 | The South English Legendary |  |
De sancto Sebastiano
Sein Bastian was a man of a gret honour
He seruede Dioclisian þe heþene emperor
Heiost maister he was vnder hym to don al is wille
Cristen man he was bicome ac þer of he was stille
For no doute of martirdom ac for he wolde longe
Serui Iesu Godes sone ar he wolde þane deþ auonge
He seruede Dioclisian þe heþene emperor
Heiost maister he was vnder hym to don al is wille
Cristen man he was bicome ac þer of he was stille
For no doute of martirdom ac for he wolde longe
Serui Iesu Godes sone ar he wolde þane deþ auonge
Alle þe men þat Cristene were þat þe emperor awer fonde
Sone he let to deþe bringe mid fur oþer mid wonde
Wanne eueryman for Cristendom ssolde to deþe be[o] broȝt
Sein Bastian him comfortede þat he ne dradde noȝt
To fonge þane deþ for Godes loue ac þat he stedeuast were
Mani he huld in Cristendom þat fleichi wolde for fere
Sone he let to deþe bringe mid fur oþer mid wonde
Wanne eueryman for Cristendom ssolde to deþe be[o] broȝt
Sein Bastian him comfortede þat he ne dradde noȝt
To fonge þane deþ for Godes loue ac þat he stedeuast were
Mani he huld in Cristendom þat fleichi wolde for fere
Marcus & Marcelian breþeren were tweie
Þe emperor for Cristendom let nime ham faste beye
He let ham binde togadere uaste beie to a piler
And naily hore uet to þan eorþe þat hi ne miȝte uer ne ner
So hi stode oniȝt & day ne miȝte neuer noþer fram oþer
Eiþer to oþer ofte sede her is ioie leue broþer
God it is & ioyuol breþeren to wonie yuere
Euere hy prechede of Cristendom mid wel glade chere
Þe emperor for Cristendom let nime ham faste beye
17
And naily hore uet to þan eorþe þat hi ne miȝte uer ne ner
So hi stode oniȝt & day ne miȝte neuer noþer fram oþer
Eiþer to oþer ofte sede her is ioie leue broþer
God it is & ioyuol breþeren to wonie yuere
Euere hy prechede of Cristendom mid wel glade chere
Þe emperor let nime a sper as y stode togadere ibonde
And let smite þoru eiþer herte þat hi deide in a stonde
Þo was sein Bastian iwreid þat he hym ȝaf þe red
To holde faste hore Cristendom þei hy ssolde beo ded
Þe emperor him let clupie sein Bastian he sede
To þe was al mi trist my lond to wisse and rede
Of alle þing þat min is ich ȝaf þe poer
To susteini min honur & sauy uer and ner
Ich habbe to þe suspetion to soþe ne segge ich noȝt
Þat þou toȝen me & myn honur iturnd hast þi þoȝt
And let smite þoru eiþer herte þat hi deide in a stonde
Þo was sein Bastian iwreid þat he hym ȝaf þe red
To holde faste hore Cristendom þei hy ssolde beo ded
Þe emperor him let clupie sein Bastian he sede
To þe was al mi trist my lond to wisse and rede
Of alle þing þat min is ich ȝaf þe poer
To susteini min honur & sauy uer and ner
Ich habbe to þe suspetion to soþe ne segge ich noȝt
Þat þou toȝen me & myn honur iturnd hast þi þoȝt
Sein Bastian sede sire emperor aȝen þe neuere ich nas
Ac mid þe and alle þinge þat to þin honour was
Ac ofte ich habbe niȝt and day Godes sone bisoȝt
As wis as wiþ is swete blod he haþ us dere aboȝt
Þat he þe ȝiue poer gret strengþe and eke þoȝt
To bileue þi false godes for hy ne helpeþ þe noȝt
Ac mid þe and alle þinge þat to þin honour was
Ac ofte ich habbe niȝt and day Godes sone bisoȝt
As wis as wiþ is swete blod he haþ us dere aboȝt
Þat he þe ȝiue poer gret strengþe and eke þoȝt
To bileue þi false godes for hy ne helpeþ þe noȝt
Wod wroþ was þis emperor sein Bastian he sede
Habbe ich þus ynorissed þe turn þi þoȝt ich rede
Bote þou honury oure godes ich ssel þe such pine take
Þat ar þu be[o] to deþe ibroȝt ech lime þe ssel ake
Habbe ich þus ynorissed þe turn þi þoȝt ich rede
Bote þou honury oure godes ich ssel þe such pine take
Þat ar þu be[o] to deþe ibroȝt ech lime þe ssel ake
Sire sede sein Bastian þi þretynge ne drede ich noȝt
Sorore me greueþ þat þou nelt habbe reuþe on þi þoȝt
And honure him þat þe made & þine maumetis bileue
Þat ne mowe þe helpe worþ a stre for hi beoþ dombe & deue
Þis emperor in grete wraþþe þis holyman let take
And lede him ver into a ueld & binde hym to a stake
He let archers to him schete as it were to a marke
Wiþ arwen & wiþ quarels & made hym wonde starke
Manion wende him þoru out in a lite wile
Hy stikede on him so þicke so irchon doþ of pile
