University of Virginia Library

XIX.—CRISTOFORE.

Fel folk in affeccione
has christofor, & deuocione;
& trewis wele, þat þai[m] ne may
ony mysawentoure fal þat day,
þat þai one his ymage cane se,
suppos few wat quhen he be,
ore quhat he tholit for goddis sak,
sa gret reward here to tak;
fore men sais, sudand ded þat day
he deis nocht his ymage se may.
fore-þi I set me fore to sek—
sa gret deuocione fore to eke—
of his lyf al þe begynnynge,
& þe mydis, & als þe endynge;
& I sal tel ȝow, ore I blyne,
þe legeand as I fand with-In.
þe quhilk, ore he had baptyme tan,
reprobus had to name;
bot christofore, as sais þe buk,
fra þe tyme he baptyme tuk
he was callit; fore he had
cryst borne on his schuldris brad.
thane fra þat habitacione
of licie, syne to þe towne,
christofore passit but abade.
bot, fore he na knawlage had
of þare langage, he prayt lange,
þat he mycht it vndyrstand.
þane þe Iugis, þat hyme saw þare
prayand sa sa late & ayre,
fore a wodman demyt hym al
In þat towne, gret & smal,
& lewit hyme al, & passit þar way.
& It, quhare-fore þat he can pray
to god, he gat: vndirstandynge,
& of þare langage clere spekine.
þe cristine þan had pennance strange,
þai fel paianys, þat dwelt amange,
& othyre word þaim as vnwise,
to maumentis mak sacrifice,
& reny criste & his fay,
ore thole hard ded but delay;
& sum of þame þar wald forsak
cryst ore syk [a] deid to tak.
christofore, to confort þane þai,
couerit his face, & furth can ga,
be-cause þat he mycht cowertly
mare helpe þame þane opynly,
& passit to þame, þat ware sa sted,
& fore dowt of ded ware rad,
& prayt þame, þai suld nocht tyne
fore sa schort & lytil pyne
þe blyse of hewine, þat ay sa dere
had bocht, & als was sa nere.
of þat a Iuge persawinge had,
þat he sic sermonynge þan mad,
& strak hyme fellely in þat place.
christofore þane vnhelyt þe face,
& sad: “cristine gyf I ne ware,
þu suld by þat strak [ful] sare.”
& þare was in þat tyme
of hethine fele & cristine hyne.
christofore þane hym wmthocht,
& his staf, þat he þare brocht,
In-to þe erd he strak done,
& mad to god þis oracione:
“dere lord cryst, as þu safit me,
quhare in poynt tynt I was to be,
& eftyre al lordis fand þe maste,
eftyre myn trawel mad in waste,
to me synful þu schawit þe,
& syne þi meracle þu let me se,
in-to þis staf, þat now is dry,
bath floure & froyt ferlyfully;
sa, lord, gyf þi willis be,
do now, þat þire folk ma se,
& gere It grene be, & froyt bere,
to strinth þi treutht, as It ded ere;
sa þat þai, þat here ar stad
In dowt of ded, & are sa rad,
be nocht abaisit [for] to tak
hard torment[is] fore þi sak!”
quhen þat christofore þis prayere
had mad, as ȝe hard [haf] heyre,
his staf, þat was sture & stark,
was cled with lewis, & with bark,
& daitis fare, & flouris fele.
& of þat pepule þan vnlele,
[þat] had sene þat ferly sycht,
lewyt þe myrknes & com to lycht,
& conuertyt was þat day
aucht thousand men to cristis lay.
þe kinge, þat þis tale had herd,
wel nere of wit as wod he ferd.
fore-þi, christofore [for] to ta,
he [send] twa hundreth knychtis & ma.
þai fand hyme his prayere makand;
bot nan of þaim durst tak on hand
In ony wise to spek hyme to,
bot did furth as þai saw hym do,
& fenȝeit þame prayere to mak,
fore dred he suld of þame tak wrak.
& fore [þir] knychtis dwellinge mad,
als fele he send ȝet but [a]-bad,
christofore to brynge hyme sowne;
bot as þe fyrst did, þai haf don.
CRistofore þan of sobyre wil
rase, & sad þame sone till:
“frendis, tell me quhat ȝe seke!”
