<B CMEDMUND>
<Q M4 NN BIL EDMUND>
<N ST EDMUND>
<A X>
<C M4>
<O 1420-1500>
<M 1420-1500>
<K CONTEMP>
<D EMO>
<V PROSE>
<T BIOGR LIFE SAINT>
<G X>
<F X>
<W WRITTEN>
<X X>
<Y X>
<H X>
<U X>
<E X>
<J X>
<I X>
<Z NARR NON-IMAG>
<S SAMPLE X>


[^TEXT:  THE LIFE OF ST. EDMUND.
MIDDLE ENGLISH RELIGIOUS PROSE.
YORK MEDIEVAL TEXTS.
ED. N. F. BLAKE. 
LONDON: EDWARD ARNOLD, 1972. 
PP. 163.1 - 173.313^]

<P 163>
[} [\(B) THE LIFE OF ST. EDMUND\] }]

[^THE FOLLOWING HEADING ADDED FROM THE MANUSCRIPT:^]
[}AND BEGYNNETH THE LYFE OF SEYNTE EDMONDE THE 
CONFESSOURE}] 

   Seynt Edmounde the confessoure, that lyethe at Pounteney in
ffraunce, was bore in Ynglond in the towne of Abyngdon. Mabely  #
the
ryche was his moders name; she was right holy, bothe wyfe and
wydowe. And vpon Seynt Edmoundis daye the kyng the sayde Seynt
<P 164>
Edmond was bore. And in his byrthe noo clothe was fowlyd by     #
hym.
And he was bore in the furst spryngyng of the daye, and al      #
that daye
tyl it was euyn he laye as he had ben dede. And than the        #
mydwyff
wolde haue had hym buryed, but his moder sayde naye. And anone
thurgh the myght of God he revyved and than he was bore to the
churche to be cristenyd. And bycause he was bore on Seynt       #
Edmondis
daye the kyng he was namyd Edmond. And as this chelde grewe in
aige he encresyd gretely in vertu. And than the moder sent the  #
sayde
Edmounde with his brother Robert to scole. And she had ii       #
doughters,
Dame Mary and Dame Alys; bothe theye were made nonnys at
Catesby in Northaumptonshire by the laboure of Seynt Edmond.    #
And
there moder gave theym yeftes to fast the ffryday, and so she   #
drewe
theym to good levyng by yeftes and fayre beheestes; and when    #
thaye
came to more aige it grevyd theym not. The moder hirself weryd  #
the
hard heyre for oure Lordis loue and lad hir lyff in grete       #
penaunce.
   But in a tyme as Mabely his moder put oute wolle to spynne,  #
she
toke hir spynners so moche for the libra that thaye myght not   #
leue
thereon, but complayned to Seynt Edmond hir sonne. And he toke
the yerne and rekyd it in the colys, and the libra was sauyd    #
that she
payd for and the ouerplewse was brente. Wherefore she dyd neuer
so after to hir lyves ende.
   And than she sent hir ii sonnys, Edmond and Robert, to       #
Paryce
too scole. And she toke theym mony for theyre costes wyth       #
theym,
and she delyueryd to theym ii harde hayres, made lyke shurtes,  #
and she
prayd theym for here loue to were theym onys or tweys in the    #
weke,
and they shulde lake nothyng that nedid to theym. And then thay
fulfylled theire moders desire, and in shorte tyme after        #
thaye werid
the heyre euery daye and euery nyght. This was a blessyd moder  #
that
soo vertuosly brought fourth hir chyldren. And then Seynt       #
Edmond
encresyd so gretely in vertu that every creature joyed thereof  #
and
preysed God in his holy seruaunt Edmond.
<P 165>
   And in a daye as his felowys and he wente to playe he left   #
his felowship
and went allone into a medowe vnder an hedge saying his         #
devocions.
And sodenly there appierid before hym a fayre chelde in whyte
clothyng and sayd: 'Hayle, felowe that goyst allone.' And than
Edmounde merveylid from whens the chylde come; and the chelde
sayde: 'Edmond, knowyst not me?'
