 | The South English Legendary |  |
De sancto Agustino
Seint Austin þat Cristendom broȝte into Engelonde
Riȝt is among oþer iwis þat he beo vnderstonde
Sein Grigori þe holyman pope was of Rome
Engelond he louede muche þei he neuere þer ne come
Me tolde him þat þe lond was god and þat it heþene was
Sori was sein Grigori þat it icristned nas
Hym sulf he wolde habbe iwend her into Engelonde
Ac he ne moste for is cardinals ac ssolde sende is sonde
Riȝt is among oþer iwis þat he beo vnderstonde
Sein Grigori þe holyman pope was of Rome
Engelond he louede muche þei he neuere þer ne come
Me tolde him þat þe lond was god and þat it heþene was
Sori was sein Grigori þat it icristned nas
Hym sulf he wolde habbe iwend her into Engelonde
Ac he ne moste for is cardinals ac ssolde sende is sonde
Wiþ an forti of godemen seint Austin he nom
And sende hom here into Engelonde to prechi Cristendom
Þat echone monekes were seint Austin and eke þe oþere
Þis holymen hom wende forþ þat alle were as is broþere
After þat God was ibore fif hondred ȝer it was
And four score and nei to ȝer þat hy dude þis holy cas
And sende hom here into Engelonde to prechi Cristendom
Þat echone monekes were seint Austin and eke þe oþere
Þis holymen hom wende forþ þat alle were as is broþere
After þat God was ibore fif hondred ȝer it was
And four score and nei to ȝer þat hy dude þis holy cas
Hi dradde hom sore for hi ne couþe þe speche of Engelonde
Hi nome men þat couþe boþe langages vnderstonde
Hi dude hom forþ in þe se þo hy þuder come
Touward þe hauene of Engelond þane riȝte wei hy nome
To an ile bi este Kent hore ssip bigan euene wende
Þat Þeniȝt lond is icluped as oure Louerd hom wolde sende
Þere hy nome uerst hore in & nome hom sone to rede
Hou hi miȝte best on take to don þis holi dede
Hi nome men þat couþe boþe langages vnderstonde
Hi dude hom forþ in þe se þo hy þuder come
Touward þe hauene of Engelond þane riȝte wei hy nome
To an ile bi este Kent hore ssip bigan euene wende
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Þere hy nome uerst hore in & nome hom sone to rede
Hou hi miȝte best on take to don þis holi dede
Þe king Albriȝt þat was þo king of Engelonde
Bi a queinte messager faire hi sende hore sonde
Þat hy were messagers and fram an hei man icome
To do him a message fram þe court of Rome
Þat ssolde world wiþoute ende to him and to al is londe
To gret prou & richesse beo ȝif hi it wolde vnderstonde
Bi a queinte messager faire hi sende hore sonde
Þat hy were messagers and fram an hei man icome
To do him a message fram þe court of Rome
Þat ssolde world wiþoute ende to him and to al is londe
To gret prou & richesse beo ȝif hi it wolde vnderstonde
Þo þis word to þe kinge com he stod a wile in þoȝt
Gode tidynges he sede mote it be[o] þat hi habbeþ me ibroȝt
He underfeng hom fair inou & honureþ hom also
And findeþ hom plente inou of þat hi habbeþ nede to
Forte ich habbe wiþ hom ispeke and hore message ise[o]
God leoue as hi me bihoteþ wel þat it mote mi prou be[o]
His heste was fol wel iholde me aueng hom vair inou
Þe king touward þulke ile sone þere after drou
Þo he to þe ile com to seint Austin he sende
Þat he to don is message wiþ is felawes to him wende
Gode tidynges he sede mote it be[o] þat hi habbeþ me ibroȝt
He underfeng hom fair inou & honureþ hom also
And findeþ hom plente inou of þat hi habbeþ nede to
Forte ich habbe wiþ hom ispeke and hore message ise[o]
God leoue as hi me bihoteþ wel þat it mote mi prou be[o]
His heste was fol wel iholde me aueng hom vair inou
Þe king touward þulke ile sone þere after drou
Þo he to þe ile com to seint Austin he sende
Þat he to don is message wiþ is felawes to him wende
Seint Austin him greiþed wel & is felawes echon
Forto fiȝte aȝen þe deuel and to bataile gon
Hy made þe signe of þe crois oþer armes nadde hi non
Forto do þis bataille and to ouercome hore fon
A crois of seluer wiþ þe forme of God hi lete rere
And in a stude of baner touore hom alle bere
And ȝeode forþ wel baldeliche as hardi kniȝtes & gode
And siwede hore swete banere wiþ þe forme of þe rode
Forto fiȝte aȝen þe deuel and to bataile gon
Hy made þe signe of þe crois oþer armes nadde hi non
Forto do þis bataille and to ouercome hore fon
A crois of seluer wiþ þe forme of God hi lete rere
And in a stude of baner touore hom alle bere
And ȝeode forþ wel baldeliche as hardi kniȝtes & gode
And siwede hore swete banere wiþ þe forme of þe rode
Hy gonne to singe þe letanie for prou of þe londe
Þat oure Louerd hom sende grace hore prechinge vnderstonde
Þe kyng hi grette swuþe faire þo hi to him come
And sede hore erende þat hi broȝte fram þe court of Rome
And prechede him Cristendom and of oure Louerdes lawe
Þat goder hele him & alle his wolde he þerto drawe
Hy byhete him þe ioie of heuene þat so riche was & is
Þat he ssolde after þulke lif turne to þulke blis
And be[o] þer wiþoute ende mid God þat us boȝte
