S47 mi :»"'. ■■ '.'. M^> aass5JSj^4Z Legenda Aurea-Legende Doree-Golden Legend STUDY OF CAXTON'S GOLDEN LEGEND WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS RELATIONS TO THE EARLIER ENGLISH PROSE TRANSLATION A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF UNIVERSITY STUDIES OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY PIERCE BUTLER FELLOW IN ENGLISn AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVEKSITY BALTIMORE JOHN MURPHY COMPANY 1899 Legenda Aurea-Legende Doree-Golden Legend A STDDY OF CAITON'S GOLDEN LEGEND WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS RELATIONS TO THE EARLIER ENGLISH PROSE TRANSLATION A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF UNIVERSITY STUDIES OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY PIERCE BUTLER FELLOW IN ENGLISH AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY BALTIMORE JOHN MURPHY COMPANY 1899 v.- ;44088 TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE. Bibliography, v Introductory Note, 1 Chapter I. Voragine and the Latin Versions : ----- I " " A. Voragine' s Life and Works, ------ 1 " " B. Date of the Legenda Aurea, 4 " " (7. Its Character and Scope, 7 " " D. Literary History, 9 " " E. The Standard Editions, 18 Chapter II. French Versions : 20 " " A. The so-called translation by Jean Belet, - - - 20 " " B. Jean de Vignay's translation and its revisions, - - 35 Chapter III. English Prose Versions : 49 ** " A. The 15th century version, in MS., - - . - 50 " " B. Caxton's Golden Legende, his method of Composition and Sources, --------75 Chapter IV. The " Etymologies " in Voragine, Vignay, and Caxton, - 87 Chapter V. Legends from English and French Versions of the Legenda : 99 " " A. St. Cuthbert, 99 « " B. St. Aldelme, 101 " " a St. Swythyn, 103 " " D. St. Donston, 105 " " E. St. Thomas of Canterbury, - 105 " " F. The Seven Sleepers, 107 " " G. St. Marine (English), - 114 " " H. St. Marine (French), 116 " " /. St. Patrick, 116 " " /. St. Patrice (French MSS.), 122 " " K. St. Patrice (Printed Vignay), 125 " " L. The Holy Cross, 130 Chapter VI. Remarks on the Texts. Results, - - - - - 141 Appendix : New Manuscripts, 149 Life, -- 155 iii COEEECTIONS. p. 1, line 6, for or read of. P. 4, l. 3, For, read for; /, ^7, for repealed read repeated. P. 19, /. 5, for potentissimum read poteniissimi. P. 20, I. 4 from bottom, for Oudini read Oudinus. P. 32, /. 33, auoit anon, read auoit a non. P. 45, ^. 21, /or pp. read ff. P. 45, /. 29, and p. 46, 11. 12 awrf 26, Vignay's, read Vignays. P. 54, ^. 14, Alteny., read Alteng. P. 57, ^. 25, right, reacZ rightly ; and I. 26, cat., read catalogue. P. 66, note, add : See Ward, ii, 555, where this point is noted, as well as'Caxton's borrowings here. P. 87, I. 12, for C.'s read Caxton's. P. 93, note 1, for cewte read cent. IV BIBLIOGRAPHY.' Okaesse : Jacohi a Voragine Legenda Aurea .... recensuit Dr. Th. Graesse. Ed. secunda. Lipsiae, mdcccl. Svo. Brunet : La Legenda doree de Jacques de Voragine — trans. M. G. B., Paris, 1843, 2 vols. Ellis : The Oolden Legend of Master William Caxton, ed. Wm. Morris and F. S. Ellis, Kelmscott Press, 1892. Abpland: The Golden Legend, reprint of specimen pages from a Caxton (1st ed.) in the Manchester Free Library, ed. Alfred Aspland, for Holbein Society, London, 1878. Madge : Leaves from the Golden Legend, chosen by H. D. Madge, Westminster, 1898. A cheap and useful book of selections from Caxton 's (revised) text ; reviewed in Academy, Oct. 22nd, 1898, and Mod. Language Notes, April, 1899. HoRSTMANN : Program des Gymnasiums zu Sag an, 1877. Prints Bar- laam and Josaphat from MS. Egert. 876. HoRSTMANN : Altcnglische Legenden, Paderborn, 1875, and especially, id., Neue Folge, Heilbronn, 1881, pp. cxxx fol. St. Brendan : Caxton'a version reprinted in Dublin University Ma- gazine, vol. XXXIX, p. 547 f. : The Golden Legend as treated by Voragine, Caxton, and Longfellow. Not important except for reprint. Morris : Legends of the Holy Rood, Early Eng. Text Soc. No. 46, 1871, pp. 154-170. Caxton's Jnvention and Exaltation of the Holy Cross. FuRNivALL : Chaucer Society, 1875, 2nd series. No. 10, p. 207 : text of de Vignay's and Caxton's Cecile. ^ I have not attempted to give anything like an exhaustive bibliography, for none could be considered at all adequate which ignored the special references for each of the legends given below, and a bibliography of St. Patrick alone would fill several pages. I here give, therefore, merely a brief list of the chief works consulted. The references in the text itself are generally explicit enough in themselves. V vi . Bibliography. Blades: Life and Typography of Wm. Caxton, London, 1861-63. Cf. also the smaller revised ed. of 1882. Both are mines of informa- tion ; references in the text are usually to the larger ed. ; see also the indices. MuRATORi : Rerum Italicarum Scriptores — ed. Ludovicus Ant. Mura- torius, Mediolani, 1726. Contains the Chronicon Januense of Voragine, vol. ix. Touron: Histoire des Dominicains, Paris, 1743. For Voragine see vol. I, p. 603 seq. ; this is the fullest account except that by Echard. EcHARD : Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum, Paris, 1719 seq., Echard and Quetif, quite invaluable for information about Voragine and his contemporaries. Histoire Litteraire de la jPVance, Paris, 1733-1881, vol. xiv, p. 218; vol. XVIII, 471-2 ; vol. xxv, 27, 29-30 — on Belet and de Vignay. Warton: Hist of Eng. Poetry, ed. Hazlitt, London, 1871, i, 246 f.; 294; III, 104-5; and see Index. Ten Brink: English Literature, Eng. translation, N. Y., 1883-96; vol. I, 269 ; III, 6, etc. Dunlop: Hist, of Fiction, ed. Wilson, Bohn's Library, 1888; see Index. Ward : Catalogue of Romances in the MS. Dept. of the Brit. Mus., Lon- don, 1892 (references in the text for this and following works). Paris : Manuscrits francois dans la Bibliotheque du Roi, Paris, 1838. Brunet : Manuel du Libraire, Paris, 1864. Panzer : Annates Typographici, Nuremberg, 1793-99. Migne: Patrologiae cursus eompletus, series Latina, Paris, 1844-66, vols. 177, 202, etc. POLYCHRONICON : Ranulphi Higden Monachi Cestrensis ; with English Translations of John of Trevisa and of an Unknown Writer. Ed, C. Babington, Eolls Series, 1865 f. LEGENDA AUREA-LEGENDE DOREE- GOLDEN LEGEND. Introductory Note. The purpose of this study is, in the main, to show the sources and the method of composition of Caxton's Golden Legends, and this portion of the work is to be as careful and elaborate as circum- stances will permit. But the many fascinating subsidiary questions connected with the Legenda Aurea could not be passed by in silence ; and to these I shall devote some attention. Many oi them, more- over, are so intimately associated with the main problem, and have been so imperfectly treated by the few who have noticed them at all, that I must believe my present method to be fully vindicated by these conditions. I have observed the following divisions in this study. Chapter I. Voragine, and the Latin versions : A. Voragine^s Life and Works; B. Date of the Legenda Aurea, (7. Its character and scope; D. Literary History; E. The standard editions. Chapter II. French Versions: A. The so-called translation by Jean Belet; B: Jean de Vignay's translation and its revisions. Chapter III. English Prose Versions: A, The 16th century ver- sion, in MS. ; B. Caxton^s Golden Legende, his method of Compo- sition and sources. Chapter IV. The ^^Etymologies " in Voragine^ Vignayy and Caxton. Chapter I.— Voragine, and the Latin versions. A. The essential facts in the life of Jacobus de Voragine have been so frequently given that I shall here rehearse them only in the briefest manner. Jacobus a Voragine, or de Varagine (as he seems to style him- self), was born at Varaggio, a small town on the Gulf of Genoa, 1 2 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend. not far from Savona. We know nothing of his parentage or early- life ; indeed, we do not even know the date of his birth. He was probably born about A. D. 1230, as he speaks of a solar eclipse occurring while he was still a child, in 1239 (Chronicon Januense, XII, cap. 4). From the same authority (Ibid., cap. v), we learn that he was still a mere youth when he entered the Dominican Order, in 1244. Under the Dominicans he soon distinguished him- self by his zeal for study and by his exemplary conduct. Later on he won some reputation as a professor of theology in various houses of his order; but his talent for preaching — especially cherished by the " Fratres Praedicatores " — was what drew special attention to him. In 1267 he became Provincial of his order in Lombardy, and held this office for eighteen years, when he became Definitor. In 1288, as he tells us with pardonable pride ((7/iron. xii, cap. 6), he was empowered by Pope Nicholas IV (through the Emperor Henry IV) to absolve the Genoese from the papal censures which they had incurred by aiding the Sicilians in their revolt against Charles II of Naples. About this time the Archbishop of Genoa died, and the chapter chose Jacobus a Voragine to succeed him. But the humble Dominican declined the honor, to the great regret of his fellow- citizens, and the Pope appointed Obezzon, ex-patriarch of Antioch. He died in 1292, and the chapter again chose Jacobus for their Archbishop, unanimously ; the Senate of Genoa voted its approval of the choice; the people rejoiced at it; and finally the reluctant monk yielded to the public will and became Archbishop of Genoa. He fully appreciated the importance of his new duties, saw how his influence might be strong for peace in his diocese, then dis- tracted by the violent factions of the Guelfs and Ghibellines, and exerted himself to quell these unfortunate troubles. It is one of the few things he tells us about himself, that he actually succeeded in patching up a peace between the warring factions. But the echoes of the Te Deum, chanted to celebrate the peace for which he had worked three years, were hardly gone before the conflict broke out again, and the streets of Genoa became again veritable fields of battle. It is said that the Archbishop once averted a conflict by throwing himself between the combatants at the risk of his life. In short, he was a model Archbishop, and a truer and Legenda Aurea — L^gende DorSe — Golden Legend. 3 nobler Christian than many of those whose deeds he re-told in the Legenda. There is an anecdote told here which, though believed to be untrue as applied to Jacobus, is nevertheless illustrative of the factional spirit of the age, and worth quoting. It is said that Jacobus a Voragine, having presented himself before the Pope, Boniface VIII (1294-1303), to take part in the usual ceremony -on Ash Wednesday, the Pontiff, suspecting that the Archbishop was too favorable to the Imperial party, threw the ashes into his face, saying, in place of the usual words : Momenta quia Gibellinus eSj et cum Gibellinis tuis in pidverem reverteris. Voragine occupied the archiepiscopal throne seven years, dying in 1298, on the 14th -July. He was buried in the Church of St. Dominick, at Genoa, on the left of the high altar. And so close the short and simple annals of a writer who, while he can lay small claim to originality — he himself says he compiled — or to great literary power, has exercised a great influence on literature. Even with us, the Golden Jjegend has a pleasantly familiar sound, witness Longfellow's choice of it for a title, though it has ceased to be for us what it undoubtedly was during several centuries and for many literatures : a rich mine of stories, a familiar household volume, ^^ full of .wise saws and modern instances," as it were, their Curiosities of Litera- turSy Book of Days, Phrase and Fable, or what not. But before discussing the character or influence of the Legenda Aurea, let me conclude the biographical sketch by enumerating the works of its author. We cannot determine the dates of composition of his works, and the following list is so far from being based on chronology that the Chronicon, which is placed first, must have been one of the last written, since it extends to 1296. (1) Chronicon Januense, his principal work, being a history of Genoa from the time of Janus, first king of Italy, and founder of the city, to the writer's own times. It is in 12 parts. The first 4 deal with Janus, the founder, and another "Janus, citizen of Troy," coming down to the conver- sion of the city, 'about 25 years after the passion of Christ.' Part V deals with the beginnings, growth, and culminating prosperity of the city, reaching to the author's own time. Part vr, the con- stitution of the city. Parts vii and viii, with the duties of citizens and rulers, and ix, with domestic duties. Part x, ecclesiastical 4 Legenda Aurea — Legende DorSe — Golden Legend. history, from St. Valentine (c. 530) to 1133, when Genoa became the seat of an Archbishop. Part xi, Lives of the Bishops. Part XII, Lives of the Archbishops, including the author (For this analysis, see JEncycl. Brit). (2) Legenda Sanctorum^ sive Lom- bardica Historia — our Legenda Aurea. (3) Sermones de omnibus Sanctis (2 volumes). (4) Sei^mones de omnibus Lhangeliis Domini- calibus. (5) Sermones de omnibus Evangeliis. (6) Marialis, qui totus est de B. Maria compositus. (7) Defensorium Frat. Praedi- catores. (8) Summa virtutum et vitiorum Guil. Peraldi (but see Crane, J. de Yitry, p. xcvii). (9) De operibus et opusculis S. Augustini. (10) Historia Lombardica (?) [this is the sub-title of the Leg. Aur., and is usually considered as referring to the life of S. Pelagius Pope, cap. 181, p. 824; but Echard (vol. i, p. 457) believes there was a separate work with this title]. (11) Summa casuum conscientiae (for the guidance of his clergy). (12) Italian translation of portions of the Bible, ascribed to Jacobus by Sixtus^ Senensis; there is a copy in the British Museum. (13) Tabula super historias sacrae scriptm^ae. (14) Expositio in Symbolum Aihanasianum. In this list of Voragine's works, which I have based on the account given by Echard, the fullest life of our author, many of the items are quite unimportant, the only ones, certainly, by which he is now remembered being the Chronicon and the. Legenda. It may be as well to note here that the above-mentioned article by Echard in Quetifs Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum^ Paris, 1719 seq., vol. I, 454 f., seems to be the basis of all subsequent accounts ; the essential facts are repealed in Touron's Histoh^e des DominicainSy. Paris, 1743, vol. i, 583 f., and in Brunet's Legende dor6e, Paris, 1843. The Chronicon is in Muratori's Scriptores Rerum Italicarum,. vol. 9, 53. B. It is, perhaps, not a matter of prime importance to fix the date of the composition of the Legenda Aurea, but we should gladly welcome any evidence that would enable us to do so. The two scholars who might have said something authoritative on the question have not expressed definite opinions. Graesse, who intimates in his preface that he had collected material for extensive notes, did not, so far as I can discover, publish them. In the- Legenda Aurea — Ligende DorSe — Golden Legend. 5 preface to his Beitrdge zur lAteratur und Sage des Mitteldlters (Dresden and Leipzig, 1850), ix, he again aUudes to his hope of publishing studies on the text and sources of the Legenda. Brunet, too, in La France liMraire au XV""^ si^ole, 221, says he purposes publishing studies on the Latin text. But he does nothing more than state, at the close of the Lntroduction to the L6gende dor^e, that the text from which he translates was " redig^ vers 1260." This date, I think, is rather too early. Voragine at this time would have been only about thirty years old. Such a work as this, whatever its shortcomings now, required most extensive reading, a thorough acquaintance with an immense mass of material, and no mean literary skill. For no one who has studied the Legenda, so concise and painstaking, and compared it with the verbose and chaotic collections which preceded it, can fail to acknowledge how vast is the improvement. A work so concise and, according to the standards of the day, so accurate and scholarly, does not seem to me to be from the pen of a young or untrained writer. But even if we cannot accept 1260 as a certain date, there are certain facts which preclude one much later. Most of those who have written on the subject have stated that the Legenda was composed '^ late in the thirteenth century." Probably they have been influenced in favor of this view by a misunderstanding of Jacobus^s own words. Speaking of himself, he says: ^^ Hie cum adhuc esset in Ordine suo, et postquam fuit in Archiepiscopatu, opera plura fecit.^^ Noticing only the second clause, it would be easy enough to imagine that he wrote "after he had become Arch- bishop," i. e. in 1292 (cf. Encycl. Brit). But this was evidently not Jacobus's meaning. And the list of his own works, which follows the sentence quoted above, begins (cf. Chron., xii, 9) with the Legenda : ^'Nam L^egendas Sanctorum non uno volumine com- pilavit, multa adjiciens in eisdem de Historia Tripartita et Scholas- tica, et de Chronicis multorum Auctorum.'^ From his own account then, this Legenda, heading the list of his works, was one of the earliest, if not the very first, compiled cum adhuc esset in ordine suo, and before he was made Archbishop. Efforts to relieve this uncertainty have only succeeded in shift- ing it to another hagiology, though I have succeeded in collecting 6 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Doree — Golden Legend, certain evidence. In the Prologus to the Catalogus Sanctorum of Petrus de Natalibus we find a list of the authorities from which he has compiled. Next to the last in a long list, which appears to be arranged with some reference to chronology, we find : ^^Demum frater iacobus de voragine ordinis predicatorum .... sanctorum gesta quorum solennia ab ecclesia recoluntur et in kalendariis ascri- buntur generaliter collegit et compendio breviavit.^^ The last author is : ^^Novissimus omnium frater Petrus calo VenetusJ^ Nowhere have I been able to discover the date of either Natalibus or Petrus Calo Venetus. Some assign Natalibus's Calendarium to " about 1260 " — which is manifestly too early. The only thing of which I feel sure is that this work, the first, I believe, in which the Legenda is mentioned, was composed before the end of the thirteenth cen- tury, and before the work of Jacobus won its present epithet of ^^ Aurea J^ Another clue, too, suggests itself. The life of St, Pelagius in the Legenda, cap. 181, is really a sort of chronicle. The last event mentioned therein is the deposition and death of the Emperor Frederick II (ob. a. d. 1250) : "Quo deposiio et defuncto sedes im- perii usque hodie vacat ^^ (Legenda, p. 844). We can therefore feel certain that this portion of the work was written not long after 1250 (cf. G. H. Waitz, Monumenta Germaniae, xxiv, pp. 167-1 71^ ed. 1879). But we must remember, that this chapter of the Legenda may once have been a separate work, as Echard hints, and written much earlier than the main body of the Legenda, No argument can be safely based on the long chapter on Elizabeth of Hungary {Leg., p. 752 f.), who died in 1231, since, contrary to the usual rule,, she was canonized in 1235, and became at once a nucleus for mira- cles and a theme for legend writers. In conclusion, I will state that my own judgment leads me ta the view, yet unsupported by evidence, that the Legenda, even the portion which seems Jacobus's work, was a growth ; some portions were written early ; as occasion arose new legends were inserted ;. just as modern writers give us second and revised editions, so Jacobus, too, added to and perfected his work ("Legendas .... non uno volumine compilavit ''). And this process of revision may have continued until late in his life. But the Legenda was already completed, in all essentials, between a. d. 1260-1270. Legenda Aurea — Legende Doree — Golden Legend. 7 C. The question of the sources of the Legenda Aurea is too large and too intricate to be satisfactorily treated here. Still, accepting the indications given by Jacobus himself (see quotation above, and Prologue to Legenda), I shall say a few words about one or two of the books from which he might have drawn. Nearly all the Saints in the Legenda will be found also in the Speculum Historiale of Vincent of Beauvais. The latter gives, indeed, many more than the Legenda, and the lives are usually much longer. But a few of the shorter legends, and a few of the better known, will be found to correspond almost word for word. I have compared, for exam- ple, the Seven Sleepers, In order to be chronologically accurate (!), Vincent gives the portion of the story up to the time when the youths fall asleep, under a. d. 252 (Lib. xi, cap. 45), and continues with their awakening in A. D. 447 (Lib. xx, caps. 31-33). Could a modern historian be more faithfully accurate ? The text of the Legenda agrees almost verbatim with Vincent's story ; but the latter, again observing chronology, gives also, in Lib. xxv, cap. 20, the curious anecdote about Edward the Confessor (cf. Wra. of Malmesbury, ii, 13). The legend of St. Ursula, again, is identical with Spec. Hist, Lib. xx, 40-45. To these we may add : St. Julian the Bishop (^Spec. Hist., ix, 63), and Julian Hospitaller {Lbid., 65); St. Patrick {lb., xx, 23-24) ; St. Vitalis {lb., ix, 50) ; St. Petronella {lb., 38) ; St. Marina (lb., XV, 74) ; St. Apollinaris {lb., x, 7) ; the story of Simon Magus {Leg., p. 372-3, cf. Spec. Hist, ix, 12), etc., etc. In all these instances we find not merely the same story but, in general, the very words repeated in the Legenda. But even where there seems to be proof positive that Jacobus borrowed from Vincent, we cannot call him a servile copyist. One illustration of my meaning will suffice. After ending the story of the Seven Sleepers, Jacobus adds the following sentence to the account {Leg., p. 438) : " The statement that they slept 372 years may be ques- tioned ; for they arose in the year of our Lord 448, Decius, how- ever, reigned but one year and three months, namely, A. D. 252, and therefore they slept but 196 years." But the very limited time devoted to the question of Jacobus's sources does not entitle me to offer opinions. I shall merely state that while his book was confessedly a compilation, he used his sources with considerable judgment and care. 8 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend, The Legenda Aurea was intended to give in a convenient form the best information about the lives and miracles of the saints and martyrs. Similar work had been done before — to which Jacobus acknowledges his indebtedness — such as that of Simeon Metaphras- tes, and Vincent of Beauvais. But in none of these were the purposes quite the same. And the legends in these numerous collections, besides being often too marvellous even for the good digestion of the thirteenth century, are long and ill told. Those who question Voragine's merits would do well to look into the vast and verbose de Gloria Marty rum of Gregory of Tours, to cite but one of the better known. In short. Jacobus sought to sift and codify somewhat as Baronius did some three centuries later, or as Bishop Lee did. There are now dozens of just such works, handy one-volume martyrologies, whose pious editors vainly seek to pre- serve the pleasant fiction that their legends are sober facts.^ That Voragine inchided many stories which, to modern readers, seem both ridiculously incredible and often indecent, no one can deny; but in this age, at least, we have learned to make some allowances for the quite different point of view of the thirteenth century. His work shows very plainly that he took some pains to sift the immense mass of traditions which had obscured the real facts of the various lives. We find upon careful examination that he not only tells the stories quantum valeant, but even calls atten- tion to inconsistencies and improbabilities in them, being always careful to give his authority for the extraordinary particulars. We have seen one such instance in the case of the Seven Sleepers. Another striking instance, noted by Echard, is in the legend of St. Hllarius, where, after telling the story of the saint's answer to Pope Leo {Ijeg., p. 99) : ^'Et si sis Leo, non de tribu Juda,^ etc.. Jacobus remarks that this story seems apocryphal, as there was no Pope Leo at that time. And another instance, in which we may contrast Caxton's treatment : in the legend of the Finding of the Gross (p. 303-4), we are told the extraordinary story of the branch from the Tree of Life which Seth planted on Adam's grave, and from which the wood of the Cross was taken ; Jacobus then adds : ^ One such came under my notice recently : ed. Rev. Robert Owen, B. D., Lon- don, 1880; he duly records Barlaam and Josaphat under Nov. 27th, but "suspects " that it is but the Buddha legend, and suggests the likeness to Rasselas. Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend. 9 '''It is left to the judgment of the reader whether this be true or not, as these things are not to be found in any chronicle or authentic history." Caxton, however, omits all this, and passes on in silence (see Morris, E. E. T. 8. No. 46, p. 155). Can we blame Voragine because his ideas of an authentic history were so radically different from ours? For my own part, far from thinking him too credu- ulous, I have sometimes been astonished at the boldness of his suggested doubts, in an age when there was no impunity for incre- dulity, much less a premium on it. The Legenda Aurea was meant to be not merely a repository of saints' legends. It was meant to be used almost as a service book, as can be seen from its very plan, and its prologue. The book is <3ivided into five sections, each headed by a special treatise in the nature of a sermon on the special feast day which it applies to : thus section i begins with de Adventu, and includes chapters i-v ; then section ii extends from Christmas to Septuagesima, caps, vi- XXX ; section iii, from Septuagesima to Easter, caps. xxxi-Liii ; section iv, Easter to the octave of Pentecost, caps, liv-lxxvi ; and section v, Pentecost to Advent, caps, lxxvii-clxxx. And in the Prologue the author calls attention, very quaintly, to these fivQ sections, and to the scriptures to be read in connection with them. " There is no doubt," says Aspland (^Golden Legend^ Holbein Soc, 1878, p. 35), 'Hhat [the Legenda^ was read in churches, and studied as a religious book." D. Manuscripts of the Legenda Aurea are so numerous that it would be an immense labor merely to mention them ; nor would there be anything gained in such an enumeration unless one could give reliable details. I shall, therefore, mention only one or two of the oldest known to be in England. Luard, in his Catal. of Cambridge MS8., vol. ii, 493, describes one of these early Mss. : No. 1321 — Ff. V. 31 : "A small folio, on parchment, containing ff. 181, with double columns of 41 11. each. Written A. D. 1299. * Vite Sanctorum Auree (sio) compilate a quodam Fratre Predi- catore.' sc. Jacobo de Voragine. . . . At the end is ' Istud librum scripsit Helias Toreni presbiter a. d. mccxcix. anima ejus requi- escat in pace. Amen." In a correction (vol. v, 596) Luard adds : ^^ This copy, which professes to have been transcribed a year after 10 Legenda Auy^ea — L^gende Dorte — Golden Legend. the author's death, contains only 123 legends, while the ordinary- genuine text contains 177. There are many remarkable differences in the text ; and it is possible that this is an early recension of the author's. None of the other copies in Cambridge contain a cor- responding text.'' Another early MS. is mentioned by Ward, ii, 464, Egert. 