 | The South English Legendary |  |
De santo Aldelmo
Seint Aldelm þe confessour was man of noble line
Ibore he was in Engelond þe kinges broþer sone Yne
For Kenten was [is broþer] þat seint Aldames fader was
And suþþe was kyng after Ine as God ȝaf þat cas
Þis holy child seint Aldelm to lettre was iset
Nobleliche him spedde anon nemiȝte no child bet
So longe he couþe as God it wolde ech maner langage
Bote him spedde þanne wel me þingþ it were outrage
Ibore he was in Engelond þe kinges broþer sone Yne
For Kenten was [is broþer] þat seint Aldames fader was
And suþþe was kyng after Ine as God ȝaf þat cas
Þis holy child seint Aldelm to lettre was iset
Nobleliche him spedde anon nemiȝte no child bet
So longe he couþe as God it wolde ech maner langage
Bote him spedde þanne wel me þingþ it were outrage
In þe hous suþþe of Malmesburi þat abit he nom
And in strong ordre & [hard] inou monk he bicom
So longe as oure Louerd it wolde abbot he was þere
And of þe grete abbei þat þer is muche del let rere
His gode word so wide sprong as oure Louerd tok gome
So þat it com aperteliche to þe court of Rome
After him þe pope sende anon & þo hi togadere come
Muche was þer ioie in God þat hi bitwene hom nome
And in strong ordre & [hard] inou monk he bicom
So longe as oure Louerd it wolde abbot he was þere
And of þe grete abbei þat þer is muche del let rere
His gode word so wide sprong as oure Louerd tok gome
So þat it com aperteliche to þe court of Rome
After him þe pope sende anon & þo hi togadere come
Muche was þer ioie in God þat hi bitwene hom nome
Woder so euere seint Aldelm wende here oþer þer
Wiþ him a prestes vestemens of þe masse he ber
So þat he song is masse at Rome as God it wolde a day
In sein Jones churche de Laterene as monymon ysay
He nom of is chesible after masse & nomon it nolde auonge
Vpe þe sonne bem þerbiside wel faire he gan is honge
Wiþ him a prestes vestemens of þe masse he ber
So þat he song is masse at Rome as God it wolde a day
In sein Jones churche de Laterene as monymon ysay
He nom of is chesible after masse & nomon it nolde auonge
Vpe þe sonne bem þerbiside wel faire he gan is honge
Þe sonne bem bar þe chesible as monyman ysay
Þe chesible is at Malmesbury ȝute to þis day
He ne derste habbe no donger me þingþ war he bicome
And þe sonne wolde ssyne þei noman is cloþes nome
Þo he hadde ibe[o] longe at Rome suþþe atte nende
His leue he nom atte pope hamward forto wende
Of þe pope he hadde priuelege ar he wolde þanne go
To þe hous of Malmesburi þat lasteþ euere mo
Þat þe hous of Malmesburi euere so fre[o] were
Þat þe bissop ne non of his nabbe no poer þere
Þat hy ordeyni hore monkes ware so [hi] wole bise[o]
Of wuch bissop so hy wolde bote þat he god be[o]
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He ne derste habbe no donger me þingþ war he bicome
And þe sonne wolde ssyne þei noman is cloþes nome
Þo he hadde ibe[o] longe at Rome suþþe atte nende
His leue he nom atte pope hamward forto wende
Of þe pope he hadde priuelege ar he wolde þanne go
To þe hous of Malmesburi þat lasteþ euere mo
Þat þe hous of Malmesburi euere so fre[o] were
Þat þe bissop ne non of his nabbe no poer þere
Þat hy ordeyni hore monkes ware so [hi] wole bise[o]
Of wuch bissop so hy wolde bote þat he god be[o]
And þat hi cheose hore abbot after hore owe uoiss
And þat no prince nabbe poer to destorbi hor [choiss]
And ȝif þer is eny worre alonde þat no king a none wise
Nabbe poer to esse hom ou[ȝ]t ne to do none seruise
Þis priueleges seint Aldelm fram Rome broȝte þo
Þat þe hous of Malmesburi for noþing nolde forgo
And þat no prince nabbe poer to destorbi hor [choiss]
And ȝif þer is eny worre alonde þat no king a none wise
Nabbe poer to esse hom ou[ȝ]t ne to do none seruise
Þis priueleges seint Aldelm fram Rome broȝte þo
Þat þe hous of Malmesburi for noþing nolde forgo
Chartre he broȝte god inou fram Rome of alle þeos þinge
And suþþe he com to Engelonde & ssewede hom þe kynge
Þe king Yne is vncle þat was þo king of þe souþ ende
And Aildred þe king of þe March þat þo was god & hende
Þe priueleges forþ wiþ þe pope confermede boþe to
Wanne popes and kynges haþ imad nemay noman vndo
Suþþe it fel þere afterward hou longe so it were
In þe seue hondred ȝer and in þe sixte ȝere
After þat oure swete Louerd for us an eorþe liȝte
Bi þe kynges daie Aldred þat was kyng of gret miȝte
Þat þe bissops of Engelonde in gret errour were
Wanne hi ssolde habbe Esterday and wuche tyme of þe ȝere
And suþþe he com to Engelonde & ssewede hom þe kynge
Þe king Yne is vncle þat was þo king of þe souþ ende
And Aildred þe king of þe March þat þo was god & hende
