University of Virginia Library

XXVIII.—MARGARET.

Qwa wil þe vertu wyt of stanis,
in þe lapidar ma fynd ane is
of þam þat callyt is “margaret,”
vertuyse, clere, lytil, and quhyt.
& for þere prophetis thre
we se It oft weile bocht be.
vertu It is blud to restrenȝe,
& flux of wame refrenȝe;
& is vertuyse callyt alsa
agayne ane Il, callyt “cardiaca;”
& It awalȝes specyaly
gyfine in met agayn mysalry.
& for it is quhyt, clere schenand,
men bryngis It of ful fare land,
for til enhorne vchis & cronis,
mad fore sere folk þat of renone is.
& it is lytil and rond alsa;
þar-for oft men wil it ta
& set it in bruchis & in ryngis,
þare-in delyt has mychtty knygis.
ȝet of þis margarit þe name
of margaret ma wele be tane,
þat lytil was & mylk quhit clere
& vertuyse, be causis sere.
fyrst lytil thru humylyte,
þat may to god mast thankful be,
for thru humylite but dred
was mary mad oure alleris med.
& clere quhyt thru vergynite,
þat to god next humylyte
Is. sa is margarit quhyt,
& clene of al fleschly delyt.
& alswa scho was vertuse,
fore vertuysly scho cane vincuse
þe flesch, þe warld, þe fend alsa.
& fyrst, thru pennance scho can sla
hyre flesch & floure of ȝouthed,
& kepyt euire hyre madynhed
in body and treutht wnuemmyt ay,
& nocht of rocht of flescly play.
þe wikit warld scho ourcom als,
þat ay is totyre, fekil, & fals.
fore scho rocht nocht of warldis gud,
bot scho had symply hyre fud
& clath, to cleth hyre honestly,
for-out pryd and surcudry.
als þe feynd scho ourcom wel
& his werkis Ilke dele.
for pride in hyre, na auarise
herbryt in hyre mycht be na vise,
na slawnes, na lychery,
na wreth, na gnedschepe, na gluto[ny];
bot hyre sa wisly can scho ware
with almus, fasting, & prayere
þat scho ourcom hyr fais fel,
as in hyre story I herd tel,
word be word, as teophinus,
þat wrat hyre story, tellis vs.
þat sais, þis margret fare & fre
of antioche in þe cite
wes borne, & of kine gret & clere,
al-þo þai paianis ware but were;
for teodosius mychtty & stark,
þat of þat lawis wes patriarch,
wes hyre fadir, & scho his ayre
of rentis gret & landis fayre;
& gefine wes to fostir & fede
wtouth þe towne in hir ȝouthede
til a man, had gud Inuch,
sic as men wynnis of erd & pleuch.
& fra he had þis madyn lacht
in ȝemsel, he gert hyre be tacht
in cristis lacht, & syne scho tuk
þe lacht of baptyme, & forsuk
þe feynd, & to crist gef hir so hale
þat of þe warld scho gef na tale,
& had na thocht of hyre gret kyne,
na of riches, na of warldis wyne.
& scho beand in tendir elde,
hyr modyr, þat was al hir beld,
deit; &, for scho cristine was,
hyre fadyre rocht of hir þe les,
sa þat scho nedit for to kepe
fore faut of helpe ilke day schepe
of hyre nuryse, til scho com nere
to þe elde of fyftene ȝere;
for hyre fadir hir hatit sa,
for cause scho cristine treuth cane ta,
þat mare esful til hyre war
hyr dede an lyf or welfar.
ȝet, þo scho wes in pouir stede
& nocht with hyr fadir cane be fede,
nocht-þane scho wes of sik boute
þat it wes wondir for to se;
for farare thing mycht be nane
in ony degre, in flesch or bane;
& hyr fare hafyng als with þat
in al hyr dede sa wele hyre sat.
bot ȝet wes scho al-out fairare
thru treutht scho had in cristis layre,
to quham scho pleysit in al degre
of consciens thru fyne bewte.
Sa it hapnyt at a tyme percace,
fra þe emperoure send was
his stewart, man of gret mycht
& fel, & olibryus he hycht,
cristine men to sek ay-quhare,
in quhat land sa þai ware,
to sla or torment but delay,
bot þai renyit cristine fay.
& betyd þat he come percase
nere by quhare þis madyn was
kepand hyre fostir modir schepe;
& til hir beute tuk sic kepe
þat he with-ine wes het in hy
with ful wil of lychery,
sa þat he reste be na way mocht,
til þat scho was befor hym brocht.
