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

                                
                                  Þat for solaz man may þe betere : in godes seruise be."—
                                  Line 352 
                                
                                  ¶ Seint Iohan wende a-boute wide : and churche he liet a-rere,
                                
                                  And maude preostes and bischopes : þat folk for-to lere.
                                
                                  Ake Aristod[i]mus þe bischop : þat he tornede er to cristindom,
                                
                                  In þe Cite of Ephese : swiþe holi man bi-cam,
                                  Line 356 
                                
                                  And ane churche of seint Iohan : in Ephese he arerde bliue—
                                
                                  And seint Iohan sethþe in þulke churche : wende out of þis liue.—
                                
                                  ¶ A day ase þis holie man : his seruise hadde i-do,
                                
                                  A ȝoung man he say þare-bi-side : staleworþe and fair al-so;
                                  Line 360 
                                
                                  Ake a liȝht red he was, and of þunne wit. : seint Iohan bi-heold him faste,
                                
                                  And opon a bischop þare-bi-side : his eiȝene a-non he caste:
                                
                                  "Ich bi-take þe," he seide, "in warde to wite : þis man here lo,
                                
                                  Þat þou him loke and norichi wel : þat he nouȝt ne mis-do;
                                  Line 364 
                                
                                  So þat þou me ansuerie of is warde : ȝwane þou me comest eft to;
                                
                                  witnesse ich take on ihesu crist : and on holie churche al-so."
                                  Line 366 
                                
                                  ¶ "Sire, wel fawe," þe bischop seide : þis ȝongueman he tok wel softe.
                                
                                  Seint Iohan him chargede of is warde : and muneguede him wel ofte
                                
                                  Þat he him wuste swiþe wel : ase he answerie wolde;
                                
                                  And bi-teiȝhte heom boþe Ihesu crist : and wende ȝwodere he scholde.
                                
                                  Þis bischop nam þis Ioliue man : and ladde hom to is inne,
                                
                                  And norichcede him softe and wel : seint Iones loue to winne,
                                  Line 372 
                                
                                  And prechede him ȝeorne of Ihesu crist : to bi-nimen him his folie;
                                
                                  So þat þis ȝoungue man to guode turnde : and merci gan to crie,
                                
                                  And faire bar him and louede wel : god and seinte marie,
                                
                                  And dude al þat þe bischop wolde : and guod [al. hard]  lif gan driȝe.
                                  Line 376 
                                
                                  ¶ Atþe laste þis bischop : sumdel is heorte gan wiende—
                                
                                  Ase ofte verlich bi-guynninge : flechchez atþen ende;
                                
                                  he soffrede þis ȝonge man to pleye : ant to muche habbe is wille,
                                
                                  And luyte and luyte don folie : and liet him al a-spille.
                                  Line 380 
                                
                                  Formest he gan haunti wakes : and for compaygnie
                                
                                  he wax a syutor of tauernes : and siwede to glotonie;
                                
                                  Þo ne miȝhte he nouȝht beon with-oute : and turnde to lecherie
                                
                                  And bi-cam an holer strong : and tornede al-to folie.

                                  Line 384

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 413
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 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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