%.M 
 
 
corneCl university library 
 
 ENGLISH COLLECTION 
 
 imn 
 
 THE GIFT OF 
 
 JAMES MORGAN HART 
 
 V PROFESSOR OF ENGUSH 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924013109123 
 
THE 
 
 Hesetttr 
 
 ST. KATHEEINE OF ALEXANDRIA. 
 
LONDON : 
 PRINTED BY SAMUEL BENTLEY, 
 
 Bangor House, Shoe Lane. 
 
THE 
 
 £egenti 
 
 ST. KATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA. 
 
 EDITED, 
 
 FRQM A MANUSCRIPT IN THE COTTONIAN LIBRARY, 
 
 BY JAMES MORTON, B.D. 
 
 VICAR OF HOLBEACH, PBBBENDARY OF LINCOLN, AND CHAPLAIN TO 
 THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EARL OREY. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR THE ABBOTSFORD CLUB. 
 
 M.DCCC.XLI. 
 
|\.«.SH-t>§1 
 
PRESENTED TO THE MEMBERS 
 
 Wbt ^f)liot0tortr €luti. 
 
 JAMES MORTON. 
 
THE ABBOTSFORD CLUB. 
 
 APRIL, M.DCCC.XLI. 
 
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 Right Hon. The Earl of Aberdeen. 
 
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 5. Charles Baxter, Esq. 
 
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Vlll 
 
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 25. Henry Liddell, Esq. 
 
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 Right Hon. Andrew Rutherford, Lord Advocate. 
 
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 Right Hon. Sir George Warrender, Bart. 
 
 Crcajsurer* 
 
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PREFACE. 
 
 The following poetic Legend, now first printed, is contained in MS. 
 Bibl. Cotton. Titus D. xviii. a small quarto volume in Gothic characters 
 upon vellum. Among other contemporaneous works bound up with it 
 in the same volume are two homilies, and a copy, wanting the be- 
 ginning, of " Institutiones Monialium Ordinis S" Jacobi, veteri lingua 
 Anglicana ;" from another copy of which, Nero A. xiv. passages illus- 
 trating the present work are quoted in the Notes and Glossary. The 
 various readings are from MS. Bibl. Reg. 17. A. xxvii. a small quarto 
 volume in Roman characters ; in which are also the Legend of St. Mar- 
 garet, and that of St. Juliana, both of which are quoted in the Notes 
 and Glossary, and, if we may judge from the repeated use of the same 
 expressions and similar turns of thought in each, seem not unlikely to 
 have been written by the author of the present work. 
 
 Who the author was, the Editor has not been able to discover. The 
 language is apparently that of the reign of Stephen or Henry II, and 
 may be termed Semi-Saxon, as exhibiting the intermediate state of the 
 
 b 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 English, when passing out of the pure Anglo-Saxon into the more 
 mixed form in which it appears, two hundred and fifty years later, in 
 the writings of Gower and Chaucer. The MS. in both copies is written 
 continuously as prose, without any graphic marks to distinguish it as a 
 poetical composition ; that such is, however, its character, is sufficiently 
 manifest from the style, and the almost constant use of alliteration. 
 The latter is, indeed, in many places very imperfect ; the work being 
 evidently remodelled from an Anglo-Saxon original, at a period when 
 the ancient mode of versification was beginning to be laid aside, and 
 to give way to the fashion of rhyming, introduced by the Norman min- 
 strels. The substitution of words the same in sense, but dissimilar in 
 sound, for such as had become obsolete, would break the regularity of 
 the verse, which appears to have been further defaced by interpolation 
 and periphrasis. Still, as in some ancient building mutilated and dis- 
 figured by modem alterations, enough remains of the original fabric to 
 show what it must have been in its pristine state. 
 
 With regard to the story here narrated, the question arises, how far 
 it is to be believed as true, or to be regarded as a fiction. Such a 
 question could hardly have suggested itself in the age when the Legend 
 was written. From a remote period, the lives of saints and martjTs 
 were usually recited to the people in churches, and sometimes even sung, 
 at the annual festivals instituted to commemorate their virtues and 
 sufferings ; and in an age when, through ignorance of the laws of 
 nature, many ordinary occurrences appeared supernatural, men were 
 little inclined to doubt the reality of the events and circumstances, how- 
 ever marvellous, recorded of persons of acknowledged sanctity. The 
 writers of the legends did not hesitate to claim for them the credit due 
 
PREFACE. xi 
 
 to the most clearly established facts;' and it is allowed that, in 
 general, they narrate the history, however mixed with fable, of real 
 persons and events. It is, at least, certain that they frequently men- 
 tion incidentally facts and circumstances that tally with and confirm 
 the accounts of genuine history ; but, in course of time, many absurd 
 and extravagant fictions having been added to the original narratives, 
 their credit declined, and at last sunk so low, that the very name of 
 Legend commonly suggested the idea of a tale transgressing equally 
 the bounds of truth and credibility. It is indeed a received opinion 
 that not a few'bf this class of compositions are wholly fictitious; and 
 it has been contended, not without an appearance of reason, that the 
 story now under consideration is among this number. In support 
 of this opinion it is observed, that St. Katherine is not mentioned 
 in the works of any contemporary writer. The different narrators of 
 her life are not even agreed whether Maxentius or Maximinus was 
 the tyrant who put her to death.^ The most approved account, and 
 which agrees in most particulars with the present Legend, is that 
 which was compiled, or translated into Latin from some more ancient 
 narrative in Greek, by Simeon, surnamed Metaphrastes, about the 
 beginning of the tenth century. According to this writer, Katherine 
 was the daughter of the Emperor Constantius, and suffered under 
 Maxentius. From this it would follow that she was sister to Con- 
 stantino the Great. By other legendary writers she is said to have 
 been a grandchild of Constantius, being the daughter of his son Costus, 
 who by right of his mother succeeded to the throne of the kingdom 
 
 1 See an instance of this in a passage quoted by Warton, Hist. Eng. Poetry, i. 126, 
 note t. edit. 1824. ' Le Sueur, Hist, de I'Eglise et de I'Empire, an. 308. 
 
xii PREFACE. 
 
 of Armenia, and, by marrying a princess of Cyprus, became king of 
 that island likewise, and founded a city there, called from him Fama 
 Costi, afterwards Famagosta. But authentic history is silent concern- 
 ing this royal personage; and it may, therefore, be conjectured that 
 his name, Costus, is merely an abbreviation of Constantius. Of this 
 prince it is related, that, after the death of his first wife, he married 
 Helen, or, according to another account, Cleir, daughter of Coil, or 
 Coel, a British king, who reigned at Colchester.' 
 
 The most celebrated transaction in the life of St. Katherine, and 
 perhaps as impudent a fiction as any in the whole legendary mythology, 
 is the story of her marriage with the divine Saviour. We are told 
 that the Virgin Mary appeared to an aged anchorite named Adrian, 
 and commanded him to go to Alexandria and invite the Princess 
 Katherine, in her name, to accompany him to his hermitage in the 
 desert, where she would see and be united in marriage to that 
 heavenly King, for love of whom she had refused the love of the 
 numerous earthly kings who had solicited her hand. The venerable 
 messenger obeyed, and, having arrived at the palace, miraculously 
 obtained access to the princess in her private study, where he told his 
 
 ' It may be supposed that this account of the parentage of the Saint would contribute 
 to increase her popularity in England. Her genealogy is thus shown in MS. Harl. 2258, 
 fol. 33, b. 
 
 King Coil. 
 
 Seint Cleib = Constantius = The Heiress of Abmenia. 
 
 CoNSTANTiNE. Costus = The Princess of Cyprus. 
 
 Seint Katherine, Queen of Armenia, 
 and of Cyprus. 
 
PREFACE. xiii 
 
 errand ; which she no sooner heard than she joyfully agreed to accom- 
 pany him to the appointed place. When they reached the desert, 
 and were near the confines of his cell, the hermit could not recognise 
 his humble abode, and began to be in great trouble, thinking he had 
 lost his way ; but, when he had uttered a fervent prayer, he looked 
 up, and beheld " the most glorious mynster that ever man saw," and 
 heard a marvellous melody of voices of saints and angels. Here they 
 were welcomed by the blessed Virgin, who told Katherine, that, as she 
 had not been baptized, she was not yet fit to come into her Son's 
 presence. Up8n this " there appeared in chyrche a fonte solemnly 
 arrayed with all that long thereto : and the blessed Virgin called 
 Adrian, and bade him baptize her daughter, and not to change her 
 name, for, said she, Kattryne she shall hyght, and I shall hold her 
 to you myself. And with this Adrian waxed as blind as he had 
 never seen afore; and then he was a sorry man, but nought he 
 dorste saye. Then our Lady unclothed this young Queen Kattryne, 
 and brought her to Adrian, and he baptized her ; and our Lady named 
 her Katteryne. And she clothed her again, and by that time had 
 Adrian his syght as well as before. The Virgin then led the joyful 
 maiden into the queyr ; and, as they entered in, so great a sweetness 
 come agaynst them that it passyd all herts to thynk it. And with 
 that she beheld the semliest yong kyng stondyng atte the auter, 
 crownyd with a ryall crowne, havyng aboute hym grette moltitude 
 of angelys and saynts."' Then the Virgin, with much reverence, 
 presented Katherine to her blessed Son ; and, after suitable discourse, 
 
 1 MS. Bibl. Cotton. Titus A. xxvi. fol. 308. 
 
xiv PREFACE. 
 
 he led her to the altar, and said, " I take you here, Katteryn, to 
 my spouse, behottyng youe trewly never to forsake you whylls youre 
 lyffe lastethe ; and after this lyfFe I schall brjTig youe to an endelesse 
 lyife, where ye schall dwell with me in blisse withoute ende." With 
 this he put a ring on her finger, and bade Adrian " doo on his veste- 
 ments, and goo to masse, and saye the servyce ouer them, as be- 
 longethe to the costome of weddyng."* When the ceremony was 
 ended, Katherine fell into a swoon; and when she recovered her 
 consciousness, she found herself in the cell of the aged hermit, and 
 the glorious scenes she had passed through would have seemed to 
 her as a dream, if she had not found the ring still on her finger. — 
 This monstrous fable, which is not recorded in the more ancient and 
 genuine lives of the Saint, appears to have been built on the slight 
 foundation of some expressions in the present Legend^ similar to 
 those usually applied to nuns when they make their profession, who 
 are said, in a mystical sense, to be espoused to Christ. 
 
 The present narrative is, indeed, remarkably free from the more 
 gross and puerile absurdities that too often deform works of this 
 kind. The story is told in an earnest and unaffected manner, that 
 arrests and fixes the attention. It contains noble and generous 
 sentiments, and exhibits examples of enduring courage and faithful 
 piety. The spirit of the dialogue, and the interest excited by the 
 characters and incidents, are such as might have recommended it as a 
 fit subject for dramatic composition. Warton, from Matthew Paris, 
 informs us that Geoffrey Abbot of St. Alban's wrote a miracle play 
 
 1 MS. Bibl. Cotton. Titus A. xxvi. fol. 180. 
 
 = See lines 1517—1520 ; see also Metaphrastes in Surii de Vitis Sanctorum, torn. vi. 
 
PREFACE. XV 
 
 on the story of St. Katherine.' Dryden, who speaks of a French 
 play on the same story, has made it the subject of one of his 
 rhyming tragedies, " Tyrannick Love, or the Royal Martyr;" but in 
 the construction of the plot he has departed considerably from the 
 original narrative. 
 
 In presenting this volume to his associates of the Abbotsford Club, 
 the Editor will be gratified if it should be considered by them to 
 be of any value as a contribution towards the history of the English 
 language and literature. With the view of rendering it more useful, 
 he has given a translation of the Legend, and a Glossary of the more 
 obscure words, pointing out most of the places where they occur, and 
 enabling the reader to discover their meaning by pointing out their 
 etymology, wherever he has been able to trace it, or by adducing 
 quotations from other works of the same age. Notwithstanding the 
 pains he has taken with the work, he is afraid it will not be found 
 to be free from inaccuracies and imperfections. Its defects would 
 have been greater if he had not been assisted by the valuable sug- 
 gestions of his friends Benjamin Thorpe, and Joseph Stevenson, Esqrs. 
 to whom he begs leave to express his sincere thanks ; and also to 
 Mr. John Fehon, for his vigilant care and useful hints while the work 
 was passing under his eye as Corrector of Mr. Bentley's Press. 
 
 The engraving on the title-page is copied from a drawing in MS. 
 Bibl. Reg. 2. B. vii. fol. 284, apparently executed about the beginning 
 of the fourteenth century. 
 
 ' Hist. Eng. Poetry, i. cxlii. 
 
®Di» li^gmSi of ^nint Mat^tPim. 
 
 ONSTANTiN 1; Maxence 
 weren on a time, 
 
 r^^"^^^^^ as in Keiseres stude, 
 behest in Rome. 
 '^f-f Ah Constentin ferde 
 
 l^urh ]>e burh-menne reaB' 
 
 into Fronc londe, 
 
 t wunede sum hwile ))ear^ 
 
 for Jje burh nede i'^ 
 
 t Maxence steorede 
 
 \>e refschipe in Rome. 
 
 10 
 
 Constantine and Maxence were, upon a time, as in the Emperor's place, 
 highest in Rome. But Constantine went, by advice of the citizens, into 
 France, and dwelt some time there, for the city's need ; and Maxence directed 
 the government in Rome. 
 
 ' read. 
 
 hwiles Jjer. 
 
 2 burhes neode. 
 
THE LEGEND OF 
 
 Weox umbe hwile 
 ■weorre^ ham bitwenen, 
 °t comen to'' fihte. 
 Was Maxence^ ouercumen, 
 T; fleah into Alixandre. 
 Constentin walde after 
 t warpen bim ]?eonne. 
 Ah se wide him wax 
 
 weorre on euch half, ^^ 
 
 t nomeliche in a londe 
 Ylirie bet,* 
 f tear he atstutte.* 
 Da Maxence berde® ]?is, 
 f be was of him siker 
 T; of bis cume careles, 
 warS king of f lond 
 f lei into Rome, 
 as diden meast alle 
 
 ]?e oSre of Ipe worlde. > 30 
 
 Bigon anan ase wod wulf 
 
 War, after a while, grew between them, and they come to battle. Maxence 
 was overcome, and fled into Alexandria. Constantine would pursue, and drive 
 him out thence. But so wide grew the war on every side, and especially 
 in a country called lUyria, that he stopped there. When Maxence heard 
 this, as he was secure respecting him, and in no anxiety about his com- 
 ing, he made himself king of that country, which was subject to Rome, as 
 was almost all the rest of the world. He began anon, as a mad wolf, to 
 
 ' hwiles wre8*e. ^ jq pe. ^ Des Maxence wes. * Yrie hatte. ° f ter he etstutte. ° i-herde. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 
 
 to werren hali chirche, 
 
 °t drahen^ Cristene men, 
 
 ]>e lut f ter weren, 
 
 alle to heaBendom, 
 
 heaBene as he wes :^ 
 
 summe J)urh muchele 5eouen 
 
 °t misliche meden, 
 
 sume Jiurh fearlac 
 
 of eiful'' ))reates i' 40 
 
 o last wiS stronge tintrohen' 
 
 °t licomliche pinen. 
 
 Jje fif 1; jjrittuSe ^er 
 
 of his rixlinge 
 
 he set o kine setle 
 
 i ]>e moder burh 
 
 of Alexandres riche, 
 t sende* heast t bode, 
 se wide se ]>e lond was, 
 f poure ba °t riche 50 
 
 conien ]jer to-foren* him 
 
 persecute holy church, and to draw Christian men, the few that there were, all 
 to heathenism, heathen as he was ; some by large gifts and divers rewards, — 
 some through terror of his awful threats ; lastly, with severe torments and bodily 
 pains. 
 
 In the thirty-fifth year of his reign he sat on his royal throne in the 
 mother city of Alexander's kingdom, and sent command and proclamation, as 
 
 ' dreien. * ofhisfule. ' tintreo, * he sende. * oomen bi-uoren. 
 
THE LEGEND OF 
 
 to ]>e temple, i J>e tun, 
 
 of hise hea'Sene godes i' 
 
 euchan wiS his lac, 
 
 for to wur'Sschipen' ham wiS. 
 
 Comen alle to his bode r' 
 
 t euchan bi his euene, 
 
 bifore Maxence self, 
 
 wurSschipede^ his maumez. 
 
 De riche reo'Seren 60 
 
 t scheop t bule, 
 
 hwa se mihte,^ 
 
 brohten to lake r' 
 
 Jie poure cwike briddes. 
 
 In J?is* burh was wuniende 
 a meiden swiSe 3ung of 3eres, 
 two wone of twenti, 
 feir ant freolich 
 o wlite 1; o westum' r' 
 ah jet, Jjat is* mare wurS, 70 
 
 sta'Selfest wiSinnen, 
 
 wide as the land was, that both poor and rich should come before him 
 to the temple, in the town, of his heathen gods, each with his offering, to worship 
 them with. They come all at his^ bode ; and every one with his equals, before 
 Maxence himself, worshipped his idols. The rich, whoso were able, brought 
 oxen and sheep and bulls, as offerings : the poor, live birds. 
 
 In this city there dwelt a very young maiden, of two years less than twenty, 
 fair and of noble aspect in face and stature , besides, that which is more estima- 
 
 wurgin. ^ to wurgen. ' mahte. * J^is ilke. ' wastun. 
 
 ' wes. 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 
 
 of treowe bileaue / 
 
 ane kinges Cost hehte 
 
 anlepi dohter -^ 
 
 i-curet clergesse, 
 
 Katerine i-nempnet. 
 
 Dis meiden was baSe 
 
 faderles °t moderles 
 
 of hire childhade. 
 
 Ah, }>a ha Jung were, 80 
 
 ha held hire eldrene hird 
 
 wisliche °t warliche 
 
 i Jie heritage t i J)e herd 
 
 f com hire of burSe' -^ 
 
 nawt for Jji f hire J?uhte 
 
 god in hire heorte 
 
 to habbe monie under hire, 
 
 t beon i-clepet lafdi, 
 
 f feole tellen^ wel to ■^ 
 
 ah baBe ha was offeard 90 
 
 of schome 1; of sunne. 
 
 ble, steadfast within, of true faith : the only daughter of a king named Cost ; 
 a woman of extraordinary learning, named Katherine. This maiden was both 
 fatherless and motherless from her childhood. But, though she was young, she 
 maintained her parents' household wisely and warily in the heritage and in the 
 hall^ that came to her by birth: not because in her heart it seemed to her good 
 to have many under her, and be called Lady, that many highly esteem ; but she 
 was afraid both of shame and of sin, if they were dispersed, or evil befel them. 
 
 ' ■)* com ofhireburde. " telleS. ' Literally hearth. 
 
THE LEGEND OF 
 
 5if Jjeo' weren to-dreaued, 
 
 oSer misferden, 
 
 ^ hire forS-fadres 
 
 hefden i-fostret. 
 
 For hireself, ne kept ha 
 
 nawt of ]>e worlde. 
 
 Dus lo for hare sake 
 
 ane dale ha atheld^ 
 
 of hire eldrene god, 100 
 
 t spende al f oSer 
 
 in nedfule t in nakede. 
 
 Deos milde meke meiden, 
 Jjeos lufsume lafdi 
 wiS lastelese lates, 
 ne luuede ha nane lihte plahen, 
 ne nane sotte songes. 
 Nalde ha nane ronnes^ 
 ne nane luue runes 
 leornen ne lustnen i' 110 
 
 whom her forefathers had nourished. For herself, she set no value upon the 
 world. Thus, for their sake, she retained one part of her parents' wealth, 
 and spent all the other on the needy and the naked. 
 
 This mild, meek maiden, — this lovely* lady with blameless manners, loved 
 no trifling amusements, nor any sweet songs. No whisperings, nor any love 
 
 1 f peo. ' ne luuede heo nane lihte plolien, 
 
 ° heo etheold. ne nane luue ronnes. 
 
 Nalde heo nane songes. 
 < Perhaps lufsume may have been originally lofsume, " praiseworthy." 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 
 
 ah eauer ha hefde 
 
 on hali writ 
 
 ehnen oSer heorte, «. 
 
 oftest ba togederes. 
 
 Hire fader hefde iset hire 
 
 earliche to lare' -i 
 
 T; heo, })urh \q Hali Gast, 
 
 undernam^ hit se wel 
 
 ^ nane ne was hire euening. 
 
 Modi meistres 1 fele 120 
 
 fondeden hire ofte 
 
 o swiBe fele halue, 
 
 for to undernimen hire V 
 
 ah nes ter nan p mihte, 
 
 wiS alle hise crefti crokes, 
 
 neauere anes wrenchen hire' 
 
 ut of \q weie ^ 
 
 ah se sone ha 5eald ham 
 
 swuche 3ain-clappes, 
 
 °t wende hare wiheles 130 
 
 ditties, would she learn or listen to; but had ever on holy writ her eyes or 
 her heart, oftenest both together. Her father had set her early to learning; 
 and she, through the Holy Ghost, acquired it so well that none was her 
 equal. Many grave masters tried her often, on very many sides, to entrap 
 her ; but there was none that might, with all his crafty wiles, ever once entice 
 her out of the way : but so soon she dealt them such counter-strokes, and 
 
 to leaf ant to lare. ' ah nes |jer nan -fs mahte 
 
 ant heo underueng hit neuer anes wrenchen hire 
 
 fiurh Jien Hali Gast, se wel. mid al his crefti crokes. 
 
THE LEGEND OF 
 
 upon ham seluen, 
 
 f al ha cneowen' ham 
 
 crauant 1; ouercumen, 
 
 t cweSen hire ]>e meistrie 
 
 t te menske al up. 
 
 us hwil a^ wiste hire, 
 t ))ohte ai to witen hire 
 meiden in meidenhad, 
 as ha set in a bur 
 
 of hire burSe^ boldes, 140 
 
 ]?a herde ha* a swuch murS 
 toward te awariede 
 maumetes temple, 
 lowinge of f ahte, 
 ludinge of ]>& men, 
 gleowinge of euch gleo, 
 to herien t hersumen 
 hare hea'Sene godes. 
 As ha J>is i-herde, 
 t nuste 5et hwat hit was, 150 
 
 turned their wiles upon themselves, that they all acknowledged themselves 
 craven and overcome, and yielded her entirely the mastery and the honour. 
 Thus while she guarded herself, and thought ever to keep herself a maiden in 
 maidenhood, as she sat in a chamber of her hereditary mansion, she heard such 
 a sound of mirth in the direction of the accursed idol's temple, lowing of cattle, 
 shouting of men, with minstrelsy and all kinds of mirthful music, to honour and re- 
 verence their heathen gods. As she heard this, and wist not yet what it was, she 
 
 ' i-cneowen. ' ha. ' burde. ■■ heo i-herde. 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 
 
 ha sende swiSe for to witen 
 
 hwat wunder hit were. 
 
 Sone se hire sonde 
 
 com a3ain, 1; seide 
 
 hire pe soSe, 
 
 heo swa i-tend of wraSSe' 
 
 f wod ha walde wur'Sen.^ 
 
 Hat up of hire hird 
 
 hwuch as ha walde, 
 
 t wende hire ]?iderward. 160 
 
 I-fond ter swiSe feole 
 
 5einde 1 3urende, 
 
 °t Jieotinde unj>uldeliche 
 
 wiS reowfule reames, 
 
 •p Cristene weren 
 
 °t leafTule i Godes lei .-^ 
 
 ah, for dred of deaS, diden 
 
 ^' deoueles lac 
 
 as J>e heaSene diden. 
 
 Hwa was wurse Jien heo* 170 
 
 sent immediately to learn what wonder it might be. As soon as her messenger 
 returned, and said to her the truth, she so kindled with wrath that she was 
 about to go mad. She called up of her household such as she would, and 
 betook herself thitherward. She found there a great number crying and scream- 
 ing, and yelling impatiently with rueful lamentations, who were Christians 
 and believers in God's law ; but, through fear of death, performed that devil's 
 sacrifice as the heathen did. Who was inwardly, in heart, worse wounded 
 
 * wreSSe wes. ^ wurSen walde. ^ pes. * hire. 
 
 C 
 
10 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 heorte i-wundet 
 
 inwiS, for ]>e wrecches 
 
 f ha seh swa' wraSe 
 
 workes wurchen 
 
 ajain Godes wille ? 
 
 Dohte Ipah, as ha wes 
 
 ]?uldi^ °t Jiolemod, 
 
 se 3ung Iping as ha was, 
 
 hwat hit mihte 5einen 
 
 ]?ah ha hire ane were 180 
 
 a3ein so kene Keisere 
 
 t aP his kineriche. 
 
 Stod stille ane hwile, 
 
 t hef hire heorte up 
 
 to J?e hehe Helend 
 
 f i-heried is in heuene. 
 
 Bisohte him help t hap 
 
 t wisedom, as wisliche 
 
 as al ]>e world is 
 
 wealt* Jjurh his wissunge. 190 
 
 than she, for the wretched people whom she saw work so eagerly works 
 against God's will? She thought, however, as she was patient and enduring, 
 notwithstanding so young thing as she was, what it might profit, though she 
 alone were to strive against so severe an Emperor and all his empire. She 
 stood still a while, and lifted up her heart to the high Saviour that is 
 honoured in heaven. She sought of him help, and success and wisdom, as 
 wisely as all the world is governed through his direction. Thereafter she 
 
 deest swa. " huldi. ' deest al. * i-wald. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 11 
 
 Drafter wepnede hire 
 
 "wiS soSe bileaue, 
 
 1; wrat on hire breoste biforen 
 
 hire teS and hire tunge* 
 
 \>e hali taken* :' 
 
 and com leapinde for'S 
 
 al i-tend of J>e lei 
 
 of Jje' Hali Gast, 
 
 as te Keisar stod 
 
 bimong f^ suneful slaht 200 
 
 of f i-slein ahte, ' 
 
 deoule to lake, 
 
 f euch waried weoued 
 
 of \>a mix maumez 
 
 ron of })at balefule [blod]° 
 
 al bi-blodked:^ 
 
 °t bigon to 5eien 
 
 ludere steuene, 
 
 armed herself with true faith, and marked on her breast and before her teeth 
 and her tongue the holy sign, and came bounding forth all kindled with 
 the flame of the Holy Ghost, as the Emperor stood among that sinful slaughter 
 of the slain cattle, a sacrifice to devils, so that each accursed altar of the foul 
 idols ran with that baleful blood all besmeared. And she began to cry with a 
 
 ' ant tunge of hire mu«. 
 
 ' J3e hali rode taken. — The sign of the cross appears to have been in use at a very early period 
 among Chi'istians : " Ad omnem progressum atque promotum, ad omnem aditum et exitum, ad 
 vestitum et calceatum, ad lavaora, ad mensas, ad lumina, ad cubilia, ad sedilia, quacunque nos con- 
 versatio exercet, frontem crucis signaculo terimus." — TertuU. de Corona Militis, cap. viii, 
 3 of lei * ]>e. 
 
 of {"en. * ron of f baleful blod. 
 
12 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 " Gretunge, Keiser, 
 
 walde wel bicume ]>e 210 
 
 for J^in hehnisse, 
 
 5if Jju jjis ilke 5eld, 
 
 f tu dost to deueleu 
 
 f fordeS ]>e baSe 
 
 in licome °t in sawle, 
 
 1; alle f hit driuen i' 
 
 3if ]>u. hit 3ulde t 5eoue 
 
 to his wurSmund 
 
 f schop Jie °t al Jje world, 
 
 °t weald' Jjurh his wisdom 220 
 
 al f i-schapen is. 
 
 Ich walde, King,^ grete ]>e 
 
 3if Jju understode 
 
 f he ane' is to herien, 
 
 Jjurh hwam t under hwam 
 
 alle kinges rixlen. 
 
 Ne ne mai na ]>mg 
 
 wi'Sstonden his wille. 
 
 loud voice, " Greeting, O Emperor, would well become thee for thy high station, 
 if thou gavest this, which thou dost to devils that destroy thee both in body 
 and in soul, and all that pursue the same course; if thou payedst and gave 
 this to his honour who made thee and all the world, and rules by his wisdom 
 all that is made. I would greet thee, O King, if thou ' understoodest that 
 he alone is to be praised, through whom and under whom all kings rule. 
 Nor may anything withstand his will, though he has much forbearance. This 
 
 ant al wait. ^ Keiser. ■'' he him ane. 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 13 
 
 J>ah he muche Jjolie. 
 
 Des heuenliche Lauerd 230 
 
 luueS treowe bileaue, 
 
 l nowSer blod ne ban 
 
 of unforgult abte -^ 
 
 ah f mon halde t heie 
 
 his halewende heaste. 
 
 Ne nis na J>ing, hwer Jjurh, 
 
 monnes muchele madschipe 
 
 wraSSeS him wi'S mare 
 
 Jien ^ schafte of mon 
 
 ^ he schop, °t 5ef schead ' 240 
 
 ba of god °t of uuel 
 
 Jjurh wit °t Jjurh wisdom, 
 
 schal wurSe se forS ut of his wit, 
 
 Jiurh ]?e awariede gast, 
 
 f he 5elt }>e wurSschipe' 
 
 to witlese^ J)ing 
 
 f te feond wuneS in, 
 
 f he ahte to Godd f' 
 
 heavenly Lord loveth true faith, and neither blood nor bone of innocent 
 cattle ; but that man keep and reverence his sanctifying behest. Nor is there 
 anything by which the great folly of man more displeases him than that the 
 creature man whom he made, and to whom he gave the faculty of distinguish- 
 ing both good and evil by reason and wisdom, should become so irrational, 
 through the accursed spirit, that he pays the worship to senseless things that 
 the fiend dwells in, which he owes to God ; and that he honours and reveres a 
 
 ' wurJSmunt. * unwitlese. 
 
14 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 1 hereS °t hersumeS 
 
 seheliche schaft,' 250 
 
 blodles t banles 
 
 t limen wiSute liue,^ 
 
 as he schulde his heren^ 
 
 °t aire Jjinge Schuppent, 
 
 •p is Godd unsehelich. 
 
 " De feond f iindeS 
 euch uuel, bimong alle* 
 crokinde creftes, 
 ■wiS neauer an ne keccheS he 
 creftiluker cang men, 260 
 
 ne leadeS to unbileaue, 
 ]?en f he makeS men, 
 f ahten to "wite wel 
 f ha beoS bijetene, 
 i-borne, t i-broht forS 
 Jjurh ]>e heuenliche Fader, 
 to make swuche maumez 
 of treo oSer of stan, , 
 
 visible creature, bloodless and boneless, and limbs without life, as he should 
 honour the Creator of himself and of all things,^ who is the invisible God. 
 
