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

                                
                                  ¶ heo i-saiȝ þat hire ȝungue broþer : þat nas nouȝt of seue ȝer,
                                
                                  kyng was i-mad of al þat lond : þat heore fader hadde er :
                                
                                  to him heo hadde gret onde : þat he scholde so riche beo
                                
                                  And eir of hire fader lond : and of more power þane heo;
                                  Line 92 
                                
                                  heo þouȝte, ȝif heo miȝte bringue : þis child of lijf-dawe,
                                
                                  Þat heo wolde of is heritage : beo quene with lawe.
                                
                                  Al hire þouȝt was niȝt and day : to bi-þenche sum outrage,
                                
                                  Þat þis child were i-brouȝt of dawe : for-to habbe is heritage.
                                  Line 96 
                                
                                  heo porueide hire riȝt feolonliche : A poysun, strong i-nouȝ,
                                
                                  For-to ȝiue þis ȝongue child : to slen him with wouȝ. [folio 150b] 
                                
                                  Þo þat poysun him was i-ȝiue : þat so strong and luþer was,
                                
                                  Ore louerdes miȝte was so muche : þat no-þe worse him nas.
                                  Line 100 
                                
                                  Þo þe luþere quene þat i-sai : þat hit was al for nouȝt,
                                
                                  Þat no poysun ne miȝte him sle : heo þouȝte an oþur þouȝt.
                                
                                  Þis ȝongue child ane maister hadde : þat his wardein was—
                                
                                  Askebert he was i-cleoped : a strong trichour, alas!
                                  Line 104 
                                
                                  For noman ne may to oþur : sonere tricherie do
                                
                                  Þane þilke þat is him euere neiȝ : and þat he trist mest to.
                                
                                  ¶ Þis luþere quene bi-þouȝte hire : of one false wrenche—
                                  Line 107 
                                
                                  Men seith þat feolonie nas neuere non : þat womman ne can bi-þenche.
                                
                                  with þis Askebert heo spac : þis child to slen and spille;
                                
                                  heo bi-het him mede and guod i-novȝ : and of eche þing don is wille.
                                
                                  So þat þis to luþere þingues : weren at one rede,
                                
                                  And bi-speken hou huy miȝten best : don þe luþere dede.
                                  Line 112 
                                
                                  Þe ȝwyle huy bi-speken boþe : þis ȝongue child to quelle,
                                
                                  Þis swete sweuene þis child matte : þat ich ov wolle nouþe telle :
                                
                                  him þouȝte þat þare stod a treo : riȝt bi-fore is bedde,
                                
                                  Þat a-non to þe steorrene it tilde : and swyþe wide it spradde;
                                  Line 116 
                                
                                  Þis treo was fair and noble i-novȝ : And schon wel briȝte and wide,
                                
                                  Ful of blostmene and of fruyt : and mani a riche bouȝ bi-side,
                                
                                  berninde wex and laumpes al-so : þicke brenninde and liȝte—
                                
                                  So noble treo nas neuere i-seiȝe : ne non þat schon so briȝte.
                                  Line 120 
                                
                                  him þouȝte he c[l]am [MS. cam]  op-on þat treo : to þexte bowe an heiȝ
                                
                                  And bi-heold a-boute in-to al þe world : and a-perteliche [al. prute inouȝ]  i-seiȝ.
                                
                                  Þe ȝwyle he stod opon þis treo : and bi-heold a-boute so,
                                
                                  him þouȝte þat on of is nexte frend : and þat he truste mest to,

                                  Line 124

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 348
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
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aha2708.0001.001
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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 19, 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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