British Library Cotton Julius D.IX

{Ca . xlij .} SEin dunston was of ynglond icome of gode more Miracle our lorde dede for him ar he were ibore For 6o he was in his moþer wombe a candelmasse dai þa^t folc was at cherche y nou as to þe time bilai As hi stode alle wit her liȝt as me doþ ȝut y now hor leyȝt quente oueral her no nuste hou her riȝt hit brande suide wel ⁊ her riȝt hit was al owte

þa^t folc stode in gret wonþer ⁊ was þer of in gret doute ⁊ bispeke ek ech to oþer in wich manere hit were how hit queynte so sodenliche þe liȝt þa^t hi bere ¶ as hi stoþe ⁊ speke herof in gret wonþer echon ¶ sein donstones moþer tapor a fere word a non þa^t ȝhe held des in here hond heo nuste whannes hit com þa^t folc stoþ ⁊ biheld . ⁊ gret wonþer þer of nom ne non nuste whannes hit com . bote þorou oure lordes grace þer of hi tende al hor liȝt aboute in þe place What was þa^t oure lord crist fro heuen þa^t liȝt sende ⁊ þa^t folc þa^t stod aboute hor tapo^rs þerof tende bote of þa^t ilke holi child . þa^t in here wombe was þere Al englond scholde ben y liȝt bet þan hi^t er were ¶ þis child was ibore nyne hondreþ ⁊ fif ⁊ twenti riȝt after þa^t oure suete lord in his moþer was aliȝt ⁊ þe ferste ȝer of þe crounyng of þe king aþelston his moþer het kinedride his fader het herston þo þis child was an erde ibore his frend nom þerto hede ¶ hi lete hit do to glastinberi to norsi ⁊ to fede to teche him of his bileue pater noster ⁊ crede ¶ þis child wex ⁊ wel idei as hit moste nede litel ȝeme he nom to al þe worl to al godnesse he drou ech man þa^t herde of him speke hadde of him ioie y nou þo he was of monnes wit to his vncle he gan go þe erchebischop of kanterberi seint aldelme þa^t was do þa^t made wit him ioie y nou ⁊ euer þe leng þe more þo he sei of his godnesse ⁊ of his wise lore for deynte þa^t he hadde of him he let him sone bringe bifore þe prⁱnce of ynglonde aþelston þe kinge ¶ þe kyng him made ioie ynou ⁊ granteþe al his bone of what þing so he wolde bidde ȝif hit were to done þo haþ he him an abbei þa^t he was on ford y brout In þe toun of glastinberi þat be ne worneþe him nouȝt ¶ þe king him him granteþe his bone and . ⁊ after him also . Edmond his broþer þa^t was king ⁊ in his poer ido to glastinberi wente sone · þe godman sein dunston þo beie þe kinges him ȝeue leue Edmund ⁊ aþelston of þe hous of glastinberi a gret ordeinor he was ⁊ made moche of hor gode rule þa^t neuer er among hom nas

¶ ac þa^t hous þa^t was ferst bigonne four hondred ȝer bifore ¶ ⁊ ek þre ⁊ fifti ȝer ar sein dunston were i bere for þer was ordre of monkes ar sein patric com ⁊ ar sein Austin to englond bi ouȝte crⁱstendom · ⁊ som patric deide four hondreþ ⁊ to ⁊ fifti ȝer after þa^t oure suete ladi · our lord an erde ber ac none monkes þer uere verst bote as in huding echon ⁊ as men þa^t drowe to wilþernesse for drede of godes fon ¶ seint dunston ⁊ seint aþelwolþ as oure lord hit bisai Iordeinet to prestes were boþ in one dai þa^t after sone to glastinberi sein dunston a non wente abbot he was þer i mad his lif þer forto amende ¶ ⁊ for he nolde bi his wille no time idel be ¶ a priue smiþþe bi his celle he gan him bi se · for whanne he moste of his orison reste ro werinesse to worke he wolde his honden do to fle ydelnesse serui he wolde pouer men þe while he miȝte dure al dai for þe loue of god heue kepte of hom non vure ⁊ wanne he sat atis work þere his honde atis dede ⁊ his herte at ihesu crist his mouþ his beden seþe ¶ so þa^t al at one time he was in þre stedes his honden dere his herte at god his mouþ to bide his bedes þerfore þ^e deuel hadde to him gret enuie ⁊ onde a time he com to his smiþþe lone him to fonde · riȝt as þe sonne eode adoun as he womman were ⁊ spac wit him of his worc wit leyhinde chere ⁊ sede þa^t he hadde wit him . gret worc to done truflinde he smot here ⁊ dere in a noþer tale sone ¶ þis holi mon hadde gret wonder þa^t heo was here ⁊ þere ¶ he sat longe ⁊ biþoute him . narwe ho hit were þo he biþouȝte him ho hit was he drou ner his tonge ⁊ leide in þe hote fere · ⁊ spac faire wel longe forte tonge was al afere ⁊ suþþe stille y nou ¶ þe deuel he hente bi þe nose ⁊ wel faste drou he twengþe ⁊ tok here bi þe nose þa^t yet fur out blaste þe deuel wrikkeþ her ⁊ der ⁊ he helþ euer faste ¶ he ȝal ⁊ hupte ⁊ drou aȝen ⁊ made grislich bere ¶ he nolde fo al his biheste þa^t he hadde icome þere Wit his tonge he stok his nose ⁊ twengþe him euer sore fort hit was wi^th Inne nyȝte þa^t he ne miȝte ise nammore