& þai fore rednes ware sa meke,
þat [þai] with sobirnes sad hyme til:
“gud sir, takis nocht in hil,
þe kinge has send ws al to þe,
brocht til hyme bundyne for to be.”
christofore þane to þame can say:
“Is nane of ȝow durst hand lay
one me, forsuth, agane myn wil!”
þane sad þai al christofore til:
“quhare-sa ȝe wil, gange ȝoure wa,
& we to the kinge sal say,
þat we fand ȝou in na place.”
“þane ware ȝe fals men, allace!”
sad christofore. “it sal nocht be,
þat ȝe sal tyne ȝoure sawlis fore me.”
þane to þame he prechit sa,
þat cristine trewtht he gert þam ta,
& trew in criste, & be his men;
& mekly sad he [to] þame þane:
“be-hynd my bak my handis bynd,
& send me sa one to þe kinge!”
þane did þai as he þaim bad,
fore þai ware fore hyme al rad.
þane ȝed he with þame of his wil,
quhil he come to þe kinge til,
as of force It had bene.
& fra þe kinge hyme had sene,
he fel fore redoure doune in hy;
& þane his men, þat stud [hym] by,
hynt hyme vpe, & in cheyre set.
& as he cane his spritis get,
he askyt quhat was his name,
& of quhat cunctre þat he come.
christofore sad hyme in hy:
“before þat cristis treutht tuke I,
ay reprobus was myn name,
quhare-of now I haf gret schame;
& gyf þu vit wil myn cunctre,
I was borne in chanane,
& sene I þe feynd forswke,
christofore to name I tuk.”
þe kinge, þat sat þane in his stule,
answert, & sad: “þu arte a foule,
þat tuk to þe þat manis name,
þat hangyt [was], & tholyt schame,
& ma nocht helpe hyme-self, na þe.
fore-þi, þu wycht of canane,
sacrifice mak oure god, & lif,
& þi wechcraft þu a leife!”
þane sad christofore til hyme sone:
“& þai for suth ful wel has done,
þat to þe name gaf dagarus.
þat suthly is now vndone þus:
ded in þis warld, of fend falow;
& þi fals godis, wel we knaw,
of men are mad, þat þaim ma sel,
bot þare makare þai drav til hel.”
þe kinge hyme answert þan in tene,
& sad: “fule foule, it is now sene,
þat þu in ȝouthede fosterit was
ymange bestis in wildirnes;
fore-þi þu spekis bestly thinge
to me, & wat þat I ame kinge.
ȝet þane, gyf þu wil sacrify
to myn godis now in hy,
gretly sal I honoure þe;
& gyfe þu wil nocht trew [to] me,
þu sal thole hard paynis sere,
& eftyre tyne þi lyf but were.”
christofore þane, þat wald nocht bow
to þe kink, na his godis trew,
he gert in presone þane be don;
& al þai knychtis, but ony howne,
þat to þe treutht he had brocht,
ore he fane, he gert be socht,
& hed þaim al fore crystis sak.
sik fellouny can þe kinge þan mak.
& sene he mycht nocht be mycht
oure-cum christofore þane, be slycht
he thocht þane þat he wald
til his wil gere hyme fald.
and, fore na thinge sa wele ma mane
oure-cume be slycht as ma womane,
twa demycelis, þat ȝonge ware,
& of bewte had na pare,
he gat—and ane vycena
callyt þai, & þe tothyre aquila—
& hecht to þame, gyf þai mycht wyne
christofore, & gere hyme syne,
þat he suld gyf þame Ineucht of gude,
quhare-of to by þame clathe & fude.
& þai hycht to do þat tyt,
fore þai ware bordalouris parfyt.
In presone þane stekit ware þai
with christofore, quhare he lay;
& þai fayndyt hyme with al slicht
to syne with þame; bot þai ne mycht.
christofore fore þame þane was rade,
quhene he saw hyme sa hard stede,
& vthyre helpe had he nane,
bot al to god has hyme tane.
dewotly þane fel he done,
& knelyt, & mad his oracione
al a quhyle, & sene rase,
& þat [þa] wemane speryt has
with stut vysage & auchtful spek:
“quhat mak ȝe heyre, quhat Is ȝe sek,
ore quhare-to are ȝe hydyre brocht?”
his vysage þan sa lycht þame thocht,
þat þai ware rad, & sad in hy:
“þu godis seruand, hafe mercy
of ws, & kene ws how to trew
In a god, in quham þu treuys now;
sa throw þi techinge we ma wyne
fra hyme fore-gewine of oure syne.”
christofore þane þame prechyt sa,
ore þai of þat place cane ga,
þat þai ware redy fore to take
bath payne of ded fore cristis sake,
& opynly it tald but bad,
þat þai ware cristis weman mad.