   He sayde: 'Naye!'
   And he sayde: 'I am thye felowe in scole, and in eche other  #
place
where that thu goyst I am alweye on thy ryght syde; and yet thu
knowyst me not. But loke thu in my forehed and there thu shalte
fynde my name wryte.' (And than Edmond lokyd in his forehed and
se wryte therein (\Jesus nazarenus, rex Judeorum, fili Dei,     #
miserere mei\) .)
And then the chelde saide: 'Drede the not, Edmond, for I am     #
thy lorde,
Jesu Cryste, and shall be thye defendoure whyle thue leuest.'
   And than Edmond fylle downe mekely and thankyd our Lorde of
his grete mercy and godenes. And oure Lorde bade hym when he
shall go to his bed and when he shall aryse to blesse hym with  #
the
syngne of the crosse and saye the prayer affore-wryten in mynde #
of
hys passhyon, 'and the deuyll shall haue no power ouer the'.    #
And anone
the chylde vanysshyd awaye, and Seynt Edmond vsyd euer after    #
that
prayer and blessyng to his lyvys ende, and suffryd euer grete   #
penaunce
for Goddis sake in weryng of the heyre.
   And when he had contynued many yeris at Paryce at the scole,
than he came to Oxford. And he dyd neuer lechery nor consentyd
yerto, and that was special grace of oure Lorde. And on a daye  #
he
came to an ymage of oure Lady and put a ryng vpon hir fyngur    #
and
he promysed hyr verely neuer to haue other wyff but hir whyles  #
he
levyd. And he greete oure Lady withe these iiii wordis:'        #
(\Aue, Maria,
gracia Plena\) ', which was wryte in the ryng. Hys oste had a   #
doughter
that labouryd gretely Seynt Edmond to synne by hir and she      #
desyred
long tyme to come to his chambir. And at the last this holye    #
man
grauntyd hir. And she was ryght gladde and spyed hir tyme and   #
came
<P 166>
to his chambir and made hir redy to go to bed and stode nakyd   #
before
Seynt Edmond. And he toke a sherp rodde and layde vpon the      #
mayde
tyll the rede blode ranne downe fro hir body in euery syde.     #
And than
he sayde to hyr: 'Thus thu shalt lerne to caste awaye thye      #
sowle for
the fowle lustis of thye bodye.' And ar he lefte of she had no  #
lust to syn
with hym for all hir fowle desyres were clene gonne. And after  #
that
she levyd a clene virgyn to hir lyves ende.
   Than sone after Mabely his swete moder nyghed hir ende and   #
sente
for Seynt Edmond hir sonne and yeaff hym hir blessyng and all   #
hir
chyldren. And than she prayed hym for Goddes loue and oure      #
Ladys
also that he wolde se that hys susters were well guyded in the  #
nonry
of Catysby affore-sayde. And so she passid to our Lorde full    #
of vertues,
and is buryed in the churche of Seynt Nycholas at Abyngdon in a
tombe of marbyll before the rode. And this scripture is wryte   #
on hir
tombe: 'Hir lyeth Maboly, flowre of wedows.' And than Seynt
Edmonde made a chapell at Catysby, and after bothe his susters  #
were
buryed therein, for the one of theym was pryoras of the same    #
nonry
and dyd there many myraclys. And theye ben buryed before the    #
high
auter in the same nonry.
   And than this holy man Seynt Edmond dwellyd at Oxford and
contynued there in ful holy leuyng for he weryd the hard heyre  #
knett
with knottes lyke a nett. And the knottis stekyd faste to his   #
flessh that
oftyntymes it causid his body to blede and to be full sore.     #
And in this
maner was bothe hys shurte and hys breche imade, and he bounde  #
it
faste with a corde to hys body that the heyre myght cleve fast  #
to his
body in euery place. Hyt sate so strayte vpon hym that vnnethe  #
he
myght bowe his body, the which was a ful grete penaunce to hym.