þane he beheld hyre ink[r]ely,
& of hyr beute had ferly;
& ay þe mare he has hyre sene
with outwart & with inwart ene,
þe hardar wes he wet within
with hyr fleschly for to syne.
þan ware handis wyolent
layd one þat cristis Innocent,
þat as a schepe ymang wlfis brath
beheld quha fyrst suld do hir scath,
lukand a-bout on ilke syd
quha fyrst suld rewis hir þat tyd,
& has na helpe, sted in sic pres,
bot god, in quham hyr hope al was.
for-þi deuotely can scho pray
til hyme, & þire wordis say:
“tyne nocht my sawle with fellon men,
bot erare sic grace þu me lene
þat I ourcume may my fellon fa!”
olibrius þane wes ful thra
to fand hyr & ger consent
til his lykine & his entent,
with wordis quhyle polyst & clere,
& quhile with athis gret & sere,
syne sayand: “I wil nocht scorne
þe, bot, be þu fre borne,
I wil þe wed & haf to wif,
til I ma lest in þis lyf;
& suppos þu bastard be,
ȝet sal I for þi beute
as concubyne þe hald & haf
in mast daynte, abeouf þe lawe.”
& for scho hym nan ansuere mad,
he speryt at hyre but abad
quhat wes hir nam, & of quhat kyn
scho wes of, scho suld tel hyme,
or quhat god did scho honour til,
& at scho wald fulfil his wil
consentand til flescly delyt.
þane ansuert scho but respyt:
“as to þe fyrst, I haf na scham
to tel þat margeret is myn nam.
& syne to ansuer of my kine,
I wes borne þis towne within,
In lauchful bed of folk mychtty,
in þis towne gottine was I.
as to þat þu askis now,
in-to quhat god at I trew,
I honoure Ihesu crist alway,
& euir sal do til I lyf may;
for vthir god is nane bot he,
þat mad of nocht erd & tre.
& quhare þu wald I gaf consent
to syne with þe, þane ware I schent.”
þan, quhen he herd of hyre belewe,
he treuyt wel for til eschewe,
& sad: “madyn, granttis þu,
þou trewis sa in Ihesu,
þat Iouys sleu for his trespas,
þat of na mycht na vertu was
to help hyme-self na ony ellis?”
“It is nocht suth,” scho sad, “þu tellis;
bot, for þai hyme on tre can hynge,
þai tynt þame-self & þare o[f]spryng,
of his wil set ded he tuk,
to wyne ws fra þe feyndis cluk.
for he wes ay but begynnyng,
& euir sal be but endynge,
& has þe gyfine lyf & aynde,
to strif with hyme þe þo þu faynde,
& þu cese sal, quhen he wil,
for ocht þat þu ma do þare til.
& he mad hewine of nocht,
& man to duel þare-in wrocht,
& mad hym maister syne & king
þat in þis warld is of althing.
& quhen þe feynd syne of inwy
had depriwit hyme wikitly
of sic Ioy & of sic welth,
þane oure manhed tuk hym-self,
& deit for vs a-pon þe tre,
in til oure flesch þat tan had he,
& one þe thryd day rase fra ded
thru þe strinth of his godede,
& ransonyt ws with his blud
fra ded til lyf a-pon þe rud.”
ful wa wes þane olybrius,
fra margaret had sad þus,
na he cuth nocht be kindly skil
gaynand ansuere mak hir til.
for-þi, til he avysit ware
to ȝeld til hyre rype ansuere,
he bad his men þai suld hir kepe
In a dongeone myrk & depe,
quhare nan mycht with hyre spek,
na met na drink na cleth [hir] rek.
þane entryt he in-to þe towne,
& on his wyse mad hym boune
to sacrify to godis sere
deuotely on þis manere;
& quha-sa-euir wald nocht do sa,
for-out pyte he thocht to sla.
& on þe morne, quhen day was lycht
& son had spred his bemys brycht,
olybrius of þat cyte
in mydis gert he set vpe sa he
his dempster-stule, þat he mycht here
al causis þat brocht þare were,
& namely for to spere of þai
þat offerand til his godis ma
wald nocht, þat he mycht se.
