 | The South English Legendary |  |
De sancto Hillario
Seint Hillare þe holyman of Aquytaine was
Bissop he was of þulke londe as oure Louerd ȝaf þat cas
Ar he bissop were ymaked ywedded a hadde a wif
And his doȝter het Aþye þat ladde wel holy lyf
Þer were þo misbileued men into al þe lond ybroȝt
In Aquitayne & ek in France þat on God neluuede noȝt
Bissop he was of þulke londe as oure Louerd ȝaf þat cas
Ar he bissop were ymaked ywedded a hadde a wif
And his doȝter het Aþye þat ladde wel holy lyf
Þer were þo misbileued men into al þe lond ybroȝt
In Aquitayne & ek in France þat on God neluuede noȝt
Seint Hillare wel stableliche plaidede aȝen hom faste
Þere fore þe luþer emperor out of þe lond hym caste
For he nas noȝt pur Cristenman ac to misbileue drou
Iflemd was þis holyman in care & sorwe inou
Suþþe þer com in þe emperor a wille as God it wolde
Þat Cristen men & misbileuede desputy togadere ssolde
Þat me miȝte yse[o] by reson weþer þe betere were
Seint Hillare was ofsend þat he were wiþ hom þere
Þis holyman a Godes name hamward aȝen him drou
By þe wey he fond a lond of eddren fol ynou
Þat for ham noman nemiȝte come in al þe lond
Seint Hillare com þere forþ & þis eddren fond
Þere fore þe luþer emperor out of þe lond hym caste
For he nas noȝt pur Cristenman ac to misbileue drou
Iflemd was þis holyman in care & sorwe inou
Suþþe þer com in þe emperor a wille as God it wolde
Þat Cristen men & misbileuede desputy togadere ssolde
Þat me miȝte yse[o] by reson weþer þe betere were
Seint Hillare was ofsend þat he were wiþ hom þere
Þis holyman a Godes name hamward aȝen him drou
By þe wey he fond a lond of eddren fol ynou
Þat for ham noman nemiȝte come in al þe lond
Seint Hillare com þere forþ & þis eddren fond
Byuore hym he drof out of þe lond þis eddren echon
And het hom þat in þulke lond necome neuere eft non
A sotele marke he sette hom þat hy bileuede in þe on ende
And forbed þat non of ham ouer þe marke wende
So þat ȝute to þis daye þer ne come neuere eft non
Þat miȝte come in þulke londe ne ouer þe marke gon
And het hom þat in þulke lond necome neuere eft non
A sotele marke he sette hom þat hy bileuede in þe on ende
6
So þat ȝute to þis daye þer ne come neuere eft non
Þat miȝte come in þulke londe ne ouer þe marke gon
Forþere wende þis godeman & in a stude he com
Þare he vond a ȝong child ded wiþoute Cristendom
Þis godeman sat adoun akne[o] & bad oure Louerdes grace
Þis child aros to lyue anon forþ mid hym in þe place
Suþþe he com þoru Godes grace hom to is ouwe londe
Aþie his doȝter he fond ȝare to nyme an hosebonde
Þis godeman was þer of anuyd & prechede hure wel uaste
So þat he turnde as God it wolde hure þoȝt attelaste
So þat þis maide to chastete turnde clanliche hure þoȝt
Þis holyman was glad inou þat þerto hure hadde ybroȝt
Ac naþeles he was euere adrad leste he[o] wiþdrowe hure þoȝt
For vnstable wymmen ofte beoþ he ne durste fram hure noȝt
Ne he nemiȝte noȝt euere nei hure be[o] hure þoȝt to wiþdrawe
He bad God ȝif is wille were to bringe hure of lyf dauwe
Þare he vond a ȝong child ded wiþoute Cristendom
Þis godeman sat adoun akne[o] & bad oure Louerdes grace
Þis child aros to lyue anon forþ mid hym in þe place
Suþþe he com þoru Godes grace hom to is ouwe londe
Aþie his doȝter he fond ȝare to nyme an hosebonde
Þis godeman was þer of anuyd & prechede hure wel uaste
So þat he turnde as God it wolde hure þoȝt attelaste
So þat þis maide to chastete turnde clanliche hure þoȝt
Þis holyman was glad inou þat þerto hure hadde ybroȝt
Ac naþeles he was euere adrad leste he[o] wiþdrowe hure þoȝt
For vnstable wymmen ofte beoþ he ne durste fram hure noȝt
Ne he nemiȝte noȝt euere nei hure be[o] hure þoȝt to wiþdrawe
He bad God ȝif is wille were to bringe hure of lyf dauwe
Oure Louerd hure sende þe deþ uppon as seint Hillare hym bad
Þis godeman is ouwe honde burede hure þo he[o] was ded
Of hure deþ he was glad inou he dradde sunne so sore
& to fle[o] sunne he bad hure deþ & ne louede he noþing more
Misbileue as ich sede er ȝeode þo aboute faste
Leon þe pope þat was þo þerto his herte caste
And was yturnd in misbileue & þerof is conseil nom
To make a comun parlement to alegge Cristendom
Al þe bissops þat he wende þat wolde be[o] of is þoȝt
He let somny þuder faste ac seint Hillare noȝt
Þis godeman is ouwe honde burede hure þo he[o] was ded
Of hure deþ he was glad inou he dradde sunne so sore
& to fle[o] sunne he bad hure deþ & ne louede he noþing more
Misbileue as ich sede er ȝeode þo aboute faste
Leon þe pope þat was þo þerto his herte caste
