Legends of the Saints in the Scottish Dialect of the Fourteenth Century

Of þe appostil syne sanct Jame
I wil tell, þat had thrynfald nam:
and the fyrste name þat he
hade, is þe sone of Ȝebedee.
syne to þat we[s] þe todyre,
at he wes callit Ionnis bruthyr.
and þe thryd þat he bar,
wes callyt quhill James þe mare.

þis James, sone of Ȝebedee,
of quham here spek wil we,
eftir cristis ascencione
passit prechand fra tovne to towne
thru samary and Iudea;
and eftyr þat, þe wa can ta
to spanȝe, of goddis dere biddinge,
þat puple to cristyne treutht to brynge.
and quhen þat he wes cumyne þar,
and prechit had ful ȝarne wid-quhar,
þai war sa hard in hart, sa thra,
þat nere he wane nan of þa,
ovtane þat vith gret pyne
he purchasit discipulis nyne;
of quhilkis leffit he þar twa,
conqueste of sawlis fore to ma;
and sewine of þam he with hym tuk,

and went agane, sa sais þe buk,
In Iuda, and prechit þare
to þam vntrowand cristis lare.
and in þat land a man þar wes,
þat to name had hermogines,
þat had delyt in devilry,
and delte þar with so[r]cery,
and be sic craft full oft his will
þe fals fend he gert fulfyl.
and he with hym had a prentese,
þat in þat craft wes wel wyss,
and had phylet to his name.
bot quhen he hard þat sancte Iame
prechit, and callit wes wyss,
he send til hym his prentyss,
with farices, þat þai here mycht,
how his prentice of his slicht
suld sone oure-com sancte Iames þare
In þe presence of mony mare,
and ger þame trew, þat his prechinge
wes bot falset and fenȝet thinge.
þat phylet with his company
went to Iames in gret hy,
and fandyt thru sle argument
fore till eschow of his entent.
bot þane before al men þat ware,
þe appostil mad hym sik answere,
þat he had nocht to say hym till,
bot as ourcumyne held hym still.
and for to co[n]fereme and strinth his lar,
myraculis gret he wrocht þat war,
In sicht of hym and mony ma.
and he agane but mare cane ga
til his master, & mad lowinge
of sancte Iames and his prechinge;

and at hym-self had sene hym do
myraculis fare, he tald hym to;
and sad to hym, þare-for, þat he
to sancte Iame discipil wald be,
and til [his] mayster consale gaf
to do sa and hymself sawe.
þane wes hermogines rycht angry,
and wrocht sa thru sorcery,
þat stil before hym stud philet,
and mycht ster noder hand na fete,
and sad: “perfay, now sal we se,
gyf þat þi Iames lousis þe!”

thane phylet send a man sone,
and tald þe appostil quhat is done,
and quhow his master be his slicht
had rewit hym steringe & mycht.
and he agane with þat man send,
phylet to comfort and to mend,
his sudare, and bad tak It,
and say sic wordis of þe wryt:
“god rasis þame, þat strekine ar
done to þe ȝerd, curand þa er,
and þame, þat ar in feteris stad,
he lousis oft and makis glad.”
and quhen þe sudar wes lad
one phylet, þat sic wordis sad,
he wes lousit bath fut and hand,
all quyt of þe fendis band;
and at his master hethinge mad,
and went to Iames but abad.
hermogynes þan wes wrath,
and callit fendis til hym ful rath,
and commavndit þam but delay
till sancte Iames til hald þe way,
and brynge hym to hym with philet,

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bundyne bath hand and fet,
þat he of þam mycht tak vengeance,
þat his disciple, be sic chance,
suld nocht preswme to scorne [hym] mar.
with þat þe fendis furth can fare
a-beowe quhare Iames can repar,
ȝouland and cryand in þe ayre:
“Iames, goddis apostole dere,
haf reutht of ws, þat panys here,
bynd ws in hell before þat we
In sik paynis war wont to be!”
and he þan [til] þam sad in hy:
“quhy come ȝe þis one me to cry?”
sad þai: “hermagines þus,
to brynge þe hyme and philet, send vs;
and, as we for þat cause com her,
of god þe angel brycht and clere
band vs with chenȝeis fel & sar,
and þus gert ws ȝele and rare.”
þane Iames to þe fendis sad:
“þe angel, þat þai bandis lad
one ȝow, he louse ȝou! & but mar,
til hym þat send ȝow, sone ȝe far,
and bundyn faste to me hym bring;
bot hurt hym nocht be ony thynge!”
þane went þai till hermogines,
and tuk hym, þat þan bundyn was,
his handis bundyne sekyrly
behynd his bak; and sa in hy
to þe appostil þai brocht hym,
vnhurt oþir in lith ore lyme,
plenȝeand ful faste on hym, þat he
before þar tyme, gert þam brint be.
for-þi to Iames cane þai pray
þat he wald thole þam but delay,

