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

                                
                                  Þis mayde þat coude not fleo away, [Puella, fugere nescia, aetate pavida ne incideret in insidiatores pudoris, animam ad virtutem paravit, tam religiosa ut mortem non timeret, tam pudica ut mortem ex|spectaret.] 
                                
                                  In drede liuede day by day
                                  Line 50 
                                
                                  Leste heo hed fallen among hire fon
                                
                                  Þat al wey spyed hire vppon;
                                
                                  Heo greiþed hir wil of good clannes
                                
                                  To vertuwes and parfytnes;
                                
                                  Heo was so religious þat heo ne dredde
                                  Line 55 
                                
                                  Ne deþ of mon wiþ knyf ne bedde,
                                
                                  Heo was also þerto so clene
                                
                                  Þat deþ heo bod, wiþouten wene, [Venit enim coronae dies, maxima omnium exspectatio; producitur puella duplex professa certamen, castitatis et religionis (70-1 Zus.).] 
                                
                                  Atte vche mon aboute al way. [Hier fehlt ein Vers im Ms., etwa: þo þat icomen was þe day.] 
                                
                                  . . . . .
                                
                                  Þat heo schulde for deuocioun
                                  Line 60 
                                
                                  Of martirdom take þe croun,
                                
                                  Tofore hem þat hire loued had
                                
                                  Heo was brouht and forþ ilad.
                                
                                  Þen bihoued hire, certeyn,
                                
                                  Stifly stonde in batayles tweyn:
                                  Line 65 
                                
                                  Forte kepe wiþ charite
                                
                                  Þe religiun, and þe chastite
                                
                                  Þat heo hedde ymad a vow to [to statt þo?] 
                                
                                  Forte kepe euere mo.
                                
                                  Heo was þrat forte beo ded,
                                  Line 70 
                                
                                  But heo wolde do aftur sum red.
                                
                                  And whon þei seȝen hire deuociun [Sed ubi viderunt con|stantiam professionis, metam (? der Dichter las metum) pudoris, paratam ad cruciatus, erubescentem ad adspectus, excogitare coeperunt quemadmodum spem castitatis, reli|gionem, tollerent, (ut, cum id abstulissent quod erat amplius, etiam id eriperent quod de|relinqueretur).] 
                                
                                  And constaunce of perfecciun,
                                
                                  And þat heo was schomeful, and not bolde,
                                
                                  Þat men hire schulde biholde,
                                  Line 75 
                                
                                  And for drede to leose hire clannes
                                
                                  Was redi wiþ al mekenes
                                
                                  Forte suffre al þe wo
                                
                                  Þat þei casten to don hire þo;
                                
                                  For þei parceyued hire deuociun
                                  Line 80 
                                
                                  Þat heo hedde, þat hire religiun
                                
                                  Wolde kepe hire chastite
                                
                                  And make men heore loue to fle:
                                
                                  Þei caste alle wiþ felenye
                                  Line 85 
                                
                                  Hou þat hope þei mihte distruye: [Aut sacrificare virginem aut lupanari prostitui jubetur. (Quomodo colunt Deos suos qui sic vindicant, aut quemadmodum ipsi vivunt qui ita judicant?)] 
                                
                                  Oþur to make hire do sacrefyse
                                
                                  To false goddus on heor wyse,
                                
                                  Oþur elles þei casten, as fendes fel,
                                
                                  To puyten hire to þe bordel. [Haec puella (non quod de religione ambigeret, sed quod de pudore trepidaret,) ipsa secum inquit: "Quid agimus hodie? aut martir aut virgo, altera nobis invidetur corona.] 
                                  Line 90 
                                
                                  Whon þat heo vndurstod þis,
                                
                                  To hire self heo seide iwis:
                                
                                  "A lord God, what do we now?
                                
                                  For þat i wole kepe my vow,
                                
                                  To day martir moste i be,
                                  Line 95 
                                
                                  Oþur kepe my maidenhod, parde. [Sed nec virginis nomen agnoscitur ubi virginitatis auctor negatur; nam quemadmo|dum virgo, si meretricem colas, quemadmodum virgo, si adulterum diligas, quemad|modum virgo, si amorem petas? (!)] 
                                
                                  I wot riht wel, þe to coroun
                                
                                  I schal take wiþ deuocioun,
                                
                                  Bote heo nis not worþi bere maidens name
                                
                                  Þat forsakeþ þe lord of þat fame;
                                
                                  Hou schulde heo beo mayden holde
                                  Line 100 
                                
                                  Þat hordom herieþ wiþ herte bolde?
                                
                                  Or hou schulde mayden bi holden heer
                                
                                  To caste hire loue to avouter?
                                
                                  Or hou schulde heo be mayden
                                
                                  Þat disireþ loue of men?
                                  Line 105 
                                
                                  Hit is more betur beo mayden of þouht [Tolerabilius est mentem virginem quam carnem habere; utrumque bonum, si liceat, et si non liceat saltem non homini castae sed Deo simus.] 
                                
                                  Þen of þe flesch þat serueþ of nouht.
                                
                                  Boþe beo goode whose moote
                                
                                  From erþly strengþe kepe hire cote;
                                
                                  And, ȝif we mou not for such power
                                  Line 110 
                                
                                  Kepe vr flesch clene her,
                                
                                  To vr God þat is so good
                                
                                  Kepe vs chast in þouht and mood —

About this Item

Title: Sammlung altenglischer legenden, grösstentheils zum ersten male hrsg. von C. Horstmann.
Author: Horstmann, Carl, b. 1851.
Canvas: Page 27
Publication: Heilbronn,: Gebr. Henninger,; 1878.
Subject terms: Legends; English poetry; Saints

Technical Details

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/ajd8171.0001.001/33:3

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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 21, 2025.

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

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