University of Virginia Library

XXII.—LAURENTIUS.

Lawrent vele þe name has tane
of a fare tre callit lawrane,
þat wyntyre & somir ay is grene,
& gud flowr has & clene;
quhare-of mene wont war to mak
I[n] ald tyme cronis for þe sak
of victory þat gudmen wane,
& for to crowne þame þar-with þane.
& alsa mychtty wertuise thre
ar contenyt in þis tre.
In þe fyrst, it brakis þe stane,
þat man in bledyr ore nere has tane;
& in it als is gud helpying
to þame þat hurt are in heryng;
alsa it has vertu & maucht
fore to resyst a-gane fyre-slacht.
for-þi ser[u]yt it wel to be
sancte laurence cronyt with þis tre,
fore he oure-come wel decyum
& his tormentis, al & sume;
& of mystroward mony ane
he brak þe hartis hard as stane;
& he gaf spiritual heryng
to gere men cnaw hewynly thing;
& he covryt & mad defence
a-gane wykit men & þare sentence.
& þare-fore me think wel his name [OMITTED] [OMITTED]
quhare þe emperoure cane ly,
& weryt hyme quhare he lay,
& syne slepandly stal away,
& on þe morne sic sorow mad
as na wyt þare-of he had had.
þane al þe emperouris mene
be foce & prayere wane he þane,
& come to rome but abad,
& emperoure þare-of was mad.
& quhene þis ȝong philipe herde
quhow decius with his fadyre ferd,
In gret besynes & cure,
he tuk his fadir gret tresoure,
& to sancte syxt þane tacht [he] It,
& to sancte laurens, fore þare wyt,
to gyf to pure & haly kyrk,
fore he wyst þai wald lely wyrk,
& fled a-way, fore dowt þat he,
as was his fadyre, slane suld be.
þis decius [be]-thocht hyme þane
þat he had as a wykyt mane
Mwrth[r]yst his lord, [for]-þi fand he
enchesone quhy þat suld be,
In case þat he persawyt ware.
fore-þi al cristine mene wyd-quhare
Felloun[l]y he put to payne,
fore mene suld wene he had nocht slane
his lord in tresone, but fore-thi
þat he delt mare with ydolatry.
fore-þi mare felly be fare
he punyst cristine & þe ware.
& thru his persecucione
mony thowsand cristine fel done,
& martirdome fore criste has tane;
ymang þe quhilkis þis philp [w]as ane.
syne gert he spere with gret cure
eftyre his lordis fyrst tresoure.
befor hyme sat cyr[i]ak,
& coniuryt hyme for cristis sak
his hand one hyre hed to lay,
fore scho had seknes in It ay.
þane his hand one hyre he layd,
& in ferme treutht þir wordis sad:
“In þe name of god þu be
waryst of þine infyrmyte.”
& fra þine passyt he be nycht
til a stret, canarius hycht;
þare, in þe house of marcessy,
he fand cristine gaderit mony.
þane fore pite cane he gret;
syne sat done & wysch þare fet,
& gaf þame part of þe tresoure,
as he til vthyre ded before.
& þare fand he a man þat hicht
trecentene, þat had tynt sycht;
þe quhilk gretand can hyme pray
þat one hyme his hand he suld lay;
for he hopyt be godis mycht
& his prayere to gat his sicht.
þane laurence handis one hym lad
with tygland terys, & þis sade:
“Ihesu criste, of wyrgyne borne,
þat sicht gaf to þe blynd borne,
grant þe þi sicht.” & sone þane he
gat þe sicht, & wele cane se.
fra þine he come in-[to] a place,
quhare thre & sexty gaderit was.
ymang þame enteryt he be nycht,
& fand a prest þat Iustine hicht,
quham sixt, his master, ordinyt had.
for-þi he kyst his fet but bad,
& he one hyme fel ore he stynt;
þane athyre vthyre in armys hint.
syne Iustine let hyme alane,
& laurens has a bassyne tane
of vatir, & wesche þe fet of all
he fand þare, gret & small;
& syne he wesche Iustinis fet,
& with his teris cane þam wet,
& requerit hyme for to pray
for hyme, & ȝed one his way.
