The South English Legendary

Seint Andreu þapostle was seint Peteres broþer
Oure Louerd silf to Cristendom him brouȝte & non oþer
For fischeres hi were boþe & as hi fischede a day
Bi þe se oure Louerd com & here fisschin isay
Come he seide after me & ich wole ȝou make
Manfischers & þis oþere here nettes gonne forsake
& suede him mid þis word & nechose noȝt amis
Hem was so betere þan to pasken in þe water iwis
While oure Louerd an vrþe was mid him boþe hi were
& siþþe hi wende wide aboute Cristendom to lere

In þe lond of Patras seint Andreu siþþe com
He turnde þer wel faste þat folc to Cristendom
Churchen he rerde al aboute & teiȝte me þerto
Egeas wyf þe Iustise he makede Cristene also
Þerfore þe iustise was wroþ & wende to Patras
To þe cite in gret wraþþe as seint Andreu was
Cristenemen þat he þer fond sone he let take
To make hem wiþ his turmentȝ Cristendom forsake

Seint Andreu sone to him com sire he seide nym ȝeme
Þu þat ert so gret iustise seli men to deme
Þe heȝe Iustise of heuene þu haddest neede to knowe
Þat into þe put of helle þe schal deme wel lowe

What ertou Andreu quaþ þe Iustise þat meni dai haþ igo
& idrawe men to þi false god þu neschalt neuereft mo
Ich drawe men quaþ seint Andreu to God þat soþ is
Ac wrecches & false ȝoure beoþ & deue & dombe iwis
Whi saistou so quaþ þe iustise þu wost wel mid alle
Þat þu þerof loude lixt hou miȝte hit so falle

544

For þe God þat þu of telst þe Gywes while nome
& slowe him as he worþi was bi pur riȝt of dome

Nai certes quaþ seint Andreu riȝt nas hit noȝt
Ac þurf Godes wille ous to bugge he was to deþe ibroȝt

Hou miȝte hit beo quaþ þe Iustise þat his wille were þerto
For þe Gywes him wiþ strenȝþe nome & him slowe also

Ich wot to soþe quaþ Andreu aȝen his wille hit nas
For ich was wiþ him þulke tyme & iseȝ hou hit was
For er wel longe he tolde ous fore hou hit scholde beo
Tyme & stede & euerech poynt as we miȝte siþþe iseo
If þu woldest þat soþe ihure & if þu riȝt vnderstode
Gret vertu ich wole þe telle of þe swete holi rode
Ich wole herkny quaþ þis oþer & bote þu do after me
In þe rode as þi Louerd deide ich wole sette þe
If ich doutede quaþ þis oþer y neprechede þerof noȝt
Ac þeron is al myn hope mi ioye & al mi þoȝt
Þis þu miȝt telle quaþ þe Iustise men þat luueþ þe
& for ynelle hit ileoue noȝt oþer þing þu schalt telle me
Bote þu bileoue on oure godes miȝti of alle þinge
In þe rode þat þu of spext to deþe me schal þe bringe
Almiȝti God quaþ þis oþer ich herie niȝt & day
Ich bileoue on him & herie wole þe while ich speke may

Þe Iustise was þo wroþ ynouȝ seint Andreu he let caste
In strong prisoun & he lai þer þe while hit ilaste
As þe iustise sat amorwe in his sige to him he was ibroȝt
Andreu he seide ich hopie wel þat þu beo bet biþoȝt
& þat þou habbe fram folie þi þoȝt iturnd to niȝt
To libbe wiþ ous in ioye gret & leue þin vnriȝt

Þu liþere bern quaþ seint Andreu þu huntest aboute noȝt
Þe more turment þu me dost þe gladdere is mi þoȝt
For þe mo turmentȝ þat ich þolie for mi Louerd er þat ich deye
Þe more worþ mi ioye wiþ him in þe ioye of heuene heye
Ich doutie more of þe þan of me for mi pyne nele ileste

545

Bote o dai oþer tueye her oþer þreo atte meste
Ac þe turment þat þu schalt habbe wharto þu schalt wende
In tuenti þousend ȝer ne mo neworþ ibroȝt to ende
Þo was þe Iustise swiþe wroþ he het his men anon
Seint Andreu scourgi so þat him oke ech bon
& siþþe bynde him honde & fet to þe rode faste
Wiþ stronge corden for his lyf scholde þe lengore ilaste
& he þe more in pyne beo & þe more schede of his blode
Þe turmenturs wel ynouȝ his heste vnderstode
Anon to þe bon hi beoten him furst wiþ stronge scourges gode
In to þe vrþe hi pulte faste þe tuei endes of þe rode

Þo seint Andreu iseȝ þe rode adoun he sat akneo
Hail beo þu swete rode he seide swettest of alle treo
Þat þu wiþ mi Louerdes lymes ihalewed mostest beo
& of ȝymmes preciouses wel glad ich þe iseo
& wel glad ich come to þe wel glad afong þu me
For euere siþþe mi Louerdes deþ [iwilned] ich habbe þe
Nym me nou al fram þis men to mi Louerd þu most me sende
For al myn hope & mi wil is þurf þe to him wende
Þo he strupte of him silf his cloþes atte bigynnynge
& bitoc þe turmenturs þat scholde him to deþe bringe
Faste boþe fet & honde to þe croiȝ hi bounde
Þe honden boþe aboue þe heued þe fet toward to grounde
Þat folc com þicke aboute him he gan to prechi faste
Tuei dayes & tuei niȝt þe while his ly[f] ilaste
Þat folc þretnede þe iustise & þicke aboute him come
& wolde him alto drawe anon bote he him adoun nome

Þe Iustise him wolde nyme adoun seint Andreu him forbed
Inele noȝt he seide come adoun er þan ich beo ded
For ich iseo mi swete Louerd & er while ich iseȝ
Þat abydeþ me til ich come he is her wel neȝ

546

Whan me wolde him nyme adoun hem þoȝte he was anheȝ
No man nemiȝte him areche for euere vpward he steȝ
Here armes whan hi vpward reiȝte bicome as stif as treo
So gret liȝt þer com aboute him þat noman nemiȝte him iseo
Hi hurde him & neseȝe him noȝt þat liȝt ileste iwis
Forte þe holi soule wende þerwiþ to heuene blis
Þo þe soule was forþ iwend & þe holi bodi bileuede þere
Maximille þe iustises wyf & oþere þat þer were
Wiþ gret honur hi hit neme adoun & to buringe bere

Ȝut nolde þe iustise ileoue noþing þat he gan him lere
Þerfore amidde þe wey as he homward wende
He ful ded tofore þe men & his soule to helle sende
Ac seint Andreu was siþþe heȝe ilad iwis
To þe lond of Constantinople þer as he ȝut is
Swiþe glad þat lond is þat he euere þer com
In þisse manere seint Andreu þolede martirdom

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