 " The fiend that inventeth every evil, among all crooked crafts, with none 
 catcheth he more craftily froward men, nor leadeth them to unbelief, than in 
 that he maketh men, who ought to know well that they are begotten, born, 
 
 '^ schaftes. ' leomen buten live. •'' his ant heoren. * alle his. 
 
 = Following the other MS. this passage would be — " as he should the Creator of himself, and of 
 them (i. e. the things worshipped) and of all things." 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 15 
 
 oSer, >urh mare madschipe, 
 
 of gold oSer of seluer r^ 270 
 
 °t jiuen ham misliche nomen, 
 
 of sune oSer of mone, 
 
 of wind 1; vrade 1 wattres,' 
 
 1 hersumeS t wurcheS^ 
 
 as tah hit' godes weren. 
 
 Ne naue^ he J?arh oSer ]>ing 
 
 i J?is bileaue i-broht ow 
 
 bote J)at ow Jiunche 
 
 f ha schulen lasten a, 
 
 for >i f 36 ne sehen* ham 280 
 
 neauer biginnen. 
 
 Ah jjer nis bot a Godd, 
 
 Jjurh hwam witerliche 
 
 ha alle weren 
 
 i-wrahte, t of nawiht / 
 
 °t i J>is world i-set 
 
 us for to frouren 
 
 °t for to fremien.' 
 
 and brought forth through the heavenly Father, to make such idols of wood or of 
 stone, or, through greater folly, of gold or silver ; and give them divers 
 names, of sun or moon, of wind, of wood, of water, and revere and worship 
 them as if they were gods. He hath by no other means brought you into 
 this belief but that it seems to you that they shall last for ever, because that you 
 never saw their beginning. But there is only one God, through whom assuredly 
 all these things were made, and of nothing ; and placed in this world to comfort 
 
 of wind, of wude, of wattres. " wurgiS. ' ha. ■" ne schulen. " ant to fremien. 
 
16 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 And alswa as euch )»ing hafde 
 
 biginninge of his godlec, 290 
 
 alswa schulen alle habben 
 
 endinge 3if he -p walde. 
 
 Engles °t sawlen, 
 
 }>urh f ha bigunnen, 
 
 ahten t mahten 
 
 endin ]?urh cunde ^ 
 
 ah he, ]jurh his milce °t godlec, 
 
 of his grace makeS ham 
 
 f ha beon' eche^ 
 
 buten ende i' 300 
 
 t Jjerfore nis na )>ing 
 
 euening ne eche 
 
 ■wiS Godd f 56 gremien' i' 
 
 for he is hare aire 
 
 Schuppend, t scheop ham* 
 
 in sum time, 
 
 °t na time nes neauer 
 
 f he bigon' to beon in. 
 
 us and to benefit us. And also, as everything had a beginning, of his goodness, 
 so should all things have an end, were he to will it. Angels and souls, as 
 they had a beginning, ought and might naturally have an end ; but he, through 
 his mercy and goodness, of his grace makes them to be eternal, without end : 
 and therefore there is nothing equal to nor everlasting with God, whom ye 
 provoke ; for he is the Creator of them all, and made them in time, and there 
 never was a time in which he began to exist. 
 
 ' beo«. ' in eche. = gremieS. * scheop al. ' he ne bigon. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 17 
 
 J)l<::^E Keiser bistarede hire 
 
 jll°&J vhjS swi'Se steape ehnen 310 
 
 SJl hwil f ha spek Jjus. 
 
 Swi'Se he awundrede him* 
 
 of hire wliti westum,^ 
 
 t swiSre of hire wordes, 
 
 t feng on Jjus to speken / 
 
 " Di leer is, meiden, lufsum, 
 
 °t ti mu'S murie t witti:' 
 
 t wise wordes hit weren, 
 
 3if ha neren false / 
 
 ah we witen wel f ure lahes, 320 
 
 ure bileaue, °t ure lei 
 
 hefde lahe 'Sprung. 
 
 Ah al f 56 seggen 
 
 is se sutel sotschipe, 
 
 f hit na wis mon, 
 
 ah witlese, hit wenen.' 
 
 Me hwat is mare madschipe 
 
 The Emperor gazed at her with eyes deeply intent while she spake thus. Much 
 was he amazed at her beautiful form, and more at her words, and began thus to 
 speak : " Thy countenance, O maiden, is lovely, and thy mouth pleasant and 
 wise ; and these were wise words, if they were not false : but we know well that 
 our laws, our belief, and our faith had a legitimate origin. But all that you say 
 is such manifest folly, that no wise man, but witless, would credit it. Moreover, 
 
 ' deest him, ' wastun. ' weneS. 
 
J8 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 ]>en for to leuen on birn, 
 
 T; seggen p he is Godes Sune, 
 
 ^e f Giws demden 330 
 
 °\ heaSe hongeden? 
 
 f he was akennet 
 
 of Marie, a meiden, 
 
 wiSute bruche of hire bodi' ? 
 
 Deide t wes i-buried, 
 
 l berhede belle ■/ 
 
 °\ aras of dea'S, 
 
 T; steah into beuene^ ■^ 
 
 T: schal eft, o domesdei, 
 
 cumen ba to demon 340 
 
 ]?e cwike °t te deade? 
 
 Hwa walde i-leue j^is, 
 
 f is as nowt wurS ? 
 
 f alle ower leasunges 
 
 what is greater madness than to believe in him, and say that he is the Son 
 of God, whom Jews condemned and heathens hanged? That he was born of 
 Mary, a maiden, without use of her body? That he died and was buried, 
 and harrowed' hell; and arose from death, and ascended into heaven; and 
 shall again, on doomsday, come to judge both the quick and the dead ? Who 
 would beheve this, which is as nothing worth ? So that all your leasings are 
 
 ant lieSene ahongen ? 
 
 ant tet he wes akennet a ant steh to fie heouene. 
 
 of Marie, a meiden, 
 
 buten monnes men, 
 
 ant i-boren of hire bodi a j. e. robbed, plundered. 
 
 buten bruche. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 19 
 
 beoS unlefliche. 
 
 Ah 3et ne J>uncheS ow 
 
 nawt inoh* to forleosen ow 
 
 Jjus i J?ulli misbileaue -^ 
 
 ah gaS jet,' 1 seggeS schome 
 
 bi' ure undeaSliche godes 350 
 
 J'e Sunne °t te Mone, 
 
 ^ euch mon ahte her^ 
 
 °l herien in eorSe." 
 
 Jjl^i^Eos meiden lette lutel 
 [I °^1 of al ^ he seide, 
 ^jr*^ t smirkende smeSeliche 
 
 jef him JjuUich onswere / 
 
 " Alle iseo J^ine sahen 
 
 sotliche i-sette/ 
 
 Clepes f>oa Jjinges godes 360 
 
 ^ nowSer sturie ne mahenne 
 
 steoren* ham seluen"" 
 
 incredible. But yet, it seemeth not to you enough to destroy yourself thus 
 in such unbelief; but you go farther, and say shame concerning our immortal 
 gods, the Sun and the Moon, that every man on earth ought to honour and 
 worship." 
 
 This maiden thought little of all that he said, and smiling complacently gave 
 him this kind of answer : " I perceive that all thy sayings are foolishly spoken. 
 Call you those things gods, which can neither put themselves in motion, nor, 
 
 ' Hesunt inoh, Jet, bi. ^ hersumin. ■* i-seide. ' ne storen. 
 
20 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 bute as te hehe King 
 
 hat ham of heuene, 
 
 1; heo buheS* to him 
 
 as schaffce^ to his Schuppend? 
 
 Nis buten an Godd, 
 
 as ich ear seide, 
 
 })at al \>e world wrahte 
 
 °t alio worldliche J>inges i' 3T0 
 
 and al wurcheS his wil, 
 
 bute mon ane. 
 
 Stille beo J>u J?enne, 
 
 t stew swuche wordes r^ 
 
 for ha beon al witlese, 
 
 t windi of wisdom." 
 
 E Keiser wundrede him swiBe 
 of swuche' wordes, 
 t wedinde cwe^S r' 
 Meiden, ich seo wel, 380 
 
 for sutel is °t eS-sene, 
 
 when moved, direct their course, but as the high King of heaven bids them, and 
 they submit to him as creatures to their Creator ? There is but one God, as I 
 before said, who made all the world and all worldly things ; and all things work 
 his will but man only. Be thou still then, and stop such words; for they are 
 all void of reason, and empty of wisdom." 
 
 The Emperor wondered greatly at such words, and angrily said: " Maiden, 
 
 ' beoS. ' schat. ^ of hire. 
 
SAINT KATHEKINE. 21 
 
 o J)ine JjuUiche* sahen, 
 
 f tu were i-set 3ung 
 
 to leaf 1; to lare. 
 
 Ah^ of swuche larespel 
 
 Jju haues leaue i-leorned,^ 
 
 f tu art, )jer onont, 
 
 al to deope leared, 
 
 hwen J?u forcwi'Sest, 
 
 for \>i Godd,* ure 390 
 
 undeaSliche godes i' 
 
 t seist ha beoS idele, 
 
 t emti of gode; 
 
 Ah wastu nu' hwat is ? 
 
 We schulen bringe* to ende 
 
 f we bigunnen habbeS:' 
 
 °t tu schalt, j'u motild, 
 
 to curt cume si'Sen/ 
 
 t kinemede kepe,' 
 
 3if )}U wilt \>i wil 400 
 
 I see well, for it is manifest and easily seen by these thy words, that thou wert 
 set young to belief and learning. But of such doctrine thou hast so learned 
 thy belief, that thou art, in that respect, all too deeply learned, when thou, for 
 thy God, blasphemest our immortal deities ; and sayest that they are vain, and 
 void of good. But knowest thou now what is to be done ? We must bring to 
 an end what we have begun ; and thou shalt, thou babbler, then come to court, 
 
 sulliche. ' Ant. ^ Jju hauest i-leomet. * Crist. 
 
 deest nu. ^ tu-jngen \>e. ' so8*en. ° i-kepen. 
 
22 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 wenden to ure -^ 
 
 for 3if hit went a3ain us, 
 
 ne schal \q na tene' 
 
 ne tintreohe trukie.^ " 
 
 Da he J^us hefde i-seid, 
 
 clepede an of hise men 
 
 dearneliche to him, °t sende 
 
 i-sealede writes 
 
 wiS his ahne kine ring 
 
 5ont al his kineriche 410 
 
 to alle J>e i-cudde clerkes, 
 
 and het ham hihen toward him 
 
 hare come swiSer' 
 
 t swa muchel )je swi'Sre, 
 
 ^ he bihet to meden ham 
 
 wiS swiSe hehe mede,' 
 
 °\ maken* hehest in his halle, 
 
 3if ha jjeos modi motild 
 
 ouercume mihten, 
 
 and receive royal meed, if thou wilt bend thy will to ours; for, if it oppose 
 us, there shall not fail trouble and torment." When he had thus spoken, he 
 called one of his men privately to him, and sent writings sealed with his 
 own royal ring over all his kingdom to all the celebrated clerks, and com- 
 manded them to hasten quickly to come to him; and so much the more 
 quickly, that he promised to reward them with right high meed, and to make 
 highest in his hall, if they might overcome this proud preacher, and turn the 
 
 1 teone. " tintreo trukien. ^ mid kinewurSe meden. • makien ham. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 23 
 
 1; wenden Jie^ hokeres 420 
 
 of his h^aSene godes 
 
 upon hire heaued -^ 
 
 f ha were, on aire earst, 
 
 i-ken t i-cnawen, 
 
 f nis bute dusilec 
 
 al f ha driueS r' 
 
 1 ))refter Jjenne 
 
 fordon °t fordemet* 
 
 jif ha nalde leauen 
 
 ^ ha 5et lefde, 430 
 
 1 hare lahe luuien. 
 
 Des^ sonde wende him forS, 
 
 as te King hehte i' 
 
 f held* on to herien 
 
 his heaSene maumez, 
 
 wiB misliche lakes 
 
 long time of fe dai, 
 
 ■p he i-don hefde r' 
 
 t wende ]>& weri 
 
 insulting mockeries away from his heathen gods upon her own head ; so 
 that it might be, first of all, known and acknowledged, that all that she 
 aims at is but folly; and thereafter that she should be destroyed and con- 
 demned, if she would not forsake that which she still heheved, and love their 
 law. This messenger went forth, as the King commanded ; who continued 
 to worship his heathen idols, with divers oflFerings, long time of the day, till 
 
 hire. ' fordon hire ant fordemen. ^ Deos. ■* ant he heold. 
 
24 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 toward his buri-boldes, 440 
 
 t bed bringen anan' 
 }?is meiden biforen him 
 t seide to hire J?us. 
 
 AT ich now'Ser ])i nome, 
 ne ich ne cnawe })i cun,^ 
 ne hwucche men J)U hauest haued 
 hiderto to meistres. 
 Ah ]>i schene nebschaft 
 °t ti semliche schape 
 
 schaweS wel f tu art 450 
 
 freo monne foster i* 
 t ti swuti speche walde 
 of wisdom °t of wit 
 here ])e witnesse, 
 jif ))u ne misnome 
 onont ure maumez, 
 f tu se muchel misseist, 
 
 that he had done; and then went weary to his city-dwelUng, and bade bring 
 immediately this maiden before him, and spoke to her thus. 
 
 " I know neither thy name, nor do I know thy race, nor what kind of 
 men thou hast hitherto had as masters. But thy fair features and thy seemly 
 shape show well that thou art a nobleman's child ; and the suavity of thy 
 speech would bear witness of thy wisdom and understanding, didst thou not 
 
 ant wende \>a \ie awaride ' Ich ne cnawe pe, 
 
 toward te buri-boldes, ne J;! cun. 
 
 ant het bringen. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 25 
 
 t ure godes hokerest r^ 
 
 •p schuldest, as we do^S, 
 
 heien ham t herien." 460 
 
 Ha* onswerede °t seide, 
 
 " 3if })u wilt mi nome witen, 
 
 ich am Katerine i-cleopet r' 
 
 3if Jju wilt cnawe^ mi cun, 
 
 ich am kinges dohter r' 
 
 Cost hehte mi fader t' 
 
 t haue i-haued hiderto 
 
 swiSe hehe' meistres. 
 
 Ah* for J)i f te lare 
 
 f ha me lerden 470 
 
 limpe'S to idel 3elp, 
 
 1 failed to bi3eate 
 
 t to' wurSschipe of J?e worlde, 
 
 ne ne helped nawiht 
 
 eche lif to habben,® 
 
 ne jelp ich nawt J>rof. 
 
 mistake concerning our idols, in that thou so greatly revilest, and mockest our 
 gods; who shouldst, as we do, honour and reverence them." She answered 
 and said, " If thou wilt know my name, I am called Katherine. If thou 
 wilt know my lineage, I am a king's daughter ; Cost was the name of my 
 father; and I have had hitherto very distinguished masters. But because 
 the learning which they taught me serves to vain glory, and tends to the gain 
 and to the honour of the world, and helpeth not at all to attain everlasting life. 
 
 Heo him. " icnawen. ^ monie. ''Ant. 'bijetefor. " winnen. 
 
 E 
 
26 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 Ah sone se ich seh 
 
 pe leome of ])e soSe* lare 
 
 f leadeS to eche lif, 
 
 ich leafde al f oSer, 480 
 
 1; tok me him to Lauerd, 
 
 t makede him mi leafmon, 
 
 f Jjis^ word seide 
 
 J)urh an of His wite3en i' 
 
 ' Perdam sapientiam sapientum, 
 
 et intellectum intelligentium reprobabo.'^ 
 
 ' Ichulle* fordon ]>e wisdom 
 
 of J^eose wise world men, 
 
 he seiS, °t awarpe ]>e wit 
 
 of Jieose world wittie.' 
 
 Ich horde eft Jiis word. 
 
 of anoSer wittige r' 490 
 
 ' Deus autem noster in celo : omnia 
 
 qusecunque voluit fecit. Simulacra 
 
 gentium argentum et aurum,' usque 
 
 ad° ' similes illis flant.' 
 
 I boast not of it But as soon as I saw the light of the true learning, 
 that leads to eternal life, I forsook all the other, and took him for my Lord, 
 and made him my love, who said this saying by one of his prophets : ' I will 
 destroy the wisdom of men wise with regard to this world, he saith, and 
 reject the understanding of the prudent of this world.' ^ I heard afterwards 
 
 ' hali. 2 j,g j,gog_ 
 
 ' The Latin must have been originally on the margin. * -p is, ' IchuUe. 
 
 = aurmn.' ant al for* a-JS, « 1 Corinthians i. 19. 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 27 
 
 ' Vre' Godd is in heuene, 
 
 f wurcheS al f he wile. 
 
 Deos maumez beon i-maket 
 
 of gold^ °t of seluer, 
 
 wiS' monnes honden. 
 
 MuS wiSute* speche, 
 
 ehnen wiSute sihSe, 
 
 earen wiSuten' heringe, 
 
 honden bute felinge, 
 
 fet bute 3onge. 500 
 
 Deo f ham makien 
 
 mote beon ilich ham,* 
 
 °t alle f on ham trusten !' 
 
 Ah nu ]>u seist 
 
 f ha beoS al wealdende godes, 
 
 1; wult f ich do ham wurSschipe. 
 
 Scheaw sumhwat of ham 
 
 for hwat' ha beon wurSe 
 
 for to beon i-wurSchet' / 
 
 these words of another prophet: ' Our God is in heaven, who doeth all that 
 he will. These idols are made of gold, and of silver, by men's hands. A 
 mouth without speech have they, eyes without sight, ears without hearing, 
 hands without feeling, feet without walking. May they that make them be 
 like to them, and all they that trust in them !'9 But now thou sayest that 
 they are all-powerful gods, and wilt that I should do worship to them. Show 
 somewhat of them for which they are worthy to be worshipped; for before 
 
 ' -(S is, ' Ure. ' i-maket al mid gold. ^ al wiS. ■• bute. ' buten. 
 
 ^ heom iliche. ' for hwi. ' i-irorget. ^ Psalm cxv. 3—8. 
 
28 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 for ear nulich nowSer 510 
 
 ham heien ne herien." 
 
 " Nat ich hwuch ]>i ]?oht beo," 
 
 quoS ]>e King Maxence, 
 
 " ah wordes ]5U haues inohe i' 
 
 ah Jjole nu ane hwile, 
 
 °t tu schalt i-finden 
 
 hwa J>e onswerie." 
 
 Es sondes mon,' umbe long, 
 J>a ha^ hefde al f loud 
 ouergan, t )jurh soht, 520 
 
 com t brohte wiS him 
 fifti scolemaistres, 
 of alle I^e creftes 
 f clerke ah to cunnen, 
 1 in alle wittes 
 of worldliche wisdomes 
 wiseste o^ worlde. 
 De King was swiSe wel i-cwemet,* 
 
 this will I neither honour nor reverence them." " I wot not what thy meaning 
 is," quoth the King Maxence, "but words thou hast enough; but have patience 
 now a while, and thou shalt find those who will answer thee." 
 
 The messenger, in course of time, when he had gone over all the land, and 
 sought it through, came, and brought with him fifty schoolmasters, of all the 
 crafts that clerk ought to know, and in all sciences of worldly wisdom the 
 
 ' Des sondes mon com a^ein, ^ he. ^ on. * i-cweme. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 29 
 
 t walde witen 3if ha weren 
 
 se wise °t se witti 530 
 
 as men forwende.' 
 
 And ha soraen^ seiden 
 
 f wittiest ha weren 
 
 of alle J)e meistres 
 
 f weren in East londe t' 
 
 t heaued of ]?e hehste, 
 
 °t meast nome-cuSe 
 
 i-cud of alle clergies. 
 
 " Ah >u," cweaSen ha/ 
 
 " for hwat i-cud |jing Jju hete us 540 
 
 hider to cumen ?" 
 
 "t he ham onswerede, 
 
 " Her is a meiden 
 
 3ungling of 3eres, 
 
 ah se swiSe witti 
 
 t wis on hise* wordes 
 
 wisest in the world. The King was extremely well pleased, and wished to 
 know if they were as wise and as intelligent as men believed them. And they, 
 with one accord, said that they were of most understanding of all the masters 
 that were in the East; and the chief of the highest, and considered the most 
 renowned of all the learned men. " But thou," said they, " for what notable 
 cause dost thou command us to come hither ?" And he answered them, " Here 
 is a maiden young in years, but so exceedingly intelhgent and wise in her words, 
 
 uoreseide. ^ heo, 
 
 heo somet. ' Keiser, ahest to cu«en. 
 
 * ant wis of hire. 
 
30 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 f ha wiS hire anes mot 
 
 meistreS us alle. 
 
 Ah 3et me teneS mare 
 
 f ha tukeS ure godes 550 
 
 to balewe' t to bismere i' 
 
 1 seiS hit beon deouelen 
 
 f in ham dearie's.^ 
 
 Ich mihte, inoh raBe 
 
 wel, habben awealt hire, 
 
 3if' ha nalde wiB luue, 
 
 wiS luSer eie/ lanhure. 
 
 Ah 5et me J?uncheS betere f ha 
 
 beo ear ouercumen* 
 
 wi'S desputinge / 560 
 
 t 3if ha ]>a ■^et wule, 
 
 ]>en ha wat hire woh, 
 
 wiSstonden a3ain us, 
 
 ich hire wile don 
 
 to Ipe derueste deaS 
 
 f me mai hire demen i' 
 
 that she, with her reasoning alone, masters us all. But it grieves me yet more, 
 that, by jeering at our gods, she brings them into contempt and derision ; and 
 says they be devils that dwell in them. I might, speedily enough, have com- 
 pelled her, if she would not with love, with appalling terror at all events. But 
 yet to me it seemeth better that she be first overcome with argument ; and if 
 she will still, when she knows her error, resist us, I will put her to the most 
 
 ^ bale. 2 (JarieiS. ^ luSer. * ofoumen ear. 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 31 
 
 °t wiS kinewurBe mede' 
 
 3elden ou hehliche 
 
 ower gong hider/ 
 
 5if 36 a3ain willed -i 570 
 
 oSer, 3if ou is wilre 
 
 for to wunnie wi'S me, 
 
 36 schulen beo mine reaSes-men' 
 
 in alle mine dearne runes 
 
 °t mine dearne deades." 
 
 Da onswerede J^e an 
 
 swiBe prudliche 
 
 })us to Jje* prude Prince -^ 
 
 " Hei ! hwuch wis read 
 
 of se cointe Keiser,' 580 
 
 makie se monie clerkes to cumen, 
 
 1 se swiSe^ crefti 
 
 of alle clergies, 
 
 ut of Alixandres lond, 
 
 ]?e aire laste ende, 
 
 painful death that it is possible to doom her to : and with rewards suited to my 
 royal dignity repay you highly your coming hither, if you wish to return ; or, if 
 it be more desirable to you to dwell with me, ye shall be my counsellors in all 
 my private designs and my secret undertakings." Then answered one of them 
 right proudly, thus, to the proud Prince : " Ha ! what wise counsel is this 
 of so accomplished an Emperor, to make so many learned men, and the most 
 skilful of all the learned, to come out the remotest bounds of Alexandria's land 
 
 ' Jeoues. 2 Jelden ower hwile. ' readmen. * prudeliche to \e. 
 
 ^ Hei ! hwuch read of so i-cudd Keiser. " ant swiSe. 
 
32 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 to moten wiS a meiden ! 
 
 Me an mahte of ure men 
 
 wiS his mot meistren,^ 
 
 t wi'S his anes wit 
 
 awarpen, J^e aire wiseste 590 
 
 ]>e wuneS bi Westen. 
 
 Ah, hwuch se ha^ eauer beo, 
 
 let bringen hire forS, 
 
 f ha understonde 
 
 f ha ne stod neauer, 
 
 ear Ipen }>is dai, 
 
 bute bifore dusie.'" 
 
 PJI^n^iS meiden was bicluset 
 
 J I '^1 }e* hwile in cwarterne 
 
 ^r"^ 1 in cwalm hus. Com 600 
 
 / a sonde °t seide hire 
 
 f ha schulde cumen forS, 
 
 to fehten in Jie' marhen 
 
 ane ajein fifti. 
 
 to argue with a maiden ! Surely one of our men might with his reasoning 
 master, and with his wit alone overthrow, the wisest of all that dwell in the 
 West. But, whatsoever she be, let her be brought forth, that she may under- 
 stand that she stood never, ere this day, but before fools." 
 
 This maiden was shut up the while in prison, and in the torture-house. A 
 messenger came and told her that she must come forth to contend on the morrow 
 alone against fifty. 
 
 ' meistren hire, ' heo. ^ neauer bute biuoren dusie. * Jieo. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 33 
 
 Nes tis meiden nawiht J>erfore' i-menget 
 in hire mod inwi'S r* 
 ah, buten euch fearlac, 
 bitahte all hire feht 
 in hire Healendes'' hond, 
 °t bigon to him 610 
 
 to bidden )jes bone t^ 
 " Crist, Godd, Godes sune ! 
 swete softe lesu, 
 aire smelle swotest ! 
 J'u alwealdende Godd ! 
 J^i Faderes -wisdom ! 
 Jju f tahtes' J^ine 
 f ha ne schulden nowBer 
 diueren ne dreden, 
 
 for teone, ne for tintrehe, 620 
 
 ne for na worldes* wondreaSe r' 
 ah weamedes' ham -wel 
 hu men ham walde fireaten 
 
 The maiden was no-whit on that account troubled within her mind; but, 
 without any fear, committed all her battle into her Saviour's hand, and be- 
 gan to pray to him this prayer : " Christ, God, thou son of God ! sweet 
 compassionate Jesu, of all odours sweetest ! thou almighty God ! thy Father's 
 wisdom ! thou that didst teach thy disciples that they should neither be con- 
 founded nor afraid, for trouble, nor for torment, nor any worldly tribulation ; but 
 warnedst them well how men would afflict and drag them unlawfully, and 
 
 ' heruore. ' in Healendes. ' tahtest. 
 
 * worldlich. " wamedest. 
 
34 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 t leaden unlaheliche, 
 
 1 elnedes' swa f ham 
 
 was eaS to drehen 
 
 al f men duden ham, 
 
 "t al f ha druhen/ 
 
 for ])i deore' luue, 
 
 deorewurSe* Lauerd ! 630 
 
 1; seidest ]>e seluen, 
 
 ' Dum steteritis ante reges et prassides, 
 
 nolite cogitari.' 
 
 ' Hwen je stondeS bifore 
 
 kinges t eorles, 
 
 ne jjenche 36 neauer hwat ne hu 
 
 39 schulen seggen r' 
 
 for ich wule 3iuen° ow ba 
 
 tunge t tale, 
 
 f an^ ne schal of alle 
 
 ower wiSerwines 
 
 witen hwat he warpe 640 
 
 a word a3ain ow.' 
 
 Lauerd, wune wi'S me. 
 
 didst comfort them so, that it was easy for them to endure all that men did 
 to them, and all that they suffered, for thy dear love, precious Lord ! and thy- 
 self didst say, ' When ye stand before kings and nobles, think ye never what 
 or how ye shall speak; for I will give you both speech and eloquence, so 
 that not one of all your adversaries shall know what word he may object 
 
 elnedest ham. ^ drehden. ^ deorewurSe. 
 
 deore. " ichulle Jeouen. ^ nan. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 35 
 
 1 hald f tu bihet us / 
 
 °t sette, lesu, swuche sahen 
 
 i mi muS to marhen, 
 
 t 3if swuche mihte 
 
 t strengSe i mine wordes, 
 
 f heo f ' beoS i-cumene 
 
 a5aines ti deore nome, 
 
 to underneome me,^ 650 
 
 moten misse jjrof. 
 
 Aweald/ Jjurh ]>i wisdom, 
 
 hare worldliche wit i' 
 
 % ]purh ]>i muchele mihte, 
 
 meistre ham swa 
 
 f ha beon mid alle 
 
 i-stewet t stille :^ 
 
 oSer i-wente* to J^e, 
 
 t ti nome wurSchen,° 
 
 f wiS Godd Fader,' 660 
 
 t wiS ]>e^ Hali Gast, 
 
 against you.'" Lord, abide with me, and keep that which thou didst promise 
 us ; and put, O Jesu, such sayings in my mouth to-morrow, and give such 
 power and strength to my words, that they who are come against thy dear 
 name, to oppose me, may fail thereof. Overrule, by thy wisdom, their worldly 
 prudence ; and, by thy great power, master them so that they may be totally 
 checked and silent ; or be converted to thee, and worship thy name, that with 
 
 1 ),e. ' i-cumen, )ji deorewurSe nome ^ Awed. •* wenden. 
 
 ajeines me to underneomene. 
 ' wurgin. ' heh Feder. ' ant {len. " St. Matthew x. 18, 19. 
 
36 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 Jjurhwunest, 
 
 in aire worlde world, 
 
 a' on ecnesse." 
 
 EFDE ha bute i-seid swa, 
 
 f an engel ne corae^ lihtende, 
 wiS swuche leome, fram heuene, 
 f ha was sum del 
 ofFruht' t ofFeared r^ 
 
 for al ]>e cwarterne, 670 
 
 of his cume, leitede o* leie. 
 
 Ah \>e engel elnede hire, 
 
 t sweteliche seide, 
 
 " Ne beo J>u nawiht of-dred, 
 
 Drihtines dohter r' 
 
 hald hardiliche o f 
 
 tu haues bigunnen t' 
 
 for J)i lefmon= t ti Lauerd, 
 
 for hwas deorewurSe nome 
 
 God the Father, and with the Holy Ghost, ever livest, in the world of all 
 worlds, eternally." 
 
 She had but spoken, when an angel came descending, with such light, 
 from heaven, that she was somewhat affrighted and afraid; for all the prison, 
 at his coming, was illuminated with flame. But the angel comforted her, 
 and sweetly said, " Be not thou aught afraid, daughter of the Lord ; keep 
 steadfastly to that thou hast begun: for thy beloved and thy Lord, for whose 
 precious name thou hast undertaken this strife, is with thee everywhere, in 
 
 ■fi ter ne com an engel. ' offruh. ■* al o. * leouemon. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 37 
 
 J>u underneome J>is strif, 680 
 
 is wiSe \>e^ eauerihwer, 
 
 istude °t istalle, 
 
 f wel wile wite )>e.^ 
 
 He bihat te f he wile 
 
 i ]>i muS healden 
 
 flowinde wattres 
 
 of witti wordes, 
 
 f schylen )je' flit of ]>me fan 
 
 swiftliqhe afellen :' 
 
 °t swuch wonder ham 690 
 
 schal ]?unchen of ]>i wisdom, 
 
 f ha willed alle 
 
 wenden to Criste, 
 
 %cume, )?urh martirdom, 
 
 to Drihten in heuene. 
 
