 | The South English Legendary |  |
[Seint Edmund þe holi king ]
Seint Edmund þe holi king
of wham we makieþ gret feste
Of þat on ende of Engelond kyng he was her bi este
For of Souþfolc he was kyng & of þe contray wide
For þer were þo in Engelond kynges in eche side
Swiþe fair knyȝt he was & strong & hardi in eche poynte
Meok mylþe & ful of milce & swiþe curteys & quoynte
Tuei princes of anoþer lond þat were of liþer þoȝt
Faste here red togadere nome to bringe Engelond to noȝt
Hubba was þoþer ihote & þoþer het Hyngar
Wiþ grete furde hi come to Engelond er eni man were iwar
In Norþhumberland hi bigonne & þer hi sloȝe to grounde
Robbede also & brende to noȝt & destruyde al þat hi founde
Of þat on ende of Engelond kyng he was her bi este
512
For þer were þo in Engelond kynges in eche side
Swiþe fair knyȝt he was & strong & hardi in eche poynte
Meok mylþe & ful of milce & swiþe curteys & quoynte
Tuei princes of anoþer lond þat were of liþer þoȝt
Faste here red togadere nome to bringe Engelond to noȝt
Hubba was þoþer ihote & þoþer het Hyngar
Wiþ grete furde hi come to Engelond er eni man were iwar
In Norþhumberland hi bigonne & þer hi sloȝe to grounde
Robbede also & brende to noȝt & destruyde al þat hi founde
Þo hi hadde Norþhumberland clenliche to noȝt ibroȝt
Also hi þoȝte al Engelond hi neþoȝte raþer bileue noȝt
Hyngar þat o maister was his felawe bileuede þere
& her bi este wende him silf to sle þat þer were
Of þe godnisse of seint Edmund he hurde moche telle
In to his lond he wende anon to fondi him to quelle
Also hi þoȝte al Engelond hi neþoȝte raþer bileue noȝt
Hyngar þat o maister was his felawe bileuede þere
& her bi este wende him silf to sle þat þer were
Of þe godnisse of seint Edmund he hurde moche telle
In to his lond he wende anon to fondi him to quelle
In to his hexte toun he com er eni man were iwar
& robbede al þat he fond & makede þane toun bar
Þat folc he sloȝ al to grounde al þat he miȝte ofgon
Ȝung & old wyf ne maide he nesparede non
Children fram here moder breost he drouȝ & let hem quelle
& al todrawe tofore here moder þat reuþe hit is to telle
Þe modres he let siþþe quelle þat reuþe hit was ynouȝ
Þe toun he brende al to douste & þat folc aslouȝ
He ofeschte of þat folc where here kyng were
& hi him teiȝte wher he was hi neþerfte non oþer for fere
& robbede al þat he fond & makede þane toun bar
Þat folc he sloȝ al to grounde al þat he miȝte ofgon
Ȝung & old wyf ne maide he nesparede non
Children fram here moder breost he drouȝ & let hem quelle
& al todrawe tofore here moder þat reuþe hit is to telle
Þe modres he let siþþe quelle þat reuþe hit was ynouȝ
Þe toun he brende al to douste & þat folc aslouȝ
He ofeschte of þat folc where here kyng were
& hi him teiȝte wher he was hi neþerfte non oþer for fere
For in þe toun of Eglesdone a god wei þannes h[e] was
Þo þe liþere prince þis ihurde he nemakede noȝt softe pas
Ac wende þider hasteliche wiþ his men echone
Hi come & mette wiþ seint Edmund wiþoute þe toun alone
Þo þe liþere prince þis ihurde he nemakede noȝt softe pas
Ac wende þider hasteliche wiþ his men echone
Hi come & mette wiþ seint Edmund wiþoute þe toun alone
Þo Hyngar wiste þat he hit was he nom him anon þere
& bisigede alle þe men þat wiþinne þe toun were
Seint Edmund was faste ynome in a lute stounde
& ilad tofore þe prince naked his honden faste ibounde
