<County: Durham>
<Code: L0013>
<MS reference: London, BL Egerton 3309>
<Text: Metrical Life of St Cuthbert>


<Tranche 1>

<fol. 18r>When þair lyues er ne3e forlorne
þai ansuerd heyriosly in laste
To pray for þaim we halde it waste
þai haue fordone our~ alde lawes
And broght in newe þat na man knawes
Were þai all deede it war na charge
þan myght we leue all at oure large
Jt semes þat time religiouse
To lawed men was full heyriyouse
On happ for þai þat lyf reproued
þat synfull lawedmen þat time loued
When þus he þaire countenance sees
he kneles doune on bathe his knees
And bowed his heued in to þe erthe
Prayed god to gif þaim better werde
þan þe wynd it chaunged belyue
And all þe bates agayne dryue
With all þair~ charge whare þai walde be
Come þe batemen with gamen and gle
When þe bewschirs þat þaim blamed
Saw þis þai were a-schamed .
For þai trowed before a-mys
And cuthbert faythe þai loue and blis
And eftirwarde þai walde no3t sees
Ay in his louyng to encrees
Þis tale to saint bede was tolde
Of ane of þaim þat case beholde
Þat was a trewe and symple man
Þat walde no3t lye ne feyn þan
In þis forde chapitill
þou sall wat gif þou rede will
Before he was fourten 3ere elde
he had his wittes wele in welde
hende hirdmen he was sett amange
he saw aungels with ioy and sange
Bischop saule Aydane beere to heuen
Of haly eland þe first men neuen
When god þat gyues all grace <ill><rest of line></ill>
Walde chaunge his cheson <ill><rest of line></ill>
<fol. 18v>To purpose of strayter lyuyng
him to blisse of heuen to bryng
Jn hilles with hirdes bestis he kepid
And on a nyght when þai slepyd
He waked in prayers as he was wont
He saw with in a schort stont
Come fra heuen a+lufsom lyght
And þat with many worthy wyght
þai toke a saule was clere and clene
And bare it to heuen þaim betwene
he was conpuncte entierly
þis syght when he saw sodanly
And thoght mare gastely lyfe to lede
A-mang gude men to gete him mede
he loued and thanked goddis name
And steryd his felaws to þe same
Allas he saide we wafull wreches
þat for our~ slepyng and mysteches
With goddis seruande we lete to wake
lyght and syght of heuen to take
lo brethir a litil stounde
J haue bene wakand on þis grounde
heuen yate J . saw opyn
And haly aungels lede þider in
þe saule of some bischop it is
þit with slyke lyght was ledd to blis
þus þe hirdes hertes he moue
þair~ god to wirschip to thanke and loue
On þe morne cuthbert knew
Be tellyng of men þat were trew
When he sawe aungels fra heuen glyde
þe same oure saint Aydane dyed . . . .
þat bischop of haly eland was
his saule þat time to heuen it pas
þe bestes to his kepyng betaught
he 3elde to lordis þat þaim aught
And went a mynster for to seke
To lede his lyfe in monkhede meke
Þis fyft chapiter telles verray .
<fol. 19r>How god sped him in his way
Whils þat he purpose helde
To chaunge his lyfe as it telde
God walde shewe him be takenyng clere
þat wha so sekys his kyngdome here
And þar of þe ryghtwysnes
God gyues lyuelade to mare and les
Jt fell on a day he rade
Towarde mailrose monke to be made
he saw a toune stande o fer
To bayte his horse he drew it ner
he gestynd at a huswyf house
Was deuote and religiouse
þe woman gladly toke hir gest
To ordayne mete sho was full prest
And prayed him hertly to þe mete
Bot þan on na wyse walde he ete
For it was fryday day of fast
þe thrid oure of þe day was no3t past
3it þe gude wyfe for lykyng
had deuocion~ of <?>costenyng .