 Monie schulen turnen 
 
 to treowe bileaue 
 
 Jjurh hare forbisne i' 
 
 °t tu schalt sone atstirten* 
 
 al \>e strengSe of ]jis strif, 700 
 
 all places and situations, who will well guard thee. He promises thee that 
 he will pour into thy mouth flowing streams of prudent words, that shall 
 quickly overthrow the arguments of thy foes ; and such wonder shall thy 
 wisdom seem to them, that they will all turn to Christ, and come, through 
 martyrdom, to the Lord in heaven. Many shall turn to true faith through 
 their example; and thou shalt soon escape all the severity of this strife, by 
 
 mit te. ' ]>e wule wel witen j^e. ' ■)>. * etsterten. 
 
38 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 15 
 
 Jjurh a stalewurSe deaS, 
 
 t beo J>enne underfon 
 
 i ]>e feire ferreden, 
 
 t i J>e murie, 
 
 of meidnes r' 
 
 t libbe* Hues ende 
 
 wiS lesu Crist, 
 
 ti Lauerd t ti leftnon, 
 
 in heuene. 
 
 Ich hit am Mihel,^ 710 
 
 Godes heh engel, 
 
 t of heuene i-sende 
 
 for to segge J>e J)us."' 
 
 1 mid f ilke step up, 
 
 t steah to ]>e steoren.* 
 
 IS meiden f ich munne, 
 stod, )?urh J'is steuene' 
 starcliche i-streng'Set'' r' 
 t abad baldeliche, til ^' 
 
 a death endured with constancy, and shalt be then received into the fair and 
 joyful fellowship of maidens; and live eternally with Jesus Christ, thy Lord 
 and thy beloved, in heaven. I am called Michael, God's archangel, and sent 
 from heaven to tell thee thus." And with that he went up, and ascended to 
 the stars. 
 This maiden whom I speak of, stood, by this voice mightily strengthened ; 
 
 ' libben. ' Micael. ' J^is. * Ant mit tet ilke steh up to \>e steoren. 
 
 ' f>eos stefne. ^ i-strenget, ' aSet. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 39 
 
 men com t fatte hire 720 
 
 to fliten wiS J'e fifti. 
 
 Maxence, in Jie' marhen, 
 
 set i kine seotle -i 
 
 t bed bringen^ biforen him 
 
 j^eos modie moteres, 
 
 1; te meiden mid ham. 
 
 Heo, wiS Cristes cros 
 
 cruchede hire ouer al, 
 
 t com baldeliche biforen' 
 
 J>eos* feondes an foster, 7S0 
 
 1; a3ain )pes fifti, 
 
 alle ferliche frechen.' 
 
 Comen alle strikinde, 
 
 Jie strengeste* swiSest, 
 
 of eauer-euch strete, 
 
 for to here' J>is strif. 
 
 Stoden on an half 
 
 J>es meistres so monie, 
 
 and waited with fortitude till they came and fetched her to dispute with 
 the fifty. Maxence, on the morrow, sat on his royal throne; and bade bring 
 before him those proud rhetoricians, and the maiden with them. She with 
 Christ's cross crossed herself all over, and came boldly before this own 
 foster-child of the devil, and against the fifty, all formidable antagonists. All 
 came eagerly hastening, the strongest the speediest, out of every street, to hear 
 this strife. On one side stood the masters so many, and so immeasurably 
 
 ' ine. 2 bringen bed. " forS biuoren. '' {"es. 
 
 ° freoken. ^ strengeste te. ' heren. 
 
40 
 
 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 t unimet modi r^ 
 
 ]7is meiden on oSer half. 740 
 
 Heo bihelden hire 
 
 hokerliche alle i' 
 
 1 heo stod hercnende, 
 
 1; biheold after help 
 
 up toward heuene. 
 
 De King bigon to wraSSen, 
 
 f te dei eode awai, 
 
 1; heo ne diden nawiht r' 
 
 °t te eadie Katerine 
 
 bigon for to segge.' 760 
 
 u," cweS ha, " Keiser,^ 
 nauest nawt ]>m strif 
 rihtwisliche i-delet, 
 f dest fifti meistres 
 to moten wi'S a meiden i' 
 1; hauest ham bihaten, 
 5if ha mahen, on me, 
 
 proud; the maiden on the other side. They all beheld her contemptuously; 
 and she stood listening, and looked for help up toward heaven. The King 
 began to wax wroth, that the day was passing away, and they did nothing; 
 and the blessed Katherine began to say: 
 
 " Thou hast not, O Emperor," quoth she, " fairly arranged this contest, 
 who makest fifty masters to dispute with one maid; and hast promised them, 
 
 seggen. 
 
 ■ Du," quo* ha, " Keiser, )ju. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 41 
 
 >e herre bond habben, 
 
 kinewurSe meden/ 
 
 °l me nawiht under al, 76O 
 
 f ' moti, a meiden, 
 
 a3ain^ ham alle. 
 
 Ah ne drede ich' nawiht 
 
 f* mi Lauerd nule' 
 
 wel 5elde me mi hwile, 
 
 for hwas nome ich underneome^ 
 
 to fihten o J)is' wise. 
 
 Ah 5ette me an hwat, 
 
 f tu ne maht nawt 
 
 wearne wiS' rihte :' 770 
 
 5if me is leued,' 
 
 J)urh leue Lauerd, 
 
 for to leggen ham adun, 
 
 •p tu ]>i misbileaue 
 
 lete Jjenne lanhure, 
 
 t lihte" to ure." 
 
 if they be able to have the higher hand of me, royal rewards ; and to me, a 
 maiden, nothing whatever, who dispute against them all. But I fear not that 
 my Lord, for whose name I undertake to fight in this wise, will not make it 
 well worth my while. But grant me one thing, which thou mayest not refuse 
 with justice: if it is permitted to me, through my dear Lord, to set them 
 down, that thou wilt then, at least, forsake thy unbelief and descend to our faith." 
 
 ■ Jje. 2 a3eines. ^ ich me. ■* for. 
 
 ' wule. ^ underuo. ' forto fehtin o Jjisse. ' wernin mid. 
 
 ' 3ef me is i-lenet. '" lete, ant lihte. 
 
 G 
 
42 
 
 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 " Nai," quoS he, heterliche 
 as Jie' f hoker j^uhte, 
 " ne liS^ nawt to ]>e 
 to leggen lahe up o me 
 of ^ bileaue i' 
 beo ha duhti oSer dusi, 
 naue ]>u. nawt to donne. 
 Do nu f tu schalt don r' 
 t we schule lustnin 
 hu Jji Lauerd t ti lef,* 
 ■p al ]>i leaue' is upon, 
 wule werie^ to dai 
 Yme' leasunges." 
 
 IS meiden, mid f ilke, 
 lokede on o'Ser half, 
 T; lette him i-wur'Sen :' 
 
 780 
 
 790 
 
 " Nay," quoth he, angrily, as one that thought himself insulted, " it lieth 
 not with thee to lay a law of faith upon me : be it sound or foolish, thou 
 hast nothing to do therewith. Do now that which thou art obliged to do ; 
 and we shall listen how thy Lord and thy love, upon whom is all thy trust, 
 will defend to-day thy leasings." 
 
 The maiden, upon this, looked on the other side, and left him to himself;^ 
 and began to speak to the five times ten in this wise : 
 
 him. ' lis hit. 
 
 Jjin bileaue. ^ werien \>e. 
 
 ' uppon me of mine. 
 ' of Jjine. 
 
 leof. 
 
 Literally, let him be. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 43 
 
 "t tok on toward 
 J'a' fif si'Se tene 
 to talien/ o J)ise wise / 
 
 u je alles to strif beon' 
 
 i-stured hidere, 
 
 for to beo wiS gold 
 
 1: gersum* i-grette -i 
 
 °t se feole cuSe men, 800 
 ba 1; utcumene/ 
 copniS °t kepeB 
 hwuch ure is kempe 
 to ouercumen oBer / 
 lure ow is to leosen 
 ower swinkes Ian, 
 f ^ leoteS se Intel of, 
 sparieS' owre speche -^ 
 t schome ow is to schuderen 
 lengre under schelde, 810 
 
 t schunien f 50 schulen to. 
 
 " Now ye are entirely drawn hither to this contest, that ye may be greet- 
 ed with gold and treasure ; and so many men, both natives and foreigners, 
 wait and watch to see which of us is the combatant that is to overcome the 
 other; it were harm to you to lose the wages of your toil, who think so 
 lightly of me, and spare your speech ; and shame is it for you to shrink 
 longer under shield, and shun that you should go to. Let him shoot forth 
 
 ' Jieos. '■' tauelin. * beo*. * forto beon mid an gersum. 
 
 * uncuSe. ^ Jje. ' ant sparieS. 
 
44 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 ScheoteS forS sum word, 
 
 t let us onswerien, 
 
 f ' meast kempe is cud,^ 
 
 T; kenest of ow alle 
 
 of pe creftr' ]>eo f^ nome-cuSest is, 
 
 T: meast con, 
 
 cume, cuSe^ ]>rof, 
 
 ^ f he^ haue'S in heorte r' 
 
 nu we schuleii talien take 820 
 
 ut of his tunge r' 
 
 1 teueli wiS me." 
 
 " Nai," quoS fe cuSest" 
 of ham alle, 
 
 " ah nu we beoS of se feor, 
 for ]>e, i-flut' hider, 
 ]ju schalt sette sikel forS, 
 t seggen earst hwat tu wult, 
 t we shulen seo'Sen. 
 
 some word, and let us answer him, who is the champion of most fame, and 
 the most intrepid of all you of the craft : let him that is most renowned, and most 
 skilled, come, and let him give proof thereof, and of what he has in his heart ; 
 now we shall take boasting out of his tongue : and let him play at tables 
 with me."^ 
 
 " Nay," quoth the most renowned of them all, " since now we have jour- 
 neyed so far hither for thee, thou shalt put sickle forth, and say first what 
 thou wilt, and then we shall.'" 
 
 1 ]>e. '' i-cudd. ^ creft, f he is. 
 
 •* ant mest con, cuSe. ' ant f . ^ Jie cuddest an. 
 
 ' of so for i-fluht for )je. ° i. e. dispute with me. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 45 
 
 CH," quoS Ipe meiden, 830 
 
 " sone se' ich awai warp 
 
 ower witlese lei, 
 
 t leornede t luuede 
 
 \>e liffule leaue^ 
 of hali Chirche, 
 f i-cheosen^ habbe, 
 ich aweorp, wiS alle, 
 ]?e glistinde wordes 
 f beon in owre bokes, 
 f beon wiSute godleic, 840 
 
 1; empti wiSinnen, 
 f 56 beon wiS* to swollen, 
 nawt wiS wit, ah wiS wind 
 of ane wlonke wordes t' 
 f jpuncheS se greate, 
 t beS godlese Jjah, 
 1; bare of euch blisse, 
 )5ah 30 blissen ow ]?rof. 
 Low ! )jullich is al 
 
 " I," quoth the maiden, " as soon as I had thrown away your senseless 
 religion, and learned and loved the life-giving belief of holy Church, that I 
 had chosen, I cast away entirely the plausible words that are in your 
 books, (which without are goodly, and empty within,) wherewith ye are 
 inflated, (not with wisdom, but with the wind of pompous words,) that seem 
 to you so great, and yet are worthless, and barren of any joy, though ye 
 
 lare. ^ \>e ich i-chosen. * beotS mit. 
 
46 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 f 3e Jjenchen to dai 850 
 
 for to weore me wiS' t' 
 
 Homeres motes, 
 
 1 Aristoles turnes / 
 
 Esculapies creftes, 
 
 °t Galienes grapes :' 
 
 Philistiones flites, 
 
 t Platunes bokes r' 
 
 t alle J^is^ wri teres writes 
 
 f 36 •wreo'SieS ow on. 
 
 Dah ich beo in alle 860 
 
 of se earlich i-learet, 
 
 f ich ne fond nawt fele 
 
 neauer mine euening i' 
 
 ]>ah,^ for ]>i f ha beoS 
 
 ful of idel 3elp, 
 
 t empti of f eadi* 
 
 t lifful lare, 
 
 al ich forsake her 
 
 rejoice in them. Lo ! this kind of learning is all that ye think to-day to 
 strive against me with: Homer's reasonings, and Aristotle's syllogisms; Es- 
 culapius's crafts, and Gallienus's enquiries ; Philistio's disputations, and Plato's 
 books ; and all the writings of these writers that ye lean upon. Though I 
 was in all these so early instructed, that I never found many equal to me, 
 yet, because they are full of vain glory, and void of that blessed and life- 
 giving doctrine, I now utterly forsake them, and at once give them all up; 
 
 • |;enchet5 to weorin me wiis to dei. ' )jeoS. ^ ah. * hali. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 47 
 
 °t cweSe ham alle 
 
 sker up, °t segge 870 
 
 f i ne conne ne cnawe 
 
 na creft bute of an,' 
 
 ^ is soS wit °t wisdom, 
 
 1; Heore of eche heale 
 
 f him riht leueS i' 
 
 f is lesu Crist, 
 
 mi Lauerd °t mi lefmon, 
 
 f seide, as ich seide ear, 
 
 °t 5et wile seggen, 
 
 ' Perdam sapientiam sapientum, 
 
 et intellectum,' etc. 
 
 ' Ichulle fordon ]>e wisedom 880 
 
 of Jieose world men, 
 
 °t awarpe J^e wit 
 
 of l>eose world wittie.' 
 
 Des^ aire schafte Schuppend 
 
 schawde ure earste ealdren, 
 
 Adam 1; Eue, 
 
 and say that I neither comprehend nor know any power but of one alone, 
 who is the true understanding and wisdom, and Lord of eternal salvation to 
 those that rightly helieve in him; that is Jesus Christ, my Lord and my be- 
 loved, who said, as I said before, and still will say, ' I will destroy the wisdom 
 of these worldly men, and reject the understanding of these worldly wise.' 
 This Maker of all creatures showed our first parents, Adam and Eve, the 
 
 buten an. ^ Be. 
 
48 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 J>e wit t te wei of lif, 
 
 Jjurh halewende best' r^ 
 
 °l hefde ham bihaten,^ 
 
 3if ha ham wel helden, 890 
 
 heuenliche meden. 
 
 Ah ]>e wrenchfule feond, 
 
 Jjurh onde/ wiS wiles* 
 
 wearp ham ut sone 
 
 of Paraise selhSe, 
 
 into Jiis liflease lif. 
 
 And al f lihte of ham twa 
 
 schulde forleosen, 
 
 3if f Godes godleic 
 
 nere ])e mare, 900 
 
 f se muche luuede us, 
 
 Jiah Jie' luSere, 
 
 lihte,* nu leate, 
 
 of heuenliche limen' r' 
 
 t forjii f he is, 
 
 understanding and the way of life, by a hallowing command; and had pro- 
 mised them, if they conducted themselves well, celestial rewards. But the crafty 
 fiend, through envy, by his wiles cast them soon out of the joy of Paradise 
 into this lifeless life. And all who descend of those two would perish, if that 
 God's goodness were not the more, who so much loved us, notwithstanding 
 the wickedness, that he descended, now in these latter days, from the heavenly 
 
 jjurh his halwunde heast. ' ant Jette ham. 3 onden. 
 
 wiltes, ^ he. ^ ahte f he lihte. ' leomen. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 49 
 
 to ure sihSe, unsehelich 
 
 in his ahne cunde, 
 
 com t creap in ure, 
 
 for to beon i-sehe Jjrin, 
 
 °t nam blod 1: ban 9J0 
 
 of meidenes bodi. 
 
 Dus he schrudde °t hudde him, 
 
 aire }>inge Schuppend, 
 
 wiS ure fleschliche schrud, 
 
 t scheaude us his nebschaft, 
 
 t welc, hwil his wille was, 
 
 bimong worldliche men r' 
 
 °t ta he hefde arud us 
 
 of \>e feondes rake,^ 
 
 he wende up, as he walde, 920 
 
 to wunien J^er he wuneS ai, 
 
 wi'Sute wanunge.' 
 
 Swa f we wite wel 
 
 Jjurh wundres ))at he wrahte. 
 
 light; and because he is, to our sight, invisible in his own nature, came 
 and entered into ours, that he might be seen therein, and took blood and 
 bone of a maiden's body. Thus did he, the Maker of all things, shroud 
 and hide himself with our fleshly clothing and showed us his countenance, 
 and walked, while it was his will, among worldly men; and when he had 
 rid us of the fiend's chains, he went up, as he designed, to dwell where he 
 ever dwelleth, without waning. So that we know well by the miracles 
 
 of a. ' of feondes raketehen. ^ wonunge. 
 
 H 
 
50 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 f na mon ne mihte, 
 
 f he is soS Godd i' 
 
 t eft J)urh f he J^rowede, 1; Jjolede 
 
 deaS o rode, as deadliche mon, 
 
 f he is soS mon r^ 
 
 of his Fader soS Godd, 930 
 
 of his moder soS mon, 
 
 in anhad, ba somen r^ 
 
 soS mon t soS Godd,' 
 
 wealdinde 1; wissinde 
 
 alle worldliche Jjing 
 
 after his wille. 
 
 Dis is te^ Lauerd 
 
 f [ich] on leue' t' 
 
 )?is is al ]?e lare 
 
 f ich nu leorni r' 940 
 
 )?is is f,* i Jjis strif, schal 
 
 strengSe' me a3ain ow. 
 
 In his hali noma i schal 
 
 ■which he wrought, which no man could work, that he is true God; and 
 afterwards, in that he suffered, and endured death upon the cross, as a mortal 
 man, that he is true man: of his Father true God, of his mother true man, 
 in unity, both together; true man and true God, ruling and directing all 
 worldly things according to his will. This is the Lord in whom I believe; 
 this is all the learning that I now learn: this it is that, in this strife, shall 
 strengthen me against you. In his holy name I shall esteem lightly all that 
 
 ' soS Godd ant sof5 mon. " mi. ' -p ich on leue. ■■ (le. * stvengen. 
 
I- 
 
 SAINT KATHERINE. 51 
 
 leote lihtliche 
 
 of al f 5e cunnen 
 
 kasten a5ain me, 
 
 ne beo 36 se monie :/ 
 
 for nis him na derure 
 
 for to adweschen adun 
 
 fele J?en feawe, 950 
 
 bifore J>eo f him riht 
 
 leueS t luuieS." 
 
 N, for ham alle, 
 onswerede °t seide, 
 " 3if he was, as tu seist, 
 soS Godd °t Godes sune, 
 hu mihte he as mon 
 dea^lich' deien ? 
 3if he was mon, hu mihte he 
 deaS ouercumen ? 960 
 
 Alle wise witen wel 
 
 ye can object against me, how many soever ye be; for it is no more diflBcult 
 for him to throw to the ground many than few, before those who truly believe 
 and love him." 
 
 One, for them all, answered and said, " If he were, as thou sayest, true 
 God and the son of God, how might he as a mortal man die ? If he were 
 man, how might he overcome death? All wise men know well that it is 
 against right, and against what is believed of every natural law, that God, who is 
 
 ' derfliehe. 
 
52 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 f hit is ai3ein riht, 
 
 1 a3ein leaue 
 
 of euch cundelich lahe, 
 
 f Godd, f ' is undeadlich, 
 
 mahe deaS drehen i' 
 
 t deadlich mon mahe 
 
 deaS ouercumen r^ 
 
 1 tah hit mihte nu heo 
 
 f he baSe were, 970 
 
 so^S Godd t soS mon, 
 
 after f tu munnest, 
 
 an he mihte inoh raBe 
 
 don of ]>es twa ]>mges r' 
 
 ah ba somen, nanes weis." 
 
 EO ne sohte nawiht, 
 
 ah seide a3ain anan riht, 
 
 " Dis is nu J?e derfschipe 
 of ]>i dusie onswere, 
 °t te depnisse, 980 
 
 immortal, may undergo death ; and that a mortal man may overcome death : and 
 even though it might be that he were both, true God and true man, as 
 thou thinkest, one of these two things he might readily enough do ; but 
 both together, by no means." 
 
 She sought not, but replied immediately : " This is now the strength of 
 
 >e. 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 53 
 
 ■p tu, of f Jjing 
 
 f te misJiunclie'S, 
 
 underfes f ' an half, 
 
 °t dustes^ adun f oSer, 
 
 \>e godcundnesse* of Godd, 
 
 for mannesse of his manhad i' 
 
 as \>&h. ]>e Almihti 
 
 ne mihte nawt )>eos twa 
 
 misliche cundes 
 
 gederen togederes. 990 
 
 36 makede* he mon of lam 
 
 to his i-licnesse ? 
 
 Hwi schulde he forhohien 
 
 to wurSe to f )>ing 
 
 f is i-went upon him ? 
 
 And hwen he hit mahte don 
 
 buten ewt to leosen 
 
 of hehnesse, 
 
 hwi were hit him earfS to don/ 
 
 thy weak answer, and its depth, that thou, of a thing that to thee mis-seem- 
 eth, admittest one part and rejectest the other, — the divine nature of God, 
 for the humanity of his manhood ; as though the Almighty might not join 
 together these two distinct natures. Made he not man of clay after his 
 likeness? Why should he disdain to hecome that thing which is formed 
 after his likeness ? And when he might do it without losing aught of majesty, 
 why should it be difficult for him to do who can do all things, and wills 
 
 ' underuest J;e. " dudest. ^ goddnesse. 
 
 ■• ^e ne makede. * hwi were erueS don. 
 
54 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 ]>e f alle J>ing mei, 1000 
 
 °t wile al f god is, 
 
 to neome monnes cunde, 
 
 1; beo i-sehe soS mon, 
 
 Godd J'ah unsehelich 
 
 in his ahne cunde i' 
 
 °t Jjolien, as soS mon, 
 
 dea'S, J>en' him Jjuhte ? 
 
 Ah 3if J)u wilt siker beon 
 
 f bo's beo f i segge, 
 
 leaf ])i lease wit f tu wlenches te in, 1010 
 
 t liht to ure lare r' 
 
 •p tu mahe stihen 
 
 to understonden in him 
 
 Godes muchele streng'Se, 
 
 t na monnes mihte, 
 
 Jjurh hise wundri werkes, 
 
 t wurSfule, in eorSe r' 
 
 for nul tu wenne^ nawt 
 
 •p tu schuldes heien, 
 
 all that is good, — viz. to assume man's nature, and be visible as very man, 
 though God invisible in his own nature ; and suffer death as very man, 
 vifhen it seemed good to him ? But if thou wouldst be certain that what 
 I say is true, forsake thy false wisdom in which thou boastest, and con- 
 descend to receive our learning; that thou mayest mount up to understand 
 in him God's great power, and not man's might, by his marvellous and 
 honourable works upon earth : for dost thou not think that thou shouldst 
 
 ' hwen. " cenne. 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 55 
 
 heane na mare/ 1020 
 
 f is in soS Godd 
 
 mones unmihte r' 
 
 f he noSeles^ nom 
 
 upon him seluen, 
 
 us for to sauuen,' 
 
 °t makien us stronge 
 
 )5Urh his unstrengSe. 
 
 His unstreng'Se i clepie, 
 
 f he was, as mon, cundeliche 
 
 ofhungret °t weri, 1080 
 
 t pine mihte Jpolien. 
 
 In euch Jiing of ]>e world 
 
 bee's sutele t eS sene, 
 
 f ]?olien* of Godes wisdom i' 
 
 )?ah i Jjis an ]>mg he scheaude, 
 
 1 sutelede inoh, 
 
 f he was soS Godd, 
 
 f leadeS euch leaflfiil mon' 
 
 extol, and no longer despise, that there is in the true God the weakness 
 of manhood ; which he nevertheless took upon himself, to save us, and 
 make us firm through his infirmity? His infirmity I call it, that he was, as 
 man, in a natural manner hungry and weary, and was capable of enduring 
 pain. In every thing of the world if is manifest and easily seen that they 
 suffer through God's wisdom ; though in this one thing he showed, and made 
 it manifest enough, that he was true God, who leadeth every faithful man 
 
 ' heanin ne hatien na mare. ' neodeles. ^ saluin. 
 
 ■■ );e weolen. ° J'e leadeS euch leafful. 
 
50 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 to treowe bileaue, 
 
 °t his leoue nome l^^iO 
 
 to herien °t to lieien, 
 
 Jpat' he wiS his steuene 
 
 ]>e storuene arearde,^ 
 
 t wiS his word awahte 
 
 Jie liflese liches^ 
 
 to lif t to leome. 
 
 Dis* ne dide neauer 
 
 na^ deadliche mon 
 
 Jjurh his ahne° mihte, 
 
 3if he Godd nere. 1050 
 
 Oj>re, jjurh wiheles 
 
 "f wicchecreftes, 
 
 wurcheS sume wundres r' 
 
 °t bi3ule'S unwiten, 
 
 f^ weneS f hit beo swa 
 
 as hit on ehe here's ham. 
 
 Ah wes ]?urh f he wes 
 
 bo's Godd, in his cunde 
 
 to true belief, and to honour and exalt his loved name, since he with his 
 voice raised up the dead, and with his word awoke the lifeless corpses to 
 life and to light. This never did any mortal man through his own might, 
 if he were not God. Others, through wiles and witchcrafts, perform some 
 wonders; and beguile the unwise, who ween that it is so as it seemeth 
 to the eye. But it was because be was true God, in bis nature joined 
 
 ' ]>a.. ' astearde. ^ deest liches. '' Dus. 
 
 ° nan. ^ anes. ' ant (jurh. ' unweoten J^e. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 57 
 
 i-cuplet wiS ure, 
 
 arearde ]je d^eade, 106() 
 
 ]>e dumbe °t te deaue 
 
 botnede blinde, 
 
 healede halte t houere,' 
 
 °t euch unheale y' 
 
 1 draf of ]>e awedde^ 
 
 awariede wihtes r^ 
 
 % as Alwealdent, 
 
 wrahte her, o worlde, 
 
 al f he walde. 
 
 And 3if ]>u nult, 1070 
 
 nanes weis, witen 
 
 f he wrahte 
 
 J)ulliche wundres, 
 
 lef, lanhure, f tu sest, 
 
 miracles f beS maked ^et' 
 
 >urh him, 1; on his 
 
 deorewurBe nome, 
 
 daies t nihtes. 
 
 with ours, that he raised the dead, cured the Wind, the dumb, and the deaf, 
 healed the lame and the crooked, and every disease, and cast the accursed 
 beings out of the insane ; and, as Supreme Ruler, did here, in this world, what- 
 soever he would. And if thou wilt not, by any means, acknowledge that he 
 wrought such miracles as these; believe, at least, what thou seest, — the miracles 
 that are yet done through him, and in his precious name, daily and nightly. 
 
 ' houerede. ' wedde. ' miracles f his men maket Jette. 
 
 I 
 
58 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 Ah beo nu soS r^ cnawes, 
 
 3if ich riht segge. 1080 
 
 Du seist he ne mihte 
 
 nawt ba beo 
 
 Godd 1; mon -^ 
 
 ah jif he nere soS Godd, 
 
 1; undeadlich himself, 
 
 hu mihte he leanen' 
 
 lif to Jje deade ? 
 
 And jif he nere soS mon, 
 
 hu mihte he drehen ^ he droh, 
 
 t deien se derffuUiche ? 1090 
 
 Durh ]>is suteleS soS 
 
 al f ich segge -^ 
 
 1; f he is' Godd self, 
 
 Jiat^ duste deaS under him, 
 
 J?urh J he is Drihtin 
 
 meinful °t almihti. 
 
 And \e. ilke self* 
 
 is Godes sune. 
 
 But be now candid; acknowledge it, if I say rightly. Thou sayest that he 
 might not be both God and man : but if he were not very God, and immortal 
 himself, how could he bestow hfe upon the dead? And if he were not very 
 man, how might he suffer what he did suffer, and die so painfully ? Through 
 this, all that I say is manifested to be true; and that he is very God, who 
 cast death under him, by reason that he is the Lord powerful and almighty. 
 And the very same is God's son, who, inasmuch as he was God, might not 
 
 ' lenen. = ani tat. ' Jie. * Ant seolf );e ilke. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 59 
 
 f, onont f he Godd was, 
 
 ne mahte' drehe na deaB r' 1100 
 
 °t pah deide, ah fleschliche i' 
 
 for ba he underfeng 
 
 ban °t flesch of^ ure cunde, 
 
 f is bruchel °t deadlich, 
 
 for to deien in hire r' 
 
 for ]>i f he was undeadlich 
 
 in his ahne, 
 
 ne in hire ne mahte, 
 
 nanes weis, deien 
 
 wiButen ure.^ 1110 
 
 De* soSe Godd, t Godes sune, 
 
 f deide onont ure 
 
 cunde f he hefde, 
 
 aras, t arearde 
 
 himself fram deaBe i' 
 
 for ]>ah he were deadlich, 
 
 ]?urh f he mon was, 
 
 onont his mannesse,' 
 
 suffer death ; and yet died, but only in the flesh : for he assumed both bone 
 and flesh of our nature, which is frail and mortal, that he might die therein ; 
 because he was immortal in bis own nature, nor might he in any wise die 
 in it without ours. The true God, and God's son, who died as to our 
 nature that he had, arose, and raised himself from death : for though, in- 
 asmuch as he was man, he was mortal in regard to his human nature, and 
 
 ne mahte he. s ou_ s buten in ure. * Des. 
 
go THE LEGEND OF 
 
 1 deide, as ich seide, 
 
 he ne losede na lif, 1^^^ 
 
 onont f he Godd was, 
 
 ne undeadlichnesse, 
 
 onont his drihtnesse / 
 
 ah was eauer, t is, 
 
 Drihtin undeadlich. 
 
 Dus, ido dede, 
 
 dea'S ne acaste nawt Crist, 
 
 ah Crist ouercom 
 
 dea'S, t sloh hire, 
 
 in him seluen." H^^^ 
 
 LLE fe o'Sre hercneden 
 wiS swi'Se opene earen, 
 ah herto onswerede 
 an for ham alle :/ 
 " jif Drihtin, ^ dearede 
 in ure monnesse,' 
 wrahte ]>eos wundres. 
 
 died, as I said, he lost not hfe, in regard that he was God, nor immortality, 
 in regard to his being Lord ; but was ever, and is, the Lord immortal. Thus, 
 put to death, death overthrew not Christ; but Christ overcame death, and 
 slew him, in himself." 
 
 All the rest listened attentively, but hereto one answered for them all: 
 " If the Lord, who dwelt in our human nature, wrought these miracles, as 
 
 mennesse. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 61 
 
 as J>u wilt J>at we leuen, 
 
 hwi walde he 
 
 ]?rowin as he dude, 1140 
 
 t Jjolie deaS o rode, 
 
 hwen he com to arudden 
 
 of deaSes rake' ojre ? 
 
 Hwi deide he him seluen ? 
 
 °t hu mihte he helpen,^ 
 
 t beo biforen oSre, 
 
 f J?urh ferde deaS, 
 
 ase wel as' he* doB ? 
 
