University of Virginia Library

of hym þe gud nam spred sa wyd
þat men mocht nocht it hyde
hou þat [he thocht] bath nycht and day
til eke & fostyre cristine fay.
ane erle þan, þat wes fellon fa
þe cristine fast to gere sla,
send þane, ore he wald fyne,
for cypriane and Iustyne.
& til his presens as cumyne ware þai,
til þame sone cane he say:
“tellis me sone, gyf ȝe wil
mak sacrifice oure godis til,
& bruk ȝoure lyf & richit be
with mony landis & with fe,
or [gyf] ȝe wil as w[i]thyre-wyne
resiste & ȝoure lyfis tyne?”
sad þai: “we wil þat þu
wit we in-to cryst trew,
na It sal we nocht fal fra
for wa[r]ldly thing, na wele na va;
& namely to mak sacrifice
til ydolis we [w]are onwyse;
for þai [þat] ȝe ȝoure godis cal,
in ydolis are but feyndis al,
& dissawis wykitly
al þat in þame wil affy.
& sal fore þare seruice gere duell
with þame in þe pyte of hell.
þane þu ma se be kyndly skil
þat na man suld gyf treutht þaim til
þat in þame ony helpe suld be.
þo þai haf eyne, þai ma nocht see,
& þo þai eris haf, but were,
ȝet are þai defe & ma nocht here,
& þo þai mouth haf, þa ne ma speke,
na handis na fet ma þai reke;
for ferly ware þai mycht do ocht
þat are with manis handis wrocht.
þane is he fule in al degre
þat trewis it his god suld be
or helpe hyme, quhen he myster hade,
þat is of stok ore stane made.
þare-fore resone wald nocht [þat] we
suld sacrify to sic menȝe.
for-þi, gyf þu has set þi wil
for sic cause to do ws Ill,
but bad do furth, & wele þu trew
þat we wil neuir to þe bow.”
& quhen hale he wist þare entent,
he thocht to put þaim to torment;
& a gret pane [gert] brocht be sowne
befor hyme, & þare-in be done
blak pic & gert brynstane bla,
& vndir it a fyre gert ma,
til þat mater wes moltyne thyne,
& gert put þaim bath [þar]-in.
bot It disesit þame na-thinge,
bot as baume [gef] gud refreschynge.
þane þe erle gret ferly hade
hou of payne þai quyt ware made
þat he wend had bene rycht fel;
fore Ire þare-fore cane he ȝel
one his godis, vengeance to ta
but abad of þai wichis twa.
þe prest of þe cyte sad þane
to þe erle as a maister-man:
“gudman, wil þu me commawnde
befor þe caldron [for] to stande,
I sal sone gere distroyt be
al þare vertu, þat þu sal se.”
þe erle sad: “do furth þat dede,
& haf gret thank, gyf þu can spede!”
þane but bad he mad hym bon,
& stud anente þe caldrone,
& for to cry cane faste prese,
sayand: “mykil god hercules
& Iubiter, on ȝow I cal,
þat ar faderis of godis al,
cum now, & þat men ma se
quhat helpe ȝe wil do for me!”
& þere wordis ware sad vnese,
quhen of þe caldrone com a blese
of fellon fyre, þat hyme al
brynt in askis ferly smal.
& þane Iustine & cypriane
of þe caldrone son wes tane
als hale & fere, but schath & schorne,
as þai ware of þare modir borne.
þe fellon erle þane wes wa
þat his prest brynt wes sa,
& gef sentence agayn þaim bath,
þat þai suld tyne þe hedis rath.
fele seruandis ware redy þane
to do þe wil of þat il man,
& þare nekis strak in twa,
& marteris of þame can ma,
& gert þe bodyis be left þare
þe space of sex days ore mare
til hundis fel dispituisly
& vthyr bestis fellonly.
bot wes na best tuth wald set
one þaim, a morcel for til ete,
bot lay vn[s]kathyt sa þare-oute.
þan men com, of god had doute,
& stal þame away be þe nycht,
& with baume þare corsis dicht;
& syne to rome can þame bere,
ful reuerently hafand, til entere.
& of tyme syne in processs,
as Ihesu cristis willis wes,
of placence to þe fare cyte
ware translatyt bath scho & he,
quhare þare poudre sal lest ay
of Iugment to þe last day,
quhen þai in saule & in body
sal ryse to-gyddir suthfastly,
& of þe Iuge tak sic mede
as þai seruit for þare gud dede.
þat is þe blis þat neuir sal ende,
quhare god of his grace ws sende.
with a wil þir twa rycht sobre
þe sext kaland of octobre
for godis sak felly ware slane,
& wan hewine for a lytil payne,
vndir fel dioclisyane,
þat cristine men slew mony ane;
IIC VIIIxx of ȝeris ewyne
eftyr criste þai ware send til hewine.