University of Virginia Library

AT Antioche, as men han sayde,
Dwellede sum tyme a mayde
Þat was a wommon of god fame—
Þe bok telleþ not hire name,
But seint Ambrose, hose lust to lok,
In his secunde bok
Þat he made of maydens clene,
Þe storie of hire al bidene
Telleþ vs on þis manere.
Herkneþ now, and ȝe mowe here!
At Antioche in þat cuntre
Þer was a mayden feir and fre,
Þat hire peyned wiþ al hire mihtes
To holde hire out of comun sihtes;
Fleo heo wolde and huide hire þen,
Þat heo neore not iseȝen of men.
But þe more þat heo hire hud,
Þe more men coueytud
Hire feirnes forte se.
Þer of hedde heo no deynte,
For feirnes iherd and not seyn
Þe more disired is, certeyn,
A mon is stured on þat wyse
Wiþ twey kene prikkes of couetise:
Þe ton is loue wiþoute doyng,
Þe toþur is knowyng of þat þing,
Þat is: whon mon loueþ hotly
And ne haþ not his purpos fully,
And luytel plesed þauȝ þat beo he,
Wel more plesaunce he weneþ þer be;
Þe eȝe ȝiueþ not þe juggement,
Bote wel disireþ to parfourne his talent:
So wilful loue weneþ he se
Of whom he þenkeþ al þe beute,
Al þouh þe eȝe seo hit nouht,
For þe knowyng þen is in þe þouht;
In hope þerfore is heore lykyng
Wiþ eȝe to seo þe same þing.
Forte cese such hopyng,
Þis mayden made auouwyng
Of chastete and clannes
And þerto let hire self profes—
Þat heo dude men to restreyne
Þat hire louede al in veyne,
For þei schulde loue hire no more,
But let hire passe as þing forlore.
Nou gode men of deuocion
Mow here of persecucion.
Þis mayde þat coude not fleo away,
In drede liuede day by day
Leste heo hed fallen among hire fon
Þat al wey spyed hire vppon;
Heo greiþed hir wil of good clannes
To vertuwes and parfytnes;
Heo was so religious þat heo ne dredde
Ne deþ of mon wiþ knyf ne bedde,
Heo was also þerto so clene
Þat deþ heo bod, wiþouten wene,
Atte vche mon aboute al way.
[OMITTED]
Þat heo schulde for deuocioun
Of martirdom take þe croun,
Tofore hem þat hire loued had
Heo was brouht and forþ ilad.
Þen bihoued hire, certeyn,
Stifly stonde in batayles tweyn:
Forte kepe wiþ charite
Þe religiun, and þe chastite
Þat heo hedde ymad a vow to
Forte kepe euere mo.
Heo was þrat forte beo ded,
But heo wolde do aftur sum red.
And whon þei seȝen hire deuociun
And constaunce of perfecciun,
And þat heo was schomeful, and not bolde,
Þat men hire schulde biholde,
And for drede to leose hire clannes
Was redi wiþ al mekenes
Forte suffre al þe wo
Þat þei casten to don hire þo;
For þei parceyued hire deuociun
Þat heo hedde, þat hire religiun
Wolde kepe hire chastite
And make men heore loue to fle:
Þei caste alle wiþ felenye
Hou þat hope þei mihte distruye:
Oþur to make hire do sacrefyse
To false goddus on heor wyse,
Oþur elles þei casten, as fendes fel,
To puyten hire to þe bordel.
Whon þat heo vndurstod þis,
To hire self heo seide iwis:
»A lord God, what do we now?
For þat i wole kepe my vow,
To day martir moste i be,
Oþur kepe my maidenhod, parde.
I wot riht wel, þe to coroun
I schal take wiþ deuocioun,
Bote heo nis not worþi bere maidens name
Þat forsakeþ þe lord of þat fame;
Hou schulde heo beo mayden holde
Þat hordom herieþ wiþ herte bolde?
Or hou schulde mayden bi holden heer
To caste hire loue to avouter?
Or hou schulde heo be mayden
Þat disireþ loue of men?
Hit is more betur beo mayden of þouht
Þen of þe flesch þat serueþ of nouht.
Boþe beo goode whose moote
From erþly strengþe kepe hire cote;
And, ȝif we mou not for such power
Kepe vr flesch clene her,
To vr God þat is so good
Kepe vs chast in þouht and mood—
For of þe wil he takeþ hede,
Whon he schal quite a monnes mede.
