Altenglische legenden.

                                
                                  The naturall law was skyll & ryȝht:
                                
                                  To be buxsome to god all-myȝht
                                
                                  That dyde hym þat grete curtasy,
                                  Line 125 
                                
                                  Of paradys gaue hym þe masterry.
                                
                                  A commandment onne hym he leyde
                                
                                  And off all hys frute, he seyde,
                                
                                  "Bot a tre I the forbyde.
                                
                                  Ete þou not þer-of, fore non nede!
                                  Line 130 
                                
                                  Iff þou ete þer-of, I þe sey,
                                
                                  Sone þer-after þou schall dey.
                                
                                  Iff þou my commaundment kepe, in pefe
                                
                                  Than þou schall haue þat ilke grace:
                                
                                  Paradyse & bestys, water & londe
                                  Line 135 
                                
                                  Schall be obedyente to þi honde."
                                
                                  Off all þe blys of paradys
                                
                                  Adam hade seseyne I-wys. [Ms. seseyne = seizin.] 
                                
                                  Alas, sone it was ago
                                
                                  All þe Joy þat he had tho!
                                  Line 140 
                                
                                  Alas þerfore may we synge
                                
                                  And sore wepe & handys wrynge!
                                
                                  Oure herytage we schuld haue,
                                
                                  And we hade not done þat skathe.
                                
                                  The comandment we dyde nouȝht:
                                  Line 145 
                                
                                  Therefore sore it was bouȝht,
                                
                                  And fore þat trespas þat was done
                                
                                  All we wer made thrall full sone.
                                
                                  The naturall & þe posytyfe
                                
                                  Adam breke fore lufe of hys wyfe;
                                  Line 150 
                                
                                  Buxumere he was forto do
                                
                                  The dede þat hys wyfe bad hym do,
                                
                                  Than to god þat hym hade wrouȝht.
                                
                                  Alas, þerfore, what was hys thouȝht!
                                
                                  Than was he oute & hade lorne
                                  Line 155 
                                
                                  The sesyn þat he hade beforne;
                                
                                  Hys herytage was hym benome,
                                
                                  And all theme þat after hym comme,
                                
                                  Oute of Joy in-to grete care
                                
                                  Hys-felue & hys kyne to fare;
                                  Line 160 
                                
                                  With swynke & suete was he bonde —
                                
                                  Where schall any hele be fonde?
                                
                                  Alas þat synne, it was so stronge!
                                
                                  Fore amonge all thinge it spronge:
                                
                                  Both þe sterres, sone, & mone
                                  Line 165 
                                
                                  Off þat synne þei hade to done;
                                
                                  Foulys in þe eyere, bestys in londe,
                                
                                  All þei had þer-of a onde,
                                
                                  Fysschys, erbys, frute and tre,
                                
                                  All þe wers forto be;
                                  Line 170 
                                
                                  Euery thynge, both more & les,
                                
                                  Fore þat synne lest there godnes. —
                                
                                  Adam fore hys defaute I-wys
                                
                                  Lost hys herytage, & all hys;
                                
                                  Fore synne(e) is non oþer thynge
                                  Line 175 
                                
                                  Before defaute of wele doynge. [Ms. Bo for st. before od. st. bot?] 
                                
                                  Fore defaute he leste þe Joys suete,
                                
                                  And þat was skyll: so do mene ȝete:
                                
                                  Fore defaute euery wyght
                                
                                  Hys herytage may lese ryȝht;
                                  Line 180 
                                
                                  At kyngys courte, in euery londe,
                                
                                  Ȝit men haue sych lawys fonde.
                                
                                  Fore defaute Adam les
                                
                                  That he myȝht haue leuyd in pes.
                                
                                  Alas, þat was grete pyte!
                                  Line 185 
                                
                                  Now be we thrall þat are wer fre. —
                                
                                  Thrall he is þat to hym longys
                                
                                  What seruys he vnderfongys. [l. whas st. what?] 
                                
                                  He þat is so thrall become,
                                
                                  Hys powere is hym benome.
                                  Line 190 
                                
                                  When he seruys in seruage,
                                
                                  He hade no franches of herytage: [Ms. hade st. has.] 
                                
                                  Than when he is all thrall become,
                                
                                  His fre herytage is hym benome.
                                
                                  He may not pleyne in non wys
                                  Line 195 
                                
                                  With whome he is in sych seruys:
                                
                                  He ne schuld no-thynge be herde,
                                
                                  His wordys be all in sperd(!). [l. misferd?] 
                                
                                  His herytage if he wyll wynne,
                                
                                  He behouys to do anoþer thynge:
                                  Line 200 
                                
                                  He muste seke if he may fynd
                                
                                  A man þat borne is of fre kynd,
                                
                                  And þat he be of ryȝht lynage,
                                
                                  Forto clame his herytage,
                                
                                  And þat he may well & wele canne,
                                  Line 205 
                                
                                  And þat he be a gode fre mane,
                                
                                  That he not of þat appull ete
                                
                                  That Adame thouȝt fyrst so suete.
                                
                                  He behoueth to be with-outyne synne
                                
                                  And all oure lawys hym with-Ine: [Ms. law ys.] 
                                  Line 210 
                                
                                  The II lawys of paradys sykerly,
                                
                                  And þat of þe mounte of Synay

About this Item

Title: Altenglische legenden.
Author: Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 351
Publication: Heilbronn,: Gebr. Henninger,; 1881.
Subject terms: Saints -- Legends; English poetry; Legends

Technical Details

Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afw1383.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/afw1383.0001.001/522:4

Rights and Permissions

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

IIIF

Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:afw1383.0001.001

Cite this Item

Full citation: "Altenglische legenden." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afw1383.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 23, 2025.

Altenglische legenden.

Annotations Tools

Actions

About this Item

Technical Details

Rights and Permissions

Related Links

IIIF

Cite this Item