Sammlung altenglischer legenden, grösstentheils zum ersten male hrsg. von C. Horstmann.

                                
                                  Hous of almus þer beoþ Inouwe
                                
                                  In þis cuntreye, boþe heiȝe & lowe,
                                
                                  Pilgrimus, prisouns, as we knowe wele,
                                
                                  Faderles children monie & fele:
                                
                                  On heom his richesse he may sette
                                  Line 235 
                                
                                  To godes worschupe wiþouten lette.
                                
                                  And þou wolt only don after me:
                                
                                  Leose not þi soule, I counseile þe".
                                
                                  And heo onswerde wiþ milde chere:
                                
                                  "I truste holliche on þi preyere;
                                  Line 240 
                                
                                  Now for soule I schal trauayle,
                                
                                  For I truste to god hit wol me auayle".
                                
                                  Þat holy mon seide to hire þo:
                                
                                  "Let neuer þulke desyr fro þe go,
                                
                                  For nou is tyme of penaunce".
                                  Line 245 
                                
                                  And heo onswerde wiþouten distaunce:
                                
                                  "For al myn desir to folfille,
                                
                                  To trauayle þe hit was my wille.
                                
                                  Þou blesse me nou & for me pray,
                                
                                  And þe her of myn hed þou schere away!"
                                  Line 250 
                                
                                  HE ros vp, as heo him beede,
                                
                                  And cut þe her of hire hede,
                                
                                  And cloþede hire in a cote good,
                                
                                  And preyed to him þat diȝed on rood
                                
                                  And seide: "lord god in trinite,
                                  Line 255 
                                
                                  Þow saue þi seruaunt þat loueþ þe!"
                                
                                  And whon he hedde seid þeos wordes apliȝt,
                                
                                  He went his wei anon riȝt.
                                
                                  ÞEn Eufrosyne þouȝte: "sikerly,
                                
                                  Ȝif I go to a nonneri,
                                  Line 260 
                                
                                  Mi fader wol seche me & fynde me þare,
                                
                                  To take me out wol he not spare
                                
                                  And make me iweddet also swiþe;
                                
                                  Þen schuldi neuere beo glad ne bliþe.
                                
                                  Þerfore wol I to an abbey gon
                                  Line 265 
                                
                                  Þer as beoþ men, and wymmen non".
                                
                                  Hire owne aray þer heo forsook,
                                
                                  And monnes cloþing to hire heo took.
                                
                                  And anon as hit was niht,
                                
                                  Heo made hire redi and forþ hire diht,
                                  Line 270 
                                
                                  Fiue hundret schilyng wiþ hire heo tok,
                                
                                  And priueliche al þat niht heo wok.
                                
                                  And erly on þe morn, as I telle þe,
                                
                                  Hire fader com in to þe citéé;
                                
                                  As god wolde, to chirche he went.
                                  Line 275 
                                
                                  And Eufrosyne þe wei to þe abbey hent
                                
                                  þer as hire fader was knowen wel.
                                
                                  And to þe porter heo spak also snel:
                                
                                  "Go prey þe abbot", heo seide, "anon,
                                
                                  To speke heere wiþ a straunge mon
                                  Line 280 
                                
                                  Þat fro þe paleys is come nou riht!"
                                
                                  Þe porter wente forþ wiþ al his miht
                                
                                  And tolde þe abbot word & ende.
                                
                                  Forþ wiþ him þen gon he weende.
                                
                                  And whon Eufrosyne saiȝ him þat stounde,
                                  Line 285 
                                
                                  Heo fel doun flat vppon þe grounde.
                                
                                  He tok hire vp & blessed hire furst,
                                
                                  And aftur þei talket what so hem lust.
                                
                                  Þe abbot seide: "sone, what is þi wille?"
                                
                                  And heo onswerde wiþ wordes stille:
                                  Line 290 
                                
                                  "I haue dwelled at þe palys
                                
                                  And liued in joye & muche delys;
                                
                                  And, for me þinkeþ þis world nis nouȝt,
                                
                                  To chaunge my liuynge I haue þouȝt:
                                
                                  Wherfore I prey ow, fader deere,
                                  Line 295 
                                
                                  Graunte me to dwelle wiþ ou heere!
                                
                                  For I haue riches gret plente,
                                
                                  And al schal comen hider to þe,
                                
                                  Ȝif þat god wol ȝiue me grace
                                
                                  Him to seruen here in þis place".
                                  Line 300 
                                
                                  Þe abbot seide to him riht þus:
                                
                                  "Þou art welcome, dwelle here wiþ vs.
                                
                                  What is þi name?" þen seide he. [he st. she?] 
                                
                                  "Smaragdus" heo seide, "men callen me".
                                
                                  Þe abbot seide: "þou art ful ȝyng,
                                  Line 305 
                                
                                  Þe bihoueþ a maister for eny þing,
                                
                                  To teche þe rule & þi seruise
                                
                                  And þe lyuyng of monkes in alle wyse".
                                
                                  To þe abbot heo speek riȝt þo:
                                
                                  "As þou biddest, so schal I do".
                                  Line 310 
                                
                                  And tok to him þer as he stode
                                
                                  Fyf hundred schilynges þat weore goode,
                                
                                  And seide: "tak þis in parti of pay,
                                
                                  Al þat oþur schal comen anoþur day,
                                
                                  Ȝif hit beo so in alle manere
                                  Line 315 
                                
                                  Þat I may susteyn & dwellen heere".
                                
                                  ÞE abbot let callen anon riht
                                
                                  A noble monk, Agapitus he hiht,

About this Item

Title: Sammlung altenglischer legenden, grösstentheils zum ersten male hrsg. von C. Horstmann.
Author: Horstmann, Carl, b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 177
Publication: Heilbronn,: Gebr. Henninger,; 1878.
Subject terms: Legends; English poetry; Saints

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ajd8171.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/ajd8171.0001.001/183:4

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DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

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Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:ajd8171.0001.001

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Full citation: "Sammlung altenglischer legenden, grösstentheils zum ersten male hrsg. von C. Horstmann." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ajd8171.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 18, 2025.

Sammlung altenglischer legenden, grösstentheils zum ersten male hrsg. von C. Horstmann.

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