Legends of the Saints in the Scottish Dialect of the Fourteenth Century

Conuertit on to cristis lare,
and swith mad kirkis mony ane,
fra þat þai had baptisme tane.
als þe wyf of egeas
be hym to god conuertit was.
þane egeas, þat wes fell,
quhen he of sic conuersione herd tell,
to þe citte of patras
he went, and all þat þar in wes
dwelland, he distren[ȝi]t þare
with twrment, þat wes fell and sare,
goddis lar to forsak,
and sacrifice to ydolis mak.
and as he wrocht sic tyranny,
sancte andrew com till hym in hy,
and sad: “gaynand thinge war to þe,
þat Iuge of men sittis to be,
to honowr and knaw þi Iuge ay,
þat is in hewine, and do away
fals goddis of thi thocht,
þat ar of menis handis wrocht.”
egeas can till hym say:
“art þu Andrew, þat prechis ay
þat wikit, fals, and felone lare,
þat þe prince of rome ay quhare
has command to distroy away?”
þane can sancte Andrew till hym say:
“of rowme þe prince knew nocht ȝete
how criste, goddis son swete,
come in þis warld, and ewine
prechit bot a god of hewine,
and taucht men, þat al ydolis ar
bot fendis, and with þam to be ware;
for fendis techinge wes and Is
to greve god, and do euir myse.”

egeas sad: “to sic fals thinge
Ȝur god taucht in his prechinge,
apone a gebat he wes done.”
and Andrew sad till hym alsone:
“þat gebat wes the haly tre,
þat now þe haly cors call we,
quhar of þe preuete I will,
and þu will her me, tel þe till;
and hou resonable cause amowit
þat makar of man, þat luffit
vs sa. for our restoringe
he tholit þar one for to hynge,
vnastrenȝet, bot of fre will.
and lo, þe cause I tell þe till;
for I wes with hym þe self oure,
þat hym betresit þe tratoure.
and befor þat till ws sad he,
þat he suld sone betrasit be,
and crucifite for heile of man,
and one þe thrid day ryse eftir þan
fra dede agane, I ȝow dewice.
þan sad petir one þis vyse:
‘lord, of þi-self haf reutht and spare
þat þu sic panys tak neuir mare!’
with dedigne he can ansuer ma,
and sad: ‘ga agane, sathana!
for þu miskennis, and saweris nocht
þe thinge he god will haf in thocht.’
and als, to tech vs þat he
wald thole sic ded of wil fre,
[he] sad till vs opynly:
‘to gyf myn sawle pouste haf I,
and tak it agane to me.’
at his laste super sine sad he,
quhen we with hym ware sittand all:
‘ane of ȝou betrese me sall.’

þane war we sorowfull ilkane;
bot he, to comfort vs one ane,
sad: ‘to quham I gyf now
þe morcel of bred of ȝow,
trewis wele þat at is he,
þat þis nycht sall betrese me.’
Ȝet þane he wald nocht set sic blam
till hym be his propir name,
na put hym fra his burd, thocht þare
to sit he vnworthy ware.
þane gaf he ilkane a sope
with his hand of his awne cope,
and althinge syne, all and sum,
he tald vs clerly þat war to cum,
richt as It done befor had bene.
þar[for] wat I wel bwt wene,
he tholit of his awne vill
al þe payne wes done hym till;
sene he nocht þe traitour fled,
na drew hym nocht of þat sted,
quhar þat he wiste þe tratour wald
cum to, þat Iudas hym sald.”

egeas sad: “It ferlis me,
þat sa wise a man, as þou suld be,
suld folow hym throu ony skill,
þat, othir of thret or gud will,
tholit hym in þe croice be done.”
þan Andrew answerte hym alsone:
“þat is, for þu has hard me
spek of þe croice þe preuete;
þe quhilk, perauentur giff will þu,
I sall vndo þe richt sone now.”
egeas sad þan: “lat me se,
how turment suld be preuete.”
androw sad: “sic turment was

þe preuete mare and lese
of manis restauracione,
as I sal prew þe be resone,
gyf þu wil her me tholmodly.”
egeas sad: “and ȝet wil I
with paciens a quhil here þe.
and bot þu sene trew me,
þe prewete þu sal resawe
of þat croice, as þu can crafe.”
androw [sad]: “gyf þat I dred
þe croice, quhare-in criste wes spred,
þe Ioy of It I na prechit ȝow.”
egeas sad: “I se well now,
þat full of wodnes is þi woce,
prechand þe turment of þe corse,
and for þi hardynes na pane
dredis.” þan Androw sad agane:
“for hardines is nocht þat I,
bot of sad thocht anerly,
þat I dred nocht of ded þe payne;
for ded of richtwyse, þat ar slane,
Is preciowse to god of hewine,
and contrar of synfull ewine.
and þar-for is þat I ȝarne þe
of corse to here þe priwete,
sa þat þu knaw it wel and trew,
and trowand, þat þu ma cum now
of þi sawle to þe restorynge.”
þan sad egeas: “to þat thinge!
þat thinge restoryt is but wene,
þat uterly periste has bene?
quhethir myn sawle perist be,
þat to restoringe behuffis me
þar-of cum throw þe treutht, þat þu,
þocht I na It knaw, wald ger me trew?”