 Hefde he,^ lanhure, 
 
 him seluen alesed, 1150 
 
 sum walde hopen 
 
 1 habbe bileaue to 
 
 his alesunge." 
 
 jet quoS fiis meiden, 
 1 seide him to jaines, 
 " Ich habbe uncnut summe 
 
 thou wilt have us to believe, why did he wish to endure pain as he did, 
 and suffer death on the cross, when he came to free others from the bonds of 
 death ? Why died he himself? and how could he, who passed through death 
 as well as they did, aid and be a defence to others? Had he, at least, de- 
 livered himself, one might hope and have faith in his power to deliver." 
 Yet quoth the maiden, and said to him in reply, " I have undone some 
 
 • raketehen, ' mei he helpen oSre. ' ]>e jjurhferde deaS as. 
 
 * Probably an error of the transcriber for " ha." As the text stands, the translation would be " How 
 could he aid and be a defence to others who passed through death as well as he V 
 
 » Hefde he f. 
 
62 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 of }>eose cnottes,' 
 
 jif ]>n hit wult^ i-cnawen. 
 
 Ah her, ]>n wenest 3ette, 
 
 f tu wene ne J^arf,' 1160 
 
 f Godd, f is unfrowlich, 
 
 ]?rowde, oSer J)olede 
 
 pine oSer passiun, 
 
 oSe deore rode, 
 
 onont f he Godd was, 
 
 oSer deaS drehde. 
 
 Ne mahte, f wite Jju, 
 
 his heuenliche cunde, 
 
 o nanes cunnes wise, 
 
 fele nowBer sar ne sorhe 1170 
 
 upo fe cruche t' 
 
 ah al ]je weane t te wa 
 
 wente upo* ]>e unstreng'Se 
 
 of f underue' flesch, 
 
 f he noSeles nam, 
 
 wiS al ure nowcin, 
 
 of these knots, if thou wilt be sensible of it. But here, thou supposest still, 
 that which thou needest not suppose, that God, who is incapable of suffering, 
 suffered, or endured pain or suffering, on the dear cross, or underwent death, 
 in respect that he was God. His heavenly nature might not — know thou this 
 — in any wise feel either sore or sorrow upon the cross ; but all the grief 
 and the woe fell upon the weakness of that frail flesh, which he neverthe- 
 
 cnotti cnotten. ' 3ef Jju wult. ' f tu ne wenen \>eii. 
 
 felen sar uppon. * underuo. 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 63 
 
 bute sunne ane, 
 upon him seoluen. 
 
 Godd, f is al Freo, 
 
 ne mai nan uuel festnen :/ 1180 
 
 ne mihte mon, nowSer godd, 
 
 onont f he Godd was, 
 
 beaten ne bin den, 
 
 ne halde, ne nimen 5et' :' 
 
 for he is^ unneomelich. 
 
 Ah, ]?urh \>e mon f he was 
 
 i-schrud 1; i-hud wiS, 
 
 he bicherde Jjene feond, 
 
 °t schrencte )?en aide deouel, 
 
 1 te-schrapet his heaued.' 1190 
 Nes nawt i-teiet to 
 
 Ipe treo iper he deide upon, 
 for to drehen eawt, 
 bute* flesch timber. 
 Ah swa he, wiSute woh. 
 
 less took upon himself, with all our infirmities, except sin only. On God, 
 who is All-pure, no evil can attach itself; nor might man, nor a god, in 
 that he was God, beat or bind him, or hold, or even take him ; for he 
 cannot be taken. But, through the man that he was shrouded and hidden 
 within, he outwitted the fiend, and foiled the old devil, and shaved his 
 head.* There was nothing bound to the tree that he died upon, to suffer 
 aught, but corporeal matter. Thus he, without wrong, as man, in human 
 
 ' ne neomen, ne halden. ° for Godd is, ^ ant te schrape hefde. 
 
 * to drahen buten. * i. e. put him to shame. 
 
64 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 adweschde T; adun weorp 
 
 Jje wiSerwine of helle, 
 
 mon, i monnes cunde, 
 
 f wiS woh hefde 
 
 to deaS i-drahen moncun' 1200 
 
 Jjurh deaSliche^ sunne. 
 
 Dus was, as ich munne, mon, 
 
 °t nawt Godes drihtnesse, 
 
 Jjurh driuen o]>e rode r' 
 
 Jjah he, i }>at ilke pine,^ 
 
 soS Godd were. 
 
 Ah mon, for mon ^ misdide, 
 
 jjolede dom t deide r^ 
 
 "t Godd, i mon, for 
 
 monnes bruche, bette 1210 
 
 °t eode o* bote, 
 
 as his ahne godleic 
 
 lahede hit t lokede. 
 
 Low ! Ipis makede him 
 
 f he underfeng mon, 
 
 nature, overthrew and cast down the hellish adversary, which nature wrongfully 
 had drawn mankind to death through mortal sin. Thus, as I said, was 
 man, and not God's majesty, transpierced on the cross ; though he, in that 
 very suffering, was true God. But as man, for man that transgressed, he 
 suffered judgment and died; and as God, in man, for man's infraction of the 
 law, repaired and became a remedy, as his own goodness ordained and deter- 
 mined it. Behold ! this moved him to take upon him man, — that is, to become 
 
 ■ mon to. 2 (Jedliohe. ^ time. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 65 
 
 (p is, bicom mon,) 
 
 f tat J>e mon hefde 
 
 a3ain him i-broken 
 
 were i-bet ]jurh mon' :' 
 
 Vf be arisede eft,^ 1220 
 
 fram dea^e to line 
 
 f ne dredeS na dea'S :' 
 
 Jjurh hwam we mahen' haue 
 
 sikere bileaue 
 
 to arisen alle after.* 
 
 EaS were ure Lauerd, 
 
 liuiende Godes Sune, 
 
 to awarpen bis unwine, 
 
 °t reauen him bis honde were, 
 
 f he wiS wob atbeld,' 1230 
 
 on ewc^ wise i ]>e world' 
 
 ]?at he eauer walde, 
 
 wiS' anlepi word, 
 
 man, — that that which man, by transgressing against him, had broken, should 
 be restored through man : and that he arose after, from death to a life that 
 dreadeth no death; through whom we may have sure belief that we all 
 shall arise hereafter. Easy were it for our Lord, the Son of the living God, 
 to overthrow his adversary, and rescue from him his handiwork, which he 
 wrongfully detained, in whatever way in the world he would, — with a single 
 
 ' f te bruchen f mon hefde ^ ant f he arise earest. ^ mahten. 
 
 i-broken a3ein him ■* efter him. ° etheold. 
 
 weren i-broken >urh mon. ° euoh. ' in world. 
 ' wis an. 
 
66 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 3ea wiS his an wil -^ 
 
 ah \q witti Wealdent, 
 
 1; te rihtwise,' 
 
 biradde^ hit swa swiSe wel, 
 
 f he f ouercom mon 
 
 were akast ]>urh mon, 
 
 wiS mekeleic °i luste/ 1240 
 
 nawt wiS luSer strengSe r^ 
 
 f he ne mihte nanes wise 
 
 meanen him of wohe." 
 
 WILS Jieos* eadi meiden 
 
 motede 1; mealde Jius,' 
 
 t muchele mare, 
 ^ an modieste^ of ham 
 ^ mealde to 3ain hire 
 ward' swa awundred 
 of hire witti wordes, 1250 
 
 word, yea, with his mere will : but the wise and righteous Ruler designed it 
 so excellently well, that he who overcame man should be overthrown by man, 
 with meekness and wise -design,' not with rude strength; that he might no 
 wise bemoan himself of wrong." 
 
 While this blessed maiden reasoned and discoursed thus, and much more the 
 proudest one of those who spoke against her was so filled with admiration at 
 
 > rihtwise Godd. = bireadde. a meokelec ant liste. 
 
 ■* Hwil Hs. " motede ))is ant mealde fiis. ^ modgeste. 
 
 ' warS. 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 67 
 
 t swa oifeared t ofiruht, 
 
 °t alle hise feren, 
 
 f nefde hare' nan tunge 
 
 to tauelin a dint.^ 
 
 Se' swi8e Godes grace 
 
 agaste t agide ham, 
 
 f euch an biheold oSer 
 
 as he bidweoled were r' 
 
 Jjat nan ne seide na ]>mg,* 
 
 ah seten stille ase° stan / 1260 
 
 cwich ne cweB^ |jer neauer an. 
 
 q 
 
 PjloyES Keiser bigapede' ham, 
 j|°&J as mon f bigon to weden 
 9jl °t to wurSen ut of his ahne wit r^ 
 
 / wodeliche seide,* 
 
 " Hwat nu, unwreaste men, 
 
 t wacre ]?en eni wake ! 
 
 her wise words, and so amazed and awed, he and all his fellows, that none 
 of them had tongue to deal forth an objection.^ So greatly did God's grace 
 confound and awe them, that each one looked at other as if he were be- 
 wildered : so that none of them said any thing, but they sat still as stone ; 
 nor did one of them move or speak. 
 
 The Emperor gazed at them Uke a man that began to rave and to go out 
 of his reason : furiously he said, " What now, ye worthless men, and weaker 
 
 heore. ' a tint wi«. ' Swa. ■* na wiht. 
 
 ■ as \>e. ^ cwic.ne owed. ' bicapede. ° 3eide. 
 
 ' Literally, " to make a move ;" in allusion to the game of tables or backgammon. 
 
68 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 of deaSe t of duP wit ! 
 
 Nu is owre stunde ! 
 
 Hwi studi3e 36 nu,^ l^'^O 
 
 1; steuente'S se stille ? 
 
 Nabbe 30 teS ba^ 
 
 1: tunge to sturien ? 
 
 Is nu se storliche 
 
 unstrengSet ower strengSe, 
 
 t ower wit awealt, 
 
 swa f te mihte 
 
 t te mot of ane 
 
 se meke meiden scbal 
 
 meistren ow alle ? 12§0 
 
 Me 3if fifti wimmen, 
 
 t tab ]>er ma weren, 
 
 befden wiS word* ower 
 
 an awarpen,^ 
 
 nere bit scbendlac inob, 
 
 t scbir scbome, to alle 
 
 •p 3elpeS of lare ? 
 
 than any wave ! of dead and of dull wit ! Now is your hour ! Why ponder 
 ye now, and stop so still ? Have not ye both teeth and tongue to move ? 
 Is your strength now so mortally enfeebled, and your wit so overpower- 
 ed, that the energy and reasoning of so meek a maiden shall master you 
 all? But if fifty women, and though there were more, had with eloquence 
 overcome one of you, would it not have been disgrace enough, and sheer 
 
 > of ded ant of dult. ' Hwi studgi 30. ''bateS, 
 
 * wordes. * awarpen ower an. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 69 
 
 Nu is aire scheme meast r' 
 
 f an lepi* meiden, 
 
 wiB hire anes muS, haueS 1290 
 
 swa biteuelet,^ i-temed, 
 
 °t i-teied, alle 
 
 i-tald hi tale, 
 
 fif siSe tene 
 
 i-cudde 1; i-corene, 
 
 °t of ferrene i-fat, 
 
 f al 38 beon^ blodles 
 
 i-kimet,* of ow seluen. 
 
 Hwider is ower wit 
 
 °t ower wisdom i-went ? 1300 
 
 BrekeS on, for bismere, 
 
 t biginneS sumhwat ! " 
 
 NDSWEKEDE Jja 
 
 f an f te oSre 
 helden for hehste 
 °t heaued of ham alle, 
 
 shame, to all who boast of learning? Now is the greatest shame of all; 
 that a single maid, with her mouth alone, hath so confounded, tamed, and 
 tied five times ten (all told by tale) celebrated and select sages, and brought 
 from afar, that ye are all become spiritless, of yourselves. Whither is your 
 understanding and your wisdom gone ? Break on, for shame, and begin 
 something ! " 
 
 He whom the others regarded as the principal and chief of them all then 
 
 ■J5 an anlepi. ' bitauelet ow. ' beo*. * bikemet. 
 
70 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 T; cweS to ]>e Kiiige i' 
 
 " An hwat ichuUe f tu wite, 
 
 f we habbeS witnesse 
 
 of alle Ipe wise 1310 
 
 f beon' in East londe, 
 
 f neauer, ajet ]?is dai,^ 
 
 ne funde we nobwer nan 
 
 se deop i-learet 
 
 ■p durste sputi wiS us r' 
 
 % jif he come i place, 
 
 nere he neauer se prud, 
 
 f be ne talde him al torn 
 
 ear he turnde^ fram us. 
 
 Ah nis nawt* lihtlich 1320 
 
 of ]jis meidenes mot r' 
 
 for ich* soS schal seggen, 
 
 in hire ne motes na mon. 
 
 For nawt nis^ bit monlich mot 
 
 f ha' mealeS, 
 
 answered, and said to the King : " One thing I would that thou know, that 
 we have the testimony of all the wise that are in the East, that never, until 
 this day, have we anywhere found any one so deep learned that he dared 
 to dispute with us; and, if he came into our presence, (were he ever so con- 
 fident,) that he did not reckon himself quite empty ere he turned from us. 
 But of this maiden's reasoning there is nothing to be despised ; for, I must speak 
 the truth, in her reasoneth no mere ' man. For it is not human reasoning 
 
 f wunie«. " a8et tes dei. ^ tumde him. * Ah nawt. 
 
 for 3ef ich. Ms. ' -JS mot f ha. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 71 
 
 ne nis heo' f haueS mot -^ 
 
 ah is an heuenlicli gast in hire 
 
 swa a3ain us, 
 
 f we ne cunnen, 
 
 ne, jjah we cuSen, 1330 
 
 we^ nuUen, ne ne duren, 
 
 warpen na word a3ain 
 
 to weorren ne to wraSSen 
 
 him ^ ha treoweS on' / 
 
 for sone se ha Crist clepede, 
 
 t his nome nempnede, 
 
 1: te muchele mihtes* 
 
 of his hehnesse, 
 
 1; schawde seoSen 
 
 sutelliche of \q deopeschipe 1340 
 
 t te dearne run 
 
 of his deaB rode, 
 
 al wat awai 
 
 ure worldliche wit, 
 
 swa we weren adredde 
 
 that she uttereth, nor is it she that holds this dispute ; but there is a heavenly 
 spirit in her so adverse to us, that we cannot (nor, if we could, would we, 
 nor dare we,) object a word again to contend with or to displease him whom 
 she trusts in: for as soon as she called upon Christ, and named his name, 
 and the great might of his majesty, and then showed manifestly the depth 
 and the hidden mysteries of his death on the cross, all our worldly wit 
 
 ' ne nawt nis hit heo. ^ ne. ' -f heo wreo8eS hire on. 
 
 ■* mihte. = dee%t of. 
 
72 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 of his drihtnesse.* 
 
 And tat we kenni'S J^e wel, 
 
 Keiser, t cuSeS, 
 
 f we leaueS ]>i lahe, 
 
 1; al )ji bileaue, 1350 
 
 °t turnen alle to Crist r' 
 
 t her we cnawlecheS him 
 
 soS Godd, t Godes Sune i' 
 
 f se muche godleic cudde 
 
 us alle on eorSe, 
 
 f woh haueS eni mon 
 
 to weorren him mare. 
 
 Dis we schaweS ]>e r* 
 
 nu sei f tu wilt.^ " 
 
 PJ1<:^E Keiser kaste his heaued, 1360 
 
 j I °^ 1 as wod mon, of wra'SSe r' 
 ^r"^ % bearninde aP as he was 
 / of grome t of teone, 
 bed bringen o brune 
 
 fled away, we were so in dread of his sovereignty. And this we make well 
 known to thee, O Emperor, and declare, that we leave thy religion, and all 
 thy faith, and turn all to Christ : and here we acknowledge him true God, 
 and the Son of God ; who so much goodness showed us all on earth, that 
 it were wrong in any man longer to contend with him. This we declare to 
 thee ; say now what thou wilt." 
 
 The Emperor threw up his head, as a madman, in wrath ; and, all in- 
 flamed as he was with anger and vexation, bade that a fire be kindled in the 
 
 ' his rixlunge. " wilt nu. ^ ^ggf g,!. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 73 
 
 a fur amidde ]>e burh' / 
 
 t ba binden ham swa, 
 
 \>e fet °t te honden, 
 
 f ha wrungen a3ain i' 
 
 t i]?e reade leie,^ 
 
 t ij)e leitende fur, 1370 
 
 het warpen euch fot. 
 
 As men droh ham to hare deaS, 
 
 ]pa 3eide J^us f an, 
 
 1; elnede ]>e oSre r' 
 
 " O, leue feren,' 
 
 feire is us i-fallen. 
 
 Ah 3et we for3eteS us, 
 
 nu I^e deore Drihtin 
 
 areaw us, °t toe read 
 
 to ure aide* dusischipes 1380 
 
 f we driuen longe / 
 
 t haueS adiht us to dei 
 
 to drehe Jjis deaS, 
 
 midst of the city; and both so to bind their feet and their hands that they 
 were dislocated; and into the red flame, and blazing fire, commanded each 
 man of them to be cast. As men dragged them to their death, one of them 
 cried thus, and comforted the others : " O, my dear associates, fair hath 
 it befallen us. But yet we forget ourselves, now that the dear Lord has 
 pitied us, and had consideration for our old follies that we long practised; 
 and has appointed us to-day to sufier this death, through his mild mercy; 
 
 ' an ad amidden \>e burh. " deest leie. 
 
 ' i-feren. * ant too read of al tSe. 
 
74 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 ]?urh his milde milce r' 
 
 f we forleose J^is lif 
 
 for his leue luue, 
 
 i trewe bileaue,' 
 
 °t ijje cnawlechinge of 
 
 his kinewurSe nome. 
 
 Hwi ne hihe we for 1390 
 
 to beon i-fiilhtnet,^ 
 
 as he het hise, 
 
 ear we faren henne ? " 
 
 As he i-seide hefde, 
 
 bisohten, as ha stoden, 
 
 alle in a steuene, 
 
 f tes meiden moste, 
 
 ijje' wurSschipe of Godd, 
 
 wiS halewende wattres 
 
 biheolden ham alle. 1400 
 
 Ah heo ham onswerede, 
 
 t swoteliche seide, 
 
 " Ne drede 3e ow nawiht, 
 
 that we should lose this life for his dear love, in true faith, and in the 
 acknowledging of his supreme name. Why do not we hasten to be baptized, 
 as he commanded his followers, before we fare hence ? " When he had said 
 this, they all, as they stood, with one voice besought that this maiden should, 
 in the worship of God, with sanctifying waters preserve them all. But she 
 
 foiieten i>is lif, i fiis treowe luue, 2 i-fulhet. 
 
 in treowe bileaue. 3 ine. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 75 
 
 cnihtes i-corene f' 
 
 for 3e schulen beon 
 
 i-fulhtnet, °t beten 
 
 alle owre' bruchen 
 
 f 3e i-broken habbeS, 
 
 in owre blodes rune r' 
 
 t tis ferliche fur^ schal 1410 
 
 lihten in ow 
 
 ]>e halwende lei 
 
 of ]>e Hali Gast, 
 
 f, i furene tungen, 
 
 ontendede' ]>e apostles." 
 
 answered, and sweetly said, " Dread ye not, chosen champions ; for ye shall be 
 baptized, and repair all the breaches that ye have broken, in the flowing of 
 your blood* : and this fearful fire shall light up in you the sanctifying flame 
 of the Holy Ghost, which, in fiery tongues, kindled the apostles." 
 
 ' alle \>e. ' ant tis fur. ' in }ie furene tunge ontende. 
 
 ' Baptism being considered necessary to salvation, when, in times of persecution, cases occurred 
 in which it could not be conveniently administered to the converted, it was held that martyrdom, 
 which was called the Baptism of Blood, was of equal efficacy : thus, " Est quidem nobis etiam se- 
 cundum lavacrum, unum et ipsum, sanguinis scilicet, de quo Dominus, ' Habeo,' inquit, ' baptismo 
 tingui,' quum jam tinctus fuisset. Venerat enim per aquam et sanguinem, sicut Johannes scripsit, 
 ut aqua tingueretur, sanguine glorificaretur, proinde nos faceret aqua vocatos, sanguine electos." — 
 Tertull. de Baptismo, § xvi. p. 230, edit. 1664. 
 
 " Decollatus est miles, de quo nimirum constat quia etsi fonte baptismatis non est ablutus, sui 
 tamen est sanguinis lavacro mundatus, ac regni coelestis dignus factus est ingressu." — Bedae Hist. 
 Ecclesiast. lib. i. c. vii. § 20. 
 St. Margaret, when threatened with dro^vning, says — 
 
 " Ich undervo her fulht, 
 deore Drihtnes nome 
 ant Jjes Hali Gastes." 
 
 MS. Reg. 17. A. xxvii. fol. 37- 
 
76 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 Men warp ham, mid tis' ilke word, 
 amidde ]>e^ leie. 
 Der ha heuen up 
 hare honden to' heuene :/ 
 °t swa, some readliche, 1420 
 
 Jjurh seli martirdom, 
 ferden,* wiS murhBe 
 i-crunet, to Criste, 
 o \ie JjrittuSe dei 
 of Nouembres moneS. 
 Ah f was miracle muchel, 
 Jjat nowBer^ nes i-wemmet 
 claS J>at ha hefden, 
 ne hear of hare heaued.^ 
 Ah wi'S se swiSe' lufsume leores 1430 
 
 ha leien, se^ rudie 
 t se reade i-litet 
 eauer-euch leor, 
 as lilie i-leid to rose. 
 
 While this was spoken, they were cast amid the flame. There they hfted 
 up their hands to heaven; and so together cheerfully, through blessed martyr- 
 dom, went, crowned with joy, to Christ, on the thirteenth day of the month 
 of November. And this was a great miracle, that neither were the clothes 
 injured that they had on, nor a hair of their heads. But with such lovely 
 countenances they lay, so ruddy and so red-coloured every countenance, as 
 
 ' mid tet. 
 
 ■* ant swo somed ferder 
 redliche, Jiurli seli martirdom to heouene. 
 
 ' amit te. 
 
 " toward. 
 
 " nohwer. 
 
 " ne her on hare hefden. 
 
 ' All mit so. 
 
 ' ant swiSe. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 77 
 
 f nawiht ne ]?uhte hit 
 
 f ha weren deade, 
 
 ah ]?at ha slepten 
 
 swoteliche o ' sweouete / 
 
 swa f fele turnden 
 
 to treowe bileaue, 144!0 
 
 t jjoleden anan deaS 
 
 i J>e nome of Drihtin. 
 
 Comen Cristene a-niht 
 
 t nome hare bodies, 
 
 °t biburiden ham 
 
 dearnliche, as hit deh 
 
 Drihtines cnihtes. 
 
 AH Jiis was i-don J?us/ 
 
 het eft J>e Kaiser 
 
 f men schulde Katerine 1450 
 
 bringen biforen him i' 
 °t tus to hire clepede r' 
 
 lily laid to rose, that it did not seem that they were dead, but that they 
 '. )'u^yiy slept sweetly in a dream ; so that many turned to the true faith, and straight- 
 way suffered death in the name of the Lord. Christians came by night and 
 took their bodies, and buried them privately, as was due to the Lord's 
 champions. 
 
 When this was thus done, the Emperor afterwards commanded that 
 they should bring Katherine before him ; and he thus addressed her : " O 
 
 ^ deest Jjus. 
 
78 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 " O mihti meiden ! 
 
 O witti wumraon, 
 
 wurSmund °t alle 
 
 wurSschipe wur'Se ! 
 
 O schene nebschaft, 
 
 °t schape se' swiSe semliche, 
 
 f schulde beo se^ prudliche 
 
 i-schrud t i-prud 1460 
 
 ■wiS peP t wiS purpre ! 
 
 Nim 3eme of J^i 3uhe'Se i' 
 
 arewe ]>i wlite :' 
 
 t nim read, seli meiden, 
 
 to ]>e seluen.* 
 
 Ga, t gret^ ure godes, 
 
 f tu i-gremed hauest r' 
 
 T: tu schalt, after J>e Cwen, 
 
 eauer J^e oSer beon 
 
 in hallo t 1 bure r' 1470 
 
 T; al ich wule dihten 
 
 maiden highly gifted with ability and wisdom ! worthy of honour and of all 
 reverence ! whose beauteous countenance and most seemly shape ought to be so 
 magnificently decked and adorned with pall and with purple ! Consider thy 
 youth; take pity on thy beauty; and have regard, simple maiden, to thyself. 
 Go, and greet our gods, which thou hast provoked; and thou shalt, after 
 the Queen, ever be the second in hall and in bower: and I will constitute 
 
 ' deest se. ' swa schulde beon swa. ' pal. 
 
 * ant tac read, seli wummon, of fii seoluen. ^ i-gret. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 79 
 
 ]>e domen' of mi kinedom 
 
 after f tu demest. 
 
 t 5et I segge mare r' 
 
 ichuUe lete^ makie ]>e 
 
 of gold an ymage, 
 
 as cwen i-crunet ^ 
 
 1 swa man schal, amid te burh, 
 
 setten hit on heh up i' 
 
 Jirafter men schal beoden 1480 
 
 °t bodien hit ouer al, 
 
 ^ alio ^ ter bi gaS 
 
 greten hit o pi noma :' 
 
 t buhe }>ertoward, 
 
 alle ]>e to wur'Smund, 
 
 burhmen °t oSre. 
 
 On ende, J>u schalt habben hehliche, 
 
 as an of ure heuenliche lafdis, 
 
 of marbre stan, a temple, 
 
 f schal ai stonden, 1490 
 
 the decrees of my kingdom entirely as thou judgest. And moreover I say : 
 I will cause to be made an image of thee of gold, like a crowned queen; 
 and it shall be set up on high, in the middle of the city; and then it shall 
 be commanded and proclaimed everywhere, that all who pass by shall salute 
 it in thy name ; and all citizens and others shall bow toward it in reverence 
 of thee. Finally, thou shalt have, as one of our celestial goddesses, a temple 
 raised to thee, of marble stone, that shall stand for ever, while the world standeth, 
 to bear witness of thy worthiness." 
 
 ant ichuUe diliten ]>e deden. "' leoten. 
 
80 THE LEGEND OP 
 
 hwil f te world stont, 
 
 to witnesse of ]>i wurSmund.' " 
 
 Katerine onswerede, 
 smirkinde sum del, 
 1; cweS to ]>e Kinge, 
 " Feire ule'S ]>i muS, 
 °t murie ]>u makest hit. 
 All ich drede f tis dream 
 drahie^ toward dea'S, 
 
 as deS mare f tu munnest.' 1500 
 
 Ah al ]>e helped an 
 }?in olhtnunge,* °t tin eie. 
 Ful wel ichuUe f tu= wite, 
 ne mahtu, wiS na J^ing, 
 wende min herte 
 fram him f ich heie, 
 1; ai wule herien. 
 
 Katherine answered, smiling somewhat, and said to the King, " Fair flattereth 
 thy mouth, and thou makest it seem inviting : hut I dread that this sweet sound 
 may draw toward death, as doth the mermaid's.' But thy flattery and thine 
 anger avail thee equally. I would have thee to know well, thou mayest not, 
 by any means, turn my heart from him whom I exalt, and will ever praise. 
 
 ' of marbre a Stan a temple 
 
 f schal aa stonden ' me dreie. 
 
 hwil f te world, 
 
 to witnesse of {li wurSschipe. 
 ' as dei mereminnes ; as doth the mermaid's. — This appears, fi-om the context, to be the true read- 
 ing. " Meerminne, Siren, Freher, q. d, marina amasia." — Schilter. 
 ^ olhnung, ' tu hit. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 81 
 
 Bihat al ^ tu wult, 
 
 J?reap' Jjrafter inoh, 
 
 t Jji-eate f tu beo weri t' 1510 
 
 ne mei me wunne, ne wele, 
 
 ne na weorldes wurBschipe, 
 
 ne mei me nowSer tene, 
 
 ne tintrehe, turnen 
 
 fra mi lefmones luue, 
 
 •p ich on leue. 
 
 He haueS i-wedded him to 
 
 mi meidenhad 
 
 wi'S Jje ring[e] 
 
 of rihte bileaue, 1520 
 
 t ich habbe to him 
 
 treweliche i-take me. 
 
 Swa we^ beoS i-festned 
 
 1; i-teiet in an,* 
 
 1; swa J>e cnot is i-cnut 
 
 Command whatever thou wilt, and then insist upon it as much as thou wilt, 
 and threaten till thou art weary: neither joy, nor prosperity, nor any worldly 
 honour, neither suffering nor torment, can turn me from the love of my beloved, 
 in whom I believe. He has wedded himself to my virgin state with the ring of 
 true faith, and I have truly devoted myself to him. So are we united and 
 bound into one, and the knot is so knit betwixt us two, that neither craft 
 
 ' Jireat. ' wit. 
 
 ' ant in an i-teiet. 
 
 M 
 
82 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 bituhen us tweien,^ 
 
 f ne mei hit luste/ 
 
 ne luSer strengSe nowSer, 
 
 of na liuiende mon, 
 
 leosen ne leBien. 15S0 
 
 He is mi lif °t mi luue, 
 
 t he is f gladieB me i* 
 
 mi soSe blisse buue^ me, 
 
 mi wele t mi wunne r' 
 
 ne nawt ne wilne ich elles. 
 
 Mi swete lif,* se softeliche' 
 
 he smeccheS me 1; smelleS, 
 
 ^ al me }>uncheS sauure 
 
 t softe ^ he sent me.° 
 
 Stute )ju' Jienne, t stew pe, 1540 
 
 t stille )jine wordes, 
 
 for ha beoS me unwurS r' 
 
 f wite }ju to wisse." 
 
 nor strong force of any living man may loosen or slacken it. He is my life and 
 my love ; and he it is that gladdeneth me ; my true bliss in the world above 
 me, my wealth and my joy; nothing else do I desire. My sweet life, so 
 softly doth he kiss me and diffuse fragrance, that all seems to me dehcious and 
 soft that he sends me. Stop thou then, and desist, and silence thy words, 
 for to me they are worthless ; that know thou assuredly." 
 
 ' bitweonen uno twa. ' liste. " bunen. 
 
 ■* luue. ^ swa swoteliche. 
 
 " See Song of Solomon, i. 2, 3, 12 ; iii. 6. ' nu. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 83 
 
 E King ne cu'Se nawit' -^ 
 
 ah bigon to cwakien, 
 
 t nuste hwat seggen. 
 Het, o wode wise, 
 strupen hire steorc naket, 
 °t beaten hire bare flesch, 
 °t hire freliche bodi, 1560 
 
 wiS cnotte^ schurgen. 
 t swa men dide' sone, 
 f hire leflich* lich 
 liSerede al o blode -i 
 ah° heo hit lihtliche aber, 
 T; lahinde^ J?olede. 
 Het hire ]?rafter 
 kasten i' cwalm hus, 
 T; het' halden hire J>rin -i 
 f ha nowSer ne* ete, • 1560 
 
 lasse ne mare, 
 twelf daies fulle. 
 