And in a tyme whan his shurte of heyre was fowle and tobroke,   #
he
toke it his man too brenne in a grete fyre. But he cowde not    #
brenne
hem in no wyse, but euer thaye laye hole and vnbrent in the     #
fyre.
Than his mann toke an hevy stone and bownde the shurte thereto
and caste it in the water where was a depe ponde; and there he  #
left
theym. But he tolde hys maister that thaye were brente.
<P 167>
   Seynt Edmond and his felowys on a daye came fro Lewkenowre   #
to
Abyngdon and as thaye came into a grete valey thaye se many     #
black
fowlys lyke crowys, among which there sate one that was all     #
totoryn
with the other black crowys; and thaye cast hym from one to     #
another
that it was grete pety to beholde it. Therefore his felowys     #
were nye
madde for fere of that syght. And then Seynt Edmond comfortyd
hem and tolde theym whate it was. He saide that thaye beth      #
feendis
of helle that berith a mannys sowle that dyed at the towne of   #
Chalfegrove
right nowe, and that sowle shall neuer come in the blysse of
heuyn for his cursyd leuyng. And than Seynt Edmond and his      #
felowis
wente to the towne of Chalfegrove and fownde al thyng lyke as
Seynt Edmond tolde theym.
   And fro thens thaye wente too Abyngdon and theire Seynt      #
Edmond
wente into the churche and sayde his prayers lyke as he was     #
wonte
to doo, the which prayer was (\O intemerata\) , the which he    #
sayde euery
daye in the wurship of Jesu Criste, oure blessyd Lady, and of   #
Seynt
John the Euaungelyst. And this prayer he vsyd to saye dayly or  #
he
dyd one wordely workys. But in a tyme he forgate to saye this   #
holy
oryson and than Seynt John the Euaungelyst came to Seynt        #
Edmond in
a ful gastfull maner and blamyd gretely Seynt Edmond. But       #
after that
to his lyfys ende he neuer forgate to saye that holy prayer.
   And after this holy man encresyd so gretely in Oxforde in    #
all the
vii sciences that all men had grete joye of hym. And in a       #
nyght as he
sate in his studye, hys awne moder Maboly appierid vnto hym in  #
a
vysyon. And she sayde to hir sonne: 'Loke fro hense forewarde   #
that
thue laboure in devynyte and in no nother science, for that is  #
the
wylle of God lyke as he hathe sente the worde by me.' This      #
saide
she vanyshed awaye fro hym. And after that this holy mann       #
labourid
<P 168>
alweye in devynyte to fulfylle the wylle of oure Lorde Jesu     #
Cryst.
And he encresyd so mervelously in that scyence that al Oxford   #
had
grete wondyr of hym for his grete connyng, for there was none   #
lyke
hym in all Oxford. ffor he had that grace when he radde in the  #
scole
of devynyte, he profyted more to the herers in one weke than    #
other
mennys techyng dyd in a moneth, for many one of his scolers     #
thurgh
his gracious techyng forsoke the worlde and became relygious    #
men.
   And in a daye as the holy man sate in the scole for to       #
dispute of the
holy trynyte, he came long ar his scolers came, and he felle    #
in a sclombryng
as he sate on his chayre. And ther came a white dove and        #
brought
hym the body of oure Lorde and he put hyt into his mouthe. And
than the dove flye vpwarde from hym and heuyn openyd ayenst hym
as Seynt Edmonde behelde hit. And euer after he thought that    #
the
savoure of oure Lordis flessh was euer in hys mowthe. And       #
thereby
he knewe full moche privyte of the pure state of Jesu Cryste    #
and of
hys magestye in hevyn, for he had mervelouse connyng aboue al   #
other
doctors that were in Oxforde for he expownyd so hye maters to
theym that they thought he was more lyke an angel than a man.