þane margret ger[t] he furth brocht be
out of presone til his presence,
& or he spak ocht, mad sylence.
syne sad he: “madine, haf pyte
of þi-self & consent til me
& honoure to my godis gyf,
þat þu in welt[h] with me ma lif!
for, treuly, I haf pyte
of þi ȝouthed and beute,
þat me be[h]oufis of ned spil,
my godis honoure gyf þou na wil.”
bot scho nocht dred, þo he hir thret,
in cristis luf sa was scho set,
bot sad: “wit þu, it is my wil
in nathing to consent þe til.
for crist is god & lord of al
þat in þis warld are, gret & smal,
& al þi mawmentis euir ilkane
ar dume & def & ma haf nane
pouare to mak ocht, for þai ar mad,
& gerris in hel þare makaris wad.
bot here to god hale I me gyf,
in his clere court þat I ma lif
with haly madinis; for crist gaf
hyme-self to ded, synful to saf;
for-þi for hyme I haf na dred
to de, þat gyfis hewinly med,
& raisis ded men at his wil.
fore-þi hale I tak me hym til,
& þi fel maumentis dredis nocht.
for-þi do furth as þu has thocht!”
“lorde Ihesu criste, I thank þe
& lowis, for þu lewyt nocht me
in-to na payne na torment,
bot ay þi helpe to me þu sent;
for, hou hard payne sa-euir it was
þat þe seruand of wykitnes
gert do me of iniquite,
þu has it turnyt in Ioy to me.
þare-for, god, for þi gret mycht,
grant me now werray sicht
of my fel fa, þat priuely
werrais me þis felloun[l]y,
þat I may face to face hyme se,
& fycht with hyme, quhat he be;
& syne þat I may hyme vincuse
be mycht of þe in me, Ihesus!”
þane rase scho fra hyr oracion
& lukit by hyre vpe & down,
& saw a dragon nere hyr by,
sa mykil, sa gret, & sa vgly
þat of wit scho wes wel nere,
of þat best for þe fellon bere;
þa scayland schalis set vp rath,
with vryss ful lang & ful herd bath,
& tung & tetht brynnand as fyre,
& schot on hyre in gret Ire,
& tuk hyr in his mouth hale,
to suely hyr in mekil bale.
bot, as scho enterand was to pas
þe throt of þat ful sathanas,
þe takine of þe croice scho mad
on hyre, & þe best but bad
brast in twa, & scho but hurt
eschapit wele or ony sturt.
þane had þe feynd gret inwy
at hyr, & apperit sone in hy,
in sume part lyk a man to be,
bot blakar þane ony sut wes he,
with handis bundine til his kneis,
& helis vpwart til his theis—
sa wgly, þat, quha mycht hym se,
suld gretly abaisyt be.
þane was þe maydine sum part red,
& knelyt & hyre bedis bad,
& saynit hyr, & rase vp hath,
& rakit to þat body rath,
& hynt hyme harskly be þe hare.
& he one hyr can rudly rare,
& sad: “þu godis maydine dere,
spar me a quhil! for þi prayere
& þi teris brynis me so sare
þat in hel leware me ware.
quhat haf I don to þe, for-quhy
þu brynnis me þis felloun[l]y?
cese now, I pray, of press[i]on!”
& to þe ȝerd scho kest hym don,
& on his nek set hyre fut,
& sad: “ful feynd, is þe na but;
for her sal þu ȝeld þe to me,
& of a woman ourcumyne be.”
þane sad he: “haly margaret,
I ma na langare thole þi thret,
& ȝeldis me [al] wtrely
to þe. but mare care haf I
of a women ourcumine to be
þane a man had vincust me;
for fyrst of al, women it wes
þat I ourcom be brukilnes,
quhen it mycht nocht me awale
for stedfastnes man til assale.
for-þi mar It schamis me
of women til ourcumyne be.
& als þi fadir & modir ware
to me teyndir & frendis dere.”
þane at hyme sperit scho quhy he
Come þar; & he ansuert in hye:
“To consel þe til consent
in althing to þe presydent.”
þan demandit scho for-quhy
þat he had sa gret inwy
at cristine men befor þe lawe.
þane sad he: “for I mon nedly haf
Inwy at þame for þare vertuse,
& for feile of þame ar relygiouse;
& þame agane euir kyndly,
for þare vertu fed haf I;
& namely for þat fele of þai
wynnis þe Ioy þat I fel fra,
& for þai bruk þat I haf tynt.
for-þi to faynd þam neuir I stynt,
þat Ioy to gere þame tyne
þat I ame falline fra & myne.”
þane tald he hyr hou salamon
þat wyse[s]t king þat set in trown,
of feyndis þat na nowmir was
in a weschale stekit of gles;
& quhen salamon wes ded,
of cowatice men tuk to red
to brek þe gles, treuand þar
a souerane gud or tresoure ware.