Made instance to him to habyde
And saide þou hafe so ferr to ryde
þat þe sonn sall be went doune
Or þou come whider þou ert boune
And in þe way fra þou be gane
Mete ne herbery fondes þou nane
þarfore J . pray þe ete beforne
þat þou fast no3t whil to morne
For all þat euer þe wyfe myght pray
he rade fastand on his way
And traueld whils þe sonn was sett
Mete ne drynk he nane gett
Ne to þe place whare he walde lende
With day-lyght he myght no3t wende
So as he rade at euen tide
he loked a litil him besyde
hirdes holetts sowe he þare
Of man and beste he fande þaim bare
<fol. 19v>his horse vp be a wall he bande
he had na hay to him at hande
Bot of þe thak þat he þar~ fynde
was blawen away with þe wynde
þe whilk before his horse he layde
And whils he ete he went and prayde
When þe horse of þat had lakk
he drow doune of þe house thakk
Amange his mouthefull as it happed
he drow doune a clathe samen lapped
Cuthbert his prayer endyd
he saw þe clathe and serchid it
halfe a hate lafe and soule he fande
þat to a male was suffyschande
þan grete god he thankyd
þat to him slike grace did
þat syn he fasted for his luf
þus helpid him at his behoue
half his brede his horse he gaue
And kepid to him self þe laue
Aftir þis fastyng : he leued
For be experyens he had preued
þat god to him þat clathe spredd
As Ely in desert he fedd
Be briddes of heuen fele sithes
þus our~ god his kyndnes kythes
To þaim þat in his mercy trowes
And to his bidding baynly bowes
A monke of Wermouth named Jngualde
Of cuthbert þis tale to bede talde
Of þis chapiter þe sext
in þe rubryke is þe text
how bosilus bare witnes
Jn cuthbert commyng of his gudnes
And how he toke his abyte
And lyued 3e sall here als tite
he left all þe werldes gude
And to religioun he 3ode
Noght to lyue as lust lyst
<fol. 20r>Bot to thole hungre and thrist
Jn haly eland kirke he knew
haly men and wyse ynew
þat couthe him monkes lare lere
Bot him thoght better and mare dere
For to leue in maylros
For þe grete name and gude loos
Of boisil þat haly man
þat passand monk was halden þan
When þat cuthbert come thidir
his horse his hernays all-to-gydir
he hade a seruand to take tent
And to þe kirke sone he went
Boisil stode þe 3ates besyde
And saw cuthbert comen þat tide
he sayde to þaim þat by him stande
behalde and se goddis seruande
As criste saide of anathael
Se a trew man of israel
þis talde a monk Gydfride his name
þat he harde boisil say þe same
Aftir at Jarow Gidfride was
And þare oute of þis werlde he pas
When cuthbert his prayer had done
To boisil þe prior went he sone
And telde his purpose and entent
Boisil to him sone assent
And ressayued him benyngly
And held him in his company
Whils þe comyng of þe abbot
For him behoued knyt þe knott
Eata men þe abbot call
he was a worthi man at all
Aftir bischope of Elandschire
And abbot of þe kirke and sire<?>
he come hame to his abbay
Bosyl come and to him say
Of cuthbert purpose and his will
And prayde him it to fulfill
<fol. 20v>þe abbot assent þar to als tite
And gaf him tonsour~ and habite
To þe couent he him putt
Jn religioun to proue his cutt
þan his reule he lerid and did
All obseruance þat þai him bid
And gaf his bysynes þarto
Mare straytely forto do
Jn wakyng in redyng and praying
Jn fastyng and othir thing
Als did sampson þe forte
kepid all licours fra his cors
þe whilk myght him dronkyn make
Als othir exces he forsake
Neuerere-les as he had nede
his kynde he couet forto fede
þat he myght be conabill
To serue god in strenth stabill
he had ynogh of force and strenth
Bodily trauell forto lenth
In þis seuent chapiter~
And 3e will loke 3e may lere
