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

                                
                                  ¶ "Ich habbe ane man," ore louerd seide : "þat riȝht min owene is,
                                
                                  Þat ȝwanne ich him ofte a-boute sende : wel he wrouȝhte, i-wis, [folio 161b] 
                                  Line 46 
                                
                                  And dude is mester swiþe wel : ȝwodere he euere i-wende,
                                
                                  And euere al þat he miȝhte bi-ȝite [MS. ȝẹite]  : he brouȝte me oþur sende.
                                
                                  For quoyntore bold he can make : þane euere in Inde were;
                                
                                  Ne swuch man nis þare in Inde non : þat swuch bold couþe a-rere." [al. 2 vv. more.] 
                                
                                  Ore louerd tok seint Thomas : Aben bi þe honde;
                                
                                  Þat ope þe forewarde þat he made : ladde him to is londe. [al. 2 vv. more.] 
                                  Line 52 
                                
                                  ¶ Aben ope þis forewarde : glad and bliþe was;
                                
                                  Into schipe he wende a-non : with þe guode man seint Thomas.
                                
                                  Sone he axede seint Thomas : ase huy in þe se i-wende,
                                
                                  Ȝweþer he puyrliche is man were : þat him þudere sende.
                                  Line 56 
                                
                                  "Ȝif ich nadde," quath seint Thomas : "puyrliche is man i-beo,
                                
                                  Mi manhe[de] [al. his manrede]  ich wolde habbe for-sake : þo he bi-tok me þe."
                                
                                  "Seiȝe þou me," quath Aben, "ȝeot : ȝwat is þi seruise?
                                
                                  Ȝware-of seruest þou þat heiȝe Man : þat ȝe beon boþe so wise?"
                                  Line 60 
                                
                                  ¶ "A carpenter," quath seint Thomas : "ich am, quoynte and sleiȝh,
                                
                                  paleys and bold ich can arere : swiþe noble and heiȝh,
                                
                                  strong and liȝt and swiþe fair : with-outen and with-inne,
                                
                                  Þat no man ne may it felle a-doun : with strencþe ne with ginne,
                                  Line 64 
                                
                                  Ne so strong wynd ne tempeste : þat greuie mouwe it ouȝt;
                                
                                  So quoynte bold nas neuere on eorþe : to no prince i-wrouȝt."
                                
                                  "Deu merci," quath þis Aben : "þat þi louerd gret Man is,
                                
                                  Þat so quoynte Men hat onder him : i-not non swuch, i-wis!"
                                  Line 68 
                                
                                  ¶ "Heiȝh Man he is," quath seint Thomas : "and an heiȝ kyngues sone.
                                
                                  Ope ane heiȝe Montayngne his wonijngue is : þare he wole euere wone;
                                
                                  Þare he halt is heritage : and is fader kynedom an heiȝh;
                                
                                  Þare nis non of is fon so strong : þat mouwe come þere-neiȝh.
                                  Line 72 
                                
                                  Sik man ne pouere nis þare non : so riche þat lond is;
                                
                                  So murie lond nas neuere i-seiȝe : ne of swuch solas ne blis."
                                
                                  Tellinde, huy rouweden forth in þe se : so þat þoruȝ guod winde
                                
                                  Þene seueþe day huy comen a-lond : wel a þeos half Inde.
                                  Line 76 
                                
                                  ¶ At ane heiȝe toune huy a-riueden : þare a kyng inne lay
                                
                                  Þat liet weddi to an heiȝh Man : his douȝhter þat ilke day.

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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 378
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 21, 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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