1117. The Egert. Catal. does not specify it as a Legenda MS., but agrees with Ward in dating it as of the end of the thir- teenth century. Stowe MS. 49 is described as a copy of the Lfgenda, early 14th century, and M8. Add. 11,882 is dated 1312. In the Bodleian we find Cod. Can. Lat. (ILiscel.) No. 183: "Codex membranaceus, in folio minori, ff. 238, anno 1309 manu Johannes Chanaverii binis columnis exaratus." Even at this early date — in the beginning of the fourteenth century — MSS. of the Legenda. were, as we have indicated, very common, and its popularity was evidently widespread. It will be noted that the title of the Legenda was originally Legenda Sanc- torum, sive Historia Lombardica. The present title is due to it& popularity, just as in the case of the famous work of Apuleius (see Dunlop, II, 253-4, and i, 96, Bohn's ed.). We do not know when and how the epithet aurea was applied to Voragine's work^ Echard says (i, 456, and Touron, 593) : Nam quod notandum est^ hoc epithetum libro suo non indiderat auctor, neque etiam hahent codices manuscripti, aut primae Editiones, sed fructus maximus inde reportatus tribuerat. But that it received its complimentary title very early, perhaps even during the life of the author, is shown by the earliest MS. noticed above, where it is called Vite Sanctorum Auree. And the so-called translation by Jean Belet (of which we shall have more to say later), which was made early in the 1 4th century, begins : "Ci commence la legende des sains doree " (Paulin Paris, II, p. 88). And the title must have been already quite well known, for it is here stolen, and used as if everyone would know who were the saints whose "golden legends" are translated "de latin en fran9ois." By the time we get to the translation by Jean, de Yignay (made before 1340; we find the title fixed in its modern form. A MS. in the Bibliotheque Nationale {Fr. No. 241), written "Ian de grace nostre seigneur mil. ccc. xlviij," has this heading over the table of contents : " Ci commencent les chapitres de la legende des sains qui est dite legende doree " (see below, and cf.. Legenda Aurea — LSgende Dor^e — Golden Legend. 11 Paris, II, 89) ; and the translator's prologue, which we find adopted by Caxton, explains the title: "Car aussi comme Tor est le plus noble sur tons les autres ra^taux, aussi est cette legende tenue pour plus noble sur toutes autres.'' The first English version (before 1438) preserves the epithet, e. g. Douce MS. 372 : " callid in latynne- Legenda aurea, and in English the gilte legende." And Caxton simply translates Jean de Yignay's words : *' Here begynneth the legende named in latyn legenda aurea, that is to say in englyshe the golden legende for lyke as passe th golde in vail we al other metallys, so thys legende exedeth all other bokes." Its popularity, then, was both early won and remarkably great. The name may have been giv^en by clerks, as has been suggested (Touron, 594). But the great number of translations and deriva- tives, in all the principal tongues of Europe, in prose and in verse^ seems to me sufficient proof that its popularity was not confined to the learned, or to the preachers who wished to borrow anecdotes and tales from it. Is it not a rather remarkable fact that, in a day when the vernacular was scorned by most writers, Voragine's work should have been translated into French prose within a generation after his death ? The lustre of the Legenda Aurea extended to other of Voragine's works. Probably by reflection from the more famous Ljegenda, his sermons were called aitm (see Panzer, iv, 212, No. 1310 : J. de F. sermones aurei de tempore, and cf. Brit. Mus. Cat.); and the same epithet was applied to the Mariale {lb., iii, 417). The Middle Ages, indeed, were fond of conferring such complimentary names. We have already noticed the Golden Ass, and similar titles and epithets will suggest themselves to everybody : the Doctor Seraphi(y (Bonaventura); the Dr. Angelic (Aquinas); Fra Angelico; and later, the great wit and religious "trimmer" of the sixteenth cen- tury, that none might mistake his right to exist, named himself Desiderius Erasmus. When the printing-press began its work the Ljegenda Aurea was among its earliest productions, and long continued to be one of the most frequently reproduced. It stands early in Panzer's chrono- logical list of dated books (iv, 12), and was printed more than fifty times in the course of the 15th and 16th centuries. Touron says r " II n'y eut point de livre apres I'Ecriture Sainte, et ceux des- 12 Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dorte — Golden Legend. usages ordinaires, dont il se fit plus de copies ou plus de versions." Among the many editions, one, undated, is assigned to about 1469 (a copy in the Bodleian, printed by Zainer, at Ulm), and a dated one appeared at Lyons in 1473. Another is dated 1474, no place or printer^s name. But for all such details I shall refer to the bibliographical authorities, merely stating here, that de Vignay's French version (revised by " le Pere Battalier," cf. Echard, i, 853, and Brunet's Manuel) was printed at Lyons in 1476, and fre- quently thereafter; an Italian version was printed by Nicolo Manerbi, Venice, 1475; a Bohemian one at Pilsen, 1475, 1479, Prague, 1495; a German one at Cologne, 1485; a Dutch one at Goude, 1478 ; and Caxton^s English, 1483. And the high esteem in which the book was held is shown not only by the fact that so many editions were printed, but also that so many copies of them still exist (see the score or more dating from 1474 (?) to 1501, in the British Mus. Cat). But the popularity of the Legenda had other consequences. In the first place, it bred, or rather fostered, the love for legends which was already in the air (cf. ten Brink's Hist. JEng. Lit., i, 266 f.), and produced a number of imitations. The Catalogus of Natalibus may be classed as one of these, and we are all familiar with numerous later and less comprehensive ones, such as, to take an English example, Osbern Bokenham's Lyvys of Women Seyntys. And, in the second place, a corollary from this, we soon find some of the soberer dignitaries of the Church seeking to curb the inordi- nate love of the Legenda. Echard tells us that an Archbishop of Oompostella, almost contemporary with our Jacobus, took the lead in this direction. This prelate, Berengarius de Landora (b. 1262, d. c. 1330; see Echard, i, 514), ordered Bernardus Guidonis ^^ ut Legendam alteram ex siricerioribus actis colligeret et ederety quod et Jecit .... quod tamen non impedivit ne Legenda Jacobi de Voragine sua brevitate commoda passim ab omnibus conquireretur et avide legereturj^ Here we have the story of one defeated rival, who happens to be also one of the early authorities for the life of Jacobus, having written a Brevis Historia of the Dominicans (see Echard, i, 576, and his work in Durand's Veterum Script. (1729), VI, 405). But even if none of its imitators succeeded in rivalling Legenda Aurea — LSgende DorSe — Golden Legend. 1^ the popularity of the Legenda Aurea, the note of disapproval was even thus early sounded. It was not long indeed, before murmurs began to be heard impeaching the famous book of high crimes and misdemeanors. Many, no doubt, objected to it before, but it was the great con- vulsion of the Reformation-Renaissance that, loosening all re- straints, freed men's tongues and drew forth their inmost thoughts. A Carlyle might say, as he did say of the French Revolution, that the Reformation Age felt that its high mission was to sweep aside all shams. Not even the revered dicta of the Doctor Seraphic and his followers were exempt from the rude iconoclasm of the age,^ while his rival, the Doctor Suhtilis, alias Duns Scotus, suffered an even more cruel fate. When whole philosophies, built up with such excruciating ingenuity, were borne to the ground, what could be the fate of a book like the Legenda f One of the first and most violent attacks of the reformers would naturally be directed against this sadly vulnerable point in the Church's array, viz: the absurd legends of the saints. Hear Erasmus's protest : " To these again are nearly related such others as attribute strange virtues to the shrines and images of saints and martyrs ; and so would make their credulous proselytes believe, that if they pay their devotion to St. Christopher in the morning, they shall be guarded and secured the day following from all dangers and misfortunes And all the prayers and intercessions that are made to these respective saints the substance of them is no more than downright Folly." {Enco- mium Moraey Eng. trans., p. 82). Here he has gone one step in advance, and attacks the very saints themselves, instead of their legends. Erasmus, so far as I have been able to discover, does not attack the Golden Legend directly and specifically ; though there may be some allusion to it in that vast wilderness of letters, the index doe& not show it. But we shall soon see that his friends and pupils had something to say against the Legenda, A certain Jacobus Laco- pius of Oudenarde, having become a Protestant, wrote a most violent book against Voragine's work, entitled Deflorationes Le- gendae Aureae. But being later convinced of his error (probably through the rack), and reconciled to the Catholic Church, he cast his book into the flames as he himself went to death. A much 14 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Doree — Golden Legend, better known man, Claude d'Espence (1511-1571, see Michaud, Biog. Universelle), rector of the Sorbonne (1540), preached a sermon in St. Mery in 1543, and indiscreetly spoke of the Legenda "avec m^pris," calling it the Legenda Ferrea. " Edward Leigh," says Longfellow {Riverside Press ed., v, 441), "in much distress of mind, calls it ' a book written by a man of a leaden heart for the baseness of the errours, that are without wit or reason, and of a brazen forehead, for his impudent boldnesse in reporting things so fabulous and incredible/ " Both d'Espence and Leigh borrowed their ideas and their words. Melchior Cano (ob. 1560) was one of the severest critics of the whole attitude of the popular legenda- ries, and exposed the credulity and carelessness of their compilers (in a work on the principles and sources of the theologians, called de Locis TheologiciSj espec. ca}). 6, book ii). Later critics have quoted his words applied directly to the Legenda Aurea ; and Dupin says (Touron, p. 599) : " Voici le jugement qu'en porte Melchior Cano : Cette L^gende, dit-il, a 6t6 toite par un homme qui avait la bouche de fer, et le coeur de plomb, et dont Fesprit n'^tait ni juste ni prudent. On y lit plutot des monstres de mira- cles, que de vrais miracles." But we have not yet run to earth this sarcasm. Touron says Duj^in has "attribue a Melchior Cano -des expressions tres-dures, qui ne sont pas de lui, mais de Vives, auteur Espagnol habitue en Flandres." In the Introduction to Bollandus's Acta Sanctorum^ i, xxi, the author records and answers the severe criticisms of Georgius Wicelius (1501-1573), who, like his friend Erasmus, had the misfortune to stand between the two opposing factions, and so caught the abuse from both ; for he was cordially hated by the monks, and clapped into prison by Luther. The account then continues : " More severe and bitter, however, is the judgment pronounced against the Legenda Aurea by Johannes Ludovicus Vives, lib. ii de Causis Corruptarum Aviium^ in these words : ' How unworthy of Christian men is that history of the «aints which is called the Golden Legend, which I know not why they call ' golden,^ since it is written by a man of iron mouth and leaden heart. What can be more vile than that book?'" But the Bollandist is hurt by this acerbity in so learned a writer, and remarks : " Hauserat id fortassis a Desiderio JErasmo praeceptore ^uOy severissimo AristarchoJ^ Legenda Aurea — L^gende DorSe — Golden Legend. 15 The opinion of Yives, who was well known in England, of <50urse (he was professor at Oxford from 1523 to 1529), is repeated by Bp. Jewel : " Ludovieus Vives, writing of your Legenda Aurea, which was the mother of all your devout ecclesiastical stories or fables, saith thus :'' etc. (see Parker Soc. ed., 1850, p. 816). And Thomas Becon, before he learned the error of his ways, wrote : "** The Synagogue of Satan hath a great delight to hear .... nar- rations out of English Festival, saints' lives out of Legenda Aurea,'' etc. (see Parker Soc, 1844, p. 199-200, and cf. pp. 234, 519 and 535). The Protestants at Geneva, too, loved to fill the margins of the Legenda with sarcastic and ironical remarks, so that many of the old editions are quite curious on this account (see Oeuvres de La Fontaine, Grands Eorivains series, 1887, iv, p. 334, note). And, of course, that " sturdy iconoclast " and vicious critic, John Bale, has no good word for the saints. In his English Votaries (London, 1550, p. 23 f.) he has an amusing account of: "Ursula and her xi thousand companions," of whom "have the spiritual Hypocrites by the healpe of their spirituall father the Deuyll practised innumerable lies They saye, they all vowed virginite, . . . and so went ... to Rome on pilgrim- age with greate deuotion ii and ii together, and were honourably receiued ther of the Pope and his cleargy. If thys be not good ware, tel me. I thincke there wanteth no spirytual occupying, for the time they were there, if the story were true. . . . Diuerslye is this holy legende handled of Jacobus Bergomas, . . . Vorago, . . . Caxton, Capgraue, .... and a great sort more. . . . Their going out of Brytany was to become honest Christen mens wiues, and not to go no Pilgrimage to Rome.'' There is no such virulence of word or feeling .in the passage I shall quote from the great reformer himself. Luther undoubtedly felt about the Legenda just as Vives and Erasmus did. Here are a few significant passages from his Table Talk (Bohn's ed., 1857, p. 328). " Few of the legends are pure ; the legends of the martyrs are least corrupted, who proved their faith by the testimony of their blood. The legends of the hermits, who dwell in solitudes, are abominable, full of lying miracles and fooleries, touching moderation, chastity and nurture." 16 Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dorie — Golden Legend, He clings to the legend of St. Christopher ^ but not as a true story^ merely as a beautiful allegory of man's journey through the world, bowed down beneath a burden, and crossing a raging sea (the world), whose waves are the ills of the world and the wiles of the devil. " 'Tis one of the devil's proper plagues that we have no good legends of the saints, pure and true. Those we have are stuffed so full of lies, that, without heavy labour, they cannot be corrected. .... He that disturbed Christians with such lies was doubtless a desperate wretch, who surely has been plunged deep in hell. Such monstrosities did we believe in Popedom, but then we understood them not. Give God thanks, ye that are freed and delivered from them and from still more ungodly things." But one might fill a volume with more or less direct and more or less scurrilous references to the Legenda, and the carrying of coals to Newcastle is certainly no less tedious than unnecessary. A few of the later hits at the Legenda must not, however, be over- looked. And first among these I should mention a famous pam- phlet by a certain crop-eared Roundhead : the Legenda Lignea^ London, 1652-3, by W. Prynne. Its very title is evidence that Voragine's work was still familiar ; and the scurrilous notices of certain well-known ^* sillie seekers, . . . slips of the time, trans- planted to Rome/' are still read, but not as the author intended ; for we now seek in this pamphlet not comforting bits of bitter Protestantism, but scattered biographical facts about some of the well-known men of the day : stray notes about Crashaw, Davenant, Rowlands, Kenelm Digby, Endimion Porter, and others of less note, are preserved in the lava of Prynne's bitter outpourings. Another work which makes free with the title of our Legenda i& the Legende Doree de St. Dominique^ by Nicholas Vignier, Leyden, 1608. This is rather anti-monastic than strictly anti-Catholic in tone, and we do not find the usual violent denunciations of Vora- gine, whom Vignier quotes, from an edition printed at " Lion, par Nicolas de Benedictis, aux despens de Jacques Huguetan Fan 1505." In the true spirit of the age of Voltaire — the Voltaire who scrupled not to defame Jeanne Dare — is : La Nouvelle Legende Dor^e, by Sylvain Marechale, Bruxelles, 1790. It deals only with the women saints, whose legends naturally furnish an easier mark Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dor^e — Golden Legend. 17 for such a critic, and contains a mock-pious dedication to " mon icher pasteur'^ from the (ex tempore) nephew of Baillet the hagiog- Tapher, "le grand denicheur de saints.'^ The author is a past- master in the double entendre, and this is the sum and substance of his wit, of which a fair sample is the motto suggested for Maria Aegyptiaca, vol. ii, p. 46 : ^^Lassiata, sed non satiata virisj^ But ^here is a touch of frank fun in the statement (ii, p. 138) that St. Theresa and her brother inspired their imaginations by reading " la vie des saints et les avantures de Robinson Crusoe/' The sneaking irreverence of the whole style, however, rather makes one sympathize with the remark of a former owner, who has written on the title-page of the second volume (Bodleian copy) : " Of such a work as this one has said : Surely this Book was printed in Hell and the author was the Devil." The last work of this kind that I shall mention has a special interest. It is a pamphlet entitled Catholic Miracles, by G. Cruik- shank, London, 1825. There are seven characteristic illustrations by the author, whose work was written chiefly to answer Cobbett's History of the Reformation. He gives, in modernized form, 25 stories of miracles from the Golden Legend, and 2 whose sources are not indicated. The laughable miracles of St. Nicholas are largely represented ; and we find, too, the Seven Sleepers. The stories are taken from Wynkyn de Worde's edition of the Golden Legend, 1527. Let me close this over long list by two quotations from modern writers of widely different ideas. Isaac Disraeli says (Curiosities •of Lit., p. 149) : ^' The enviable title of Golden Legend, by which James de Voragine called his work, has been disputed ; iron or lead might more aptly describe its character " — what long life there is in a sarcasm ! Finally, Mme. Blavatsky, whose scurrility is quite as bad as the alleged indecency of Voragine, says (Isis Un- veiled, II, p. 74) : " The finest quintessence of Boccaccio's Decam- eron appears prudery itself by comparison with the filthy realism of the Golden Legend.'^ With less rhetoric and more justice she brands it as " that prolific repository of pious lies, the Golden Legend." The recording of all these long buried sarcasms has, I fear, «eemed a tedious and futile labor. But, in a sketch of the history 2 18 Legenda Aurea — Legende Dor^e — Golden Legend. of the Legenda Aurea, I did not think they should be omitted^ For they may help us to account for a very curious result, to which, of course, other and more powerful causes contributed, viz : the sudden decline of the popularity of the Legenda. If you will look in Brunet and the Brit. Mus. Cat, you will note one remarkable fact, that the Brit. Mus., for example, has a Latin edition, Lyons, 1526; another, Lyons, 1554; and then there is a gap in dates of nearly three hundred years, to Graesse's ed., Dresden, 1846. The hostility of the critics whose opinions I have given, perhaps not less than the general decline of the taste for legends, had evidently so destroyed the popularity, nay, the very good name of the Legenda Aurea, that it ceased to be a paying publication for the printer. For nearly three hundred years, if we may take this Catalogue as a gauge, the public wanted no more of this Golden Legend, whether in Latin, French, or English. Though probably little read during its long eclipse, it never ceased to be criticised. And its name has survived as a vague and pleasant memory of those old days, and of the monks whom some of us are quite ready to envy : " I envy them, those monks of old ; Their books they read, and their beads they told." E. The standard edition of the Latin text is that of Graesse, Dresden and Leipzig, 1846 (second ed. in 1860). This edition contains, in all, 243 legends, of which 182 are ascribed to Jacobus^ the rest being by various unnamed scribes. And of the 182 about 20 are rather doctrinal or theological sermons than legends, viz : cap. I, de adventu domini ; cap. vi, de nativiiate domini ; cap. xiii, de circumcisione dommi ; cap. xiv, de epiphania domini ; cap. xxxi, de septuagesima ; cap. xxxii, de sexagesima ; cap. xxxiii, de quin- quagesima ; cap. xxxiv, de quadragesima ; cap. xxxv, de jejunio quatuor temporum; cap. xxxvii, de purificatione beatae Mariae ; cap. LI, de annuntiatione dominica; cap. Liii, de passione domini: cap. Liv, de resurrectione domini; cap. LXX, de letania maioii et minori; cap. LXXii, de adscensione domini; cap. LXXiir, de sando spirito; cap. cxix, de assumtione beatae Mariae; cap. cxxxi, de nativiiate beatae Mariae; cap. CLXXXii, de dedicatione ecclesiae. But, of course, legendary matter is blended in most of these ; and Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dorie — Golden Legend, 19 this is especially the case with those chapters dealing with the Virgin, when a list of miracles is almost invariably appended. The title-page of Graesse's edition reads : Jacobi a Voragine / Legenda Aurea / Vulgo Historia Lombardica Dicta. / Ad optimo- rum librorum fidem / recensuit / Dr. Ih.^ Gh^aesse, / potentissimum regis Saxoniae bibliotheeariusj Cam approbatione Rev. adminis- trator is ecclesiastici / per superior em Lusatiam. // Dresdae et Lip- siae I impensis Librariae Arnoldianae. / mdcccxlvi. In his very short Preface Graesse tells us that he feared the work would be too voluminous with his notes, so he omits them, which is a matter of serious regret. The only important indications he gives are contained in the following bit : " TJnde nunc sufficiet monu- issCj me manum auctoris optime redditam iiivenisse in editione ilia ab Eberto {Lexic. Bibliogr. T. L,p. 872 sq., nr. 10672'^) (vol. i, p. 831, ed. 1837 ; assigned to 1472) accuratius descripta atque in publica bibliotheca regia Di^esdensi asservata. Qua de re textum ad. hunc librum, quern in notitulis Edit. Princ. nomine designavi, constituendum atque ope optimae notae codicum emendandum censui/^ etc. The work of Voragine himself ends with the following colophon, which is not in what Graesse calls the first edition : Explicit Legenda aurea sive Lombardica historia Jacobi de Voragine ordinis praedicatorum episcopi Januensis. Similar words occur in all the editions I have seen, including the one printed at Ulm about 1469 (in Bodleian, see above). Graesse adds, in dreadfully small print, 61 legends a quibusdam aliis superadditae, but makes no effort to identify their authors or establish their dates. None of these legends have the etymological introductions usual in the original work (" etymologias illas perversissimaSj quibus maxime claudicat Jacobus noster/') and of which I shall have more to say later. The manifest shortcomings of Graesse's edition are only in part compensated for by the French translation, which appeared three years earlier {La legende doree .... traduite par M. G. B(runet,) Paris, 1843), for here, too, there are no indications of sources, and, alas, the etymologies are not translated — perhaps, because M. Bru- net found them too tough to translate. But the biographical sketch is useful, being perhaps the most accurgite I have seen. As to the contents of this translation as compared with the Latin, I must sum up here by saying, that there are few differences, except in order, 20 Legenda Aurea — Ligende DorSe — Golden Legend. until we near the end. Then we find that the last thirteen legends of the French are not found in the Latin at all ; most of these appear to be such as were not by Voragine or his earlier imitators ; on p. 268, vol. ii, is a note, saying : ^' Les legendes qui suivent ne sont pas Foeuvre de Jacques de Voragine." The French omits some of the treatises on special days (e. g. cap. ccxvii, de Dominica in ramis palmarum) and special rites and ceremonies (e. g. cap. CCXViii, de Coena Domini). The text from which the French translation was taken must have been, essentially, the same as that given by Graesse; for wherever compared they will be found to correspond pretty closely, except that the French take less pains in arranging the order of the differ- ent episodes in the various legends (this may be noticed in many legends, as St. Ursula, Seven Sleepers, Simon Magus, etc.). Chapter II. The French Versions. A. One of the authors most frequently named in the Legenda Aurea is magister Johannes Beleth (see, e. g., in Graesse, p. 16, note, pp. 304, 312, 374, etc., and in Brunet, i, pp. 19, 108, 117, 294, etc. And yet the first French version of the Legenda is ascribed, too, to a Jean Belet, or Beleth, though the Encyclopedia B/iL does solve the matter by naming an imaginary ^' Jean Belet de Vigny " as the first translator. Now it does seem very odd that two per- sons of the same name should be thus intimately associated with the Golden Legend : and thereby hangs a tale. The John Beleth cited in the text of the Legenda is rather an obscure person. The best sketch of him will be found in the Histoire LiMraire de France, vol. XIV, p. 218, by Daunou. He places Beleth as flourishing circa 1182, though noting that others have given 1200; between 1195 and 1210 ; in the 13th century ; even in the 14th century, in 1320-28 ; but he is mentioned by Alberic de Trois-Fontaines (end of the 13th century). And in the list of his works there is no hint of a translation of the Legenda. For other notices I shall refer to Casimir Oudini : Commentarii de Scriptoi'ibus Ecclesiasticis (Leip- zig, 1722), vol. II, 1589; .Dupin's Hist, of Ecclesiastical Writers (Dublin, 1724), ii, 426 ; Paris's MSS. Frangois, ii, 87 ; Michaud's Biographie Univ., iii, 530. This Belet was a theological writer. Legenda Aurea — LSgende DorSe — Golden Legend. 21 and we have one well-known work by him : Rationale Divinorum Officiorum (Summa Officium), which will be found in Migne's Patrol, Lat.j vol. ccii, 9-1 66 ; it is also known as Summa de Officiis, and by similar titles. It is to this work that Jacobus often refers. MS. Addit. 