 | The South English Legendary |  |
[[BANNA SANCTORUM.]]
Nou blouweþ þe niwe frut þat late bygan to springe
Þat to is kunde eritage mankunne schal bringe
Þis nywe frut of wan ich speke is oure Cristendom
Þat late was an eorþe ysouwe & later forþ it com
So hard and luþer was þe lond on wan it ssolde sprynge
Þat wel vnneþe eny more me myȝte þer on bringe
God him was þe gardiner þat gan ferst þe sed souwe
Þat was Iesus Godes sone þat þare fore alyȝte louwe
Þey he seuwe þat sed him sulf so hard was mannes þoȝt
Þat ar it were wiþ reyn ysprengd hit ne miȝte morie noȝt
Wiþ a swete reines deu he sprengde þis harde more
Wiþ is swete herte blod and ȝaf is lyf þer fore
Derworþe was þe swete blod þat it was wiþ ysprengd
Atte laste wiþ is herte blod þer com out water ymengd
Þat to is kunde eritage mankunne schal bringe
Þis nywe frut of wan ich speke is oure Cristendom
Þat late was an eorþe ysouwe & later forþ it com
So hard and luþer was þe lond on wan it ssolde sprynge
Þat wel vnneþe eny more me myȝte þer on bringe
God him was þe gardiner þat gan ferst þe sed souwe
Þat was Iesus Godes sone þat þare fore alyȝte louwe
Þey he seuwe þat sed him sulf so hard was mannes þoȝt
Þat ar it were wiþ reyn ysprengd hit ne miȝte morie noȝt
Wiþ a swete reines deu he sprengde þis harde more
Wiþ is swete herte blod and ȝaf is lyf þer fore
Derworþe was þe swete blod þat it was wiþ ysprengd
Atte laste wiþ is herte blod þer com out water ymengd
Þo bigan þis nyuwe sed somdel to cacche more
Ac ȝute after þis manyman his blod ssadde þer uore
Verst þe martir seinte Steuene & þe appostles þat were ded
Þat hare blod and hare lyf ȝaf to norisschi þat swete sed
And þis oþer martirs ek þat oure Louerdes knyȝtes were
Þat schadde hare blod for Cristendom þat it yperissed nere
Þe bataille was strang inou þat oure swete Louerd nom
And his deciples suþþe abrod to holde up Cristendom
Ac ȝute after þis manyman his blod ssadde þer uore
Verst þe martir seinte Steuene & þe appostles þat were ded
Þat hare blod and hare lyf ȝaf to norisschi þat swete sed
And þis oþer martirs ek þat oure Louerdes knyȝtes were
Þat schadde hare blod for Cristendom þat it yperissed nere
2
And his deciples suþþe abrod to holde up Cristendom
Wanne a kyng wole bataille nyme to holde up is riȝte
He ordeineþ verst is ost and ȝarkeþ hem to fiȝte
Byuore he set is alblasters and is archers also
Is trompours to scheuwe wat he is & is baner þerto
And if þe kyng þanne aredy is mid þe ueorste he wole be[o]
Vorto hardie al is men þat non ne scholde fle[o]
Þanne mot in þe rerewarde hardy kniȝtes wende
Hare louerdes riȝt to holde up and þe bataille bringe to ende
And if hi beoþ couwardes in hare dede þe bataille is al ilore
In þis manere oure swete Louerd an eorþe was ibore
Forto byginne Cristendom and sette ferst þe more
His trompours and is alblasters he sette verst byuore
Þe prophetes and is patriarks þat longe byuore hym wende
To telle men þat he wolde come here stat forto amende
Þer of hadde here vomen hoker & to busmare ham louwe
And tormentede ham swuþe stronge & to gronde ham slowe
He ordeineþ verst is ost and ȝarkeþ hem to fiȝte
Byuore he set is alblasters and is archers also
Is trompours to scheuwe wat he is & is baner þerto
And if þe kyng þanne aredy is mid þe ueorste he wole be[o]
Vorto hardie al is men þat non ne scholde fle[o]
Þanne mot in þe rerewarde hardy kniȝtes wende
Hare louerdes riȝt to holde up and þe bataille bringe to ende