 The King spake not; but began to tremble, and wist not what to say. 
 He commanded, in mad wise, to strip her stark naked, and beat her bare 
 flesh, and her fair body, with knotty scourges. And this was done forthwith, 
 so that her lovely body was all ^isfigured/ with Wood : but she bore it lightly, ^^ i<iZ 
 and suflered smiling. After this he commanded that she should be cast into 
 the torture-house, and kept therein; so that she should neither eat, less nor 
 more, full twelve days. 
 
 ' He ne cu«e nawt. ^ cnottede. ° me dude. * leofliche. " ant. 
 
 « |>uldeliche. ' in a. ° bed. ' deest ne. 
 
84 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 Bicom f^ te King Maxence 
 moste faren t' t ferde 
 into J>e ferreste^ ende 
 of Alixandre. 
 De Cwen, Auguste, 
 longede for to seon 
 J>is meiden Katerine t' 
 
 t clepede to hire Porphire,^ 1570 
 
 cnihtene prince, 
 t seide him a sweuen 
 )jat hire was i-scheawed r^ 
 f ha seh sitten 
 ]?is meiden wiS monie 
 hwite meidnes, inohe 
 wurSliche men, 
 abute biset* r' 
 t heo was hire self J?er 
 imong, as hire Jjuhte, 1580 
 
 It happened that the King, Maxence, had to go on a journey; and he 
 journeyed into the farthest end of Alexandria. The Queen, Augusta, longed to 
 see this maiden Katherine; and called to her Porphyrins, the chief of the 
 knights, and told him a dream that had appeared to her: that she saw this 
 maiden sitting with many venerable men clothed in white, and maidens not a 
 few placed all around ; and she was herself among them, as she thought ; and 
 
 ' to -js. ' mid monie 
 
 ^ into first. hwite wurSliche men 
 
 5 Porphirie. ant meidenes inohe 
 
 ant al abuten hiset. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 85 
 
 t te an toe 
 
 a guldene crune, 
 
 1 sette upon' hire heaued, 
 
 1: seide to hire Jjus i' 
 
 " Haue, Cwen, a crune 
 
 « 
 
 i-send te of^ heouene." 
 And forjji ha seide 
 hire luste swi'Se 3eorne 
 spake wiB }>is' meiden. 
 
 Porphire 3ettede 1590 
 
 al f ha 3ernede i' 
 t leadde hire, i ]>e niht, anan* 
 to J?e cwarterne. 
 Ah swuch leome °t liht 
 leitede Jrin, 
 
 )?at ne mihten ha nawt' loken 
 f>er a3aines^ i' 
 ah felle' ba, for fearlac, 
 dun' duuel rihtes. 
 
 one took a crown of gold, and set it upon her head, and spoke to her thus: 
 " Receive, O Queen, a crown sent to thee from heaven." And therefore she 
 said she desired most earnestly to speak with this maiden. 
 
 Porphyrins granted all that she desired ; and conducted her, in the night, im- 
 mediately to the prison. But such brightness and light shone therein, that they 
 might not look toward it : but both fell, through fear, down with their faces to 
 
 ' on. " from. ' speoken mid te. ' anan i pe niht. 
 
 " ne mahten heo. ° to Jeines. ' feoUeu, * adun. 
 
86 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 Ah an se swiSe swote smal' 1600 
 
 com anan ]?refter, 
 
 f fleide awei f fearlac, 
 
 °t frourede ham sone. 
 
 " AriseS," quoS Katerine, 
 
 " ne drede 30^ nawiht, 
 
 for ]>e deore Drihtin haueS 
 
 i-diht ow ba 
 
 ]>e blissfule crune 
 
 of hise i-corene." 
 
 Da ha weren i-seten up, 1610 
 
 sehen as te engles' 
 
 wiS smirles of aromaz, 
 
 smereden hire wundes,* 
 
 t bi-eoden swa 
 
 J^e bruches of hire bodi, 
 
 al to-broken of Jje beatiuge, 
 
 p&t te' flesch t te fel 
 
 wurSen swa* feire. 
 
 the ground. But such an exquisitely sweet odour immediately succeeded, that it 
 chased away the fear, and comforted them forthwith. " Arise," said Katharine, 
 " dread ye nothing, for the dear Lord has appointed for you both the blissful 
 crown of his elect" When they were raised up, they saw how the angels with 
 aromatic ointment anointed her wounds, and treated with such care the hurts of 
 her body, all lacerated with the beating, that the flesh and the skin became 
 
 ' Ah an swa swote smeal. ' deest Je. ^ isehen as an engel. 
 
 ■* wunden. " tet. ' swa swiiSe. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 87 
 
 f ha awundreden ham 
 
 swiSe of ]3at' sihSe. 1620 
 
 As tis meiden bigon 
 
 to bealden ham ba'Se,^ 
 
 t to ]>e Cwen seide, 
 
 " Cwen, i-coren 
 
 of lesu Crist, 
 
 beo nu stalewurSe, 
 
 for Jju schalt stihe bifore me 
 
 to Drihtin in heuene. 
 
 Ne beo }ju nawiht 
 
 ofFruht for pinen, 1630 
 
 f fareS for'S in an hondhwile / 
 
 for, wiS swuche, ]>vl schalt 
 
 bi3eten t buggen' 
 
 J)e* endelese blissen. 
 
 Ne dred tu nawt to leosen' 
 
 J)in eorBliche lauerd 
 
 for lesu Crist, f^ is King 
 
 of f eche kinedom i' 
 
 so fair, that they wondered greatly at the sight. Then the maiden began 
 to encourage them both, and said to the Queen, " O Queen, chosen of Jesus 
 Christ, be now steadfast, for thou shalt ascend before me to the Lord in 
 heaven. Be thou no-whit afraid for pain, that departeth in a httle while; 
 for, with such, thou shalt acquire and purchase endless joys. Fear not to 
 lose thy earthly lord for Jesus Christ, who is King of the everlasting king- 
 
 ' Jie. ' deest baSe. ' buggen ant bi3eoten. 
 
 * deest l>e. " leauen. ' ))e. 
 
88 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 f 3eld, for \>e false 
 
 wurSschipe of ]>is world, 1640 
 
 heuene riches wunne r' 
 
 for J>ing f sone ali^S, 
 
 wele f ai lasted." 
 
 Feng ]>a Porphire' 
 to freinen J>is meiden 
 hwucche were J>e meden, 
 °t te^ endelese lif, 
 f Godd haueS i-leaned' 
 his leue* i-corene 
 for ]>e luren/ t^ tis worldliche lif, J 650 
 
 f ha leose^S for ]>e luue 
 
 of rihte bileaue. 
 
 Heo onswerede t seide, 
 
 " Beo nu Jjenne, 
 
 Porphire, stille, 
 
 °t understond me.' 
 
 Constu bulden a burh. 
 
 dom; who giveth, instead of the false honour of this world, the joy of the 
 kingdom of heaven ; for a thing that soon falleth away, happiness that ever 
 lasteth." 
 
 Then began Porphyrins to ask the maiden of what nature were the re- 
 wards, and the endless life, that God hath granted to his dear elect for 
 the loss of this worldly life, which they lose for the love of true faith. She 
 answered and said, " Be now still then. Porphyrins, and understand me. Canst 
 
 ' Poi'fiiie. " tet. " i-lenet. * deest leue. 
 
 ' lure. ' Apparently an error of the transcriber for of. ' Desunt hi tres versiculi. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 89 
 
 inwiS i J)in heorte, 
 
 al abute bituined' 
 
 wiS a derewurBe wal, 1660 
 
 schinende, t schenre 
 
 of^ jimstanes, 
 
 steapre Jjen' eni steorre / 
 
 °t euch bold JjrinwiS 
 
 brilit as hit bearninde were,* 
 
 t leitinde al o leie :' 
 
 and al Jiat ter in is 
 
 glistinde °t gleaminde, 
 
 as hit were seluer 
 
 oBer gold smeSeV 1670 
 
 i-stanet euch strete 
 
 wiS deorewurSe stanes, 
 
 of mislich heowes, 
 
 i-menget to-gederes, 
 
 °t i-sliket t i-smeSet* 
 
 as eni glas smeSest r' 
 
 thou, within thy heart, imagine a city enclosed all round with a precious wall, 
 shining, and brighter than precious stones, more brilliant than any star; and 
 every mansion within it bright as if it were burning, and blazing all in 
 flame ; and all that is within it glittering and gleaming, as if it were silver 
 or burnished gold; every street paved with precious stones, of various hues, 
 mingled together, and polished and smoothed as the smoothest glass; without 
 
 ' ah al abuten bitrumet. ' fien eni. ' )jen is. 
 
 ■• as hit bemde. ' smeate. ^ i-smaket. 
 
 N 
 
90 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 wiSute' sloh T; slec, 
 
 eauer iliche sumerlich -^ 
 
 t alle J>e burhmen 
 
 seuensiSe brihtre 1680 
 
 Jien beo Jje sunne, 
 
 gleowinde^ of euch glieo, 
 
 °\ ai^ mare iliche glade ? 
 
 for nawiht ne derueS ham r^ 
 
 nawilit ne wonted ham 
 
 of al f ha* wilne'S, 
 
 oSer mahen wilnen. 
 
 Alle singende somen/ 
 
 ase lif leui^ 
 
 euchan wi'S oSer ■^ 1690 
 
 alle pleiende somen/ 
 
 alle lahinde somen/ 
 
 eauer iliche lusti, 
 
 bate blinnunge ' -^ 
 
 for ]?er is a liht/ 
 
 slough or mud, always equally summer-like; and all the citizens seven times 
 brighter than the sun is, rejoicing with every kind of joyful melody, and evermore 
 alike glad ? for nothing molests them ; nothing is wanting to them of all that 
 they wish, or can desire. All singing together, each as dear to other as his 
 own life ; all playing together, all rejoicing together, ever alike merry, without 
 
 ' bute. ^ gleowunge. 3 euer. 
 
 Mieo. ' somet. « as lif leouie . 
 
 7 aa bute linunge. ' for };er is liht aa. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 91 
 
 t a' leitende leome. 
 
 Ne niht nis ter neauer, 
 
 ne neauer na nowein r' 
 
 ne eileS Tper na mon,^ 
 
 nowSer sorhe ne sar, 1700 
 
 now'Ser heate ne chela, 
 
 nowSer hunger ne )jrust,' 
 
 ne nan of-]junchinge i' 
 
 for nis ter nawt* bittres, 
 
 ah al is swetewil,' 
 
 swottre °t swottre 
 
 pen eauer eni haliwei,^ 
 
 ceasing; for there it is always light, and always shining brightness. It is 
 never night there, nor is there ever any annoyance; nor does either sorrow 
 or sore, heat or cold, hunger or thirst, or any remorse, aflBict any man : 
 for there is nothing bitter there, but all is swetewil, sweeter and sweeter 
 
 ' deest a. ^ ne eilet Jjer mon. ' jjurst. ■* deest nawt. 
 
 ' hatewil, or batewil. — Perhaps it is " sedwale," which Mr. Ellis, following Parkinson's Herbal, 
 supposes to be "valerian, or perhaps the mountain spikenard." See Early English Poets, vol. 
 i. p. 88, note 7. — In MS. Bibl. Cotton. Titus D. xviii. " iedewal," written also " gedewat," is men- 
 tioned as a spice, with "gingiuere" and "clou de gilqfre." 
 ^ In the ancient satirical poem of The Land of Cokaygne, it is said, 
 " There beth four wells in the abbey, 
 of treacle, and halu-ei, 
 of baum, and eke piment.'' 
 Mr. Ellis, in a note on this passage (vol. i. p. 89), conjectures halwei to be " holy water." It is more 
 probable that this name, written also " healewi," was given to some sweet medicinal drink. In MS. 
 Cotton. Nero A. xiv. fol. 74, b. we find " smel of aromaz o%er of/iealewi ;" and in fol. 76, " 3if ^u 
 hauest onde' of oSres god, Jju attrest^ 6e mid helewi ant wundest Se mid salue." In the Legend of 
 St. Margaret, MS. Reg. 17. A. xxvii. the fiend is said to wound, 
 
 " er ha witen hit, 
 ' envy. with swiSe attri halewi " poisonest. 
 
 hare unwarre heorte." 
 
92 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 i Jjat beuenliche lond, 
 
 i J>at endelese lif, 
 
 i ]>e wunnen t te weolen ITIO 
 
 Jjurh wuniende / 
 
 1; monie ma murhSen 
 
 Ipen alle men mihten 
 
 wiS hare muS munnen, 
 
 T; tellen wiS tungen, 
 
 Jjah ha ai' talden :^ 
 
 ne neauer ne blunneS^ 
 
 nowSer ne lasseS, 
 
 ah lasted ai' mare, 
 
 se* lengre se* mare. 1720 
 
 3if Jju 3et wite wult 
 
 bwucche wihtes ]>er beon' 
 
 \>eT as tis blisse is, 
 
 3if ]?er is orcost 
 
 oSer eni ahte, 
 
 ich ]>e onswerie :' 
 
 Al f eauer god is, 
 
 than ever any haliwei, in that heavenly country, in that endless life, in 
 the joy and the felicity that continueth for ever: and many more pleasures 
 than all men could with their mouths mention, and with their tongues tell, 
 though they spoke for ever; nor do they ever cease or diminish, but last 
 for evermore, the longer the more. If thou wouldst further know what 
 kind of beings there are where this happiness is, whether there is wealth 
 or any possessions, I answer thee : All whatsoever is good, is there every- 
 
 ' J;ah aa. ' linnets. ' leasteS. * so. ' bon. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 93 
 
 al is ter eihwer' / 
 
 and hwat se noht wurS nis, 
 
 ^^ nis ter nohwer. 1730 
 
 3if ]nx askest, hwat obt' t' 
 
 jjat* nan eorSlich ehe 
 
 ne mei hit seon, ich segge, 
 
 ne nan eorSlich eare 
 
 hercnen ne heren, 
 
 ne heorte J^enchen 
 
 of mon,^ % hure,* 
 
 meale wi'S nan's, 
 
 hwat te worldes Wealdent 
 
 haueS i-jarket to ]>eo 1740 
 
 f him riht luuie'S.'" 
 
 Porphire' t Auguste 
 
 i-warSen, of )?es' wordes, 
 
 swiSe wel cweme / 
 
 t se hardi, for J)i 
 
 ^ ha" hefden i-sehen 
 
 where; and whatsoever is worthless, is nowhere there. If thou askest, what 
 possessions ? I say, that no earthly eye may see them, nor any earthly 
 ear listen to or hear, nor may heart of man conceive, and, at least, speak 
 with mouth, what the Ruler of the world has prepared for those who 
 love him rightly." Porphyrins and Augusta were made, by these words, full 
 well pleased; and were so emboldened, because that they had seen visions 
 
 ' al -p eauer oht is, ° deest -p. ' liwet oht. 
 
 al is J)er ihwer. ' deest jiat. * ne heorte of mon Jienchen. 
 
 ° ure. ? haueS i-3arket alle {leo ^ Porfirie. 
 
 ' wuriSen of Jieos. Jje him ariht luuieS. '" deest ha. 
 
94 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 sihSen' of heouene, 
 f ha wenden fram hire, 
 abiite^ midniht, 
 
 jarewe to alle 1750 
 
 ]>e wa, f eni mon 
 mihte ham jarken, 
 to drehen for Drihtin. 
 Freineden Porphire 
 alle hise cnihtes' 
 hwer he hefden,* wi'S ]>e Cwen, 
 i-wunet °t i-waket 
 se longe of J^e niht. 
 And Porphire ham seide, 
 " Hwer' ich habbe i-waket 1760 
 
 ich on wel f 39 witen, 
 for wel ow schal wurSen^ 
 3if je me wulleS 
 lustnin °t leuen' t' 
 for nabbe ich nawt Jpis niht 
 
 of heaven, that they returned from her, about midnight, ready to suffer for 
 the Lord all the woe that any man might prepare for them. 
 
 All his knights asked Porphyrins where he had tarried and watched, with the 
 Queen, so much of the night. And Porphyrins said to them, " Where I have 
 watched I grant gladly that ye should know, for it shall be well with you if 
 ye will listen to me and believe ; for I have not this night watched in worldly 
 
 1 sihen. " abuten \>e. " J;a his cnihtes alle. ■> hefde. 
 
 ' Hwer so. * iwurSen. ' heren. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 95 
 
 i' worldliehe wecchen,^ 
 
 ah habbe in' beuenliche i-waket r' 
 
 J^er is al mi rihte bileaue* r^ 
 
 Jjer men unwreah me \>e wei 
 
 f leadeS to lif/ 1770 
 
 ]>er as men liueS ai, 
 
 i° blisse buten euch bale, 
 
 i wunne buten wa. 
 
 For Jji, 3if 36 beon' mine, 
 
 as under me i-sette, 
 
 t wuUeS alle wiS me 
 
 in eche murhSe wunien, 
 
 leaueS to leue' lengre 
 
 o J>es mix t lease ^ maumez, 
 
 f merreS ow °t alle ]>eo 1780 
 
 f ham to luteS'" t' 
 
 t wendeB to J>e Wealdent 
 
 •p al )je world wrahte, 
 
 affairs, but I have watched in heavenly things ; wherein is all my right faith ; 
 in which was discovered to me the way that leadeth to life, where men live 
 for ever in blessedness without any evil, in joy without sorrow. Wherefore, 
 if ye be my friends, as ye are placed under me, and wish all to dwell with 
 me in everlasting joy, cease to believe longer on these vile and false idols, 
 which destroy you and all those who bow to them; and turn to the Ruler 
 
 ' deest i. ^ iwecchet. ^ ^g^f jq_ 
 
 * fer as mi rihte bileaue schawde me. ' liue. 
 
 ° Jier me liueS aa ' beo8. » leuen. 
 
 in. ° on J;eos lease. i" -JS merri8 ow alle 
 
 ant Jjco -fS to heom lutiS. 
 
d6 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 God heuenlich Fader, 
 
 euch godes ful :/ 
 
 and heie'S 1: he[rieS]* 
 
 his an^ deorewurSe Sune, 
 
 lesu Crist hatte i' 
 
 °t te Hali Gast, 
 
 hare baSre^ luue, 1790 
 
 f lihteB of ham baSe, 
 
 °t limeS to gederes, 
 
 swa f nan ne mei 
 
 sundren fram oSer t' 
 
 alle J?reo an Godd, 
 
 almihti, ouer al ! 
 
 for he halt in his hond — 
 
 f is, wisseS 1; wealt — 
 
 Jje heuene 1; te eorSe, 
 
 \>e sea,* t te sunne, 1800 
 
 t alle i-schepene J)inges,° 
 
 sehene t unsehene. 
 
 who made all the world, God our heavenly Father, full of all goodness ; 
 and exalt and praise his only and dear Son, whose name is Jesus Christ; 
 and the Holy Ghost, (the love of them both,) who proceedeth from them 
 both, and uniteth them together, so that none may sunder them from each 
 other ; all three being one God, almighty, supreme ! for he holds in his hand 
 — that is, directs and rules — heaven and earth, the sea, and the sun, and all 
 created things, visible and invisible. To those who believe this truth, and reject 
 
 ' herie*. * ^g^f an. ' beire. * see. " ant ischapene Hng- 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 97 
 
 Deo f leoueS' J^is soS, 
 
 t leaueS })at lease, 
 
 and buhsume T; beisume 
 
 haldeS his heastes, 
 
 he haueS bihaten ham 
 
 ^ he ham wile lasten^ 
 
 f is blisse buten ende, 
 
 i ]>e riche' of heuene. 1810 
 
 And hwa se is swa unseli 
 
 f he })is schunie, 
 
 ne schal he* neauer tene 
 
 ne tintrehe trukien 
 
 in inwarde helle. 
 
 To longe we hauen driuen' 
 
 ure dusischipes* r' 
 
 t he haueS i-Jjolede us, 
 
 J?e jjolemode Lauerd i' 
 
 ne we nusten hwat we diden, 1820 
 
 a'Sat he undutte us, 1; tahte us 
 
 that falsehood, and compliant and obedient keep his commandments, he has pro- 
 mised that he will bestow on them that which is bliss without end, in the king- 
 dom of heaven. And whosoever is so unblest that he refuses this, pain and tor- 
 ment shall never cease to him in the inner hell. Too long have we practised 
 our absurdities ; and he, the long-suffering Lord, has had patience with us -. 
 nor knew we what we were doing until he unstopped our ears, and taught us 
 
 leueS. ' ilesten. •'' i \>e murh«e. 
 
 him. ^ we habbeS idriven. ° dusischipe. 
 
 O 
 
98 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 S 
 ? 
 % 
 
 trewe bileaue, 
 
 })urli f eadi meiden Katerine, 
 
 f te King pine's 
 
 in^ cwalm bus, 
 
 t jjenche'S to acwellen." 
 
 Dus he talede^ wel 
 
 wiS twa hundred cnihtes, 
 
 t wiS ma jet, 
 
 J?at jeuen anan up 1830 
 
 hare jeomere bileaue, 
 
 °t wurpen al awai 
 
 hare witlese lei,' 
 
 t wenden to Criste. 
 
 RisT ne forjet nawt 
 
 ^ he ne nom jeme* 
 
 to hire f men held jet, 
 as te Keiser bet, 
 bute mete t mel 
 i ]>e cwarterne r' 1840 
 
 true faitb, through that blessed maiden Katherine, whom the King torments 
 in torture -house, and purposes to kill." Thus well discoursed he with two 
 hundred knights, and with still more, who straightway renounced their wretched 
 faith, and cast quite away their senseless law, and turned all to Christ. 
 
 Christ neither forgot nor was unconcerned about her who was still de- 
 tained, as the Emperor commanded, without meat and meal in the prison : 
 
 '■" talde. ' hare witlese bileaue of hare lei. ■■ to neomen 3eine. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 99 
 
 ah wiS fode of heuene, 
 
 Jjurh his ahne engel, 
 
 in culurene iliche,* fedde hire, 
 
 aP }»e twelf dahes r^ 
 
 as he dide Daniel, 
 
 Jjurh Abacuc ]?e prophet,' 
 
 i ]>e liunes lehe, 
 
 J^er he in lutede. 
 
 Ure Lauerd himself com 
 
 wiS engles, t wiS monie 1850 
 
 mednes wiS alle, 
 
 wiS swuch dream T; drihtfare 
 
 as Drihtin deah* to cumen r^ 
 
 1 scheawde him, t sutelede 
 
 himself to hire seluen, 
 
 °t spec wiS hire °t seide, 
 
 " Bihald me, deore dohter ! 
 
 Bihald tin hehe Healend, 
 
 for hwas nome Jju hauest al 
 
 but fed her by his angel, in likeness of a dove, with food of heaven, all 
 the twelve da^s; as he did Daniel, by Habakkuk the prophet, in the lions' 
 lair,* wherein he lay. Our Lord himself came with angels, and with many 
 virgins likewise, with such a melody and majestic approach as became the 
 Lord to come with; and appeared, and manifested himself to her; and spoke 
 with her, and said, " Behold me, dear daughter ! Behold thy great Saviour, 
 for whose name thou hast undertaken all this hardship ! Be courageous, 
 
 ' i culure liche. ' ant. ^ as he dude Abbacuc Jje prophet. ' ah. 
 
 ° See Apocrypha ; Bel and the Dragon, 34 — 37. 
 
100 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 undemumen ])is nowcin ! I860 
 
 Beo stalewurSe, 
 
 1 stond wel. 
 
 Ne Jjarf Jju drede 
 
 na deaS for -^ 
 
 lo ! wiS hwucche ich habbe i-diht 
 
 to do \q i mi kinedom, 
 
 ^ is tin,^ wiS me i-meane, 
 
 as mi leofmon. 
 
 Na ]?ing ne dred tu, 
 
 for ich am eauer wiS J>e, 1870 
 
 do f men do \b ■^ 
 
 1 monie schulen ]?urh J?e 
 
 5et turne to me." 
 
 WiS )>is ilke step up wi'S al 
 
 f heouenliche hird,^ 
 
 t steah into pe heuene -^ 
 
 1 heo biheld after, 
 
 ai hwil ha mihte/ 
 
 blisful °t bliSe. 
 
 and stand firm. Thou needest not dread for any death ; behold ! by such means 
 I have appointed to place thee in my kingdom, which is thine, in fellowship 
 with me, as my beloved. Dread thou nothing, for I am ever with thee, whatever 
 men do to thee ; and through thee shall many yet turn to me.'' With this went 
 up together that heavenly company, and ascended into heaven; and she con- 
 tinued looking after them as long as she could, blissful and blithe. 
 
 ' {le is {lin. ° Ant mit tet ilke steap up, 
 
 ^ hwil ha aa mahte. mit tet heouenlich hird. 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 101 
 
 Vnder J>is, com pe Jjurs 1880 
 
 Maxence, ]>e wode wulf, 
 ]>e heaSene hund, a3ain 
 to his kineburh. 
 
 Deos meiden, i ]?e' marhen, was 
 i-broht biforen him:^ 
 °t he bigon to fon on, 
 o^ Jjisse weis, toward hire r' 
 " Dis me were wilre/ 
 5if >u wel waldest, 
 
 to habbe °t to halden ]?e cwic, 1890 
 
 ]>en to acwellen J?e. 
 Da most nede, noBeles, 
 an of ]?es twa curen 
 t cheosen, anan-riht r^ 
 libbe, 3if ]?u leist lac to 
 ure liuiende godes i' 
 oSer, 5if )?u nult nawt,* 
 dreriliche deien." 
 
 Meanwhile, the demon Maxence, the mad wolf, the heathen hound, returned 
 to his royal city. The maiden, on the morrow, was brought before him; and 
 he began to address her in this manner : " It were more to my wish, if thou 
 indeed wouldst, to have and to hold thee living, than to kill thee. Thou 
 must needs, however, speedily elect and choose one of these two: to live, if 
 thou offerest sacrifice to our living gods ; or, if thou wilt not, to die 
 miserably." 
 
 1 ine. " deest o. 
 
 ' ))e me were leouere. * no. 
 
102 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 IS meiden, sone anan, 
 
 onswerede t seide, 1900 
 
 " Let me' libben, swa 
 f I lie leose nawt him 
 f is mi leof 1; mi lif,^ 
 lesu Crist, mi Lauerd. 
 Ne nawiht ne drede ich 
 deaS f ouergeaS, 
 for f endelese lif 
 f he haueS i-leaued' me 
 aiian-riht Jrefter. 
 
 Ah Jju bijjenche J>e anan* 1910 
 
 teonen 1; tintrehen,* 
 ]>e aire meast derue 
 f eni^ deadlich flesch 
 mahe drehen t drahen,' 
 for me longeS heonneward r' 
 for mi Lauerd, lesu Crist, 
 
 The maiden, immediately, answered and said, " Let me live, so that I 
 lose not him who is my love and my life, Jesus Christ, my Lord. I nothing 
 dread a death that soon passes over, for that endless life which he hath be- 
 queathed me straightway thereafter. Then bethink thee quickly of torments 
 and tortures the severest of all that any mortal flesh may endure or sufifer, 
 for I long to go hence : because my Lord, Jesus Christ, the most precious 
 
 ' Lef me for to. '^ {le is mi lif ant mi leof. ^ ilenet. ■■ bi)jenche me. 
 
 ' tintreon. <> f euer. 7 mahe drehen. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 103 
 
 mi deorewurSe leofmon, 
 
 lutel ear, haueS i-leaded me' / 
 
 °t wel is me f ich mot baSe^ 
 
 mi flesch 1; mi blod ]92() 
 
 offrin him to lake, 
 
 f^ ofFrede to his Fader, 
 
 for me t for al folc, 
 
 himself o* Jie rode," 
 
 g'l^^j^^wiL ])e King weol, 
 
 [II 0)3 ^^ inwiS, of -wraSSe, 
 
 " ■ com a burh reue, as ]>e f was 
 
 te^ deoueles budel, 
 
 Belial of belle, 
 
 Cursates hehte, 1930 
 
 1 tus on heh clepede r' 
 
 " O kene King ! 
 
 O i-cud Keiser ! 
 
 object of my love, has recently invited me ; and well is me that I may offer 
 both my flesh and my blood as a sacrifice to him, who offered to his Father, 
 for me and for all people, himself upon the cross." 
 
 While the King boiled all within with anger, there came a prefect of the 
 city, as one that was the devil's herald, Behal of hell, Cursates by name, 
 and thus spoke aloud : " O vahant King ! O renowned Emperor ! hitherto 
 
 ' lutel er her to foren ^ ba. ' f>e. 
 
 me he haueK ilaSet. ^ uppon. ^ pes. 
 
104 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 3et ne seh Katerine 
 
 nanes cunnes pine 
 
 f ha ah to drede.' 
 
 Do idon^ dede, 
 
 nu ha J>us J^reateS 
 
 1 JreapeB a5ain ]>e. 
 
 Hat, hwil ha wed J>us, 1940 
 
 inwiS J>eos Jre dahes, 
 
 3arken fowr hweoles,' 
 
 1 let* Jjurh driuen Jrefter 
 
 ]>e speaken t te felien 
 
 wi'S irnene gadien :' 
 
 swa f te pikes 
 
 T; te irnene preones, 
 
 se scharpe °t se starke, 
 
 borien )>urh °t beoren forS 
 
 feor o f oSer half, 1950 
 
 f al f hweoP 
 
 beo }>urh spited 
 
 Katherine has seen no kind of pain that she had reason to dread. Cause 
 this deed to be done, now that she thus threatens and disputes against thee. 
 Command, while she is thus mad, that within three days four wheels be 
 made, and then that the spokes and felloes be driven through with iron 
 goads ; so that the pikes and the iron prongs, so sharp and so strong, pierce 
 through and project far on the other side, that all the wheel may be spiked 
 
 ' f ha of-drede8. " ido. 3 hweole. 
 
 ■* deest let. « deest feor. on -p. ' -p te hweoles. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 105 
 
 mid kenre pikes' ]>en eni cnif, 
 
 rawe bi rawe. 
 
 Let tenne^ "turnen hit 
 
 swiftliche^ abuten :^ 
 
 swa f Katerine, 
 
 wiS f grisliche rune,* 
 
 hwen ha jjer bisit 
 
 t bihalt ter upon,' I960 
 
 swike hire sotschipes, 
 
 "t ure wil wurche i' 
 
 oSer, 3if ha nule no, 
 
 ha schal beo to-hwi'Sered 
 
 wiS ]>e hweoles, swa, 
 
 in an hondhwile, 
 
 f alle f hit bihaldeS 
 
 schulen grure habben." 
 
