 | The South English Legendary |  |
[Translacio Sancti Thome martiris]
Seint Thomas þys holy man onder eorþe layEr þat he ysshryned were [] manye a lang day
He lay þer inne vyfty ȝer ar me comencede þer to
& aboute an heyte dawes er he were of eorþe ydo
God wolde abide a god tyme to do so noble þyng
Whanne hii were boþe gode erchebysscop & kyng
Vor þe kyng Ion þat longe was & euere of luþer rede
Lute þouȝte by hys daye to do so god dede
Ak þe kyng Henry hys ȝonge sone nolde no leng fyne
Þo he was ȝ[o]ng kyng ymad er he were in sshryne
Kyng he hadde ibeo þryttene ȝer ar he dude þys noble þyng
& hit was in þe veorþe ȝere þat he was ymad ȝong kyng
Þe gode erchebisscop Steuene radde euere vaste þert[o]
So þat by hare beyre red þys dede was ydo
Þe pope Honori þat was þo þuder he gan sende
[P]andulf a leget vram Rome vor bringe þys to ende
Þe pope ȝ[e]f alle greot pardoun þat þuder wolde gon
Þat me nuste longe in Engelond so greot pardoun non
Vorto honoury þys holy man þer com volk ynowȝ
Of bysscopes & of abbo[te]s [] monyon þuder drowȝ
691
Of heorles & barouns & many a knyȝt þerto
Of seriauns & squyers [] & hosebondes ynowe
& of simple men eke of þe lond [] so þykke þuder drowe
Þat al þe contrey þer aboute [] & toune wyde & longe
Myȝte vnneþe al þat folk þat þer com vndervonge
So þat þis heye men þat scholde þys dede do
Were in care hou hii myȝte vor presse com þer to
So þat þe erchebysscop Steuene of wham ich ȝou sede
& þe bysscop Rychard of Salusbury nome ȝham to rede
& þe priour Water of þe hous & þe couent also
Wende ȝham alle in pryuete [] þys dede vorto do
By nyȝte þo men leye aslepe [] & lute þer of rouȝte
[H]ii nome up þys holy bones & in a chuste ȝh[a]m brouȝte
& sette ȝham in a priue stude [] vorte þe day were ycome
Þat hyt were icryd into al þat lond þat he ssholde beo up ynome
Þys was in þe monþe of Iulye euene þan seueþe day
Þat bi a Tywes day was þo as al þat folk ysay
Þo þys day was icome to þys munstre wende anon þo
Þe kyng Henry þys ȝonge chyld [] & þys heye men also
Aboute onderne of þe day to þys holy body hii come
Pandulf wende furst þerto þe leget of Rome
& þe erchebisscop of Caunterbury & Reyns also
Þat vor þulke sulue þyng come [] fram byȝeonde se þerto
& sire Vberd de Brouȝ [] þat was þo iustyse
& vore greote louerdlynges þat noble were & wyse
Vp ȝhare ssculdrene hii nome vp þys holy body anon
& bisscopes & abbodes [] eke were manyon
To þe heyȝe weued of þe Trinite [] þys holy bones hii bere
& leyde þe chuste al þer wyþ [] in a noble sschryne þere
Þe kyng Henry was þo ȝong þat he ne dorste nouȝt
Myd oþere bere þys holy bones leste me hurte him ouȝt
Þys was by a Tywesday þat þys bones vp hii nome
Alle hys chaunces þat he hadde by Tywesdawes hii come
692
& also as me bryngeþ a þeof vorto vonge hys dom
Byvore [þe] kyng at Norþhamthone [] by a Tywesday
Wyþ greot sschame he was ibrouȝt as al þat folk ysay
Vyloker þan eny þeof þat folk him þer sschende
By Tywesday he was yflemed & of Engelonde wende
By Tywesday at Pounteny oure Louerd to hym com
& sede him þat swete word [] of hys martyrdom
Thomas sede oure Louerd ȝut sschal of þy blode
Alle my churches yhered beo þys wordes were gode
By Tywesday also god to Engelond he com
After þat he was yflemd to vonge hys martyrdom
By Tywesday at Caunterbury to deþe he was ydo
[&] suþþe by a Tywesday ysschryned was also
Þeos seue þynges by Tywesday [] hym come at þe leste
Þer vore me suk manye men [] makye ane byheste
To byleue fleysch þan Tywesday oþer to o mel veste
Vorto hy come to Caunte[r]bury to [] honoury þe heyȝe feste
[N]ou Iesus vor þe swete loue þat seynt Thomas on þouȝte
[B]rynge vs to þulke ioye þat he so dure bouȝte
A . M . E . N .
| The South English Legendary | |