Part 22

[Sidenote: Petrus] Seynt Petr{e} answerid tho to the Iewe that was so woo, “yf thu wolt on hym be-leve, whom thy kynne broght to dethe, 532 and that he is goddis sone, and sithens man for vs be come, and that Marie hy{m} bare hir{e} be best, a clene Maide {and} right honest, 536 and clene vnwe{m}med w{i}t{h} outen man,

Seynt Petir answerde þo To þe Iewe þat was so wo, 640 “Ȝif þou woldest leue on him, That on þe rode dide þi kyn, That he is soþefast godes sone, God {and} man for him bi come, 644 That marie bare in hure lyf, Clene maide {and} clene wyf, Clene widewe w{i}t{h} oute wem,

we shal alle bidde for þ{e} than, to Ih{es}u Crist that is a-boue, for his owne moder loue, 540 he gef the myght for to go, and brynge the oute of this woo.”

For þee I wol p{ra}ie þen, 648 [Sidenote: [leaf 75, back]] Ih{es}u cryst vs liȝteþ aboue, That he, for his moder loue, So ȝeue þee myȝt for to go, And bringe þee oute of þi wo.” 652

[Sidenote: no{t}a {con}u{er}sione{m} Iudei] The Iewe that honged apon{e} the bere, answerd then as ye may here, 544 and seid, “y be-leue, vnd{er} that fourme, on Ih{es}u Crist, Maries sone, that Iewis peyned on the rode, w{i}t{h}-outen gilt, for our{e} gode, 548 and for vs he lost his lyf, that Marie bare, maide {and} wif. y be-seche that he me brynge of this peyne, thurgh yo{ur} biddynge.” 552

The Iewe þat henge apou{n} þe bere, Answerde anone as ȝe mai here, “I leue wel, {and} bett{er} I schal done, On ih{es}u crist, godes sone, 656 That Iewes diden on þe rode, And for vs he schedde his swete blode, That marie bare in hure lyf, Clene maiden {and} clene wyf; 660 He brynge me, I p{ra}ie it him, Oute of þe wo þat I am Inne.”

[Headnote: _Peter christens the Jew and ordains him priest._]

Crist vnd{er}stode the Iewis bone. he was holpe, and that anone; on feet {and} hand he yeaue hy{m} myght, [Sidenote: [leaf 83, back]] and alle his lymes for to right. 556 he gan to stonde vp anon{e} before the Iewis eu{er}ychon{e}. he that was bothe halt {and} lame be gan to p{re}che in Cristes name, 560 and seid, “worship we eu{er}ychon{e} that soche a miracle hath don{e}.”

As soone as he hadde seide þis bede, He was al hole in þat stede: 664 Off fote, of honde, he hadde myȝt; Alle his lymes bi come ful ryȝt. He stode vp swiþe anone Bi-fore þe Iewes eu{er}echone, 668 That suche a myracle haþ done, Ih{es}u crist, godes sons, Of a wilde hou{n}de haþ made a lomb, To p{re}che his worde in eche a lond. 672

Tho seynt Petr{e}, that holi man{e}, that Iewe Crystened aft{er} anon{e}; 564 he taught hym his by-leue; he knew he was to god y-yeue; he ordeyned hym to prest anon{e}, and bade hym that he shuld gon{e}, 568 and p{re}che ou{er}ałł, of goddis sone, in eu{er}y lond where he be-come.

[Sidenote: [leaf 76]] Seynt Petir, þat holi man, The Iew he crystened anone, He tauȝt him al his bi leue; He wist he was to godes biheue; 676 He ordeyned him to p{re}st anone, And bad him soone for to gone And p{re}chen al of godes sone, In eche a lond where he come. 680

The palme þ{a}t Petr{e} had in hond, he toke it hym, thurgħ godd{es} sond, 572 and bade hym godd{es} word to telle to the Iewis that wer{e} so felle.

