No More Learning

3.
The shorter 6-line-stanza version, from the grand Vernon MS. (ab. 1400 A. D. ) and Laud 108, both in the Bodleian.
4.
The longer 6-line-stanza version, from Laud MS. 463 in the Bodleian, and Trin. Coll. MS. Oxford 57 [81].
Page 18
[THE first following version of the Life of St Alexius, from Laud 622, is the longest--and latest, no doubt*. [There is a MS. of the Life in the Durham Cathedral Library, but my enquiries about it have not yet elicited any answer. ],--of the English forms of the story. It was unknown to Dr Horstmann when he edited his Altenglische Legenden; and he having calld my attention to the other three versions of the Alexius legend, I have, for completeness' sake, added them here. I have also printed the Laud 108 opposite the Vernon text, from which it differs slightly sometimes in words, and in more distinctly Midland forms (waster, was there, l. 10; hauest tou, l. 490; and tou, l. 496; and te, l. 547; some a forms, like gan, l. 168), for convenience of comparison of two later repre|sentatives of one unknown original. I should perhaps apologize for wasting so much space on a mere legend of a so-calld saint's life. But the present story is the same pathetic one as Guy of Warwick's; it is prettily versified; and the comparing of the four ways in which the same incidents are told, has a certain interest: one likes to see how the religious-story writers of old spun out or shortend their material*. [Note how the shorter versions lengthen the end of the story. ]: and the oddness of their notions as to the line of his images' life that pleasd the God and Father of men, is always in|structive, specially when set beside many of the popular ideas on this and like subjects now. If folk would but stop attributing to God, motives, opinions, arrangements and likings, which they'd con|sider an insult to set down to any wise and good friend of their own, how much useless bother would come to an end!

Dr Horstmann,--who edited the Laud 108 Life in Herrig's Archiv, vol. iii. p. 102-10, 1873*. [I believe that he has since edited the Vernon, Trinity and Laud-463 texts. ]--says that the sources of the Alexius legend are the 'Vita metrica, auctore Marbodo, primum archidiacono Andegavensi, deinde Redonensi episcopo (? 1123)', printed in the Acta Sanctorum, Boll. 17. Juli, p. 254-256; and another 'Vita, auctore anonymo', ib. p. 251-254. To the last, the Laud 108 version is nearly related, often even in words. Eight Middle High German versions of this Legend were edited by Mass|mann, Quedlinburg, 1843. The following Early English lives do not belong to the great Collection of long-line "Saints' Lives" in the Harleian, Vernon, and other MSS, from which I printed a selec|tion*. [And mistakingly printed 'ic' as Midland or Northern 'ic', instead of the Southern 'ich'. ] for the Philological Society in 1863 for its Transactions, of 1858. This Collection will be edited in a separate volume some day for the E. E. Text Society, by Dr Horstmann, after he has edited for us all the Extra Legends not in the Collection or in the Vernon Gospel-stories. ]

Page 19
THE LEGEND OR LIFE OF ST. ALEXIUS.
FROM SIX MANUSCRIPTS.

[Laud MS. 622, leaf 21, back. ]
(1)
ALle ? at willen here in ryme
Hou gode Men in olde tyme
Loueden god almi? th, 3
? at weren riche of grete valoure,
Kynges sones and Emperoure,
Of bodies stronge & li? th: 6
? ee habbe? yherd ofte in geste
Of holy men maken feste
Bo? e daye & ni? th, 9
fforto haue ? e ioye in heuene
wi? Aungels song & mery steuene,
? ere blis is brode & bri? th. 12
(2)
? To ? ou alle, hei? e & lowe,
? e ri? th so? e to biknowe
? oure soules forto saue, 15
? e self waye ? at god ? ede
To folowe hym I wolde ? ou rede,
heuene forto craue; 18
And so duden ? apostles alle,
? at to Iesu wolden calle,
ffor nou? th ? ai nolde bilaue, 21
And to penaunce ? ai hem took,
werldes wele ? ai al forsook
Oure lordes loue to haue 24
(3)
? ? ise o? ere holy seintz & gode,
Martirs, virgines mylde of mode,
And ? ise confessoures, 27
Religious ? at her lijf willen di? th,
fforto seruen god almi? th
By tides & by houres; 30
? ee haue yherd saide wel ofte
Man may nou? th lede lijf to softe,
And wonen in heuene boures. 33
? e godspel sei? we moten lete
werldes lijf, ? at ? inke? vs swete,
And suffren hard shoures, 36
(4)
? ffader & moder & werldes goode,
And folowe hym ? at dyed on rode
ffor oure synnes sake; 39
And ? an shullen we haue his loue,
And ioye & blis wi? hym a-boue
? at he for vs gan make. 42
I shal ? ou now telle wi? mou? e
Of on ? at is name cou? e
? at suffred woo & wrake. 45
his holy lijf & his godenesse
I may tellen more & lesse,
In woo hou he gan wake.