how cuthbert hade an aungel gest
And him to serue he was prest
With erdely brede and comonn store
he left him heuenly brede þarfore
Jt fell aftir 3eris tide
þat a gude kyng alchfride
Walde in Ripon a mynster make
For hele of saule and goddis sake
To Eata he it gane geue
him and monkes þar to leue
þan Eata as says þe buke
Certayn monkes of maylros tuke
Amang þe whilk cuthbert was ane
vnto Ryponn samen þai gane
þe same obseruance þar þai avysed
Before at mailrose þan had þai vsed
Cuthbert was made hosteler~
<fol. 21r>To gestyn commers fra ferr and nere
And þare as þe story tell
Cuthbert herberd an aungell
Jn a mornyng of a wynter day
To þe gest hall he toke þe way
þar þan he fande a gest sitte
him semed a 3onge man to his witte
þat all þat nyght had trauailde
hongyr and calde it semed him aylde
Als he gane thurgh harde and nesche
And þider come him to refresche
Cuthbert welcomed him with manhede
And broght him water with gude spede
To wasche his handes cuthbert his fete
Waschid and wyped away þe wete
Jn bosom he putt his handes to hete
And sithen he prayed him to þe mete
Bot he excused him þat nobil heyn
And saide his duellyng was ferr þeyn
Bot slyke instance to him he made
þe time of mete þat he habade
Be goddis name he him adiured
þan as compelled he bade to burd
When þe oure of terce was done
Cuthbert sett a burde sone
And sett mete þar opon
And prayde his gest he walde ete on
J sal ga fet a lafe hate
For it is baken wele J . wate
When þat cuthbert come agayne
his gest was gane he was vnfayne
he soght and loked aftir his trace
he fande na takyn in þat space
What way he went he couthe no3t knawe
þof all þe erde were hilde with snawe
Cuthbert was gretly stonyed
And he him selfe bisily stedyed
he bare þe bordeclath to þe spens
þar felde he odour~ past encens

<Tranche 2>

<fol. 34v>In þis chapiter telles saint bede
wha so will þarto take hede
Now þat cuthbert many men
Gastely techings gon þaim ken
And how þe deuel with whayntise
was aboute þaim to suppryse
Jn england in þe ferrest syde
þe fame of cuthbert lyfe gon glyde
Diuers folk þat of him here
þai drew to him bathe ferr and nere
What disees . þai had or pyne
þai hoped of him to gete medecyne
And þair hope was no3t in vayne
For nane vnconforthed went agayne
þaas þat war heeuy and tryst
he couthe comfort þaim in crist
he walde þaim tell of heuens blisse
And what angyr in þis werlde is
And how þe deuel oft tyme disees
þaim þat studys god to pleese
þaas þat er no3t in charite
Jn þe fende bandes bonden be
Also he walde oft tymes declare
how freele is werldly welefare
Also þat he þat god loues
And to his neghbure nane euell controues
And his treuth standes stabill
him thar not drede þe deuels cabill
Also oft him self he talde
how þe feendis laide on him halde
And ouer a he roche putt hym doune
And some tyme casten at him stanes
For to breke and bryst his banes
And send him fandyngs many ma
To compell him fra farne to ga
Neuer-þe-less harme he nane had
Na drede bot stode in treuth sad
Also he spak oft to his brethir
þat of his leuyng þai suld no3t wondir
<add>To breke h<ill><other ink or hand?></ill></add>
<fol. 35r>Na halde it haly all þof it ware
Solitary fra þe sekyll fare
Bot leuyng in mynster it is to prays
Whare religiouse nyghts and days
er subiects and redy in all thinges
To do þair abbots biddynges
To wake to pray to faste to wirke
And of þair~ trauail þai er no3t yrke
Slike lyfe he saide is gude and fyne
And mare perfite þan now is myne
Slyke monkes haue J . knawen and sene
þat were þan in saule mare clene
And had mare grace of prophecy
þan euer hiderto had J .
