Altenglische legenden ...

                                
                                  And of þam þat had him acused
                                
                                  All þaire counsaile he refused,
                                
                                  And said: omys þai gun þam mell
                                  Line 205 
                                
                                  Of his trew knyght swilk tales to tell.
                                
                                  þan was þe knyght in daynte more
                                
                                  & ner frende þan he was bi fore.
                                
                                  Of þis knyght now lat we be,
                                
                                  & to þe kyng son will we se,
                                  Line 210 
                                
                                  þat in likyng his life gun lede,
                                
                                  Vnto he was past his barnhede.
                                
                                  þan in his hert wunder him thoght
                                
                                  Whi his fader so with him wroght,
                                
                                  & whi he toke swilk apurpose
                                  Line 215 
                                
                                  To halde him þore so lang in close.
                                
                                  To his menze he made his mone,
                                
                                  & said: he liffed so lang allone
                                
                                  & had none ayre of erth ne flode,
                                
                                  þat mete ne drink did him no gude,
                                  Line 220 
                                
                                  He had no talent to his mete,
                                
                                  For he no kyndely ayre myght gete.
                                
                                  & sone when þai þir wordes herd,
                                
                                  þai tolde his fader all how it ferd,
                                
                                  & how he had ferly wharfore
                                  Line 225 
                                
                                  þat his fader so held him þore,
                                
                                  So þat he myght noght be at þe large.
                                
                                  þis was to him a heuy charge.
                                
                                  When his fader þir tales herd,
                                
                                  He said he suld no more be sperd.
                                  Line 230 
                                
                                  Horses and hernays ordand he,
                                
                                  þe semeliest þat men myght se,
                                
                                  þat his sun myght on playing ride;
                                
                                  & mynstralsy on ilk a syde;
                                
                                  & men he had solde go bifore, [had st. bad auch V. 1145.] 
                                  Line 235 
                                
                                  To serche þe way & seke aywhore,
                                
                                  So þat his sun no syght solde se
                                
                                  þat unto him myght noyand be.
                                
                                  þus raide he furth bi diuers days,
                                
                                  & had sere solace by sere ways.
                                  Line 240 
                                
                                  And on a day so als he rade
                                
                                  And his menze grete myrthes made,
                                
                                  Two men bi fore him gun he find,
                                
                                  þat one was leper, þe toþer blind.
                                
                                  He had meruayl what it myght mene,
                                  Line 245 
                                
                                  For sekenes had he neuer sene.
                                
                                  He askid his men whi þai ware so.
                                
                                  & sone one of þam tolde him to:
                                
                                  Sir, þai haue sekenes, wele we ken,
                                
                                  þat cumes oft tymes to erthly men.
                                  Line 250 
                                
                                  He askid yf all men so sulde be.
                                
                                  And þai said nay. and þan said he:
                                
                                  Whareby may ze knaw þe man [Ms. wharely.] 
                                
                                  þat sall be þus? say, yf ze can;
                                
                                  And wheþer þis sekenes sal be mend,
                                  Line 255 
                                
                                  Or it sall last with outen end?
                                
                                  þai say: sir, nowþer olde ne zing
                                
                                  Wote what sall be in tyme cumyng.
                                
                                  When Josaphat þis understode,
                                
                                  þis meteyng meruaild all his mode
                                  Line 260 
                                
                                  & put mekill of his myrth owai.
                                
                                  & als he went a noþer way,
                                
                                  He met a man, was wonder old,
                                
                                  Croked and cumberd, koghand for cold,
                                
                                  Lame he was in lith and lim,
                                  Line 265 
                                
                                  With nese dropand & eghen dym;
                                
                                  His handes tremblid, his teth roted,
                                
                                  He spak so dym men demyd he doted.
                                
                                  When Josaphat þis sight had sene,
                                
                                  He had meruail what it myght mene,
                                  Line 270 
                                
                                  & said to þam þat war bi side:
                                
                                  What gers zon man swilk tenes bi|tyde?
                                
                                  þai said: syr, he es of grete elde,
                                
                                  And mony zeres makes him vnwelde.
                                
                                  In how fele zeres, þan askes he,
                                  Line 275 
                                
                                  Sall a man cum to swilk degre?
                                
                                  þai say: in foure score zere, we kest,
                                
                                  Or els in fyue score at þe ferest.
                                
                                  He askis þan: what sall forþerfall?
                                
                                  þai said: syr, ded es end of all.
                                  Line 280 
                                
                                  And zit he askis þam in þt stede:
                                
                                  How may ze knaw who ssal be dede?
                                
                                  þai say: sir, ded, right wele we ken,
                                
                                  Es comun to all erthly men;
                                
                                  To riches takes he no reward, [reward = regard auch V. 474.] 
                                  Line 285 
                                
                                  Ne for pouert sall none be spard.

About this Item

Title: Altenglische legenden ...
Author: Horstmann, Carl, ed. b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 229
Publication: Paderborn,: F. Schöningh,; 1875.
Subject terms: English poetry; Legends

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afy7823.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/afy7823.0001.001/273:7

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DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

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Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:afy7823.0001.001

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Full citation: "Altenglische legenden ..." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afy7823.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 22, 2025.

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