And if hi beoþ couwardes in hare dede þe bataille is al ilore
In þis manere oure swete Louerd an eorþe was ibore
Forto byginne Cristendom and sette ferst þe more
His trompours and is alblasters he sette verst byuore
Þe prophetes and is patriarks þat longe byuore hym wende
To telle men þat he wolde come here stat forto amende
Þer of hadde here vomen hoker & to busmare ham louwe
And tormentede ham swuþe stronge & to gronde ham slowe
Suþþe oure swete Louerd him sulf to þis bataille alyȝte
And nam mannes fleyss and blod in wan he wolde fiȝte
Þis bataille nolde he noȝt byginne ne is baner arere
Ar he hadde fleissis strengþe & ar he fol woxe were
He was nyne and twenty ȝer ar he armede hym þerto
Ar he bygonne [for] Cristendom þis bataille forto do
Þo let he ym army feorst þo he was vol woxe man
Þo he aueng oure Cristendom in þe flum Iordan
And nam mannes fleyss and blod in wan he wolde fiȝte
Þis bataille nolde he noȝt byginne ne is baner arere
Ar he hadde fleissis strengþe & ar he fol woxe were
He was nyne and twenty ȝer ar he armede hym þerto
Ar he bygonne [for] Cristendom þis bataille forto do
Þo let he ym army feorst þo he was vol woxe man
Þo he aueng oure Cristendom in þe flum Iordan
His cosyn sein Ion þe Baptist armed hym þo þere
Anon as an hardy kyng his baner lette arere
Sein Ion was is baneour and is baner bar byuore
And faste faȝt as an hardy kniȝt forte is lif was ilore
Þo þe baneour was aslauwe þe kyng ne dradde noȝt
In þis bataille he wende anon uorte he to deþe was ibroȝt
And ȝute for al is stronge deþ ilore he hadde is riȝte
Ȝif is kniȝtes of þe rerewarde þe strengore [ne]couþe fiȝte
Of here louerd ensample i nome & flecchi nolde hi noȝt
Þe apostles ne þe martirs ar hy were to deþe ibroȝt
Wel aȝte we louie Cristendom þat is so dure iboȝt
Anon as an hardy kyng his baner lette arere
Sein Ion was is baneour and is baner bar byuore
And faste faȝt as an hardy kniȝt forte is lif was ilore
3
In þis bataille he wende anon uorte he to deþe was ibroȝt
And ȝute for al is stronge deþ ilore he hadde is riȝte
Ȝif is kniȝtes of þe rerewarde þe strengore [ne]couþe fiȝte
Of here louerd ensample i nome & flecchi nolde hi noȝt
Þe apostles ne þe martirs ar hy were to deþe ibroȝt
Wel aȝte we louie Cristendom þat is so dure iboȝt
Wiþ oure Louerd is heorte blod þat þe sper haþ ysoȝt
Men wilneþ muche to hure telle of bataille of kynge
And of kniȝtes þat hardy were þat muchedel is lesynge
Wo so wilneþ muche to hure tales of suche þinge
Hardi batailles he may hure here þat nis no lesinge
Of apostles & martirs þat hardy kniȝtes were
Þat studeuast were in bataille & ne fleide noȝt for fere
Þat soffrede þat luþer men al quik hare lymes totere
Telle ichelle bi reuwe of ham as hare dai valþ in þe ȝere
Verst bygynneþ at Ȝeres day for þat is þe uerste feste
And fram on to oþer so areng þe wile þe ȝer wol leste
Men wilneþ muche to hure telle of bataille of kynge
And of kniȝtes þat hardy were þat muchedel is lesynge
Wo so wilneþ muche to hure tales of suche þinge
Hardi batailles he may hure here þat nis no lesinge
Of apostles & martirs þat hardy kniȝtes were
Þat studeuast were in bataille & ne fleide noȝt for fere
Þat soffrede þat luþer men al quik hare lymes totere
Telle ichelle bi reuwe of ham as hare dai valþ in þe ȝere
Verst bygynneþ at Ȝeres day for þat is þe uerste feste
And fram on to oþer so areng þe wile þe ȝer wol leste
| The South English Legendary | |