Altenglische legenden.

                                
                                  "We come in message fro þe kynge
                                  Line 630 
                                
                                  Vntill his presence the to brynge.
                                
                                  Bot we sall gyffe þe leue Iwysse
                                
                                  To wende whare þat þi will is;
                                
                                  And to þe kynge sall we saye
                                
                                  That we þe fande noghte in our waye."
                                  Line 635 
                                
                                  "Naye, said Cristofere, þat ware no skill,
                                
                                  Þane wroghte ȝe noghte þe kynges will.
                                
                                  Bot I will say ȝow verrayment:
                                
                                  Bot if it be by myne assent,
                                
                                  Ȝe hafe no power ne no myghte
                                  Line 640 
                                
                                  To brynge me to þe kynges syghte.
                                
                                  Bot ȝe sall take a stalworthe baste
                                
                                  And bynde my handes byhynd me faste;
                                
                                  And, wheþer it torne to wele or waa,
                                
                                  Gladly will I with ȝow gaa."
                                  Line 645 
                                
                                  With stalworthe rapes gane þay bynde
                                
                                  His handis bakewarde hym byhynde;
                                
                                  Þay ledde hym forthe on þat arraye
                                
                                  Tyll þay come þare þe kynge laye.
                                
                                  Whene þe kynge hade of hym syghte,
                                  Line 650 
                                
                                  In his chayere he welte vp ryghte.
                                
                                  And whene þay had lyfte hym vp agayne,
                                
                                  Thane of Cristofer gane he frayne
                                
                                  Whethyne he was and of whate con|tree:
                                
                                  "Hafe done, he saide, & telle þou me!"
                                  Line 655 
                                
                                  Cristofere with full blythe chere
                                
                                  Ansuerde hym on this manere:
                                
                                  "Byfore my baptyme was I thane
                                
                                  A saraȝene & a cursede mane,
                                
                                  And sen my baptyme hafe I bene
                                  Line 660 
                                
                                  A crystyne mane, als þou may sene;
                                
                                  Cristofere I hate, in Cristis name —
                                
                                  He will me schelde fro syne & schame."
                                
                                  Than said þe kynge: "so mot I thryue,
                                
                                  I sall þe proue a fole belyue
                                  Line 665 
                                
                                  For to neuene hym in þis stede
                                
                                  Þat myne eldirs did to dede
                                
                                  And sloughe hym on a gebete-tre —
                                
                                  A fote fro þam he moughte not flee.
                                
                                  For-thi I say þe on this wyese:
                                  Line 670 
                                
                                  Bot þat þou make sacrafice
                                
                                  Vnto my goddis, þat all may welde,
                                
                                  Þou sall be dede appone a felde."
                                
                                  Cristofere sone hym ansuerde þus:
                                
                                  "Full righte thi name es called Dagius:
                                  Line 675 
                                
                                  Þat es þus mekill for to saye
                                
                                  Þou arte bothe cursed & waried for ay,
                                
                                  & felawe vnto þe false fende
                                
                                  & dampned till helle withowttyne ende.
                                
                                  For alle þi goddis are fekill & false,
                                  Line 680 
                                
                                  And so, for sothe, arte þou als."
                                
                                  Þe kynge bygane to styrte & stare
                                
                                  & couthe (!) & rowte als he wode ware. [couthe scheint verschrieben (st. coupe caupe?).] 
                                
                                  "Fy appone þe, þou boye so bolde!
                                
                                  Appone my goddis þou lyes, þou le|wede —
                                  Line 685 
                                
                                  Þat sall þou appone thi body bye;
                                
                                  Thow fals rebawde, I þe defye.
                                
                                  Myne knyghttes thorowe þi wichecrafte
                                
                                  Fra my lay þou hase þame rafte."
                                
                                  Euer-ilkane he garte þame take
                                  Line 690 
                                
                                  And bynd þame faste, for Cristes sake,
                                
                                  And In a felde for grete dispite
                                
                                  Alle þaire hedis he garte of smyte;
                                
                                  Þaire bodyes he garte leue in þe felde,
                                
                                  Wylde wolues for to hafe in welde.
                                  Line 695 
                                
                                  & Cristofere after all þis full sone
                                
                                  In a presone he garte be done,
                                
                                  Withowttene owþer drynke or mete,
                                
                                  In stokkes styffe & fetters grete;
                                
                                  Mekill stynke was þer, I wene,
                                  Line 700 
                                
                                  Tadis & neddirs & scorpyons kene.
                                
                                  Þane keste þe kynge a cursed gynne,
                                
                                  To gare hym falle in dedly syne:
                                
                                  He tuke twa maydyns bryghte of blee,
                                
                                  Þe fayreste þat was in þat contree,
                                  Line 705 
                                
                                  And put þame to hym preualy,
                                
                                  To gare hym falle in lechorye;
                                
                                  Bot Criste, þat maste of myghtes may,
                                
                                  Saued hym in þat harde assaye.
                                
                                  Als he prayede in þat presone syde,
                                  Line 710 
                                
                                  Þay haylsede hym with mekyll pride
                                
                                  And bade hym fele þaire pappis bare
                                
                                  And wyrke what euer his will ware;
                                
                                  Þe tane of þame highte Nicia,
                                
                                  & þe toþer highte Aquilina.
                                  Line 715 
                                
                                  Cristofere saide: "benedicite;
                                
                                  Whate do ȝe here, & what are ȝe?"

About this Item

Title: Altenglische legenden.
Author: Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 462
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/afw1383.0001.001/634:4

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

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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 23, 2025.

Altenglische legenden.

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