 De King hercnede his reaS,* 
 
 t was sone, as he het, 1970 
 
 )?is heane t tis' hatele 
 
 thoroughly with keener pikes than any knife, row by row. Let it then be 
 turned swiftly round ; so that Katherine, with the dismal sound, when she 
 sits by and looks thereupon, may cease her follies, and work our will; or, 
 if she will not, she shall be torn in pieces by the wheels, in such a manner, 
 in an instant, that all who behold it shall have horror." The King listened 
 to his counsel, and soon, as he commanded, was this hateful and detestable 
 
 deest pikes. ' ant let J>enne. ' tidliche. ■• schal mit tet grisliche. 
 
 ant bisi« \>ei uppon. ? read. ' J^eos — teos. 
 
 P 
 
106 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 tintreohe' i-timbret -^ 
 
 °t was,^ te )>ridde dai, 
 
 i-drahen J>ider 
 
 as te reuen weren 
 
 eauer wunet.' 
 
 Ant te King heold ta/ 
 
 of })is eadi' meiden, 
 
 hise kinemotes. 
 
 IS pinfule gin was 1980 
 
 o swuch wise i-ginet, 
 
 ]jat te twa turnden 
 eiSer wiBward^ o'Ser, 
 t anes weis baSe ■^ 
 \q o'Ser twa turnden 
 anes weis alswa, 
 ah to 5ain |?e oSre -^ 
 swa f hwen J?e twa walden 
 kasten upward 
 
 instrument of torture constructed; and was, on the third day, drawn to the 
 place where the prefects were ever wont to be. And the King then held, 
 concerning this blessed maid, his royal council. 
 
 This tormenting engine was devised in such a manner, that two of the 
 wheels turned either contrary to the other, and yet both one way ; the other 
 two turned one way also, but contrary to the former; so that when the first 
 two would cast upward whatsoever thing they caught, the other two would 
 
 ^ treon. " dee^t was. ^ weren iwunet euer. 
 
 * Jja. 5 deeit eadi. ^ wi<5. 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. ]07 
 
 J^ing f ha cahten, 1990 
 
 pe oSre walde drahen hit 
 
 °t dusten dunewardes' i' 
 
 se grisliche i-greiSet, 
 
 f grure grap euch mon 
 
 hwen he lokede ]?ron. 
 
 Her, amid heapes,^ 
 
 was tis meiden i-set, 
 
 for to al to ronden 
 
 °t rewfulliche to renden' 
 
 5if ha nalde hare raS* 2000 
 
 heren ne hercnen. 
 
 Ah heo kast up hire ehne, 
 
 1 cleopede toward heuene, 
 
 ful hehe wiS hire heorte, 
 
 ah° wiB stille steuene^ i' 
 
 " Almihti Godd, 
 
 cuS nu \i mihte' •/ 
 
 T; menske nu 
 
 draw it and dash it downwards : so frightfully was it contrived, that horror 
 seized every one when he looked upon it. Here, amid crowds, was this 
 maiden placed, to be all torn and piteously rent if she would not listen to 
 their advice nor obey. But she lifted up her eyes, and cried to heaven, 
 full loudly with her heart, but with still voice : " Almighty God, manifest 
 now thy power ; and do honour to thy high name, heavenly Lord ! And 
 
 ' fe oSer walden drahen, ^ Her amidden. ^ al for to renden reowliche 
 
 3e drahen hit duneward. " read. ant reowSfulliche to rondin. 
 
 ' ant. ^ stefiie. ' )>me mihtes. 
 
 ^^.^-- 
 
108 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 ]>m hehe nome, 
 
 heouenliche Lauerd ! 2010 
 
 °t for to festni ham 
 
 i treowe bileaue, 
 
 f beo' to J^e i-turnde, 
 
 t Maxence °t alle hise 
 
 halden ham mate, 
 
 smit smertliche Jjerto,^ 
 
 f alle J^ise fowr hweoles' 
 
 to-hwiBeren to stucches." 
 
 Dis was uneaS i-seid, 
 
 f an engel ne com, 2020 
 
 wiS feorliche afluhte 
 
 fleoninde aduneward, 
 
 °t draf ferto dun riht 
 
 as a Jjunres dune r' 
 
 T; duste* hit a swuch dunt, 
 
 f hit bigon to clateren 
 
 al °t to'' cleuen. 
 
 in order to confirm those in the true faith who are converted unto thee, 
 and that Maixence and all his party may hold themselves confounded, smite 
 sharply upon it, that all the four wheels may be shattered to pieces." This 
 was hardly said, when an angel came, with wonderful flight flying downwards, 
 and drove straight down towards it like a thunder- clap; and struck it such a 
 blow, that it began to rattle and to cleave asunder, to burst and to break, 
 
 J>e beoS. ' smit so smertliche herto. ' )ieos — hvveole. 
 
 an Jjunres dune 
 duste. 5 ant al to. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 109 
 
 to bresten' 1 to breken, 
 
 as tab bit were brucbel gleas, 
 
 baSe treo^ t te irn -^ 2030 
 
 °t ruten forS, wiB swucb rune, 
 
 \Q stuccben' of baBe, 
 
 bimong ham as ba stoden 
 
 l seten Jjer abuten, 
 
 ^ ter weren i-sleine 
 
 of f * awariede folc 
 
 fowr Jjusend fuUe. 
 
 Der men mibte beren 
 
 J'e beaSene bundes 
 
 3ellen T; 3uren' 2040 
 
 on euch balf. 
 
 De Cristene kencben, 
 
 t berie })en Healend, 
 
 J>e belpeS bise ouer al. 
 
 De Keiser, al a-canget/ 
 
 hefde i-losed' mon dream -^ 
 
 1; dearede, 
 
 as if it had been brittle glass, both the wood and the iron ; and to dart forth, 
 with such whizzing, the fragments of both among them as they stood and 
 sat around it, that there were slain of that accursed folk full four thousand. 
 There one might have heard the heathen hounds yell and cry on every side. 
 The Christians laughed for gladness and praised the Saviour, who helpeth his 
 
 ' bursten. deestXo. ' ba )je treon. 
 
 ' stuochenes. ' deest -p. 
 
 ' 3ellen ant Jeien ant Juren. ^ al akanget wes. 
 
110 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 al a-deadet, 
 
 dripninde' t dreri, 
 
 °t drupest aire monne. 2050 
 
 E Cwen stod eauer stille 
 
 on heh, 1; biheold al. 
 
 Hefde i-hud hire 
 aSat tenne,^ 
 1; hire bileaue ihel r' 
 ]>a, jet, ne mahte ha na mare' r' 
 ah dude hire adun swiSe, 
 °t forS, wiSute fearlac, 
 o fot* Jjiderwardes ^ 
 
 t weorp hire bifore 2060 
 
 pen awariede wulf,' 
 °t jeide ludere steuene,* 
 " Wrecche mon f tu hit art ! 
 hwerto wultu wrestlen 
 wiS Jje worldes Wealdent ? 
 
 people everywhere. The Emperor, completely baffled, had lost the joy of human 
 life, and was stupified, mortified, downcast and gloomy, the most dispirited of men. 
 The Queen stood all this while on high, and beheld all in silence. She had 
 concealed her thoughts until then, and kept her belief secret : now, however, she 
 might no longer; but quickly descended, and advanced, without fear, thither- 
 ward on foot ; and cast herself before the accursed wolf, and cried with angry 
 voice, " Wretched man that thou art ! wherefore wilt thou wrestle with the 
 
 ' durcninde. " aSet J;a. ' ant hire tileaue iholen i>e Jet 
 
 ' ouer. ^ Jjen. awariede wed wulf, ant ne mahte na mare. ^ lude stefhe. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. Ill 
 
 Hwat madschipe makeS ]>e, 
 
 \>VL bittre balefule beast ! 
 
 to -weorren him ^ wrahte J^e 
 
 1 alle worldliche Jjinges^ ? 
 
 Beo nu ken, t cnawes, 2070 
 
 of J)at tu isehen hauest, 
 
 hu mihti t hu meinful, 
 
 hu hell °t hu hali, 
 
 is Jies Cristenes Godd, 
 
 Crist, ^ ha herieB. 
 
 Hu wrakeliche,^ wenestu, 
 
 wule, al wraSSe, 
 
 wreken o ]>e,' wrecche i 
 
 f haueS to driuen wiS a dunt, 
 
 °t fordon, for ]>e, to dei 2080 
 
 se feole ]?usend ? 
 
 monie wiS alle,* 
 
 of f hea'Sene folc, 
 
 f alle weren i-sihen 
 
 world's Ruler ? What madness makes thee, thou bitter baleful beast ! to war 
 against him who created thee and all earthly things? Be now convinced, 
 and acknowledge, from what thou hast seen, how mighty and how powerful, 
 how high and how holy, is the God of this Christian, Christ, whom she 
 worships. How vengefully, thinkest thou, will he, all incensed, avenge him- 
 self on thee, O wretch ! who has scattered with a stroke, and destroyed, on thy 
 account, to-day so many thousands ? many, moreover, of that heathen people, 
 
 ' )»ing. ^ wrakefuUiche, •> wule he ant wreistse 
 
 ■* ant monie mid alle. uppon pe. 
 
112 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 hider for to seo' 
 
 Jiis feorlich ? " 
 
 Sone se^ ha JjIs 
 
 sehen, °t herden 
 
 ]>e Cwen swa speken,' 
 
 alle somen turnden, 2090 
 
 1 token to 3eien, 
 
 " Witerliche, muche wurS, 
 
 t wurS alle wurSschipe, 
 
 is Jjes meidenes Godd, 
 
 Crist, Godd,* Godes Sune i' 
 
 1' him we kenneS 
 
 t cnaweS to Lauerd 
 
 t to heh Healend 
 
 heonne forSwardes i' 
 
 t tine mix maumez 2100 
 
 alle beon amansed* / 
 
 for ha ne mahen nowSer 
 
 helpen ham seluen, 
 
 ne ham' f ham serueS." 
 
 who had all rushed hither to see this wonder." As soon as they saw this, and 
 heard the Queen speak thus, they all at once turned, and took to cry out, 
 " Truly, very worthy, and deserving of all worship, is the maiden's God, 
 Christ, God, and the Son of God; and him we know and acknowledge as 
 Lord and great Saviour from henceforth : and thy vile idols are all accursed ; 
 for they can neither help themselves, nor those who serve them." The King 
 
 seon. ' as. " isehen, ant iherden ■* sofS. 
 
 ant to. * awariet. swa }je Cwen speoken. ' heom. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 
 
 113 
 
 De King walde weden, 
 
 swa him gremed' wiS ham -^ 
 
 ah wiS J^e Cwen swiSest.^ 
 
 Biheld hire heterliche, 
 
 t bigon to Jjreatin hire 
 
 J>us, o' ]?isse wise .-^ 2110 
 
 u nu, dame, dotes tu ? 
 Cwen, a-canges tu nu,* 
 wiS' alle }jes oSre ? 
 Hwi motes tu se madliche ? 
 Ich swerie bi \q mihtes 
 of ure godes muchele, 
 bute 3if J)u, Jje timluker, 
 do J>e M^Q jein turn, 
 t ure godes grete 
 
 f tu gremest nuSe, 2120 
 
 I schal schawe hu mi sword 
 bite i \\ swire -^ 
 
 was about to grow frantic, so angry was he with them ; but with the Queen 
 most. He looked upon her fiercely, and began to threaten her in this manner : 
 
 " How now, dame, dost thou dote ? Art thou too. Queen, infatuated, with all 
 the rest ? Why reasonest thou so madly ? I swear by the might of our great 
 gods, except thou the sooner put thyself in the way back again, and greet our 
 gods whom thou now provokest, I shall show how my sword can bite in thy neck ; 
 
 gromede. 
 deest nu. 
 
 ' ant wis }je Cwen aire meast. 
 ■' mid. 
 
 Q, 
 
114 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 T: lete' to-luken ]>i flescli 
 
 ]>e fuheles of Ipe lufte. 
 
 And 3et, ne schal tu nower 
 
 neh se lichtliclie atsterten^ r^ 
 
 ah strengre Jju schalt Jjolien t' 
 
 for ichulle leote luken 
 
 °t teo' ]>e tittes awei 
 
 of ]>me bare breosten r^ 2130 
 
 t jsrefter do* J^e to deaS, 
 
 deruest ]>mg to drehen." 
 
 " AUe ]?ine J>reates 
 ne drede ich," quoS ha, " riht nawt/ 
 Eauer se Jju mare wa 
 1; mare weane dost me, 
 for mi newe lefmon, 
 f ich on wiS luue leue, 
 se J)u wurches mi wil 
 
 °t mi weol mare. 2140 
 
 Du nu Jjenne hihendliche 
 
 and let the fowls of the air tear thy flesh. And yet, neither shalt thou by 
 any means near so hghtly escape ; but thou shalt suffer severer pain : for I 
 shall cause the teats to be torn and pulled away from thy bare breasts, and 
 afterwards put thee to death, the direst thing to undergo." 
 
 " All thy threats I nothing dread," quoth she. " The more woe soever and 
 the more suffering thou inflictest on me, for my new beloved, on whom 1 with 
 love believe, so much the more dost thou work my will and my welfare. Do 
 
 ' leoten. ' etsterten. ^ teon. 
 
 * don. " ne dred ich riht nawt. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 115 
 
 f tu hauest on heorte, 
 
 for of me ne schal tu 
 
 bi3ete nawiht mare.' " 
 
 Sone se^ he understod wel 
 
 ■p he ne sturede hire nawt, 
 
 het, on hat herte, 
 
 unhendeliche nimen hire :^ 
 
 % wiSute' dom, anan-riht, 
 
 J>urh driuen hire tittes 2150 
 
 wiS irnene neiles, 
 
 1 renden ham up heterliche 
 
 wiS ]>e breoste roten. 
 
 As ]>es deoueles driueles 
 
 drohen to fordon hire, 
 
 ha biseh toward Katerine, t seide, 
 
 " Eadi meiden ! 
 
 ernde me to ]>[ leue Lauerd, 
 
 for hwas luue ich J?olie 
 
 f men bilime'S me J>us* :^ 2160 
 
 therefore now quickly that which thou hast at heart, for of me thou shalt obtain 
 nothing more." As soon as he understood well that he moved her not, he 
 commanded, in hot heart, to seize her rudely ; and immediately, without 
 judgment, to pierce through her nipples with iron nails, and rend them up 
 cruelly from the breast-roots. As the slaves of this devil were dragging her 
 to destroy her, she looked toward Katherine, and said, " Blessed maiden ! 
 commend me to thy dear Lord, for whose love I suffer that men thus tear 
 
 ' bi3eoten na mare. ^ as. ' bute. * f me Jius bilimeS me. 
 
116 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 f he, i ]>e tintrehe 
 
 f ich am i-turn to, 
 
 hardi min' [heorte] 
 
 f tes wake ules^ 
 
 ne wursi neauer mi mod, 
 
 swa f I slakie 
 
 to of-earnen heuenriche' :^ 
 
 T; ich ne forga neauer, 
 
 for fearlaic of na pine 
 
 f beo fleschliche, 2170 
 
 Tpe crune f Crist haueS, 
 
 after f tu cwiddest, 
 
 i-leuet hise* i-corene." 
 
 " Ne dred tu nawt," quoS Katerine, 
 " derewurSe Cwen, T; dere 
 wiS Drihtin of heuene r' 
 for J>e is i-leued,^ to dei,.- 
 
 my limbs ; that he, in the torment that I am brought to, may put such re- 
 solution into my heart, that this weak flesh may never impair my courage so 
 that I should fail to earn the kingdom of heaven ; and that I may never 
 forego, through fear of any pain that is corporeal, the crown which Christ 
 hath (according to what thou sayest) bestowed upon his elect." 
 
 " Dread nothing," quoth Katherine, " dearest Queen, and dear to the Lord 
 of heaven ; for there is granted thee this day, for a little earthly land, the 
 
 haidi min heorte. " f tet wake flesch. ' swa f ich earni 
 
 ilenet his. * ilenet. to ofservin heouenriches wuiine. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 117 
 
 for a lutel eorSlich lond, 
 
 f heuenlich kinedom' i' 
 
 for a mon of lam, 2180 
 
 him f is^ Lauerd of lif / 
 
 for J)is' lutle pine, 
 
 f ali8 i lute hwile,* 
 
 endelese rests 
 
 i ]>e riche of heuene r' 
 
 V for J)is swifte pine, 
 
 J>at aswikeS se sone, 
 
 blissen buteh ende, 
 
 °t murhSen ai mare. 
 
 T; nawt ne wene ]>u 2190 
 
 f tu forwurSe ^ r' 
 
 for nu ]ju biginnest earst, 
 
 T; art i-boren, to libben 
 
 i >e lif f lasteS 
 
 ai, buten ende/ " 
 
 heavenly kingdom; for a man of clay, him that is Lord of life; for this little 
 pain, which subsides in a little while, endless rest in the kingdom of 
 heaven ; and for this transitory suffering, that ceases so soon, joys without 
 end, and gladness evermore. And do not think that thou perishest; for now 
 thou first beginnest, and art born, to live in the life that lasteth ever with- 
 out end." 
 
 ' f>e kinedom of heouene. ' Jje \>e is. ^ ]pe. 
 
 ■* jpe aliS in an hondhwile. ' deest ant. ^ ne nawiht ne wen Jju 
 
 ' aa buten linunge. f tu nu forwuriSe. 
 
118 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 E Cwen, })urh J>is steuene,' 
 was swiSe i-strenget -^ 
 °\. se stalewur'Se, 
 
 f ha bigon^ to clepien 
 
 upo J^e cwelleres, 2200 
 
 1; hihede ham to donne 
 
 f ham was i-haten. 
 
 And heo diden,^ — 
 
 drohen hire 
 
 wi'Sute Jie burh 3ates r' 
 
 °t tuhen* hire tittes 
 
 up of hire breoste, 
 
 bi Jje bare bane, 
 
 wiS eawles of irne ■^ 
 
 1 swipten' of, firefter, 2210 
 
 wiS sword,^ hire heaaed -^ 
 
 t heo swerf to Criste 
 
 upo \% })reo °t' twentuSe dei 
 
 of Nouembres moneS -^ 
 
 The Queen, by this exhortation, was greatly strengthened ; and so steadfast, 
 that she began to call to the executioners, and urged them to do what they 
 were commanded. And they did so; they drew her without the gates of the 
 city ; and pulled off the paps from her breast, by the bare bone, with iron 
 awls ; and afterwards, with a sword, struck off her head : and she swooned 
 away to Christ upon the three and twentieth day of November's month ; and 
 
 ' Jjeos stefiie. - feng. ' duden. ■< drohen. 
 
 ° ant spiteden. ° mid sweord. ' uppon Jje fireo a. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. HQ 
 
 T; f wes on a Wednesdei 
 f ha ]jus wente," 
 niartir, to pe^ murhSes 
 f neauer ne -wonieS. 
 
 Porphire, anan-riht, 
 ferde >ider i J^e niht, 2220 
 
 t swucche wiS him of hise men 
 f he wel truste on :^ 
 T; al ]je' lafdies licome 
 lefliche* smerede 
 wiS smirles of aromaz 
 swote smellinde, 
 1 biburiede hire 
 as hit deh martir 
 t cwen for to donne.' 
 
 Men com i Jje marhen, 2230 
 
 het witen hwa hefde, 
 a3ain ]>e Kinges forbode, 
 f licome i-lad Jjeonne. 
 
 that was on a Wednesday that she thus went, as a martyr, to the joys that 
 never wane. 
 
 Porphyrins immediately went thither in the night, and with him such of 
 his men as he could firmly trust; and affectionately anointed all the lady's 
 body with sweet-smelling aromatic ointment, and buried her as became a martyr 
 and a queen. 
 
 Men came on the morrow, and commanded inquiry to be made who had, 
 contrary to the King's prohibition, taken the body thence. When Porphyrins 
 
 ' wende. ' deest pe. ' \>es. ' leofliche. ^ as hit martir ant cwen 
 
 deh for to donne. 
 
120 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 Da Porphire seh fele,' 
 
 ]jat men seide hit upon, 
 
 gultlese, leaden 
 
 T; draien to deaSe, 
 
 leop forS wiSute^ fearlac, 
 
 t com to-fore^ Jie Keiser, 
 
 T; keneliche cleopede, 2240 
 
 " Sei, ]?u Sathanase* sune ! 
 
 ]>u kinge forcuSest ! 
 
 hwat constu to J>es' men, 
 
 f tu Jjus leades^ ? 
 
 Lowr ! ich am her, 
 
 ]ju hatele gast ! 
 
 wiS alle mine hirdmen, 
 
 to jelden reisun for ham. 
 
 Fordem, nu, me *t mine, 
 
 f we, a3ain J?in heast, 2250 
 
 ^ licome awei ledden, 
 
 °t leiden in eorSe." 
 
 saw many guiltless men, who were accused of it, led and dragged to death, 
 he sprung forward without fear, and came before the . Emperor, and boldly 
 cried, " Say, thou son of Satan ! thou most infamous king ! what knowest 
 thou against these men whom thou thus draggest ? Lo ! here am I, thou 
 hateful demon ! with all my household, to answer for them. Condemn, then 
 me and mine, because we, against thy commandment, took away the body, 
 and laid it in earth." 
 
 iseh feole. ' buten. ^ biuoren. 
 
 Sathanesses. ^ jieos'. " leadest. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 121 
 
 " Nu ]?u art," quoS pe King, 
 " ken,' 1; i-cnawen 
 ■p tu haues deaS earned,^ 
 % Jjurh ]>e, alle ]>e oSre. 
 Ah for J>u art cud cniht, 
 t heaued of ham alle, 
 cheos 3et of Jjgos twa r' 
 oSer' chear anan-riht, 2260 
 
 f te oSre chearren )>urh j?e, 
 °t tu schalt libben, 
 t beo leof 1 wurBme i' 
 oSer, 3if })u nult no, 
 streche forS ]>i* swire, 
 scharp sword to underfon.'* " 
 
 Porphire t alle hise 
 helden ham to-gederes t' 
 T: wiS se^ soSe gabbes 
 gremeden him se sare, 2270 
 
 " Now art thou known," quoth the King, " and hast acknowledged that 
 thou hast deserved death; and, through thee, all the others. But because 
 thou art a renowned knight, and the chief of them all, choose yet one of 
 these two : either turn instantly, that the rest may turn through thee, and 
 thou shalt live, and be beloved and honoured; or, if thou wilt not, stretch 
 forth thy neck to receive the sharp sword." 
 
 Porphyrins and all his knights adhered to each other ; and with such sound 
 
 ' " Nu art tu iken," quoS Jje King. " f tu hauest deS ofseruet. 
 
 ' deest oiSer. " J^ine. 
 
 ° underuonne. * svva. 
 
 E 
 
122 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 p he het, lieterliche, 
 
 anan, wiSute ]>e burh, 
 
 bihefden ham euch fot r' 
 
 Tr leafden' hare bodies 
 
 unbiburied alle, 
 
 fode to wilde deor, 
 
 1; to luft fuheles. 
 
 His heast was i-forSet, 
 
 T; alle cleane bihefded r^ 
 
 ah, for al his forbode, 2280 
 
 lies hit f te bodies 
 
 neren i-fat i ]je niht, 
 
 °t feire biburiet. 
 
 Nalde nawt Godd leten 
 
 his martirs licomes 
 
 liggen to forleosen,^ 
 
 f hefde bihaten 
 
 f an her of hare heaued* 
 
 ne schulde forlosen.* 
 
 arguments vexed him so sore, that he furiously gave orders to behead them 
 immediately, every man, without the city; and to leave all their bodies un- 
 buried, as food to wild beasts, and to fowls of the air. His best was per- 
 formed, and they were every one beheaded; but, notwithstanding his prohi- 
 bition, it hindered not that the bodies were taken away during the night, 
 and honourably buried. God would not suffer his martyrs' corpses to lie to 
 perish, who had promised that a hair of their heads should not perish. 
 
 leauen. ' liggen for to leosen. ^ j,e 
 
 fax. = forwurSen, 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 123 
 
 3et nes nawt }je Kinges |jurst, 2290 
 
 wiS al jjis blod, i-kelet -^ 
 
 ah het Katerine cume 
 swiSe biforen.^ 
 Ha was sone i-broht forS, 
 °\ he bigon' to seggen, 
 " Dah J^u beo schuldi, 
 Jje ane, of alle cleane / 
 Jjah J)u, wiS J?i wicchecreft, hauest 
 i-maket se monie 
 
 eornen* toward hare deaS, 2800 
 
 as ha weren wode r^ 
 jet, jif J>u wiSdrahes te, 
 T; wult greten ure godes^ 
 ase forS as Jju ham hauest 
 i-gremet T; i-gabbet, 
 \vl mahte, in alle murhSe, 
 longe libben wiS me, 
 
 The King's thirst was not even yet, with all this blood, cooled : but he ordered 
 Katherine to come speedily before him. She was soon brought forth, and he 
 began to say, " Though thou alone art clearly guilty, above all ; though 
 thou, with thy witchcraft, hast made so many to run towards their death, as 
 if they were mad ; yet, if thou retract thee, and wilt salute our gods as well 
 as thou hast grieved and mocked them, thou mayest, in all pleasure, live 
 
 ' De. ' swiS cumen biuoren him. " brec on. 
 
 ■* to eornen. ^ ant wule ure godes igreten. 
 
124 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 t meast schalt beo cud t i-cud 
 
 in al mi kineriche. 
 
 Ne lead tu us na lengre i' 2310 
 
 ah loke nu, biliue,' 
 
 hweSer ]>e beo leuere^ 
 
 don f ich leare, 
 
 t libben 5if J)u swa dost' r' 
 
 oSer, Jjis* ilke dei, 
 
 se^ dreoriliche deien, 
 
 f alle ham schal agrisen" 
 
 f hit bihalden.' " 
 
 A I," quoS Katerine, 
 
 " nis nawt ladlich^ sihSe 2320 
 
 to seo fallen ]>mg,^ 
 f schal arisen, J>urh f fal, 
 a })usend fald J^e fehere,'" — 
 of deaS to lif undeaSlich r^ 
 
 long-time with me, and shalt be most celebrated and renowned in all my 
 kingdom. Put us off no longer ; but consider now, quickly, whether it is pre- 
 ferable for thee to do what I propose, and to live if thou dost so ; or, this very 
 day, to die so dismally, that all who behold it shall shudder." 
 
 " Nay," quoth Katherine, " it is not a loathly sight to see a thing fall, 
 that shall rise again, through that fall, a thousand times fairer, — from death 
 
 ' bliue. - leouere. ' Jef Jju dest, * i fiis. 
 
 * deest se. * -js ham schal agrisen alle. ' bihaldeS, ' gi-islich. 
 
 " to seon f Jjing fallen. '" a Jiusent fait te sohenre. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 125 
 
 °i to arisen fram ream 
 
 to ai lastende lahtre' t' 
 
 fram bale to eche blisse r^ 
 
 fram wa to wunne, 
 
 t to wele ])urh wuniende. 
 
 Nawiht, King, ne kepe^ ich 2330 
 
 f tu lengre hit firsti.' 
 
 Ah hat tu* hihendeliche 
 
 f tu hauest on heorte t' 
 
 for ich am 3arow to al 
 
 J)e wa f tu const me jarken :/ 
 
 swa ])at ich seo mahe^ 
 
 mi lufsome leofmon, 
 
 t beo i-broht se bliSe 
 
 bimong mine felahes/ 
 
 f folhen' him ouer al 2340 
 
 i J>e feire ferreden 
 
 of uirgines in heuene." 
 
 to life immortal; and to rise from weeping to everlasting gladness; from 
 misery to eternal bliss ; from sorrow to joy, and to welfare that ever endureth. 
 I care not at all, O King, that thou shouldst longer delay it. Command 
 then speedily what thou hast at heart; for I am prepared for all the pain 
 that thou canst provide for me, so that I may see my beloved, who is so 
 worthy of love, and joyfully be brought among my companions, that follow him 
 everywhere in the fair company of virgins in heaven." 
 
 ' leahtre. = kep. = f tu fir firsti. " deest tu. 
 
 = f tu me const Jarken. ' feolaes. ' be folhi*. 
 
 -)S ich iseon mahe. 
 
12G THE LEGEND OF 
 
 E King, as J^e f was fordrenct 
 i })e' deoules puisun, 
 nuste hwat meanen r^ 
 
 ah het swiSe don^ hire 
 
 ut of hise sihSe,' 
 
 t bihefden hire, utewiS 
 
 J'e barren of pe burhe. 
 
 Heo, as men ledde hire, 2850 
 
 lokede a3ainward, 
 
 for ludinge f ha herde* r' 
 
 °t seh sihen after hire 
 
 heaSene monie, 
 
 wepmen t wimmen, 
 
 wiS wringende honden, 
 
 1 wepinde^ sare. 
 
 Ah" J^e meidenes aire meast, 
 
 wiS sari mod t sorhful, 
 
 t te riche lafdis, 2360 
 
 The King, as one who was drunken with the devil's poison, wist not what 
 to resolve: he commanded, however, to put her quickly out of his sight, and 
 to behead her without the barriers of the city. She, as they conducted 
 her, looked back again, when she heard a clamour; and saw many heathen, 
 men and women, rushing after her, wringing their hands and weeping sore. 
 But the maidens most of all, in sad and sorrowful mood, and the rich 
 
 wi<5 )jes. ' mid. ^ ehsihSSe. 
 
 ilierde. " mid grindende honden ^ Ant. 
 
 wepinde. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 127 
 
 letten teares trendlen. 
 
 And heo biwende hire a3ain, 
 
 sumhwat i-wraSSet,' 
 
 t etwat ham hare wop, 
 
 wiS ^ulliche wordes ^ 
 
 " 36 lafdis 1 56 meidenes, 
 
 5if 36 weren wise, 
 
 nalde 36 nawt bringe me 
 
 forS toward blisse 
 
 wiS S6 bale here. 2370 
 
 Nalde 36 neauer remen 
 
 ne makie reowSe for me, 
 
 f^ fare to eche reste, 
 
 into ]>e riche of heuene. 
 
 BeoS bliSe, ich biseche ow, 
 
 3if 3e me blisse unneS^ t' 
 
 for ich seo lesu Crist, 
 
 f cleopeS me t copneS'' r' 
 
 f is mi Lauerd °t mi luue, 
 
 ladies, let tears trickle. And she turned again, somewhat displeased, and 
 chid them for their weeping, in words like these : " Ye ladies and ye maidens, 
 if ye were wise, ye would not conduct me forth toward bliss with such doleful 
 sounds. . Ye would never lament nor make sorrow for me, who go to eternal 
 rest, into the kingdom of heaven. Be cheerful, I beseech you, if ye wish 
 me joy ; for I see Jesus Christ, who calleth me and longs for me ; who is my 
 
 ' sumdel iwreSet. ^ j>e. 
 
