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

                                
                                  For ich wot wel þat non of us : ne hadde heom so sore a-gast!
                                
                                  A wonder bataille it was on : hadde it longue i-last;
                                
                                  Ich wene, þei ani chaumpiun : þare hadde i-beo,
                                
                                  Sone he wolde habbe i-nome is red : hamward for-to fleo!—
                                  Line 190 
                                
                                  Almes-dede deth þe soule also : swiþe gret guod with-alle :
                                
                                  Þat ȝe mouwen bi a cas i-seo : þat ane knyȝhte dude bi-falle.
                                
                                  ¶ A guod man ȝwyle, þat heiȝte steuene : to is endingue drouȝ.
                                
                                  A knyȝht, his freond, for is deth : made gret deol i-nouȝ
                                  Line 194 
                                
                                  And dude for him grete almes-dede : boþe niȝht and day.
                                
                                  Þarof he i-saiȝ a fair bi-tokningue : ase he a-slepe lay :
                                  Line 196 
                                
                                  him þouȝhte he saiȝ a sluper brugge : swyþe fayr and heiȝ, [folio 177b] 
                                
                                  A deop watur and swart bi-neoþe : a fair mede þare was neiȝ
                                
                                  with swote smul and faire floures. : and ope þe brugge he seiȝ [MS. gan]  gon
                                
                                  with grete Misayse mani Men : þat fullen into þat watur a-non,
                                  Line 200 
                                
                                  And manie he saiȝ þare-oppe gon : al-sauf with-oute drede,
                                
                                  And manie with Ioye and blisse i-nouȝ : pleyinde in þe Mede.
                                
                                  Ope þe brugge him þouȝhte he saiȝ : gon in wrechhede
                                
                                  Steuene, for ȝwam þat he dude : þe grete almes-dede;
                                  Line 204 
                                
                                  Blake men þare weren bi-neoþe : þat a-doneward him drowe,
                                
                                  And oþere þare weren in ȝwite cloþes : þat opward him heolden i-nowe;
                                
                                  bi-twene heom laste þe noyse longue : aȝein oþur ech drouȝ faste,
                                
                                  Ake euere hadden þe ȝwite Men : þe maistrie at þe laste.
                                  Line 208 
                                
                                  Þat weren þe almesdedes : þat for him weren i-do,
                                
                                  Þat þe knyȝht for is soule dude : þat drowen him opward so.
                                  Line 210 
                                
                                  ¶ Þe blake þat him a-doneward drowen : þat weren is luþere dedes,
                                
                                  Þat wolden him to pine drawe : ȝif huy miȝhten for almes-dede.—
                                
                                  Massene also doth gret guod : boþe þe quike and dede :
                                
                                  Þat ȝe mouwen i-heore bi þis tale : and bi oþure þat ich er sede.
                                  Line 214 
                                
                                  ¶ Men weren ȝwilene in a contreye : þare a gret ston-roche stod,
                                
                                  And Men wenden þat þare-onder were : gret tresor [MS. trosor]  and guod :
                                
                                  So þat huy doluen þare-aftur : ake to wroþerhele ate laste :
                                
                                  For opon hem ful þe roche adoun : and heom alle ouer-caste,
                                  Line 218 
                                
                                  And a-slouȝ heom alle, bote anne Man : þat, ase it were bi cas,
                                
                                  In a-manere dich fel and lay : and þe roche a-boue him was;
                                
                                  So þat he ne miȝhte of þe stude : ase i-putted he lay þere.
                                
                                  his wyf nuste nouȝht of is lyf : ake wende þat he ded were :

                                  Line 222

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 426
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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