þane Androw sad: “þat is þe thinge,
þat þu wald here. I haf ȝarninge
with paynis quhill I þe kene,
how þe tynt sawlis of almen
war brocht to þe restorynge
of þe croice, throw þe prewe thinge
þat was. fore firste man, þat wes mad
of vnwemmyt erd, brocht in had
fel ded throu þe tre of trespase
In þis ȝerd; nedfull thinge wes
þat one vnwemmyt vergyne
ane vthire suld be borne syne,
þat suld be werray god and man
In a persone, to restore þane
þe liff, þat men had tynt, & he,
throw þe croice of þe blissit tre,
suld exclude of misȝarninge
þe tre; þan, þat he syne suld hynge
a-pone þe croice with handis stracht;
For Adame vnclene handis racht
to þat tre, þe froit to get
and ete of þat forbodine met;
and þar-for suld þis latir mane,
for þe froyt wes etyne þar þane,
þe self bittirnes taste of gall,
and In hym tak our ded with-all,
þat he his inmortalite
micht gyf till ws of his wil fre.”
egeas sad: “tel þis þu may
to þam þat will gyff to þe fay!
nocht-þane, bot þu consent to me,
and sacrifye, þat I ma se,
to goddis þat ar almychtty,
I sall ger men þe crucify
one þe croice, þu lofis sa.”

þane Andrew sic answer can ma:
“till a god suthfast ay
I sacrify euir ilka day,
þe flesche of quhome þe folk treufull
has etyne, and of þe flesche is full;
þe lame, þat sa sacrifit is,
remanys quhyk and hale, I-wis.”

egeas sad: “how ma þis be?”
quod Androw: “þu tak to þe
þe forme of prenttis, gyf þat þu
wil knaw it þat þou speris now!”
egeas sad: “þu sal me tell
thru tvrment, þat is hard and fell,
þe knawlage of It þat I sper.”
þane sad Andrew with sobyr cher:
“Me ferlis, þat sa wise a man as þu
In sic foly suld fall now,
þat þu wenys to ger me schaw
myn goddis sacrifice fore aw;
bot sene þu has þe preuete
herd of þe corse, now here þou me
of sacrifice tel to þe now
þe priuete. gyf þu wil tru
In criste, þe sone of god, þat was
crucifit in mannis flesche
throw Iowis, suthfaste god to be,
throu quhat ordir, I sal tel þe,
quhow þat lame, quhen he is slane
ande sacrifit, luffis agane,
and ettyne dwellis ay elyke,
vnwemmyt in his lestand ryk.”
egeas sad: “to me þu tell
how þat lame, þat slane is, dwell
quyk in his ryk, as þu sais now!”
þane said andro: “gyf þu wil trew

with hale hart in god, þu may
knaw þis thinge, þat I þe say;
and bot-gyf þu will hertly trow,
þu vittis nocht þu speris now.”

egeas wrath wes þane, and sone
bad in presone he suld be done,
till he had soucht in his entent,
how he mycht hym best tvrment.
to þe presone, quhare he was, þan
of þe land gadderit mony mane,
þat Androw wald haf losit fane,
and for his sak egeas slane;
bot he þame prayt to be stil,
ande sic wordis sad þam till:
“þe quyet of our lord Ihesu,
luk in vnreste ȝe turne nocht now!
for myn lord Ihesu al paciens
schewit, and mad na-kyne defens.
quhen he betresit was of will,
he flat no sad myss ony man till.
þar-for cylens and reste haf ȝe,
his discipulis gyf ȝe be!
for quhen criste betresit wes,
he schew alkyne tholmodnes.
þar for haf ȝe paciens,
na makis for me na defens;
bot erare ordanis ȝou, þat ȝe
to criste campionis ma be,
þat ȝe stutly ma our-cum
warldly anoys, al and sum!
for, gyf þat terrour dred suld be,
þe terrour is to dred, par-de,
þat ay sal lest, and euir ek.
bot warld[l]y terrour to þe rek
may be lyk, at growis sone
and sone may als away be done;

for warldis wa oþir is licht,
and may be tholit with hart wycht;
or ellis are þai sa hard and sar,
þat þai þe body sla but mare.
bot to þe firste dole egeas
pressis hym ful fast to pass;
bot mak ȝou redy þat ȝe ma
cum to þe Ioy, þat lestis ay,
haffand na dowt of payne, for-þi
þat ma sla bot þe body!”