That palm þat Petir helde in his honde, He toke it him þorw godes sonde, And bad him godes wordes telle Among þe Iewes þat were so felle. 684

[Sidenote: Iudeus conu{er}sus p{re}dicabat i{ta} {christu}m] Tho he spake the fourthe day, he t{ur}ned into goddes fay 576 xx thousant, {and} somdel mo, thurgh the word þ{a}t he spake tho. all the apostolis that þ{er} were, that holy body fourth thei bere 580

So he spak þe furst day, That he t{ur}ned to godes lay Twenty þousand {and} so{m}medel mo, Thorw wordes þat he spak þo. 688

[_See the parallel lines to these, on p. 127, col. 1, at foot, and p. 128, col. 1, at top._]

[[a495-516 = h689-704]]

Foure of þe apostles þat were þere, That swete bodi forþe þei bere, The Iewes þat were godes fone, Thei herde þe cri sone anone, 692 And þei asked what was þat crie, And men seiden it was mari, That seynt Petir {and} his fere Bare þare apou{n} a beere. 696 [Sidenote: [leaf 76, back]] “Alas,” seide þei, “for schame, Ascape þei vs, we schulle haue blame. Arme we vs alle sone anone, And take we hem alle þ{er} þei gone. 700 That bodi þ{a}t þei bere, nyme we it, And cast we it in a foule pit, Or brenne we it, {and} do it so{m}me where, Or cast we it in a foule sere.” 704

[_Not in it_]

Thei comen lepand þiderwarde, And þat hem fel swiþe harde. Ih{es}u wolde nouȝt þ{a}t schame; He made hem boþe blynde {and} lame. 708 Off hem alle, was þ{er} none That myȝt a fote on erþe gone. Here mouþes were to here nek went; Thei þouȝt alle þat þei were schent. 712 Boþe here feet {and} here handes Where bounde w{i}t{h} stronge bandes: Ful sore bounden þei were, For þei ne myȝt go ne here. 716 Than comen here frendes hem to, And seide, “alas, whi leie ȝe so, In ȝoure armo{ur} so fast ycliȝt, That beþ so faire {and} so bryȝt? 720 [Sidenote: [leaf 77]] Ȝoure speres, ȝo{ur} schildes, helpeþ ȝow nouȝt; Telleþ vs what ȝe haue þouȝt.” Thei answerd nouȝt þat leyen þere, For þei ne myȝt hem noȝt here, 724 But so{m}me of hem þat myȝt speke Seide, “alas! who schal vs wreke?” And eu{er} þei cryede many a stounde, “Alas, how harde we lie here ybounde!” 728 Off fyue þousand was þer none That myȝt of þat stede gone. Than seide some þat stode hem bi, That hadde ysene þat ferli, 732 That ‘seynt Petir {and} his fere Bare oure ladi on a beere, “Thise men wolde hure haue nomen,” And þus þei ben ou{er} comen. 736 The ladi þei wolde haue dou{n} schame; Ther fore þei hauen godes grame.’ The folke hem bad m{er}cy to crie To ih{es}u cryst of here folie, 740 And leue þat he is godes sone, And siþen crysten men bi come.

[Headnote: _The Virgin Mary’s body is laid in the tomb._]

“We hope þ{a}t ih{es}u schal sone tyme Delyuere ȝow of ȝoure pyne.” 744 [Sidenote: [leaf 77, back]] Thei criede “m{er}cy” with good wille, So{m}me lowde {and} so{m}me stille, And ih{es}u, þorw his mochil myȝt, Here feet {and} handes gan to ryȝt. 748 Thorw myracle þat þer was doun, Bi-come cristene many on, And leuede on cryst and criede m{er}cy, That none oþ{er} god was so myȝty. 752

to the vale of Iosephas to ley her{e}, ther{e} her{e} wille was, [_No gap in MS._] and leid the body in a ston{e},

The apostles went forþe on here way, To Iosephat, to þat Valay. When þe apostles comen were, Wel softe þei setten doun þe beere. 756 With gret deuocioun, eu{er}ychone, Thei leide þe bodi in a stone,