So þat hy hu[l]de him for ded hom hy gonne wende
Vnbured hy bileuede him þer is bodi forto schende
Sorore me greueþ þat þou nelt habbe reuþe on þi þoȝt
And honure him þat þe made & þine maumetis bileue
Þat ne mowe þe helpe worþ a stre for hi beoþ dombe & deue
Þis emperor in grete wraþþe þis holyman let take
And lede him ver into a ueld & binde hym to a stake
He let archers to him schete as it were to a marke
18
Manion wende him þoru out in a lite wile
Hy stikede on him so þicke so irchon doþ of pile
So þat hy hu[l]de him for ded hom hy gonne wende
Vnbured hy bileuede him þer is bodi forto schende
A Cristene womman þat het Yreine wende þuder biniȝte
Forto burie þis holy bodi if he[o] it finde miȝte
He[o] com and fond him hol & sond wiþoute ech maner wonde
Wiþ ioie he[o] ladde hym to hare hous & glad was þat him fonde
Forto burie þis holy bodi if he[o] it finde miȝte
He[o] com and fond him hol & sond wiþoute ech maner wonde
Wiþ ioie he[o] ladde hym to hare hous & glad was þat him fonde
Þe ueorþe day sein Bastian wende to þe emperour
Sire he sede ichelle þe telle þing to þin honour
Ȝe misbileueþ & me doþ ȝou ek mis to vnderstonde
Þat Cristen men ssolde harm do þe comun of þi londe
For ysusteined and ysaued þi lond is þoru hare bone
More þanne þoru ȝoure maumetis þat ne beoþ noȝt worþ a spone
For we biddeþ niȝt & day God þat me hider sende
Þat he ȝou sende is holy grace þi lif forto amende
Sire he sede ichelle þe telle þing to þin honour
Ȝe misbileueþ & me doþ ȝou ek mis to vnderstonde
Þat Cristen men ssolde harm do þe comun of þi londe
For ysusteined and ysaued þi lond is þoru hare bone
More þanne þoru ȝoure maumetis þat ne beoþ noȝt worþ a spone
For we biddeþ niȝt & day God þat me hider sende
Þat he ȝou sende is holy grace þi lif forto amende
Hou is þis quaþ þe emperor were þou aliue be[o]
Nertou noȝt sein Bastian þat ich let in þe uelde sle
Nertou noȝt sein Bastian þat ich let in þe uelde sle
Ȝe sede þis holyman aliue ich am ȝute her
Hol and sond wiþoute wonde to ssewe Godes poer
And to ssewe þat ȝe vnriȝt doþ Cristen men to spille
For hore bileue is riȝt & god & ȝoure nis worþ a uille
Þarefore in þi soule biþench ne byluf noȝt on a stone
Ac on him þat þe dure boȝte Godes sone al one
O: sede þe emperor ware is oure myȝte
Schel þis þeof wiþ is wicchinge aȝen us wiþ wordes fiȝte
He let nyme þis holyman & to is paleis lede
For no miracle þat he dude to wide ne ssolde sprede
In a stude deorne inou villich he let him drawe
& wiþ staues to deþe bete & þo he was of lif dawe
In a chambre ferine amidde þe fulþhede
He let him hange wiþ a rop þat was a uil dede
Þat body forto ssende and for he was in drede
Þat Cristen men him wolde stele & þat bodi awei lede
Hol and sond wiþoute wonde to ssewe Godes poer
And to ssewe þat ȝe vnriȝt doþ Cristen men to spille
For hore bileue is riȝt & god & ȝoure nis worþ a uille
Þarefore in þi soule biþench ne byluf noȝt on a stone
Ac on him þat þe dure boȝte Godes sone al one
O: sede þe emperor ware is oure myȝte
Schel þis þeof wiþ is wicchinge aȝen us wiþ wordes fiȝte
He let nyme þis holyman & to is paleis lede
For no miracle þat he dude to wide ne ssolde sprede
In a stude deorne inou villich he let him drawe
& wiþ staues to deþe bete & þo he was of lif dawe
In a chambre ferine amidde þe fulþhede
He let him hange wiþ a rop þat was a uil dede
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Þat Cristen men him wolde stele & þat bodi awei lede
Byniȝte com þis holiman to a womman þat het Lucine
And tolde hou he imartred was & in wuche pine
Hou uillich is body heng þat he[o] so sone so he[o] miȝte
Þis bodi uette & burede it amang Cristenmen biniȝte
Þis gode womman at midniȝt dude so he hadde ibede
Vette is body & burede it in a wel uair stude
Þus sein Bastian broȝte is lyf to ende
And to þe ioie of heuene fram pine gan wende
And tolde hou he imartred was & in wuche pine
Hou uillich is body heng þat he[o] so sone so he[o] miȝte
Þis bodi uette & burede it amang Cristenmen biniȝte
Þis gode womman at midniȝt dude so he hadde ibede
Vette is body & burede it in a wel uair stude
Þus sein Bastian broȝte is lyf to ende
And to þe ioie of heuene fram pine gan wende
| The South English Legendary | |