Þe king stod þo he hurde þis as þei he were in þoȝte
Þat oure Louerd hom sende grace hore prechinge vnderstonde
Þe kyng hi grette swuþe faire þo hi to him come
And sede hore erende þat hi broȝte fram þe court of Rome
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Þat goder hele him & alle his wolde he þerto drawe
Hy byhete him þe ioie of heuene þat so riche was & is
Þat he ssolde after þulke lif turne to þulke blis
And be[o] þer wiþoute ende mid God þat us boȝte
Þe king stod þo he hurde þis as þei he were in þoȝte
Swuþe fair þing it is he sede þat ȝe bihoteþ me
Were ich siker þat it were soþ do ich wolde after þe
Ac i ne consenti noȝt þerto for it is ȝute niwe
Ar ich habbe more vnderȝite weþer þis message beo triwe
And for ȝe þus itrauiled beoþ fram so ueorne londe
And for mine gode as ȝe seggeþ & doþ me understonde
Greui nel ich ȝou noȝt ac faire bi ȝou do
& vnderfange ȝou & finde ȝou ek þat ȝe habbeþ nede to
And ich grante al þulke ek þat wolleþ to ȝou turne
Gode leue ich ȝiue echman inelle noman weorne
Þis was atte uerste me þingþ a god bygynnynge
Þer after was þe betere hope to come to god endynge
Were ich siker þat it were soþ do ich wolde after þe
Ac i ne consenti noȝt þerto for it is ȝute niwe
Ar ich habbe more vnderȝite weþer þis message beo triwe
And for ȝe þus itrauiled beoþ fram so ueorne londe
And for mine gode as ȝe seggeþ & doþ me understonde
Greui nel ich ȝou noȝt ac faire bi ȝou do
& vnderfange ȝou & finde ȝou ek þat ȝe habbeþ nede to
And ich grante al þulke ek þat wolleþ to ȝou turne
Gode leue ich ȝiue echman inelle noman weorne
Þis was atte uerste me þingþ a god bygynnynge
Þer after was þe betere hope to come to god endynge
Seint Austin and alle his a swuþe fair wonyinge
Þe king ȝaf in þe toun of Douere to don in hore p[re]chinge
Seint Austin and is felawes bigonne to prechi faste
So þat somme þat gode were to hom hore herte caste
And turnde hom to Cristendom euere þe leng þe mo
So þat folk aboute hom com so þicke so it miȝte go
Hore dede sprong so wide sone þat to þe king it com
Þe uaire miracles þat hi dude as hi prechede Cristendom
Þe king wende and hurde hore prechinge him þoȝte it was god
To longe he sede ich habbe abide ar ich þis understod
He turnde him to Cristendom & let him baptise anon
And biluuede on Iesu Crist & is men echon
So longe so þis holymen hore wille hadde attenende
Þat þe folk of euerich toun to Cristendom gan wende
Þe king ȝaf in þe toun of Douere to don in hore p[re]chinge
Seint Austin and is felawes bigonne to prechi faste
So þat somme þat gode were to hom hore herte caste
And turnde hom to Cristendom euere þe leng þe mo
So þat folk aboute hom com so þicke so it miȝte go
Hore dede sprong so wide sone þat to þe king it com
Þe uaire miracles þat hi dude as hi prechede Cristendom
Þe king wende and hurde hore prechinge him þoȝte it was god
To longe he sede ich habbe abide ar ich þis understod
He turnde him to Cristendom & let him baptise anon
And biluuede on Iesu Crist & is men echon
So longe so þis holymen hore wille hadde attenende
Þat þe folk of euerich toun to Cristendom gan wende
Seint Austin wende aȝen þo þe pope he tolde at Rome
Hou al þat folk of Engelond Cristendom nome
Þo was þe pope sein Grigori ibroȝt in grete blisse
He het seint Austin wende aȝen þat lond bet to wisse
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Þo was þe pope sein Grigori ibroȝt in grete blisse
He het seint Austin wende aȝen þat lond bet to wisse
Seint Austin wende anon aȝen and þo he þuder com
Twelf bissops he made in þe lond to wardi Cristendom
Þe þritteþe he was him sulf as oure Louerd ȝaf þe cas
Erche bissop at Douere þe ferste þat euere was
Sein Austin broȝte Cristendom þus to Engelonde
Wel aȝte we is day holde ȝif we were wel vnderstonde
His day is toward þe ende of May for þulke day he wende
Out of þis liue to Iesu Crist þat after him þo sende
Þe king Aiberd deide þo six hondred ȝer riȝt
And sixtene after þat oure Louerd inis moder was aliȝt
And on and twenti ȝer also after is Cristendom
And in sixe and fiftyþe ȝere of is kinedom
Nou bidde we ȝerne seint Austin þat to Cristendom us broȝte
Þat we to þe ioie come to wan oure Louerd us boȝte
Twelf bissops he made in þe lond to wardi Cristendom
Þe þritteþe he was him sulf as oure Louerd ȝaf þe cas
Erche bissop at Douere þe ferste þat euere was
Sein Austin broȝte Cristendom þus to Engelonde
Wel aȝte we is day holde ȝif we were wel vnderstonde
His day is toward þe ende of May for þulke day he wende
Out of þis liue to Iesu Crist þat after him þo sende
Þe king Aiberd deide þo six hondred ȝer riȝt
And sixtene after þat oure Louerd inis moder was aliȝt
And on and twenti ȝer also after is Cristendom
And in sixe and fiftyþe ȝere of is kinedom
Nou bidde we ȝerne seint Austin þat to Cristendom us broȝte
Þat we to þe ioie come to wan oure Louerd us boȝte
| The South English Legendary | |