[Sidenote: Sepultu{r}a s{an}c{t}e M{ar}ie] ther-in was body neu{er} non{e}. 584 frendes and sibbe that þ{er} were, for her{e} wepte many a tere. [Sidenote: [leaf 84]] when she was in the ston don{e}, ayen{e} thei turned eu{er}ychon{e}. 588 all the apostelis then wer{e} sory for the deth of our{e} lady; and ther a voice cam them among, that ne lasted not full long, 592 and bade them alle for to gon{e} wher{e} thei had for to don{e}. The apostelis went hem ayen{e} in-to the Burgħ of Ierusalem; 596 and as thei sate atte mete, of many thynges thei gon speke. als thei wer{e} out of that place,

[Sidenote: resussitac{i}o corp{or}is M{ari}e] Iesus, w{i}t{h} his holy grace, 600 he gon to take vp anon{e} his moder body of the ston{e}. he hym self dud þ{er}ynne, that neu{er} had y-don{e} synne. 604 he wolde not in no manere that the body lafte there. in that body he dud a leme, bright{er} then the sonne beme, 608 and made her{e} quene of heuene blisse; in that place she was and ys.

And bileft alle in þat stede, As oure ladi hadde hem bede, 760 And woke þ{er} al þat nyȝt With many torches {and} candle lyȝt. On þe morwe when it was dai, Thei loked where þat bodi lai. 764 Thei ou{er}t{ur}ned þ{a}t ilke stone; Bodi þei founde þ{er} none; But þei sawe in þat stede þana Liand as it were a mana. 768 [Sidenote: [leaf 78]] That ma{n}na bitokned hure clene lyf, That sche was modre, maide, {and} wyf. Tho wist þe apostles, I wis, The bodi was in to p{ar}adis, 772 Also godes wille was. Thei seide, “Deo gracias.”

[Headnote: _Mary lets fall her girdle to Thomas._]

[Sidenote: Thomas yndie] Seynt Thom{a}s of ynde thed{er}ward com, also swithe as he myght gon{e}, 612 and wold haue ben{e} at her{e} berying, yf he myght haue come be tyme. as he loked hym be syde, [Sidenote: [leaf 84, back]] he saw then a bright thyng glide 616 in that stede as he come, ther our{e} lady to heuene was nome.

Seynt Thom{a}s of ynde þiderward cam Also blyue as he myȝt gan, 776 And wolde haue ben at hure fyne, Ȝif he myȝt haue come bi tyme. As he loked him bi side, He sawe a briȝtnesse bi hi{m} glide; 780 Bi þat stede þer he come, Oure ladi to heuene was nome.

he kneled adoun{e} {and} seid, “lady, now on me thu haue mercy. 620 lady, quene of heuene bright, for thi mochel holy myght, send me a token this ilke day, soche thyng þ{a}t y bryng may 624 to my felawes, ther y ham fynde, that y was toward þ{i} berynge: thei wol not leue þ{a}t y was there; now g{ra}unte me, lady, my p{ra}yere.” 628

He knelede do{u}n {and} seide, “ladi, Off me, I p{ra}ie ȝow, haue m{er}cy. 784 Ladi, quene of heuene lyȝt, For þine swete mychel myȝt, Sende me token þis ilke day, What þing þat I say may 788 To myn felawis, þ{er} I hem fynde, That I was toward þi buriynge. Thei wil nouȝt leue þat I were; Now g{ra}unt me, ladi, my p{ra}iere.” 792

[Sidenote: no{t}a de zona s{an}c{t}e Marie] a-boute her{e} gurdel a mydełł sought, that she hir{e} self had y-wroght, of siluer {and} gold wonde in palle; a-doun{e} to hym she lete it falle. 632 he toke that gurdełł in his hond, and thanked her{e} of her{e} sond.

[Sidenote: [leaf 78, back]] A-bowte hure myddel a seynt sche souȝt, That sche hure self hadde wrouȝt, Off silk {and} gold wounden in pal; Doun to thomas sche lete it fal. 796 He toke þ{er} þe gurdel in his honde, And þanked hure of hure sonde.

fourth he went of that stede; toward the toun{e} he hym yede. 636 his felaus then he dud seche yf he myght hem ou{er} mete. atte temple of dominus he them founde alle in ane ho{us}. 640 ther ful feire he them grette; and ayenward thei hym chidde.