& quhene þe kinge þe suthfastnes
wyste, quhou þay cristine was,
gret ennoy he had in thocht,
& gert þame sowne til hym be brocht,
& sad: “is It suthte þat ȝe
þusgat has dissawit me,
& has tane cristis lay,
& lewit ȝoure godis & ȝoure lay?
but delay ȝe tel It me!
fore I dowt wechit þat ȝe be
be cristofore in sorcery,
þat has ȝou led in sic foly.
bot be myn godis I swere ȝou til,
my bydynge bot gyf ȝe son fulfil,
& sacrify oure godis to,
rycht as ȝe ware wont to do,
ded in hard payne ȝe sal haf,
to gyf ensampil til þe lafe.”
þane to þe kinge sad þai in hy:
“gyf þu wil we sacryfy,
gere þe streitis wele clengit be,
& to þe tempil al cum & se,
quhow þi biddinge sal be done!”
& as þai bad, done was sone.
In-to þe tempil þai com in hy,
& lousit þare beltis spedly,
& put þame sone a-bowt þe hals
of þai maumentis þat vare fals,
& gert þame tak sik a fal,
þat þai brak in pecis smale.
þane to þame al stannand þer-by,
þis cane þai sa sorofully:
“gais & gettis ȝou lechis fele,
ȝoure brokine godis fore to hele!”
& quhene þai tald to þe king
hale þe suth of þis tythinge,
out of wit nere he ȝud,
& bad þame þat by hym stud,
a gebet sone to gere ma,
& hynge þare-one aquila,
“& til hyre fete bynd in hy
a gret stane þat be hewy,
þat þir tyrandis ma drau in tvyn.”
þane his tyranis furth can ryn,
& did as he þaim bad in haste;
& scho to god sa ȝald þe gaste.
& syne hir cystyr vnena
his tormentoris he has gert ta,
& in a fyre, was wele gret,
þat nane mycht nere cum fore hete,
bath fete & handis bundyne faste
In þe mydis þa kest hyr in haste.
bot þe fyre na-thing hyre deryt—
þe grace of god hyre sa wel weryt.
þane wend þe king It had bene
sorcery, þat he had sene;
fore-þi hyre hed he gert in hy
be strykine of dilyuerly.
In gret hy syne gert þe kinge
christofore of presone til hyme brynge.
with yrne schorgis þan gert he
In [his] presens hyme downgyne be,
til hyd & flesche ware ryvine at anys,
& of hyme lewyt bot þe bare banis.
þane gert þe kinge ane helme tak,
& in þe fyre It red al mak,
& one his hewid [it] sone gert do;
bot It na hurtinge mad hym to;
& eftyre gert þat felloune fule
of Irne mak a mekil stule,
& christofore þare-one a-bone
be bundine, & þare-one done
a mekil fyre, & to gere It
bryne, be kest in tar & pyk.
and ȝet þat stule, be godis grace,
vndir hyme as vax moltine was,
þat to se was selkuth thinge,
þat hym nocht deryt at brynnynge,
bot hale & fere passit his way,
as It had bene bot a play.
& þane þe fellone tyrand king,
þat was sorofull of þis thinge,
be-hynd his bak his handis bath
til a gret stok gert bynd [hym] rath,
& gert four hundreth knychtis wicht,
with bow & arowis sone þame dycht,
to schot al hyme fore to sla.
bot quhene þai schot þare arrois sa,
In-to þe ayre sa hangit all,
þat nane hyme twechit, gret na smal,
& nane grewit in ony thinge,
ovtane anerly þe kynge,
þat wend christofore had bene deide
thru schot of arrowis in þat stede.
vith þat scornynge gret mad he;
& sowne ane erow in þe ee
hyme hit, & strak [it] owt quytly,
& made hyme blynd one þat party.
christofore louse þan of al band,
Come, & before þe king can stand,
& sad: “tyrande, godis fa,
to-morne, I sa þe, sall I slan ma
ful endinge of myn temporale lyf,
þat I haf led in-to mykil stryf.
for-þi, quhene myn nek is in twa,
sowne eftyre myn blud þu ta,
& þare-with tweche þine ee in hy,
& þu sal se sone clerly.”
christofore furth þan haf þai lede,
furth one to þe heding stade.