As me ladde oure Louerd tofore Pilatus forto afonge his dom
Þo his dom was iȝyue faste me him nom
& ladde him to a þicke wode & makede him meni wounde
& beote him sore wiþ harde scourgen & to a treo him bounde
So þat þis liþere turmentours þat beote him so sore
Þoȝte þat þeȝ hi him schame dude þat hi him wolde do more
Hi stode afur & bende here bowes & here arewes riȝte
And as to a merke schote to him as euene as hi miȝte
Þe arewes stode on him þicke & al his bodi todrowe
& euere stod þis holi man stille as þeȝ he lowe
As ful as an illespyl is of pikes al aboute
As ful he stikede of arewen wiþinne & wiþoute
So ful þat in none stede ne miȝte an arewe in wende
For oþer bote he his bodi corue & him dude torende
As þe holi man imartred was þe holi seint Bastian
Also hi rende his holi bodi & schote þis holi man
Þat eche pece ful fram oþer wonder hit was of his lyue
Euere he stod as him neroȝte & cride on God wel blyue
513
Seint Edmund was faste ynome in a lute stounde
& ilad tofore þe prince naked his honden faste ibounde
As me ladde oure Louerd tofore Pilatus forto afonge his dom
Þo his dom was iȝyue faste me him nom
& ladde him to a þicke wode & makede him meni wounde
& beote him sore wiþ harde scourgen & to a treo him bounde
So þat þis liþere turmentours þat beote him so sore
Þoȝte þat þeȝ hi him schame dude þat hi him wolde do more
Hi stode afur & bende here bowes & here arewes riȝte
And as to a merke schote to him as euene as hi miȝte
Þe arewes stode on him þicke & al his bodi todrowe
& euere stod þis holi man stille as þeȝ he lowe
As ful as an illespyl is of pikes al aboute
As ful he stikede of arewen wiþinne & wiþoute
So ful þat in none stede ne miȝte an arewe in wende
For oþer bote he his bodi corue & him dude torende
As þe holi man imartred was þe holi seint Bastian
Also hi rende his holi bodi & schote þis holi man
Þat eche pece ful fram oþer wonder hit was of his lyue
Euere he stod as him neroȝte & cride on God wel blyue
Þo Hyngar iseȝ þat he nemiȝte him ouercome noȝt
He let smyte of his heued þat he were of lyue ibroȝt
He let smyte of his heued þat he were of lyue ibroȝt
As þis holi man his bedes bad me smot of his heued
Ac his bodi was er al torend þat noþing nas bileued
& for hit was al todrawe hi lete hit ligge þere
Ac þis heued for me nescholde hit noȝt fynde forþ mid hem hi bere
Ac his bodi was er al torend þat noþing nas bileued
& for hit was al todrawe hi lete hit ligge þere
Ac þis heued for me nescholde hit noȝt fynde forþ mid hem hi bere
In þe wode of Eglesdone a durne stede hi fonde
Among þicke þornes hi caste hit & hudde hit in þe grounde
Among þicke þornes hi caste hit & hudde hit in þe grounde
Þo hi hadde of þis holi kyng al here welle þere
Glade & bliþe hi wende forþ liþere men as hit were
Þat heued hi hudde durneliche þat noman þerto ne come
If eni were bileued alyue & þat heued wiþ hem nome
A wyld wolf þer com sone & to þe heued drouȝ
& þer vppe sat & wiste hit faste aȝe cunde ynouȝ
For his cunde were betere to swolewe hit he lickede hit ofte & custe
& as he wolde his owe whelp wiþ wylde best hit wiste
Siþþe þo come Cristene men & in som poer were ibroȝt
Þe holi bodi hi fonde sone for hit nas ihud noȝt
Ac for hi nefonde noȝt þat heued aboute hi wende wide
& longe hi soȝte in eche stede euerech in his side