& quhene þat thre dais ware gane,
In þe palace salustiane
he come, & desium sittand,
& valerius with hyme, fand.
thane decius cane til hyme say:
”laurens, þu gattis na-wise delay,
bot tel now quhare þe hurdis are,
þat þu has heicht [vs] to declare!”
sanct laurence þane but abad
al þe poure men þat hyd he had,
before in ypolitis In,
In-to þat place he gart cum til hyme,
& sad with hey voice and clere:
“lo sir, to þe I half brocht here
lestand tresoure þat ma nocht falȝe.”
bot þat spek cuth nocht awalȝe,
for walaryane hyme bad in hy
to [his] fals godis sacryfy,
& his wechcraf[t] haly fore-ȝet,
quhare-in his treutht he halely set.
þane laurens cane nyt opinly
til fals godis to sacryfy.
decius, nere woud, bad þat he
dispolȝeit of his clathis suld be,
& syne one his body bare
with scharpe schurgis dungyn sare;
& syne bad lyft hyme vpe, þat he
of al paynis þe kynd mycht se;
with chenȝeis he gert bynd hym sone.
& as he bad, quhene al was done,
In þe tempil of Iouis sittand,
he gert bryng hym, bundyne fut & hand,
& with stafis gert hyme be beft,
til na-thinge hale one hyme was left;
& Irne platis of fyre brynnand
til his sydis syne þai band;
& eftyre syne with lompis of lede
he gert men dyng hyme nere to ded;
& þar-eftyre gert hyme straucht
In til framis with al þare macht,
& syne with schorgis dungyne be,
þat gret sorow was to se. [OMITTED]
“nou ma þu, catefe, wel se
þat I þe victor haf of the
na of þe tresoure þat þu socht,
na of þi paynis gyf I nocht.”
þane decius til his men can say:
“hat Irne til his sydis lay,
& als with stawis bet hyme wele,
þat tormentis now ma he fele!”
þane sayd sancte laurens dewotly:
“lord Ihesu criste, haf of me mercy!
fore, accusyt, I nyt þe nocht
bot granttyt þe in word & thocht.”
In þat oure a worthy knycht
to laurens sad, þat romane hycht:
“a fare ȝung man be-fore þe stand
I se, with a schet in hand,
clengeand þi hortis þat are sare.
þare-fore I pray fore godis ayre
þat me þu nocht leif, bot baptyse me,
fore throw þe I treu saf to be.”
with þat he brocht a vatir-cane,
& laurens hyme baptist þane.
& fra decius þat wyst,
he gert hed hyme for-out fryst.
þat ypolyt cane gret richt sare,
& before al had granttyt þare,
þat he had bene a cristine mane,
na ware laurens þat richt þane
bad he suld crist in hyme hyd,
til he hyme bad, quhat-euir betyd.
thane decius, fore Ire nere wod,
þame commawndit a-bout hym stud,
with lompes of led to dyng hym fast.
bot vnourcumyne he can ay last,
& sad: “lord Ihesu, þat dengnit þe
fore oure sawfte to mane be,
fore til deliuer ws of thryldome,
resawe me to þi kyn[g]dome!”
In þat houre, herand decius,
a voyce of hewine þan sad þus:
“ȝet paynis are aucht þe mony.”
þane decius loud cane cry:
“gud mene of rome, wil ȝe here
quhat solace þe feyndis here
to þis sacrylege makis now,
þat noþir wil in godis trew
na dredis ws na oure torment?
wald nocht resone he ware schent?”
In-to [a] frame þane bad he
of now he suld extendit be,
& als with schorgis beft be sare.
& sancte laurence in þat sythtware
blythly smylyt, quhare he was lad,
& to god sic wordis sad:
“blyssit be god, fadir of Ihesu,
þat sic confort has gyfine ws now,
þat we na desert makis to hafe!
