The early South-English legendary ; or, Lives of saints. I. Ms. Laud, 108, in the Bodleian library. Edited by Carl Horstmann.

                                
                                  And in almesdede he spendede an [om. an]  on pouere Men : muchedel is Marchaundise;
                                  Line 4 
                                
                                  For no loue of catel : he it nolde bi-leue,
                                
                                  Ȝwane ani pouere man him bede : bote he him som-ȝwat ȝeue.
                                
                                  ¶ Ase he cam a day bi þe wei : he gan mieten bi cas
                                
                                  Ane kniȝt þat hadde Riche i-beo : and [MS. and and]  swiþe a-pouered was;
                                  Line 8 
                                
                                  vuele he was i-cloþed al-so : and bad him sum guod.
                                
                                  Seint Fraunceys hadde reuþe of him : and one ȝwyle he with-stod,
                                
                                  ¶ he strepte of is cloþes of is rug : and ȝaf þis pouere knyȝt.
                                
                                  And þer-aftur ase he lay a-slepe : in is bedde a-nyȝt,
                                  Line 12 
                                
                                  A swiþe noble paleys : him þouȝte þat he i-seiȝ;
                                
                                  he Axede was þat paleys were : þat so riche was and heiȝ;
                                
                                  Men seiden him þat it was his : and is kniȝtes al-so.
                                
                                  Þo þis holie Man a-wok : sum-ȝwat he þouȝte do.
                                  Line 16 
                                
                                  In þat paleys him þouȝte he saiȝ al-so : knyȝhtes Armes þere,
                                
                                  And with afair creoiz þoruȝ-out : I-markede alle huy were.
                                
                                  ¶ Þouȝte he, "ore louerd it wole : þat ich mi-seolf knyȝt beo,
                                
                                  And swyþe feble ich am þare-to : bote ich me bet bi-seo."
                                  Line 20 
                                
                                  An Eorl þare was in poile [= Apoile]  : þat was corteys and hende :
                                
                                  he þouȝte knyȝt beo i-maud of him : þuder-ward he gan wende.
                                
                                  Ase he wende towar[d] þis Eorl : for-to beo i-maud kniȝt,
                                
                                  Ore swete louerd in Auision : to him cam a niȝth;
                                  Line 24 
                                
                                  "Seiȝe me," he seide, "of þe louerd : and of þe hyne al-so,
                                
                                  And of þe riche man and of þe pouere : ȝwuch may þe mest guod do?"
                                
                                  "Bote þe louerd," quath þis oþur : "and he þat is riche."
                                
                                  "Þou haddest almest i-chose," ore louerd seide : "þat ful oni-liche :
                                
                                  For truste of þe hyne : þene louerd þou for-soke;
                                
                                  Þov nome vuele þin Avision : þou most þe bet bi-loke.
                                  Line 30 
                                
                                  ¶ Þe Armure and þe paleis : þat þou so noble i-seiȝe,
                                
                                  Elles-ȝware þov schalt finde : Ake þou ne comest nouȝt ȝuit so heiȝe;
                                
                                  Knyȝtes þov schalt habbe onder þe : þulke Armes for-to lede.
                                
                                  Þare-fore wend þe hom a-ȝein : and bi-þench bet þi dede!"
                                
                                  ¶ Þis holi man, þo he a-wok : a-ȝein wende to Asise,
                                
                                  And þouȝte al on Ihesu crist : and bi-lefde is Marchaundise,
                                  Line 36 
                                
                                  And bad ore louerd nyȝht and dai : þat he scholde him rede
                                
                                  And some tokningue senden him : hov he scholde is lijf lede.

About this Item

Title: The early South-English legendary ; or, Lives of saints. I. Ms. Laud, 108, in the Bodleian library. Edited by Carl Horstmann.
Canvas: Page 54
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Early English text society by N. Trübner & co.,; 1887.
Subject terms: Christian saints

Technical Details

Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aha2708.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/aha2708.0001.001/102:3

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:aha2708.0001.001

Cite this Item

Full citation: "The early South-English legendary ; or, Lives of saints. I. Ms. Laud, 108, in the Bodleian library. Edited by Carl Horstmann." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aha2708.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 20, 2025.

The early South-English legendary ; or, Lives of saints. I. Ms. Laud, 108, in the Bodleian library. Edited by Carl Horstmann.

Annotations Tools

Actions

About this Item

Technical Details

Rights and Permissions

Related Links

IIIF

Cite this Item