Glade & bliþe hi wende forþ liþere men as hit were
514
If eni were bileued alyue & þat heued wiþ hem nome
A wyld wolf þer com sone & to þe heued drouȝ
& þer vppe sat & wiste hit faste aȝe cunde ynouȝ
For his cunde were betere to swolewe hit he lickede hit ofte & custe
& as he wolde his owe whelp wiþ wylde best hit wiste
Siþþe þo come Cristene men & in som poer were ibroȝt
Þe holi bodi hi fonde sone for hit nas ihud noȝt
Ac for hi nefonde noȝt þat heued aboute hi wende wide
& longe hi soȝte in eche stede euerech in his side
Hi nemiȝte hit finde for noþing so þat hi come a day
Biside þulke þicke stede þer as þe heued lay
Hi nuste noȝt þat hit was þer þat heued bigan to grede
As hit among þe þornes lai & þuse wordes sede
Al an Englisch. her. her. her as þeȝ hit were alyue
Þo þat folc ihurde þis þider hi vrne blyue
Þat heued hi fonde in þulke stede þer as hit him silue sede
Louerd ihered beo þi miȝte þat þer was a fair dede
Þat heued hi bere to þe bodi & sette hit euene þerto
& bere forþ boþe wiþ gret honur as riȝt was to do
& þe wolf makede þo deol ynouȝ þo hi þat heued forþ bere
He ȝal & furde pitousliche as þeȝ he witles were
He suede hem euere while he miȝte ȝullinge wel sore
Atte laste he wende al awei þer me neseȝ him no more
Hi ladde him to seint Edmundesbury as me clepeþ þane toun
Þis holi man al isound & leide him þeradoun
In noble schryne hi him brouȝte as riȝt was to do
Þer he lyþ al hol & sound as hi seoþ þat comeþ him to
For his bodi þat was so todrawe bicom al hol anon
As þe while he was alyue boþe in flesch & bon
His heued as faste to þe bodi as hit was euer er
In al his bodi þer nas wem as meni man iseȝ þer
Bote as his heued was of ismyte as oure Louerd hit wolde
A smal red lyne al aboute schyninge of golde
Wele whiche fair pelrynage is þider forto fare
To honury þat holi bodi þat haþ ibeo þer so ȝare
Nou God for þe loue of seint Edmund þat was so noble kyng
Grante ous þe ioye þat he is inne after oure ending
Biside þulke þicke stede þer as þe heued lay
Hi nuste noȝt þat hit was þer þat heued bigan to grede
As hit among þe þornes lai & þuse wordes sede
Al an Englisch. her. her. her as þeȝ hit were alyue
Þo þat folc ihurde þis þider hi vrne blyue
Þat heued hi fonde in þulke stede þer as hit him silue sede
Louerd ihered beo þi miȝte þat þer was a fair dede
Þat heued hi bere to þe bodi & sette hit euene þerto
& bere forþ boþe wiþ gret honur as riȝt was to do
& þe wolf makede þo deol ynouȝ þo hi þat heued forþ bere
He ȝal & furde pitousliche as þeȝ he witles were
He suede hem euere while he miȝte ȝullinge wel sore
Atte laste he wende al awei þer me neseȝ him no more
Hi ladde him to seint Edmundesbury as me clepeþ þane toun
Þis holi man al isound & leide him þeradoun
In noble schryne hi him brouȝte as riȝt was to do
Þer he lyþ al hol & sound as hi seoþ þat comeþ him to
For his bodi þat was so todrawe bicom al hol anon
As þe while he was alyue boþe in flesch & bon
His heued as faste to þe bodi as hit was euer er
In al his bodi þer nas wem as meni man iseȝ þer
515
A smal red lyne al aboute schyninge of golde
Wele whiche fair pelrynage is þider forto fare
To honury þat holi bodi þat haþ ibeo þer so ȝare
Nou God for þe loue of seint Edmund þat was so noble kyng
Grante ous þe ioye þat he is inne after oure ending
Amen
| The South English Legendary | |