Page 20
48
(5)
? he forsook confort of al his kynde,
Richesse he lete al bihynde,
To god al he hym took: 51
Alexius is his name in storie,
writen of whom is made memorie
In many holy book. 54
In Rome, ? at was noble Cite,
woned a Man of grete pouste,
? at mychel mir? e a*. [[MS. of a]] wook; 57
his lijf he lad worschiplich,
honoured he was of pouere & riche
? at on hym gan look. 60
(6)
? Eufeniens was his name;
Of godenesse was his fame
In ? e Cite of Rome. 63
? erfore ? e riche Emperoure
Of ? e Cite made hym Cenatoure.
ffor loos of his wisdome.
Page 21
66
Riche he was of grete honoures,
Of londes, Castels, & of toures;
Men speken of hym ylome 69
In alle ? inges wi? outen strijf;
Vche man he tau? tte holy lijf
To his court ? at come. 72
(7)
? Stronge he was in armes & li? th,
A? eins Erle, baroun, & kni? th,
his lordes ri? th to defende; 75
? erfore hym loued ? e Emperoure,
And made hym maister & gouern|oure
Of his tresore to spende.
To his somouns in armes clers
Two ? ousandes he had of bachelers,
? at curteis weren & hende, 81
And alle yshred in clo? es of golde,
None fairer mi? tten ben on molde,
In ? e werldes ende.
Page 22
84
(8)
? Men ? at ? eden in pilerinage
And Men of ordre*. [[MS. oydre]], was his vsage
Often forto fede. [folio 22a] 87
Dame Agloes hi? th his spouse,
Her dedes weren wel preciouse
Holy lijf to lede. 90
She was fair honeste & wijs,
Louelich, & of gret prijs,
Ycome of gode kynrede; 93
A? eins no Man she mystook,
wi? contenaunce ne wi? look,
Noi? er in word ne dede. 96
(9)
? Barayne was ? at gode wijf,
In sorou? she ledde her lijf,
ffor she no childe hadde. 99
hir lorde for ? at ilk ? inge
Ofte his honden gan to wrynge,
And sorou? ful lijf he ladde;
Page 23
102
ffor he wende ? at god almi? th
had ben wroo? wi? hym apli? th,
? ereof sore hym dradde. 105
Ofte he bisou? th god in heuene
Sende hem a childe, wi? mylde steuene,
To maken hem bli? e & gladde, 108
(10)
? Conforte of hym forto haue,
her godes after hem to saue,
her londes & her ledes; 111
her eyre of hym forto make,
And her richesse hym bitake,
Palfreies & her stedes. 114
Ofte ? ai maden ? us her bone,
And god sent hem grace sone,
? at fulfilde were ? oo dedes: 117
A son conceyued ? at gode wijf;
Tyme com in her olde lijf
ybore it most be nedes
Page 24
120
(11)
? ? ai ? ankeden god, & glade were,
And avoweden in ? is manere
Chastite bo? e to take, 123
And to lyuen in clene lijf,
Eufeniens & his gode wijf,
And synne to forsake. 126
? e childe was mery in al manere,
As ? ai maden her praiere,
Ani? th as ? ai gan wake. 129
Alexius ? ai gonnen hym calle;
yloued he was amonges hem alle
? at to hym gonnen take.
Page 25
132
(12)
?
Alexius was sett to boke,
To gode maistres ? ai hym toke,
And wise of clergie. 135
? e more he wex in elde & leng? e,
To seruen god he dude his streng? e
And his moder Marie. 138
To ? e Emperour whan he was brou? th
? ere dedes of Armes weren ywrou? th
To lernen chiualrye; 141
? ere mi? th he sen in tour[na]ment
what kni? th was dou? ttiest of dent
And man of most maistrie.
Page 26
144
(13)
? His fader was bo? e wijs & ware,
ffor ? at his son so wel hym bare,
he loued hym al his lijf. 147
he ? ou? th to don swiche puruyaunce,
whar-wi? he mi? th hym avaunce
And wynne hym a wijf. 150
To a riche prince his son he sent,
And afterward to hym he went,
Stille wi? outen strijf: 153
A dou? tter he had, bri? th & shene,
? e heritage shulde hires bene
Of Castel & londes rijf. 156
(14)
? whan ay? er herd o? eres wille,
And speken ? erof to-gedre stille
To make ? at sposaile, 159
Of ? e tyme comen was ? e day
To fulfille wi? outen delay,
Certeyn, wi? outen faile,
Page 27
162
To ? e chirche of seint Bonefas
wi? ? is maiden ? ai token ? e pas,
? at hei? e was of paraile; 165
As custume was & shulde be,
? ai maden gret solempnite,
? e Pope & his conseile. 168
(15)
? Alexius was shamefast,
And of weddyng he was agast,
his vijs al pale bywent; 171
Leuer hym were to be ded
? an haue ytrowed ? at ilk red
By his owen assent. 174
He ne wist what he mi? th don;
fful gret sorou? com hym on,
he helde hym-self shent. 177
To god he gan hym al affye,
And to his moder seint Marie,
Trewely, wi? gode entent.