Þe priueleges forþ wiþ þe pope confermede boþe to
Wanne popes and kynges haþ imad nemay noman vndo
Suþþe it fel þere afterward hou longe so it were
In þe seue hondred ȝer and in þe sixte ȝere
After þat oure swete Louerd for us an eorþe liȝte
Bi þe kynges daie Aldred þat was kyng of gret miȝte
Þat þe bissops of Engelonde in gret errour were
Wanne hi ssolde habbe Esterday and wuche tyme of þe ȝere
So þat seint Aldelm made a lite boc þo
Forto knowe Esterday and Leinte euere mo
Þat wo so haþ þulke bok he may euere iknowe
Hou he ssel nyme þulke tyme heie oþer lowe
Of oure Leuedy Godes moder seint Aldelm fondede þo
Þe swete ministere of Malmesbury þat worþ so euere mo
Forto knowe Esterday and Leinte euere mo
Þat wo so haþ þulke bok he may euere iknowe
Hou he ssel nyme þulke tyme heie oþer lowe
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Þe swete ministere of Malmesbury þat worþ so euere mo
Þe erche bissop of Kanterburi Briȝtwold was is name
Hurde telle of seint Aldelm and of is holy fame
Sone he sende after him to beon is felawe
Þo þis holymen togadere come ioious hi were & fawe
And ladde togadere holy lif in oure Louerdes lawe
Hore eiþer oþer bi is miȝte to eche godnesse gan drawe
Hurde telle of seint Aldelm and of is holy fame
Sone he sende after him to beon is felawe
Þo þis holymen togadere come ioious hi were & fawe
And ladde togadere holy lif in oure Louerdes lawe
Hore eiþer oþer bi is miȝte to eche godnesse gan drawe
Bi þe [se] side at Douere seint Aldam wende a day
So þat a ssip of marchandise ney þe londe he say
He esste atte marchans ware hy hadde out þere
Eny þing of Holy Churche þat to sulle were
Þe marchans þoȝte scorn of him as gerings wolleþ wi[lde]
And ȝifþ him hoker answere for he þoȝte pouere & milde
Hor ssip smot aȝen into þe se in gret tempest anon
So þat hi were upe þe point forto adrenche echon
Gret wreche is þis quaþ on of hom we mowe wel vnderstonde
We misanswerede þe godeman þat spak wiþ us alonde
For he is holyman & god and proute congons we beoþ
Biddeþ him anon forȝiuenesse þe wile we him iseoþ
So þat a ssip of marchandise ney þe londe he say
He esste atte marchans ware hy hadde out þere
Eny þing of Holy Churche þat to sulle were
Þe marchans þoȝte scorn of him as gerings wolleþ wi[lde]
And ȝifþ him hoker answere for he þoȝte pouere & milde
Hor ssip smot aȝen into þe se in gret tempest anon
So þat hi were upe þe point forto adrenche echon
Gret wreche is þis quaþ on of hom we mowe wel vnderstonde
We misanswerede þe godeman þat spak wiþ us alonde
For he is holyman & god and proute congons we beoþ
Biddeþ him anon forȝiuenesse þe wile we him iseoþ
Hy cride anon on seint Aldelm in god entente inou
Þe tempeste was stille anon hore ssip to londe drou
A bok þat me clupeþ bible þat is of eiþer lawe
Boþe of þe olde & of þe nywe seint Aldelm hi bere fawe
Namore hi nolde misanswere him inou hom þoȝte er
Þis bible is ȝute at Malmesburi & euere eft haþ ibeo þer
Þe tempeste was stille anon hore ssip to londe drou
A bok þat me clupeþ bible þat is of eiþer lawe
Boþe of þe olde & of þe nywe seint Aldelm hi bere fawe
Namore hi nolde misanswere him inou hom þoȝte er
Þis bible is ȝute at Malmesburi & euere eft haþ ibeo þer
Seint Aldelm was bissop suþþe four ȝer biuore is deþe
And þe erchebissop Briȝtwold broȝte him þerto vnneþe
Ac abbot a[t] Malmesburi no þe later he nas
And let him suþþe burie þer þo þat he ded was
So þat þe bissop of Wircestre seint Edwine þo com
Al yue[te]red toward Rome and þere uorþ þene wei nom
And seint Aldelm at Malmesburi faire an eorþe broȝte
And suþþe wende forþ to Rome & deore þane wei aboȝte
Ac þo seint Aldelm bissop was he amansede alle þo
Þat þe hous of Malmesburi wiþ vnriȝt dude eny wo
To bynyme hom eny priuelege þat he hom wan at Rome
Ich rede þat king & bissop þer of take go[m]e
Nou bidde we ȝeorne seint Aldelm oure erende bere so
Þat we mote to þe ioie come þat he is on ido
And þe erchebissop Briȝtwold broȝte him þerto vnneþe
Ac abbot a[t] Malmesburi no þe later he nas
And let him suþþe burie þer þo þat he ded was
So þat þe bissop of Wircestre seint Edwine þo com
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And seint Aldelm at Malmesburi faire an eorþe broȝte
And suþþe wende forþ to Rome & deore þane wei aboȝte
Ac þo seint Aldelm bissop was he amansede alle þo
Þat þe hous of Malmesburi wiþ vnriȝt dude eny wo
To bynyme hom eny priuelege þat he hom wan at Rome
Ich rede þat king & bissop þer of take go[m]e
Nou bidde we ȝeorne seint Aldelm oure erende bere so
Þat we mote to þe ioie come þat he is on ido
| The South English Legendary | |