 3 unnen. ' {le copneS ant cleopeS me. 
 
128 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 mi lif t mi leofmon, 2880 
 
 mi wunne t me i-weddet, 
 
 mi murh'Se t mi mede, 
 
 t meidene crune. 
 
 Ower wop wendeS 
 
 al on ow seluen, 
 
 leste 36 eft wepen* 
 
 echeliche in helle, 
 
 for f heaSene lif 
 
 f 56 in liggen^ r' 
 
 as 38 schulen alle, 2890 
 
 bute 36 forleten, 
 
 hwil 36 beon' o line, 
 
 ower misbileaue." 
 
 As lia hefde i-seid tus,* 
 
 bisohte him' wiS ]>e brond, 
 
 as hit blikede buuen hire, 
 
 t schulde hire bane^ been, 
 
 f he, for his freolaic, 
 
 Lord and my love, my life and my beloved, my joy and my betrothed, my 
 rejoicing and my revi^ard, and my maiden's crown. Turn all your weeping 
 upon yourselves, lest ye afterwards weep eternally in hell, for that heathen 
 life in which ye lie ; as ye shall all, except ye leave off your unbelief whilst 
 ye are in life." When she had thus spoken, she requested him who had the 
 sword, as it gleamed above her, and was to be her death, that he, of his 
 
 ' wepen eft. : ijggeS. a ^^^^^ 
 
 ' J>us iseid. 5 tisohte f. « bone. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 129 
 
 firstede' hire, t fremede, 
 
 Jje hwil f ha buhde^ hire, 2400 
 
 t bede ane bone. 
 
 He^ 5ettede hirej 
 
 °t wiS bliSeliche leaue.* 
 
 And heo biheold upward 
 
 ■wi'S up-aheuen heorte r' 
 
 °t,° cneolinde duneward, 
 
 jjus to Crist cleopede i' 
 
 " Lauerd, leome 
 t lif of alle 
 
 riht bileafde* / 2410 
 
 milde lesu, ^ art ]>e self 
 meidene mede r' 
 i-hered t i-heied beo ]>u, 
 hehe Healend ! 
 And te' ich Jjonki, Lauerd, 
 f tu hauest i-leauet° me, 
 °t "waldest f ich were 
 i Ipe^ tale of ]>me wummen. 
 
 liberality, would delay for her, and indulge her, while she bowed herself, and 
 prayed a prayer. He granted her permission cheerfully. And she looked up- 
 wards, with uplifted heart ; and, kneeling down, she thus called upon Christ : 
 
 " Lord, light and life of all true believers ; mild Jesu, who art thyself the 
 reward of maidens ; praised - and exalted be thou, great Saviour ! And I 
 thank thee, Lord, that thou hast permitted me, and wouldst that I should be 
 
 ' fi'iSede. ' peo hwile -p heo buhe. ■* Ant he. '' ant 3ef hue ^ deest ant. 
 
 * bileaue. ' Al ]>e. ' ilenet. MiSeliche leaue. ' deest pe. 
 
130 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 Lauerd, milce me nu, 
 
 °t 3ette me f ich 3erne r' 2420 
 
 ich bidde ]?e J)eos bone, 
 
 f alle Jjoa Jjat munneS' 
 
 mi pine t mi passiun 
 
 to }»e, leue Lauerd,^ 
 
 °t clepien^ to me hwen ha schulen 
 
 ]>e derf of deaS drehen, 
 
 oBer hwen se ha hit eauer doS 
 
 in neod t* in nowcin, 
 
 hihendliche i-her ham, 
 
 heuenliche Healend' ! 2430 
 
 Aflei fram ham al uuel, 
 
 weorre 1; wone° baSe, 
 
 °t untidi wederes i' 
 
 hunger, °t euch hete 
 
 f heaneS ham °t harmeS ! 
 
 Lowr ! ich abide her' 
 
 jje bite of swordes egge t' 
 
 in the number of thy women. Lord, be gracious to me now, and grant me 
 what I desire : I request of thee this boon, — that all those who mention my 
 pain and my suiFering unto thee, dear Lord, and invoke me when they are 
 about to endure the struggle of death, or whensoever they do this in need or in 
 trouble, thou listen to them speedily, O heavenly Saviour ! Make to flee from 
 them all evil, both war and want, and unseasonable storms ; hunger, and every 
 heat that depresses and harms them ! Lo ! I abide here the bite of the sword's 
 
 ' -p alle \>eo -p munniJS. ' \>e to luue Lauerd. ' cleopie*. * o5er. 
 
 ' Lauerd. " worre ant weane. ' Lowr ! hwer ich abide. 
 
SAINT KATHEEINE. 131 
 
 J^e f me to deade doS,' 
 
 do al f he mei^ r' 
 
 nime f he nime mei, 2440 
 
 ]>e lif of mi licome. 
 
 Mi sawle I sende to >e, 
 
 Healend,' in heuene :' 
 
 hat f ha beo i-set, 
 
 J'urh Jjine hali engles, 
 
 i f heuenliche hird 
 
 bimong ]?ine meidnes.*" 
 
 EFDE ha bute i-seid tus/ 
 f ter ne com a steuene 
 stihende^ fram heouene r' 2450 
 " Cum, mi leoue leofmon r' 
 cum, Jju' min i-weddet, 
 
 leouest a' wummon ! 
 
 Low, ]?e jate of eche lif 
 
 abid te al opened^ ! 
 
 edge : let him who puts me to death, do all that he may ; let him take what 
 he can take, — the life of my body. I send my soul to thee, O Saviour, in 
 heaven ; command that it be placed, by thy holy angels, in that heavenly com- 
 pany among thy maidens." 
 
 She had no sooner spoken thus, than there came a voice descending from 
 heaven : " Come, my dearly beloved ; come, my spouse, most beloved of women ! 
 Behold, the gate of eternal life awaits thee fully opened ! The abode of every 
 
 ' Jje ■p tis de« me deS to. ' mei don. " to t>e, hehe Healent. 
 
 ■' meides. ' buten iseid swa. * sihinde. 
 
 ' nu. " an. ' iopenet. 
 
132 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 2460 
 
 De wununge of euch wunne 
 
 kepe'S 1; copneS J>i come. 
 
 Lo ! al f meidene mot, 
 
 1 ]?at bird of heuene, 
 
 comeS her a3ain ]>e, 
 
 wi'S kempene crune ! 
 
 Cum nu, °t ne beo Jju 
 
 na ]>mg o dute' 
 
 of al f tu^ i-beden hauest. 
 
 AUe Jieo f munneS J^e 
 
 °t ti passiun, — 
 
 hu J>u deaB drohe, — 
 
 wiS inwarde heorte, 
 
 in eauereuch time 
 
 f beo to ]>e clepieS^ wiS luue 2470 
 
 t* ribte bileaue, 
 
 icb bibate bam, bibendelicbe, 
 
 belp of beuene.' " 
 
 joy expecteth and longs for thy coming. Lo ! all the assembly of virgins, 
 and the company of heaven, are coming to meet thee, with the crown of 
 victory ! Come now, and doubt nothing in regard to all that thou hast 
 prayed for. All those who think of thee and of thy passion inwardly in 
 their heart, — how thou enduredst death, — at every time when they shall 
 invoke thee with love and true faith, I promise them help speedily from heaven." 
 
 ' na )jing ofdutet. ' deest tu. ' cleopien. 
 
 ■* ant wis. ' help hihentliche 
 
 of heouene riche. 
 
SAINT KATHERINE. 
 
 133 
 
 Eo, wiS J»is steuene, 
 strahte Tor's swifteliche 
 ]>e snaw hwite swire, 
 t ewe's to J>e ewellere t' 
 " Mi lif t mi leofmon, 
 lesu Crist, mi Lauerd, 
 haueS i-clepet me to him.' 
 Do nu \>ene hihendliche 
 f te is i-haten." 
 And he, as ha hat him, 
 hef f hatele sword up, 
 T; swipte hire of )jat heaued. 
 I jjat ilke stede, anan, 
 i-wurSen twa wundres. 
 De an wes,* •p ter sprang 
 ut, wiS Jje dunt, 
 mile i-menget wiB blod,' 
 
 2480 
 
 2490 
 
 She, at these words, stretched forth quickly her snow-white neck, and said 
 to the executioner : " Jesus Christ, my life, my beloved, and my Lord, hath 
 called me to him. Now then quickly perform that which is commanded thee." 
 And, as she bade him, he lifted up the hateful sword, and struck off her head. 
 In the same place, instantly, two miracles were done. One of them was, that 
 there sprang out, with the stroke, milk mingled with blood, to bear her witness 
 
 ' haueS nu icleopet me. 
 
 ' }ie an of {le twa wes. ' 
 
 ' mit dunt, 
 mile imenget blod. 
 
134 THE LEGEND OF 
 
 to beoren hire witnessed 
 
 of hire hwite meidenhad. 
 
 Dat^ o'Ser was, f te engles 
 
 lihten of heuene, 
 
 °t heuen hire on* heh up, 
 
 t beren forS hire bodi, 
 
 t biburieden hit 
 
 i J>e munt of Synai, 
 
 Jjer Moyses fatte J>e lahe 
 
 at ure Lauerd :' 2500 
 
 fram Jjeonne as ha deide, 
 
 twenti dahene gong/ 
 
 And 5et mare, 
 
 as pilegrimes seggen, 
 
 f wel witen/ 
 
 Jier ure Lauerd wurcheS 
 
 se' feole wundres, for hire, 
 
 as na muS ne mei munnen. 
 
 Ah, bimong ham alle, 
 
 Jiis is an of ]>e hehste, 2510 
 
 of her pure virginity. The other was, that angels descended from heaven, and 
 carried her up on high, and bore away her hody, and buried it in the mountain 
 of Sinai, where Moses received the law from our Lord, twenty days' journey 
 from the place where she died. And moreover, as pilgrims say, who have sure 
 intelligence, our Lord there worketh so many miracles, on her account, as no 
 mouth may recount. But, among them all, this is one of the greatest, — that 
 
 ' iwitnesse. * De. ' from. ■• upon. 
 
 ° 3ong. ^ f wel witen, seggen. " swa. 
 
b 
 
 SAINT KATHERINE. 135 
 
 f ter renne'S 
 
 ai mare eoile, 
 
 iliche riue' i' 
 
 t strikes a stream 
 
 ut of f stanene Jjurh^ 
 
 •p ha in resteS. 
 
 3et, of Jje lutle banes, 
 
 f flowen' ut wiB ]>e eoile, 
 
 floweS o'Sei eoile ut, 
 
 hwider* se men eauer bereS ham, 2520 
 
 °t hwer se ha beon' i-halden, 
 
 f heales* alle uueles, 
 
 t botneS men of euch bale, 
 
 ■p riht bileaue habben/ 
 
 us wende ]>e eadi 
 
 meiden Katerine, 
 
 i-crunet, to Criste, 
 fram eorSliche pinen, 
 1 Nouembris moneB, 
 
 evermore there runneth oil, as it were a brook ; and a stream rushes out of the 
 stone coffin in which she rests. Also, from the small bones, which flow out with 
 the oil, other oil floweth out, whithersoever they are carried, and wheresoever 
 they are kept, which heals all diseases, and relieveth' men, who have true faith, 
 of every distress. 
 
 Thus went the blessed maiden Katherine, crowned, to Christ, from earthly 
 
 ■ eoli iliche riuet. ' i'tnh. ^ i>e flowed. - -p hwider. 
 
 * heo beo». " heale*. ' habbeS. 
 
136 THE LEGEND OF SAINT KATHERINE. 
 
 J^e fif V twentuSe dai, 2530 
 
 1; Fridai, onont te Under r' 
 
 i \>e dai 1; i }je time 
 
 f hire deore leofmon,^ 
 
 lesu, ure Lauerd, 
 
 leafde lif o rode, 
 
 for hire 
 
 °t for us alle. 
 
 Beo he, ase Healtend, 
 i-hered t i-heiet, 
 
 in aire worlde world, 2540 
 
 a on ecnesse^ ! Amen ! 
 
 pain, in the month of November, the twenty-fifth day, and on Friday, about the 
 Undern*: in the day and at the time that her most beloved, Jesus, our Lord, gave 
 up his life upon the cross for her and for us all. 
 
 May he, as Saviour, be praised and exalted, in the world of all worlds, ever 
 to eternity ! Amen ! 
 
 ^ Be he, as Healent, 
 ' )ie fif a. in heihunge ant in hemnge, 
 
 " f hire leouemon. in aire worldene world, 
 
 aa on ecnesse ! 
 ■* The hour of Nones, or three o'clock in the afternoon. 
 
0ii©^lb^m||. 
 
 ABBREVIATIONS. 
 
 A.S. Anglo-Saxon. — D, Dutch. — Fr, French. — G. German. — IsL Islandic. — Teut. Teutonic. — M. of the Middle 
 ages. — 0. Old. — Sc, ^otish dialect. — Sw. Swedish. — Inst. Mon. Institutiones Monialium, MS. in the Cottonian Col- 
 lection, Nero A. xiv. — T. refers to another copy of the same, Titus D. xriii. — Leg. St. Jul. Legend of St. Juliana, MS. 
 in the Royal Collection, 17. A. xxvii. — Leg. St. Marg. Legend of St. Margaret, in the same volume. — v. r. various 
 reading. — The numbers indicate the lines of the preceding Legend. 
 
 a, ai, 279, 664, 1490 ; A.S. a, aa, for 
 
 ever, aye, 
 a-canges,21I2;ar'Canget,2045;Beecang. 
 acaste, 1127; Isl. kasta, to cmt,ihrow. 
 acwellen, 1826, 1891 ; A.S. cwellan, 
 
 to hill. 
 adiht, 1382; A.S. dihtan, to appoint. 
 
 adweschen, 949 ; adweschde, 1196 ; 
 A. S. adwescan, to cast down, destroy. 
 
 afellen, 689; A.S. afaelan, to over- 
 throw. 
 
 aflei,2431; fleide, 1602; A.S. afligan, 
 to put tofiight. 
 
 agide, 12S6 ; A.S. ege, fear, auie. 
 
 agrisen, 2317; A.S. agrisan, to shtid- 
 der, 
 
 ah, S, 19 ; A.S. ac, ah, for, bat. 
 
 ahne, 409, 907, 1049; an, 730; A.S. 
 agen, own. 
 
 ahte, 144, 201,233, 1726; A.S. agan, 
 to possess : whence ahte is wealth, 
 cattle, property; in 248, 263, otight. 
 
 akennet, 382; A.S. cennan, to beget, 
 bring forth. 
 
 alesed, 11 SO; A.S. alysan, to redeem, 
 deliver. 
 
 alles, 796 ; A.S. al, alle, eall, all. 
 
 ali«, 1642, 2183; A.S.licgan, 3 sing. 
 
 pres. lis, to lie, fall, subside. 
 aire, 2S4, 304, S8S, S90 ; A.S. al, gen. 
 
 pi. alra. 
 amansed, 2101; A.S. amansumian, to 
 
 excommmiicafe, curse, 
 anhad, 932 ; A. S. an, one, had, state, — 
 
 L e. unity, 
 anlepi, 74, 1233, 1289; A.S. anlipig. 
 
 areaw, 1379; arewe, 1463; A.S.hreow- 
 sian, to rtie, tote pity, 
 
 arudden, 918, 1142; A.S. ahreddan, 
 to rid, free, 
 
 BSwikeiS, 2187; A.S. geswican, to de- 
 ceive, to cease, 
 
 atheld, 99, 1230; A.S. healdan, to 
 hold, keep, 
 
 atsterten, 699, 2126 ; " fie heorte is a 
 All wilde best, and make<5 monie 
 wilde lupes. David, Godes prophete, 
 seid -JS heo was etstert him, cor meum 
 dereliquid me, ■)* is, min heorte is 
 etflowen me." Inst. Mon. fol. 11. 
 
 atstutte, 23; A.S. setstandan, to re- 
 sist ; " etstondeS one ajean );e 
 ueonde, resistite diabolo." Inst. Mon. 
 fol. 66. 
 
 awariede, 142, 244, 1066 ; A.S. awa- 
 
 riged, accursed, 
 awarpen, 487, 590, 1228 ; aweorp, 
 
 837 ; A. S. aweorpan, to cast away, 
 
 overthrow, 
 aweald, 652 ; awealt, 555, 1276 ; A. S, 
 
 wealdan, to wield, govern. 
 a«at, 1821, 2054; ajet, 1312, until. 
 
 ba, 50, 114; ba«e, 77; ba«re, 1790; 
 
 A. S. ha, both, gen. baSra. 
 bale, 1772,2327, 2370; balewe, 551; 
 
 A.S. bealewe, misfortune, grief, slunne. 
 bealden, 1622; A.S. beald, bold. 
 beisume, 1805; A.S. bygan, to bend; 
 I G. beugsam, obedient. 
 beoden, 1480; A.S. beodan, to bid, 
 
 command. 
 beoren, 1949; here, 2370; bereS, 1056; 
 
 A.S. beoran, to bear, carry, behave; 
 
 bale here, eapressions of sorrow, 
 beten, 1406 ; bette,1210; bote, 1211; 
 
 A. S. betan, to repair, make better, 
 bicherde, 1188; A.S. bicerran, to go 
 
 beyond, outwit. 
 bidweoled, 1258; A.S. dwolian, to 
 
 deceive, to be deruTiged in mind, be- 
 wildered. 
 
138 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 bi-eoden, 1614; A.S. bigan, to talte 
 
 care of, 
 bigapede, 1262 ; A.S. geapan, to gape, 
 
 gaze, wonder, 
 bihaten, 756, 889; bihet, 415; A.S. 
 
 hatan, to promise, commands 
 biheolden, 1400 ; A. S. healdan, to 
 
 bilimeS, 2160 ; A.S. Una, a linib, 
 
 biliue, '2311; Sc. belyre, gM^'cAZy. 
 
 biradde, 1237; A.S. rEedan, to give 
 counsel, advice, 
 
 bismere, SSI, 1 301 ; A. S. bismer, 
 scorn, derision, 
 
 bitahte, 608; A.S. betsecan, to com- 
 mit. to, give in charge, 
 
 biteuelet, 1291; A.S. teflan, to play 
 at dice. 
 
 bituined, 16S9 ; A.S. tynan, to en- 
 dose, liedge in, 
 
 bijeate, 472 ; bijeten, 264, 1633, 2144; 
 A. S. begettan, to obtain, acquire, beget, 
 
 blikede, 2396; A. S. blican, to glitter, 
 gleam, 
 
 blinnung, 1694; blunneS, 1717; A. S. 
 bliiman, to cease, 
 
 bodien, 1481; A.S. bodian, to pro- 
 claim, preach. 
 
 bold, 140, 1664; A.S. bolde, «. hovse; 
 buri-bolde, 439, citadel. 
 
 botnede, 1062; botoe8, 2523; bote, 
 1211; A.S. betaii, to repair; bot, 
 rermdy, compensation, 
 
 bruche, 334 ; A. S. brucan, to use, enjoy, 
 
 bruche, 1210, 1407, 161S ; bruchel, 
 1104, 2029 ; A.S. brecan, to break, 
 
 bulden, 1 657 ; G, bilden, to design, 
 imagine, 
 
 cang, 260 ; " |ju a wrecche sunful mon 
 ert so swuiSe herdi to kesten cang 
 eien upon Junge wummen." Inst. 
 Mon. fol. 13. — " Nis he a hang knit 
 fjct secheS reste i^e uihte ? " Ibid, 
 fol. 98. — " We am cangede -p weneS 
 wi^ lihte scheapes (lihtleapes v, r.) 
 buien ecbe blisse." Ibid. MS. T. 
 
 chear, 2260; chearren, 2261; A.S. 
 cerran, to turn. 
 
 clepes, 360 ; clepede, 406 ; clepie, 1028 ; 
 
 A. S. cleopian, to call. 
 cointe, 580 ; 0. Fr. skilful, accomplished. 
 con, 817 ; conne, 871; A.S. cennan, to 
 
 knote. 
 constu, 1657 ; const tu. 
 copne«, 802, 2378, 2457 ; A.S. copi- 
 
 nere, lover. — 
 
 " Ich copni )?i cume." 
 
 Leg St. Marg. fol. 54, b. 
 crauant, 133; A. S creopan, to creep, 
 cud, 814; cudde, 1171; caSe, 800, 
 
 818, 823, 1354; A.S. cy«an, to 
 
 make known, 
 culurene, 1843 ; A.S. culfre, dove. 
 cun, 444, 464 ; A. S. cynne, kin, lineage, 
 cunnen, 624, 945, 1329 ; cu«en, 1330; 
 
 A. S. cunnan, to know, be able, 
 cunde, 296, 907, 989; A.S. gecynd, 
 
 nature, 
 cxu:en,1893; A.S. eyre, ««7^, choice; Tent. 
 
 churen, to choose, 
 cwalm-hus, 600, 1558, 1825; A.S. 
 
 cwealm, death, 
 cwarteme, 599, 670 ; A. S. cwartym, 
 
 prison, 
 cweaSen, 539; cwe8en, 134; cweS, 
 
 379, 751; cuSe, 1544; cwiddest, 
 
 2172 ; A. S. cwe^an, to say, speak, 
 cwellerea, 2200 ; A. S. cwellan, to kill, 
 cweme, 1744 ; A.S. cweman, to please. 
 cwic, 1891; cwich, 1261; cwike, 64, 
 
 341; A.S. cwic, cdive ; cwican, to 
 
 deah, 1853; deh, 1446, 2228; duhti, 
 782; A.S. dugan, to be good for ; 
 G. taugen. 
 
 dearede, 2047; (Sw. darra, to quake, 
 tremble')? A.S. teorian, to faint, be 
 weary ; Sc. dare, to be afraid, stand 
 in awe ; see diueren. 
 
 dearieS, 553; dearede, 1135; deame, 
 574, 1341; A.S. deaman, to hide. 
 
 derf, 2426 ; derue, 1912 ; derure, 948 ; 
 denieste, 565 ; denied, 1684; A.S 
 deorfan, to toil, to endure hardship or 
 pain. 
 
 dihten, 1471; i-diht, 1607; A.S dih- 
 
 tan, to order, dispose. 
 diueren, 619; Sc. dirr, torpid, insensi- 
 ble ; daiver, to become stupid. 
 " Speoken i ne dar nawt, 
 ah diueri ant darie 
 drupest ake fjinge." 
 
 Leg. St. Marg. fol. 50, b. 
 dream, 1498,1862,2046; A. S. dream, 
 
 joy, melody, 
 drehe, 1383 ; drehen, 626 ; droh, 1089, 
 
 1372; A.S. dreogan, to suffer, endure, 
 Drihtin, 1095; drihtnesae, 1123; driht- 
 
 fare, 1862 ; A.S. Drihtin, Lord. 
 dripninde, 2049 ; drupest, 2050 ; Teut. 
 
 druaben, to be troubled, sad, 
 dune, 2024 ; A. S. dyn, noise, din. 
 dusie, 597, 782, 979 ; dusilec, 425 ; 
 
 dusischipes, 1380, 1817; A.S. dy- 
 
 Big, foolish, absurd. 
 dusten, 1991 ; dustes, 984 ; duBte, 1094, 
 
 2026, to dash. 
 
 " Ich habbe adun Jie drake i-dust." 
 Leg. St. Harg. fol. 46. 
 " Dis milde meiden 
 
 Margaret i-grap him 
 
 ■)5 ne agras nawiht 
 
 ant hetefeste toe him 
 
 bi Jje atelich top 
 
 ant hef him up ant duste him 
 
 adun riht to J?er eorSe." 
 
 Ibid. fol. 46, b. 
 duuel, 1599 ; A.S. dufian, to dive, 
 
 eadi, 866, 749, 1244; A.S. eadig, 
 
 blessed, happy, 
 ea«, 626, 1226; e«, 381, 1038; A.S. 
 
 ear, 368; earst,423; A. S. aer, «re, befm-e, 
 earf«, 999 ; A.S. earfod, diffleult, 
 eche, 299, 302, 475, 874, 1638 ; ec- 
 
 nesse,, 664 ; A.S. ece, eternal, 
 eie, 657, 1602, eiful, 40 ; A.S. ege,fear, 
 eileS, 1699 ; A.S. egle, egleS, it mo- 
 
 ehiede, 672, 1374 ; elnedes, 626 ; A.S. 
 
 elnian, to comfort, 
 eode, 747, 1211; A.S. gan, to go; 
 
 eode, went. 
 
GLOSSARY. 
 
 139 
 
 eomen, 2300 ; A. S. yman, to run. 
 ernde, 2158 ; A.S. aerendian, to deliver 
 
 a message, intercede. 
 etwat, 2364 ; A.S. edwitan, io reprove. 
 
 blame., twit. 
 euene, 57 ; euening, 119, 302, 863 ; 
 
 A. S. sefen, equal. 
 ewe, 1231; A.S. selc, evert/, any. 
 ewt, 997 ; A. S. owiht, avght. 
 
 faren, 1393 ; ferde, 5, 1147 ; ferden, 
 1422 ; A.S. &ran, to go, journey. 
 
 fatte, 720, 2499 ; i-fat, 1296, 2282 ; 
 A S. fettan, to fetch, bring. 
 
 fearlac, 39, 607, 1598, 1602 ; A.S. 
 faeran, to terrify. 
 
 fele, 120, 122, 862 ; feole, 89 ; A.S. 
 fela, much, many. 
 
 feng, 1644 ; feng on, 315; fon on, 188ft; 
 A. S. fon, to take ; anfon, to begin. 
 
 feorliche, 2021, 2086 ; ferliche, 732, 
 1410 ; A.S. fearlic, sudden, surpris- 
 ing, formidable. 
 
 feren, 1252, 1375 ; A.S. ge-fera, com- 
 panion. 
 
 ferreden, 703, 2341 ; A.S. ge-feixedene, 
 company. 
 
 festnen, 1180 ; festni, 2011; i-festned, 
 1523 ; A.S. fsastnianj to fasten, con- 
 firm. 
 
 iirstede, 2399; firsti, 2331; A.S. fyr- 
 stan, to delay. 
 
 fleah, 16 ; A. S. fleogan, io take to 
 flight. 
 
 fleoninde, 2022 ; A.S. fleon, fo/y. 
 
 flit, 688 ; fiiten, 721 ; flites, 866 ; A.S. 
 flitan, io dispute, contend ; Sc. to 
 flite, id. 
 
 fondeden, 121 ; A.S. fandian, to prove, 
 try. 
 
 forbiene, 698 ; A.S. bysene, enumple. 
 
 forcuSest, 2242 ; A. S. forcu<5, wortlir 
 less, corrupt. 
 
 forcwiSest, 389; A.S. forcwseSan, io 
 gainsay, speak HI of. 
 
 fordem, 2249 ; fordemet, 428 ; A. S. 
 fordeman, to condemn. 
 
 forde«, 214 ; fordon, 427, 485, 2080 ; 
 A. S. fordon, to destroy. 
 
 fordrenct, 2343 ; A. S. fordraenct, ine- 
 briated. 
 
 forhohien, 993 ; A.S. forh6gian, to de- 
 spise. 
 
 forleosen, 347,898,1385 ; A.S. forleo- 
 &an, to lose. 
 
 forleten, 2391 ; A.S. forlaetan, to leave 
 off. 
 
 fonvende, 531 ; A.S. fore, before ; we- 
 nan, to think. 
 
 forwurSe, 2191; A.S. forwyriSan, to 
 parish. 
 
 fot, 1371, 2273 ; (fode, Weber's Glos- 
 sary,) a man. 
 
 framien, 288 ; fremede, 2399 ; A. S. 
 iremian, to benefit. 
 
 freclien,732; M. G. irech,fortis, Scherz; 
 freik, a strong man, Jamieson. 
 " Oure kyng hath this freke y-felde, 
 Oure is the maistry of the felde ! " 
 'Weber,Rom. KyngAlisaundcr,21 6 1 . 
 
 freinen, 1645 ; freineden, 1754 ; A.S. 
 freegnian, to inquire, ash. 
 
 freo, 451, 1179 ; freliche, 1550 ; freo- 
 lich, 68 ; freolaic, 2398 ; A.S. freo, 
 f^ee, liberal, noble, pure. 
 
 frouren, 287 ; frourede, 1603 ; A.S. 
 froMan, to comfort. 
 
 gabbes, 2269 ; i-gabbet, 2305 ; A. S. 
 
 gabban, io contend, deride, banter. 
 gadien, 1945 ; A.S. ga.i, goad. 
 gersum, 799 ; A. S. gsrsuma, wealth, 
 
 compensation. 
 gin, 1980 ; i-ginet, 1981; Fr. engin, 
 
 a?i engine, machine. 
 gleo, gleowinge, gleowinde, 146, 1682 ; 
 
 A.S. gleowian, io joke, sing; gligg, a 
 
 godcundnesse, 985 ; A. S. godcundny sse, 
 
 divine nature. 
 godlec, 290, 297 ; godleic, 840, 899 ; 
 
 A. S. g6d, good. 
 grapes, 855 ; A.S. grapan, to grope. 
 gremien, 303 ; gremed, 2106 ; i-grem- 
 
 ed, 1467, 2305 ; grome, 1363 ; A.S. 
 
 gremian, to provoke. 
 gnire, 1968, 1993 ; A.S. gryre, Aorror, 
 
 terror. . 
 
 ha, she, tJiey. 
 
 haliwei, 1707 ; A. S. hael, health ; wegi, 
 a cup. 
 
 ham, them, t/iemselvcs. 
 
 hare, tlieir, of them. 
 
 hat, 364 ; i-haten, 2482 ; het, 4) ■_', 
 1371, 1547 ; hete, 540 ; hehte, 432 ; 
 A.S. hatan, hettan, io bid, command. 
 
 hatele, 1971; A.S. haixA, hateful. 
 
 hatte, 1788 ; het, 22, 158 ; hehte, 73, 
 466 ; hit, 710'; A.S. hatan, io call, 
 to be called, named. 
 
 healden, 685 ; (A.S. heald, sloping, in- 
 dining) ? " Hwon hit so biualleS 
 Set me asaileS buruhwes oSer cas- 
 tles, J)eo ^et beoiS witJinnen JteldeV 
 schaldinde water ut." Inst. Mon. 
 fol. 65, b. 
 
 heale, 874 ; Healendes, 609 ; Helend, 
 185 ; A.S. hdsl, Itealth, salvation. 
 
 heane, 1020, 1971 ; heaneS, 2435 ; 
 A. S. heane, poor, vile. 
 " Al mi nest falde cun me heaaeS 
 \>et schulden mine freond beon." 
 Leg. St. Jul. foL 61. 
 
 heapes, 1996 ; A.S. heape, a crowd. 
 
 hehte ; see hat, hatte. 
 
 heie, 234 ; heien, 460, 1019 ; A.S. 
 hean, to raise, exalt. 
 
 heo, 117, 366 ; s!ie, they. 
 