& quhen þai brokine had þat gles,
sa fele [feyndis] out can pas
þat þai fulfillit sa þe are
as motis ar in sown-beme fare.
& of his nek hyr fut a-way [OMITTED]
scho tuk, & let hyme pas his way,
& neuir cristine forthyrmare,
& vanyst he a-way ful suyth,
& scho alane lewit, glad & blyth;
for scho sykyr al wes mad,
þat scho ourcumyne had
þe maister feynd, þare-for þe hand
scho suld ourcume his wikit seruand.
eftsonnis scho fel to pray
one kneis, & [þis] cane say:
“I lowe þi name & gloryfy,
Ihesu crist, suthfast victory,
for quham dyspysit I haf hale
þis warld & of it gyfis na tale,
& in brukil kynd als stad
ourcome my fay & mad mad.
lord Ihesu, grace grant me here
a-gayne fayndingis to persewere!”
& hyre prayere quhen scho had
ser-wyse to god deuotely mad,
a licht of hewine rathly schane,
quhare scho set al hyr alane,
& as a cors wes be sicht
fra hewin to erd schenand brycht,
& one þat cors set a dou,
þat sad: “margaret maydine, þou trew
þat þu art blyssit & ay sal be,
for hewine ȝettis bydis þe.”
& one þe morne, quhen sown was brycht,
þat menskis al þe warld of lycht,
þis waryt Iug, in stul set,
gert margaret son befor hym fet,
& sad [til] hyr rycht cerryosly:
“maydine, I red ȝou sacrify
til oure godis, or þu tyne
þi lif, at ȝet is left, with pyne,
& lef þi wikit fals belewe,
& honoure to oure godis gyf,
& of þi ȝouthed fare & fresss
tyne nocht þe floure in wilfulnes.”
þane ansuert scho but delay,
& sad: “Ihesu I sal honor ay,
makar of hewine & ȝerd & al,
to quham I euir empless sal;
& al þine ydolis I dispyse
þam to do honor or seruice.”
þane wes þe tyrand vondir ten
quhene he hard þis of þe maydine clene,
& bad men suld platis ta
of Irne, lang & brad alsa,
& mak þame hat brynnand, & lay
til hyr sydis, þat sa can say
of his godis dyspytuisly
of hyre passand-gret foly,
sa þat scho, brynt richt sare,
sik wordis suld spek nomare.
þane wes of Irne mony plat
layd til hyr sydis, brynnand hat,
þat hyr flesch brulyt & brynt sa
þat thankful rek to god can ga
in plesand smelling of suetnes
& sacrifice, þat thankful wes.
bot þocht scho was brynt without,
within scho wes withoutyne dout
of hewinly deu thru þe haly gast,
quham in hyre confort wes ay mast;
bot for gret stedfastnes
scho rocht lytil of hyre flesche.
olybrius thru wikit wil
harder payne he put hir til;
& for þat watir eftyr fyre
ful noyful is to sic martyre,
a fat, þat wes [bath] depe & wyd,
of watir gert he fil þat tyd.
&, as he bad, þai hyre band
with cordis smart fut & hand,
& kyst hyre in þat fat, to drown.
& quhen scho wes þis þare-in don,
þane in þe watir as scho lay
to Ihesu crist þis can scho say:
“der god! brak my bandis in hy,
& I sal to þe sacryfy
me in sacrifice of lowing.
& als I pray þe, suthfast king,
to blis þis vatir, at it be
for wel of baptyme to me,
& of my synnis in forgyfnes,
& þat þe folk mare & les
ma kene & se þat þu alane
is suthfast god, & ellis nane,
& has na ending na begynnyng,
of hewine & erde makare & king.”
ande as scho mad [had] þis prayere,
son wes herde a fellon bere
of thonir and of erdine,
þat brak þe fat, scho wes put in,
in pecis al, & al þe bandis,
þat bundine had hyr fet & handis;
& þis merwale alson cane be
as man mycht twinkil with his e.
þane com a dou of hewin fleand,
al þe puple þat seand,
& in þe neb brocht a cron,
& on hyr hewid set It don;
& out of hewine a voce can say:
“confort þe wele, my blissit may!
for of hewine my falowis al
bydis þi cumyne, gret & smal.”
þane stud scho by & lowinge mad
to god þat hyre deliuerit had
of gret parel & panys sere.