& for þi pyte I þe crafe
þat þu þis grace lene to þire mene
þat about standis here, ma kene
þat to þame þe wil emplese
þu gyfis grace, solace & ese.”
[quhene] decius saw, þe victory
þat he mycht nocht haf anerly
of laurens, bot dyspysit be;
þare-fore ȝet [mare] wrek hyme thocht he,
& gert louse hyme fra þe frame
& with ypolyt be send hame,
til he mycht get til his entent
sume manere of new torment.
& one þe morne is he gane,
& tuk with him valaryane,
to chawmyre of olympyas,
þat house of bathine callit was;
& þare before, as he thocht,
gert sancte laurens til hym be brocht,
syttand in stule of Iugment;
& þare al manere of torment
he gert bryng & done be layd.
& to sancte laurens þane he sad:
“þi sorcery do now away,
& of þi kine to me þu say!”
þane laurens answert hyme:
“ame of spanȝe, as of kyne,
& in þis towne [wes] fosterit, & tacht
In godis lay & baptysme lacht.”
sayd decius: “It is nocht sa;
for godis law þu wald nocht ta,
fore thu na wil oure godis treu,
na ȝet na tormentis dredis þu.”
sad he: “sik hope haf I tane
of god, þat torment dred I nane.”
þane decius hyme bad in hy
til his godis to sacryfy,
“þat we spend nocht þis nycht in þe
with paynis hard.” þane answert he:
“þe nycht forsuth has na merknes,
bot ay schenis in clernes.”
decius þane gaf new byddyng,
his mouth with stanis for to ding,
bot he lofyt god as mare blith.
þane decius commawndyt alsyth
a mykil rost-Irene to be mad,
& laurence bryne þare-one brad
al nakyt, to he sacryfy
til his fals godis þare in hy.
þane sad lawrence: “of gud stewine
I me offyr to god of hewine
In sacrifice of swetnes;
Fore contryt spryt euir ȝet was
to my god thankful sacrifice.
bot to þine be na wyse
wil I bow; fore quhethyre suld he
þat makis, or is mad, honourit be?
& als þu wreche, vnhappy,
suld wit þat mare delyt haf I
In paynis, þat mare lykis me,
þane met ore drink emplesþ þe.”
ȝet decius til hyme cane say:
“Gyf þu has socht sic swet fud ay,
schaw ws ma þat trewis as þu,
þat þai fest ma mak with þe now!”
þane sad laurens: “tyrand, parde,
þu ar nocht worthy þame to se.”
þane decius al fore wrak
a gryt fyre sone gert mak
vndir þe rost-Irne, þat brint fast,
& salt & oyle þare-one gert cast;
& lourdanis mad þame al bowne
with scharpe forkis, & hald hym done.
þane sad laurens: “now þu ma se
þat þi fel fyre refreschis me,
and to þe ay-lestand payne
It sal mynistere, nocht to layne;
fore god wat I nyt hyme nocht,
accusit in word na in thocht,
& now one þe rost-yrne layd
I ȝeld hyme thank.” & als he sad:
“o ȝe warchis vnhappy!
se ȝe nocht al opynly
þat ȝoure colis refreschis me?”
& þane [þai] þat þat sicht can se,
ferly ware forwondryt þane,
þat he gert sa rost a quyk man.
þane sad laurens with gud chere:
“lord Ihesu, I lowe þe here!”
& with þat wpe þe ene he brad
and to decius he sayd:
“þe rostit syd turne vpe & ete,
& It at raw is turne & het!”
& þis sayand thankis he ȝald
to god, erand ȝong & auld:
“lord Ihesu, ay lowyt mot þu be,
fore I ame worthy to haf entre
within þe ȝatis of þi blyse,”
& ȝauld þe spryt, sayand þus.
qwene þis was done, þe way has tane
decius & valeryane,
þat red ware fore þare dedis,
& lewit þe cors apone þe gledis.
& in þe dawing of þe day
ypolyt tuk þe cors away,
& wand It in clathis fyne,
& syne send word to prest Iustine,
how laurens was rostit & ded,
& quhow þat decius þe sted
lewyt fore schame, & valeryane.