   And in euery lesson that this holy man taught he thought in  #
oure
Lordis passhyon. And in a nyght he studyed so long on his       #
bokys that
sodenly he fylle aslepe and forgate to blesse hym and thynke    #
on the
passhyon of oure Lorde. And than the feende that had gret envy  #
to
hym laye so hevye on Seynt Edmond that he had no power to       #
blesse
hym with the ryght honde ner with the lyft honde. And than      #
Seynt
Edmond wyst not whate to doo, but at last thurgh the grace of   #
oure
Lorde he remembryd his blessyd passhyon; and then the feend     #
had no
power ouer Seynt Edmond, but fylle downe anone fro hym. And     #
than
Seynt Edmond commaundid hym by the vertue of oure Lordis        #
passhion
that he shulde telle hym howe he shulde best defende hym that   #
he
shulde haue no power ouer hym. And the feende aunsweryd to      #
Seynt
Edmond: 'That that thue haste sayde and thought on the          #
passhyon of
oure Lorde Jesu Cryst; ffor whate mann or womann that hath hys  #
mende
on oure Lordis passhyon, I have no power ouer theym at no       #
tyme.'
And euer after Seynt Edmond the holy mann had ful grete         #
deuocyoun
in the passhyon of oure Lorde and in holy orysons for therein   #
was all
hys delyte bothe nyght and daye. But when he ete, slepte and    #
rode, all
that tyme he thought was but in ydelnes and hevy onto hym. But  #
all
<P 169>
that he labourid in holy studye or bedis-byddyng or             #
almesdede-doyng,
all suche thynges was moost plesaunce to hym, and he was neuer  #
wery
of suche werkys for he was all hole yeuyn to Goddys seruyce     #
and to hys
plesyng. And also he was a notable prechoure and gretely his    #
techyng
edefyed in the people that all people had grete devosyon to     #
hyre his
prechyng.
   In that tyme the pope sente his crosser to the bysshoppis    #
of Ynglonde
that thaye shulde chese a wyse clerke that shulde proclayme
the popys entent thurgh this realme of Ynglond for to haue      #
helpe and
socoure ayenste the Turke, Goddes enmy. And so by one assent    #
theye
chose Seynt Edmond to proclayme the popys wylle. And soo he dyd
that charge full welle and dyligently thurgh this londe, and    #
moche
people he causyd to take the crosse and for to go into the      #
Holy Londe.
And as a yong mann came with other to resseyue the crosse, a    #
woman
that louyd hym lette hym of hys purpose and she drewe hym fast
awaye fro thens with hir hondys. And anone bothe hir hondis     #
were
styffe and harde as a borde and also hir hondis wax all         #
crokyd. And than
she made grete sorowe and cryed God mercye; and she prayed      #
Seynt
Edmond to praye for hir to oure Lorde.
   And he sayde to hir: 'Woman, wylt thue take the crosse?'
   And she sayde: 'Yee, sir, full fayne.'
   And than she resseyuid it and was made hole. And than she    #
thankyd
oure Lorde, Jesu Cryste, and his holy seruaunt, Seynt Edmond.   #
And
thurgh this grete myracle moche more people toke the crosse.
   In a tyme as this holy man prechyd at Oxforde in the         #
churcheyerthe
of Alhalwyn and moche people was there to hyre his holy         #
prechyng.
Sodenly there waxed so derke weder that alle the people were    #
sore
agast; and moche people beganne to go awaye, the wynde and the
weder was so horryble. And than this holy man sayde to the      #
people:
'Abyde ye stylle here ffor the power of God is strenger than    #
the feendis
power, for thus he doyth for envye to distrouble Goddes         #
worde.' And
than Seynte Edmond lyfte vppe his mynde to oure Lorde and       #
besought
of mercy and grace. And when he had endid his oryson, the weder
beganne to withdrawe bye the other syde of the churche. And     #
all the
people that abode there stylle to hyre the prechyng had not     #
one drope
<P 170>
of rayne. But thaye that wente awaye fro the sermon were        #
thurghwette
with the rayne, and there fylle so moche rayne in the hye       #
strete that
men myght neither go ner ride therein. And than alle the people
preysid God in his seruaunt for this grete myracle. And at      #
Wynchester
another tyme, when he prechyd, was shewid there a lyke myracle  #
for
there he chasyd awaye suche a derke wether by hys holy prayer.