Amang þe whilk boysil was ane
þe maste wirschipful man in wane :
When he was an alde man
And J . 3ong he noryscht me þan
Jn Mailros mynster many 3ere
And þare he talde me wordes clere
And prophet before thinges all
þat sulde eftir to me be-fall
Of whilk 3it a thinge sall be
Wald god þat neuer J . it suld se
þis saide he for boisil telde
With cure of bischop he suld be melde
And þat he couet to eschew
þar-fore to farne he him drew
In þis chapiter says saint bede
how an abbas called Elflede
Als a mayden þat with hir duelt
þai were bath heelyd thurgh cuthbert belt
þof all he dwelt farr fra men
3it grete god slik grace him len
Jn myracles of heelyng to haue fame
þar was an abbas Elflede hir name
Sho was halden a woman gude
A virgyne and of kynges blode
passandly sho loued cuthbert
<fol. 35v>And liked to think him in hir hert
A preste of Eland calde herefride
Teld þis tale to bede oft tyde
how þis abbas so seke was
þat sho was likly hethin to pas
þar couthe na leche hir bale bete
Bot goddis grace þat is so swete
Abated somwhat of hir bale
Bot sho was no3t all hale
þe werkenes of hir sekenes with-in
Began to debate and blyn
Hir body wax som-what strang
Bot sho myght nouthir stande na gang
Bot als a beest on all foure
Sho was benomen all at oure
Sho had sorow and heuynes
for drede of lastyng sekenes
As on a tyme sho lay and thoght
What wondirs god for cuthbert wroght
Wald god sho saide som-what J . had
Of cuthbert thinges þat wald me glad
For J wate wele J . were sure
þat J . suld me sone cure
Sone eftir sho had hir entent
A belt of lynclathe he hir sent
Sho was glad for þat presand
And in hir thoght sho vndirstand
þat cuthbert hir desire knewe
Be inspiracion it was trewe
Sho beltid þe belt hir aboute
Sho was sone hale with-in and with-oute
Apon þe morne sho stode vp-ryght
With-in thre days all hale dyght
Sone aftir-warde it be-fell
þat a virgyne þat with hir gun duell
had slyke sekenes in hir hede
Sho moght noght stere hir o þe stede
For to dy scho semed in plyte
þe abbas come hir to vysite
<fol. 36r>Sho saw hir deed semed nere at hande
þe belt aboute hir hede scho bande
Als sone with in þe same day
All hir hedewerk went away
þe belt was lokked in a kyst<?>
þe abbas aftir sho it myst
Jt was neuer aftir sene na fonne
Jn na place vndir sonne
Jt semyd all goddis ordenance
þai þare suld fare slik a chaunce
þa þat were trew men and sage
Moght haue opyn knawlage
Of þe halynes of þat gude man
Be þe myracles þat he wroght þan
And þat schrewes suld na doute haue
Bot þat moght seke saue
For had þe belt bene þare still
Seke men walde haue drawen þar-till
And gif a schrew of heele vnworthy
On hap had no3t helpid þar-by
Cuthbert halynes he wald bak-byte
And of faute of his heele him wyte
þarfore þe belt was withdrawen
þat cuthbert halynes myght be knawen
And to remow occasioun
Fra shrewes of wrange suspicioun
Þis chapiter twenti and foure
Wha so will rede it oure
Cuthbert telled a meruaile thing
To elflede of Egfride þe kyng
how lang tyme here lyf suld he
And how him self suld be
Elfled þat honorabil abbas
To whaim cuthbert sa special was
Sho sent to him and him prays
On goddis name þat be any ways
þat he walde come to hir
Sho had grete nedes at him spir
<fol. 36v>He toke a shipp and brethir samen
vnto koket jle þai come
Of monkes þar was an abbay
To mete þai were sett þat day
Fra þat cuthbert come þider
þar þai spake lang to-gyder
What sho walde of him sho leryd
When many thinges sho had speryd
Sho knelyd sodanly to þe grounde
And adiured in þat stounde
Be his name is maste of myght
And be all his aungels bryght
þat some takyn he will hir geue
how lang kyng Egfride suld leue
he was hir brothir þarfore sho walde
þat he þe kyngdome lange suld halde
Sho saide to cuthbert wele wate J .