And [as] Andro mad þis prechinge,
egeas gert men furth hym bringe,
and, sitand in-to Iugment,
In þis wyis sad hym his entent:
“Andrew, haf I nocht geffyne þe
þe space of a nycht to avice þe,
þat þu mycht draw þi hert away
fra þis lord, þu prechis ay,
and of þi cristis lawis blyne,
þat þu mycht oure frendschepe vyne?
for felly thinge is, and but reson,
of wil to tholl þe passione
of croice, of fyr, or of sword.”
andro answert to þat word:
“parfyt Ioy I ma haf with þe,
say þat þu will trew to me,
and trew in criste and in his lare,
and lef þir ydolis, þat nocht are
bot fendis, þat dissavis þe.
and in þis cuntre god send me,
quhare of his lare sa haf I wrocht,
þat I fele folk to hym has brocht.”
egeas sad: “for þat wil I
distrenȝe þe for to sacrify,
þat þai, þat þu dissawit has,

our goddis resave to þar grace,
renunciand to þat vanite,
þat þai haf trewit in thru þe,
till goddis sacrifice offerand;
For is na citte in þis land,
quhare-in templis of goddis are
vndistroyt now thru þi lare.
þare for is nedful, þat thru þe
oure goddis now enpleysit be,
þat þu aganis þe [has] mad wrath,
and þat our frendschep þu ma rath
wyne, or ellis, for þe wrething
of our goddis, thole tormentinge,
And one þat gebat syne but hown,
þat þu sa luffis, suthly be done.”

thane Andro sad: “now her þou me,
sone of ded and Iniquite,
and lynt to bet þe fyr of hell,
quhar þu in lestand payne sal dwel;
her me, þat is full sekir now,
apostil of myn lorde Ihesu,
þat suthly with þe to þis oure
of trutht has tretit þe censoure,
þat þu mycht wit quhat resoun wes,
and als to defend suthfastnes,
and ydolis clerly to forsak,
and til a god of hewyne þe tak.
bot, fore þu dwellis in wikitnes,
and wenis nocht-þe-les,
þat I suld dowt þi manauce ocht;
na, bot quhat þu has in thocht
of grewouse payne to torment me,
do fourth! I sal þe mare be
acceptable to my kinge Ihesu,
þat I thole fore sic paynis now.”

egeas commawndyt þat he
þar in a frame suld sted be,
and with scharpe schurgis befte rycht sare,
till ane and twenty mycht nomare;
and quhen his fel biddinge wes done,
a-gane gert bringe [hym] till hym sone,
and sad: “andro, I consall þe,
þat of þi-self þu haff pitte,
and behald how sched is þi blud,
and lefe self-wil for consale gud!
for, gyf þat þu sa dur wil be
þat þu wil nocht consent to me,
a-pone þat gebat þu sall hinge,
quhare-in þu has sa gret lykin[g]e.”
þan sad andro till hym in hy:
“of cristis croice seruand am I,
and of þe croice þe ourcumyn[g]e
I no dred, bot ȝarnis ore althinge;
bot lestand auch it be to þe.
þat þu ma wit, quhen þu seis me
In hard torment persewer,
lowand myn god with gladsum cher,
and at þe last in criste trew;
for I am mar discesit now
of þi lestand dampnacione
þane of myn awne schort passione.
for my passione wil endit be
In a day, twa or thre,
bot þi tormentis sall leste, no wer Is,
mar þane a thousand of ȝeris,
and ȝet þane but end euirmar,
deand but drede in lestand car.”
egeas gret dediynge had,
and bad his tormentoris but bad
þane one þe croice þai suld hym stracht,