   Than for his holy levyng he was chose hye chanon at          #
Salysbury and
there he was made rewler and tresourer. And there he levyd a    #
full
gode lyve, for all the mony that he myght gete he yeaff hyt in  #
almes
to pore folkys for the loue of God that he had nothyng to leve  #
by
hymself. And than he wente to thabbey of Stanley and soiournyd
there tylle hys rentys came in, ffor Maister Stephyn Lexston    #
that there 
was abbott was somtyme his scoler in Oxford. He was so lytle    #
an etyr
that menn woundryd howe he levyd. And yett he wolde ete no      #
costelewe
mete for full selde he ete any flessh. And fro Shroftyde tyll   #
Ester
he wolde ete no mete that suffryd the dethe, not in Aduent he   #
ete neuer
but Lente-mete.
   And when the Archiebisshopp of Canterbury was dede, he was
chose by all the covent to be there bysshopp. And anone thaye   #
sent
there messyngers to hym to Salysbury, but he was then at Calne
which was then one of hys prebendis. There he was prevyly in    #
hys
chambir allone in his prayers; and one of his chapeleyns came   #
into his
chambyr and tolde hym that he was chose Archiebysshopp of       #
Canterbury
and that messyngers were come to hym for the same cause.
But Seynt Edmond was nothyng gladde of the tydynges. And then
the messyngers spake with Seynt Edmond and delyuerid to hym the
letters for to rede theym. And he sayde: 'I thanke you of       #
youre laboure
and gode wylle, but I am nothyng gladde of these tydynges. But  #
I
wolle go to Salysbury and take councell of my felowys in this   #
mater.'
   But when he came theder he was chose there in the            #
chapyterhowse
<P 171>
by all the feloushypp, but he denyed hytt in alle wyse to hys   #
power.
But the Bysshop of Salysbury with his brethern chargyd hym by   #
the
vertue of obedyence that he shulde take it vpon hym. And then   #
he
mekely toke it vpon hym fulle sore wepyng. And so thaye had hym
to the hye auter and there thaye beganne to syng ful devoutly   #
(\Te
Deum laudamus\) ful merely. But euer this holy man wepte with   #
full
bytter tyres and sayde: 'Lorde, I beseche the to haue mercy on  #
me,
thyne vnworthy servaunt, and yeffe me grace euer to guyde me    #
to thy
plesyng and wourshypp; and blessyd Lady, helpe me euer at my    #
nede;
and the holy virgyn, Seynt John y=e= Euaungelyst, be my         #
socoure and
helpe at my moost nede.'
   And than he was brought fro Salysbury to Canterbury, and     #
there
he was stallyd Archiebysshopp. And than he rewlyd Holy Church   #
full
wysely and godely that every man spake gode of hym, for he      #
ledde
his lyff in grete penaunce and almysdede. And euer he holpe     #
the poor
in theyre grete nede. In a tyme a pore tenaunt of hys dyed and  #
then his
bayly fette the best beest that he had for his lordis heryott.  #
And than
the poor wydowe that had lost hyr hosbande and hir best beste   #
came
to this holy bysshopp and complayned to hym of hir grete        #
pouertye.
And she prayd hym for the loue of God that he wolde yeff hir    #
ayen
hyr beest. Than seyde this gode bysshopp to the poor woman: 'Ye
knowe welle that the cheff lorde must haue the best beest.'     #
And sayde:
'Woman, yf Y leue y=e= my beest, wylte thue kepe hym welle to   #
my
behofe tyll Y aske it ayen of the another tyme?'
   And she sayde to the bysshopp: 'Yee, sir, at all tymes to    #
youre
pleasyng or else God defende, for I am fulle moche bownde vnto
yowe that ye wolle to me, a poor wrecche, shewe thys youre gode
grace.'