29,882 (Brit. Mus.) is a 13th century copy of Beleth's Summa de Officiis, which I have examined. And, though my work in this field is lamentably imperfect, I have taken the trouble to verify some of Voragine's references. The matter is such an important one, especially in view of the suggestion I shall make later, that I shall give the most striking passages which have been identified. The references will be to Migne's edition. In the legend of Julian Apostata we find (p. 143) a reference to Beleth ; cf. the lat- ter's words (cap. 125, col. 131-2): ^^ Ferunt Julianum monachum fuisse et magnum religionis simulatorem, adeo ut quaedam mulier ires alias auro onastas, ita ut in earum orificiis aurum cinere eooperiretWy ne facile inveniretuVj apud eum deposuerit/^ etc., almost literally adopted by Jacobus. Compare also Leg. p. 146 (and 152), where Beleth is cited, with his words (cap. 78, col. 84; see also cap. 77, and col. 62) : Sic quoque aliam habet originem Septuagesima. Nam cum propter venerationem diei Asceiiscionis, in qua natura nostra coelos ascendit exaltata vel ultra choros angelorum, etc. Again, Leg, p. 312, where Voragine seems to have slightly misunderstood, and Beleth, cap. 126, col. 133 : Praeterea animadvertamus Christi apos- tolos sive discipulos non ideo fuisse passos, quod Christum praedica- bantj sed quod ipsum deificabant ac Deum esse aiebant sine Roman- orum auctoritate. Compare Legenda p. 421-2 with the following (cap. 140, col. 144) : ^^ Tandem [Jacobus~\ ab ipso Herode fuit obtrun- catus. Tam magi illiy qui jam ejusfacti erant discipulij cum aliis tribus eisdem discipulis, cum corpore in navim ascenderunty et sese sine rectore mari commiserunt, ut ei divina provldentia sepulturae locum hibueret. Tandem navis ilia Hispaniae applicuit ad regnum Lupae. JErat autem tum tempoi'is regina quaedam in Hlspania isthoc nomine J cujus vita et mores nomini plene conveniebant/' etc. — almost a page has been taken, with few changes, by Voragine. Finally, Leg., p. 574, and Beleth, cap. 147, col. 151 : ^^ Non desunt qui putant B. Theclam digitum S. Joannis, qui comburi non potuit, ex oris trannmarinis detulisse in Mauritaniam,^^ etc. Several more 22 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Doree — Golden Legend. might be added, and one short one will be pardoned me (cap. 164, col. 165 — Leg.y p. 16, note) : " Cognoscere operae pretium est Andream colore fuisse nigro, harha prolixa ac statura mediocri/' a quotation which Graesse, for some unexplained reason, refuses to admit as a genuine portion of the text. This is quite enough evidence to prove how thoroughly conver- sant Voragine was with this theological work of Beleth's. But we have now to discuss, after this seemingly aimless digression, the so-called Ugende des sains dores (or dorSe) of maistre Jean Belet. When I first examined this French Ugende I discovered at once that it was in many points different from the Legenda, and the differences augmented in a startling manner as I grew more familiar with the MS. It certainly is not a translation of the work of Vor- agine. The whole work is much longer. There are many new saints, and yet several old ones are omitted. A large number of the better known legends are treated at far greater length than in the Legenda, and some of them, even when no longer, differ radi- cally in essential points. The differences are, indeed, far greater than in the case of the revised de Vignay versions, such as the one whose plan Caxton followed ; for here the changes are chiefly changes in order, and added lives, not expansion of those already compiled by Voragine. Basing my opinion on these general differ- ences, as well as on slight bits of particular evidence which I shall give, I have been led to believe that we have in this version either an entirely new compilation made in French, or, possibly, a trans- lation from such a compilation in Latin. It might not be too much to suggest that this Latin original was the work of Jean Beleth the theologian, one of the sources of the Legenda, and per- haps referred to by Jacobus in certain references which I have not been able to verify — notably, in the Legend of the Cross, on p. 304. It is quite possible, however, that the work really followed the Legenda in time, and that the name of Belet became associated with the whole work as translator merely because of the frequent occur- rence of his name in legends taken from Voragine. Here is the table of contents of this version, and description of the various MSS. I have examined. MS. Fran9ais No. 183, Biblioth^ue Nationale (ancien num^ro 6845). This MS. has been described by Paris (ii, p. 87 ff.), and I Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend. 23 shall quote him, correcting a few small errors. " La legende dor^e, de J. de Voragine, traduite par Jean Belet. Un volume in-folio maximo, velin, trois colonnes (48 lines), miniatures, vignettes et initiales, xiv™® siecle. Relie en maroquin citron, aux armes de France sur les plats." The MS. is, indeed, a very handsome one. There is a table of contents, containing 246 numbered chapters ; but two of them come after the colophon ("Explicit les Chapistres de la vie des sains,'^) namely, "la vie monseigneur S. eloy," and " la vie monseigneur S. Thomas de cantorbie." I have sought to give the contents, however, without depending on the table, from actual examination of the MS. At the head of the chapter on Advent comes the rubric given by Paris : "Ci commence la legende des sains doree .... la quele a translatee de latin en francois mestre ieha belet,'' etc. Most of this page is filled by an illumi- nation representing, in panels, appropriate scenes from the lives of the Virgin and Christ, "Le volume contient 249 feuillets, la table non comprise, et finit avec la vie de" St. Eloy. In giving the contents I have been forced to give, in most cases, English titles, as the originals were in many cases abnormally long. CAP. FOL. CAP. FOL. 1 .. . 1 . .. Prologue. 16.. . 23b. .. Martinian and Proces. 2.. . 2 . .. Advent. 17 .. . 24 . .. St. Andrew. 3 .. . 5 . .. Nativity. 18 .. . 31b. .. St. Bartholomew. 4... . 6 . .. Annoncement aus pas- toriaus. 19 .. . 34 . .. St. James, Brother of John. 5 ... , 6b . .. Magi (Epiphany). 20 .. . 36b. .. Miracles of St. James 6 ... , 7 . .. Circumcision. (8 sections). 7 ... 8 . .. Comment li 12 princes de la loy (accuse- 21 .. . 45 ., .. St. John the Evange- list. rent) J. C. qui de- 22.. . 48 ., . St. Philip. struisoit la loy. 23 .. . 49 .. .. St. Maci (Matthew). 8 ... 8 . .. Cmt. nre. sire entra ou 24.. . 63 .. ,. Sts. Simon and Jude. pretoire and les en- 25 .. . 57 .. . St. Mark. seignes s'enclinerent. 26.. . 58 .. . Assumption. 9... 9 . .. Crucifixion. 27 .., . 59b., .. Burial of Our Lady. 10 ... 10 ., .. Descent from Cross. 28 ... . 60b.. ,. Mary Magdalen. 11 ... 12 .. ,. Harrowing of Hell. 29 .., . 63b .. . Martha. 12... 13 .. ,. Conversion of St. Paul. 30.., . 67 .. . Mathieu (Mathias). 13 ... 14 .. ,. St. Paul comes to Rome. 31 ... . 69 .. . Mary Aegyptiaca. 14... 17 b . .. Passion of St. Peter. 32... , 73 .. . St. Luke. 15 ... 20b ., .. Passion of St. Paul. 33 ... , 74 .. . St. Clement. 24 Legenda Aurea — LSgende Dor^e — Golden Legend, CAP. FOL. CAP, FOL. 34... 76 . .. St. Mauritius. 62 .. ,. 176 .. . St. Jerome. 35... 77 b . .. St. Barnabas. 63 .. . 177 .. . Vie d'un chetif moine- 36... 78 . .. St. Theodore. de S. Jerome. 37 ... 78b. .. St. Ossimart, roi d'An- 64 ., .. 180 .. . St. Pol le Simple. gleterre. 65.. . 181 .. . St. John Baptist. 38... 79b. .. St. Anastasia. 66.. . 185 .. . Ordonance des Apos- 39... 85 . .. St. Foy. tres & vie de St. 40... 86b. .. St. Margaret. Etienne. 41 ... 89b. .. St. Ursula. 67 .. ,. 185b.. . Sts, Crissaunt & Darie. 42... , 92 . .. St. Cristine. 68 ., .. 188b .. ,. St. Leonard. 43... , 96b. .. St. Caecilia. 69 ., .. 191 .. . Sts. Ernoul & Escal- 44... 99b . .. St. Catherine. iberge. 45 ... , 106 . .. Passion of St. Andrew. 70 .. ,. 195 .. . St. Quiriacus (Holy- 46 ... 108 . .. St. Lucie. Cross). 47 ... , 109b. .. St. Agnes. 71 ., .. 195b .. . St. Thomas Becket. 48... , 112 . .. St. Giles. 72., .. 199 .. . St. Longin. 49 ... , 115 . .. St. Alexis. 73 . .. 201 .. . St. George. 50 ... , 118 . .. St. Thomas Apostre. 74 . ..204 .. . St. Pantaleon. 51 ... . 121 . .. St. James Minor. 75. .. 209 .. . St. Sixtus. 52 ... , 122 . .. St. Brandan. 76. .. 211 .. . St. Laurence. 53... , 130 . .. St. Victor. 77 . .. 213 b .. .. St. Hippolitus. 54... . 131 . .. St. Marcel. 78 . .. 215 b ., .. St. Vincent. 55 ... . 141 . .. St. Nicholas. 79 . ...218 ., .. St. Julian Hospitaller 56... .151 . .. St. Nicholas. (Trans- et ah. lation). 80. .. 227 .. . Sts. Cosme & Damien. 57... . 155 . .. St. Jerome. 81 . ..231b . .. St. Eustace. 58 .., .157 . .. St. Benedict. 82 . .. 236 b. .. St. Felix. 59 .. .165 b, ... St. Martin de Tours. 83. .. 237 .. ..St. Gregory. 60.., . 174b . (Translation). 84. .. 242 .. .. St. Patrick (Purga- tory). 61 .. . 175 . ..St. Brice. 85 . .. 248 .. ,. St. Eloy. MS. Fran9ais, No. 185, Bibliotheque Nationale (ancien numera- 6845^^). This, too, is described by Paris {loco cit), but I shall not take the trouble to transcribe what he says, merely making certain comments of my own. In size the MS. was originally the same as No. 183, and contains 48 lines, three cols., to the page. The mini- atures are much smaller, and not so good, and the table of contents is in plain black, not in red, beginning with (blank space left for later insertion of initial) — "e sont les Rubriches de la legende doree. Premierement des • i i i j * temps • De laduenement,^^ etc. Here we find an arrangement of the contents similar to that in the Brit. Mus- MS. Addit. 17, 275, viz: all the feasts specially connected with. Legenda Aurea — L^gende Doree — Golden Legend. 25 Christ and the Virgin are put first, then those "Des apostres • Des Confesseurs • des vierges." But the actual order in the MS. does not agree at all with this plan, for it is really much the same as in MS. 183, but with various additions. It seems hardly necessary to transcribe the contents where the MS. agrees with No. 183, so I shall merely note the legends which are added. We begin, as in the preceding MS., with a Prologue, and the rubric : " Ci commence la legende des sains, premierement des • i i i j • tes Et puis apres de lauenement." The order is the same through No. 11 {Harrowing of Hell). Several legends are repeated (indicated by an *). FOL. FOI,. 15 .. . De Letaniis. 231b .. . Gordian. 16 ., . Ascension. Ih. .. . Nereus & Achilleus. 18 .. . Pentecost. 232 .. . Pancras. 21 .. . Nativ. Mariae. 232 .. . Urban. 75 .. . Deed. John Baptist. Ih. .. . Prime & Felicien. 77 .. . *Crissant {his, 123). 233 .. . Vite & Modeste. 79 .. . *Leonard {his, 126). 233b .. . Quirite & Julite. 81 .. . *Christopher {his, 111). 234 b .. ,. Sept Dormans. 174 .. ,. Paulinus. 235 b.. . Celse & Nazarien. 191b.. ,. Genovefa (3 caps.). 236 b .. . Simplicius & Faustin. 201 .. ,. Calixtus. 237 .. . Abdon & Senne. 201b ., .. Vedastus. '— /6. .. . Germain. Ih, .. ,. Amandus. 238 .. . Eusebius. 202 .. ,. Denys (7 chapters). 239 .. . Machabees. 209 b. .. Arsenien. Ih. .. . Etienne Pape. 210 .. ,. Valentin. 239 b .. . Etienne Protomartyr (In- 211b.. .. Anthony of Egypt. ventio). 211 .. ,. Hilary. 240 b .. ,. Dominick. 213 .. ,. Remy. 246 .. . Donatus. 214 .. ,. Lambert. 246 b.. . Timothy. 217 .. ,. Juliana. Ih. .. . Symphorien. 218 .. .. Petronella. 247 .. . Augustin. lb. ., .. Fursin. 251b .. . Sesne & Sauine (= Navi 219 ., .. Holy Cross (Inventio). nean). 222 .. ,. Agatha. 252 .. . Lupus (Leuj. 223 ., .. Elizabeth. 252 b .. ,. Martin Pastor. 227 b . .. Ignace. 253 .. ,. Adrian. 228 .. ,. Blaise. Ih. .. . Prothe & Jacincti. 229 ., ,. Secundiis. 254 b ., ,. Gorgonien. 229b . .. Marcellin. 255 b ., .. Cornelius. 230 ., .. Vital. Ih. .. . Eufamie. Ih. .. . Virgine d'Antioche. 256 b .. ,. Justine. 26 Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dorh — Golden Legend, POL. FOIi. 257 b . .. " Jean Bouche d'or." 271 .. .. John Abbot. 259 b . .. Michael. 271b.. ,. Moses Abbot. 262 . .. Francis. Ih. .. ,. Pelagius Pope. 264 b. .. Pelagia. 273 b.. .. Explicit la legende des ss. 265 b., .. Margarete dite Pelagienne. que maistre Jehan Belet Ih. .. .. Thais. translata De latin En 266 .. .. Quentin. francois. 266 b. .. " Li Toussaint." 274 .. . St. Gille. 268 .. ,. All Souls. 277 .. . Caecilia. 270 b.. ,. IV Coronati. 282 .. . Katherine, lb. .. . Crisogone. It is very evident that this MS. contains a great many more lives than the preceding one. Before commenting further on the other MSS. in Paris I shall describe the MS. of this version in the British Mus., as it, with the two preceding, formed the basis of my exam- ination. MS. Addit. 17, 275. Of this the Catalogue says : " ^ La vie des Sains, la quele maistre Jehan Beleth translata de Latin en Romans;' treating I) ^Des • iiij • temps,' including the life of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and Mary Magdalene ; II) * Les fais des Apostres e des Evangelistes ; ' III) ^ Les Confessors ; ' V) ^ Les vies des Vierges.' The first chapter is translated from the * Legenda Aurea' of Jacobus de Voragine, and the whole has been commonly consid- ered as a version of that work ; but it is to be observed, that in the present compilation the order of arrangement is essentially different from that of the Legenda ^ and that it contains fewer lives, and those in many cases different — for instance, the lives of St. Edward the Confessor, Elizabeth of Hungary, and others are differently para- phrased. On vellum, written in three columns, of the commence- ment of the XIV century, with miniatures coarsely executed. At the beginning is inserted a leaf, on which is blazoned a shield bearing the arras of Chateau vilain, quartering de Coucy and .... (sic), with lions as supporters, surmounted by a helmet crest, with the motto ^Espoir de myeulx.' Folio." To this we may add that, on the blank leaf opposite the rich coat of arms mentioned, we find a long note discussing the date of the MS., in two hands. The second hand says .... ^'the present Volume has undergone the closest scrutiny & it is pronounced at Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^ — Golden Legend, 27 the King's Library to be the original (sic) Translation .... it was completed about 1210 . . . . the same MS. exists in the Royal Collection without the Translator's name, being only a Copy of the present work and a century posterior to the execution of this manu- script." I have not been able to find the duplicate referred to ; most likely the Vignay MS., Royal 19, B. xvii (see below) was thus carelessly spoken of. On the first folio is a miniature (" there are 186 in all, not counting capitals,") and under it this rubric: ^'Ci commencet les chapistres de la uie des sains & des saintes." The table begins: ''Ci commencet les rebriches de la uie des sains laquele maistre Jehan beleth translata de latin en romas. Et par le premierement des • i i i j • temps/' etc. The table is far more descriptive than usual, furnishing almost what one might call a syllabus of contents. There are 219 numbered chapters, which includes the Prologue, Advent being counted as cap. 2. Here, too, several legends are repeated. I shall note only the additions. There is a very long series of legends about the Virgin ; one of these, cap. 26, is 8t. Theophilus. After cap. 35, Mary Magdalene, we find : " Ci apres commencent les fais des apostres et des evan- gelistes." Chapters 42-61, inclusive, are devoted to St. James Maior and his miracles. After cap. 72, Conversion of St. Paul we find again : ^' Ci apres sont les martirs tout en ordre." As in the MS. Fr. 185, St. Denys is treated at great length. After St. Chris- topher, cap. 120: " Ci apres commencent les Confessors." After cap. 141, which is a continuation of St. Patricks Purgato7'y, come cap. 142 (fol. 253, b.): " Sts. Thelyan et Daiud," and cap. 143: '' St. Dauid." Other added legends are (Nos. 151-152) : St. John JElemosynary ; (No. 160) St. Edouard roi ; (No. 148) St. Paul the Hermit; (Nos. 185-187) St. Mathelin — after whom comes: " Ci apres commencent les uies des Vierges." Here the new lives are (No. 193) St. Helen, substantially the same as the Holy Cross; (No. 195) St. Colomba; (No. 196) St. Paula. Having now three more or less complete MSS. before us, let us see whether there are many important differences from the Legenda Aurea. The Prologue is rather paraphrased than translated from the Latin, p. 1. The chapter on Advent is a fair translation from the Latin, but the Nativity is not, being much shorter ; nor does the Epiphany seem to be based on Voragine. The chapters on 28 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend. Septuagesima- Quadragesima are from the Legenda text. And the first two paragraphs of the Nativity are a fair translation of the same in Legenda vi, pp. 39-40. The chapters on Litanies, Ascen- scion, Pentecost, Nativity of Virgin, Theophilus, Purification, are- much the same as the corresponding Latin, but certain miracles of the Virgin seem to be omitted, and the order is generally different^ The Holy Cross is quite different from the Legenda, both in order and detail. It begins, on fol. 33 (Addit. MS.) : ^' En Ian de lin- carnacion nostre seingneur, • ij^ et • xxxiiij . ans, du regnement du uaillant empereeur de rome continueur de contentinoble (sic) el siste an de son regnement estoient maiutes gens assemblees sus la riue de dimon (sic) .... quant il fu noncie a lempereeur constentin," etc» This same legend is repeated on fol. 289 b-292 b — *S^. Helen, All the earlier story about the origin of the wood of the Cross, etc., i& omitted. After the passage quoted, we find Constantine's vision, and then Helen is sent to Jerusalem. The narrative is quite dif- ferent from the Legenda, omitting many details, and yet giving many not found in the Legenda. Nothing is told of St. Helen's origin, and most of the detail about the nails of the Cross, and the final narratio of the Notary, are omitted. The legends of St. John (Evangelist), St. Philip, St. Matthew, Simon & Jude, Marie, and Bartholomew, are different in many respects from the Legenda text^ The legend of St. James the Greater is almost decisive against the view that this work is translated from Voragine. Here we find a legend occupying nine chapters, covering, in Add. MS., ten folios (56-66 b), a great deal longer than the Legenda, and quite different. Even more different is the legend dealing with the various Julians. That oi Julian Hospitaller is more than twice as long as the Legenda^ and the whole is confessedly based on different sources, for it begins : " Uns preudons raconte la uie saint iulie que il a translatee de latin en rommas .... II furent • i j • iuliens, li uns martirs et li autres confessors.*' The chapter on Cosme & Damien is also very dif- ferent from, and longer than the Legenda, extending from fol. Ill to 114. But the legend of St. Donai is quite the same as in the Latin. And the Sept Dormans is also quite the same, even to the final sen- tences to which I referred above. It ends (ms. Fr. 185, fol. 235 b., of. Add. MS., fol. 172 b., where the first sentence is omitted) : "H Legenda Aurea — LSgende Dor^e — Golden Legend, 29 puet bien estre douteuse chose que il dormirent si com il est dit • iij° et Lxxij • ans. Liquel resusciterent Ian nostre seingneur "iiij*: • XLviij ans (s^c.) • Decius regna * j • an tant seulement. Ce est asauoir Ian de nre seingneur c c L i j . Et aisi ne dormirent que * i ij ^ • & • V j • as " (here the numbers agree with what Graesse calls Ed. Prin., cf. p. 436, n.). The variants in the Addit. MS. are quite marked, so I quote these closing words from it (fol. 172 b.) : ^'Adonques commanda li empereres celui [lieu] a tourner (sic) em- pierres dorees & touz ceus assoudre qui ceste resurrection confes- seront [so far also MS. Fr. 185]. Decius regna * j • an tant seule- ment. Ce est asauoir en Ian de niFe seign • ij ^Lij. Et ainsi ne dormirent q • i i j *; i i i j • ou trois ans.^^ Another typical legend that is quite distinct from the Legenda is that of St. Thomas of Canterbury. From this I shall quote some lines of the beginning, based on MS. Queen^s Coll., Oxford, No. 305, f. 109, but with certain emendations, not worth noting, from MS. Add. 17,275, fol. 146, b.; Fr. 183, fol. 195, b.; and 185, fol. 87. It begins with a sort of hortatory exordium, which fills about half a column in the Add. MS. : "Mi chier filz ceste feste doit estre celebree a grant sollempnite par uraie deuocion. En la quele mo seigneur 8 thomas de cantur- biere, qui conseilz de pes (pais) estoit, recut martire. Quar sa mort est precieuse a lesgart de dieu & les sains & les bons crestiens. Car il se co?7ibatit uertueusement iusqwa la mort powr deffedre le- glise. Telle mort est adroit appellee naissance qui fait lorae viure «n vie perdurable. Ceste vie presente est chaitiue & mortelle, S'^. Patrick^ and the latter has (fol. 137 b) the same form of Thomas Bechet that we found in other Belet MSS. (see Ward, ii, 549, etc.). And M. Paul Meyer, in Notices et Extraits, t. 34 (1891), p. 183, describes a ms. in the Phillips^ collection at Cheltenham (No. 3660) in terms that show it to be also a derivative from Belet. He also mentions other mss. The YiGNAY Legende doree, B. As many additions were made in the course of time to the original translation, to say nothing of actual changes in the text and the plan of the work, we are apt to lose sight of what was the real work of de Vignay. I have, quite empirically, divided the texts of this version examined into three classes, representing (1) the original translation by de Vignay; (2) this translation plus new legends ; (3) the complete revision and re-arrangement of de Vig- nay's work. Jean de Vignay was a most industrious translator, whose life we cannot stop to investigate here (see Paris, i, p. 53, fol. ; Echard, i, 742; Hist. Lit. de France, xviii, 471-2; Meyer, in Archives des missions scientijiques, Paris, 1866, 2™® s^rie, iii, p. 262, etc.). Two other translations should be noted, however, as well as the Golden Legend, viz : Ludus 8caccorum = Le Jeu des Echecs ( > Caxton's Chess Book), and 8peculum Historiale =^ Miroir Historial (also used by Caxton : Mirrour of the World f f but see Blades). He states in his prologue to the Legende dorSe (given by Blades, Aspland, etc.), that he, fr^re Jacques de Vignay, monk Hospitaller of St. Jacques du Hault-pas, made this translation " a la requeste de tres puissaunte et noble dame madame Jehanne de Bourgoigne, par la grace de Dieu royne de France.'^ The work was done, according to Ward (ii, p. 131), "soon after 1333; and it was dedicated by (de Vignay) to the Queen of Philippe de Valois, Jeanne de Bour- gogne, who died in 1348.'' The date given by Blades (ii, 183), 36 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Doree — Golden Legend, and Paris is much too late {drca 1380) ; Ward's is probably cor- rect. The same writers make the less pardonable error of asserting that de Vignay based his work on Belet's. On the contrary, this was really a translation of the Legenda Aurea, and the earliest MS. I have seen (Fr. 241, dated 1348) has almost exactly the same order and contents as our present Latin text, with few omissions, and no additions or amplifications. It is not till we get to the 15th century (1402) that we find a list of new legends appended to Voragine's work. The best way to show this seems to be to describe four mss. of this type. MS. Eoyal 19. B. xvii, Brit. Mus. I regret that I cannot linger over this exquisite MS., with its elegant binding and lovely minia- ture illuminations. It begins with De Vignay's prologue, and a translation of the Legenda prologue. There is a table of contents, but it is full of more or less important errors. We begin with Advent and go on regularly as in the Latin. The table inserts 8L Eloy after Andrew, but the legend is not in the text, which pro- ceeds regularly. The ritual note in the Latin, p. 39-40, is given as a separate chapter. A similar chapter {Du temps de reuocacion) is placed in the table after Anastasia, but is not in the text. St, Macarws is omitted from the table, but will be found in his proper place in the text (fol. 45). St. Sebastian comes before Fabian, Between Julian and Septuagesima a separate chapter is put in, based on Latin, p. 145. St, Sophia (Lat. p. 103), and Si. Timothy (Lat. p. 222) are omitted. After the Passion we get another separate chapter for the " temps de reconciliacion " (Lat. p. 235). Sts. Fa- bian and Apollonia are omitted (Lat. pp. 291 and 293). After the Invention of the Cross the order is slightly changed ; next come : " De la greignour letanie," and " De la meneur," then '^ De St. Jehan porte latine," and next, Ascension, omitting St. Boniface, Gordian and Fpymachus, and Nereus and Achilles are entered in the table as if separarate chapters, but are just as in the Latin. Another separate chapter is made from Lat. p. 341. Strange to say, the MS. makes the same error in regard to St. Marine that Graesse's table does : she is entered as " sainte Marie uierge,'' and this error is repeated in MS. Add. 16,907, in MS. Fr. 241, and MS. Egerton 645; but the name is given correctly in the text (fol. 146 b.). All goes regularly again until we find that Sts, Cornelien Legenda Aurea — L^gende DorSe — Golden Legend, 37 and Oyprien (Lat. p. 595) are omitted from their proper places, as well as St. Lambert ; but the former will be found between Chry- sostom and Eufemia, the latter between Eufemia and Matthaeus. " Balam " and " Josafat " are given as if their legends formed sep- arate chapters. The MS. ends with the Dedication, which is the last legend in the original Legenda, and forms a real translation, not a revision. At the close we find the colophon : ^^ Ci fenist la legende doree en francois que frere iehan de vignay ^ranslata de latin en francois." Then, in red : *^ Cette legende fut escripte Lan mil • CCC • quatre vins et deus." Addit. MS. 16,907. This is described as a vellum MS., dated 1375c It opens with de Vignay's prologue (which the colophon erroneously describes as " le prologue du translateitr appelle frere Jaqs de Jannes de lordre des freres prescheurs,") followed, as usualy by Voragine's, and then the table. It begins : Advent, Si. Andrew, St. Eloy, St. Nicholas, etc. ; but this is an error, as Eloy does not occur here in the text, which goes just as in Royal MS. Just as in the latter, Macarius is omitted from table, but found in the text. The contents agree exactly. After St. Lor ens the table puts St. Tyburcien, but the legend is not here in the text, which agrees with Royal MS. After the last legend. Dedication, comes the colophon : ** Cy fenist la vie des sains qui est dicte legende doree, qui fu faite lan de nrese • M • c c c • 1 x x v.'' MS. Egert. 645. This is a later MS., and not nearly so beautiful as most of those we have handled. It is 15 century, on vellum. In contents and order it agrees with the preceding, even to the omission of Macarius and the error of Marie for Marine in the table, and the insertion of Tyburcien, etc. Lambert is omitted from table, but stands in text, as in other mss. It ends with the Dedi- cation, and a mere : ^^ Explicit la vie des Sains." The name of the translator, ^^ frere Jehan du Vignay," occurs, as usual, at the end of Dominick, fol. 235 (old No. 232). The Vignay mss. in the Bibliotheque Nationale are very numer- ous ; the present Catalogues name the following as Vignay ver- sions : Nos. 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 414, 415, 416 (all described by Paris, ii, 89 ff., and iv, 31-33), 6448 and 23114. Of these ten mss. I have examined only two, and those described as the oldest, Nos. 241 (ancien numero 6888), and 242 (ancien numero 38 Legenda Aurea — Legende Dorie — Golden Legend. 