¶ þe schrewe was glad ⁊ bliþe y nou þo he was out of his hond he flei ⁊ gradde bi de luft þa^t me herde in to al þe lond out what haþ þis calf ido what haþ þis calf ido In þe contreie me herde wide how þe schrewe gradde so as goode þe schreue hadde ibe habbe i snitt atom his nose he ne ȝede nomore dederward to tili him of þe pose ¶ þis holi abbot sein donston hadde gret poer ¶ Wit king Edmund þa^t was þo ⁊ was al his conseiler Efter kind Edmundis deþe a god while þer was agon þa^t Edwyne sone was king i mad ⁊ nout after anon þis Edwyne hadde euel red ⁊ þer after he drou Wit seint dunston he was wrod siker wit gret wou of his abbei he deþe him out ⁊ dede him schame y nou þe more schame þa^t he him dede þ^e more þ^e godman lou ¶ he drof him out of englond ⁊ set him crie fleme þis godman wente fort wel glad ne tok he neuer ȝeme to þe abbei of seint amaund bi ȝonde se he drou ⁊ soiorneþe þere songe · ⁊ ladde god lif y nou Efter kyng edwyns deþ edgar þa^t was his broþer was kyng ymad for he was nere þan eni oþer suiþe godman he bicom ⁊ loueþe holi cherche ⁊ ech man þa^t þerto him radde after him he gan werche Me tolþe him of sein dunston þa^t his broþer drof out of londe wit vnriȝt for his godnesse ⁊ gan him vnþerstonde efter him he sente a non · þa^t he come a ȝen sone ⁊ bileueþe his conseiler of þa^t he hadde to done ¶ seint dunston com hom aȝen ⁊ faire was vnþerfonge ⁊ hadde his abbei al in pes fro wh^am he was longe Wit þe king he was suiþe wel ⁊ was al his conseiler Moche me spac of his godnesse · wide fer ⁊ ner ¶ hit bifel þa^t þe bischop of worchestre was deþ ¶ þe king ⁊ þe erchebischop ode þer of nome her red ⁊ þe holi abbot seint dunston bischop hi made dere to make him herre in godes lawe his wil þei hi^t nere som men eskete at erchebischop of kanterberi sire ode · Whare fore he him bischop made ⁊ his gr^aces were so gode · ¶ for he schal quaþ þis godman · after me here be · erchebischop of canterberi ⁊ þa^t me schal ise what wostow þis of sede þu spekst folliche y wis

nostou no more þan þi not oþ god al hie is Mi leue frend quaþ þis godman ȝe ne derre me blame nouȝt Wel ichot what our lord crist in mi mouþ haþ ibrout as ho seiþ of þilke þing þa^t he haþ me iseþ telle ich mai þei hit bifalle after þa^t icham deþ bischop he was of londoun sein dunston suþþe also · of londoun ⁊ of worchestre he helþ boþe to ¶ hit bifel þa^t þe erchebischop of canterberi was ded þe pope ⁊ þe king edgar þer of nome hor red ⁊ made þ^e gode sein donston erchebischop dere godemen þa^t him i knewe · wel glad þer of were Cristendom of englond to goþ stat he drou · ⁊ þe riȝtes of holi cherche he held op fast inou he fourmeþe þorou al englond þa^t ech person scholþe chese to wite him chast fro lecheri oþer his cherche lese ¶ seint aþelwold was þilke time bischop of wurchestre ⁊ seint oswald þe gode man · bischop of wirchestre þis tweie bischopes ⁊ seint dunston · were alle at one rede ⁊ edgar de gode king to do þis gode dede ¶ þis þre bischopes wente aboute þorou al englond ⁊ ech luþer person caste out hom ne miȝte non a stonde hor cherchen ⁊ hor oþer god · clanliche hom binome ⁊ bisette hit on godemen · þorou þe popes gr^ant of rome ciste ⁊ fourti abbeis of monkes ⁊ of nonne of þe tresor hi rerde in englond of persons so y wonne · ⁊ so hit was wel bet biset þa^t hit was er on schrewe · for whanne gode maistres beþ som godnesse hi wollet schewe ¶ gode were þis þre bischopes þa^t at on time were do · þe beter is englond for hom ⁊ worþ euermo our lord ȝef an erde sein dunston fair gr^ace þa^t at on time as he was in a prⁱue place · his fader ⁊ his moþer ek · in þe ioie of heuen an hei · after þa^t he ded were aperteliche he sei · wel gret loue our lord him cudde whanne he him scheueþe dere so moche of his prⁱuite þe while he aliue were ¶ as he lai a noþer time in his reste a niȝt he sei þe ioie of heuen ⁊ þe place þer inne wel briȝt angeles he herde also singe a mery song þer inne þa^t me singet ȝet in holi cherche whan medeþ þ^e masse biginne