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þat þai mycht vengeance on hym tak,
bath fore his and fore þar sak.
þane sad Iames: “quhy wil ȝe now
tak phylet and reweng ȝow?”
þai sad: “na mycht haff we
to grewe þe thing, at twechis þe;
na nocht a nemot, quhare þat þu
restis þi corse, þu sall trew.”
þane sad þe appostil to fylet:
“þat þu kene clergy, I will ȝete,
þat criste, oure mastere, can vs kene
gud fore ewil to ȝald almene;
þar-for hym þat band þe sa,
þu louse, and lat hym frely ga!”
and quhene hermogines wes fre,
to ga quhare-euir hym lest to be,
he wes all eschemet þane.
bot þis gat sad þe haly mane:
“quhare-euir þu wil, frely þu fare;
for it is nocht myn maister lare,
þat ony mane conuertit be
distrenȝeit, bot of his wil fre.”
þane sad hermogines in hy:
“of fendis I kene þe fellouny,
þat, or I hame cum, sal sla me,
bot I helpyt be throw þe.”

sancte Iames þane gaf hym þe wand,
þat he wes wonte bere in his hand,
and þar-with held furth his gate
til his house. and þan fut-hate
of his fals crafte þe bukis all
he brocht sancte Iames, gret & smal,
and prayt hym to bryne þam sone.
“na,” said he, “for þat I schone
þe rek of þame suld noyus be.

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þar-for, þu caste þam in þe se!”
and, as he bad hym, he had don
and com agane to Iames sone,
and in his handis hynt his fete,
sayand to hym þis, & can gret:
“safare of sawlis, ta me sone,
for-thinkand þat I haf mysdone,
a-ganys þe hafand invy,
or ȝet bakbytyne fellonly!”
til hym þan sancte Iames prechit,
and crystis law sa sadly techit,
and sa parfyte mad hym one ane,
þat he wroucht vertuiss mony ane.
and fra þe Iowis sa had sene
hermogines conuertit clene,
þai war enflammyt all of fyre,
and til hym sad in gret Ire:
“Il mane, for schame, þe byrd wel sone
to preche hym þat one croice wes don!”
þane prowit he þame be gud resone,
þat spedful wes sic passione,
as criste one croice to be done, & It
ay prowyt be haly wryte.
þar-for, þat ȝer þat Abiathar
wes byschope, þat of þis wes war,
and had dred þat þe folk suld be
conuertit al þar-for; and he
þe folk thru Ire steryt sa,
þat þai a rud rape thru Ire can ta,
and band a-bowte sancte Iames [h]alse
In þar fellouny, þat wes fals,
and to herrod, þar kyng, drew hym,
þat wes worthine þe devilis lyme;
for he gaf sentence sone, þat he

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for his gylt suld hedyt be.
þane þai drew hym to þe stad,
quhare þai suld hym vnhed.
a mane þat had þe parlesy,
In þe hey gat lay þame by,
criyand one sancte Iames with he stewyn,
þat, fore þe luf of god of hewyn,
of his seknes he wald hym heile.
and Iames þan can til hym mele:
“In-to þe name of criste Ihesu,
fore quhais cause I am led now
but cause til vnhedyt be,
In till his name I commawnd þe,
þat hale and fer in to þis oure
þou ryse, and blyse þi creatoure!”
pane he rase hale and fer rycht þar,
and ȝald lowinge to god but mare.
and, with þe rape he þat led
goddis appostil to þe stad,
þat had to name Iosyas,
quhen he had sene þat in þat place,
he fel done to sancte Iames fet,
and askit pardone with wordis swet,
and þat he cristine mycht be mad.
abiathar þane but abad
gert hym be tane, and sad: “bot þu
wary þe name of criste Ihesu,
with his appostil þu sal be
vnheidyt in dispyte of þe.”
þane sad Iosyas till hym: “þu
be varyt and þi goddis now,
and cristis name blissit be
thru all þe world in al degre!”
abyathar þane for hethynge

104

with stanys gert men his mouth dinge,
wrat til herrod, and leve had
to stryk his neke in twa but bad.

and quhen sancte Iames and he
suld to-gyddyr vnhedyt be,
fra þe baser sancte Iames gat
a pot with vatter, and with þat
he baptisit Iosyas sowne.
and þane, eftyr þis wes done,
þai wer vnhedit but abad,
and to god sa marteris made.

his printes com syne in hy
be nycht, and stal away þe body
for dowte of Iowis, and fut-hat
In Ioy þai lad it in a bate,
and wyne þar-In with it but were
for-owt maste, atye, or stere,
commendand þam to goddis will,
to quhat land he wald send þam till,
þat þai mycht mak his sepultore
eftyr þar powar with honour.
and þai aryvyt with þat relik
of spanȝe, in-to þe kynrik,
quhare of þat land þe quen can ma
dwellinge, callit to nam lupa,
þat is als mykil fore to say,
as a wolfe, þat is felone ay.
and þat name gaynyt hyr til,
for scho wes schrewis, feloun & Il.
þe corse of þe bat þai haf tane,
and lad it done one a stane;
and þe stane, quhen he lad was þer,
wex nesch as it wax war,
and gaf sic sted to þat body,

