yeaue to this holiman wil, tyme and space To suffre gret peyne, his pacience to prove, Line 155 Lord, to thi plesaunce & to his behove, Thurgh thyn ordynance dedest make his ende, Fro this worldes woo to blisse þ^u dedest hym wende: Thus, goodnes of god, graunte vs kepe oure wayes To worshipe god euer kepyng his holy dayes, Line 160 And namely þe sonday to halwe so holy As dud this holyman lyvyng here bodely: To folwe his techyng & prechyng in good wise, With deuote prayers heryng dew seruise, And other good dedes as dud this holi man, Line 165 Euery man in his degre as he may & can; To worshipe þe, god, as this goodman dede, With loue & parfite charite, as oure bokes bidde, And so to suffre here both wele & woo In this wrecched world, or we hens go: Line 170 To which ioy and blisse, good god, bryng vs Thurgh help of þis holy man seynt Eras|mus!

AMEN!

Non noceat facinus: mihi, me iuuet almus Erasmus. O sacer Erasme,: meritis precibusque re|gas me!

Explicit.