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

                                
                                  Sixe Abbeies of Monekes : with-inne a fewe ȝeres,
                                  Line 4 
                                
                                  Se seouenþe he dude a-rere : in þe Cite of rome;
                                
                                  Þare he and manie oþur with him : þe Abite of monekes nome.
                                
                                  In so gret fastingue he was : and so luyte he wolde ete,
                                
                                  Þat al is wille he for-les : of drinke and of mete;
                                  Line 8 
                                
                                   [folio 153b] For defaute he scholde raþur deie : þane beo of-houngred ene—
                                
                                  So he was to fastingue i-woned : his lijf he ladde so clene.
                                
                                  Wel sielden for al is feblesse : Idel he beo scholde, [r. wolde.] 
                                
                                  Þat of ore louerdes seruise : rede oþur singue he [no]lde [MS. wlde, w over an erasure.] 
                                  Line 12 
                                
                                  Oþur writen oþur telle : oþur rimes þar-of make,
                                
                                  Oþur he wolde bidde is beden : þe ȝwyle he miȝte wake.
                                
                                  Þe pope is guodnesse under-ȝat : þei he þare-of were stille :
                                
                                  At rome he made him cardinal : al a-ȝein is wille.
                                  Line 16 
                                
                                  So wijs and holi he was in þouȝte : and so riȝtful of is dede,
                                
                                  Þat þe conseil of holie churche : muche was bi is rede.—
                                
                                  Out of is paleys in a day : þis holie man gan i-wiende :
                                
                                  he founde Marchauns at rome : with Mercerie wel hiende.
                                  Line 20 
                                
                                  to sullen huy ladden on heore hond : swete children þreo,
                                
                                  Fairore þingus þane huy weren : ne miȝte no man i-seo.
                                
                                  Seint Gregori ȝeorne heom bi-heold : a stounde he gan at-stonde,
                                
                                  And axede ȝwat þe childre weren : and of ȝwuche londe.
                                  Line 24 
                                
                                  Þe Marchaunz seiden, "Englische huy beoth : of Engelonde i-nome,
                                
                                  And swuch is þe kuynde of alle þe men : þat of þat lond doz come."
                                
                                  "Wel auȝte," seide þis holie man : "þat lond beo guod and riche,
                                
                                  For [al. om.]  huy beoth Englische swyþe wel i-cleoped : engles huy buth i-liche.
                                  Line 28 
                                
                                  Ȝif þat [lond] [om.]  is swuch ase [þe] [om.]  men beoth : name it hauez with riȝte,
                                
                                  Englene lond it auȝte wel beo : and engles þare-inne a-liȝte;
                                
                                  And swuch folk auȝte in heouene : beon englene i-fere."
                                
                                  Þo Axede he ȝwat bi-leue : in engelonde were.
                                  Line 32 
                                
                                  Þe marchaunz seiden, "al engelond : is puyr heþenesse."
                                
                                  "Alas," seide seint Gregori : "a-las, þe sorienesse
                                
                                  Þat þe prince of þe deorke helle : schal habbe in powere
                                
                                  A lond fol of so fair folk : þat auȝten beo Engles i-fere!"
                                  Line 36 
                                
                                  he wende a-ȝein in-to is paleis : with wel dreorie chere,
                                
                                  And carede muche þat in Engelond : cristinedom i-brouȝt nere.

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Title: The early South-English legendary ; or, Lives of saints. I. Ms. Laud, 108, in the Bodleian library. Edited by Carl Horstmann.
Canvas: Page 356
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 22, 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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