Þe bible bereþ witnesse
Of a wommon of vnclennesse,
Þat þat tyme was Raab iclept,
But aftur þat heo for hir sunnes wept
And in God hedde good bileue,
And God hele hire sone had ȝeue.
And also þe byble witnesseþ hit:
Þe noble wommon Judit,
Forte plese an auouter,
Made hire gay and liht of cher;
For heo dude þat not for loue
Ne for no displesyng of God aboue,
Þer wente no mon bi þe wey
þat heo avouteres was wolde sey«.
And þen heo seide: »beo my hode,
Nou ben þese ensaumples goode:
For, ȝif Judit dude þat for religiun
And wiþ good deuociun
Kept hir clannes and hire cuntre,
In hap hit may falle so by me:
Ȝif i kepe my religiun wel,
I may me kepe chast eueridel.
»Ȝit, heo seide, i seo more:
Ȝif Judit hedde iput bifore
Clannes raþer þen religioun,
Par auntre heo hedde ifallen doun
And lost cuntrei and clannes
And al þe name of goodnes«.
Þe wordus in herte heo heold wel
Þat crist seide in þe gospel:
Who so leoseþ his lyf for me
He schal hit fynde aȝein, parde.
Whon heo þus hedde iþouht and seid,
Wondurliche heo abreyd
And wepte sore and heold hire pes,
Lest eny auouter hed herd hire res;
Ne heo chese nouȝt of hire clannes
Þe wrong, but refused wiþ mekenes
Þe wrong don to Crist of miht,
Þat lord is of alle riht.

SEint Ambrose bit us take nou hed
Of þis wommon maydenhed:
Wheþer hir bodi miht do auoutrie,
Ȝif hit weore constreyned be maistrie,
Whos vois to lecherie nolde assent,
Þouh þe bodi schulde beo torent.
Sum tyme mi resun aschomed was,
Ambrose seiþ, to here þis cas,
Or of þe orible doing
To schewe ouht in seying;
But alle ȝe Godus maidenes clene,
Schutteþ ȝor eres al bidene!
For þenne þis mayden—þat was del!—
Lad heo was to þe bordel.
Bot, þauh ȝor eȝen renne on teres,
Ȝit, maidenes, openeþ ȝor eres
And vndurstondeþ: sikerli,
A maiden wiþ strengþe may beo leȝe bi,
But aȝeines hir wil such vilenye
Schal beo told for non avoutrye;
For wher so euere Godus maiden is,
Þer Godus temple is, iwis,
Ne þe bordel place, parde,
Defameþ noþing chastite,
But chaste place is of god name
And doþ awey al vuel fame.

NOu, ȝe maidens, alle and sum,
Lerneþ þe miracles of martirdom,
Lerneþ also wiþ liht faces
Þe nomes of such maner places!
In hous is schut a coluere meke,
Þe sparhaukes wiþouten heor preies seke,
Vche wiþ oþur striueþ, par fey,
Whuch schal furst take þat prey.—
Þus Ambrose seiþ beo þat maiden
And bi þulke lecherous men
Þat lykyng of hire wolden haue had,
Aftur to bordel þat heo was lad.—
But whon heo was comen in to þat hous,
A heef vp hire hondes glorious,
As to an hous of good preyere
Heo hedde icomen, masse to here—
Heo heold hit non hous of lecherie,
But raþur a feir diuersorie,—
And þenne heo seide wiþ mylde mood:
»Crist, þat art boþe mon and God,
Þat hast ichasted lyouns feer
Wiþ ȝerdes in eorþe heer,
Þou maiȝt chaste at þi willyng
Þe woode þouȝtes of men liuing.
To þe Caldeyes þe fuir aȝein rauht,
And to þe Jewes þi merci was hauht,
Whon þe watur drouh bihynde,
Huld vp also not of his owne kynde;
Susanne at hire torment
kneled to þe wiþ good entent
And of hem hed heo maistrie
Þat wolde ha wrouht wiþ hire auoutrie;
Þe riht hond also, sikerlye,
Of him weorned and wox al drie
Þat hedde defouled wiþ vnþriftes
Of þi temple þe feire ȝiftus:
Nou þat same temple þat is þyne
Þei ben aboute to foule and tyne:
Þat is my bodi, I vndurstonde.
Lord, þou take me in to þyn honde,
Ne suffre no mon, mest ne leste,
Of sacrilege to do inceste
Wiþ me, as þou art al weldyng
And hast not suffred stelyng!
