 | The South English Legendary |  |
De sancto Barnaba
Sein Barnabe þe apostel þat god was and hende
Imartred was for Godes loue in strong deþ atte nende
After þat oure swete Louerd to heuene him gan wende
Þe apostles prechede Cristendom as he hom gan sende
Imartred was for Godes loue in strong deþ atte nende
After þat oure swete Louerd to heuene him gan wende
Þe apostles prechede Cristendom as he hom gan sende
Sein Barnabe isei þo þat is bileue nas noȝt
He turnde sone to þe apostles & to oure Louerd is þoȝt
Of lond he hadde a gret feld he solde him wel uaste
And to þe apostles fet þe panes echone caste
And forsok al þe worldes god and hore felawe bicom
And ymartred wiþ hom was for loue of Cristendom
He turnde sone to þe apostles & to oure Louerd is þoȝt
Of lond he hadde a gret feld he solde him wel uaste
And to þe apostles fet þe panes echone caste
And forsok al þe worldes god and hore felawe bicom
And ymartred wiþ hom was for loue of Cristendom
Suþþe þo sein Poul to þe apostles wende
Þe apostles ne luuede it noȝt þat oure Louerd him to hom sende
And wende þat he gilour were forte it was longe
For he hadde ibeo so luþer man ar hi durste him auonge
Þe apostles ne luuede it noȝt þat oure Louerd him to hom sende
And wende þat he gilour were forte it was longe
For he hadde ibeo so luþer man ar hi durste him auonge
Sein Barnabe ikneu him uerst so þat he ferst broȝte
Þe apostles in verste cuþe of him and in riȝte þoȝte
And tolde hom hou oure swete Louerd bi þe wei to him com
And smot him & binom is siȝte and broȝte him to Cristendom
218
And tolde hom hou oure swete Louerd bi þe wei to him com
And smot him & binom is siȝte and broȝte him to Cristendom
Suþþe þo fram Ierusalem þe apostles gonne wende
Forto prechi Cristendom euerich inis ende
Hi gonne to þe lond of Cipre sein Barnabe sende
Forto prechi Godes lawe þat so god was & hende
Forto prechi Cristendom euerich inis ende
Hi gonne to þe lond of Cipre sein Barnabe sende
Forto prechi Godes lawe þat so god was & hende
As he wende forþ bi þe wei in a stude he uond
A companie of queinte men þe wisoste of al þe lond
He spak wiþ hom so queinteliche as he bi hom com
Þer nas non of hom alle þat ne wondrede of is wisdom
A companie of queinte men þe wisoste of al þe lond
He spak wiþ hom so queinteliche as he bi hom com
Þer nas non of hom alle þat ne wondrede of is wisdom
Beu sire sede on of hom þat was of gret fame
Telle us wanne þou art and wat is þi name
And wanne þou ert hider icome & for wuche þinge
Þou comst into oure lond here ichot for some tydinge
Telle us wanne þou art and wat is þi name
And wanne þou ert hider icome & for wuche þinge
Þou comst into oure lond here ichot for some tydinge
Sein Barnabe þis holyman fondede in eche pointe
To answerie hom queinteliche for hi were so quointe
Sire h[e] sede þou askest wel and ich ȝou wolle telle
Barnabe icham icluped þe deuel is fo of helle
Iesu Cristes man icham þat me gan hider sende
Fram Ierusalem icham icome and þus aboute wende
Forto prechi is holy name þat broȝte us out of bende
Biluueþ on him and ȝe worþe in ioie wiþoute ende
To answerie hom queinteliche for hi were so quointe
Sire h[e] sede þou askest wel and ich ȝou wolle telle
Barnabe icham icluped þe deuel is fo of helle
Iesu Cristes man icham þat me gan hider sende
Fram Ierusalem icham icome and þus aboute wende
Forto prechi is holy name þat broȝte us out of bende
Biluueþ on him and ȝe worþe in ioie wiþoute ende
He prechede so þis grete men þat hi turnde hore þoȝt
And were þer to Cristene men þoru sein Barnabe ibroȝt
And biluuede on Iesu Crist and hore herte up him caste
And prechede wiþ him of Iesu Crist & turnde also þe folk faste
And were þer to Cristene men þoru sein Barnabe ibroȝt
And biluuede on Iesu Crist and hore herte up him caste
And prechede wiþ him of Iesu Crist & turnde also þe folk faste
Sein Barnabe him wende forþ & to þe lond of Cipre com
To turne men to Iesu Crist and to prechi Cristendom
He com and fond a fil dede þat ssenfol was to do
Men ourne naked al aboute and wommen also
To turne men to Iesu Crist and to prechi Cristendom
He com and fond a fil dede þat ssenfol was to do
Men ourne naked al aboute and wommen also
219
Sein Barnabe was sore ofssamed of þulke ssendfol dede
Þat þe ssrewene ne ssamede noȝt to ssewe hore wrechede
To þe temple he wende anon uppe wam hy auowede hore ssame
And amansede þe sori temple in oure Louerdes name
Anon mid þis mansinge al þe on half dasste adon
Of þis temple þoru gret wreche wiþ gret noise and son
Wel aȝte ech Cristen man of mansinge be[o] in fere
Wanne þe deueles hous ne miȝte þere aȝen stonde þere
Þe wrecches þo hi seie þe wreche þat so ssameles were
Hi bileuede þulke sunfol dede & wiþ more honur hom bere
Þat þe ssrewene ne ssamede noȝt to ssewe hore wrechede
To þe temple he wende anon uppe wam hy auowede hore ssame
And amansede þe sori temple in oure Louerdes name
