Harley_2278

Thoruh thy fauour / I cast me for tassaye To declare / of humble affeccion How seyn Fremond / be myracle dide outraye Hyngwar and Ubba / thoruh his hih renon And them venquysshid / in this region First write hys liff / and therupon proceede As god and grace / list my penne leede

Folwen myn Auctour / that wrot his liff toforn In frensh and latyn of gret auctorite Off the trouthe / gadren out the corn And voide the chaff / of prolixite Reherse the merueiles / of his natyuyte Aftir to godward / how he dide him quyte A litil prologue / afforn I wil endite

Incipit vita sancti Fremu[n]di Egregii martiris Edmu[n]di carissimi consanguinei / qui eiusdem martiris interfectores / d[omi]no Inuitante prostrauit graciose / vna cum miraculis Edmu[n]di martiris antedicti / p[ro]ut in post sequentibus clarius elucescit..

Who kan remembre / the myracles merueilous [W]hich crist Ih[es]u / list for his seyntes shewe Or who kan write / the tryumphes gloryous Of his martirs / in nou[m]bre nat a fewe And I am ferful / a boue myn hed to hewe Lyst froward chippis / of presumpcion Sholde blynde myn eyen / in ther fallyng don

Yt is nat holsom / to looke ageyn the sonne For dirked eyen / dulled of ther syht Men symply lettryd / that but litil konne Sholde feerful been / in herte / of verray ryht To entermete / of thilke eternal lyht Which bryhtest phebus / in ordre sette him selue Myd his crowne / of the heuenly stones twelue

The charboncle / of his nature red And cerawmis lyk the fyry leuene Wolde oppresse / and dirke / a dullyd hed Forto beholde ther bemys sent from heuene The cours celestiall / of the sterrys seuene To comprehende / ther dyurnal meuyng To bareyn wittis / is a ful strange thyng

What newe trouble hath thy cheer disteynyd With hevynesse / consumed and apeyred Pluk up herte al that my peeple hath pleynyd I shal redresse or thow be hoom repeyred Off my socour / be nat dysespeyred Or ouht longe / bet tydyng / God shal sende By whos support / al I shall amende

Knyhtes [Gold initial capital] fyue / off malice and rauyne Ageyn the ffredam off Edmu[n]d ful coupable Haberyowned / and in platis fyne Entred his court / took hors out / off his stable With swerdus drawe / to shewe hem sylff vengable Lyst any man / wolde make resistence Ladde forth the pray / bextort violence

But [with large initial ‘B’] sodenly / thus with hem it stood Or they passyd / the bou[n]dis off the gate Trauayled with furye / and echon wex wood Repented affter / offred up mayl and plate Confessyd / assoiled / in cronycle / set the date Ever affter / off hool affeccion Hadde to the martir gret deuocion