Nou, lord, iblessed beo þi nome,
And euer more kep me from schome,
Þat I to auoutrie am icome,
Mayde mowe passe hol and sume!«
Vnneþe heo hedde an ende ymad
Of þat preyere þat heo bad,
Þer com in to hire wiþ good spede
A mon arrayȝed as kniht in wede,
A muche mon and a grim.
Þis maiden, whon heo lokud on him,
Heo was aferd sumwhat þon
To ben al one wiþ such a mon.
Þen com þat lessun to hire mende
Of Susanne, þat wommon hende,
And þenne heo seide softly sum del:
»Þe innocent child Daniel
Com to abyde þe passiun
Of Susanne wiþ discreciun,
And, þauh þe peple hire dampned had,
He alone wiþ vois ful sad
Asoiled hire fro þat dampnyng
And demed þe juges to dyȝing.
Hit may bifalle, heo seide, parde,
Þat vndur wolues cloþing a schep þer be.
Vr lord Crist haþ his knihtes
And also legiouns of gret mihtes.«
And to hir self ȝit heo gon say:
»A smiter ȝif þer beo to day,
Me to sle, nou icomen in,
Wiþ eny strengþe or elles gin,
Wiþ staf or ston oþur elles swerd,
Mi goode soule, beo not aferd!
For suche men for Godus sake
Ben wont martires for to make!«
Þe feiþ of þis mayden
Saued hire from wikked men—
As I schal nouþe ȝou tel,
Ȝif ȝe wole herken me wel.
Þen þe kniht »suster«, he seid,
»Beo not aferd ne abreid!
As a broþur I am come,
Mi soule to saue atte day of dome.
Kep þou me, and i schal þe,
I preye þe for charite!
I com hider as avouter:
Ȝif þou wolt, i schal go out marter.
Chaunge we nou vre cloþing,
For hit wole beo wel semyng
Þat þi cloþing beo don on me,
And also myne vppon þe;
For, soþ to seye, þis is my list
Þat boþe two we seruen Crist.
Þi cloþing schal make me verrey kniht,
And my cloþing þe maiden briht.
Þou schalt be cloþud swiþe wel,
But i moste beo spoyled eueridel,
Þat he þat pursuweþ so harde þe
Mowe riht wel knowe me.
Tac þou nou my cloþing on
Þat wel wol huyde a wommon,
And tak me þyne anon riht her:
Þei mowe me halewe a marter.
Do on my mantel þat is so syde,
A maidenes membres þat wol hyde;
Set myn hat vpoon þyn hed,
To huide þin her and eke þi sched,
Hit wole also schadewe þi faas,
Whon þou schalt go forþ þi paas:
Aschomed, forsoþe, woned þei ben
Þat in to bordel entren.
Wayte wel, whon þou art gon oute,
Loke not aȝein, for no doute:
Of Lothus wyf loke þou haue mynde,
Hou þat heo lost hire ownekynde,
For heo loked hire bihynde
On hem þat to God weoren vnkynde;
Al þouh hir oune eȝen weren clene,
Þat heo biheold, wiþouten wene,
Was vnclene—þerfore þat place
Distruyȝed was þorwh Godus grace.
To no mon loke þou verreyed beo
Who þat þou art, whom euer þou seo,
For hit mihte falle on þat wyse
Sumwhat to perissche of vr sacrefyse«—
Þat forsoþe to hire seide he
Þat he for hire wolde martired be;
Þerfore to hire he seide: »þou trist,
For þe i schal me offre to Crist.
And loke þerfore boþe day and niht
Þat for me þou beo good kniht
To Crist, þat wiþ good chiualri
Clannes þou kepe and beo holi
For þat ilke same huyre
Þat wiþouten ende schal duyre.
Þe habergoun of rihtwysnes
Loke þou haue wiþ meknes—
Ȝif þat hit þi bodi close,
Þou schalt not flecche from þi purpose,
But specialiche of þi bodi
Hit wol beo keper from vileny.
Loke þou haue þe scheld of feiþ,
For, as þe holy bok seiþ,
Sinful woundes þou schalt wiþstonde,
And þou hit take wel forþ on honde.
Þe helm of helþe also þou take,
Þat wol þe saue from eueri wrake.
Þer vre defence is, iwis,
Þer Jhesu Crist him seluen is:
A wommones hed is ay mon,
But maidenes hed is Crist al on«.