Anon mid þis mansinge al þe on half dasste adon
Of þis temple þoru gret wreche wiþ gret noise and son
Wel aȝte ech Cristen man of mansinge be[o] in fere
Wanne þe deueles hous ne miȝte þere aȝen stonde þere
Þe wrecches þo hi seie þe wreche þat so ssameles were
Hi bileuede þulke sunfol dede & wiþ more honur hom bere
Þis holyman him wende forþ forþore in þe londe
Symon þat was an holyman in a stude he fonde
Þat was in strong acces in feueres & atte deþe ney
Sein Barnabe ofþoȝte sore þat he him so feble isey
Þe gospelles of sein Mattheu wiþ him euere he bar
In a bok as God it wolde & wiþ him he hadde it þar
Þis boc he leide uppon þis man as he sik þer lay
He bicom anon hol and sond as al þat folk isay
And wende forþ wiþ him aboute hol and glad inou
And prechede of Iesu Crist and þat folk fram sunne drou
Symon þat was an holyman in a stude he fonde
Þat was in strong acces in feueres & atte deþe ney
Sein Barnabe ofþoȝte sore þat he him so feble isey
Þe gospelles of sein Mattheu wiþ him euere he bar
In a bok as God it wolde & wiþ him he hadde it þar
Þis boc he leide uppon þis man as he sik þer lay
He bicom anon hol and sond as al þat folk isay
And wende forþ wiþ him aboute hol and glad inou
And prechede of Iesu Crist and þat folk fram sunne drou
Of oure swete Louerd of heuene sein Barnabe hadde such grace
Þat ȝif he eny sik man fonde as he wende in eche place
He leide uppon him is bok þat so holy & god was
Of þe gospelles of sein Mattheu so strong siknesse non nas
Þat he þoru oure Louerdes grace ne held of anon
Þer þoru he made many o man to Iesu Crist gon
Þoru uertu of þis holyman & of þis holy boc also
Muche fair miȝte oure Louerd haþ inis sergans ido
Þat ȝif he eny sik man fonde as he wende in eche place
He leide uppon him is bok þat so holy & god was
Of þe gospelles of sein Mattheu so strong siknesse non nas
Þat he þoru oure Louerdes grace ne held of anon
Þer þoru he made many o man to Iesu Crist gon
Þoru uertu of þis holyman & of þis holy boc also
Muche fair miȝte oure Louerd haþ inis sergans ido
Þis holyman sein Barnabe ȝute forþore wende
And prechede þis Giwes faste hore lif forto amende
Monie he turnde to Cristendom & þe Holy Gost on hom tende
Þoru miracles þat he dude & þoru grace þat God him sende
And prechede þis Giwes faste hore lif forto amende
Monie he turnde to Cristendom & þe Holy Gost on hom tende
220
Baren was a luþer Giu þat euere worrede uaste
Sein Poul & sein Barnebe & cudde it attelaste
For þo he fond sein Barnabe þat folk to God so wende
To þe luþer Iustice of þe lond þe tidinge [he] gan sende
Þis holyman was sone inome and to deþe ibroȝt
Hi tormentede him strong & harde forto turne is þoȝt
And ech maner torment hi him dude þat hi miȝte on þenche
Hy ne myȝte him enes make is þoȝt fram God blenche
Sein Poul & sein Barnebe & cudde it attelaste
For þo he fond sein Barnabe þat folk to God so wende
To þe luþer Iustice of þe lond þe tidinge [he] gan sende
Þis holyman was sone inome and to deþe ibroȝt
Hi tormentede him strong & harde forto turne is þoȝt
And ech maner torment hi him dude þat hi miȝte on þenche
Hy ne myȝte him enes make is þoȝt fram God blenche
As hi were mid al hore miȝte þus faste aboute & longe
To defouli þis holyman wiþ tormens harde & stronge
Þe emperour is o cosyn þat of gret poer was
Into þe toune com þulke tyme as it were bicas
Þe Giwes were so sore adrad leste hi hom nome
Þoru stre[n]gþe of sein Barnabe and ladde him to Rome
To defouli þis holyman wiþ tormens harde & stronge
Þe emperour is o cosyn þat of gret poer was
Into þe toune com þulke tyme as it were bicas
Þe Giwes were so sore adrad leste hi hom nome
Þoru stre[n]gþe of sein Barnabe and ladde him to Rome
A niȝt hy nome þis holyman as he was aranced so
And dude a rop aboute is necke & knutte faste þerto
And drou him ouer hore sinagoge wiþ wo & pine inou
And suþþe also bi þe swere out atte ȝete me him drou
And made aboute him a gret fur & barnde him to noȝte
An hey to heuene is soule wende þat he bar aboute
And dude a rop aboute is necke & knutte faste þerto
And drou him ouer hore sinagoge wiþ wo & pine inou
And suþþe also bi þe swere out atte ȝete me him drou
And made aboute him a gret fur & barnde him to noȝte
An hey to heuene is soule wende þat he bar aboute
Anne red nome þis luþer men þo hi nemiȝte attelaste
Al is bones [bileue] unbarnd & amidde þe water caste
Ac Cristen men þat were biside stele to byniȝte
And burede hom wel stilleliche wiþ as gret honur as hi miȝte
Nou bidde we ȝeorne Iesu Crist king of alle kynge
For þe loue of sein Barnabe þat [he] us to heuene bringe
Al is bones [bileue] unbarnd & amidde þe water caste
Ac Cristen men þat were biside stele to byniȝte
And burede hom wel stilleliche wiþ as gret honur as hi miȝte
Nou bidde we ȝeorne Iesu Crist king of alle kynge
For þe loue of sein Barnabe þat [he] us to heuene bringe
| The South English Legendary | |