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

                                
                                  ¶ So longue, to holden up his folie : smale þingues he nam,
                                
                                  Aftur þe smale he tok þe grete : and strong þef he bi-cam;
                                
                                  So þat he hadde gret de-deyn : smale þefþes to do,
                                
                                  For bote it were þe grettore þing : he ne tornede nouȝht þer-to.
                                  Line 388 
                                
                                  Atþe laste to þe [al. a]  compaygnie of Outlawes : sone he gan gon;
                                
                                  Vnder non oþur he nolde beon : ake hext maister a-non;
                                  Line 390 
                                
                                  Oþure þat erore maistres weren : bi-comen is men ech-on.
                                
                                  he robbede ouer-al to grounde : and slowȝh [orig. slowen]  al-so mani on, [folio 173] 
                                
                                  More soruwe ne miȝhte beo : þane he dude in eche ende.
                                
                                  For of[te] [MS. of]  vuel chastingue : to folie wolie [al. wole]  wiende.
                                
                                  ¶ So þat seint Iohan in a time : to þat Bischop cam,
                                  Line 395 
                                
                                  Aftur ȝwam he bi-tok him er in warde : guode ȝeme a-boute he nam.
                                
                                  "Sire bischop," he seide, "ȝeld me up : þat guode tresor, ich rede,
                                
                                  Þat in warde ich þe bi-tok : and a-countes of is dede!"
                                
                                  ¶ Þo was þe bischop sore a-drad : "sire, merci," he seide,
                                
                                  "I-ne may him þe ȝelde nouȝht : for he is ded, ich dred[e]."
                                  Line 400 
                                
                                  "Alas," quath sein Iohan, "ȝweþur he beo? : in ȝwat manere is þis?"
                                
                                  "Certes, sire," þe bischop seide, "a-ȝein god ded he is,
                                
                                  his soule is ded, þei is bodi : ȝuyt a-liue beo;
                                
                                  For he is outlawe strong bicome : ase al þe contreye may seo.
                                  Line 404 
                                
                                  Opon an heiȝh hul he wonez : with outlawes mani on,
                                
                                  And lat a-quelle and robi also : alle þat he may of-gon."
                                
                                  ¶ Þo bi-gan þis holi man : to sike and weope sore,
                                
                                  For deol is cloþus he to-drouȝ : "louerd," he seide, "þin ore,
                                  Line 408 
                                
                                  Ane feble tresorer ich me ches : and þoruȝh is feble lore
                                
                                  Mi deorewuyrþe tresur ich habbe [i-lore]! : ine truste to him non|more.
                                
                                  Alas, sire bischop, þi feble warde! : ine þonki þe nouȝht þarc-fore.
                                
                                  Ȝwane it non oþur nis, ich mot seche : þat þou me hast i-lore.
                                  Line 412 
                                
                                  ¶ Lat greyþi me an hors a-non : and ane man in ane stounde,
                                
                                  Þat he [al. om.]  me mouwe þane wey teche : forto ich him habbe i-founde."
                                
                                  Þis holie man, þat feble was : and ouer-come neiȝh with elde,
                                
                                  Opon a strong hors he Arnde forth : ouer mor and ouer felde.
                                  Line 416 
                                
                                  So þat, þare þe outlawes weren : he cam atþe laste;
                                
                                  And some of þe schrewes weren al-ȝare : and nomen him wel faste,
                                
                                  To robbi him and to sle : and heten him holde him stille.

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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 414
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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