Among þeos wordus þis ilke kniht
Dude of his mantel in hire siht,
But neuerþeles in her eiȝe þer
Sumwhat semed of auouter
And eke of an enemy,
Þe cloþing suspecte was, pardi.
Hire hed þauh adoun heo bent,
And þe kniht wiþ good entent
Wiþ bliþe cher and hiȝing fast
His mantel on hire hedde icast.
Wondur couplyng in such a place
Þer was bitwene bost and grace,
Whon þei in hous of hordom
Striuen so faste of martirdom.

NOu to gedere beo þer tweyn,
A maiden and a kniht, certeyn;
Vnlicchi þouh þei ben of kuynde,
Lichchi inouh in þouht and mynde;
Nou ben ifed to geder wiþ honour
A wolf, a lomb in o pastour,
And nouȝt onliche to gedere so,
Bote to God offred boþe two.
Whon heo hed chaunged hire cloþing,
Forþ heo wente wiþ gret hiȝing,
Out of þat hous, as brid fro gren,
Heo fleih awei and scaped þen:
Þorwh Godus grace heo was bore
Wiþ spirituel whinges, and nouȝt ilore,
And þat was neuer seiȝen but þat day:
A maiden from bordel plas gon away;
But heo was Cristes maiden iwis
Þat kepte hire and alle his.
Þe rauinoures þat hire abiden
Ne seȝen hire nout; þen in þei slyden,
For þei wenden swiþe wel
Þe maiden ha founden in þe bordel.
On entrede faste wiþ gret heiȝe,
Þe moste schrewe of þe cumpaignie.
Whon he sauh þer þe kniht sittyng
In a maydens cloþing,
»A ha«, he seide, »what is þis gyn?
A mayden, forsoþe, wente her in,
But now, forsoþe, as i seo con,
Ȝonde sitteþ a verrei mon.
Nou i seo soþ as men han sayde:
Lo heer an herte for a maide,
Hit is soþ, as to my siht:
Of a mayden we haue a kniht.
I haue ofte herd men seye a clatur
Þat in to wyn Crist torned þe watur,
And nou he leueþ not beohynde
For to chaunge monnes kynde.
Go we heonne, for ȝit we ben
As we weren-hit is wel sen.
Wheþer i beo chaunged, nou i meue,
On forte seo, anoþur to leeue?
Whon i com to þe bordel sted,
Þer me þinkeþ i seo a wed
For þat þing þat was ido,
And i my self am chaunged also:
Out of þis hous chast schal i go,
Þat as avouter com in wel þro«.

HIt bifel aftur, certeyn,
For Godus loue þat mon was slayn.
And riht also was þe kniht.
But þat was a wondur siht
Þat out of þe bordel schulde take þe wey
A mayden clene and martires twey.
Hit is told þat, whon þis kniht
Touward his juwyse was idiht,
Þe maiden to þat place ron
And wiþ him þus striue bigon:
»Wenestou, heo seide, þat þou for me
Schalt take þe juwyse and ded be,
And i so schulde leose my mede
Þat i schulde haue for martirhede?«
Þen þe kniht seide: »certeyn,
I am sent hider to beo slayn;
Þe sentence, mayden, asoyleþ þe,
Whon þat hit passeþ on me«.
Þen heo cried and seide: »nay, nay,
I ches þe not my wed to lay
For my deþ, but i þe ches
To beo pris of my clannes;
For þauh my clanhed beo isouht,
Ȝit my kuynde chaungeþ nouht;
Ȝif þat men asken my blood,
I nul hit not borewen, beo þe rod!
For i haue þis ilke day
Wher of my self forte pay.
In me þis sentence is ȝiue,
For me hit is þat i not liue.
Herken hou i schal hit schawe
Bi good proces of þe lawe:
Ȝif þou heddest for mypreyere
Mi borwh bicomen for money here
And aftur þat for myn absence
Þe juge hedde ȝiuen such a sentense
Þat þou to him schuldust make þe pay
Of whom i borwed þe monay,
Þe same sentence condempne schuld me
To paye to þe þat ilke mone
Of myn oune heritage,
Ȝif þat i were of ful age;
Ȝif i refused þat to pay,
Who is þat, þat nolde say
Þat I nere worþi to beo dede
Þat so vnkuyndely quit þi mede?
Nou þou maiȝt seo þe same skile
In þis doyng, ȝif þat þou wile.
