SEYN JULIAN

(THE LIFE OF ST. JULIANA),

FROM ASHMOLE MS. 43.

Eyn Julian com of heie men as we fyndep iwrite.

SEyn

Cristene stilliche he bicom pat no mon ne scholde iwite.

Maximan het þe emperour: þat hepene was po.

Alle cristenemen he dude to depe: þat he miste of go.

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A gret maister he hadde vnder him: þat het elise

He wolde pat Julian to him? iwedded scholde be.

Wip hire fader and moder he spek so þat hi were at on.

po he wende to pis holi maide and wende habbe is wille anon. 8 Swete sire quap. Seyn Juliane it ne uallep not to me

Bote pou were mon of more power to be ispoused to pe. pis mon was glad uor his word to be emperour he wende. Noble ziftes he him şef and fair present him sende.

So þat he made him vnder him

To don and hote wat he wolde

hext Justice of is londe.

uor is zift and uor is sonde.

pis Justice wende to Juliane po is power was.

And wende hire habbe as is spouse ac he failede of is as.

pis maide him uaire vnswerde Bote we be bope of one lawe Cristene womman icham iwis

Bicome cristene for my loue

leue sire heo sede

we ne mowe not be of one rede
I ne reche ho it wite.
and me pou hast bizite.

Sori was his luper man he nuste po wat he mişte.
Wuste pis he sede1 be emperour he wolde luper be dizte.
Zif we cristene bep bope we worþep sone dede.

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þat we scholde to gadere lede.

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to debe do vp myn obe.
and haue reupe of ous bope.

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penne our Ioie were al ido
Ihote2 icham alle cristenemen
peruore lemmon turn þi pozt
Leue sire quap þat maide if pou art adrad
Of be emperour þat is erliche3 man iwis pou art amad.

1 Read (he sede). "if pe Emperor knew pis (said he).
2 Commanded."

3 "Early."

6

sone it wole ago.

pei is power be non such Ac dred god pat power hap [Fol. 256.] Swipe sori was þis luper man

To habbe conseil of hire fader

of ech þing euermo.

þat he ne mişte hire post wende

after him he let sende.

32

po hi to gadere come to gadere hi made gret feste.
And fondede hire clene pozt
po hi speke uairest wip hire
Icholle holde pat ichabbe itake
At o word ze ne turneb me nozt
Dop me wat pyne ze wolleþ uor I ne drede nozt þen dep.
pe hi seie pat pis maide hire post chaungi nolde.

to chaunge þoru uair biheste.
pis maide hem zaf answere
ze ne dop me þer of no dere. 36
per aboute ze spillep brep.

Hire fader bitok hire pe Justice
pe Iustice let hire strupe naked
Six knyztes eode hire aboute
Hi leide hire on wip harde scorges: þat hi weri were.
Euer lay þis maide and louz as hire noþing nere.

to do wip hire wat he wolde. 40

and legge hire plat to grounde. and made hire mony a wounde.

po hi seie hire stable pozt: þat heo nas in none fere.

Hi nome and henge hire up abem bi pe tresses of hire here.

per bi heo heng half an day knyztes bi nepe stode.

pe bet hi hire paide1 adoun hi nome þis maide.

dep

hire post on alle wise.
and hire owe gentrise.
bringe hire of hire post.
biuore þis maide was ibrozt.

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Wip scourges hi leide euer vpon; þat [heo] stremd al ablode. 48
pe more turment þat hi hire dude
po hi ne mişte hor wille habbe
And bed hire turne biuore hire
And pench on hire heie kunne
po hi ne mişte uor noping
A chetel wol of iwelled bras
Hi zote adoun aboue hire scoldren as heo vprizt stod.
Bi rug and wombe it orn adoun as it were flod.
Fram be necke to be fot; ech stude it poruz soutze.
Euer stod pis holi maide as hire noping ne rouzte.
Louerd muche is þi myste? so muche iweld bras.

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In hire woundede bodi ne greuede nozt uair miracle per was.
Wod wrop was po pe Justice he het his men hire lede.

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In to strong prison and bounde hire faste uorte me nome oper to rede.2

po pis maide in prison was pe deuel to hire wende.

In fourme of an angel and sede þat our louerd him þuder sende. 64

Forto saui hire fram þe dep

and wissi hire wel to done.

pat heo tormentes uorte fle

dude1 þe Justices bone.

Vor our lord hadde of hire reupe and wilnede hire lif.

And leuere hadde pen heo were ded: þat heo were iwedded to wif. 68
pis maide stod in grete pozt: þat he hire perto gan rede.
And pat our lord hire so het bi him as he sede.
Heo sat akne and bad our lord: þat he hire scholde lere.2
Wel to done and warny ek

wat be messager were. heo hurde a uois þat sede.

As heo sat in hire orison
Be studeuast in þi bileue and ich be wole wel rede.
Ac pe messager aske wat he be
And nym him uaste uor icholle
po pe maide pis ihurde: þen deuel heo nom wel uaste.

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and ne haue of him no drede.
be wip pe in eche neode.

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and to hire fet him caste.
oper icholle be quelle.
and icholle pe sone telle.
pis maide sede po.

Heo made þe signe of þe crois
Tel me heo sede wat pou art
Leuedi he sede let me go
Nay pou schalt abide her
Vorte pou me telle wat þou

art and þanne pou schalt go.

po sede he icham a deuel ich hote belial.

Azen ech mannes good dede ich can do luper gal.

po adam and eue wolde in godes seruice be.