6888^ ). What I shall here say of MS. Fr. 241 must be supple- mented by Paris's description, vol. ii, p. 254. This MS. has a piece of parchment pasted in the binding which reads : " Richart de monbaston libraire a fait escrire ceste legende des sairis en fran- cois Ian de grace nostre seigneur mil • cccxlviij." Fol. 1 begins : " Ci commence la legende des sains, translatee en francois par frere iehan de vignay, hospitalier de lord re de haut pas. Et ci cmence le prologue de celui frere. Me sire saint ieroisme," etc. After this prologue comes : " Cest le prologue sus la legende des sains que frere Jaques de Janes fist de lord re des freres preescheurs." After the prologue comes the table, with this rubric ; " Ci cmencent les chapitres de la legende des sains qui est dite legende doree.'' In contents and order it agrees with the Royal MS. But St. Machaire is not omitted from the Index, and Sebastian does not come before Fabian. St. John ante portam is omitted from the table, but is inserted in the margin, and comes after the Holy Gross, being fol- lowed by the chapter on the Litanies, Gordian and Epymaehe, and Sts. ^'Noir^^ and Achilles. And this MS., too, repeats the error found in Graesse and in MS. Royal, haying "de sainte marie vierge,^^ meant for St. Marine. After St. Lorens the Index puts "de saint tyburcien 'C' &• xvij," which is not, however, found in the text, as Hippolitus follows regularly on Laurence (fol. 202 b.). St. Giles occurs between caps. 126 and 127 of the Latin, but is in its proper place in the text (fol. 235 b.). Cornelien and Oyprian, and Lambert, as in Royal MS. St. Francis, omitted from Index, is inserted in the margin, and Pelagia and Margaret are counted as one chapter. Barlaam and Josaphat, together, cap. 178. The Dedication ends on fol. 343, and the colophon : " Ci fine la legende des sains qui est dicte doree." On the other side of the folio, apparently in a slightly different hand, we find : " Lespistre Saint Beneoit a Remon Arceuesque de coulongne du martire des machabees " — a theological treatise on the relations of the saints, etc. At the back, pasted in the binding, there is another note referring to Richart de Monbas- ton, and giving again the date 1348. In connection with this first group of MSS. we may mention one of the early printed copies of the de Vignay translation. This is Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend. 39 in the Bodleian. It is printed by Guillaume Le Roy, Lyons, 1485 {circa) y without title page, but on the fly-leaf: " La vie des Sainctz en francoys." It has a table of contents at the end. It seems to agree mainly, in order, with Graesse's Latin, lacking some of the peculiar features of the Royal MS. But here, too, we miss Sts, Sophia, Timothy J Fabian, Apollonia, and Boniface, The title ^' Ste Marine vierge • cxxiij •" is correct, but the Nat, John Bapt precedes Gervase, and Praxede follows Magdalen. Cornelien and Lambert are misplaced as in the Royal MS. After the Dedicatione €cclesiae, on fol. 299, without any note as to their being new legends, we find the following saints : FOL. FOL. 299 ., .. St. Eloy. 304., .. St. Yues. 300., .. La Concepcion. 306. .. St. Leys de france. 302 . .. St. Guillaume. 310., .. Ste. Barbe. 302., .. St. Thomas Dacquin. 310., .. St. Claude. This is an undoubted Vignay version, barring these added le- gends. But it is curious that his name does not occur in the pas- sage at the end of St. Dominick, where it is found in all the MSS. I have seen. In other respects it is quite like the MSS., apparently nearer to the text of Royal MS., though frequently furnishing cor- rected readings, as in the case of the etymology of the St. Stephen, from which we may quote later. This printed Vignay represents what we may consider the transi- tion stage from the first group of Vignay MSS., in which we get a real translation of the original Legenda, to the second group, still a translation, but with a long list of new legends. This group is represented by MS. Fr. 242 (ancien numero, 6888^). Here the order and contents are the same as in MS. Fr. 241 until we get through the Dedication {Legenda cap. 182), where we find, in the table : '' Cy apres cmence la table et les Rubriches des festes nouvelles selon 1 usage de paris, translatees de latin en francois par un maistre en theologie de lordre de nostre dame du carme. Lan mil quatre cens et deux." Here are the " festes nouuelles " : FOL. FOL. 287 ... St. Eloy. 291 ... Sts. Ny chaise & Euterpe. 288 ... St. Symeon. 292 ... St. Mor Abbe. 290 ... Concepcion. 293 b . . Sts. Fuscien & Victorien. 40 Legenda Aurea — LSgende Dor^e — Golden Legend, I'OL. FOIi. 294 .. . St. Policarpe. 309 b „ .. St. Maturin de Sens. 295 .. . Ste. Baudeur. 310 .. . St. Gordien. 295 b.. . Ste. Scolastique. 310b.. . Sts. Tybureien et ah. 296 .. . Ste. Eufemie. 311 .. . St. Arnoul. 297 .. . Sts. Ty burden & Valerien. 312b.. . St. Donast. 298 .. . St. Quiriace. 314 .. . St. Turien de Dole. 299 .. . St. Soupplice. 314b.. . St. Fiacre. 300 b.. . St. Losmer. 316 .. . St. Justin. 301 .. . Sts. Medard & Gyldard. 316b.. . St. Victor. 301b.. . Sts. Marth & Marcellin. 317 .. . St. Marciel. 303 .. . St. Guillaume. 319 .. . St. Demetrien. 203 b.. . St. Eutrope. 320 .. . St. Rigobert. 305 .. . St. Leuffroy. 320 b.. . St. Landry. 305b .. . St. Amand. 321 .. . St. Mellonin de Bretaigne. 306 .. . St. Germain de Paris. 321 .. . Le Saint Sacrement. 307 .. . Sts. Nazari & Celsi. 323 .. . St. Thomas Daquin. 308 .. . Sts. Caucien & Cancienille. 324 b.. . Le Bon Dyacre (St. Voult de 308 .. . St. Paulin. luques.) 309 .. . Ste. Perronelle. The last of the new legends, telling of the finding of the '^ Saint Voult de luques," is very long, extending to fol. 336. Then comes the colophon : Explicit Iste liber j qui scripsit sit crimine liber. Some of the new legends are really duplicates of those given in the same MS. in the original portion ; but others that seem duplicates differ in some points. We may note that the Eufemie is almost identical with the one also found on fol. 212. The Sts, Tybureien, Valerien & Maximien (fol. 297) really embodies the Cecilia legend, but gives a fuller account of Valerian. St. Quiriace repeats most of the Holy Cross. St. Amand (fol. 305 b.) is not the same as the pre- ceding one, which is from the Lat. p. 175. Sts. Nazari & Celsi duplicates the chapter on fol. 252. St. Perronelle is not really the same as the one found in the Legenda, giving much more about St. Felicule. The St. Tybureien on fol. 310 b. is not the same as the preceding. The >S^. Donast is the same person, but a different legend from that on fol. 168. In connection with this MS. we may mention an early printed copy, which, although I have not seen it, seems from the descrip- tion to be based on the same translation of the ^^ festes nouuelles." This is the one by ^' maistre Jean Batallier," printed by Bartholo- mew Buyer at Lyons in 1476. Notice of it will be found in Bru- Legenda Aurea — Legends Dor^e — Golden Legend, 41 net's Manuel, vol. v, 1368, and in other bibliographical authorities ; but a fuller account of Battalier and his revised edition of the Legenda is given in Echard, i, 853. This " Frater Joannes Batha- lier^' died, says Echard, in 1476; but we are not concerned with his biography. The colophon of this edition reads : " Cy finit la Legende doree, dite la vie des Saints en Francois, vue & diligem- ment corrigee auprez du Latin, & second le vrai sens de la lettre, par notable & religieux docteur maistre Jehan Batallier, docteur en la sainte theologie a Paris, de Fordre des Precheurs de la ville de Lion, par Barthelemi Buyer citoyen dudit Lion, le 18 avril 1476.'' The legends added to the original Legenda are thus introduced : " Cy apres s'ensuivent les histoires de la vie des SS. nouvelles nagueres translatees de Latin en Francois de la Legende doree I'an de notre Seigneur 1401, & ces histoires ont ete translatees par un maistre en theologie de Pordre de notre Dame du Carme." And the colophon : " Cy finit, (etc.) . . . pris & colligez de Vincent Historial en divers lieux." It will be seen that the same new translation seems to be meant in the MS. and in this printed copy ; the difference of one year in the dates would not tell against the supposition of identity. The third stage of the versions going under the name of de Vignay is reached when we find not only the embodiment of many new legends but a complete abandonment of the traditional order of the Legenda Aurea, Who is responsible for this sweeping change I have not been able to determine; the work still goes under the name of Jean de Vignay. There are also two represent- atives of this class — a MS., and a printed copy which is practically identical with the MS., even reproducing its errors. Though the MS. manifestly antedates the book, I shall describe the latter first, merely because circumstances led me to work upon it before I knew of the MS. It seems useless transcribing the description from the Brit. Mus. CataLy so I shall merely state that the book is a large folio, printed in double columns .of 44 lines, and containing 443 printed leaves. There is no date, or place, or name of printer, but it is assigned by the Cat. to Paris (?), 1480 (?). Its present number in the Cat. is G, 53. K, 1, the old No. being 1275. h, 3; and it is the oldest printed Vignay in the Museum. One of its former owners has 42 Legenda Aurea — Ligende i)orie — Golden Legend. written some comments on the first page, just above the Prologue, saying, among other things, that much in the volume "fait aujourd'- hui douter s'il a fait au monde plus de mal que de bien ou plus de bien que de mal." There is no title-page, and the work begins with de Vignay's Prologue : " Monseigneur saint ieromme dist ceste auctorite / " etc., followed by Voragine's Prologue. Indulgence will have to be claimed for another table of contents, which I shall simplify as far as possible. roL. FOL. 1 .. . De lavet nre seignewr ihu crist. 69 5 .. . De la natiuite " " " " 70 6 .. . De la circuncision " " " " 72 10.. . Des trois rois. 73 12.. . De la septuagesime. 75 13.. . De la sexagesime. 75 14.. . De la quinquagesime. 76 14.. . De la quarantaine. 77 15 .. . Des ieunes des iiij temps. 77 16 .. . De la passion nostra seigneur, 78 etc. 79 21 .. . De la resurrection nostre seign- eur, etc. 26.. . Des letanies maieurs et mineurs. 27 .. . De lascentton nfe seigneur. 31 .. . Du benoit saint esperit. 94 37 .. . De la premiere partie de lex- positon de la messe. 96 39.. . De la secowde partie de la messe. 43 .. . De la tierce partie " " " 45.. . De la quarte " " " " 103 46 .. . Des X c5madems de nre loy. 104 47 .. . Des XII articles de nre foy. 50.. . De saint andrieu. 53 .. . De saint nicolas euesque. 111 66.. . De la coception nire dame. 112 68 .. . Des sains gentien, fulcien et 114 victorice. 117 59.. . De sainte luce vierge. 120 60.. - De saint nicaise. 61 .. . De saint thomas apostre. 63.. . De sainte anastaise. 64.. . De sainte eugene. 64.. . De saint estienne martir. 136 66 .. . De saint iehan apostre. 137 ... Des innocens. ... De saint thomas de cantourbie. ... De saint siluestre. ... De saint pol premier hermite. ... De saint remy de rains. ... De saint hilaire. ... De saint fremin. ... De saint macaire. ... De saint felix en pinces. ,.. De saint valerien. ... De saint marcel (=: Leg. cap, 20). We now go on as in Leg. caps. 20-31, Sebastian, omitted from table, is in the text. After cap. 30 : . . . De saint inlien, comes .. De saint ignace evesque, and then again like Lat. caps. 36— 41, Vedast & Amand being transposed, then: ... De saint iulien martir. .. De saint Valentin martir, and again regularly through Lon- ginus, next to this: ... De saint benoit. .. De saint patrice. .. De saint benoit abbe. .. De lannuciaton nfe dame. .. De sainte marie degipte, after this regularly, Leg. caps. 56— 70, omitting Antiochena, Fa- bian, and ApoUonia; in place of cap. 70 we get : .. Des sains nerin & achilles. ... De saint pancrace. Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dorie — Golden Legend, 43 FOL. FOL. 138 . .. De saint second. 214 138 . .. De saint urbain. 139 . . . De saint pierre lexorciste. ^ 139 . .. Des sains prime & feliciew. 140 . .. De saint barnabe apostre. 264 142 . .. De saint sauue. 266 144. .. De saint waleri. 266 146 ., .. De saint tillon. 267 148 . .. De sainte austerberte. 270 151 . .. De saint vy & st. modest. 273 152 . .. De saint lieuin arceuesque. 274 155 . .. De saint piat. 275 156., .. De saint gillain. 275 157 ., .. De saint bauon. 160., .. De sainte marthe. 162 ., .. De sainte clare. 332 169 ., .. De saint apolinaire. 172., ,. De sainte cristine. 175., .. De saint victorin. 176 ., .. Des sts. geruais & prothais. 342 177 ., .. De la natiuite st. jean baptiste. 180.. ,. De saint iehan & st. pol martirs. 365 181 .. ,. De saint pierre apostre. 366 185 ., .. De saint pol apostre. 368 188 ., .. Des sept freres. 369 188 ., .. De sainte marguerite. 370 188 ., .. De sainte praeste. 371 188., ,. De sainte marie magdalaine. 371 192., .. De saint iacques apostre. 372 196 ., .. De saint cristofle. 373 198 ., .. Des sept dormans. 375 200., .. De saint felix. 200 . . Des sts. simplicien, faustin, 376 etc. 376 200. ,. Des sts. abdon et senen. 377 200., .. De la transfiguration nre seignr. 378 201 ., .. De saint geri. 379 204., .. De sainte waudrud. 379 207 ., ,. De sainte germain. 381 208 ., .. De saint eusebe. 209 ., .. Des sept raachabees. 381 210., .. De saint pierre aux liens. 382 212., .. De saint estienne pape. 382 212 ., .. De linuencion st. estienne (pro- 383 tomartyr). 383 ... De saint dominique. Continues regular, caps. 112-131 ; after which comes^ omitting here caps. 132, 133 — .. De saint adrien. ... De saint gorgon. ... De saint prothe. ... Exaltacion de la ste. croix. ... De saint iean grisostome. ... De saint cornelien. ... De sainte eufeme. .., De saint lambert. ... De saint mathieu apostre. Again regular, caps. 141-169 of Leg.; after cap. 168 comes ... De St. clement, and again regu- larly as far as end of Leg. proper, cap. 182, except that between 174 & 175 comes ... De saint lyon pape. After the Dedication come ... De saint eloy. ... De saint simeon. .. De saint mor. ... De saint policarpe. .. De ste. baudeur. .. De ste. scolastique. ... De ste. cecille. .. De saint quiriache. .. De saint soulplis. ... De saint losmer {inserted by pen in table). ... De saint medart. ... De saint guillame. ... De saint eutrope. ... De saint lieuffroy. ... De saint karillephus&st.advit. ... De saint nazareus. ... Des sts. canci, cancien & canci- amille. ... De St. paulin. ... De sainte peronelle. ... De saint maturin. ., De saint gordian. ... De saint gains. 44 Legenda Aurea — LSgende Doric — Golden Legend, POL. POL. 384. .. De saint arnoul. 398 385. .. De saint donat (inserted by pen, duplicate,/. 221 6.). 400 387 . .. De saint turien. 412 388 . .. De saint fiacre. 415 390 . .. De saint Justin. 415 390. .. De saint victor. 420 391 . .. De saint marcial. 422 393. .. De saint demetrien. 432 394 . .. De saint rigobert. 434 395 . .. De saint landry. 436 395 . .. De saint mellonin. 437 396 . .. Du saint sacrament. .. De St. thomas daquino. .. Du bon diacre . . . . st. voult de luques. .. De saint yues. .. De saint morant. .. De saint loys roi de frace. .. De saint loys de marselles. ,. De sainte geneuieue. .. De sainte barbe. .. De saint alexis. .. De sainte audegonde. .. De sainte aubin. I have given the folio numbering according to the table ; it here differs slightly from the actual numbering of the folios, but not enough to cause confusion ; for example, the folios on which St, Aubin occurs are the last in the book, and are numbered 439 and 440. It will be seen that there are comparatively few legends here which are not in one or the other of the previous French ver- sions. But the order of the legends, especially at the beginning, is very different. Before commenting on some of the peculiarities, let us say a few words about the MS. on which this printed copy is undoubtedly based. Stowe MS. 50-51, is the one referred to. This is fully described in the Catalogue : *' La Legende Dor6e : the French version of the Legenda Aurea of Jacobus de Voragine, made by Jean de Vignay, circ. 1340, including the additional lives given by De Vignay for which there is no original in Jacobus. There are in all 236 narra- tives, including those which refer to Festivals, as well as the Lives of the Saints. Begins, without title, with the rubric : ^Cy comence le prologue de lacteur de ce liure,' etc., which introduces the trans- lator's preface, beg. * Monseigneur saint iherome.' The author's preface follows, beg. ^Le temps de ceste presente vie,' f. 1 b. The table of contents begins on f. 2, and the text of the work on f. 4. In two volumes. The last Life is that of St. Aubin, ending with the words ^ du benoit saint pere le filz et le saint esperit. Amen.' This MS., or one very closely resembling it, appears to be the orig- inal from which the copy 1275 h. 3 in the British Museum [un- dated, described in the Catalogue as 1480 ?] was printed. They Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend, 45 agree in omitting the names of SS. Sebastian, Losmer, and Donat from the table of contents, though their Lives are given in the text. After the Life of Ste. Waudrut, with which the first volume of the MS. ends, a blank space of nearly a leaf is left in the printed copy, so as to begin the next Life at the beginning of a new leaf. Fur- ther, the water-mark of the paper of the MS. [a shield bearing three fleurs-de-lis, with a cross pendant below] is identical with that of the first 77 folios of the printed copy. Paper, except vol. i, ff. 1 and 10, which are vellum. Two vols., ff. 242 and 282. Late xvth cent. The original foliation is continuous through the two vols., from 1 to v°xxx ; but in, (etc.) . . . On the last page of vol. ii is the name of Jacques Losien as owner, in a 16th cent. hand. Folio." This description is so full that it needs no additions. The MS. does seem to agree, even in spelling, with the printed copy, though some of its errors are not in the MS. One error that the two also have in common is here overlooked. Just after St. Pierre aux liens we find in the text : De saint estienne pape, and De linuencion saint Estienne. Both of these are omitted from the table of the MS. and of the printed version ; cf. the latter, pp. 212 b.-214 b. A number of minor errors in the MS. are reproduced in the printed Vignay, which also adds one or two on its own account. More may be noticed later, but we must mention that in the etymology of St. Stephen the error saine venue for fame veuue (printed V. fol. 64 b) is found also in the MS. (fol. 25, MS. 51); while in the Seven Sleepers the printed V. (fol. 199) has left a blank space for a date, which some one has since wrongly inserted, and the MS. (fol. 234) has no error or omission here. These two texts agree with the earlier Vignay's and Latin mss. in omitting St, Sophia; St. Timothy (Lat. p. 222); St. Fabian (p. 291); St. Apolonia; and St. Boniface; to which we may add the omission here of De virgine quadam Antiochena. The first chapter on St. Benoit, though it has the etymology for his name carelessly prefixed to it (Stowe MS. fol. 1 36 b. ; printed V. fol. 1 1 1 b.), does not deal with St. Benedict at all, but with St. Maure ; the second chapter is the real life of Benedict : *^ Saint benoit fut enuoie a rome pour estudie" (sic; MS. fol. 139 b.; printed, fol. 114). At the end of St. Dominique we generally find the translator 46 Legenda Aurea — LSgende Dor^e — Golden Legend, named (printed Y. fol. 221) : " Car ie frere iehan de vignay, trans- lateur de ce liure, ne veult cy plus raettre ceste vision, car elle est deuant en ce meisme chappitre " — cf. Royal MS. fol. 202 ; Eg. 645^ fol. 235 ; Fr. 241, fol. 195, etc. The Oxford printed Yignay (see above) is the only copy of this version I have seen which does not mention de Vignay in this place ; it ends exactly as the Latin does (p. 483). Even with the great changes in arrangement, and the numerous additions to the original Legenda, this latest form of the de Vignay Ligende dor6e is still essentially a translation of the Legenda Aurea. Where the so-called translation by Belet makes radical changes from the Latin, the early Vignay's are so little different from the Latin that we need only suppose, here and there, a text different from that given by Graesse to reconcile all divergences. And even in the latest forms, after de Vignay's work had undergone thorough revision by the " docteur de Notre Dame du Carme," by Jean Batallier, or by the unidentified reviser whose work is represented in Stowe MS. 50-51 and its printed replica, we still find the main body of the work a fairly faithful translation of Voragine. One salient point of difference between Belet's work and de Vignay's^ and one not without its significance in view of the suggestion that the " legende des sains doree " was not translated from the Legenda Aurea, is the treatment of the " etymologies.'' These are so im- portant in connection with our study of Caxton's sources that I shall postpone full discussion of them. But here we must remark that all the Vignay's give translations of Voragine's etymologies ; nay, more, even the earliest give some etymologies for which no Latin original is found in Graesse's text, e, g. St. Felix, Lat. p. 575^ cf. Addit. MS. fol. 160, Roy. ms. fol. 185 ; and Marina, Lat. p. 353, cf. Ad. fol. 127, Roy. fol. 146 b., etc. On the other hand, not one is given in the Belet mss., and the only thing which looks in the least like an " etymology," so far as I could discover, is in the fol- lowing bit from St Ernoul, not one of the original Legenda: " Bonne reson i ot pour quoi li peres {of St. Arnulphus) fu apelez rogaciens. Car rogaciens est dit de rogo, rogas, et dist autant roga- ciens comme priere (or priez). ... La mere ot non eufroise a bon^ quod est, bonum est sapiencia. Car sanz doute ele fu plainne de sapience et de bonte'' (ms. Fr. 183, fol. 191; ms. Fr. 185, fol. Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend, 47 178 b.). This is, of course, not derived from Yoragine, but is at least in the same vein as his etymologies. Why should the trans- lator — call him Belet, if you will — whose work is so much fuller in detail than Voragine's, and who has here shown that he could make as little sense as the next man out of an absurd bit of ety- mology, why did he refrain from translating those etymological paragraphs which are one of the distinctive features of Voragine's work? If our chief interest in the French versions of the Legenda Aurea does lie in those we have discussed at what may seem unpardonable length, we should not omit all mention of other attempts in this line. Besides the Belet and Vignay MSS. in the Bibliotheque Na- tionale we have others whose precise character is not determined by the Catalogues. There is a French prose L^gende dor^e in No. 1054 (paper, 15th Cent., old No. 7339^), and Nos. 1534 (vellum, 14th Cent., old No. 7583') and 1535 (paper, 15th Cent., old No. 7583^-^). Finally, there seems to be a later version still in MS. 15475, of the 16th-17th Century. We shall first mention MS. Fr. 1054, which has some interesting personal notes, and is fuller than any of the others examined. It is manifestly a late MS. The Vignay prologue is not found. The MS. begins with a translation of Jacobus's Prologue, and then goes on with Advent (a distinct translation, different, however, from the Beleth and Vignay MSS.), Andrew^ Nicholas^ Lucia, etc., the order being here quite similar to the present Legenda, But St, Lucia is incomplete, and is followed by (fol. 32) Lespurgatore S. Patrisse, which is not the Legenda version ; it is written in a different hand, and may possibly be an insertion. There are several similar addi- tions, such as a " Proeme sur le Pater noster," and a chapter on "Confession." After the latter we go on with St. Stephen, St, John, the Innocents, etc. All between Epiphany and Fabian is omitted. But it will be sufficient to state that we have here a pretty full translation, comparatively few legends being omitted ; and, what is more interesting still, in most cases the etymologies are given. I shall give a sample later. This is, despite the ety- mologies, not a de Vignay version, but a really independent trans- lation. On fol. 400 b, we find, at the end of St. Felix: " Escript et complete el monastere de saint nicholas du ( illegible) les 48 Legenda Aurea^Legende DoHe — Golden Legend. c toitrnaj En Ian de grace mil • i i i j • & • xlj." Just below this, in very large letters, occurs : " Translate par ung poure pecheur & petit clerc / du quel dieu par les merites des sains nomes en cheste {sic) legende dor / et de tous aultres, voeulle conoistre le nom et le resoir de la douche vois de vie. veiies benois el regne adoons prepare de Dieu. Amen. Combien que la legende Dor ait este translatee par plusieurs notables clerSy desquels me soufie considerer la science et eloquence, che non obstant, par comand de obedience, car ie nai point volu par arrogance deflPendre mon ignorance, ai comprins cheste translation, (which he undertook to avoid idleness and its consequences, and) . . . . a le frequente supplicacion de aucuns bons freres, qui peust estre ne ont point grande conoissance de la langue latine, et par carite, qui che volume et aultre me a fait en- treprendre," etc. He ends with the usual sort of prayer to all the saints, to the reader, and to the Superior of his monastery. For the readings in this note I am not responsible, having been com- pelled, through lack of time, to rely absolutely on a transcription by a professional copyist; but the errors will, I hope, be over- looked. MS. Fr. 1534 is really an abridged translation of the Legenda, Not only are many legends omitted, but nearly all seem to be shortened. The MS. begins with the Passion, in verse ; then, on folio 19 we find: " Cy commence la legende doree. St. Andrieu, St. Nicholas" (fol. 21), etc., till we get to Thomas Becket, which is omitted. In all I count 76 legends, ending, on fol. 85 b., with de Dedicationej which is translated literally, with the omission of some paragraphs. Such well known legends as St. Ur^sulay St. Dominickj and St. Pelagius are among the many omitted. The nature of the work may be judged from this bit from St. Patrick^ fol. 35 b. : " Saint Patrice fu ung saint evesqwe • mout prudome • il requist a nre Sr. qui monstrast signe par quoy peust ses pechies purgier, De la vollente de dieu il lui fu monstre ung puis sy glit sy tres- parfont. Et ly fu reuelle ung lieu depurgatoire. Et qui la voudra descendre il ne soufferra ia aultre penitance ne aultre penitance (sig) ne aultre purgatoire • & mout y descendirent qui puis ne repparurent. Apres la mort saint pa^rice ung sien discipple (!) qui auoit nom nicolle sy voult descendre en celui purgatoire pour ses pechies pur- gier," etc. Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dorie — Golden Legend, 49 MS. Fran9ais 1535, too, is a L^gende dor^e, and the legends, though less in number, are more fully rendered than in the pre- ceding MS. ; but it is a late MS., and we have not time to tarry over it, or over the still later MS. 15,475, which is assigned to the six- teenth, or even to the seventeenth century. These later mss. have been mentioned, indeed, more to show the continued popularity of the Legenda than as a pretense to anything like thorough study of them or of the many other late legendaries which a little care might discover. Chapter III. English Prose Versions. We are restricted to prose in the present discussion of the Golden Legend, for we cannot discuss here the difficult problem of the rela- tions between the Legenda Aurea and the many verse Legendaries that appeared about the same time. Of one point alone do I feel sure, and that is that the metrical versions of the Barlam found in the Vernon ms., in Bodl. 779, and in Harl. 4196, tell the Legenda Aurea form of the story, and therefore probably derived it from the Legenda Aurea. But on the general relationship of the met- rical Lives of Saints to the Golden Legend I shall merely cite Horstmann and ten Brink. The former says, in his Old Eng, Legendary (E. E. T. S., No. 87), based on MS. Laud. 108 : "The collection is a Liber Festivalis. ... It was made shortly before, or simultaneously with, the Legenda Aurea by Jacobus a Voragine, the famous store-book of mediaeval legends. Neither of these col- lections is the source of the other ; both were formed independently of one another, and prove that the same task, which was indeed required by that time, was attempted by different writers at differ- ent places." Ten Brink, writing about the legends compiled by the monks of Gloucester, says also (p. 268-9) : "At the time when their activity was at its height, the Italian Jacobus a Voragine, bishop of Genoa, wrote a similar legend-cycle in Latin prose, with the title Legenda Aurea. The exact correspondence between this work and that of some of the English legends, as shown, for in- stance, in the lives of Christopher and Margaret, has given rise to the theory that the Golden Legend was the source of many of the English lives of saints. It is to be remembered, however, that 4 60 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend. Jacobus a Voragine often, without scruple, copied older texts, so that this correspondence may arise from a use of the same author- ities." A. There are five fairly complete mss. of the 15th century translation of the Golden Legend, and a fragment consisting of half a leaf, which seems to be one of the missing portions of one of the complete mss. We shall describe eath MS. in detail, attempt- ing to indicate their inter-relations, but reserving the last word on this question, as well as on the question of their being translated directly from the Latin or through the French, until we reach the study of the texts. The following table of contents attempts to show only the actual condition of the most complete MS., Harleian 4775, Brit. Mus. Special comment will show the lacunae in other MSS., as well as some additions. The mss. will be referred to by abridged titles: Harl. 4775 = H; Harl. 630 = h ; Egerton 876 = E ; Additional 11,565 = A ; Lansdowne 350 = L (all in Brit. Mus.) ; Douce 372 (Bodleian) = D. AP. CAP. 1 . .. Seynte Andrewe. 23.. . S. Anneys. 2. " Nicholas. 24.. . S. Vincent. 3. " Luce virginne. 25. . S. Basile Bisshopp. 4. " Thomas ApostuUe. 26 . . S. John the Aumenere 5 . .. The Natiuite of oure lorde. 27 . . Conuersion of Poule. 6. .. S. Anastace. 28 . . S. Pauline. 7 . .. S. Stephene. 29 . . S. Julian Bisshop. 8. .. S. John Euangelist {end lost). 30. . Septuagesme. 9. .. The Innocentis. All these 31 . . Sexagesme. 10. .. S. Thomas of lost in the 32. . Quinquagesme. Caunterbury. text, but names 33. . The Lente. 11 . .. S. Siluester. 34. . The Quater Temps. 12. .. The Circumcisioun still in 35 . . S. Jgnacien. of our lorde. table. 36 . . The Purificacioun. 13. .. The Twelff dale {beginning lost). 37 . .. S. Blase Bisshopp. 14. .. S. Poule the heremyte. 38 . . S. Agas virgine. 15. .. S. Remygie Confessour. 39 . .. S. Vedaste Bisshope. 16. .. S. Hillarij Bisshopp. 40. .. S. Amande. 17 .. S. Macarij. 41 . . S. Valentyne. 18 .. S. Felix. 42. .. S. Julian Virgine. 19. ,. S. Marcelle. 43. . Cathedra sancti Petri. 20 .. S. Antony. 44. . S. Mathewe ApostuUe. 21 .. S. Fabian. 45. .. S. Gregorij. 22 ... S. Sebastian. 46. .. S. Longens. Legenda Aurea — L^gende DorSe — Golden Legend, 61 CAP. CAP. 47 .. S. Benette. 89. . 8. Praxede. 48 .. S. Patrik. 90. . 8. Marie Mawdeleyn. 49 .. The Annunciacioun of oure 91 . . 8. Appollinare. ladie. 92. . S. Cristine. 50 .. The Passioun of oure lorde. 93. . S. James Apost. 51 .. S. Seconde. 94. . 8." Cristofore. 52 .. S. Marie Egipcian, • 95 . . 8. VII slepers. 53 .. 8. Ambrose. 96., . 8. Nazarien. 54 .. S. George. 97 . . 8. Felix. 55. .. S. Mark. 98. . 8. Symplicien. 56 . .. S. Marcelline. 99 .. . 8. Martha. 57 . .. S. Vitalle kojght. 100. . 8. Abdonne and Sennes. 68 .. S. Petre of Melane. 101 . . 8. Germayn. V 59. .. St. Philipp Appostulle. 102.. . 8. Eusebie. 60. .. St. Jacob Appostulle. 103. . 8. Machabeus. 61 . .. The fyndinge of the holie eros. 104., . Ad vincula s. Petri. 62, .. S. John appostull. 105., . The Fyndinge of s. Stephen 63. .. The Ordenaunce of the letanies. {end lost). 64. .. The Ascencioun of oure lorde. 106 .. . 8. Domynyke. AU missing 65. .. The Sendinge of the holie 107 . . 8. Sixte Pope. in the] text /^ gooste. 108 . . 8. Donate. names stilly 66. .. S. Jerome Doctour. 109 . . 8. Ciriak. in table. 67 . .. S. Gordianne viker to Julian. 110.. . 8. Laurence {beginning lost). 68 . .. S. Nereyn and Achilley. Ill . . 8. Jpolite. 69. .. S. Pancras. 112 .. . The Assumpcioun of oure lady 70. .. S. Urban Pope. (1 fol. lost). 71. .. S. Pernelle. 113. . 8. Bernarde. 72. .. S. Petre the Dekenne. 114.. . 8. Tymothei. 73. .. S. Prime and Felicianne. 115.. . 8. Symphorian. 74. .. S. Barnabe and Levite. 116.. . 8. Bartillemewe. 75. .. S. Vitte Martir. 117 .. . 8. Augustine. 76. .. S. Quirine and Julite. 118 . . St. Felixe. 77. .. S. Marin virgine. 119.. . Sts. Savineon and Savyn. 78 . .. S. Geruase and Prothase. 120.. . 8. Lowe. 79. .. S. Albon and Amphiballe. 121 .. . 8. Mamertyn. 80. .. The Natiuite of S. John the 122.. . 8. Gile. Baptist. 123.. . The Natiuite of oure ladie. 81. .. S. John and Poule Prouestis of 124.. . 8. Cecile virgine. ^ Borne. 125.. . 8. Adrian. 82. .. S. Leonne Pope. 126.. . 8. Gorgonien. 83. .. S. Petre A post. 127 .. . 8. Prothe and Jacincti. 84. .. The Comemoracion of S. Poule. 128 .. . The Exaltacioun of the eros. 86. .. The lijfe of VII bretheren. 129 .. . 8. Grisostomc. 86. .. S. Theodore Martir. 130.. . 8. Cornelien pope. 87 . .. 8. Merg arete virgine. 131 .. . 8. Eufemye. 88. .. 8. Calixte {really Alexis). 132.. . 8. Lambert. 52 Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dorie — Golden Legend, CAP. CAP. 133. .. S. Mathie Euangelist. 157 .. . The nil corouned Martires. 134. .. S. Moris Martir. 158 .. . S. Theodore. 135. .. S. Justine and Ciprianne. 159 .. . S. Marline. 136 . .. S. Cosme and Damian. 160 .. . S. Brice. 137 . .. S. Fursine Bissh. 161 .. . S. Elizabeth. 138. .. S. Mighelle the, Archaungele. 162 .. . S. Cecile. 139. .. S. Jerome. 163 .. . S. Clement. 140. .. S. Remiy:ie. 164.. . S. Grisogone. 141 . .. S. Leodegarie. 165 .. . S. Katerine. 142. .. S. Franceis. 166 .. . S. Saturnine. 143. .. S. Pellagien. 167 .. . S. James callid Justi. 144. .. S. Mergarete callid Pellagien. 168.. . S. Pastor Abbot. 145 . .. S. Thais. 169.. . S. John Abbot. 146 . .. S. Denis. 170 .. . S. Moyses. 147 . .. S. Calixte. 171 .. . S. Arsenye the abbot. 148 . .. S. Leonarde. 172 .. . S. Agathen. 149 . .. S. Luke. 173.. . S, Barlaham. 150 . .. S. Crissaunte. 174.. . S. Pelagien {at least 1 fol. lost. ) 151 . .. The XI Mil. Virgines. 175.. . The dedicacioun of the chirche. 152 . .. S. Symon and Jude. 176 .. . The aduente. 153. .. S. Quintine. 177 .. . The Concepsioun of oure ladie. 154. .. S. Eustace. 178.. . The life of Adam and of 155 . .. The Feeste of alle hallo wes. Eve. 156 . .. The Commemoracioun of Soules. 179 .. . The V wylis of Pharao. For a description of some of the technical details of H., h., E,, and D., see Horstmann, Program des Gymnas. zu Sagan, 1877, and Altenglische Legenden, Neue Folge^ Heilbronn, 1881, p. cxxx f. But some of Dr. Horstmann's statements are so mistaken that I shall give in full my own notes on the MSS., which will serve to supplement or correct his work. MS. Harl. 4775 is quite a handsome MS. ; though without mini- atures it has illuminated capitals in red, gold, and gilt, and on many folios a delicate vine-like tracery in green. In the table of contents which begins the MS. the initial letters are alternately red and blue; e. g. in Seynte Andrewe^ the S is red, in Seynte Nicolas the S is blue. The index, like the text, is in double columns, oppo- site the name of each saint or feast being placed the number of the chapter, thus : Seynte Andrewe .... Capitulo 1°. I may note here that the numbering in the table above is based on revision, and does not always agree with the actual numbering in index or Legenda Aurea — L^gende Doric — Golden Legend. 53 text. At the head of the first chapter in the text stands : " This bok is compiled of the lyues of seyntes. Callid in latyn Legenda Aurea. ffirst begynnyth the lyff of saynt Andrewe." At the top of each folio in the text the rubricator has put the title of the chapter given below. Dr. Horstmann's statement that H. is " ganz ohne Lticken " (Progr. p. 5) will seem strange in view of the following facts. The folio numbered 16 ends in the middle of St. John the Evangelist^ with these words (cf. Lat. p. 58, 1. 14) : " The thrid is to a creatur; for the Sonne and the Mone and the sterris, the reyne — [catch- words) — and the erthe." But the next fol., 1 7, begins : " Heroude when they turned not ageyne to hym — " (Lat. p. 78) in the Epiph- any , which ends on fol. 18, followed at once by Saynt Poule the heremyte. Here is a lacuna ; we lose a large part of St. John, a portion of the Epiphany {Twelff daie)^ and all of the intervening legends, viz : The Irinocentis, St. Thomas of Caunthuryj St. Sil- uester, and The Circumsicioun of our lorde. Another large gap in the MS. begins in the legend of the Inuencion of the bodi of Seinte Stephne^ on fol. 136, b. The folio ends with these words: "But he kepte him to whom thei had kepte here feithe with oute eny varyinge and ^^ — (Lat. 462, 1. 10). The next folio carries us into the legend of St. Laurence^ with these words : " disese in her heed • and than seinte Laurence leide hys honde," etc. (Lat. p. 490, 1. 23). This is near the beginning. We have lost here nearly all of the Invencion of Stephen^ all of Sts. Domynyke, Sixte Pope, Donate, and Ciriaky and the first portion of St. Laurence. The next legend after St. Laurence is St. IpolitCy which is complete. But the As- sumpcion of oure blessid virgyn Seinte Marie has a folio (not more, I think) lacking; the lacuna occurs between ff. 146 and 147. The former ends : (Lat. 523, 1. 33) " that yf thou lyue hit is (catchwords) to us — ." Folio 147 begins : " he is • and so precious a tresour is more worthi,'' etc. (Lat. p. 526, 1. 23). After this there are no further gaps in the MS. that I have discovered until we get to the life of Pope Pelagien — the legend from which the Legenda took its sub-title of Historia Lombardica. Here, on fol. 246 b, a Narracio about Bede is broken ofi" with these words : "And the vers wolde in noo wise accorde, and so '^ .... (Lat. p. 833). The next folio begins : " passid neuer thries drinkinge,^' etc. (p. 837, 1. 8), which is a 54 Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dor^e — Golden Legend, portion of an anecdote about Charlemagne, showing a loss of at least one folio. Only one leaf of the Fyve wylis of Kinge Pharao, " the whiche he usid agenst the childrenne of Israelle to kepe hem in his londe," is left ; it breaks off with these words : " For it is wreten in holie writte that it is an holie sacrifice to yeue entente to the commaundementis of god and to goo ''.... This is the last folio of the text, making 264 in all, as they are now numbered. After this comes a blank folio, with lines drawn on it as if for the continuation of the MS. ; it contains some quite irrelevant scribbling and rude drawings, in a variety of modern hands. Harl. 630 is a smaller folio than any of the other MSS., and less handsome ; but the writing is generally quite clear. Dr. Horst- mann is in error when he says (Progr.) that this MS. breaks off with St. Catherine ; but he corrects this later {Alteny, Leg.) ; the last legend, on fol. CCCLXXI (fol. 365 of present numbering), is "^e life of seint Saturnyne," which begins on fol. 364. The colophon of the volume follows at the end of this legend, and reads (in red ink) : " Here endeth the Boke of the life of Seintes called in latyn legenda aurea. compiled and drawen into englissh bi worthi clerkes and doctours of Diuinite suengly aftre ]?e tenur of ]?e latin." At the end of the legends follow two tables of contents, on 2 leaves and a half (the back of the fol. containing end of Saturnyne and colophon). The first of these is arranged according to chapters, of which there are 126; but St, Leonarde is omitted, through a mere scribe's oversight, as there is a vacant space where his name should come in ; and St. Pelagien (before Margaret called Pellagien) is inserted ; as far as it goes, the table agrees in content and order with H. 4775 (there are many curious spellings and entries, such as : ^' The life of latenyes " = the litany). The second table is much less carefully done. It is intended as an index by folios, and furnishes one correction to the other table, viz : St. AllexuSy who is entered as St. Calyxt in the previous table. It extends only to St. Elizabeth of Hungary, the last leaf being lost. The front page of this MS., containing the beginning of St. Andrew, has been roughly cut out, leaving a fragment about an inch wide, on which may be seen near the top traces of the flour- ishes made for the first capital. Only one leaf of St. Andrew is left (fol. ij). The legend begins : " yong men sailing in the see Legenda Aurea — LSgende Dor^e — Golden Legend, 55 for to receine of him doctrine of cristen feith/' etc. {Leg, Aur,, p. 15, 7); and breaks off: *^And whan he was ledde to the crosse warde grete concours" — {Leg. Aur., p. 17). Then five folios are missing, so that on fol. vij, which is the next as the ms. now stands, we find these words : " that art be night entered into my place," etc. {Leg. J p. 26) — in the middle of the life of St. Nicholas. There are three leaves missing (Ixxxiij-lxxxvj) in the life of St, Gregory, The interruption is after these words on fol. Ixxxiij, b. (cf. Leg.^ p. 192, 5) : " and of my name siker dere brother thu hast " — . The story is resumed : "the blode of my sone that is slayne" (cf. Leg.y p. 196, 10). In the life of Sts. Alban and Amphiballe there is an inserted leaf, it is not numbered (except by the mod. Arabic numerals), and comes in between folios clxix and clxx. At the bottom of fol. clxix, b, occurs the following note, in the same hand as most of the corrections : " next after this shuld folwe {word or words erased, apparently with a knife) .... ]>at is the begynnyng of ye next lefe .... shoidde (f illegible) come at this sign * " — which is found on fol. clxx. The inserted leaf is of slightly different size and quality of parchment, and is in a different hand, which, however, very closely resembles that in the rest of the MS. The differences lie in the form of the r, and of the paragraph signs, the latter being, moreover, all in red, instead of alternately red and blue as usual in the rest of the MS. The inserted leaf begins : "at 00 stroke, J^e body falling doun to )7e groude," etc. (H., fol. 101, b.). It ends : " Therfore we that haue used " {sic), and a footnote states : " se more atte this same marke * " — which is immediately opposite, on fol. CLXX. There is a most curious accidental omission here of two full pages (one fol.) of matter, as is indicated by the lack of coherence in the narrative of the execution of St. Alban : " Oon was redy anone and toke a swerde and with gret cruelte he smote so ];e holi mariir in j^e nek j^at his hede was partid fro )?e body haue used an unprofitable religion " (I underscore), really fitting on to the above. It will be seen that the remarkable lacuna, which might have been due to a careless copyist's turning over two leaves at once, is bridged over by the inserted folio. After a comparison with H. 4775, I must admit that the differences are sufficient to make one doubt if the folio was copied thence. The peculiarities of spelling found elsewhere in the ms. are adhered to, there are 66 Legenda Aurea — Ligende DoHe — Golden Legend, changes of construction and verbal changes from H. 4775, and the relations between the two seem much the same here as elsewhere. There are no further lacunae of importance. The short legend of St. Gorgonien is omitted : on fol. cclxxviij, b., where it should follow the life of St. Adrian^ we find the beginning of the life of Prothe & Jaoincti. The legend of St. Pellagien is apparently omitted ; it should come just before St. Margarete ; but the colo- phon of the legend ending here reads (fol. cccix, b.) : " here endethe the liffe of seint ffraunceis''; it is another scribal error, due to misplacing the colophon ; for this is really the end of the legend of St. Pellagien^ which begins near the end of the last folio, intro- duced by a simple heading : " pelagen," in black ink, by the careful reviser of this MS. In the same way, Sts. Colixt and Leonarde are apt to be overlooked, as their legends are not separated from each other or from that of St. Denys^ in which they are embodied ; the colophon reads (fol. ccc. xvij •) : " here endethe the liffe of Seint Denys'' — and Denys is erased, leonard being written over it in black ink. St. Calixt will be found on fol. cccxiiij, and St. Leonarde next. A similar correction of the title occurs in this MS. in the case of St. Alexis, on fol. c. xcvj •, where it is headed ^^Calyxt,^ but the C has been erased, and Alexius written in the margin. In a good many places this MS. (h.) has been corrected ; some instances have been given, and others will find their proper place when we come to the texts. But here I may state that I could not find any instance in which the corrections pointed unmistakably to any of the other MSS., and hence it seems likely that they come from some other unknown MS., possibly the one of which h. is a copy. Douce MS. 372 is rather fragmentary. The old Catalogue (1840) describes it thus (p. 65): " Membranaceus, in folio majori, ff. 164, sec. XV, ineuntis, binis columnis baud eadem manu descriptus ; quoad partem posteriorem anno 1438 exaratus, et anno 1460 pecu- lium Kateryn Burton ex legatione patris sui, Johannis Burton ; utrimque mutilus. The Golden Legend, or, Lives of the Saints, translated from the French into English. It commences from the words ^ knowliched that he was overcome bi hym,' in the life of St. Anthony. It differs both in the order and the text from the printed editions. At the end, ^ Here endith the V. wilis of king Legenda Aurea — Legends Doree — Golden Legend. 57 Pharao whiche he used agenst the childrenne of Israelle.' *And also here endith the lives of Seintis, that is callid in Latynne Legenda aurea, and in Englissh the gilte legende, the which is drawen out of Frensshe into Englisshe, the yere of oure lorde a • M • c c c c • and • x x x v i i j ; hi a synfulle wretche, whos name I beseehe Jhesu Criste bi his meritis of his passioune and of alle these holie seintes afore written, that hit mai be written in the boke of everlastinge life. Amen. Also here endith the life of Adam and of Eve.' See above, ms. 15, ff. 8 b., 76. After the colophon occurs the following note, ' Be hit remembryd,' " etc. (as quoted by Horstmann). The new Catalogue (Madan, 1897, vol. iv, p. 610) gives (the No. is here 21947) the additional information that : " The book is badly mutilated and has lost many leaves : mutilated are foil. 14, 29, 40," etc. "A full description of the MS. is in C. Horstmann's Alteng- lische Legenden, Neue Folge (1881), p. cxxx. ... * E. Trotter' (17th cent.) is on fol. 8." In the binding of the MS. is pasted a slip reading : " 13423. Legenda Sanctorum, in Englysshe. — A large folio manuscript, on vellum, the initials highly illuminated. From Mr. Herbert's collec- tion, 51.5 s. Contains the following note : Conclude this booJce was wrote before the institution of the Order of the Garter, as no mention is made thereof in the life of 8t. George, as in Caxton's first edition of Legenda Aurea, 1483." This slip is, judging from the MS. note by Douce (?so Horstmann says, probably right), merely a book- seller's cat. note. There is quite a long note in what Horstmann calls Donee's hand, on one of the blank leaves at the beginning. It reads: "The ignorant and wanton spoliation of this still valu- able MS. is much to be regretted. I suspect that it had passed through Bagford's hands and had been shewn by hym to Walter Clavell. See his collections No. 5977 among the Harl. MSS. In Osborne's catalogue of Lord Oxford's library, vol. in, p. 125, men- tion is made of the bequest of a book by a Nun of Campessey in terms much resembling those in the last leaf of this MS. There is an English Golden Legend in the Harleian collection of MSS. No. 4775 written at the same time as the present, and apparently by the same scribe. It is of the same size and, probably, a duplicate. The latter end is unfortunately wanting, but it has the beginning, 58 Legenda Aurea — Ligende DoHe — Golden Legend, which this has not. Another copy, but likewise damaged and im- perfect was in Mr. J. Towneley's library and sold at his auction for £12. — Query, if this copy of Mr. Towneley^s MS. was not that mentioned in the extract from some bookseller's catalogue which I have pasted in the inside of the cover, and whether it is not now in Mr. Hebers' possession ? Mr. Hebers' MS. begins, mutilated, with the life of St. Andrew ; has lost several leaves in various places and ends, mutilated, in the ^ Storie of Cain.' Com- pared with Jean de Vignay's French translation it omits the interpretation of the names of the Saints and all following the dedication of the church. It adds the lives of St. Alban & Amphibalus and the stories of Adam, etc. It is a large folio written in the middle of the 15*^ century, and has some illuminated borders." As Douce says, the hand (at the beginning, at least) resembles that in H. 4775, and the design of the capitals is the same ; but it seems to us that it cannot be the same hand. I shall also indicate the exact condition of this MS., as nearly as I could discover it, with reference to the contents ; cf. the table of H. The MS. has been much mutilated by the cutting out of many of the illuminated initials ; but I shall not enumerate such mutila- tions except where they seriously damage the text. As Dr. Horst- mann says (Alteng. Leg,), the MS. is incomplete at the beginning, the first words being from St. Anthony : " knowleched that he was Guercome bi hym,'' etc. (Leg. p. 104, 1. 14). All goes well, with no serious mutilations, until we get to the end of St. Matthew, fol. 26 b. This ends : "Bede seyth also );at hit"— (cf. Leg. p. 186, 1. 34). The next folio begins : " deuynli shewed howe the relikes were preciouse" {Leg. p. 198, 1. 17), which would at first seem to indicate a very considerable lacuna, but the order of the narraciones is quite different from the Graesse text, and I doubt if more than a folio is lost. Fol. 29 has been mutilated by the cutting out of an initial ; and here another folio is lacking ; fol. 29 ends : "And )?an ];is heremyte jaf )?ankinges to god • and );ought," etc. ; the next begins: "be at the counsel that were parted • iij * dayes bifore," etc. (Leg. p. 195, 1. 17 ; and 201, 1. 20). A folio is missing from St. JBenet; fol. 30 b. ends : "constreyned hem to kepe more streytly " — (p. 205). The next folio begins : " he seid ];at he wold in no wyse last eny mete" (208, 1. 13). Then there comes a big gap after fol. Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend. 59 31, which ends: "ij. Nonnys of noble kynrede that coude not kepe her '^ — (210, 1. 39). The next begins : " man, and asked for- ^euenesse and fro thens," etc. (p. 222), at the end of the Annuncia- tion, 60 we have lost a part of St. Benet, all of St. Patrick, and practically all of the Annunciation. After this comes a folio of the Passion (p. 226, 1), which breaks off: " hyt byhoued a gret space and a gret dilacion of tyme • and he asked of delyueraunce " — . The next folio (No. 33) has evidently been misplaced, as it begins : " pe sone of god, for it is trewe )7at bifore he had a sone he myht not be callid fadir,'^ etc., which is from St. Siluester (p. 76, 1. 1), one folio being left here, showing that the legends coming before S. Anthony were once part of this MS. The present folio ends : " )?* |;ei sholde diligently gouerne ]>e Chirches & kepe her shepe fro bityng of ];e" — (p. 79, 1. 12). Folio 34 carries us into a fragment of the " Twelfthe day y is callid j^e Epiphanye.'' It begins (p. 92) : " in maner as it had been a guyde. & whan pes kynges . . . . e hous • & ]>er ]>ei sawe marie & ]>e Childe," etc. As in H. 4775, much of the theological matter of the Latin is left out, and the chapter is much abridged. After it comes : ^' of Saynt Poule the Heremyte, Capitulo * xiij °," which is complete, and is duly followed by Seynt Remigy, which breaks off: "And J>en long tyme aftir, so as Denobande (sic) had " — (p. 96, 1. 37). The next begins : " whiche was cursid in the lawe shulde make an offering to oure lorde nother,'' etc. (p. 587, 1. 31), from the Nativ. of Our Lady, which ends on fol. 37, followed by Seint Cecile, capitulo • xxiiij — which is complete, and duly followed by St. Adrian, also complete. The next fol. (40) goes into the Passion of our Lord, see above; but it is still imperfect. Folios 40 and 41 have been mutilated by cutting out initials. On fol. 41 begins St. Secounde, which is com- plete, barring mutilation, and duly followed by Marie Egipciane (complete, cap. Ij.) and St. Ambrose. The latter breaks off on fol. 44, b. : " we wil nat deliue?'e the Chirch of god for )7e'' — (257, 5). Folio 45 begins : '^ and that is signified the difference J^at is seid in the maistre of stories,^' etc., which is, as a marginal note shows, in the Adscensio (p. 320, 1. 30). This is regularly completed, but folio 48 is badly mutilated, affecting the end of Adscensio and beginning of " \_Pentec'\oste • Cap". 1 x i i i j °." After Peyitecost comes St. Jerome 60 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend. (cap. Ixv.), on fol. 51, and next 8t. Gordian and SS, Nereyne <€r Achille (fol. 53). The latter is just complete, part of the colophon being gone. Folio 54 begins in the life of Barnabas : " with drawe jow fro suche vanites and conuerte jow to god '' (p. 347). This is followed by St. Vite^ 88. Quyrine and Julitte (cap". 1 x x v °), Maryne, etc., regularly, as in H. One folio, certainly not more, is wanting in Alban, after fol. 57, which ends : ^' Romaynes gretli oppressid the Bretons .... chose .... the Duke " — ; the next begins : " un to Albones house hors men with a grete power of foote men,'^ etc. Only a little more than one folio of Nativ. John Bapt. is left (ff. 63-64), and the end of John and Paul, 8t. Leo the Pope is complete, as is 8t. Peter. Several folios are lacking in the Com- memoracion of 8t. Poule. Fol. 69 ends : "thei were alle abasshid, for the bodi turned & ioyned " — ; the next : " Whan he is re- streyned of his sorwynge. Ryt so Poule,'' etc., near the end of the legend {Leg., p. 385, 1. 