and bynd faste with all þar mawcht
with cordis, bath fut and hand,
and syne ger þe croice ewyn vpstand;
na he wald nocht þane he suld be
festynyt with nalis to þat tre,
for dowt þat he suld de or sone.
þe tormentouris þan but howne
tuk and led hym þane to þe croice.
þane all þe pupile with hey voice
andro mad þame monicione,
þat þai suld nocht his passione
let, and Ioyand held his way,
goddis lare to þame prechand ay.
and quhene to þe place nere com he,
quhare he mycht þe croice se,
he criyt to It with hey voice,
and sad: “alhale, þu blissit croice,
þat is hallowit welfully
of Ihesu cryste in þe body,
and ennowrnyt as of ȝemmys
In gret bewte of his lymmys.
befor þat god one þe had clummyn,
ȝerdly dowt þane had þou nommyn;
bot [h]ewynly luf hafand in þe,
with ȝarnynge now þou sall tane be;
for leile folk wat quhat gyftis þou
and Ioy in þe has grathit now.
Ioyand þare-for I cum to þe;
sa þat blithly þu resawe me,
his lele discipil, þat cane hange
one þe; for I haf ȝarnyt lange
for till embrace þe, for þat I
has luffit þe lange enkrely.
fore-þi resawe me now fra men,
and to myn master me be-kene,

þat thru þe he resawe me heyre,
þat thru þe wes myn ransoner!”
and quhen he had þis wiis sad,
his clathis all fra hym he lad,
And to þe tormentoris of will
he gafe þame, þat suld do hym till.
þane one þe croice but howne
þai strekyt, and band hym sone
with cordis, as þai had byddyng.
þane þe pupile þat saw þat thynge,
þat ware wele nyne thowsand men,
trowit in criste, and cane hym kene,
and tuk baptisme thru þe prechinge,
þat he mad þame of hewynlyk thinge.
and amaunge oþir ane wes þar,
þat throw hym tr[e]wit goddis lar,
þat till egeas bruthir wes,
and had to name stratocles,
þat oure all oþir menyt þane
þe gret payne of þat rychtwis man.
bot Andro, þat þar hangyt, ay
for þai lele men god can pray,
and mad þam exortacione,
to tholl bath pyne and passione.
he sad thame, þat na thinge here wes,
þat mycht be tholyt in to flesche,
bot ewynly recompensacion
mycht mak to þe retribucione
of þe Ioy and gret delyte.
þane all þe pupile passit tyt
with gret noys till egeas In,
sayand one hicht, þai suld it bryne,
bot he andro fra þe tre
lousit and mad fre;
for sik techere as he wes þane,

and sa racionable a mane
suld nocht thole sic payne, bot er he
fra þat croyce suld lousit be;
“for þis is þe toþir day,
þat hangand he has prechit ay
þe rycht treutht and wil nocht cesss.”
egeas þane, þat dowtand was
þe puple wald his hows bryne
for þat cause, and distroy hyme,
hecht to þame þane, þat he
suld loyse andro and mak hym fre;
and þar-with come towart þe place,
quhare þe apostill hangand was.
and quhen androw saw hym nere,
he sad to hyme: “quhat dois þu here?
will þu trew ȝet? þocht it be late,
of hewine þu sal fynd opyne ȝete;
and gyf in cryste þu will nocht trew,
In wane þu cumys to me now;
fore with lyff I sall nocht be
of þis croice lousyt fre be þe.
fore now I se myn kinge of mycht;
here I sted ame in his sycht.
bot of þe, sorow I haff [and] wa,
to hard lestand pane þat hastis sa;
þar-for sped þe, gyff þu may,
trew lele treutht, put sic payn away,
fore dred, quhene þu wald, þou ma nocht
to state of grace þane be brocht.”
þe tormentouris pressit þane
til haf lousit þe haly man,
bot fore ony thinge þai mycht do,
þai cuth nocht attenȝe hym to.
þane com vthire syndry ma,
þat pressit þame hym don to ta;

bot þai mycht nocht tweche hym a laste,
bot tynte þare trawel in to waste.
þane cryit Andro with hey stewyn:
“I pray þe, dere god of hewyne,
þat of þis croyce thu thole nocht me
with lyff done tane to be,
þat hangyt her has dais twa.
now, Ihesu cryste, here I þe pray
to þe blyse þu wald tak me,
and thole me nocht our-cumyne be
of wardly Iuge, þat of self-wil
þus trettis me forowt skill!
fore, criste, þu art myn master dere,
þat I luf maste bot ony were;
and þat I ȝarne oure althinge,
to be and dwel in þi lovynge.
for in þe and thru þe ame I
It, at I ame, gud god; fore-thy
resawe me, and tholl me nocht
with þe lyf of þis croice to be brocht!”
as he þis sad with clere stewyne,
þar come a licht fra þe hewyne,
as it a fyre-sclacht had bene,
and vmlapyt hym sa clene,
þat nane mycht fere þat gret lycht
with ewene behald hym of þe sycht
and quhen þe licht had bene þar
þe space of half ane houre and mar,
It disparit; and syne in haste
þe apostil ȝald þe gaste
to god, þat is in trynyte:
to quham ay Ioy and honour be.

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