Nachträge zu den legenden / [ed. C. Horstmann].

IV. Erasmus.

Aus Ms. Cbr. Dd. I, 1, fol. 295 (c. 1370).

Von der in der "Sammlung altengl. Leg." Heilbronn 1878, p. 198 ff. aus Ms. Harl. 2382 (u. Ms. Bedford) veröffentlichten Legende von Erasmus habe ich nachträglich noch ein weiteres Ms.: Cbr. Dd. I, 1 gefunden, wel∣ches, da es nicht wenig älter ist (c. 1370) als Harl., und häufig den besseren Text bietet, hier ganz folgt, obwohl es nicht das Original ist; Ms. Bedford steht dieser Hs. näher als Harl. Ms. Dd I, 1 enthält die in einen südlicheren Dialect umschriebene nördliche Homiliensammlung (Grund∣lage des Ms. Vernon), dann, nach Erasmus, ein Gedicht auf die Fastenzeit (Anf.: Lenten is an holy tyme, In which folk wile hem schryue Of alle þe synnes þat þei han don Before tyme in hire lyue), dann ein Gedicht betitelt: A good lesson of IX vertewis in 256 V., welches schildert, wie im Jahre 1345 in einer Vision Christus einen frommen Mann über neun wichtige Tugenden belehrt (Anf.: Alle þat loue to here þis lessoun—Crist graunt hem his benisoun.—þat ȝere of oure lord a þousand—CCC & XLV as I vnder∣stand—A good trewe man mad his preyere—Vnto oure lord god on þis manere.); endlich ein Gedicht über das jüngste Gericht, Busse und Beichte in 216 V., mit dem Motto: O Iudex vi feruida hanc servabis artem—Acu

tinali merida (=〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) i.e. audi alteram partem, (Anf.: And þerfor ȝe lordingis þat louedays wile holde—Loke ȝe here boþe partyes & who haþ ryght or wrong—And to confound al falsnes be ȝe brim & bolde—& to mayntene rightwisnes make ȝou stif & strong); letzteres Gedicht ist in denselben wechselnden Versmassen geschrieben und daher wohl dem∣selben Verfasser zuzutheilen als Erasmus, dessen Abfassungszeit um die Mitte des 14. Jahrhunderts anzunehmen ist.

Hinter t und g stehendes Häkchen ist durch e aufgelöst; obengeschriebenes e in þ^e u. a. cursiv gesetzt.

Ne noceat spasmus michi. me iuuet almus Erasmus: O sacer Erasme, meritis precibusque regas me. Amen.

Alle cristen folk, ȝe listen & lere of an holy buschop & a martere, whos name is clepid seynte Erasmus, as þe boke seyth & trewe men tel∣len vs. Of þis holy man here may men rede, [ 5] whate merite þei may han & whate mede þat wile worschipe god & him de∣nowteli eueri sonday wiþ III thingis principali. and þese III ben þei, as ȝe schal here: wiþ a deuoute pater noster or oþer preyere, [ 10] & wiþ sum almes - dede, lesse or more, of mete or of money ȝouen to þe pore, & wiþ sum candil-light mor or lesse Brennynge ate euensonge, matyns, or messe. he þat doþ these III thingis for his sake, [ 15] þese rewardis folowing schal he take: On is þis: þat he schal han to his lyuynge a resonable fode vn-to his laste end∣ynge; anoþer is þis: þat alle his fone Dissese to him schul þei don none, [ 20] if his cause be trewe—þis is certan, þorw preyere & help of þis holi man, & whate þat he askiþ resonabli God wile graunte ite him of his mercy; anoþer is þis—þat him schal plese: [ 25] he schal ben vnbounden of al disese; anoþer is þis, as þe boke seyth: he schal deyen in righte beleue & feyth, and, or þe soule fro þe body twynne, he schal han sorow & schrifte of his synne [ 30] and he schal receyue, or he be deed, Cristis owne bodi in forme of breed & he schal receyue aforn his endynge þe holi sacramente of anoyntynge: & so rather come to þat ioye & þat blys [ 35] In þe which þis holy man euere-mor is, þat is þe blisse of heuene þat neuere schal han ende— God ȝeue vs alle grace þedir to wende.

amen.

SIres, ȝe schul vnderstond, as we fynde, þat þis holiman was poneschid & pynde [ 40] In þe cuntre of Champayn, as þe boke telles & as men seyn þat in þat place dwelles. whos day falliþ in somer on þe thrid day Of Juny, þe nexte after May. and on þe sonday he had his moste wo— [ 45] of which I schal tel ȝou somwhate, or I go— vnder II fals tirauntis ful vntruly, þat were fals traytouris to god al∣myghti: þe name of þe firste was Diocliciane, & þe secounde tiraunte highte Maxi∣miane. [ 50] Aforn Dioclician þis buschop was broughte, þat spit on him & spisid & sete him ate noughte, & pute him in prisone & dide him mekil dere & leyd on him yren, als mekil as he mighte bere. & after þat þis traytour dide take him oute, [ 55] & made his bodi nakid & bare al aboute