12 ; and 395). On folio 72 b., begins ")?e lyfe of seinte kalixt. Cap°. • Ixxxvij?." This is really the legend of Alexius ; and in the body of the legend^ as in H. 4775 and H. 630, he is called "Alex,'' or " Alix," though it is still " kalixt " in the colophon. This also shows that D. is akin to the two H. mss. Only about one folio of Marie Magd. is left, and about two-thirds of Appollinare. After fol. 78 we lose a leaf containing the end of St. Christqfore and the beginning of the Seven Slepers. The life of St. Dominik breaks off on fol. 88 b., thus : "And she . . . answerid .... I am pees )?at dwellith [here " — catchword'] ; the next fol. begins : "and constreyned hem to do sacrifice to Jubiter," etc., at the end of St. Donat. St. Sixte is, therefore, wanting (p. 482, 35 ; and 486). St. Laurence is also imperfect. It breaks off on fol. 90, thus : "And Gregorie of Toures seith .... repaired the Chirch of seinte Laurence " — (p. 494) ; the next begins : " seith seinte Denys. And whan the blessid virgynes (sic) sawje " (p. 506, 33), which is in the Assumtio ; and this legend also lacks another leaf, as fol. 92 breaks off in the story of the devout clerk (p. 513, 2), and fol. 93 begins just before the story of the Jewish boy (p. 515, 5) ; and another leaf after fol. 93. The legend was translated at full length. Two folios in St. Bartilmewe are mutilated. A good part of St. Augustyn is lost; fol. 102 ends: "singinge the songe Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dor^e — Golden Legend. 61 u of degrees ]? jaf me " — , while the next carries us nearly to the end : " to Pavie with gret ioye, and \&re he was sette .... in the Chirch of seinte Petre," etc. ; the order is slightly different, as usual, from the Latin (p. 553, 1. 15; of degrees = gr^aduum ; and p. 562). The title reads erroneously (fol. 103) : *' Navien and Savyne," and colophon (104) " Navynien," as in H. After fol. 105 there is a gap, but it is impossible to say exactly what is lost, as the Nativity and St. Cecilia both occur above. We have certainly lost, however, the end of St. Giles, and all of Adrian, as the next fol. begins with the colophon : " Adrean. And begynnithe the lyf of seint Gorgonien." The end of Eufemie is lost (fol. 110): "And anone thei ronnen to the virgine Eufemye" (p. 621, 37) — . The next goes to St. Mathew: "anone. and than the kinge J>* hight Eglippus sent," etc. ; not more than one leaf (p. 623, 37). Ouly a half dozen lines of the beginning of "seinte angell" are left (fol. 116). The next folio begins: "that was so drie scorchid e e in ]; grete heete of ]; sonne," etc. (p. 655), which is in St. Jerome, as a heading on the folio indicates. Folio 120, in St. Francis, breaks off (p. 667) : " Whan he was on a time in his praieris he sawe uppon the " — . The next begins : " neuer shriue of a synne that I shalle nowe telle you,'' etc. ; probably two leaves gone (p. 672, 1. 21). Fol. 122, containing end of Pellagien and beginning of Margaret, is mutilated. Fol. 122 breaks off near the beginning of Thais, and the next begins : " shulde nat suffre suche sorowe,'' etc., in St. Denys, showing a loss of one leaf (678, 1. 15 ; and 682, 1. 3). Folio 125 breaks off in St. Leonard: "he wende that he had dremed, and did noJ>ing " — ; the next goes on : " wisdome. And the storie seith he taujt whan he shewid," etc., in St. Luke, a loss of at least two leaves (p. 691, 1. 4 ; and 697, 1. 28). St. Ursula is incomplete. Fol. 128 takes us into Simon e heremite," which again agrees exactly with H. Unfortunately it is incomplete, breaking off on fol. 154 : "And tha he avised hym and thought that hit was better " — cf. Leg. p, 820, and Progr. p. 14, 1. 35. Fol. 155 goes into Pelagien: "anone he confessid with clere vois the holie gooste," etc. (p. 842), indi- cating the loss of a good many folios. After fol. 156 there is another lacuna, in which we lose half of the Dedication, all of Advent, and all but about twenty lines of the Concepcion. The last piece, the Pharao, is complete. The mutilation of folio 157 affects slightly the Adam, In MS. Egerton 876 we find again some approach to complete- ness, a relief after the confusing gaps in D. The Egert. MS. is more carefully written than H., and is altogether the best specimen of work among our mss. But I shall again dispense with mere descriptive details, and note only, by way of supplement to Dr. Horstmann's comments, some peculiarities, and the lacunae in the contents. This MS. contains at the beginning a table of contents, in a mod- ern hand, giving references to the folios, which have been numbered Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend, 63 by the same hand, followed by what is called a Glossary, whose value may be guessed from this : " Unuethe — not, at last, before;" two leaves are filled by the table and Glossary ; at the end of the latter is the note : ^* N. B. Kead with this Legend a Book Call'd, Reflections upon ye Devotions of ye Roman Church, printed at London for Rich* Royston An. Dora. 1674." The first folio, con- taining the beginning of St. Andrew, is gone, and portions of the second are illegible. The close of SL Nicholas is lacking ; fol. 6 breaks off : " that whanne he fille into the see anone the bisshop seint Nicholas come"^(p. 29, 1. 2) — and the next folio (7) begins : "And thanne the apostill taught shorteli," etc. (p. 37, 1. 39), in St, Thomas, showing a loss of, probably, two leaves, with end of Nicholas, Lucy and most of Thomas, All seems right until fol. 57, which ends : "thou hast more tormented hym with" — (p. 172, 1. 2) — and fol. 58 begins : " his sone, ne the sone the fader, for Ruben wende," etc. (p. 185, 1. 5) ; so we have two incomplete legends (Agas and Matthew), besides losing all those intervening. There is another gap after fol. 64, which ends : " in that tyme men helde more in chirches — " (p. 201, 1. 9), in Gregory ; and fol. 65 begins : " priuely fro his norice," etc. (p. 204), in the beginning of St, Benette, with loss of all of Longens, Only one folio of St, Mark remains ; it begins near the bottom of fol. 85 b., which breaks off: "Seint marke .... was of the ordre" — (p. 265) — and the end is found on the next fol., which starts: "smyten of withe an axe," etc. (p. 269, 1. 35). The legend of Sts. John and Paul, which Dr. Horstmann also omitted from his table of H., is on fol. 141. The St. Francis breaks off, fol. 245 : " In the Citee of Susse that an " — (p. 673, 1. 32) — and the next folio goes to Thais, as a mar- ginal note shows : " — well that be thi praiers y may haue foryeu- enesse," etc. (p. 678, 1. 15), with loss of Fellagien and Margaret. The Commemoracion of Soules breaks off, fol. 269 : " for the soules that passe oute" — (p. 738, 1. 27) ; and, again, a marginal note tells us that the opening words on fol. 270 are from St. Theodore (p. 741, 1. 5) : " with a gret suetnesse of sote sauour," etc. ; we lose all of the IV Crowned Martirs, and nearly all of Theodore, as well as the end of All Souls, The life of the Abbot Moyses, on fol. 299, agrees with the Latin, except that, as in other mss., it lacks the last tale (p. 807) ; and immediately after it comes the life of " seint 64 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Doree — Golden Legend, Arsenye the abbot" without any separate chapter heading, and the colophon, too, states erroneously : " here endithe the liff of Abbot Moyses" (cf. H. fol. 237, and D. fol. 151). Advent is incomplete; fol. 324 ends : " that haue similitude of sterres. and thei be said " — (p. 6, 1. 20) ; the next folio begins with the title of Adam and Eve, The last four or five folios of the text, including all of Pharao, are so badly damaged as to be almost illegible. After the close of the Pharao we find some leaves of a sort of index, in the same hand as the table at the beginning. Lansdowne MS. 350 is described in the Catalogue as containing '*a fragment of the Golden Legend, in English, written in the xvth century.^^ Only half a page is left, bound up in a volume with other things, which do not concern us. The MS., I should judge, was originally about the size of H. or A. It is written in double column, like the other MSS., and, where not defaced by ill usage, the writing is clear, with two large colored initials left. One side of the leaf is almost illegible. It begins : " [ta]ke hit ayen, and sone aftir he dyed. And yet att this day hit is kept that men maken her oth for gret causes upon the reliques of seynt pancrace." (cf. Leg, p. 341). Next come fragments from UrbaUy from Pernelley and (verso) Petre the Dekenne, the leaf ending with another frag- ment from Prime and Felicianne. Judged by the size of the page, general appearance, and handwriting, this leaf seems one of the lost portions of Add. 11,565, which has a lacuna just where these legends should come in, and I have no hesitation in saying that it is so. Addit. MS. 11,565 is the last of our MSS., and the most important. One of the surprising things about it is that it escaped Dr. Horst- mann's notice ; but this may be due to the misleading way in which it is coupled, in the Catalogue^ with Egert. 876 (= Addit. 11,565), as if it was merely another numbering and name for the same MS. But it is separately described under its proper number, and what the Catal. probably meant was that it, like E., was a MS. of the 15th century Golden Legend. We shall describe its present condi- tion as minutely as possible, for the additional legends found make this MS. the corner-stone of the argument as to Caxton's sources. The volume contains, first, Bonaventura's Life of Christ (incom- plete), in English prose. And then, on fol. 34 (according to the modern numbering), in a very similar hand, and in the same general Legenda Aurea — Lk/ende Dork — Golden Legend. 65 style, we find our Golden Legend. It is introduced by this heading : " Here bygynneth the life of seyntes. and this boke is called yn latyn legenda ^anctovum. Of the whiche first bygynneth the life of Seinte Andrewe the Apostle. S^ S. S. S." The ms. is not so well written as H. or E., and in a slightly larger hand, but is quite clear. The text is, where they agree at all, as close to that of the other MSS. as they are to one another, showing that all belong to the same translation. As in h., we sometimes find marginal notes, in what seems a contemporary hand, like that which numbered the folios before the rubricator did his work, and some of these emendations will be noted below. The folios were originally numbered in red (Roman), but the rubricator never finished his task, and through a third of the work we have only the numbers in faint black which were later to have been covered by the red ; there is also a modern numbering, to which I refer by Arabic numerals. The pages of the MS. are about the same size as those of H. ; aud there are initials, but not as elaborate or as well executed as those in H. and E. The MS. has been considerably damaged by rough usage, some folios being cut, some blackened as if by water, or rubbed so as to be all but illegible, to say nothing of the numerous folios lost. As the general content and order is the same as in H., except where otherwise specified, I shall not repeat the table, but merely indicate the gaps and departures from the normal. The top of fol. 39 is cut away, so that we lose a portion of SL Thomas^ which begins here; and similarly, of course, on verso. A similar mutilation (same legend), less extensive, on fol. 40, col. 1. There is one folio missing after fol. xi (44) containing the end of St. John and begin- ning of the Innocents ; fol. 44 ends : " and prayth til ye se thes yerdes & thes stones turne in to her owne nature " — [Leg.^ p. 59, 1. 8). Fol. 45 (these numbers take no account of lost leaves) begins : " same toke the rewme of yude of Cesar August " (p. 63, 1. 24). The title of the legend " of seint Thomas of Canturbury. And of Gilbert Beket his fader '^ (fol. 45, b.) is enough to attract our attention. It is, indeed, a totally different story from that in the Legenda and in E. and h. MSS., and furnished the earliest instance I discovered in which Caxton had used something not in the Legenda^ and not in Vignay, and not in Belet. That he used this MS. version will be shown by certain parallels to be given later. The title of 5 66 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend. the present chapter has pen-strokes through it, as has the text itself (cf. other lives of Becket, and notably the Caxton, see Blades) ; but the lines are too faint to injure the text. The legend breaks off near the end, which approximates to the Latin here, on fol. XX (52) ; "And than his brayne ran al aboute his hed like [a diademe. And" — catchivords], cf. Leg,y p. 6S. The next folio is numbered xxix (53), which, if it be correct, shows a loss of eight folios. We begin with these words " — of oure lorde. And than al the peple tende ])ere tapyrs of hir tapir," etc., which is a familiar anecdote, though new to the Legenda in any previous form, being from the life of St. Dunstan! We cannot pause here to show the close parallels to Caxton, or to speculate as to what other new legends might have been on those eight lost leaves. The St. Dunstan ends on the reverse of fol. 53, and is succeeded by another new legend : St. Aldelme the confessour. Then (fol. XXX = 54) St. Theophile, which is new in our MSS. ; it has lost one folio, after 54 : " And than the Jewe and his moder with many othir Jewes" — (Narracio 5, in Leg., p. 515-16). The next fol. continues the miracles of the Virgin which make up the latter part of the chapter entered under the well known name of TheopMlus, whose story will be found in Leg. p. 593-4 ; cf. p. 871, and the cognate story in St, Basile, p. 122. And Theophilus is found again in this MS., as in the others, in the Nativity of our Lady, fol. CLXX (164); but in the present chapter it is given more fully than in the Lat. p. 593. The chapter ends ; " Here endith the life of seint Theophile. and next bygynneth the life of seint Swythen." We now get : St. Swythen^ St. Kenelme, St. Chadde, St. Cuthbertj St. Feiih (all new, except last), St. Dorathe (new to mss. ; from Lat. p. 910), St. Leger (Lat. p. 660, repeated below, f. 180, and in other MSS.). St. Brandan begins on fol. 59 (xxxvi), and breaks off on fol. 61 b. : " for he shal suffir peyne therfore here in thy" — .^ Only one folio is lost, and the next (xL = 62) begins the life of Silvester, followed by the Clroumcision, and the Epiphanye, both, as in other MSS., slightly compressed translations of the Latin. The order of H. is now resumed. The title of St. Fabian (H. cap. 21) reads (fol. xlviii) : Sebas- ^ Caxton, K. P. p. 1137, omits the sentence of which this is a part; it should come just before his sentence: "and these two oxe tonges that hange," etc. Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend. 67 iiaUy an error which the colophon corrects. After fol. 84 we lose a folio with the end of Purification and part of Blase. The fol. ■ends : "And it is seid also ypotant, that is presentacion as to the yefte '' — (cf Lat. p. 163) ; the next folio begins : " — cucion of dio- clision. And there he leuyd the life of an hermite'^ — in the life of St. Blase (p. 167). On fol. 88 b. the " ohayryng of seint peter " breaks off: "thei schoven his crowne of his hed in the hiest parte therof in dispite of" — (p. 182). The next folio begins, in the middle of St. Matthew : " — of me in Jerusalem and in al Jude and Samary," etc. (Lat. p. 186). In the last col. of fol. 96 b. (lxxvi) begins the "Annunciacion of oure lorde Jhu crist " (same as else- where, despite difference in title), which breaks off just below : " ffirst^ for the orders of reparacion answere to the order [of pre- uaricacion" — GatGhwords~\ — Lat. p. 216. The next folio is num- bered Lxxxv (97), so we have again lost eight folios. We find ourselves in the life of Ambrose (Lat. p. 255) : " — ne and he aroose and come to melane in hast." Presuming that the order is the same as in H., we have lost nearly all of the Annunciaciony all of the Passion, Seconde, Marie Egipcian, and half of Ambrose , after which we go on regularly through cap. 64, Asoencion. This €nds at the top of the second col. of fol. ci (113 b.), with the colo- phon announcing : " and next bygynneth the fest of Pentecost." But the rest of the column is blank, and at the bottom, in the margin, is a scroll with the catchwords : " So as the story," which are the first words of Pentecost, cf H., fol. 85 ; h., fol. 142 ; E., fol. 111b. But the next fol. begins : "by gret dispite, and skrat hym in the uisage," etc., in Quirine and Julite (Lat. p. 352) ; the folio is num- bered ex (114), so we have again lost eight leaves, containing, pre- sumably, all the legends between caps. 65-76. Among these, as noted above, would be Urban, Pancras, Pernelle, Peter, Prime and Felician, fragments of which are in Lansd. 350. In the St. Albon there are several instances of marginal correc- tions; e. g. on fol. 116 b. the text omits a whole sentence, Mary's question to the angel, in AmphiabePs narration of the Annuncia- tion ; in the margin it is properly inserted : " ];an seid mary to }?e angel, how may this be sith j knew neuer man ? " And there are quite a number of verbal corrections on fol. cxv, in the account of the multitude passing the river to witness Albon's death. 68 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend, The cap. on Abdon and Sennes has been misplaced ; instead of coming between Martha and Germayn, it follows the latter, on fol. 145 b., and is incomplete. This folio ends : " and lede hem with hym boiinde yn to the Cite of Cor [dale. And ther he made " — catchwords], Lat. p. 447. The next folio finds us in the middle of Laurence (Lat. p. 494) : " othir partie alle brent, as it appered yn the morowe to alle visible." From the original numbering (in> black ink now) it would seem that we have again lost eight leaves^ between ff. CXLI and CL, with all of the legends between the Ahdon (here = H. 101) and cap. 110. In the legend of the Assumpciony. fol. CLii (148) ends: "Seint Jerom (Lat. p. 511 has AugustinuSy. = E. f. 193, Seint Austine) ne afPermeth this thymg (sic) oonly but proueth hit by i i j resons. And the first reson " — . The next foL begins : " not Orphanes. And the blessyd virgyn Marie," etc.,^ showing a loss of two leaves at least (cf. Lat. p. 518). The unfin- ished task of the rubricator is responsible for the omission of the " verse ayenst hem that loued detraccion," written by St. Augus- tine " yn his borde," see Lat. p. 555 ; a space is left for its insertion- on fol. 158, and the translation is given, though the Latin is- omitted : " This is to say, who so euer loue to myssay any creature that is not here present att this borde he may welle say hit is denyed him att alle." A similar instance occurs on fol. 173, cf. Lat. p. 591. There is a folio missing between CLXXii and CLXXiiii. The former breaks off in the legend of Adrian : " art made worthy to< be yn the noumbre" — (p. 600); the latter begins : "kyssyd hym. But Eugeny hadde vtterly abhominacion of hir," etc., in Prothe and Jacincti (p. 603). On several previous pages one finds the name of John Elger^ in a modern script ; and the same occurs sev- eral times on fol. 169 b., once in print-like letters, with the date 1680, and once Thos. Elger, The life of ^^ St. Matheu " has a misleading colophon : " here endith the life of seint Crisostome" (fol. 172, b.); it should be MattheWy followed by St. Moris, which breaks off: "they yeldyn to god that longyde to godde, and to Cesar that Ion " — (Lat. p. 629). The next goes into Justine (p. 633) : " with Ciprien. and att last she conuertyde hym," etc. The chapter on the " holy sollem- pnite of seint mychael," which begins on fol. 175 b., introduces an interesting addition. We find, first, as in the other Mss., a version Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend. 69 based on the Legenda, though differing slightly in order from the Oraesse text. All the other mss. end with the translation of the words (Lat. p. 649) : Tunc summus pontifex .... statuit celebran- dum ; cf., for example, E., fol. ^38, with the colophon : " Here •endithe the lyff of seint michael. and next beginnethe the lyff of Seint Jerome. Cap. cxxxix." But in place of this the present MS. has : " Here folowith an exposicion of the same mater here byfore reherssyth (s^c), made by a nother doctour of holy chirche." This additional story has nothing to do with the conclusion as given in the Legenda, and, except for the first few sentences, nothing to do with St. Michael : it is a familiar sort of " legend " masquerad- ing under his name, and is the prose form of what is found in the Early South Eng. Legendary (Laud MS. 108), p. 311 ; the relations between the two must be discussed later. After this new chapter we go on regularly with St. Jerome, St. Regius (in text it is Remige), etc. The legend of St. Theodore, which should come after "the IIII corouned martirs,^^ on fol. ccix, is omitted. Similarly, St. Cecile is omitted after Elizabeth, fol. ccxv, next to whom comes Clement; it is to be noted that this omission is proper, as Cecile occurs above on fol. 172 ; the other mss. have duplicated the legend. The last legend left in the volume is the incomplete St. Katheryne, which, as in other mss., is different from the Latin. It begins 'on fol. 210, and breaks off three folios later, losing about a fourth of the story, thus : " thou merueloust (sic) gretly of this temple that is made with manys honde, and of the precious ornament that shal be as poudre byfore [the wynde thou" — catchwords'], cf. E. fol. 292 b. I think we may safely guess that this MS., more compre- hensive than any of the others, originally contained the dozen or more legends remaining in E. and H. That this MS., as well as all the others, suffered in Protestant hands is shown not only by the defaced Thomas d Becket, but by the frequent erasure of the word Pope; e. g., on fol. 170, and cf. H. ff. 92, 108, 117, etc., and h. f. 155, etc., etc. The additions made by these English mss. to the original material of the Legenda are comparatively slight, if we except those in A. I have been able to discover only five : (1) St. Katherine, (2) Alban, (3) Concepsioun of oure ladie (which is, however, in the addenda to Jacobus's work, p. 869), (4) Adam and Eve, and (5) Pharao. The 70 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend. 2nd, 4th and 5th are manifestly new ; I have noted the source of the 3rd. The first bases on another version of the St. Katherine legend, and is the same in all the MSS. Here are a few lines from the beginning (E. f. 286 b.; A. f. 210; h. f. 359 b.; D. f. 145, etc.) : " Here beginnithe the right excellent and most glorious lifT and passion of the right blessed uirgine seint katerine, whiche bi dissent of lyne was of the noble kinrede of the Emperours of Rome, as it shall be declared more pleinly here after bi a notable cronicle ; whos most blessed lyflp and conuersacion was wretin of the solempne doctour athanasius, that knewe her birthe, her kinrede, her lyff and conuersacion,^^ etc. The Add. MS. gives us the following new legends, some of which are, of course, but variations on old themes : Thomas Becket {incompL). Swythen. Feith. Dunstan {incompl.). Kenelme. Dorathe. Aldelme. Chadde. Brandan {incomplete). Theophile {incompl.) Cuthbert. Michael {2nd part). With these exceptions, the material in the English version comes from the Legenda Aurea. Was the translation direct from the Latin, or through the de Vignay French ? Those who have been before us have inclined to the latter view. Dr. Horstmann says (Alteng. Leg., N. F. p. cxxxiii) :...." it is certain that the work is not translated directly from Latin, but from French. I decide rather for the credibility of the notice in the Douce MS. [^ drawen out of Frensshe into Englisshe,' as against Harl. 630, ^aftre j^e tenur of J>e latin '].... The English version follows de Vignay's translation exactly, word for word, and has the same contents ; only a few pieces are added (as Machar)," etc. This last statement shows how cursory must have been Dr. Horstmann's examination ; for, as noted above (p. 36), Macarius, though omitted from the index, occurs in the text of the Vignay MSS. But we have whole pages of evi- dence to show convincingly that the English MSS. by no means follow Vignay word for word, and though all of it cannot be given, I shall present enough to show that the English translator used the Latin, even if he did also know the French. In the first place, we may reason somewhat as in the case of the Belet French : the English MSS. do not translate any of the Legenda Legenda Aurea — LSgende Dor^e — Golden Legend. 71 etymologies ; they would have been much more likely to have done so had these puzzling bits of Latin been already turned into French, thus furnishing a model, in the original from which they drew. But this, of course, is a mere matter of opinion, in which many may differ from me. Let us note a few details in certain legends — it would be impossible if not unnecessary to examine them all — wherein the English differs from the French. To facilitate refer- ence we shall use these abbreviations : Vignay MS. Add. 16907 = Va.; MS. Egert. 645 = Ve. ; Ms. Royal 19B. xvii = Yr. ; MS. Franpais 241 = Yf. ; Franpais 242 = Yff. ; Oxford printed Yig- nay = Yo. ; Stowe MS. 60-51 = S., and its printed replica = Y. The short legend of ISt. Marine (Lat. p. 353) is not in S. or Y., but is in other versions, e. g. Ya., fol. 127 ; Yr., fol. 146 b.; Yo., fol. 123, etc.; and in the English MSS., e. g. A. fol. 114, and E. fol. 124 b., both of which agree in all essentials. These MSS. have the following sentence, which is not in the French, and not in Graesse's text : ^^And so he dyed and sche abode in her holy purpos. And contynued hir selfe {E. lyff) as an holy monke, Unknowyng to dAle creatures that she was a woman." The absence of these words in our present Latin does not count against my point : it is certain they do not come from the French. An exactly similar state of affairs occurs just below : " Whan the fader and the moder herd this, they went to the abot and made an horrible clamor upon hym for his monke . the abbot, hauyng gret schame and sorowe for the foule clamor, sent for maryne, and askyd," etc. This, too, is neither in the French nor in the Latin ; several other instances occur in the same legend (cf. for the story, St. Theodora^ p. 398-99). Again, in St. Pernelle (p. 343), the Latin : " et postmodwn in equuleo tortam occidit/' is rendered by the MSS. (Eg. f. 121) : *' and sethe he made her to be tormented upon the turment that is called Eculee. And sithe he dede her to be slayne " ; whereas the French has (Ya. 123 b. ; Yr. 142 ; Yo. 120) : " et puis la fist tormenter en couuent deculee (szc, Vr. & Vo. simply en eculee). Cest un torrae?it fait en la lumiere {sioy Vr. & Vo. maniere) dun sautoir {Vr., satoner; Fb., sautoner) " etc. Y. and S. have an amplified form of the St. Pat- rick; but all the other Yignay versions are translated from the Latin, and certain points in the English MSS. point to a possible use of these versions, while others prove independent use of the 72 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend, Latin. The Latin (p. 213) : " ligna et coria illius regionis contraria, ut dicitur^f sunt veneno/' is rendered (Yr. 90 ; Vf. 83 ; Va. 77) : *' les fus & les cuirs de cele contree sont contraires a venim," = E. fol. 69 : " the trees and the lether of that centre bene holsom ageust venym" — in H. f. 54b., ^' the lepres/' in h. f. 94, "the teeres and the leprs," in i^ . f. 96, " the teeres & the lepour.