Forþe he went of þat stede; Toward þe toune he him dede, 800 His felawis for to seke on his fete, Ȝif he hem ouȝt myȝt mete. Atte þe temple dominus He fonde hem alle in an hous. 804 When he hem sawe, he gret hem, And þei answerde alle hym, And seiden, “thom{a}s of ynde, Eu{er} art þou bi-hynde. 808

[Headnote: _The apostles find the tomb empty._]

“wher{e} has thu so long y-ben{e}? we haue beried o{ur} heuene quen{e}. 644 “thu lakkest eu{er} at euery nede; thu helpest neu{er} at gode dede.” “sore me thenketh þ{a}t y nas here; [Sidenote: [leaf 85]] but y ne myght come no nere. 648 I-blessid be the quene of blys, in the place ther{e} she ys, for wełł y wote in my thought, there ye her{e} layde is she nought.” 652

“Whare hast þou so longe bene? We haue buried heuene quene. Thou helpest noȝt at no good dede; Thou failest eu{er} at most nede.” 812 “Sore me forþinkeþ þat I ne was here, But I ne myȝt come no nere. Blessed be sche, quene of blis, In þat stede þ{er} now sche is! 816 [Sidenote: [leaf 79]] For wel I wote bi my þouȝt, Ther ȝe hure left, is sche nouȝt.”

Thei seid to hym swithe anon{e}, bothe Petr{e} and seynt Ioh{a}n, “thow woldest not be-leue, Thom{a}s, that our{e} lord y-nayled was. 656 eu{er} thu leuys amysse in mynde, and tales y-now thu dos fynde. thu bi-leuest in god right noght; soche tales ne kepe we noght.” 660

Than seide to him sone anone, Bothe Petir {and} seynt Ione, 820 “Thou ne woldest, leue thomas, That oure lord fram deth ras. Come, þou art mys bileuyd, And tales ynow þou canst fynde, 824 Thou leuest nouȝt on godes craft; Swylk felawis wille we nauȝt.”

[Sidenote: no{t}a de v{er}bis s{an}c{t}i Thome ap{osto}li.] “be stille,” he seid, “brother Ioh{a}n, why chide ye me so, one {and} on{e}? me thenketh ye can litel good, for y her{e} saw bothe flesħ {and} blood, 664 how our{e} lady to heuene wend; her{e} is the token that she me send.”

“Be stille,” he saide, “broþ{er} Io{ha}n. Whi chyde ȝe me eu{er}ychone? 828 I am ful wery man for-gone; Me ne list answeri neu{er} one. But I thanke oure lord god, I sawe hure w{i}t{h} flesche {and} blood, 832 Ther oure ladi to heuene went: Here is þe token þat sche me sent.”

Then seid seynt Petr{e}, “that is soth; this ilke webbe her{e} self woof. 668 w{i}t{h} her{e} y dud it on the bere; wond{er} me the thenketh þ{a}t it is here. go we swithe in-to the vale, to knowe the sothe of this tale 672 that he hath vs now y-sayde, for it was in the tombe y-laide.”

Quath seynt Petir, “þat is sothe. This seynt sche hure self wof. 836 We dide it on hure in þe beere; Wonder me þinkeþ þat it is here. Go we swiþe in to þe vale, To wite þe sothe of þis tale 840 [Sidenote: [leaf 79, back]] That he haþ vs here yseide, For it was in þe tumbe ylaide.”

[Headnote: _Jesus appears to the apostles and blesses them._]

[Sidenote: no{t}a de sepulc{r}o Marie vacuo.] owte of þ{a}t that place then they yede, and the tumba they vndede. 676 nothyng ther-on ther{e} thei founde [Sidenote: [leaf 85, back]] but a flour{e} atte grounde.

Oute of þe place swiþe þei ȝede, And þe tumbe þei vndede; 844 No þing þ{er} Inne þei ne fou{n}de, But a manere floure at þe grounde.