þane Iustine come, ore he fane,
& with [þe] helpe of ypolyt
þai tuk þe cors in dule & syt;
& to þe stret, callyt tyburcyne,
þai tway It bare, ore þai wald fyne,
quhare þe wedow dwelt cyryak,
þat gret sorow þare-of cane mak,
& hyd It þare til þe nycht;
in a grawe, fore it al dycht,
þai hyd þe cors before þe day,
& syne gretand vent þar way.
& al þe crystine þat þare ware,
fastyt þat day with hart sare,
lowand god of al his lane,
& syne ilkane his vay is gane.
als þe sammyne gregor tellis ws
at a prest, callit sanctillus,
sancte laurence lowyt & honouryt mare
þane ony sanctis þat in hewine ware,
& to byg set al his cure
a kyrk, mad in honoure
of þis martyr, bot lumbardis had
brynt it in were, & wast mad.
þane gat he men of craft to wyrk
& to reforme þis haly kyrk.
sa wantyt he bred in þat fare,
quhare-of he had his hart rycht sare.
þis martyre þane with incre wil
he prayt helpe to send hyme til.
& as he stud one þis musand,
he saw percase one his a hand,
in his awne hoyne, þat wes nocht het,
a laf quhyt as snaw be set;
þe quhilk, þo It ferly fare was,
It mycht nocht suffice nocht-þe-les
at a met bred to be,
as hyme thocht, to warmen thre.
þane þe martyris mycht sik was,
þat wald nocht þe wark suld cese,
þat he gert þe laf dais tene
serwe plentuysly til al þai mene.
for-þi to god be lowyng,
þat for hyme did sa ferly thing.
als in þe kyrk of sancte laurens
of melon hapnyt þis chance,
as vincent in his c[r]oniclis sais,
þar was a chelise in his days
of cristole fyne & sic bewte
þat farare mycht na man se;
þe quhilk one a hye day,
quhene þe prest þe mes suld say, [OMITTED]
bot rek[l]asly he let It fall,
and brak quhyt in pecis smal.
þe dekine, þat was richt wa,
þe smal pecis vpe cane ta,
& one sancte laurence altere
he lad þame with drery chere,
& prayt sancte laurence of his grace
to send hyme helpe in-to þat case.
þane men mycht se gret ferly,
hou þe pecis þat þare cane ly,
lape to-gydyr, & was farere
chalyce þane before be fare.
for-þi þis martyre we suld lofe,
þat sa mychty warkis can prowe.
I fand a myrakle, as I red
of þe swet laydy þat criste fede,
of a felone Iuge of dome,
þat stewine was callyt & dwelt in rom,
& gladly wald gyftis tak,
& fals Iugment oft mak,
& nocht anerly in war[l]dly thing,
bot kyrkis als, & spirituale thing.
of sic warkis ymang þe laf
falsly cane he wyne & haf
thre housis, þat gewine ware
to vphauld sancte laurens altere,
& a ȝard fra sancte agnet
with falset [had] he wonnyne ȝet,
& hadine þame with violence
fra haly kyrk, in fawt of fence.
& eftyre þat a lytil we
sa hapnyt þis wrech to de,
& to be brocht in Iugment,
quhare he na tyme had to repent,
& was accusyt stratly þare.
& sancte laurens in þat sythware
come, & beheld hyme with dedyngne,
& be þe areme can hyme strenȝe
[þriis] rycht sayre and Increly.
with þat angnes come nere by,
& with hyr virginis in quantyte,
bot scho wald nocht one hyme se.
þe Iuge þane sic sentence gaf,
þat man, þat wald tak, & haf
vtheris menis gud with Iniquite,
with Iudas traditore suld he be.
sancte preiect þan come but bad,
þat þis stewine in his lyf ay had
honouryt in gret specialite,
quhene he did mast iniquite;
& he sancte laurence & agnet
fore stewine prayt with wordis swet,
& with þe helpe of oure laydy,
þat þai come to þe Iug in hy,
& askyt grace fore his pyte,
þat stewine suld nocht sa tynt be.
