Digital Index of Middle English Verse: No. 5422

DIMEV 5422

IMEV 3440

NIMEV 3440

The noble story to put in remembrance

John Lydgate, Life of St. Edmund and St. Fremund — in rhyme royal

Author(s): John Lydgate

Title(s): Life of St. Edmund and St. Fremund (Lydgate)

Subjects: Edmund, saint, life of; Fremund, saint, life of; saints’ lives

Versification: — seven-line — ababbcc

Manuscript Witnesses:

1.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Ashmole 46 (SC 6930), ff. 1-48

First Lines:

The noble stoory to putte in Remembraunce
Off seint Edmond mayde martir & kyng
With his support my style I wyl avaunce
ffirst to compyle afftir my konnyng…

Last Lines:

…To Our Requestys shal goodly Condiscende
Geyn alle Our Enmyes this lond for to diffende

Note: At the end of the poem: ‘Explicit’. The life of St. Fremund begins on a new page after a break with:
NOw gloryous martir which of gret meknesse
ffor Crystes feith suffredyst passyoun

2.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Tanner 347 (SC 10174), ff. 1-84

First Lines:

[T]he noble stoory to putte in Remembraunce
Off sancte Edmond mayde martyr & kyng…

Last Lines:

…To our requestyd shal goodly condyscende
Geyn al our Enmyes this lond for to dyffende

3.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Rawlinson B.216 (SC 11568), ff. 162v-171vb

First Lines:

The noble Story to putt in Remembraunce
off Seynt Edmounde Martir Mayde & kyng…

Last Lines:

…Twenty thowsand of fygtyng men thei had
Which be þe see to ynglond were yn ladde

Note: Stanzas l-l90 only

Attributed Title: Vita Sancti Edmundi regis at martiris per Hohannem Lidgate monachum sancti Edmundi Bury composita (in a post medieval hand on f. 162v)

4.Source: Oxford, Corpus Christi College 61, ff. 1-63

First Lines:

The noble story to put in rememberance
Of seynt Edmond martir maide & kyng…

Last Lines:

…To oure request shall goodely condescende
Geyn all oure enmys þis lande for to defend

Attributed Author: Lidgate Monk of Bury (rubric; f. 1)

Attributed Title: This booke was compylede by Lidgate Monk of Bury att þe excitacy[on &] sterimg of oure souerayn Lorde King Henry þe vj ine þe honour & worship of þat blissed Martyr saynt Edmonde somtyme King of Estenglande (rubric; f. 1)

5.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Ee.2.15, ff. 48-51v; 53-55v

First Lines:

…O precyous charboncle of martyrs alle
O hevynly geme Saffer of stabylnes…

Last Lines:

…Towchyng my sonde take good hed ther to
Wothe out delay anon that yt be do…

Note: Missing lines 1-119, partially preserved on f. 47 where beginnings of 11 lines still present where rest of folio torn away; ends incomplete

Attributed Author: Edmvnde (f. 48, r. marg); S Edmvnde (RT)

6.Source: London, British Library Harley 247, ff. 45-45v

First Lines:

…ant huntynge & to whome there was assigned by the kynge one that was master of his hunts named horn…

Last Lines:

…right gantleman lybre in all his damenyng and was disposed of [.......] his corage specially to hau hym…

Note: Fragment, a single leaf, written as prose, the recto written upside-down; the text prosified except in some couplets where rhyme is reatined.

7.Source: London, British Library Harley 372, ff. 1-42v

First Lines:

[t]He noble story to put in remembraunce
of seynt Edmond martir maid & kyng…

Last Lines:

…to oure requestis shal goodly condescende
geyn all oure enmyes þis londe for to diffende

Note: Ends ‘ffinis liber’ in left margin beside last line, f. 42v.

8.Source: London, British Library Harley 2278, f. 6

Editions:

Horstmann, Carl. Altenglische Legenden: Neue Folge. Heilbronn: Henninger, 1881: 378-438.

Hervey, Lord Francis. Corolla Sancti Edmundi. London: J. Murray, 1907: 409-508.

9.Source: London, British Library Harley 4826, ff. 4-50v

First Lines:

The noble stoory to putte in Remembraunce
Off seynt Edmond mayde martir & kyng…

Last Lines:

…longe to perseuere in his vicoryous se
As Iust enherytour of yngleond and ffraunce

10.Source: London, British Library Harley 7333, ff. 136rb-146vb

First Lines:

ÞE noble story to put in Rememberaunce
Of Saint Edmonde martir Mayde & kynge…

Last Lines:

Trees elade with holsum frutes fine
And I suppose by grace which is devyne…

Attributed Title: O alle yee Reders and Hereres of this honnerable / story compleynithe with unto me þe meny time of / saint Edmunde Kyng haueng fed and shaued in / the abbey of Bury now late translated oute / of Latyne in to Englishe by daun John lydate / Religeous of the same place at þe comaundement / of kynge Henre the vj… (f. 136rb, rubric)

11.Source: London, British Library Yates Thompson 47 [olim Mostyn Hall 84], p. 1

12.Source: Arundel Castle, Duke of Norfolk MS Lives of Sts Edmund and Fremund, p. 1

13.Source: Exeter, Devon Record Office Misc. Roll 59

First Lines:

…Of magnanimite the herte of hercules
Prudence in armys to make afeld and set…

Last Lines:

…And like men of the Corage wood
Reioised hem euere to sleen and sheede blode…

Note: Fragment: 1.1032 to 2.14 only

Editions:

Clarke, Daisy E. Martin. “A New Lydgate Manuscript.” Modern Language Review (1929): 324-8: 324.

14.Source: Manchester, Chetham’s Library 6709 [Mun. A.4.104], ff. 199-282v

First Lines:

The noble story to put in Remembraunce
Of seynt Edmond mayd martyr & kyng…

Last Lines:

…To owre requestes shall goodely Condescende
Gayn all owre Enymyes this londe to diffende

Note: Followed by 3911 and 1535

Attributed Title: Vita Sancti Edmundi Regi et MArtieris (f. 199)