þane al þe folk þat þare were,
þ[at] herd þat erdine & þat stewyn,
þat spak with hyre out of þe hewyn,
al with a voyce criyt þane:
“mykil is þe god of cristine men!”
þane of þame þat þare can stand
conuertit fyfe thousand,
for-owtine weman & bernis fele,
þat conuertit to lestand heile;
þat þane til vndo furth ware led,
& for cristis sak þe blud sched,
& baptyst ware in þare blud
for godis sak with blyth mud.
olibrius þane dret rycht þare
gyf margaret langar lifand ware,
þane mony suld conuertit be.
for-þi on hyre sentence gef he,
þat þai suld smyt hyr nek in twa.
&, as he bad, son þai hyre ta
& his byding haf þai don,
& to þat place led margret son.
& þe basare, malchus to name,
a scharpe sword son has tane
to strik hyr hed of but abad.
bot scho request has til hym mad
to gyf hyr respyt and delay,
til scho mycht hyr prayere say;
& he til hyr tyd hyre bowne.
& one kneis fel scho sowne,
& þis wise mad hyr prayere
to god of hewine, þat al mycht here:
“mychty god, makare of al
warldis, þat gayne are or cum sal,
with hart & mouth I ȝeld lowyng
to þe, as to my souerane king,
þat fra þis warldis filth þat me
drawine has þi seruand to be,
& kepit me in-to clenes,
nocht for my sert, bot þi gudnes,
& has me grantyt of þi grace
to cum to Ioy, þat na end has.
sa, dere lord, I pray to þe
þou grant me for þi gret pytte
pardone for al þat me did myse.
& als, der lord, I ask þe þis,
þat, quha in mynd has myn passion,
or wrytis It for deuocione,
or redis, or gerris be red,
or honouris me in ony sted,
or dois in þe name of me
deuocione, quhat-euir It be,
grant þame forgefing of þar myse
& in þi kyrk þe mykil blyse.
& gyf þai be sted in ned,
quhare-euir It be, I ask for med,
þat þai sik helpe for my sak haf,
as þai in ned wil me crawe;
& quhat-euir woman It be
þat in tyme of byrth callis on me,
grant þat woman but [ony] wath
deliueryt be & þe barne bath,
as I trast in þe, hewynis king,
born be for my sak but merryng.”
& quhen scho had hyr prayere mad,
a gret hug thonir [com] but bad,
& a quhyt dow was sene
fra þe hewine com to þat schene,
& twechyt hyre & sad: “margaret,
þat in sic thrang wil nocht forȝet
þame þat of þe makis memore here,
sa blissit þu art to god & dere
þat he þi bown granttis þe
for al þat euire sal honoure þe,
þat ar present or be syne sal;
þat þu askis he granttis al.
cum now þarfor to þe lestand blis,
þat þu has bocht in gret distres,
with þe haly curt of hewine!”
& as þe puple herd þis stewine
& þe thonir þat hydwis was,
þai fel flatlingis on þare face.
with þat scho dressit vpe þe sicht
to þe basare, þat malchus hicht,
& bad þat he suld fulfil
þe byding at fourmyt was hym til.
þane he, þat sene had opynly
godis vertu sa properly
þat he for hyre þane saw don,
til hyre request sad na son,
& sad: “god forbed þat I
with wenemyt handis sla þe in hy.”
quod scho: “but þu do I byd þe,
na part sal þu haf with me.”
þane sad he: “Ihesu, for þi pitte
þu input nocht þis ded to me!
for maugre myn þis ded do I;
I put me hale in þi mercy.”
a scharpe swerd þane he hynt
& hyre vnhedyt at a dynt,
& at hyr fet fel ded don,
& at mad hyme gud pardon.
þane of hyre cors a dow al quhyt
flaw, þat to se was delyt,
& in þe clowdis clame belyf,
on seand bath man & wyf.
a cristine man, callit theophin,
wes by hyre al þis tyme,
bath in preson & without,
& to serwe hyre wes ȝarne about,
& put in wryt word & ded,
þat men eftyrewart mycht red.
& in antioche of his cost a sepultur
he gert mak hyre of gret cure,
& embalmemyt hyre body,
& laid it þare honorably,
quhare god cesis nocht to wyrk
vertus, in strinthing of haly kirk,
& for to gere knawine be
quhou he had hyre in gret daynte,
& hou he quytis þam þare med,
þat seruis hyme in word or ded.
þe quhilk he grant ws grace to do,
þat we ma saufly cume hym to.