   And so he lete sende hir hyr best ayen; and she kept hytt    #
stylle to hir
lyfys ende. And thys holy bysshopp was euer fulle mercyfulle    #
to the
poor.
<P 172>
   And trewly he rewlyd and maynteyned the right of Holy        #
Churche.
And therefore the devyll of helle had grete envy vnto hym for   #
his holy
guydyng and sette debate betwene the kyng and hym, the which    #
kyng
was Kyng Harry, y=t= was Kyng Johns sonne. And this kyng dyd    #
to
Seynt Edmond leke as hys vnkylle Herry dyd to Seynt Thomas, for
alwey he was sturdy ayenst Holy Churche. And yett Seynt Edmond
prayed hym oftymes to be mercyfulle to the Churche of God, and
strenght hym in ther right for the loue of God and of his       #
blessid
modyr, Mary. But for alle his godely entretyng the kyng toke    #
aweye
the lybertyes and the fraunchyes thereof; and he thretenyd      #
gretely
Seynt Edmonde. And whan he se it wolde no better be, than he    #
spake
sherpely to the kyng and sayde: 'Though ye put me oute of youre
londe, yette I maye go to Paryce and dwelle there, as I haue    #
do herebefore, 
tylle ye be better dysposyd to Holy Churche.'
   The kyng hyryng this was euer moor and more ayenst hym and
Holy Churche. Than Seynt Edmond cursyd all tho that troublyd    #
Holy
Churche by vnright and shame. And when the kyng herde of this
cursyng, he was gretely meovyd ayenst Seynt Edmond. But alweye
the holy man kepte the right of the Churche to hys power and    #
myght.
And then Seynt Thomas appierid to hym and bade hym holde vppe
the right of Holy Churche with alle hys myght and rather for    #
to suffre
dethe than lese the fredome of the Churche, and to take y=t=    #
in sample
of hym. Than Seynt Edmond fylle on hys kne and wolde haue       #
kyssed
the fete of Seynt Thomas with weepyng teerys, but he denyed     #
hytt.
And then he kyssed the mouth of Seynt Thomas, and he vanyshyd
awaye. And then Seynt Edmond was more stedefast to Holy Churche
than euer he was before and wolde rather dye than lese +t=e=    #
right
thereof.
   And he toke ensample by Seynt Thomas howe he wente ouer the
se into ffraunce. And yen Seynt Edmond went prevely ouer the    #
see
intoo ffraunce trustyng in God that the kyng wolde amende his   #
levyng
and withdrawe his malyce fro Holy Churche. Than Seynt Edmond
<P 173>
came to Pounteney and there he bode in fulle holy levyng, and   #
euer he
prayde for the gode state of the churche of Ynglond.
   And vi yere he dwellid stille at Pownteney in fulle grete    #
holynesse.
And than this holy mann waxyd seke and feble and was counselyd  #
to
remove thens to a towne xx myle thens that is callyd Solye.     #
And than
the monkys of the abbey of Pounteney made grete sorowe for his
departyng thense, but he comfortyd theym in the beste wyse      #
that he
cowde and promysed theym to be there ayen vpon Seynt Edmondis
daye the kyng. And as sone as he came to the towne of Soly he   #
waxe
right sore seke and he knewe welle he sholde not long abyde in  #
this
worlde. And he desired to resseyue the sacramentes of the       #
churche;
and so he did with fulle grete reuerence, and passyd to oure    #
Lorde full
of vertues in the yere of oure Lorde M=l= iiC xlii. And fro     #
the towne of
Solye he was brought to Pounteney vpon Seynt Edmondis daye the
kyng. He myght not kepe his promyse to the monkis of Pounteney
on lyve, and therefore he kepte hys promys dede, ffor he was    #
brought
thedir and resseyuid ryght devoutly and buryed with grete       #
solempnyte
and put into a fulle worshipfulle shryne in the abbey of        #
Pounteney
before the high auter, where oure Lorde shewith many a grete    #
myracle
for his holy seruaunt Seynt Edmond.



