Altenglische legenden.

                                
                                  And was in perell for to drowne —
                                
                                  Sen þe fyrste daye þat he was borne,
                                
                                  Was he neuer swa ferde byforne!
                                
                                  Þe water bygane to bolne & rowte
                                  Line 370 
                                
                                  And ofte-tyms hym turnede abowte; [Ms. tyms = tymms, oder tymes?] 
                                
                                  So þat vnnethes, als he vndirstode,
                                
                                  Passede he qwykke ouer þat flode.
                                
                                  And whene (he) come to þat water bryme, [he fehlt im Ms.] 
                                
                                  He sett hym downe, and lukede one hym
                                  Line 375 
                                
                                  With a wondir angry chere.
                                
                                  "Childe, he sayde, what dose þou here?
                                
                                  Tell me tytt þe trewe tale
                                
                                  Wheyne þou come & whedir þou salle!
                                
                                  For, als euer moghte I the,
                                  Line 380 
                                
                                  Dere hafe I boghte þe lufe of the.
                                
                                  And maste I mervayle me of a thynge:
                                
                                  Þat þou, þat arte so littill & so ȝynge,
                                
                                  How þou may be so heuy of wheghte.
                                
                                  Resone of this wolde I wete reghte,
                                  Line 385 
                                
                                  Þat arte wele hevyere, by my hede!
                                
                                  Þane a hundrethe stane of lede;
                                
                                  For, had all þis werlde bene in a sekke
                                
                                  And laide one lofte appone my nekke,
                                
                                  Hevyere myghte I noghte hafe borne,
                                  Line 390 
                                
                                  If I solde hafe bene dede þer-forne."
                                
                                  Than ansuerde þat littill childe,
                                
                                  With wordis þat were meke & mylde:
                                
                                  "Thou sall wele wiete withowtten faile
                                
                                  Þat of my weghte es no mervaile:
                                
                                  For þou hase borne, þe sothe to ne|uene,
                                  Line 395 
                                
                                  Þat hevyere es þane erth & heuene,
                                
                                  For I ame makere of alkyns thynge
                                
                                  And god withowttene any bygynnynge;
                                
                                  Of þis thynge mervaile þe noghte:
                                  Line 400 
                                
                                  Thou hase hym borne þat hase þe boghte.
                                
                                  And trowe me wele withowttene drede,
                                
                                  I sall þe qwyte full wele thi mede.
                                
                                  Turmentys sall þou many ane take
                                
                                  And sythene be martirde for my sake;
                                  Line 405 
                                
                                  Take þame gladly & with gude chere,
                                
                                  For þou sall be my derlynge dere;
                                
                                  Owt of þis werlde whene (þou) sall wende, [þou fehlt im Ms.] 
                                
                                  I hete þe Joyes withowttene ende.
                                
                                  And with þe water of þe see
                                  Line 410 
                                
                                  In my name I crystyne the;
                                
                                  Cristofere in Criste I calle þe here,
                                
                                  In my name, by thryne manere.
                                
                                  Firste I will þou bere my name
                                
                                  And suffere for me mekyll schame —
                                  Line 415 
                                
                                  And whate mene sayse or dose þe till,
                                
                                  Suffir it with a hertly will!
                                
                                  Þat oþer poynte þat es þe nexte,
                                
                                  I will þou bere me in thi breste,
                                
                                  Als þou me on thi schuldir bare;
                                  Line 420 
                                
                                  This es þe seconnd poynte of lare — [l. secound?] 
                                
                                  And trowe wele þat I am godd & kynge
                                
                                  And souerayne lorde of alle thynge.
                                
                                  The thirde poynte es, I will þou gaa
                                
                                  Thorghe alle this lande bothe to & fra
                                  Line 425 
                                
                                  And preche my lawe with mekill honoure,
                                
                                  To duke & kynge and emperour.
                                
                                  And if þay saye þou arte noghte trewe,
                                
                                  This verraye takynnyng þou schall þame schewe:
                                
                                  Thi staffe þat þou hase in thi hande,
                                  Line 430 
                                
                                  With þe whilke þou bare me to þe lande,
                                
                                  Vnto þe erthe þou late it falle
                                
                                  And stryke it downe byfore þame alle [folio 126] 
                                
                                  And praye to me! it maye be sene:
                                
                                  If it bere fruyte & leues grene,
                                  Line 435 
                                
                                  That als trewe & sothe it es
                                
                                  Þat I am god of heuenes blysse.
                                
                                  For-thi to morne whene it es daye,
                                
                                  Thou tak þi staffe & wend thi waye,
                                
                                  Thorowte þis lande þat es sa wyde,
                                  Line 440 
                                
                                  To townnes & cetees on ylka syde!
                                
                                  Byfore kyngges whene þou arte broghte,
                                
                                  What þou sall say ne drede þe noghte:
                                
                                  For in thi tonge I sall be ay
                                
                                  And teche þe alle þat þou sall saye.
                                  Line 445 
                                
                                  Dispytously þay sall þe smytte
                                
                                  And spitt one the in gret dispite,
                                
                                  Many turmentis sall þou take;
                                
                                  Bot thole þam mekly for my sake!
                                
                                  For after þame I sall þe brynge
                                  Line 450 
                                
                                  To Joy & blysse withowttene endynge.
                                
                                  Hafe gud day, Cristofire, & thynk on me!
                                
                                  My blyssynge mot euer with þe be."
                                
                                  Whene he had said, he steghe til heuene,

About this Item

Title: Altenglische legenden.
Author: Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 459
Publication: Heilbronn,: Gebr. Henninger,; 1881.
Subject terms: Saints -- Legends; English poetry; Legends

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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/afw1383.0001.001/631:4

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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 22, 2025.

Altenglische legenden.

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