Ich hem brozte in dedliche sunne
Bitwene caym was muche loue
Ich made poru a lutel enuye: pat

8.0

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poru pe apel of þe tre. and abel is broþer.

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on sle pat oper.

Ich made ihesus on pe rode deie ac þat we seppe abozte.

po me ihesus sozte
and scipes in þe se drenche.
þat man may on þenche.

And herodes pe children sle
Ichabbe ymad men oþer sle
Alle wo ichabbe anerpe ido;
Ho sende pe huder quaþ þe maide pe deuel azen sede.
Satan oure maister þat is atom: þat schal ous alle rede.
Zif he send zou quaþ þis maide to eny holi manne.
And ze ne mowe him not ouercome

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wat dep he wip zou

[Fol. 26.]

þanne.

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1 Should do.

2 Compare On cneowum sittende Ælfr. Oros. III. ix.

panne ne dorre we quap pe deuel: biuore our maister wende.
Oure acountes uorte zelde: ac [he] let ous of sende.
And if we awer bep ifounde he let ous bete sore.

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per uore wenne we fynde] eny mon stable in godes lore.
We fondeb him in luper post: to bringe myd al our mişte.
Ac anon he mai ous ouercome if he wole azen ous fizte.
Vor we nabbep power no mon to bringe in sunne azen is mode.
Vor ihesus bynom ous pulke mişte po he deide on þe rode. 104
Of al þat ichabbe anerpe igo so clanliche ouercome.

Neuer Inas as ich nou am
[Fol. 266.] Maide uor þyn hendescipe
Let me go at þis one tyme
Alas þat Inadde er iwust:
Certes quap þe maide po

my mişte me is bynome.
pou haue mercy of me.
Ine schal neuereft derie pe.
wat me scolde bitide.
zut pou schalt abide.

pis maide nom þis foule best and faste it gan bynde.

108

Myd a raketeie pat aboute hire was his honden him bihinde. 112

heo bet him swipe sore.
hende maide þyn ore.
and þench þat þou art fre.

Myd anoper Irene raketeie
And euer sede pis foulde best
Haue reupe of þi wreche prison

Inabbe icome nei non þat me dorste hondli ne ise.

And pou me darst þus tormenti alas wi ne mai ich fle.

Inabbe azen hem no mişte.
pus pis foule wizt.
biuore him anon rizt.
and after hire it drouz.
iscend icham Inouz.

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Wi artou so strong maidenhod: þat þou ne mizt ouercome be.
Alas maidenhod alas wi woltou wip ous fizte.
Maidens ichulle euereft drede
pe wule þis maide tormentede
pe Justice het pis maide uette
pe maide nom pis foule best
Leue leuedi he sede in ore
Ne make pou namo men gawen on me nartou corteis and hende.
pench pat maidens scolde milde be and bring me of þis bende.
War' is kunde of þi maidenhod þat scholde be milde and stille.
And pou art azen me so sturne hou miztou habbe þe wille.
So longe he on þis maide cride

as heo him drouz and ladde.

After hire poru cheping: þat reupe of him heo hadde.
A chaumbre foreine heo isei al ope to ward pe strete.
Vol it was of uelphede old and al uorlete.

"Where."

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pis maide nom pis foule ping Dai þat wolde neschere1 bed Vor it was good Inou to him Wat segge e segge ich sop gut nolde pis luper men: þat

and caste it amydde. him biseche oper bidde. bineþe and eke aboue. ne liez not for is loue. iseie al pis dede.

Bileue on god and turne hor pozt

ac pe more hire wiþ sede.

po heo biuore pe Justice com hi wolde chaunge hire pozt.

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And bihete hire prute and gret nobleie ac al ne huld it nozt. 140

A weol of Ire swipe strong
Al were pe velion2 aboute
pe weol hi turnde aboute
Depe wode in hire naked flech
pat po hire flech was al icorue
pat pe bones hi to slitte and pe marw out drowe.
pe marw sprong out al aboute so ouercome heo was
pat heo al mest zef þen gost
Of al þat me drou hire tender
Ac euer sede pat ihesu crist
Glade were po pe luper men:
Ac our louerdes wille nas it not
An angel myd a naked swerd
And hew it al to smale peces

biuore hire hi caste.
wip rasours istiked faste.
pe maide þer bi hi sette.
þe rasours kene iwette.3
so depe hi wode and gnowe.

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[Fol. 27.]

148

and no wonder it nas.
lymes it ne reu hire not enes sore.
polede uor hire more.
þat so nei þe depe hire seie.

pat heo scholde pe zut deie. 152
to be weol alizte
per was godes mişte.

And pis maide eode uorp al hol as hire noping nere.
Sore dradde pis luper men: þat þere aboute were.

Our lord crist can so is fon

wen is wille is afere.

Vif hondred turnde to him uor pulke miracle pere.
And an hondred wemmen and pritti per ne bileuede not on.
pat bis luper men in þe place: ne let biheuedi echon.
Toward his maide pe Justice; uor wrappe was nei wod.

a strong fur and good.
uor heo frobrenne scholde.
our lord it nolde.
to spradde wide and drouz.
harmles and glad Inouz.
and hire orison sede.

He let make of wode and col
Amydde he let pis maide caste
Hi wende hire to sle anon ac
An angel þer com and is fur
Amydde pe place þe maide stod
Heo ponkede god and sat akne
pe Justice sede wat scholle we do wat schal ous to rede.

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