& to a strong piler he dide him faste bynde & bete him al aboute, beforn & be∣hynde, & of his bare bodi, þat was ful fayr & fresch, wiþ punchouns & pynsouns þei pullid awei þe flesch, [ 60] & buffete him & bete him, as þei had ben wode, vn-til his bare bodi ran al on blode. Bute in þat mene-tyme, as trewe men tel, Dioclician deyde, þat fals was & fel; and after þat schrewe anon com anoþer: [ 65] Maximian, in malice þat was his broþer. which fals schrewe & fel, Maximiane, to þis holi man was bodili bane. for he did ordeyne & fillid a grete furnas wiþ pik & wiþ lede, wiþ brimston & wiþ bras, [ 70] and vnder þat furnas a fire brennynge faste: & þer-in þis holi man anon he did caste, & al his bare bodi þer-in did he baþe— Bute, blissid be god! he had no maner skaþe. And after þat þis fals tiraunte, ful of vnsele, [ 75] toke an heuy haberioun of yren & of stele & leyd ite in þe fyre, til ite was al glowinge, & pute ite on þis holi man nakid stondinge— Bute þorw goddis grace he felte no mor smerte þan doþ a man or a woman of a softe scherte. [ 80] þan was þis tiraunte as wood as an hare, for he coude no crafte to bringe þis man to care. Afterward a newe gette þis tiraunte did aray: on II stronge tristelis a longe bord did he lay & þis holi man he did bynde on þat bord, [ 85] and to his turmentouris þis was his word: "Kute ȝe wiþ a knyf his bodi al aboute, þat alle his guttis anon may come oute, and wynde hem vp after on a longe spite: & lete him þan afterward don his profite!" [ 90] & as þis tiraunt bad, anon ite was done of his fals turmentoures sodeynli & sone. & þer þis holi man wiþ-in a schort spas he ȝeldid his gost, as goddis wil it was. fro þe wo of þis world þus dide he wende [ 95] to þe ioye & blisse þat neuere schal han ende. God of his goodnes & of his grete gras þorw help of þis holi man bring vs to þat plas.

amen.

SEynte Erasmus, þou holi Buschope & goddis meke martir, as we hope: [ 100] as þou on þe sunday offrid vp þi gode for þe loue of oure lord þat deyde on þe rode, & as þou on þe sunday suffrid dissese for goddis loue, whom þou wold plese: þou receyue oure preyere & oure of∣feringe [ 105] to þe worschip of god & to his ples∣inge: & saue vs fro al dissese & pyne, if ite so be þat ite be goddis wil & thyne, & saue vs fro oure enemyes & oure fone, boþe bodily & gostely, euerichone, [ 110] & þorw þe mercy of god & þi mede Graunte vs repentaunce for oure mys∣dede, & hosil & schrifte, or we hens wende, & þe sacramente of anoyntinge ate oure laste ende; & whan we ben dede & poneschid for oure synne [ 115] in þe peyne of purgatori þat we schul ben inne, þou bringe vs fro þat wo, be ite mor or mynne, to þe blisse of heuene, þat neuere schal blynne!

Almyghti gode, god in trenyte, in godhed on, in personis thre, [ 120] þe fader & þe sone & holi goste, o lord & kinge of eueri coste: we prey the, lord, þat þou here vs for þe loue þat þou haste to seynte Erasmus:

whos grete loue & good lyuynge [ 125] vn-to the, lord, was ful plesinge: wurschipe to the he dide alway, bute principali on þe sunday: wiþ matyns & messe & gode orisouns & oþer dedis þat he dide & deuo∣ciouns. [ 130] On þe sunday þus wold he wirk, & he wold teche þe pepil in holi kirke, & on þe sunday he ȝaf mekil gode to þe pore pepil for hire fleschli fode: þan fedde he folk gostli wiþ goddis word [ 135] & pore folk bodili at his owne bord. & on þe sunday he fond fayr lighte brennyng in holi kirke fayre & bright In worschipe & honour of þe holi trenyte & of alle þe seyntes þat in he∣ueue be. [ 140] and on þe sonday, lord, for þi loue he suffrid moche peyne & reproue for many ȝeris to-gedir as men say; he had grete turmentrye on þe sunday: he was on þe sunday ful reweli arayd [ 145] þorw II fals tirauntis, as ite is aforn sayd; þus on þe sunday ful pacientli he suffrid moste parte of his turmentri, & on þe sunday ate þe laste was he slayn for þe loue of oure lord, þis is cer∣tayn, [ 150] & þus on þe sunday he wente vnto blys— God bringe vs thedir, whan his wil is.

amen.

God, þat of þi goodnes & of þi grace ȝaf þis goodman wil, tyme & space to suffre hard peyne, his paciens to proue, [ 155] lord, to þi plesaunce & to his behoue; * as þou on þe sunday did him make his ende & fro world(l)i wo to blisse dide him wende: þou god, of þi goodnes, þou graunte vs al-ways to hold wol & holi al oure holi days, [ 160] & nameli þe sundays, to hold hem holi as dide þis holi man lyuynge bodili: wiþ prechinge & techinge on good maner wise, & good bedis & besynes in goddis seruise, & oþer good dedis as dide þis holy man, [ 165] eueri-man in his degre, as he beste may & can: to þe worschip of god, as þis good man did, & wiþ loue & charite, as oure bokis bid; & so for to suffer þe wele & þe wo of þis wrecchid werld, or we hens go, [ 170] þat we in tyme comynge mow come to þat blis þat neuere had beginnynge & is en∣deles. to which ioye & blis, good god, bringe vs þorw help of þis holy man, seynte Erasmus.

amen.

Ne noceat spasmus: michi, me iuuet almus Erasmus. O sacer Erasme, meritis precibusque regas me. amen.