And was yturnd in misbileue & þerof is conseil nom
To make a comun parlement to alegge Cristendom
Al þe bissops þat he wende þat wolde be[o] of is þoȝt
He let somny þuder faste ac seint Hillare noȝt
Seint Hillare was iwar þerof & is conseil þerof nom
And þo þis folk togadere was to court wel [s]ofte he com
Þe pope was þo he sey him come sory in is wyse
Anon he het þat noman aȝen hym ne ssolde aryse
Þis godeman com to court wel softe & wel faire þe court grette
Non nolde speke a uair word ne noman by h[i]m sette
Þis pope aȝen Cristendom bygan to speke anon
Seint Hillare him answerede & the bissops echon
Þis pope com a neode on þat he moste in alle wise
Do his neode at warderop & hasteliche up arise
Hillare Hillare þe pope sede ich habbe oþer wat to done
Ac anoþer ich wol wiþ þe telle & come aȝen wel sone
And by lokinge of þis godemen me ssel do by þe one
After þat þou deserued hast þat wiþseist us echone
7
Þe pope was þo he sey him come sory in is wyse
Anon he het þat noman aȝen hym ne ssolde aryse
Þis godeman com to court wel softe & wel faire þe court grette
Non nolde speke a uair word ne noman by h[i]m sette
Þis pope aȝen Cristendom bygan to speke anon
Seint Hillare him answerede & the bissops echon
Þis pope com a neode on þat he moste in alle wise
Do his neode at warderop & hasteliche up arise
Hillare Hillare þe pope sede ich habbe oþer wat to done
Ac anoþer ich wol wiþ þe telle & come aȝen wel sone
And by lokinge of þis godemen me ssel do by þe one
After þat þou deserued hast þat wiþseist us echone
Go nou forþ quaþ seint Hillare for neode þe haþ inome
Ac wo me ssel answerie ȝif þou nemiȝt aȝen come
Nai ne doute þe noȝt quaþ þe pope inabbe noȝt so muche to done
Þat i ne ssel come sone aȝen þe ssel þenche al to sone
Þis oþer wende forþ anon his neode bistod hym faste
He lyuerede hym so at warderobe þat is gottes out he caste
Al hit wende out by one weie amty his wombe was
And he fel doun ded anon þer was a grislich cas
Gret wreche þer was of God þat word sprang sone wide
Þis folk þat was at þis court miȝte longe abyde
Al aboute sat þis folk seint Hillare stod amydde
Ne he nuste war sitte adoun ne noman hym nolde bidde
Ac wo me ssel answerie ȝif þou nemiȝt aȝen come
Nai ne doute þe noȝt quaþ þe pope inabbe noȝt so muche to done
Þat i ne ssel come sone aȝen þe ssel þenche al to sone
Þis oþer wende forþ anon his neode bistod hym faste
He lyuerede hym so at warderobe þat is gottes out he caste
Al hit wende out by one weie amty his wombe was
And he fel doun ded anon þer was a grislich cas
Gret wreche þer was of God þat word sprang sone wide
Þis folk þat was at þis court miȝte longe abyde
Al aboute sat þis folk seint Hillare stod amydde
Ne he nuste war sitte adoun ne noman hym nolde bidde
Al weri he was istonde he sat adoun anon
Wel softe upe þe bare gronde amidde þis folk echon
Anon so he was adoun ysete as al þat folk ysey
Þe eorþe þo he sat adoun aros hym up anhey
And bar up þis holyman as hey as oþer sete
And as a chaire stod byneþe euene to hym ymete
Wel softe upe þe bare gronde amidde þis folk echon
Anon so he was adoun ysete as al þat folk ysey
Þe eorþe þo he sat adoun aros hym up anhey
And bar up þis holyman as hey as oþer sete
And as a chaire stod byneþe euene to hym ymete
Þo sat þere þis holyman as heiȝe as oþer aboute
Þat folk þat so auilede hym er were þo in gret doute
And of þe grete wreche also þat of the pope com
Hi doutede þe more Iesu Crist and louede Cristendom
So þat þoru grace of Iesu Crist hore þoȝt hi turnde þere
And biluuede on Iesu Crist þat misbiluued er were
So þat seint Hillare þis holyman þe wile is lif ilaste
Prechede euere of Cristendom and huld it up faste
8
And of þe grete wreche also þat of the pope com
Hi doutede þe more Iesu Crist and louede Cristendom
So þat þoru grace of Iesu Crist hore þoȝt hi turnde þere
And biluuede on Iesu Crist þat misbiluued er were
So þat seint Hillare þis holyman þe wile is lif ilaste
Prechede euere of Cristendom and huld it up faste
And þo þat lond was al aboute in god bileue inou
Þis holyman a Godes name touward þe deþe drou
And deide to hondred ȝer & fourty ȝer al riȝt
After þat oure swete Louerd inis moder was alyȝt
He wende to þe ioye of heuene after þis lif anon
Nou God for þe loue of him vs bringe þuder echon
Þis holyman a Godes name touward þe deþe drou
And deide to hondred ȝer & fourty ȝer al riȝt
After þat oure swete Louerd inis moder was alyȝt
He wende to þe ioye of heuene after þis lif anon
Nou God for þe loue of him vs bringe þuder echon
| The South English Legendary | |