þare he knelyt in gud will,
þe ende of his lyf to fulfill,
& mad his prayere dewotely;
syne to þe basare sade in hy:
“stryk of myn hede, bruthyre dere,
gyf þu wil be partenere
with me of þe lyf þat I ga to.”
þe basare, as he bade, can do,
& strak his hewyde of in hast;
& sa to god he ȝalde þe gaste.
þe kinge tuk þan a lytil we
of þe fresche blude, & vet his ee,
sayande: “in name of Ihesu
& sancte christofore I tweche þe nov.”
þane of þire wordis be þe mycht
bath fare & clene he gat þe sycht.
& alsa þane of godis grace
of Inwart licht Illumynt he vas,
as of christofore thru þe mycht
he had gottyne ovtwart sycht.
þe kinge crystis treutht has tane,
& al his kinryk, ore he fane,
he gert trow in god werray,
& al þe Idolis put away,
& of þare templis kirkis made,
fore god & fore christoforis sak sade,
& commawndment gef strat þar-to,
þat quha mysded, he ore scho,
god ore christofore, þai sulde sone
be tane & to þe dede be done.
þe king sa godly wrocht þane,
þat he be-come a haly mane,
& now in Ioy he is parfyt
with sancte christofore, & delyt.
& god gyf grace ws sa to be,
amen, Amen, par cheryte.
of þis martyre in-to þe glose
In his preface sais Ambrose:
“god to christofore gafe sic grace
of vertuyse lare, þat in hym was,
þat thru his lare be wertu
of paianis he had gert trew
aucht & sexty thousand but ma,
& gert al cristyne treutht ta,
& mony vthyre gud dedis dede
thru syndry myraclis, þat he kyde;
fore owt of bordale he brocht twa,
vycena and als aquila,
þat ware fede in þat fendis In,
& lange tyme lay sollit in syne;
bot he to god mad þame bowne
of martyrdome to tak þe crowne,
& send þame forow hym to hewine,
with gret Ioy and angel stewine.
& he ourcome tormentis sere
ful hard, þat fore hyme graþ[i]t were,
as to þe Irne hat wellande
& þe fyre vndir brynnande,
na þe hat helme of stele
one his hede set, hurt hym na dele;
na ȝet foure hundir knychtis thra,
al þat day schot hyme fore to sla;
& ane arow done cane lycht
& rewyt þe king of ane ee-sycht,
þat of þe blud was heilit in hy
of christofore, martyre mychty;
of þai fele archeris als a knycht,
þat of ane ee had tynt þe sycht,
be a drope of þat haly blud
of þat martyre gat sycht ful gud,
& þat drope gaf hym grace to se
rychtwyse treutht with hartly ee.
& þis martyre in þat stede,
quhare he resawit temporale ded,
dewotely mad his vrysone,
þat, quha-sa with deuocione,
seand his ymage, prayit hym til,
þat he þat day suld haf na Il,
& specialy fore sudand deide,
& als fore al seknes remede,
til al [þaim], þat in deide ore thocht
hyme worschipis ore honouris ocht.
vitht þat al þai þat by stud nere,
a voyce owt of hewine can here,
þat sad: ‘christofore, mak þe bowne
to cum to hewine & tak þe croune,
quhare-of þu sal cronyt be.
& god als has granttit to þe
þi bowne, & forthyre grant he mais
til al þat þe in honoure has.’”
sancte ambross makis lowyng
þis of þis martyr. bot I ne can fynd
of hyme þe dat in-to þe buk,
hou lang It was fra crist flesch tuk;
bot I fynd þat he end can ma
In þe cite of lucya
of Iule þe xxv day.
& of hyme mare can I nocht say,
bot prays hym hartly fore to be
gud frend til al in necessite.