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

                                
                                  he hopede here In Engelonde : Inouȝ repentaunt to beo.
                                
                                   [These two verses are tr. in the MS.] Þare-after-ward he bi-cam : in grete meseise and strong:
                                
                                  his flesch bi-gan to breken out : and rotede an fovle stonk,
                                
                                  So longue þat he stonk so foule : þat deul it was to se,
                                
                                  Þat onneþe ani man miȝte : for stunche neiȝ him beo.
                                  Line 2386 
                                
                                  his flesch rotede on him al-so : and al dai ful awei,
                                
                                  Þat is bones weren al bare— : þo ne likede him no plei!
                                  Line 2388 
                                
                                  Wit is hondene he to-drouȝ al-so : his flesch atþe laste,
                                
                                  pece and oþur al a-brod : a-wei fram him he caste;
                                
                                  hondene and Armes he to-drovȝ : mest of ech-on,
                                
                                  Þat þere nas no flesch bi-leued : bote senue and bare bon.
                                  Line 2392 
                                
                                  Manie men it þouȝten wel : þat bi is wille it were, [folio 87b] 
                                
                                  Al for-to biete [MS. biete]  is sunnes here : þat is soule in helle nere.
                                
                                  Wrechchedore gost ne miȝte non beo : þane þis prisun was;
                                
                                  And euere he cride deolfulliche : "merci, seint thomas."
                                  Line 2396 
                                
                                  Atþe laste he let is lijf : In wel stronge pine,
                                
                                  And ȝif ore louerdes wille was : he cam to guode fine.
                                
                                  Þis kniȝtes aftur heore luþere dedene [al. dede]  : deiden sone ech-on,
                                
                                  So þat with-Inne þe þridde ȝere : a-liue ne lefde þer non.
                                  Line 2400 
                                
                                  For þe sauter seith þat swuche men : þat of tricherie beoth,
                                
                                  Ne schullen nouȝt halue heore dawes libbe : ase ȝe alda[i] i-seoth;
                                
                                  Þei heo beon swyþe repentaunt : ase þis kniȝtes weren, ich wene,
                                
                                  Ȝuyt ne libbeth heo nouȝt half heore lif : ant þat was bi heom i-sene.—
                                
                                  ¶ Seint thomas þis holi man : onder eorþe he lay,
                                
                                  Are þat he I-schrined were : wel mani a long day;
                                  Line 2406 
                                
                                  he lai þere nine [al. inne]  and fourti ȝer : and half a ȝer þer-to
                                
                                  And a-boute ane Eiȝte dawes : are he were of eorþe i-do.
                                  Line 2408 
                                
                                  god wolde a-bide ane guode tyme : to don so noble þing:
                                
                                  Þat þare weren boþe guode : Erchebischop and king.
                                
                                  For þe king Iohan þat longue was : euere of luþere rede,
                                
                                  luyte þouȝte bi is daie : to don so guode dede.
                                  Line 2412 
                                
                                  ¶ Ake þe king henri, is ȝonge sone : nolde nouȝt longe a-fine,
                                
                                  After þat he was king i-mad : are seint thomas were in schrine.
                                
                                  he nas nouȝt þrettene ȝeres old : þo he dude þis noble þing,
                                
                                  And it was in þe feorþe ȝere : þat he was i-mad ȝong king.
                                  Line 2416 
                                
                                  Þe guode Erchebischop steuene : radde faste þer-to:

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 175
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Early English text society by N. Trübner & co.,; 1887.
Subject terms: Christian saints

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
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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.

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