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

                                
                                  Fair and swete was þat liȝt : þat op-on him schon!—
                                
                                  Swiþe wel he wuste cristine-dom : and holie lijf he ladde.
                                
                                  Of þe mis-bi-leue of Engelonde : gret deol and care he hadde.
                                
                                  Seint Austin was a Monek þo : him and oþere he nam
                                  Line 76 
                                
                                  And sende heom in-to engelonde : to prechi cristindom.
                                
                                  ¶ Seint Austin and is Monekus : þo huy weren in Engelonde,
                                
                                  wide huy precheden cristindom— : i-hered beo godes sonde.
                                
                                  Seint Austin wende to þe kingues court : and so he prechede þere, [v. 80-3 al. om.] 
                                  Line 80 
                                
                                  Þat þe king and alle is men : sone i-baptizede were.
                                
                                  Þo huy hadde i-brouȝt in-to godes lawe : þene kyng and is pouwer,
                                
                                  Þ t folk tornede þoruȝ godes grace : to him feor and ner.
                                
                                  So longue þat þis holie men : heore wille hadden at þen ende,
                                  Line 84 
                                
                                  Þat al folk of eche toune : to cristindom gan i-wende.
                                
                                  Þo wende seint Austin a-ȝen. : þe pope he tolde at rome [v. 86-95 al. om.] 
                                
                                  hou alle þe men of engelonde : cristin-dom nome.
                                
                                  Þo was þe pope seint Gregori : i-brouȝt in grete blisse,
                                  Line 88 
                                
                                  And liet seint Austyn wende a-ȝen : þat lond more to wisse
                                
                                  And make Bischopes and Ercedeknes : and oþure prelatus al-so,
                                
                                  Cristin-dom to witie in engelonde : þat men ne scholde neuere ondo.
                                
                                  Seint Austin wende a-non a-ȝen : and þo he to engelonde cam,
                                  Line 92 
                                
                                  Twelf bischopes þare-inne he made : to witien cristin-dom,
                                
                                  And oþere prelates of holi churche : þat we a-mong us i-seoth.
                                
                                  In þis manere to cristindom : alle i-brouȝt we beoth
                                
                                  Þoruȝ þe bone of seint gregori : þat hidere sende is sonde;
                                  Line 96 
                                
                                  Þare-fore we cleopiez him in holie bok : Apostul of Engelonde,
                                
                                  For he us sende ore riȝte bi-leue : þat we [overlined.]  holdez ȝuyte, [The text is corrupted here.]  [folio 154b] 
                                
                                  And in his daiȝe sette children to lore : þe ȝwyle huy beoth luyte—
                                
                                  God for þe loue of seint gregori : þulke lore us leue so wite,
                                
                                  Þat he us sende bi seint Austin : and neuereft hire for-ȝite.
                                
                                  Wel auȝten cristine men to louien him : þat in riȝte bi-leue heom brouȝte;
                                  Line 102 
                                
                                  For he was þe furste man : þat cristin-dom to hem bi-souȝte. [This v. is corrupted.] —
                                
                                  Muche folk þare was in Rome : þat in guode bi-leue nere
                                
                                  Ne bi-lieueden nouȝt þat þe sacringe : ore louerdes licame were.
                                
                                  Þare-fore þe pope seint Gregori : prechede heom a day,
                                  Line 106 
                                
                                  And þare-of schewede heom fair miracle : þat ech of heom it saiȝ :

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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 358
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 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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