^' E. is the only one that is correct here, and might, of course, have come as well from the French as from the Latin. A little further on, the French MSS. have mistranslated the Latin invocation (p. 214): '^Jesu Christe jili Dei vivi miserere mihi peccatori/^ = *^ Jhucrist filz de dauid [sic omnes) aies pitie de moi pechieur"; but the Eng. mss. have not translated the Latin, which they all quote. In every instance the French translates (the error dauid occurring only once ; elsewhere, de dieu vif)y while the English preserves the Latin. The French renders dominus noster Beelzahuh (p. 215) by, "belzebus nostre seigneur," and the English, "belsabub oure maister.'' And to these one might add a number of similar small points ; but we shall note only a few of the more significant. In the Holy Cross, as generally, the French renders liystoria scholastica (Lat. p. 304) by "lystoire escoliere '^ (Vr. f. 126), while the English has "maistre of stories." The Latin (p. 304) : " crux Christi ex quatuor generibus lignorum fuisse perhihetury scilicet palmae, cypressi, olivae, et cedri, Unde versus : Ligna crucis palma, cedrus, cypressus^ oliva,^^ is ren- dered fully and with fair accuracy in the Eng. ; but the French has: "de pal me, de cypres, de cedre, et de lihenj'^ and omits the unde versus, QiQ. Yet, just above, the English: "and men seyen that the menynge (sic, for meuynge) of the watir ne the curacion of sike peple was not onli done for that the Aungel come downe but bi the vertu of that Tree," is not so near the Latin as it is to the French : " Et dit len que le mouement de cele eaue ne la cura- cion des malades nestoit pas faite tant seulement pour ce que langre (sic) y estoit, mes par la vertu de cell fust." Finally, the Eng. MSS. translate the Latin (p. 305) : Quo signo crucis non profanai'e, while the French omit it. The evidence is manifestly conflicting; it was my purpose to present something from both sides, so that no one could be misled into thinking that everything clearly pointed to the Latin rather than to the French as our original. But despite the confusing Legenda Aurea — Ltgende Dor^e — Golden Legend. 73 nature of the evidence, I have no doubt that the English MSS. were translated from the Latin. When we undertake to determine the inter-relations of the five English MSS. we encounter problems quite as difficult of solution. One piece of evidence alone will suffice to show, I believe, that all of the MSS. are but copies. In the legend of 8t, Germayne the anecdote of the cowherd who became king of Britain is thus botched by all the MSS.^: "And thanne the kingges cowherde hadde ledde his bestes to pasture, so as the saxenes faught ayenst the Bretones/' etc. The confusion is due to the omission of a dozen or so lines of the story ; . and the fact that it is common to all the Eng. MSS. proves my point, without the aid of further evidence that could be presented. Another point of which I am positive, and this in the face of Dr. Horstmann's statement to the contrary, is that D, is not, in text, ^^ very close to E.," but an almost exact duplicate of H. I collated a number of legends, and found not only very few verbal changes, but scarcely any orthographic changes in D. and H., with this exception, that D. uses almost uniformly the "]?" for "th," and frequently "5,'' spirant, both of which are sparingly used in H. Here are a few of the results of my comparison : In the bit quoted from the H. Barlaam {P^^ogr. p. 17), we find D. fol. 152 agreeing exactly, except for the use of ]; and 5, even to the error of " alle ludee'^ which drew an (!) from the editor. In Adam and Eve, D. fol. 157, and H. fol. 258 b., both omit the bracketed words, which are essential to the sense : " whan Adam was made and [had nat] youeii hyra a name," etc. And just below, both omit the bracketed [A] in the versus : " Annotale dedit A., Disis D. contulit, Arthos [A.], M. Memsembrion, collige(t), fiet Adam." In the Pharao, also, D. fol. 162, and H. fol. 264, have the common error : "here- bi he trustith sikirlie she to bringe hem ayen to synne deppere than thei were." Finally, in St. Matthew, D. fol. 26 b., and H. fol. 46, have: "And as seynt Jerom seyth, hit sytteth not us by this en- sample to use lottis or — (sic), for the pryuelege of fewe," etc. ; the missing word which the copyist could not decipher and so left ^E. fol. 175 b.; A. fol. 145 b.; H. fol. 133 b.; D. fol. 82 b.; and h. fol. 221 ; with which cf. Lat. p. 450 ; Vr. fol. 188 ; V. fol. 208, and Caxton, K. P., pp. 508 and 668. Italics mine. 74 Legenda Aurea — L^gende DorSe — Golden Legend, out is, according to h. fol. 80 b., sortes. This last error in particular would seem to support Douce's suggestion that D. and H. were written ^ at the same place, and perhaps by the same scribe.' As the H. MS. seems to have been left uncompleted — note the blank ruled folio mentioned above as coming after the unfinished Pharao, and the absence of the colophon — while D. is as manifestly finished — witness the complete Pharao and the colophon — I should say H. was copied from D. The community in peculiar errors seems to me too great to admit of the possibility of their both being copied, independently, from a common original. Another error, which elicited another unjustified. (!) from Dr. Horstmann,^ enables us to group together D., H., and h., as against E. and A. In H. the index enters cap. 88 as " St. Calixte ; " and so reads the chapter heading on fol. 118 (kalixt), and the colophon ; but in the body of the text he is called Alex, or Alix. D., fol. 72 b., agrees exactly, of course. In h. the first table gives it wrong, but the second has Allexus; and the chapter heading (fol. 196) and colophon have been corrected by erasing the ^'C.,'' and marginal notes call attention to the error, which places h. with D. and H. But in E. and A. we find the name wrong not only in the title and colophon but throughout the text : Kalixte, Calyxty Calex, etc.^ always with "C' or "K." There are other similar indications connecting E. and A, ; but, to show how little we can rely on such evidence, on fol. 148 b., in the Assumpoion, A. has : ^' Seint Jerom ne affermeth " (= Lat. p. 511 Augustinus .... non solum . . , offirmat), where E., fol. 193, has: "Seint Austine.^' We cannot, indeed, be sure that any of the MSS. except D. and H. are closely related. Instances will appear in the variant readings to the texts below in which first one and then the other gives the only correct reading ; to note but one here, there is the case cited above in which all but E. have, in 8L Patrick, leper instead of leather. In many cases D. and H. stand together as against the others; and it is quite the most probable supposition, that they are later than the others. In many cases E. and the corrected h. agree, so that it is quite possible that h. was copied from, or collated with E. ; there is nothing that renders this impossible, though the colophon at the ^ See his table of H., in Program. Legenda Aurea — LSgende Doric — Golden Legend. 75 €nd of h. makes it improbable, as it does Dot seem likely that an incomplete copy would have assumed the colophon of its completed original. We must remember that in prose slight changes are far easier to make than in verse, and that where the scribe in copying verse would be restrained from obtruding emendations by respect for the form, no such restraint would hamper him here. And corrup- tions and emendations are reasonably numerous in these MSS., none of which can be shown to be the original. It is, therefore, rather on account of the special feature of the incorporated English and other legends that I assume for Add. MS. 11,565 a priority over the others. For us it is certainly the most important, for here alone are preserved some, not all, of the English legends which Caxton added to his Golden Legend} i Caxton. jB. Caxton, as we shall see later, " adapted '' the elaborate pro- logue which Jean de Vignay had prefixed to his Legende dorie, but he added another short prologue of his own. In this he says (Blades, i, 167 and ii, 153) : '^Against me here might some jifersons say that this Legend hath been translated tofore, and truthmt is ; but forasmuch as I had by me a Legend in French, anotMf in Latin, and the third in English, which varied in many and owers^ places ; and also many histories were comprised in the two other o^oks which were not in the English booh ; ^ therefore I have written one out of the said three books." Notwithstanding this candid admis- j/ sion the English book from which Caxton ^^ cribbed^' remaine^'' long unidentified. Warton says (i, p. 294) : "I have observed tl^it Caxton's Golden Legende is taken from Voragine. This perhaps is not precisely true. Caxton informs us in his first preface to the first edition of 1483, that he had in his possession a Legend in ^ The Life of Christ, Bonaventure's Speculum Vilae Christi, with which this MS. begins, was also printed by Caxton in 1487 (?) and 1488 (?). I have refrained from claiming that the Eng. in MS. A. was also used by Caxton here, since the two have not been compared. Blades (ii, 196) does not mention this ms. ; he gives MS. Add. 19,901 (early 15th century) as containing " Caxton's text." But the coincidence seems strange, even if not significant. * I underscore. 76 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend, French, another in Latin, and a third in English .... Caxton's English original might have been the old metrical Lives of the Saints.^^ ^ This is not a bad guess. Dunlop (ii, 254) goes wildly astray on the question. The MS. note by Douce himself shows that he had looked into the matter, if not very deeply. And the Catalogues of the Harleian, Egerton, and Additional Mss., though noting that the mss. in question contain a version of the Legenda, do not go out of their way to show that this was Caxton's English book. The first to notice the earlier prose version was Blades {Life of Caxton, Lond., 1861-63). He describes two of the mss. thus (ii, 152) : ^^Harl. 630, English (saec. xv), an anonymous translation, with the following colophon : ^ Here endeth the Boke of the life of Seyntes called in latyn legenda aurea compiled and drawen into englyssh bi worthi clerkes and doctous of Diuinite suengly aftre ye tenir of ye latin.' — Harl. 4775, English (saec. xv), the same version as Harl. 630, but imperfect at the end.'' " It is probable," he continues, " that in Caxton's time the Eng- lish version here noticed was well known ; indeed, we may infer this from the account given by our printer of the origin of his own text" — and here he quotes, as above, from Caxton's prologue. — " Caxton, with his Latin, French, and English copies before him, found a prologue ready to his hand in the version by Jehan de Vignay, this, as was his wont, he translated literally, merely changing two or three inapplicable proper names, and adding some personal observations. The bulk of his text comes also from the same source, being nearly identical with that of the English MS. already noticed/^ ^ etc. The next to notice our mss. was a Mr. Ranking, in a book of legends called Streams from Hidden Sources (London, 1872). He gives a short notice of Voragine and of the French versions (p. 6Q f.), and speaks of the translation by Caxton. "A similar work in the vernacular was already in existence, as he himself testifies. .... What this early English work was it is now impossible to say with any certainty ; but it may not impossibly have been that which exists among the Harleian mss., and which is attributed to the beginning of the fifteenth century." ^See also Petrie, Monumenta Brit. (1868), p. 5, and note 3. 'My italics. Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dorie — Golden Legend. 77 But Dr. HorstmaDD is the only one who has attempted to study the relations between Caxton and the mss., in the works previously cited. Aspland, in the Holbein Soc. reprint of the Golden Legend (London, 1878, p. 35), depends entirely on Blades, but makes the important addition of the Bible to the authorities to be considered in discussing Caxton's sources. Dr. Horstmann in one place goes so far in his claims for the re-discovered MSS. as to state that they were " printed by Caxton ; " but in his soberer mood he modifies this. Caxton's edition, he says, " rests on this translation, but is distinguished from it by many particulars. ... As to the text, he (Caxton) does not follow the older translation word for word^ but sentence for sentence, frequently abridging." And he now admits the numerous changes by Caxton and additions, from the appendix of the Legenda, and from " the two French translations of the L. A.y^ ^ while " for the English saints he used native sources, apparently the Southern Legendary " — which Dr. Horstmann hap- pens to have edited. A complete reaction from this view is represented in the editor of the Kelmscott Golden Legend (1892), Mr. F. S. Ellis. He claims to have discovered the very book in French from which Caxton took nearly the whole of his work, errors and all ; this is the printed Vignay in the British Museum. But, unfortunately, Mr. Ellis did not know of the Stowe mss., and certainly had never examined the English mss. whose influence he declares to be niL The text of ms. A. will speak for itself when compared with Caxton, and we shall show later how many things not found in V. (or S.) Caxton added. It would be out of our province to discuss the mere bibliograph- ical points in connection with Caxton's Golden Legende, for which I refer to Blades and Aspland. The first edition of the Golden Legende was a tremendous under- taking for Caxton. Blades says (ii, lix) : " The ^ magnum opus ' of Caxton was undoubtedly the edition of ^ The Golden Legend,' 1483. The translation alone of this great work must have been no slight task, while, as to number of leaves (449), and size both of paper and printed page, it far exceeded his edition of 'King Arthur,^ ^ As if C. had used both Belet and Vignay ; italics mine. Alteng. Leg.^ N. F., cxxxii f. 78 Legenda Aurea — L^gende DorSe — Golden Legend, which was the next largest " (for the size of the paper, see ib.j p. xvii). (n, p. 151) "Woodcuts are used throughout, apparently from the hand of the same Artist who engraved the cuts for the 2nd edition of the ' Chess-Book ^ . . . . (ib. LVi). The largest wood- cut known to have been used in Caxton's books is the Assembly of Saints, at the beginning of all the editions of the ^ Golden Legend ' ^' (this cut is given by Blades, and by Aspland). Nothing could give a better idea of Caxton's own appreciation of the difficulties of his task than a quotation of his own words. In his second prologue he gives us this charmingly quaint history of his work, and gratefully tells how his Chesterfield did not desert him in his hour of need (Blades, i, p. 167) : "J.Nd for as moche as this sayd werke was grete & over chargeable to me taccomplisshe I feryd me in the begynnyng of the translacyon to have contynued it /by cause of the louge tyme of the translacyon /& also in then- pryntyng of ye same & . . . . was in purpose to have lefte it/ ... . ne had it be at thynstaunce & requeste of the puyssant noble & vertuous erle my lord wyllyam erle of arondel/which desyred me to procede & contynue the said werke/& promysed me to take a resonable quatyte of them when they were achyeued & accom- plisshed/and sente to me a worshypful gentylman a seruaunte of his named Johan Stanney, whych solycyted me in my Lordes name that I shold in no wyse leue it but accomplisshe it, promysing that my sayd lord shold duryng my lyf yeue & graunte to me a yerely fee/that is to wete a bucke in sommer/& a doo in wynter ^Y .... And having persevered in his task and finished it, he joyfully adds this epilogue, which, like the first prologue, is adapted from Jean de Vignay : " Thus endeth the legende named in latyn legenda aurea, that is to say in englysshe the golden legende. For lyke as gold passeth in valewe alle other metalles so thys legende excedeth alle other bookes : wherin ben conteyned all the hygh & grete festys of our lord, the festys of our blessed lady, the lyues passyons & myracles of many other sayntes, & other hystoryes & actes, as al allonge here afore is made mencyon. Whiche werke I have accom- plisshed at the commaundemente & requeste of the noble & puys- saunte erle & my special good lord Wyllyam erle of arondel, & have fynysshed it at westmestre the twenty day of nouembre the yere of our lord mcccclxxxiii, & the fyrst yere of the reygne of Kyng Rychard the thyrd — By me Wyllyam Caxton." Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend, 79 Caxton himself, we see, alludes not only to the greatness of the task but also to the " longe tyme of the translacion." Some hint of the length of time he devoted to the composition of the work may be gathered from his allusion in the " Proheme '^ of his edition o£ the Polychronicon, 1482 (Blades, I, 193, and 265): "Thenne syth historic is so precious & also prouffytable I haue delybered to wryte twoo bookes notable/retenyng in them many noble historyes/ as the lyues/myracles/passyons and deth of dyuerse hooly sayntes whiche shall be comprysed by thayde and suffraunce of almyghty god in one of them/whiche is named legenda aurea/that is the golden legende/ And that other book is named polycronicon/ .... after the coraposynge & gaderynge of dan Ranulp monke of chestre fyrste auctour of this book/and afterward englisshed by one Treuisa vycarye of barkley/ .... And now at this tyme symply em- prynted ... by me William Caxton and a lytel embelysshed fro tholde makyng/J' These last words are of special significance for us. The editor of Higden^s Polychronicon in the Rolls Series (1865), comments on them and on the later added sentence : ^ " and somwhat (I) haue chaunged the rude and old englyssh, that is to wete certayn wordes which in these dayes be neither vsyd ne vnderstanden." His changes, says the editor (p. lxiii of Introd.), are so great that '* a minute collation of (his) text .... with that of the MSS. used for the present edition is well-nigh impossible." A list of words in Tre- visa's text which Caxton apparently considered too archaic for his use is given : " But besides these noteworthy (verbal) changes by Caxton there are likewise many others where a clause or even the greater part of a sentence has been re-cast more in accordance, it must be presumed, with the phraseology of his own day." Blades, too (ii, p. 125), gives a sample of Caxton's "embellishments" of the Polychronicon J which, he says, " chiefly consist in modernising the old English ; although here and there Caxton added sentences to the text." Indeed, as a writer in the Christian Remembrancer says (quoted in Polycron.^ R. S. ed.), " Caxton exercised the part of editor of his various publications," and edited them with the greatest freedom. Many instances might, no doubt, be cited, in- *In his Epilogue to lib. vii, Blades, ii, 195; italics above mine, as always unless otherwise specified. 80 Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dorie — Golden Legend. eluding his Chaucer and King Arthur, though he does profess to follow his MS. here as closely as might be. Blades calls attention to such traces of added sentences, added without any indication that they were not in the text, in the Game of the Chess, Bk. ill, 3^ Bk. IV, 1, and in the Dictes of the Philosophers (an acknowledged addition), see Blades I, 136, and 144.^ Here we must digress a moment to note that the Golden Legend was not the only work of the kind published by Caxton. On "the laste day of Juyn Anno domini M. cccc. Lxxx iii " he had finished printing the Liber Festivalis, or Festial of John Mirkus, which the latter says he has " drawe .... owt of legenda aurea, w* more addyng to." How much Caxton altered this in editing it I do not know. It is certain that, as it now stands, even the saints it has in common with our Legenda (there are few additions) are generally treated very freely, so that it cannot be considered a translation. Those that seemed most like the Legenda were Sis. John and George. On the whole, cf. Blades, ii, p. 134. There is much legendary matter, too, in Caxton's Chronicles of England, 1480. We find SL Austyn, Ursula, Edmond the King, Edward the Confessor, etc. ; but after carefully comparing these with Caxton's Golden Legend I cannot find any certain cases of borrowing, except, perhaps, in the case of St. Austyn, to which we shall refer again. In the Mirrour of the World, 1480, there are some extraordinary tales, and passages remind us of the above mentioned legend of 8t. Michael; but this is not in any sense a legendary. But the great Polycroni- con is chokefull of legendary matter, on which Caxton did not hesitate to draw. We see, then, that Caxton had opportunities for becoming famil- iar with the legends of the saints, and need not be surprised when we find him making a thoroughly new and, to his notion, accurate Golden Legend out of the materials at hand. The most distinctive feature about Caxton's Golden Legend is the addition of so large a number of " Bible stories," including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Lsaac, Jacob, Esau, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Job, Tobit, and Judith. He divides them into fourteen chapters ; a fifteenth, containing the Ten Commandments, is really part of Moses, and only in small part based on de Vignay's (ms. ^See, too, Miss Smith's Brome Commonplace Book, p. 12, n. Legenda Aurea — LP.gende Dor^e — Golden Legend, 81 S. and V.) Dix Commandements ; the whole series extends from p. 105 to p. 244 of the Kelmscott edition. And these considerable additions furnish most interesting examples of Caxton^s methods. Indeed, as Aspland says (p. 35 fol.), this portion of Caxton's Golden Legend is little more than a disguised version of the Bible. He dared not publish the Bible as such, for that would smell of Wyc- liff and rank Lollardy, and Caxton had no ambition to stir up the powers that were in Church or State ; but he evaded the vigilance of the laws by inserting Bible stories in his Golden Legend. Indeed, " the Golden Legend of Caxton was included in the list of Bibles at the Caxton celebration (1877), ^because,' says Mr. Henry Stevens, who had charge of that department, ^ it contains a translation into English of nearly the whole of the Pentateuch, and a great part of the Gospels.' ... It was, no doubt, read in churches, and though the text is mixed with much priestly gloss and dross, it neverthe- less contains, in almost a literal translation, a great portion of the Bible ; and it became thus one of the principal instruments in pre- paring the way for the Reformation. . . . The modifications and changes of the text and form of the Golden Legend is a theme worthy the bibliographer.^' We should go very far astray, however, in assuming that Caxton depended on the canon for his Bible tales. In the very first one, Adam, we find him, on the second page (Kelmscott, 106), already weaving in with his story threads not from Genesis, incidents such as are found in the numerous Lives of Adam j of which we get a sample in our mss., in Douce MS. 15, in Rawlinson MS. C. 499, in MS. Queens Col. Ox. 213 (see Horstmann, in Herrig's Archiv.y vol. 79, pp. 459, 465, 499).^ And this is not all ; for it looks very much as if Caxton had used again the material found in his Poly- cronicon. We cannot here adduce the parallels in full : they are easily verified, and I shall merely ask those that doubt to compare ^ A writer in Book Lore, iii, (1888), p. 65, comments on Caxton's "they toke figge leuis and sewed them togyder .... in maner of brechis," which, he says, "shows that the Genevan version is not the originator of this quaint phrase." One will find the " breeches" in Harl. 4775, f. 259 ; Douce 372, f. 157 b. ; Douce 15, f. 18 b., etc. Cf. the Historia Schotastica, i, cap. 23 (Migne, Patrol. Lat. 198, col. 1073): " Tuncfecerunt sibi perizomata {Gen. Ill), id est succindoria, quasi bracas breves, ut campestria." For Lamech, cf. ibid., col. 1079. 6 82 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend, the latter portions of Caxton's Adam with Polychronicon, Bk. ii, cap. 5 (in E,. S. ed., vol. ii, pp. 225 f.). A striking instance here is the story of Lamech (ibid. p. 229) ; and another, in which Caxton introduces greater changes, is in the chronology he gives for Crea- tion and the Flood, cf. Polyc, p. 237 ; and Caxton's brief note regarding Nemhroth (= Nimrod) seems based on Polycr., p. 249-51. Thus throughout Adam and Noah we find non-Biblical notes, many of which could most easily have come from the Polycronicon. In Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph, he seems to have contented himself with a rather free paraphrase of the Bible ; at least I have not, in a cursory examination, discovered anything essentially apochryphal. But we must be ever on the alert for a return to such sources. For in Moses, for example, before we get through two pages we find two references to Josephus, with stories about the infant prophet which might again come from the Polycronicon (cf. p. 319 f.). And a capital example of his method must be noted in David {Gold. Leg., K. P., p. 206) : " Dauid dide grete penaunce for thyse synnes of aduoultrye and also of homycyde. For as I ones was by yonde the see rydyng in the companye of a noble knyght named Syr Johan Capons, and was also doctour in bothe lawes, and was born in mal- yorke, .... and that tyme Counceyllour vnto the due of bour- gonye, Charloys, it happend we comened of the hystorye of Dauid, and this said noble man told me that he had redde that dauid dyde this penaunce folowyng for thyse said synnes .... (J omit the anecdote). Thus thys noble man told me, rydyng bytwene the toun of Gaunt in Flaundres & the toun of Bruxellis in Braband." Similarly, in Solomon, at the end (p. 217) : " It is said, but I fynde it not in the byble, that Salamon repentyd hym moche of thys synne of ydolatrye,^^ etc. But what has been cited is surely sufficient proof. There are apocryphal elements in Samuel, in Job, etc., and both Ihbit and Judith are, of course, based on Apocrypha, being also very little abridged. Returning to the Legenda proper, we find Caxton not only adapt- ing the prologue, but conforming to the general plan of MS. S. (and v.). A detailed comparison of the mere order would only waste time. Caxton agrees with the French in the order and content of his first 14 chapters. After this we find not only changes of Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorte — Golden Legend. 83 order but insertions of new material ; so heedless is he of what Mr. Ellis (K. P. Gold. Leg., p. 1203) is pleased to consider his original that he makes the History e of the Masse, and the Twelve Articles the Jast instead of among the first in his book. In addition to the Bible stories we find the following 20 legends in Caxton which are not in his legitimate Latin or French texts : (1) Cuthhert; (2) Alphey; (3) Dunston: (4) Aldhelme; (5) Austyn in England; (6) Edward kyng; (7) Alhon; (8) Swythyn; (9) Transla- tion of Becket; (10) Kenelme ; {11) Roche; (IT) Edward Confessor; (13) Wenefrede; (14) Edmond Bishop; (15) Edmond hyng ; (16) Hugh; (17) Dorathe; (IS) Bede; {19)Brandan; (20) Erkenwolde, These are merely such additional legends as the titles alone would indicate as new ; others are practically new, as we shall indicate. It would be too tedious a story to discuss the sources of all these legends, for we could not be absolutely sure of our judgment with- out rather minute comparisons between Caxton and the numerous preceding legendaries. I have positive evidence that for Nos. 1, 3, 4, S, 10, and 19, he used the English version of MS. A. After a close comparison, I believe he used also the St. Albon found in that MS. and others. And certain points to be mentioned make it almost certain that ]^o. 5 came also from A., the portions of the MS. containing it being now lost. His life of Becket is certainly indebted to the version in A., and Ifherefore we may guess that No. 9 also was drawn thence. So much for the additions for which we are perfectly safe in claiming the English MSS. as sources. Here is the evidence for believing that Caxton's first chapter on St. Austyn (that brought crystendom into Englond, K. P. p. 499) was derived from a lost chapter in A. Caxton's first chapter on St. Austyn is quite distinct from the Legenda, p. 548. It occurs just after Dunston and Aldelme, which are both from Add. MS., where there is an unfortunate gap of eight leaves just before the Dunston. Caxton, at the close of his legend, says (p. 505) : ^'And god hath shewed so many myracles in that holy place for his blessyd saynt, saynt Austyn, that yf I shold al wryte them here it shold ocupye a grete book.