The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].
DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States
We rede in þe 'Life of Secundus Philosophus,' how þat on̛ a tyme when̛ he was a child̛ and went vnto þe skule, and hard̛ teƚƚ þat evur-ilk womman̛ was incontynent, when̛ he was perfite in
philosophye he went home in-to his awn̛ contre like as he had bene a pylgrem̛, with a skrypp̛ & a staff. And his hare of his head̛ & his berd̛ war growen̛ long. So he was hostid̛ in his moder hows, and nowder sho nor none of þe howshold̛ kend̛ hym̛. And he thoght he wolde prufe if it wer trew þat was sayd̛ of wommen̛, and he hight one of þe maydens x nobles to make hym̛ to lye be his moder. And sho grawntyd̛ vnto hym̛ & his moder bothe. So at evyn̛ he was broght in, and þai went to bed samen. And sho trowid̛ he sulde [hafe] [MS. he.] had at do with hur, and when̛ þai war in bed̛ he halsid̛ hur in his armys as a chylde sulde do þe moder, & lay styƚƚ & his breste vnto hurs aƚƚ þe nyght & slepid̛. And when̛ it was morn̛ he rase, and his moder sayd̛ vnto hym̛; "Wharto haste þou þus attempid̛ me?" And he ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & sayde; "Nay, moder! It is not wurthi to me to fyle þat vesseƚƚ at I come oute off, ffor I am̛ Secundus, þi son̛." And when̛ sho hard̛ þis, sho was so confusid̛ at sho mot not suffre it, bod feƚƚ in a deade swownyng & spak neuer wurd̛ after. So þis Secundus, when̛ he saw sho was dead̛, he vnderstude þat his wurdis was cauce þeroff, and he kepid̛ sylens & wolde not speke. So on̛ a tyme after-ward̛, hym̛ happend̛ sodanlie to mete þe emperour and he hailsid̛ hym̛, & he wold̛ not speke agayn̛. So þe emperour commawndid̛ becauce he wold̛ not speke, at his hede sulde be smyten̛ of, and delyuerd̛ hym̛ vnto a man̛-wheller, and commandid̛ hym̛ to labur hym̛ be þe way to luke if he cuthe gar hym̛ speke. And if he spak, he bad hym̛ smyte of his head̛, & if he wolde not speke, he bad̛ hym̛ latt hym̛ goo. And þis man̛-wheller said̛ vnto hym̛ as he went; "O, þou Secundus! Whi wiƚƚ þou dye? Speke, and þou mon̛ liff." So he sett noght be his lyfe, bod bade vppon̛ his dead̛ and layd̛ hym̛ down̛ & putt furtℏ his nekk̘, redie to be hedid̛. And þis done, þe manwheller broght hym̛ agayn̛ vnto þe emperour, and tolde hym̛ how þat, vnto dye þerfor̛, he wold̛ nevur speke wurd̛.