Page 28
180
(16)
? Na? eles he lete his heuynysse,
And made mychel ioye & blisse
At ? at solempnite. 183
He bare hym curteislich & tsllie,
To fulfille his faders wille,
Glad as he had ybe. 186
ffulfild was ? e weddyng
wi? ioye & blis in al ? ing,
? at many man mi? th see. 189
? e ni? th was comen, & ? e day gon,
? e kni? ttes waten on & on
To her owen cuntre. 192
(17)
? Eufeniens his son gan calle,
And tidynges amonge hem alle
He tolde hym ? at were newe. 195
'Son, to ? i chaumbre ? ou most wende,
To ? i wijf fair & hende, [folio 22b]
Blysful & bri? th of hewe. '
Page 29
198
And whan Alixius herd ? at word
It pricked his hert as speres oord,
So sore it gan hym rewe; 201
Bot his fader wra? ? i he nolde,
He had leuer be vnder molde,
? at neuer man hym knewe. 204
(18)
? whan ? e folk was went away,
And he al-one in chaumbre lay,
Alexius gan to preche; 207
Of Iesu he bigan his game,
werldes likyng he gan blame,
his ? onge wijf to teche. 210
He tau? tte hir, ? at was so hende,
Hou she shulde haue god to frende
? at is oure soules leche; 213
? if she wolde alle her lijf
Duelle bo? e maiden & wijf,
? e fende she mi? th do wreche.
Page 30
216
(19)
? ? at maiden herkned swi? e stille,
And whan he seide had al his wille
? e holy gost hir lau? tte,
And she hym graunted wi? mylde mood
To louen Iesu ? at dyed [on] rood,
As he hym-self hir tau? tte. 222
Alexius was ? oo glad & bli? e,
his ioye cou? e he noman ki? e;
his spouse a ryng he rau? tte, 225
And seide to hir, 'my suete ? ing,
Take to ? ee ? is ilk ryng,
And kepe it in ? ine au? tte. 228
(20)
? 'Of me whan ? ou wilt haue mynde
Loke here-on, as ? ou art hende,
Bo? e by day & ni? th. 231
In pilerynage now wil I go,
And half ? e godenesse ? at I do
Graunte ? ee god almi? th. '
Page 31
234
Alexius ? us his leue tooke;
Rewely his wijf gan on hym loke
? at was so fair &*. [[MS. w]] bri? th;
She ne wist to what londe 238
? at she mi? th sende hym any sonde,
Doune fel ? at swete wi? th. 240
(21)
? Alixius from his richesse
In-to pouert & wrecchednesse,
ffrom his frendes he fledde. 243
vnto ? e Cee he com wel sory,
A shippe he fonde to seil redy,
? e holy gost hym ledde. 246
Of his golde & of his pens
wel he aquited his despens,
hendely of ? at he hedde. 249
? e wynde aroos at her wille,
whe? er ? ai wolde, loude or stille;
At her likyng ? ai spedde.
Page 32
252
(22)
? At a Cite Galys men calle
To londe ? ai gonnen aryuen alle,
wi? outen enpeirement. 255
Alexius of hem took leue,
And worschiplich ? ai hym ? eue:
To chircheward he went. 258
He ? anked god wi? good wille
Erly & late, loude & stille,
? at ? ider hem hadde sent. 261
He bisou? th god, & gan to wepe,
? at from ? e fende he shulde hym kepe
And his enticement. 264
(23)
? ? us he ? at had riche wedes,
Hei? e hors, & gode stedes,
And Armes bri? th & shene, 267
Al he leet ? e godes gret,
And went on his bare feet,
his soule to make clene.
Page 33
270
Ofte it fel in his mende
Of his fader & moder hende,
? at sou? th he schulde bene. 273
He wolde for none kynnes ? ing
? at Men hadden of hym knouyng,
? erfore he gan to flene. 276
(24)
? ffrom ? at cuntre swi? e he ? ede,
To-ward Surrie in feble wede,
? at noman shulde hym knowe. 279
? ere he duelled in grete pouerte,
In hunger, in ? orst, & o? er smerte,
? at many man it sowe. 282
? e Cee of grece passed he is,
In-to ? e Cite of Annys,
He com ? at ilk ? rowe. 285
God he bitau? tte his compaignye,
And ? ede to a chirche of seint Marie
wi?