105

as It a grave had bene, in hy.
for þat, al þat cumys þar,
ma se his fasone les & mar.
þane his sad discipulis passit one
to þe quene, and sad hyr sone:
“lo, Ihesu criste of his fre will
his disciple has send ȝov till;
and til he quek was, þou wald nocht
beleve, sa hard wes þi thocht,
þar-for, god send hym to þe ded,
þat þu ma ȝete þi myss remed;”
and tald hyr, alse, of goddis wil
how he but helpe wes brocht hir till.
þar-for, þai askyt hyr a sted,
to grawe hym þat þai brocht sa dede.
and quhen scho sa hard þis thinge,
scho bad þame gange & sek þe kinge,
and of þar lykine get his will,
and þan agane com sone hir till.
bot þis scho sad in þe entent,
þat þai suld have bene quyt schent,
for þat he lange wes ay fell
to crystis folk and rycht cruel;
for he gert tak þame al þan sone,
and gert in presone þam be done.
bot fra þat he to met wes gane,
ane angel com, þat clerly schane,
and þe pressone opnyt in hy,
and let þame pas away frely.
bot quhen þe kinge herd þat thinge,
he gert fele knychtis in a lynge
pryk efter þame in al þar mayne,
to brynge hym þame tyt agane.
and on a bryge, as þai can ryd
our a wattyr, depe and wyd,

106

þe bryge brak, and þar dronyt all,
þat mad þe chas, gret & smal.
and quhen þat to þe kyng wes tald,
þocht he was bath fel and bawld,
ȝet hym fore-thocht his mys-dede,
and for þai lele men send gud sped,
and prayt þam to cum hym till,
and he suld grant þam all þar wil.
þane þai agane com to þe kinge,
and till hym mad sik sermonynge,
quhare-thru conuertit son wes he,
and al þe folk of þat cunttre.
qw[h]en quene lupa herd þis tale,
In hart scho had sa mekil bale,
þat to þai discipulis þe kynge
had granttit sa sone þar askine.
nocht-þane scho callyt þam hyr till,
and bad þame gange to syk a hill,
and tak twa of hyr oxyne þare,
and ȝoke þam in a wane but mare,
and lay þar master cors þar-In,
“and folow þai bese, till þai blyne
of þar awne wil, & þar ma ȝe
mak hym a place for euir to be.”
bot þat scho sad in-to dissate,
for scho had bulis wilde and tate,
þat scho nocht trewit mycht ȝakkit be
In carte, na wane, be ony degre;
and, gyf It hapnyt þat þai
var ȝokit, suld ryne away,
and brak þe wane in pecis smale,
and [cast] þe corse to ȝerde with-all
and sla þame þat ȝede þar by;
scho wes sa ful of fellouny.
bot aganis god is wisdum nane.

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for-þi þe lele men, ore þa fane,
thinkand na ewil, vent to þe hill,
quhare a fel dragon com þam till,
blawand fel fyre one þam in hy,
and ruschit one þame fellounly;
bot þai þe croice before þam set,
and he bristit but langar lat.
and als to þa fel bugilis eke,
þai schawit þe corse, & þai vorth mek.
and þai discipulis but afray
brocht to þe cors, quhare at It lay,
þe oxine to þe wane mekly,
as þai had bene dantyt ky,
and with þe stane, rycht as It lay,
In þe wane lad [it] but effray.
and þe bulis, or þa fane,
drew þe sammyn cors & stane
In to þe myddis þe p[a]lace,
quhare quene lupe dwelland ves,
at fra þis merwale sene [scho] had,
scho was abaysit, and but abad
scho gafe It lowinge, & baptisym tuk þar.
and hyr palace, hecht & square,
to sancte Iames but abad
scho gaf, and It a kirk mad,
and dowit It with renttis fare,
quhare mony now makis repare.
for lele men of al kirsine led
sekis þat cors, as we red,
for heile of body and of sawle,
rycht as þai do petir and paule.
fore rome and galise, as I trew,
ar neste Ierusalem now
placis of maste deuocione
and of synnis remissione.
þat god vs grant of his gret grace,

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and of repentance til haf space,
out of þis warld þat we ma twene
but schame, det, or dedly syne.
of ferlis sere, þat god has wrocht,
and ȝet for to do cesis nocht
for þis appostil, here or alquhare,
for to record sum resone war,
bot I to tel þame al am swer.
þar-for, I spek [nocht] of þam her;
bot þai þat has hym socht, sal tell
of syndry merwaalis, þat to þam fell,
and þat þai haf sere [men] hard say,
quhat þam be-tyd has in his way.
for gyf men wald record al þai,
a mekil buk suld þai þam may;
and sik gret thingis for to wryt,
eld lattis me to haf delyt.
for-þi of þis wark end I mak,
þat I haf done fore Iames sak,
and prays hym parcheryte,
þat he wald myne protector be,
sa þat I be nocht refusyt,
quhen I sal be for syne accusyt;
bot helpe, þat I ma haf þan
part in hewyne with rychtys men,
þat we al to god sic ma be,
þat we ma part haf of þat gle.

University of Virginia Library

IV.—JACOBUS.