DIMEV 4737
IMEV 3033
NIMEV 3033
Saint Nicholas the holy man that good confessor was
Life of St. Nicholas in the South English Legendary —
couplets
Title(s):
South English Legendary
Subjects: saints’ lives; Nicholas, saint, life of
Versification: —
two-line —
aa
Manuscript Witnesses:
1.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Ashmole 43 (SC 6924), ff. 202-208
v
First Lines:SEyn Nycholas þe holi mon þat good confessour was
Icome he
was of heie men In þe cite of patras …
Last Lines:…Nou god þat for seynt Nichol such myracle hast
ido
Schulde ous fram þe pyne of helle & fram dedlich sunne
also
Attributed Title: seynte Nicholas (f. 202)
2.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Bodley 779 (SC 2567), ff. 115-119
First Lines:Seint necolas þe good man þat good comfessour was
I come
was of hy kim in þe cite of patras…
Last Lines:…Bring vs to þat blisse þat is wit outen ende
&
whan þat we beþ hennus I went oure soules þedir wende
Attributed Title: Seint nicolas þe bischop (f. 115)
3.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Eng. poet. a.1 (SC 3938) [Vernon MS], ff. 67
rb-68
vb
First Lines:Seint Nicholas þe holi mon þat god confessor was
I come
was of heȝe men in þe Cite of Patras…
Last Lines:…Now God þat for seint Nicholas such Miracle hast i
do
Schild vs from þe pyne of helle and dedlych sunne also.
Amen.
Facsimiles:
Doyle, I. A.,
ed.
The Vernon Manuscript. A Facsimile of Bodleian Library, Oxford, MS Eng.
poet.a.1,
with an introduction by A. I. Doyle. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1987.
Scase, Wendy, and Nick Kennedy, eds.
A facsimile edition of the Vernon manuscript: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Eng. Poet. A. 1.
Oxford: The Bodleian Library, 2011.
4.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 108 (SC 1486), ff. 111-115
v
First Lines:SEint Nicholas þe holie man Þat guod confessour was
Of
heiȝe men he was icome In þe cite of Patras…
Last Lines:…Louerd for þe loue of Seint Nicholas mani miracle hast
ido
Þou schild us fram þe pine of helle and fram dedliche sunne
also
Note: Missing lines 361-448.
Attributed Title: Vita sancti Nicholai amen (top f. 115v)
Editions: Horstmann, Carl,
ed.
The Early South-English Legendary.
EETS
o.s. 87 (1887; repr. 1987): 240-55.
5.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 463 (SC 1596), ff. 126
vb-130
va
First Lines:SEint Nicholas þe confessour Swiþe godeman was
I come he
was of heye men In þe cite of Patras…
Last Lines:…Nou god þat for seint Nicholas suche miracle hast
do
Shild vs fro þe pyne of helle & fro þe dedly synne
also
Note: Two columns per page, one full-line, the other half-line.
6.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Rawlinson poet. 225 (SC 14716), ff. 34
v-40
v
First Lines:SEynt Nicholas þat holy man a good confessor was
And y come of
heye blood in þe c[ ]atras…
Last Lines:…Now good god for seynt Nicholas many merakelis þou hast
do
þou kepe vs fro þe peynes of helle & dedly synne
also
Attributed Title: De sancto Nicholao (f. 34v)
8.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Addit. 3039, ff. 60
v-66
v
First Lines:Sayne Nicholas þe haly man þat gude confessour was
Was
comen of a noble kynde in þe Cite of Patras
In þat cite he was
borne als we fynde in his story
His modre was calde Johanna his fadre
Epiphanye…
Last Lines:…God for sayne Nicholas lufe graunte vs heuen to wynne
And
shelde vs fro hell pyne fro dett & dedly synne
9.Source: Cambridge UK, Fitzwilliam Museum McClean 128, ff. 21-27
v
First Lines:…Tho he herd of this sistren how wo that hem was
Of his fader
gold a night a bale of gold he name…
Last Lines:…Now lord for saint Nicholas love that many myracle hast
do
Shild vs fro the peyn of helle and fro dedly synne also
Note: Begins imperfectly due to loss of folios.
Attributed Title: Saint nicolas (RT)
10.Source: Cambridge UK, Magdalene College Pepys 2344, pp. 6-17
First Lines:Seint Nicolas þe goede man þat goed confessour was
I come
was of heye men in þe cite of Patras…
Last Lines:…Now god þat ffor seint Nicholas Such miracle hast
ydo
Saue vs ffro þe pyne of helle & ffro dedlich sunne
also
Attributed Title: Sanctus Nicholaus (RT)
11.Source: Cambridge UK, Trinity College R.3.25 (605), ff. 115-120
First Lines:SEint nycolas þe holy man þat goud conselore was
Come was
of hey men in þe cite of patras…
Last Lines:…god þat for loue of seint nycolas suche miracle haþ
do
saue ous fram þe pyne of helle þat lestyt euer mo
Attributed Title: Nycholas (RT)
13.Source: London, British Library Egerton 1993, ff. 44
v-50
First Lines:Sein Nicholas þe holi mon þat god conseiler was
Comen was of heiȝe men in þe cite of patras…
Last Lines:…Now god þat such miracle haþ for is loue ido
Schild vs from helle & from dedliche sunne also
Note: Ends ‘Amen’ at end of last line.
16.Source: London, British Library Harley 2277, f. 177
Note: Lines 1-4 missing.
Editions:
Horstmann, Carl,
ed.
The Early South-English Legendary.
EETS
o.s. 87 (1887; repr. 1987): 240-55 (lines 361-448).
D’Evelyn, Charlotte, and A. J. Mill, eds.
The South English Legendary: Corpus Christi College Cambridge MS. 145
and British Museum MS. Harley 2277, with variants from Bodley MS. Ashmole 43 and
British Museum MS. Cotton Julius D.ix.
EETS
o.s. 235 (1959), 236 (1956); repr. 1967: 2.550-66.
17.Source: London, British Library Stowe 949, ff. 74-80
v
First Lines:Seynt Nicholas þe holy man þe gode confessour was
ycome he was of heye men in þe lond of patras…
Last Lines:…Now lord for seyn Nicholas bone many a miracle hast ydo
Schilde vs fro þe pyne of helle & fro dedly synne al so
18.Source: London, Lambeth Palace Library 223, ff. 240-247
v
First Lines:SAynt Nicolas þe holy mon þat gode confessour was
Comen he
was of hegh men in þe Cite of Patres…
Last Lines:…Now lord for saynt Nicolas love þat mony myracles hast
do
Shyulde vs from þe peyne of helle & from dedly synne also.
Amen
Attributed Title: Saynt Nicolas (RT)