 | The South English Legendary |  |
De Inuenione sancti Steffani
An holy preost þer was suþþe þat was god Cristene man
Þat louede God & Holy Churche is name was Lucian
In a Vriniȝt as þis preost þe þridde tid of þe niȝte
Lay inis bedde al wakynge him com a wonder siȝte
Þat louede God & Holy Churche is name was Lucian
In a Vriniȝt as þis preost þe þridde tid of þe niȝte
Lay inis bedde al wakynge him com a wonder siȝte
Þer com to him a uair oldman biuore is bedde alowe
His berd long & swuþe sid is cloþes wiȝt so snowe
Is mantel wiþ croises al aboute wel uaire aboute him drou
Hosen & sson ek al of golde him þoȝte fair inou
A ȝeord of golde he bar anhonde & þerwiþ he smot þrie
Lucian þe holy preost and wel mildeliche gan crie
His berd long & swuþe sid is cloþes wiȝt so snowe
Is mantel wiþ croises al aboute wel uaire aboute him drou
Hosen & sson ek al of golde him þoȝte fair inou
A ȝeord of golde he bar anhonde & þerwiþ he smot þrie
Lucian þe holy preost and wel mildeliche gan crie
Lucian Lucian Lucian aris
And seie þe bissop of Ierusalem Ion þat is so wis
And esse him hou longe [w]e ssolle [] in þe eorþe iclosed be[o]
Bidde him þat he us openy þat men us mowe ise[o]
Þat þe holy dore of milce oure swete Louerd vndo
Þ[e] watloker for loue of me & of myne felawes also
And seie þe bissop of Ierusalem Ion þat is so wis
And esse him hou longe [w]e ssolle [] in þe eorþe iclosed be[o]
Bidde him þat he us openy þat men us mowe ise[o]
Þat þe holy dore of milce oure swete Louerd vndo
Þ[e] watloker for loue of me & of myne felawes also
Ich ne segge þis noȝt for me ac for mine felawes þre[o]
Þat longe vnder eorþe beoþ & ssolde aboue be[o]
For ich am Gamaliel þat forþ broȝte iwis
And norissede sein Paul þat nouþe apostel is
Seinte Steuene þe holyman bi us liþ also
Þat after oure Louerdes passion ferst was to deþe ido
Nichodemus þe godeman my neueu is þe þridde
Þat to oure Louerd com a niȝt is wissinge forto bidde
Þe veorþe is myn owene sone Abibas þe gode
We ne liggeþ noȝt þere faire wo so him vnderstode
Þat longe vnder eorþe beoþ & ssolde aboue be[o]
For ich am Gamaliel þat forþ broȝte iwis
And norissede sein Paul þat nouþe apostel is
Seinte Steuene þe holyman bi us liþ also
Þat after oure Louerdes passion ferst was to deþe ido
Nichodemus þe godeman my neueu is þe þridde
Þat to oure Louerd com a niȝt is wissinge forto bidde
Þe veorþe is myn owene sone Abibas þe gode
We ne liggeþ noȝt þere faire wo so him vnderstode
Þo Lucyan awok and þis siȝte hadde al yseie
He nuste wat him was to done he was in gret eyȝe
Ȝeorne he bad Iesu Crist þe sikeror forto be[o]
And ȝif þe siȝte were þoru him þat he it moste eft ise[o]
He nuste wat him was to done he was in gret eyȝe
Ȝeorne he bad Iesu Crist þe sikeror forto be[o]
And ȝif þe siȝte were þoru him þat he it moste eft ise[o]
Þe nexte Friday afterward at þulke sulue tide
Gamaliel efsone cam he nolde no leng abide
In þe sulue abit þat he dude er Lucian he sede
Wy nastou ido þat ich þe bad biþench þe bet ich rede
Gamaliel efsone cam he nolde no leng abide
593
Wy nastou ido þat ich þe bad biþench þe bet ich rede
Louerd quaþ þis Lucian ich was somdel in drede
Þat it bote a sweuene nas to do such holy dede
Þere fore ȝif þou woldest come þe þridde tide
Þou miȝtest gladie me þe more þat ich nolde no leng abide
Þat it bote a sweuene nas to do such holy dede
Þere fore ȝif þou woldest come þe þridde tide
Þou miȝtest gladie me þe more þat ich nolde no leng abide
Þe niȝt eft a seueniȝt com þis holyman
In þe manere þat he dude er to þis Lucyan
He esste him anon in grete wraþþe wi he abod so longe
And wat penance biuore God he wolde þerof auonge
In þe manere þat he dude er to þis Lucyan
He esste him anon in grete wraþþe wi he abod so longe
And wat penance biuore God he wolde þerof auonge
A Louerd quaþ þis Lucian ichelle nou hie faste
Ich ne abod noȝt bote for ich wolde be[o] siker þerof attelaste
Þis Lucian him dude forþ to þe bissop Ion
And tolde him þe holy mannes heste & þis siȝte anon
Þe bissop gan for ioie weope and lufde al þat he sede
And wende forþ hasteliche to do þis holy dede
Ich ne abod noȝt bote for ich wolde be[o] siker þerof attelaste
Þis Lucian him dude forþ to þe bissop Ion
And tolde him þe holy mannes heste & þis siȝte anon
Þe bissop gan for ioie weope and lufde al þat he sede
And wende forþ hasteliche to do þis holy dede
Hy come and dolue faste inou wel depe in þe gronde
So þat þoru oure Louerdes grace þis holyman hi fonde
Seinte Steuenes holy bones in þe est half hi fonde þere
Þo hi miȝte wonder ise[o] alle þat þere were
For anon so he was ifonde þe eorþe quakede faste
Þat al þe folk wondrede þerof and were sore agaste
Þer smot out also of is bones a noble smul & swote
Þat spradde aboute in to al þe place & monymon com to bote
For þre[o] & seuenti men þat in gret siknesse were
Iheld were þoru þulke smul anon among hom þere
Hy nome op þis holy bones wel clene and richeliche
And to þe churche of Sion bere ham swuþe heiliche
For of þe apostles he was ymad in þulke churche þere
Ercedekne of Cristene men er he ymartred were
In þulke churche his holy bones were ido in ssrine
Nou God for þe loue of seinte Steuene ssuld us fram helle pine
So þat þoru oure Louerdes grace þis holyman hi fonde
Seinte Steuenes holy bones in þe est half hi fonde þere
Þo hi miȝte wonder ise[o] alle þat þere were
For anon so he was ifonde þe eorþe quakede faste
Þat al þe folk wondrede þerof and were sore agaste
Þer smot out also of is bones a noble smul & swote
Þat spradde aboute in to al þe place & monymon com to bote
For þre[o] & seuenti men þat in gret siknesse were
Iheld were þoru þulke smul anon among hom þere
Hy nome op þis holy bones wel clene and richeliche
And to þe churche of Sion bere ham swuþe heiliche
For of þe apostles he was ymad in þulke churche þere
Ercedekne of Cristene men er he ymartred were
594
Nou God for þe loue of seinte Steuene ssuld us fram helle pine
| The South English Legendary | |