 Heore, 874 ; A.S. hearra, lord. 
 
 herd, 83 ; A. S. heor8, hearth. 
 
 herhede, 336 ; A.S. hergian,toAorroM', 
 ravage. 
 
 herien, 147, 224, 460 ; heren, 253 ; 
 here*, 249; i-heried, 186; A.S. 
 herian, to praise. 
 
 herre, 758 ; A. S. hyrre, higher. 
 
 hersumen, 147 ; hersumeS, 249, 274 ; 
 A. S. hersumian, to obey. 
 
 het ; see hat, hatte. 
 
 heterliche, 777, 2108, 2152, 2271 ; 
 A.S. aterlic, angrily, fiercely ; ater. 
 
 When, 412 ; hihendeliche, 2141; A.S. 
 
 higan, to ttasten. 
 bird, 81, 158, 2446 ; hirdmen, 2247 ; 
 
 A.S. hired, domestics, retainers, a 
 
 company. 
 
140 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 hoker, 420, 778 ; insult, mocker;/; ho- 
 kerest, 458; hokerliche, 742 ; "ho- 
 kereS and schorneS, and lauliweS 8e 
 olde ape [the tempter] lude to bis- 
 mare." Inst. Mon. fol. 66. 
 
 houere, 1063 ; A.S. hofer, crooh-backed. 
 
 hure, 1737 ; A.S. huru, moreover, at 
 
 " I " is frequently used as an abbreviar 
 tion of "in," either by itself or joined 
 to the following word ; as, ij^e, in 
 the. It is also used for " ich, /; " as, 
 iseo, /see. When prefixed to verbs, it 
 represents the A.S. "ge ;" as, i-cheo- 
 sen, i-cleopet, i-do. Of such words a 
 few only require to be noticed by 
 themselves. The rest, when it has 
 been thought fit to introduce them, 
 will be found in their places under 
 the letter next following the prefix. 
 
 ichulle, 1308 ; ich wuUe. 
 
 i-coren, 1295, 1405 ; see curen. 
 
 i-delet, 753 ; A.S. daelan, to divide. 
 
 i-flut, 826 ; Sw. flytta, to remove from 
 one place to another ; Sc. to fiitt. 
 
 i-fnlhtnet, 1391, 1406 ; A.S. fuUnht, 
 baptism. , 
 
 i-greiiSet, 1993; A.S. ge-rsedian, to 
 prepare. 
 
 i-hel, 2055 ; A. S. helan, to conceal, 
 
 i-kelet, 2291; A.S. celan, to be cold. 
 
 i-kimet, 1297 ; A.S. cuman, cyman, to 
 come. 
 
 i-Iad, 2233; A.S. geJaedan, to lead, 
 take away. 
 
 i-litet, 1432; Isl. lita, to dye; litr, 
 
 i-meane, 1867; A.S. gemaene, common ; 
 
 ^eias,xia,felhwsliip. 
 i-prud, 1460; A. S. prutian, to Je^-owd, 
 
 i-sette, 359 ; A. S. secgan, to say. 
 i-sliket, 1675 ; A. S. sli8, smooth, 
 
 sleek. 
 i-tende, 156, 197 ; A.S. tendan, to 
 
 i-timbret, 1972 ; A.S. timbrian, to 
 
 kempe, 803, 814 ; kempene, 2461 ; 
 
 A.S. cempa, soldier, champion. 
 kenchen, 2042 ; A. S. cincung, latiyhter. 
 
 lac, 64, 168 ; lake, 63, 202, 435 ; A.S. 
 lac, a victim, an offering. 
 
 lam, 991, 2180 ; A.S. lam, day. 
 
 lastelese, 105 ; G. lastem, to blame ; 
 " );e dead nis nout of fiauh he ligge 
 unburied ; preise him, laste him, al 
 him is iliche leof." Inst. Mon. foL 
 96. — In Leg. St. Jul. the Blessed 
 Virgin is called " Jie lasUese meiden ;" 
 fol. 63, b. 
 
 Ian, 806 ; A.S. lean, recompense. 
 
 lanhure, 557, 775, 1074, 1149 ; A.S. 
 la, behold ; an, one ; huru, at least. 
 " Lefdi, quofe he, leowse 
 {)i fot of mi necke, 
 ant swa lanhure leoiSe me." 
 
 Leg. St. Marg. fol. 46. 
 
 larespel, 385 ; A.S. larspel, a sermon, 
 doctrine. 
 
 leaffule, 166, 1038 ; lef, 1074 ; lefde, 
 429-; unlefliche, 345 ; A.S. lefan, to 
 
 lease, 1010, 1804 ; leasunges, 344, 
 
 789 ; A.S. leas, /a&e. 
 lef, 786 ; leflich, 1553 ; lefmon, 678, 
 
 877, 1515; leafiuon, 482 ; leue, 
 
 772, 1375 ; leui, 1689 ; ieuere, 
 
 2312 ; A.S. leof, dear, 
 leggen, 773 ; lehe, 1847 ; lei, 28 ; 
 
 leiden, 2252 ; leiest, 1895 ; li«, 
 
 779; A. S. lecgan, to lay, place, lie. 
 lei, 198, 1412 ; leie, 1417, 1369 ; 
 
 leitede, 671, 1595 ; leitende, 1370, 
 
 1666 ; A.S. leg,>jme. 
 lei, 166, 321, 832 ; A.S. laga, law. 
 leome, 478, 667, 1046 ; limen, 904 ; 
 
 A. S. leoma, light. 
 leor, 316, 1430, 1433 ; A.S. hleor, the 
 
 countenance. 
 lepi, 1289 ; see anlepi. 
 leSien, 1530 ; (A.S. M, soft, easy) ? 
 
 see above, under lanhure, " leoSe 
 
 me." 
 lich, 1553 ; liches, 1045 ; licome, 215, 
 
 2223; licomliche, 42 ; A.S. lk,body. 
 
 lime*, 1792 ; A.S. geliman, to glue. 
 
 limpets, 47 1 ; A.S. gelimpan, to happen, 
 belong to. " Schrift schal makien 
 Sene mon al swuch ase he was 
 biuoren Set he sunegede ; ase clene 
 and ase riche of alle god Set lim- 
 pets to 8e soule." Inst. Mon. 
 fol. 82. 
 liSerede, 1554 ; see luiSer. 
 lokede, 791 ; (A. S. belocen, shut up) ? 
 " De wurmes ant te wilde deor 
 ■f on jjeos wilde waldes wunieS 
 libbeS efter \ie lahen 
 ■)i tu ham hauest i-loket, 
 liuiende Lauerd." 
 
 Leg. St. Marg. fol. 44, b. 
 lowr,2436; (A.S. \o,behold; hei,h£re)? 
 ludere, 208, 2062 ; ludinge, 145, 2352 ; 
 
 A.S. hlydan, to make a noise. 
 lufte, 2124, 2277 ; A.S. lyft, the air. 
 luken, 2128 ; to-lnken, 2123 ; A.S. 
 lucan, to tear away. 
 
 " Wa is us ^ we i-seotS 
 \i\ softe leofliche lich 
 to-luken swa ladliche." 
 
 Leg. St. Marg. Vol. 40. 
 " IchuUe leoten deor 
 to-teoren ant to-luken );e." 
 
 Leg. St. Jul. fol. 58. 
 lure, 805 ; luren, 1650 ; A.S. lore. 
 
 luste, 1240, 1527 ; Teut. list, art, craft. 
 —1588; lusti, 1693; A.S. lust, de- 
 sire, joy. 
 
 luSer, 667, 902, 1241 ; liSerede, 1554 ; 
 A.S. lySre, worthless, bad, base. 
 
 mate, 2016 ; Fr. mat, mortified, sub- 
 dued. 
 
 maumetes, 143 ; maumez, 204, 267, 
 1779 ; false gods, Mahomets. 
 
 me, 327, 1281 ; (Fr. mais, but, more- 
 over) ? 
 
 mealde, 1245, 1248 ; mealeS, 1325 ; 
 meale, 1738 ; A.S. maSelan, mea- 
 lan, to speale, preach. 
 
 meanen, 1243, 2346; A.S. maenan, to 
 bemoan, also to think, intend. 
 
GLOSSARY. 
 
 141 
 
 meinful, 1096, 2072; A.S. msegen, 
 
 poiver. 
 menske, 135, 2008 ; A. S. mennisc, 
 
 iiian^ human, 
 merreS, 1780 ; A.S. mynan, to mar, 
 
 destroy. 
 mid, 790, 1416 j A.S. mii,mth, among. 
 milce, 297, 1384, 2419 ; A.S. mUtae, 
 
 mercy ; miltsian, to be mercifvl. 
 misferden, 93 ; A.S. miaferan, to be 
 
 misliche, 38, 271, 989, 1673; A.S. 
 mislic, various, different. 
 
 mix, 204, 1779 ; A. S. meox, diaig. 
 
 mod, 606 ; A. S. mod, mind, mood. 
 
 modi, 120, 418, 725, 739; modieate, 
 1247 ; A.S. modig^wtmd, moody. 
 
 mot, 547, 589, 852, 1321, 1326 ; mo- 
 ten, 586, 755, 1245, 1323 ; moti, 
 761 ; moleres, 725 ; motild, 397, 
 418 ; A,S. motian, to discourse, to 
 reason, discuss. 
 
 munnen, 716, 972, 1202, 1714, 2422 ; 
 A, S. gemunan, to rejn&mber, mention. 
 
 nabbe, 1272 ; formed of ne, not, and 
 habbe, /idtie. In like manner are fonn- 
 ed nalde, nat, nauetS, nefde, nere, nes, 
 nia, nule, nuste ; from ne walde, ne 
 wat, ne haueiS, ne hefde, ne were, 
 ne wea, ne ia, ne wule, ne wuste. 
 
 nam, 910 ; neome, lUOl ; nimen, 1184 ; 
 nom, 1023 ; mianome, 455 ; unneo- 
 melich, 1185 ; A. S. niman, to take. 
 
 nawiht, 285 ; nawt, 85 ; A. S. nawibt. 
 
 nebschaft, 448, 915, 1457 ; A.S. neb, 
 
 face. 
 nome-cuSe, 537, 816 ; A.S. noma, 
 
 name ; cyiSan, to make knoivn, 
 nowcin, 1176, 1698, 1860 ; O. Fr. 
 nocer, to hurt, 
 " Heouenlich Healent, 
 for \>i deorewurSe nome 
 ich habbe i-drohen novicin, 
 ant nome deaS nuSen." 
 
 Leg. St. Marg. fol. 64, b. 
 nuSe, 2119; A.S. nu, now; ]>a. 
 
 of-dred, 674 ; A.S. of-draed, cfraid. 
 of-)!uncliinge, 1703 ; A.S. of-Jiencan, 
 
 to repent. 
 olhtnunge, 1 502 ; A. S. oleccan, to flatter. 
 on, 1761; unne«, 2376; A.S. unnan, 
 
 anan, to give, grant. 
 oude, 893 ; A.S. onda, e«oy, zeal. 
 onont, 387, 456, 1099 ; Sc. anent, con- 
 
 ontendede, 1415 ; A,S. ontendan, to 
 
 orooat, 1724; A. S. hord, treasure; 
 
 ceata, a chest. 
 ow, 278, 805 ; ower, 344 ; oivre, 808 ; 
 
 A. S, eow, you ; eower, your, 
 
 pel, 1461; A.S. psel ; lel. pell, a rich 
 
 garment, 
 pine, 1031 ; pine«, 1824 ; pinful, 1980 ; 
 
 A. S. pin, pain ; pinan, to inflict pain. 
 plahen, 106; pleiende, 1691; A. S. 
 
 plaga, play. 
 preonea, 1947 ; Isl. prion, a needle. 
 
 rake, 919, 1143 ; A.S. ra«enta, raca- 
 tege, a chain. 
 
 raS, 2000 ; read, 579, 1379, 1464 ; 
 reaS, 6, 1969 ; A.S. rad, rsed, coun- 
 sel, consideration. 
 
 raSe, 554 ; A. S. hrade, speedily, 
 
 ream, 2325; reame3,164; remen,2371; 
 A. S. hraeme, crying, lamentation, 
 
 refachipe, 11; reue, 1927, 1975 ; A.S. 
 gere&, a sheriff, prefect, 
 
 reoiSeren, 60 ; A. S. briber, an ox, 
 
 rixlen, 226 ; rixlinge, 44 ; A.S. rixian, 
 to govern, 
 
 rode, 928, 1141; A.S. rod, rood, cross. 
 
 ronnes, 108 ; runea, 109, 2031 ; G. 
 raunen, to whisper. 
 
 run, runes, 574, 1341; A.S. run, mys- 
 tery, secret design. 
 
 ruten, 2030 ; lal. rota, to strike, 
 
 aaben, 358, 382, 644 ; A.S. aaga, a 
 
 word, saying, 
 achafte, 239, 250, 366 ; Scbuppend, 
 
 Bcbeop, 305; scbop,219; A.S. scea- 
 
 pan, to make, create. 
 
 schead, 240 ; A.S. aceadan, to distin- 
 guish, divide, 
 
 achendlac, 1285 ; A.S. eceandlice, dis- 
 graceful, 
 
 achrencte, 1189; A. S. acrencean, to 
 supp.ant, 
 
 schrudde, 912 ; A. S. scrydan, to clothe, 
 cover, 
 
 schuldi, 2296 ; A.S. acyliig, guilty. 
 
 seggen, 323 ; A. S. aecgan, to say. 
 
 aelbSe, 895 ; aeli, 1421, 1464 ; A.S. 
 aaelig, happy ; aely, in Chancer 
 (Reve's Tale), simple, 
 
 aeotle, 45, 723 ; A.S. aetl, a seat. 
 
 Beo8en, 829, 1339 ; aiSen, 398 ; A.S. 
 seoSSan, afterwards, then, 
 
 aihen, 2353 ; i-aihen, 2084 ; A. S. si- 
 gan, to descend, rush. 
 
 aiSe, 794, 1294 ; A.S. Bi8, time, turn. 
 
 sker, 870 ; achir, 1286 ; A.S. acyre, 
 dear, entirely, 
 
 alakie, 2166 ; A.S. aleacgian, to slack- 
 en, use less diligence, 
 
 alec, 1677 ; Teut. alyck, D. alik, slim:, 
 mud, 
 
 aloh, 1677 ; A. S. alog, a slough. 
 
 smeccbeiS, 1537 ; A.S. amaeccan, to 
 taste, smack, kiss. 
 
 aftiirkinde, 356, 1494 ; A.S. araearcian, 
 to smile. 
 
 smirlea, 1612, 2225 ; amerede, 2224 ; 
 A.S. smirian, to anoirU, smear. 
 
 aome, 1420 ; somen, 532, 932 ; A. S. 
 somod, at tlie same time, together, 
 
 sonde, 153, 431, 601 ; aondea mon, 
 518 ; A.S. aendan, to send. 
 
 atalewurSe, 1626 ; A.S. ataSol, ^rra, 
 steady ; wyr^e, worth, 
 
 starcliche, 718 ; G. stark, strong, 
 
 staSelfest, 71; A.S. staSoIfaest, stead- 
 fast. 
 
 steab, 338, 715, 1876 ; stihen, 1012, 
 1627, 2450 ; A. S. stigan, to ascend, 
 
 steape, 310 ; steapre, 1663 ; A. S. steap, 
 steep, elevated, (intense) ? 
 
 ateuene, 208, 717 ; A.S. stefn, voice. 
 
 steuenteS, 1271; A. S. stent, he stands ; 
 Btxmia, foolish. " We redeS ine re- 
 gum Set isboset lei and slepte, and 
 
142 
 
 GLOSSAEY. 
 
 sette ane wummon .uorte beon ~^ete- 
 ward fiet windwede hweate ; and 
 comeA recabes punen remon and ba- 
 naei, and ifuunden 8e wummon 
 astunt of bire.windwunge, and ifallen 
 aslepe, and wenden in, and slowen 
 Sene uniselie isboset." Inst. Mon. 
 fol. 72, b. " De gode pilegrim halt 
 euer his rihte wei uorSward ; ))anli 
 be iseo ojiere i-here idele gomenes 
 and wundres bi Se weie, be ne et- 
 stont nout ase foles doiS, auh halt 
 forS his rate, and hieS toward his 
 giste." Id. fol. .95, b.— Stunt, in 
 vulgar Lincolnshire dialect, stupidly 
 obstinate. 
 
 stew, 374, 1540 ; i-stewet, 667 ; (G. 
 stfehen, to stand, stop) ? 
 " Stute nu ant stew 
 Jiine unwittie wordes." 
 
 Leg. St. Marg. fol. 41. 
 
 storliche, 1274 ; storuene, 1043; A.S. 
 steorfan, to kill, die. 
 
 strahte, 2475 ; A. S. streccan, to stretch. 
 
 strike*, 2514 ; strikinde, 733 ; A. S. 
 strican, to tend, make towards a place. 
 " Striken men Jjideward 
 )jea of eauereuch strete." 
 
 Leg. St. Marg. fol. 51, b. 
 
 stucches, 2018; stucchen, 2032 ; A.S. 
 stycc, a part ; Isl. stycki, a piece ; 
 G. stuck, id. 
 
 stunde, 1269 ; A. S. stand, u, space of 
 time, Jumr. 
 
 sturie, 361 ; "sturien, 1273 ; sturede, 
 2146 ; A.S. styran, to move, stir. 
 
 stude, 3, 682 ; stede, 2486 ; stute, 
 1540 ; A.S. styde, stede, a place. 
 
 sutel, 324 ; sutelede, 1036 ; suteUiche, 
 1340 ; A. S. sweotol, manifest. 
 
 swerf, 2212 ; Sc. swarf, a swoon. 
 
 sweouete, 1438 ; sweuen, 1572 ; A.S. 
 swffifunge, sleep. 
 
 swike, 1961; A. S. swican, to deceive, 
 hetray. 
 
 swipte, 2485 ; swipten, 2210 ; Isl. 
 sweipa, to strike. 
 
 swire, 2122, 2265 ; A.S. sweora, tlie 
 
 swiSe, 66 ; swiSre, 314 ; swiSest, 734 ; 
 A.9i. s-mi, strong, povierfid ; swiSe, 
 
 ta, tah ; see J^a, )?ab. 
 talien, 795, 820 ; talde, 1318 ; talede, 
 1828; A.S. talian, to teU, speak, 
 
 tauelin, 1254 ; teueli, 822 ; A.S. tae- 
 
 fian, to play at dice. 
 tene, 403, 1513 ; teone, 620, 1363 ; 
 
 teneS, 549 ; A. S. teona, wrong. 
 
 te-schrapet, 1190 ; A.S. screopan, to 
 
 timber, 1194 ; i-timbret, 1972 ; A.S. 
 
 timbre, matter, timber ; timbrian, to 
 
 build. 
 timluker, 2117 ; A. S. timlice, timely. 
 tintrehe, 620 ; tintreohe, 404 ; tintrohe, 
 
 41; A. S. tintrege, ^az«, tormcre/. 
 to-dreaued, 92 ; to-driuen, 2079 ; A. S. 
 
 to-drsefed, dispersed. 
 to-hwitSeren, 2018. " Nes seinte peter 
 
 and seinte andreu i-streiht o rode, 
 
 and seint lorenz o^e gredil, and lotS- 
 
 lease meidenes Se tittes i-koruen of, 
 
 and to-hwiSered o hweoles ? " Inst. 
 
 Mon. fol. 99. 
 to-Iuken ; see luken. 
 torn, 1318; Sw. torn, empty; Sc. toom, id. 
 trukie, 404 ; trukien, 1814 ; A.S. tru- 
 
 cian, to fail. 
 tuhen, 2206 ; A. S. teon, plur. tugon, 
 
 to puU, tug. 
 tukeiS, 550 ; A.S. twiccan, to twitch, 
 
 carp at. 
 
 ule6, 1496 ; D. vleyen, to flatter. 
 
 umbe, 1 2, 6 1 8 ; A. S. ymbe, about, after. 
 
 underfeng, 1102 ; underfes, 983 ; un- 
 derfon, 702 ; A.S. underfon, to as- 
 sume, admit, receive. 
 
 undemam, 118 ; undemeome, 650, 
 680 ; undemimen, 123 ; undemu- 
 men, 1860; A. S. undemiman, to 
 
 underae, 1174 ; see derf. 
 
 undutte, 1821 ; A. S. dyttan, to stop up. 
 
 unforgult, 233 f A.S. forgyltan, to do 
 wroTig, 
 
 unhendeliche, 2148 ; Sc. hende, gentle. 
 
 unimet, 739 ; A. S. ungemete, boundless. 
 
 unne8, 2376 ; see on.- 
 
 unseli, 1811; see selhSe. 
 
 untidi, 2433 ; G. unzeitig, unseasonable. 
 
 unwine, 1228 ; A. S. wicSerwinna, ad- 
 versary. " Kastel jjet haueiS deope 
 dich abuten, and water beo iSe dich, 
 jje kastel is wel kareleas a^ean his 
 wnwimes.'" Inst. Mon. fol. 65, b. 
 
 unwreah, 1769 ; A.S. unwrean, to un- 
 fold, open. 
 
 unwreaste, 1266; A. S. unwraeste, jocoi, 
 
 unjjrowlich ; see Jirowede. 
 
 wake, 1267 ; A. S. wseg, a wave. 
 ward,1249; war8,27; i-w'arSen,1743; 
 
 A. S. weor<5an, to be, to become. 
 warpen, 18 ; warpe, 640 ; wearp, 894 ; 
 
 wurpen, . 1832 ; A. S. weorpan, to 
 
 throw, cast. 
 wat, 562 ; wite, 263 ; witen, 320 ; 
 
 A. S. witan, to know, 
 ■wax, 1343 ; G. M. vehen, to flee. 
 weald, wealdende, &c. ; see aweald. 
 weane, 1172, 2136 ; wanunge, 922 ; 
 
 A. S. waning, grief, loss. 
 weame, 770 ; werie, 788 ; A.S. weri- 
 
 an, to defend, hinder. 
 weden, 1263; wedinde, 379 ; wod, 31, 
 
 157 ; wodeliche, 1265 ; A.S. wedan, 
 
 to be mad. 
 wende, 130, 160, 431, 920 ; wenden, 
 
 401, 420 ; i-went, 658, 1300; wente, 
 
 402, 1173; A, S.v/eiiAa.n, to go, turn. 
 weoued, 203 ; A.S. weofod, altar. 
 wepmen, 2355 ; A. S. wepman, a man. 
 westum, 69, 313 ; A.S. wsestm, growth. 
 
 wihtes, 1066, 1722 ; A.S. wiht, crea- 
 
 wilne, 1535 ; wilneS, 1686 ; A.S. wil- 
 nian, to will, desire. 
 
 wisse, 1543 ; wisseS, 1798; wiste, 136; 
 wissinde, 934 ; wissimge,190; witen, 
 137 ; A, S. wissian, to teach, direct. 
 
GLOSSARY. 
 
 143 
 
 " As )ju uiistest daniel 
 bimong Jie wode leiins, 
 ant te (jreo cUldien, 
 ananie zacharie 
 mieael i-nempnet, 
 biwistest unweommet 
 from }pe ferliche fiir 
 of }pe iumesse, 
 Bwa \>a viite and witen me 
 to vnten me from sunne." 
 
 Leg. St. Jul. fol. 61. 
 witejen, 484 ; wittige, 490 ; A.S. wi- 
 
 tega, a prophet. 
 witerliche, 283, 2092. " Je ne scliulen 
 uor none I'inge ne warien, ne sweri- 
 en ; bute 3if 3e siggen loiUerlicie, 
 o))er sikerliche." Inst. Mon. fol. 16,b. 
 wittes, S25; witti, 317 j A.S. wit, 
 
 knowledge, prudence. 
 ■wiSerwine, 639, 1197 ; see unwine. 
 wi8 ward, 1 983 ; A. S. wiJS, agaimt, with. 
 wUte, 69, 1463 ; wliti, 313 ; A. S. wUte, 
 
 beauty, featmea ; wlitig, beautiful 
 wlenches, 1010; wlonke, 844; A.S. 
 
 wlanc, proud, arrogant. 
 woh, 562, 1195, 1199, 1230, 1243, 
 
 1356 ; A. S. woh, error, wrong. 
 
 wondreaSe, 621; A.S. wana, wamting; 
 
 reed, oounsel. " Godes Jjreatunge is 
 
 wondreSe and weane ine licome and 
 
 ine soule, world a buten ende." Inst. 
 
 Mon. fol. 40. 
 
 wone, 67 ; wonieS, 2218 ; wonteS, 
 
 1685 ; A.S. wana, wanting, deficient. 
 
 wrakeliche, 2076 ; wreken, 2078 ; A.S. 
 
 wraecan, to avenge, wreak. 
 wraSe, 172; A.S. hraiSe, voluntarily/, 
 
 quickly. 
 wreo*ieS, 859 ; A. S. wreo8an, to prop, 
 support. 
 
 wrenchen, 126 ; wrenchfule, 892 ; A, S. 
 wrenc, guHe, deceit. 
 
 wune, 642 ; wunede, 8 ; wnnefS, 247 ; 
 wunien, 921; i-wunet, 1757; wu- 
 nunge, 2456 ; A. S. wunian, to dwell. 
 
 wunne, 1511, 1641; wiiimen, 1710; 
 A. S. wyn, joy, delight. 
 
 wurehen, 173 ; wurcheS, 371, 492 ; 
 A. S. weorcan, to work. 
 
 wurcheS, 274 ; i-wnrSchet, 509 ; wuriS, 
 70, 343; wuHSfiile, 1017 ; A. S. wur- 
 8ian, to lionour, worship. 
 
 wurSlice, 1577 ; A.S. wuriSlic, honour- 
 able. 
 
 wuriSme, 2263 ; wuriSmund, 218, 1455; 
 A. S. weoriSmynt, dignity, glory. 
 
 Jarewe, 1750 ; Jarow, 2334 ; A.S. 
 
 gearwe, ready. 
 3arken, 1752, 1942, 2335 ; i-?arket, 
 
 1740 ; A.S. gearcian, to prepare. 
 3eald, 128; 3eld, 212, 765, 1639; 
 
 3elden,S68 ; Jelt, 245 ; 3ulde,217; 
 
 A. S. geldan, to pay. 
 3eien, 207, 2091; 3eide,1373; 3einde, 
 
 162. " He bigon to 3eien mid reouS- 
 
 fule stefoe, heloy, heloy lama zabar 
 
 tani." Inst. Mon. T. 
 3einen, 179; G. gewinnen, togain,proJU. 
 3elp, 471, 476, 865 ; 3elpe«, 1287 ; 
 
 A. S. gelpan, to boast. 
 3eme, 1462 ; A.S. geman, to take heed, 
 
 care of. 
 3eomeie, 1831; A. S. geomor, sad, 
 
 wretcbM. 
 3eome, 1588 ; 3eme, 2420 ; A. S. 
 
 georne, earnestly, fervently. 
 3eouen, 37 ; 3eoue, 217 ; 3ef, 357 ; 
 
 3if, 92 ; A. S. gi&n, to give. 
 
 3ette, 768 ; 3ettede, 1590, 2402 ; A.S. 
 
 geatan, to grant, confirm. 
 3imstanes, 1662 ; A.S. gimstan, a gem. 
 3ont, 410 ; A.S. geond, through, over. 
 3uren, 2040 ; 3nrende, 162, to scream, 
 
 shriek. 
 
 jja, 24, 405, 1610 ; Jien, 1007 ; A.S. 
 
 ]pSL, then, when. 
 \,Si, 80 ; jjah, 229, 846 ; A.S. Jieah, 
 
 (jarf, 1 1 60, 1 863 ; A. S. Iiearfan, to need. 
 ))eotinde, 163 ; A.S. fieotan, to howl. 
 )>oa, 360 ; A.S. ]>a, those. 
 )jole, 515 ; Jjolede, 927 ; )>olie, i^g ; 
 
 Jjolien, 1006, 1031; A.S. ]>o\ian, to 
 
 suffer, bear patiently. 
 Jjolemod, 177, 1819 ; see mod. 
 )>onki, 2415 ; A.S. )>ancian, to thuTik. 
 Jireap, 1509 ; jjreapeS, 1 939 ; A. S. {>rea- 
 
 pian, to aver pertinaciously, to dispute. 
 )jrittuSe, 1424 ; A.S. JiriteoiSa, thir- 
 teenth. In line 43, it is in the sense 
 
 of ))rittigoiSa, thirty. 
 Jirowede, 927 ; );rowde, 1162; Jirowin, 
 
 1140 ; un>rowUch, 1161; A.S. Jjro- 
 
 wian, to suffer. 
 Jjuldi, 177; unjjuldeliche, 163; A.S. 
 
 Jjyldig, patient. 
 (jullich, 357, 382, 849 ; fulli, 348 ; 
 
 A. S. Jjyllice, such. 
 Jjuhte, 85, 778 ; )junche, 278 ; (irniche^, 
 
 346, 845 ; mis)junche«, 982 ; A. S. 
 
 J?incan, f^uncan, to think, seem, 
 (jurh, 6, 37 ; A. S. Jjurh, by, through. 
 ))urh, 2515 ; A. S. ):ruh, Jjmruc, a coffin. 
 Jjurhwunest, 662 ; A. S.fiurh wunian, <o 
 
 remain permanently. 
 Jjurs, 1880; A. S. )>yrs, an infernal 
 
 spirit, giant. 
 
REFERENCES TO THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT. 
 
 Fol. 133, t. begins at . . . line 1 
 
 134 78 
 
 134, b 158 
 
 135 229 
 
 135, b 312 
 
 136 400 
 
 136, b 485 
 
 137 ...... . 572 
 
 137, b 654 
 
 138 748 
 
 138, b 843 
 
 139 940 
 
 139, b 1045 
 
 140 . . . . . . 1143 
 
 140, b 1229 
 
 Fol. 141 begins at . . . . line 1320 
 
 141, b 1408 
 
 142 1498 
 
 142, b. . . '. . . 1583 
 143 1679 
 
 143, b 1765 
 
 144 1859 
 
 144, b 1947 
 
 145 2043 
 
 145, b 2133 
 
 146 2219 
 
 146, b 2304 
 
 147 2397 
 
 147, b 2485 
 
 THE END. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 fttlNTED BY SAMUEL EENTLEY, 
 
 Bangor House, Shoe Lane. 
 
Cornell Unlvtnlty Library 
 PR 1846.C5 1841 
 
 The legend of St. Katherine of Alexandri 
 
 3 1924 013 109 123 «„ 
 
>]xisSfli s