Nou wol I wiþ good entent
Raþur dye an innocent
Þen liuen a while and lete þe dye
And leose so innocencie;
To day for me schal go no mene—
And þat, forsoþe, þou schalt wel sene:
Oþur i schal beo gulti of þi blood
Oþur martir beo wiþ mylde mood.
Ȝif I beo sone comen aȝein hom,
Who is so hardi holde me þer from?
And ȝif þat I haue dwelled to longe,
Me to asoyle ho dar vndurfonge?
I haue agulted more to þe lauh,
For out of prisun þat i flauh,
And I am gulti, þow wost, also
Of þe toþur monnes deþ þerto
Þat in to prisun tok þe way
And þerfore was slayen þat day.
I þe telle wiþ open breþ:
Mi membres suffisen to þe deþ,
Þe whuche, forsoþe, nouȝt gon longe,
Weore not sufficient to þe wronge.
A maiden haþ on hire bodi
Place, woundes on to suffri,
To whom, leeue wel! hit is non ese
Ne no good, mon forte disese.
Sclaundre þauh þat i fled in þouht,
To ȝelde vp martirdom to þe þouȝt i nouht:
Þauh I my cloþing leide adoun,
I chaunged not my professioun.
Tofore me to deþ ȝif þou woldest go,
Þou hast not bouȝt me from wo,
And i may sei in herte þen sone:
Þou hast me gyled and vndurgone.
Be war, be war, I preye nou þe,
Aȝeinsei me not, strif not wiþ me!
Þat þou me ȝaf, þe benefice,
To take hit me fro, be not so nice!
We schul make good al vr biheste,
To god, wiþouten eny cheste,
Ȝif þou me soffre now in certeyn
Furst ar þou forte beo sleyn;
Anoþur peyne vppon þe
Þei han icast to do, parde.
Þe more joyful þou shalt beo,
Of avouteres ȝif þat þou seo
A martir þat þou hast maad,
And þou þer aftur þe more sad,
Þen þat þou furst a martir were
And lafte me aftur to avoutere«.
Whon þat þei þus hed striuen,
As þe dom was iȝiuen
Boþe forsoþe weoren do to dede—
God þerfore haþ quit heore mede.
Þe biginnyng of þis martirdom
Furst of þat mayden com,
But þe kniht þe effecte folfuld,
For þat he was furst iculd;
But, as God wolde for þe nones,
Þei toke heor coroune boþe at ones.

De duobus veris amicis.

SUm tyme men reden þat þer was
In a cuntre, clept pittogoras,
Dwellynge þere twey men,
Iclept Sithia and Climonen;
To gedere þei loued hem wondur wel
And frendes weoren at murþe and mel.
A tiraunt þer was of wikked red,
Jugged þat on to ben ded.
Anon riht þen in þat place
He preyed þe tiraunt of sum space,
Þat his good he mihte dispose
As he hedde cast in purpose.
But for þe tiraunt leeued þon
Þat he schulde ha founde no mon
In þat caas his borwh haue be,
Anon riht graunted he,
So þat a borwh he mihte fynde
In þat caas wolde him bynde,
Ȝif he ne come not at his day,
Þe deþ to take for him, in fay.
His felawe þenne his borwh bicom,
And þe toþur wente him hom.
Þe day was come, he was ful longe:
His borwh þe deþ schulde vndurfonge.
And as he was riht atte caas,
Þe toþur com in to þe plaas,
His nekke forþ he streihte ariht,
To saue his borwh, as he hedde hiht.
Þen þe tiraunt wondrede þer
Þat þeose two men were more cheer
Of heore loue þen of heore lyue;
He preyed hem him to receyue
In to heore loue for euer more,
And he heore lyf hem graunted þerfore.
Þis was grace of gret vertue,
Frendschipe to kuiþe, to old and newe;
But þis was lasse worþi of meed
Þen þe knihtes and þe maiden ded:
For þulke weren boþe men,
Þe þride was a wommon clen
Þat is more frele of kuynde
Þen mon, as bokus maken muynde;
Þulke were frendes of long tyme met,
Þeos weoren vnknowen, and no steuene set;
Þulke to on tiraunt hem ȝolde,
But þeose to moni on, stout and bolde,
Þat weren more cruel þen was he,
For he hem spared, þeose let hem sle;
Þei for loue deþ wolde haue nome,
But þeose for þe croune of martirdome;
Þulke hedden heore þonk tofore men,
But þeos tofore God glorious ben.
Þis lyf endyted seint Ambrose
On latyn. tak hede to his purpose!