þou hase þe spirit of prophecy
Gif þou will þou may me wysse
how lang þe kyngdome sall be hyss
Cuthbert gretely was astonyd
Of hir coniuracion~ þat tyde
Neuer-þe-les he walde no3t
Tell hir openly þat sho soght
Bot to hir askyng he ansuerd þus
To me it es meruaylous
And þou a woman of hy witt
<mrg>and well lernyde in haly wrytt</mrg>
þat þou will calle lang lyf of man
Sen þou dauid sange can
All oure 3eris he says playn
Sall be thoght as an yrayn
All his webb þat he weues
A puft of wynde away reues
Also þou may think þar on
For þus says salamon
Gif a man leue many 3ere
And as him lykes he glad here
3it him awe to haue in mynde
<fol. 37r>þat all his dayes sall be fyned
And think on þat tyme so myrk
When onhappe his saule sall yrke
Jn þas dayes when þai sall come
Thinges þat er past some
Sall he halden bot vanyte
þus men suld think in all degre
Sen mannes lyf is shorte
Be it neuer so wele here conforte
Jt semes be ryght resoun
he sall leue bot schort sesoun
þe whilk sall dy þis 3ere within
And na langer his wirschip wyn
When sho þir wordes wit hir eeris
herde sho fell in gretand teeris
And when fra gretyng sho hir contende
3it forthir to him sho mende
And asked him with gude espaire
Wha suld be kyng Egfride ayre
Brethir na sonnes hase he nane
Na ayre to rewle his kynges wane
Cuthbert a litil while stode still
And þan he spak þe abbas till
And tellyd hir of [his] successour~
þat suld be kyng in honour~
Jn whaim hir loue sho suld sett
As brothir þat hir fader gett
Sho prayed him þat he walde hir tell
Jn what place þat man he dwell
Cuthbert sayes þou sees þis se
þat many jles þarin be
þat may happ on ane of þaim
And ayre sall come þe rewme to clayme
þan þe abbas vndirstode
þat of alfride mened his mode
þe whilk was hir fader sonn
And in scotlande at scele foun<?>
Forthir-mare þis abbas wist
<fol. 37v>þat it was king Egfride list
Cuthbert a bischope to make
Cure of saule on him to take
þe abbas couet o wyse all
To witt gif it suld befall
As a woman war vnwyse
þus sho spird him hir d<?>uyse
Sir sho saide J . haue meruaile
Slyke varyance mennys herts assayle
Some loues synnes ay whare and whare
Some loues ryches and beggars are
And þou refuse all werdes ioy
And haldes þat warldely men foy
To bischop state þou moght atteyn
To sitt in honour in kirk and seyn
Bot it semes þou ert mare fayn
To leue in cloyster or solayn
J . am vnworthy says cuthbert
Slike hy degre to come toward
Neuer-þe-les goddis ordenaunce
For to eschew . J . haue na chaunce
And gif god put me to þat charge
J hope sone to be fre at large
J trow sone aftir twa 3ere space
J sall ryst in ankir place
Of goddis behalue . J . þe defend
þis speche þou no3t speke no spend
Nouthir in tawne no in stede
Or þe time þat J . be deede
Fra he had teld hir þat sho wald spir
he went agayn to his mynstir
his solayn lif he had begonn
he vsed forth als he was wonn
It fell sone aftir þat tide
Jn presence of gud kyng Egfride
A gedryng of a seyn was made
Arsbischop theodir þe reulyng hade
þe diocise of haly eland