[Sidenote: Manna] That flo{ur} manna was cleped that in the tumba was steked. 680 they went ałł a-boute þe tumbe and kneled on the bare g{ro}unde, and seid, “Ih{es}u, goddis sone, ałł that thu sendes, it is wel-come. 684 Mightefułł is the heuene kyng; and that we know bi thi sayng. no man may know his p{ri}uyte, nother his swete dignite.” 688

That floure was ‘manna’ yclepid; Hit was in þe tumbe ystekyd. 848 Thei ȝeden alle abowte þe tumbe And knelede on þe bare grounde, And seiden, “ih{es}u, godes sone, Al þi sonde be welcome. 852 Myȝtful art þou, heuene kynge; That mai we wite bi þis tokenynge; For no man mai wite ne se What is þi derne p{ri}uete.” 856

Amonge þe apostolis alle a light, the kyng that is in heuene bright, and blessid ham alle in fere emonge the angelis þ{a}t ther{e} were, 692 and seid, “my pees be w{i}t{h} yow nowthe, blessid ye be of goddis mowthe.”

Cryst of heuene, þat is so bryȝt, Amonge þe apostles sone he lyȝt, And gret hem alle yfere, W{i}t{h} aungeles fele þ{a}t w{i}t{h} hi{m} were, 860 And seide, “now pees be w{i}t{h} vs! Blessed be ȝe,” seide Ih{es}us.

[Sidenote: no{t}a miracul{u}m ap{osto}lor{um}.] A mysty cloude cam aft{er} than{e}, and ou{er}sprad them eu{er}ychon{e}, 696 and bare them alle þ{er} they wer{e}, in-to the stede that they wer{e} er{e}.

A lyȝt cloude come aft{er} þan, And ou{er} sprad hem eu{er}y man, 864 [Sidenote: [leaf 80]] And bar hem alle þat ben þere, In to here stedes þ{er} þei p{re}ched ere; And fonden alle þat folke ȝete, Sittand stille atte here fete. 868 And þei bigo{n}ne for to p{re}che, And þe folke for to teche.

moche wond{er} then hem thought how thei wer{e} thed{er} y-brought, 700 for thei ne wiste whi ne whan{e}; and thei seid euerychon{e} that rightfull is heuene kyng, Ih{es}us lord ou{er} ałł thyng. 704

Moche wondre hem þo þouȝt How þei weren þidre brouȝt. 872 Miȝtful art þou, heuene kynge, Ih{es}u Crist, in alle þinge! The apostles kneled in þat stede; To ih{es}u þei bede a bede. 876 Ih{es}u herde here p{ra}iere, For þei were hi{m} leue {and} dere.

[Headnote: _Conclusion and invocation._]

¶ This tale y haue tolde w{i}t{h} mouthe, w{i}t{h} wordes that ben{e} ful couthe. it is cleped the Assumpciou{n}; Iesus gef vs his benesou{n}. 708 Iesu crist, for his myght, [Sidenote: [leaf 86]] we p{ra}y to hym w{i}t{h} herte light, and w{i}t{h} his holy grace, gef vs bothe myght {and} space, 712 soche workes for to worche, thurgh the lore of holy churche, that we may to heue[ne] wende, that is w{i}t{h} oute begy{n}nyng {and} ende. 716 Amen!

Explicit Sextus liber s{an}c{t}e Marie.

++WE biseche þee for alle þ{a}t hereþ þ{i}s vie Off oure ladi seynt marie, 880 That Ih{es}u schelde hem fram g{ra}me, Fro dedly synne {and} fro schame. Ne mys auent{ur}e schal bi falle þ{a}t man That þis a vie here can. 884 Ne no wo{m}man þat ilke dai That of oure ladi hereþ þis lai, Dien ne schal of hure childe, For oure ladi hure schal be mylde. 888 [Sidenote: [leaf 80, back]] Ne none mys auenture schal be-falle In felde, in strete, ne in halle, In stede þ{er} þis vie is rad, For oure ladi hure sone it bad. 892 And þe archibisshop seynt Edmou{n}d Haþ g{ra}unted xl. daies to p{ar}dou{n} To alle þat þis vie wol here Or with good wille wol lere. 896 Ih{es}u, for þi modre loue, That woneþ in heuene vs aboue, Graunt vs, ȝif þi wille is, The mochil Ioye of p{ar}adis! 900 A p{ra}ier þer-to seie alle we, A Pater n{oste}r p{ur} charite, And an Aue marie þer-to, That Ih{es}us vs graunt so. Amen! 904 ¶ Celi regina sit sc{ri}ptori medicina.