þe Iuge þane at þe prayere
of þire fowre, I spak of here,
granttit þat his saule in hy
suld agayne til his body
fore thretty days, til þat he
of his synnis mycht clengyt be.
& quhene þai þis grace gottine had,
to stewine þane oure lady bad,
þat, for til helpe haf in þat ned,
he suld ilke day say þe bed.
& quhene þe saule was suthly
cummyne agane to þe body,
he fand his harme sa sare & wa
þat nere of wyt It gert hym ga;
fore it was lyk, quha had [it] sene,
brulyt in a fyre to haf bene.
þane restoryt he Ilkane,
þat with wrang he had tane,
& penance þane did werray,
& deyt one þe threty day,
& passit to god, þat bocht hyme dere.
bot ay his arme was sare but were.
þare-fore me think, laurence to wrath,
al gud men suld be rycht layth,
bot serwe hyme bath nycht & day,
to quhame be Ioy & honoure ay.
of þe emperoure als sancte henry
ane vthyre tale red haf I.
thane with radagunde his wyf
he had lange tyme led his lyf
In virginite, bath scho and he.
þe feynd, þat ay wil besy be
to tempt, þat þame twa had Inwy,
& gert hyme fal In Ialusy,
venand his wyf had mysdone
vith a ȝunge knycht. þane but hone
sic commawnment hyre he cane ma,
þat for quetance scho suld ga
one ane heyt yrne brynnande,
as þane þe law was in þe land,
þe quhilk of lynth fyftene fut had.
& quhene scho had hyre redy mad
to pas þare-one with gud chere,
hely scho sad, þat al mycht heyre:
“lord Ihesu, as þu wat me
of henry ȝet vnwemmyt to be,
& of al vthyre, sa I þe pray
þat I ma safly pas þis way.”
þe emperoure, þat schamyt was,
gaf hyre a strak a-pone þe face.
þane sad a voyce til hyre ful chere,
þat al þat stud by micht here:
“madyne, þu dred þe na dele,
fore mary þe sal helpe ful wele.”
with þat þe yrne but rednes
scho one ȝed, þat sa het was,
but ony skathe, as one cald lede.
& quhene þe emperoure was ded,
be-syd quhare ane herymyt lay
mony feyndis hyld þare vay.
his vyndow opnyt he in hy,
& þat þe last þat come þare-by,
he speryt quhat þai menȝe ware?
& he “a legione” sad “we are
of feyndis, þat passis in hy
to þe ded of cesare henry,
fore to se gyf he had ocht
mysdone to god in word ore thocht.”
þe hermyt þane hyme coniuryt sone
þat, als-a tyt as þai had done,
he til hyme but mare delay
suld cume, & tel quhat þare did þai.
& he reparyt but lang taryng,
sayand, þai did þare na thing;
“for, quhene we wald in skale put don
his ewil consawit suspicione,
þat he had of his wyf but skil,
& al vthyre ewil dedis til,
& in-[to] þe tothyre skale
his gud dedis ware al hale,
& we wend wele til haf þe mane
rostyt laurence come furth þane,
& a gret pot with erys twa
of massy gold furth he cane ta,
& in þat balance has he [it] done;
þane ourys veyt vpe tycht sone,
& of þat massy pot ful tyt
I brak ane ere fore þare dyspyt.”
þat pot, he sad, wes a chalyce
mykil & fayre at [al] dewice,
þat þe emperoure gert ma,
þat fore þe wecht had erys twa,
& in a kyrk offeryt It,
þat of sancte laurens was halowyt.
þis hermyt send þane to spere,
& fand al suth but ony were,
þat ded was þe emperoure
þat [sammyne] day & in þat houre,
rycht as þe feynd sad hyme hare,
& of þe chalyce fand þe ere
brokine þare & layd by.
þane gert þai þis notyfy
til almene fere & nere,
til excyt þame & til stere
to þis martyre dewot to be,
þat wele cane helpe quhare-euir wil he.