NOTES.

KING HORN.

4, H. _Allof_. An undoubted trace of the influence of the French version on the H text of the English version. The French has _Aaluf_.

6. _laste_. Cf. ‘Lay.’ 7017: _þe while þe hit ilæste_.

8. _Fairer ..._ Cf. ‘The Erl of Tolous’ (ed. by G. Lüdtke, Berlin, 1881): _were no fayrer undyr hevyn, That any man myght see, Fayre myght none bee_. 354. Cf. also 980-1. Further, ‘The King of Tars.’ (Engl. Stud. xi. pp. 1 ff.): _Feirer miȝt non ben oliue_ 8.

10, C. _miste_. In many southern texts the _s-_ initial has the phonetic value _sh-_. Hence here it is to be assumed that medial _-st-_ has the pronunciation _-sht_, a loose way of representing the pronunciation of the _-ht_, _-ȝt_ like German _-cht_ in _nicht_, etc.

11, 12. _rine_ : _schine_. Cf. ‘Lay.’ 31889-90: _þa sunne gon to scine, Þe rein bigon to rine_; 28303, _muchel rein him gon rine_; 31086-7, _nis nan feirure wifmon þa whit sunne seineð on_.

14. _briȝt so þe glas_. Cf. ‘Rich. C. de L.’ (Weber, Early Engl. Romances, II.). 75. _And a lady þerinne was bryght as the sunne thorough glas._

15. _whit so þe flur_. Cf. ‘Rich. C. de L.’: _off that lady whyt so flour_, 128.

17, 18. _bold_ : _old_. Cf. ‘The Erl of Tolous’: _He was a feyr chyld and a bolde, Twenty wyntur he was oold_, 712-13; Reinbroun 4, 4. _Faire child he was and bolde, He was boute seue winter olde._ ‘Beues’ 3899-3900: _Be þat he was seue winter old, He was a fair child and a bold_.

19, 20. _iliche_. Cf. ‘Guy of Warwick’ 1336: _In all þys worlde ys none hym lyke_.

21, H. _tueye feren_. The H text here lacks one of the archaic features of the story, referring to only two companions, viz., Aþulf and Fikenhild. The other ten, save for the abrupt introduction of Arnoldin at the conclusion, play no active part in the present version.

23. _riche menne sones_. Cf. ‘Lay.’ 28932-3: _monies riches monnes sune, monie hæðene gume_.

25. _for to_ with infinitive. This is frequent, especially in H, and is probably due to French influence, _por à_. Cf. 166 L, 242 H, 388 C H, 902, 1011, 1186, etc.

27. _him het_. For frequent use of reflexives cf. 134 L, 140 C L, 147 C, 173 C, 233 L, 293 C, 294, 526 C, 307 C, 364, 398 C, 426, 806 L, 802 L, 1250, 1269, 1297-8, 1386, 1410, 1545.

27, H. _Athulf_. In the early part of the H text _th_ is used in proper names.

31-35. Cf. ‘Erl of Tolous’ 181-3: _So hyt befell upon a day, The erl and he went to play, Be a reuer syde_. Cf. also ‘Lyb. Disc.’ 25, 26 (Ritson): _As hyt befelle upon a day, To wode he wente on hys play_; also ‘Lay.’ 25661 A, _bi þere sæ side_; ‘Lyb. Disc.’ 645-6: _Yesterday yn the mornynge y wente on my playnge_.

42. _sarazins_. The conventional enemy in mediaeval romance. Probably due to French influence and ultimately due to the stories originating in the crusades and in the struggles between Mohammedans and Christians culminating in the Battle of Tours.

44. _Oþer to londe brohte_. Murry mistakes them for merchants (cf. also 637-8). The whole incident, vv. 39-62, reminds one of the quite parallel historical incident of the first landing of the Northmen in 787, and the death of Beaduheard and his retinue.

45. _Payn_. Cf. Note on _Sarazins_, 42. _of herde_, an unusual combination. This is the only instance cited in Bradley-Stratmann.

55. _gunne_ = ‘did’ intensive, as frequently. See _gan_ in Glossary, also _con_, _couþe_, _began_.