^' The second chapter on Austyn (p. 778) is a translation of the Legenda, as it is also in all MSS., but neither in Caxton nor in the English MSS. is it a com- plete translation. All end with the miracle at the top of Leg, p. 84 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend, 563 ; whereas the French versions (cf. Y. fol. 252 b., Yr. fol. 234) are complete, end just as in the Latin, and omit the words to be noted below. All the Eng. versions end with these words, with which I parallel Caxton's statement on p. 791 (cf. A. fol. CLXV ; E. fol. 211 ; H. fol. 157; D. fol. 103; h. fol. 265; cited from A., with small unnoted emendations) : CAXTON. Many other myracles hath god shewed by his lyf & also after his deth whiche were ouer longe to wryte in this booke, for they wold I suppose conteyne a book as moche as al this & more, but amonge other correction I wylle sette here in one myracle whiche I haue sene paynted on an aulter of saynt Austyn at the blacke Freres at And- werpe, how be it I fynde hit not in the legende myn exampler, neyther in Eng- lysshe, Frensshe, ne in latyn. MSS. Many a noble and glorious miracle* this holy seint dide by the goodenes of oure lorde, yn his lyf and after his dethe, whiche were to long to be wrettyn yn this littyl volome, for hit conteyn- eth more than alle this boke; where- fore I leue att this tyme, and recomaunde us to his preyers that for the loue of god was of so gret perfection that h& dispised alle riches lordschipes and re- fusid alle worschipes . he drede delites^ and that schulde they clerly fynde that list to rede his deuoute writtynges. Caxton's new miracle, which he did not find in any of his origi- nals — note the order in which they are named — does not concern us here ; but we may note that, as in the case of the David^ hi& words indicate his method of composition. The similarity, or even identity, of the expressions in this note in Caxton and the MSS. (it occurs in neither Yignay nor Belet French) is so marked that I need not comment on it. And the MSS. words, I leue att this tyme^ certainly bear out my suggestion that the English MS. version once contained a second Austyn, from which Caxton borrowed with the freedom peculiar to him when the MSS. were his sole authority. I therefore feel justified in claiming that in both of his chapters on Austyn Caxton is indebted to the MSS. Caxton has two chapters on St. Germayne (pp. 505-510, and 665-669) ; these are, so far as the story goes, duplicates. It is^ therefore, only on circumstantial evidence obtained by minute com- parison that I have determined that in the first Germayne Caxton used the MSS., though probably correcting as usual, while in the second he used the French. One point will serve to indicate the nature of the evidence. The Lat. (p. 448) arborem quandam pinum Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dor^e — Golden Legend, 85 iyi media civitate habehat, is rendered in the MSS., *^ he had a peyne o )?at were in ]>e Juge- ment segh ])e visage of him as 'pe visage of an angel/^ with which cf. Vr. : '^ et done tous ceulz qui estoient en iugement virent la face de luy aussi come la face de • j • angre '^ (sic). It will be noted that the English mss. have not followed either of the errors in the French. The version of Ustienne in the Belet mss. is quite unlike the Legenda. One might add indefinitely to the list of Caxton's mistransla- tions. The V. text (and mss.) etymology of Juliana begins (fol. 104): "Juliane fut epousee/et est dicte ainsi comme ardaut^ plainement / car elle saida a plain contre la temptation du diable," etc. The word ardant is manifestly a misprint for aidant; but Caxton has : " Juliane is as moche to saye as brennyng playnly /for she hrente her self/^ etc. He has not only an error in the first case but in the second also, evidently due to his reading sarda for saida. A similar error is found in the etymology of St. Lowe (Lupus, Lat. 579 has none). V. f. 259 b. has : '^ Leu est aulcune fois en la iambe dont il lui faut medecine, la quele est une maladie qui rogne et use la char.'' Caxton renders rogne, which is indistinct, and might easily be read regne, by regneth, though just below he translates " rogna sa propre char '' by " strayned his propre flesshe.'' ^ V. gives a long etymology for the Purification, and embellishes the earlier portion of the legend considerably ; and Caxton follows this. The etymology begins (fol. 97) : *^ Post qitam impleti sunt dies purga^wnis marie secundu legem moisi tuleru?it ihesu in iherusalem : luce • ij • capitulo / La ancienne loy auoit son coeur (sic.) iusques atant que nre seigneur souffrit mort pour noits," etc. The mss. simply follow the Latin (Yr. f. 68 ; Va. f. 58) : " La purificacion de la benoite vierge marie est faite au • x 1 • iour apres la natiuite nre seigneur. Et ceste feste,'' etc. I shall quote a few more of the etymologies merely as samples. We shall begin with Blaise, ^S.f. 128; Fa./. 646.; Vr.f. 756. have aidant. * S.f. 314 has plainly rongne, and rongna. 96 Legenda Aurea — Legende Dor^e — Golden Legend, from V. (f. 99) and the mss., from Caxton, who introduces correc- tions, and the Latin (p. 167), and then Julian^ Basile^ Hilary , AlexiSy and Aubinj the latter found in V. (S.) alone. " Ce nom cy blase quant a lethimologie est dit blancq / ou de bella il est dit belasius, qui vault autant a dire que habitue / et fior {sc. sior)y qui vault autant que petit / et ainsi est il dit blancq par doulceur de ses parolees / et petit par humilite de meurs et de con- uersation/^ — Vr, fol. 71 b ; Va. f, 61. "Blaise^ est autant adire come souef. ou basil e est dist de bala, qui est adire habit, et de syor, qui vaut autant cme petit. II fu souef en parole. II fu habit de vertus, et petit par humilite de bones mewrs." — Caxton : " Blase is as moche to saye as glosyng, or it is sayd as belacius of bela whiche is habyte, and sius whyche is to saye lityl. And thus he is sayd glosyng by the swetenes of hys word, meke by hys habyte of ver- tues, and lytyl by humylyte of maners and of conuersacion.^' ^ — Latin : " Blasius quasi blandus vel Blasius quasi belasius a bela, quod est habitus, et syor parvulus. Fuit enim blandus per dulcedi- nem sermonum, habitus per habitus virtutum, parvulus per humili- tatem morum.^' St. Julian. V. fol. 94. — " lulien vault autant a dire comme iubilus, chantant / & ana, qui est aidant hault / Et est dit iulien ainsi comme iubileu / car il alia aux haultes et souueraines choses en chantant. Ou il est dit iulius, qui vault autant a dire come non sachant, et ami ^ cest viel / car il fut viel & au seruice de dieu long eage ; et non sachant selong ce quil se reputoit." — Caxton : "lulien is as moche to saye as jubilus, syngyng, and ana, that is on hye, and therof Julyen as goyng to hye thynges in syngyng. Or it is said Julius, that is as moche to saye as not wyse, & anus, that is old, for he was old in the seruyce of god, & not wyse in reputacion of hym self — Latin: " Julianus quasi jubilus et ana quod est sursum. Inde Julianus quasi Jubilianus, quia cum jubilo superna petiit. Vel a Julius, quod est incipiens, et anus. Nam in Dei servitio fuit senex longanimitate, sed incipiens sui reputatione." St. Basille. V. fol. 86 b. — " Basille est dit de basis en grec, qui vault autant a dire come fondement / & lis, qui est a dire tencon, ^ In Va. the name is here, and in the title, wrongly given as Basille. ^ Note how Caxton has combined V. and the Latin. ^ Vr. fol. 62, and Va. f. 52 : anus ; other variants slight. Legenda Aurea — L^gende DorSe — Golden Legend. 97 oar il fut grant fondement et fonde en doctrine / et osta la tencon dentre les hereges et les cristiens par le sens et la bonne doctrine de luy.'^ ^ — Caxton : " Basille is said of basis in greke, which is as moche to saye as a foundement, and leos, that is peple, for he was foundement of them that wold go to their maker. Or ellis it is sayd of basilico, a serpente, for he ouercam the serpente, enemye of oaankynde." St. Hilaire. V. fol. 65. — " Hilaire est dit de ioieusete, car il fut ioieulx ^ ou seruice de dieu / Ou hilaire est dit virtueulx et hault, car il fut hault et en science fort et virtueulx en sa vie^/ Ou hilaire est dit de hisle, qui vault autant a dire comme matere * qui fut ob- scure/car il eut en ses dis grant obscurte et grant erreur.^'^ — MS. Francais 1054, /o/. 397 b. " Hilaire est dit loieits, Car il fu moult loieus el seruice de dieu. Ou hilaire est dit hault et vertueuls, car il fu, hault en science et vertueus en vie.'' — Caxton : " Hylaire is said of joyouste, for he was joyous in the seruyce of god. Or hylaire is said vertuous and hye, for he was hye & stronge in science, and vertuous in hys lyf. Or hylaire is said of yle, whyche is to saye derke mater, for he had in his dictes grete obscurete and pro- foundnes.'' ^ — Latin : " Hilarius dictus est quasi hilaris, quia in servitute Dei valde hilaris fuit, vel dicitur Hilarius quasi alarius, ab altus et ares virtus, quia fuit altus in scientia et vertuosus in vita. Vel Hilarius dicitur quasi ab hyle, quod est quasi primordi- alis materia, quae obscura fuit, et ipse in dictis suis magnam habet obscuritatem et profunditatem." St. Alexis. V. fol. 436. — '^Alexis vault autant a dire come yssant de la loy "^ de mariage pour tenir virginite a dieu. et renoncha du tout a la loy mondaine pour tenir poure te."^ — Caxton : "Alexys is as moche to say as goyng oute of the lawe of maryage for to kepe ^ Vr. f. 53, and Va. f. 44 6. present practically no variants, except omission of adjs. grant and bonne. Caxton either had an entirely distinct Lat. text — there is no etymol. in Graesse, p. 121 — or invented an etymol. * Vr.f. 44, and Va.f. 36 6; moult ioieus. ' MSS. haut en science, vertueuse en sa vie. * MSS. matiere, aussi come la premiere matiere qui fu oscure, quar, etc. * MSS. pardeur, meant for parfondeur, as in Vo.foL 33 6. * Note how C. has corrected V. ■^ Vr.f 1686., and Va.f. 146 : loy, que il issi de la loy de mariage pour, etc. ^MSS. pourete. 7 98 Legenda Aurea — Ligende Doric — Golden Legend. vyrgynyte for goddes sake, and to renounce alle the pompe and rychesses of the world for to lyue in pouerte.'' — Latin : "Alexius dicitur ab a, quod est valde, et lexis, quod est sermo : inde Alexius quasi valde in verbo Dei robustus." ^ St. Aubin. Y. fol. 440. — " Selon nre langaige albin vault autant a dire celui, primo, qui a blancheur, cest qui est blanc par purete / quia albinus dicitur quasi albus / et celui cy fut tout blanc par purete / secundo, qui a valeur / cest qui a en luy boute : sic albinus dicitur quasi bonus / Et vraiement celui cy fut bon / tertio, qui tent hault par vigeur, & vole a lespiritualite / sic albinus dicitur alas binas habens / cest assauoir, foy & esperance / '^ These gleanings from the etymologies, though the sheaf may well contain more straw than wheat, have not been altogether aimless. The main point was to show that Caxton is full of surprises. When we least expect it we find him alert and active in making correc- tions. And the purpose of my work will be attained if I shall have succeeded in making future investigators more cautious in asserting that this or that work is the source of Caxton's Golden Legend. Not until every legend has been carefully compared with the English MSS., with the French, and, last but certainly not least^ with the Latiu, can we safely and reasonably claim to have unra- velled this tangled skein. It is a Joseph's coat of many colors, and the infinite pains with which it was put together by the industrious printer-translator deserves our respect, if not our admiration. The texts which I shall give, while furnishing convincing proofs of Caxton's borrowings — in the case of those from MS. Ad. 11,565, almost word for word — should also give some idea of the intricacy and delicacy of the problem of his sources. The texts which I shall now give will show more clearly than anything else the nature of Caxton's debt to the previous versions. In the legends from MS. A. we shall find the closest agreement with Caxton ; in those from the other MSS. it is not so close. The speci- men legends from the French versions will show their relations ta Caxton and to the MSS. But all these points may be better brought out when we have the texts before us. ^ The French (V.) text disposes of Horstraann's comment {Alleng. Leg. N. F., loc. ciL) on C.'s divergence from the Latin. Legenda Aurea — Ltgende Dor^e — Golden Legend, 99 Chapter V. Legends from English and French Versions of the Legenda. A. St. Cuthbert. MS. Add. 11,565, fol. 56 b. (xxxiii). Here endith the life of seint chadde. And next folowith the life of seint Cuthbert. Seint Cuthbert was bore here in englonde. and whan he was of the age of • viij * yere oure lorde shewid for hjm a faire myracle to drawe hym to his loue ; for in a tyme as he pleyed atte balle with othir childern sodenly there stode amonges them a feyre yong childe of the age of thre^ yere, that was the feyrest creature that euer thei byhilde. and anone he seid to cuth- bert : " goode brother, use no suche veyne pleys, nor set not thi hert on them." But for al that Cuthbert toke none heede to his wordes. And than the childe fille downe to the grounde, and made gret heuenes, and wept ful sore, and wrange his hondes. And then Cuthbert and the other childern lefte ther pley, and confortide this yong childe, & askid hym whi he made so gret sorowe. and then this childe^ seid to cuthbert : " al my heuynes is only for the, that thou usist suche veyne pleys ; ffor oure lorde hath chosyn Ihe to be an hed of holy churche." And then sodenly he vanished awey, and therby thei knewe that this childe was an angel of oure lorde sent fro heuene to the confort of his chosyn seruant cuthbert. and anone he left al suche veyne pleyes and neuer more used them aftir, but bygan to leue a ful holy lyfe, and desired of his fader that ^ he myght be sette to scole. and anone he drewe to goode levyng, and was euer in his preyers, bothe nyght and day ; & euer he preid to oure lorde that he wolde yeue hym grace to do tho thynge?s that shulde plese hym, and to forsake al thynges that shulde displese hym. And he leuyd so holy a life that al peple had gret ioy of hym. And within a while aftir Aydane the holy bishop dyed, and seint Cuthbert as he kepte shepe in the felde lokyd upwarde and se angels here the soule of seint Aydan the bishop into heuene with gret melody. And then seint cuthbert aftir that wolde not kepe no * MS. the, corrected in marg, note, cf, swpra, pp. 65 and 67. * MS. shilde, cor, in marg, ' MS, has the. L.$rr 100 Legenda Aurea — L^gende DorSe — Golden Legend. more shepe, but went anone to the Abbey of Gervatts, and there he made a grey monke (sic), wherfore al the couent was glad, and thonkyd oure lorde ; for he leued there in gret fastyng and perl- aunce. And atte laste he had the gowte in his kne by colde that he toke in knelyng upon the colde stonys when he seid his preyers, that his kne bygan to swelle that the senews of his legge were schronke that he myght not go nor strecche oute his legge. And euer he toke it ful paciently, and seid when it plesid oure lorde it shulde passe awey. and within a while aftir his brethern to do hym conforte bare hym into the felde. and there thei met with a knyght that bade them : " let me se and handle this cuthbertes legge." and then when he had felyd hit with his hondes he bade them take the mylke of a cowe of on coloure, and Juse of smale planteyn, and feyre whete floure, and sethe them al togyder, and ley hit therto bote like a plauster, and it wol make hym holle. and anone he was made parfite holle. and then he thonkyd oure lorde ful mekely, and knewe wel anone aftir that it was an angel sent fro heuene to hele hym of his ^ gret sikenes and dissese, by the purviance of god. And than the abbot of that place was right glad of his recoueryng, and sent hym to a celle of thers to be hosteler there to receyue in gestis and do them comforte. and sone aftir oure lorde shewid there a fayre myracle for his seruaunt seint Cuthbert. for angels come to hym thider ofte tymes in likenes of othir gestys, and he wolde serue hem ful diligently with mete, drynke, and al othir necessaryes ; and went oute to the bakhowse for to fecche them hote bred ; but ar he come ayene his gestys were al gon, and no mete ete at al. & that same tyme was a gret snowe, and then he lokyd to se by ther fete what wey thei went ; but he cowde se no steppe of them ; wherfore he had gret merueyle. and as he sought aboute he come by a chambre where he smylled an heuenely sauour, and went in and founde a table spred, with mete and drynke thereon, and then he sat downe atte seid table and ete and dranke and made ful mery, and thonkyd oure lorde of his gret goodenes to sende hym suche gestys, whiche were his holy angels sent fro heiiene to his confort. And eu^ry nyght when his brethern were a-bcd he wolde go into the colde water al naked, and stonde therin up to the chyn till it were mydnyght, and then he wolde go out. and when he come to ^MS. of his bis. Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dor^e — Golden Legend, 101 londe he myght not stonde ; for he was so feble that ofte tyme he fil downe to the grounde. and o tyrae as he lay this come • i j • otyrs and liked euery place of his body, and then went ayen to the see that thei come fro. And then seint Cuthbert rose up al holle and went to his celle ayene, and rose up to matyns like as his brethern dide. but his brethern knewe no thyng of his stondyng this euery nyght in the se up to the chyn. But atte laste on of his brethern aspied and knewe of his doyng^s, and tolde therof ; but he chargid hym to kepe his consel while he leued. And then within a while aftir died the bishop of derham, and seint Cuthbert was made bishop aftir hym. And then euer aftir he leued a ful holy lyfe, and brought muche peple to goode leuyng by his holy prechyng and goode ensample yeuyng. And aftir his deth he was translatid and put into a worshipful shyryne in the towne of derhara, where oure lorde shewith many a gret myracle for his holy seruaitnt seint Cuthbert : wherfore oure lorde be preysed, worlde withoute ende, amen. Here endith the life of seint Cuthbert. and next folowid the life of seint feith. B. St. Aldelme. Fol. xxix b. Seint Aldelme the confessor was bore in Englonde. his fader hyght kenton ; he was the kynges brother of this londe that was clepid yve [sic). And when the king was dede this kenton was made kyng aftir hym. And than this holy childe aldelme was sette to scole in the howse of malnaysbury, where he was made aftir warde Abbot. And than he dide there gret coste in bildyng, & dide there make a ful rial abbey. And when the pope herde of his gret holynes he sent for hym to come to Kome. And than the pope made ful muche of hym atte his comyng, and long tyme he dwellid there with the pope, and gette ful gret priueleges to the howse of malmysbury : that no bishop of englond shulde haue a-do there, nor the kyng neyther to lette them of ther fre election, but for to chese ther abbot amonges them self. And when he had gete al these pryuelages of the pope he was ful glad and ioyful. and he leued there many yere in ful holy leuyng. And than in a day as he seid messe in the churche of seint John latrans. And when the masse was done ther wolde no man take his vestyment fro hym, and 102 Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dor^e — Golden Legend, than he se the sonne heme shyne in at an hole in tlie glas wyndowe, and he hyng his Chesiple theron, that al men myght se this gret miracle. And the same Chesiple is yet atte malmysbury ; the coloure therof is purpul. And within a while aftir he come into englonde ay en, and brought with hym ful gret pryueleges under the popis seal of ledde. and whan he come to the kynge yve and to athelrede thei confermyd al that the pope had grauntide to his howse of malmysbury. this was the yere of oure lorde • vij ?& • vj. And than ther was a gret variaiince among the bishops of this londe for the holdyng of Ester day. But he made a boke that al men shulde knowe foreuer when Ester day shal be, the whiche boke is yet atte malmysbury. And this Abbey he foitndydde in the worship of oure lady. And brightwolde, that was than erchebishop of canturbury, herde of aldelmes holy lyuyng, and sent for hym to be his conseyloi^r*. and there thei leued togider many a day in ful holy life, and ful ioyful were eyther of othir. And on a day as they were on the see syde by douer ther seyled a ship with marchandise not fer fro the londe. And than seint Aldelme clepid to them to wete if thei -had ony ornament thet longith to holy churche witAin the ship for to selle. But the marchauntys had skorne of hym, and thought he was not of power to bye suche thynges as thei had, and so departide fro this holy man. But anone ther fil on \em ^ so gret tempest that thei were in poyute to be lost. & than on of them seid : " we suffre this gret trouble for we toke in skorne the wordes of the holy man ; and therfore late us al desire hym to prey for us to oure lorde." And than thei dide so, and anone the tempest.^ And than thei come to this holy man and brought hym a feyre bible, the whiche is yet atte malmysbury to thys day. And he was made bishop • iiij • yere by fore he dyed by bright- wolde, erchebishop of Canturbury, and by seint Edwyne,^ byshop of wurcetter. and by them he was ful worshipfully brought on erthe. And yet the bishop Edwyne come thyder fedyrd with chenys of Iron fast lockid ; and fro thens he went so to the pope of Rome, whiche was to hym a ful gret peyne : god quytte his mede. And seint Aldelme or he dyed cursid al them that dide eny wrong to ^ MS. hym, cor. in margin. * Caxton: tempest cesed. • In marg. here and beloWf Edgwyne. Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend. 103 his seid abbey of malmysbery in brekyng of eny of ther pryueleges. And thei that holpe that howse shulde haue goddes blessyng and his. And many days there aftir he was translatide and put in a ful worshipful schyryne, where Cure lorde shew* dayly many a gret myracle for his holy confessor seint Aldelme : wherefore oure lorde be preysed, worlde withoute ende. Amen. Here endith the life of seint Aldelme the confessour. and next folowith the lyfe of seint Theophile. C. Saint Swythyn. Fol. xxxii (55). Here endith the life of seint Theophile. and next bygynneth the life of seint Swythen. Seint Swithen the holy confessour was bore by sides wynchester, in the tyme of Egbert, he was the • v i i j • kynge aftir kenulf ]>at seint Beryne Cristened ; for seint Austyn cristened not al Inglonde in kyng athelbright^s days, but seint Beryn dide cristen the west parte of Inglonde in the foreseid kyng kenulf is (sic) days. And than this holy seint swythen seruyd oure lorde in ful gret deuocion, so that al the peple had gret ioy of his holynes. & Elmeston, that was tho bishop of wyncester, made hym preste ; and than he leued a ful streyte life, and bycome a ful holy man, so that kyng Egbert made hym hys chaunceler & chefe of his oonseil. And than the kyng Egbert put his sonne and his heyre, that hight Ethulfe, into his guydyng, and preid hym to take goode heede to hym, so that he were brought fourth vcrtuosly. and within a while aftir his fader died, and than Ethulfe his sonne was made kyng aftir hym. And he guydide this londe ful wel, that it encresed gretly in goode leuyng, by the counseil of seint Swythen. And when Elmeston the bishop of wynchester was dede seint Swythen was made bishop there aftir hym, wherefore al the peple were ful glad, and he by his holy levyng causid ]>e peple to do ther tythyng trewly to god and to holy churche. and where that eny churche fil in decay seint Swythen wolde amende it anone. and if ther were eny churche to be halowid he wolde go thedyr on fote, for he loued neuer pride, nor rydyng on gay horse, nor preysyng ne flateryng of the peple. But nowe suche veyne thynges beth gretly byloued among hie estates, bothe spirituel and temporal. Seint Swythen goydyd ful wel his bishopriche, and ful wel he 104 Legenda Aurea — Legends Dor^e — Golden Legend. amendide the towne of wynchester in his days, for he made the gret bridge of stone withoute the west yate of the towne. In a tyme ther come a woman ower the bridge with hir lap ful of egges. and a recheles felowe toke this woman and wrestelyd with hir, and he breke ther al hir egges ; wherfore the pore woman bygan to wepe and cry piteously for the losse of hir egges. And than it happyd that this holy bishop coQie by that same tyme, and bade the woman lete hym se hir egges. And anone he lifte up his honde and blessid the egges, and thei were made holle and sownde euerychone. And than this woman was fulfilled with gladnes, and she thonkid this holy man for this gret goodenes and myracle that he had done for hir. And then anone aftir dyed kyng Ethulfe, and then his sonne egbert was kyng aftir him. And then was athelbert made kyng aftir hym. And in the * iij * yere of this kyng dyed seint Swythyn, and he charged hys men to bery hym in the churche yerde, for caus6 the peple shulde sette but litle prise by hym, for he loued no pride in his lyfe. And he passid to oure lorde in the yere of oure lorde . vi ij ? and . vj . and he lay there in that churche yerde or he was translatide and (sic) hundred and nyne yere and odde days. But in the goode kyng Edgar is days this holy seint, Seint Swythyn^ was put in a ful worshipful shiryne in the towne of wyncester by Ethelwolde and seint Donstone. & in the same yere was seint Edwarde the martyr shyryned atte Schaftysbury. These holy bishops, Ethelwolde and donstone, were warned by a vision that thei shulde se these • ij • holy seintes, Edward and Swithen, put in a worshipful schryne, and so thei dide with ful gret deuocion. and in like wise an holy man come to Ethelwolde and bade hym do the same, and if he so do his sikenes that he hatb had so long shal go awey fro hym, and euer aftir he shal be holle, to his ly ves ende. and also by the tokyn that he shal fynde on seint Swythyn stone \at lithe on his beriele rynges of Iron theron nayled fast, and anone as thei sette honde on the ryng it come fro the stone anone, and no weme was seyn in the stone. And when J^ei had take up the stone fro the grave thei sette the rynges to the stone, and thei were fastenyd anone therto. And than the bishop ethel- wolde and al the peple thankid oure lorde for this gret myracle. And whan kyng Edgar with many bishops and gret multitude of Legenda Aurea — L^gende DorSe — Golden Legend. 105 peple were atte takyng up of the holy body of seint Swythen, suche a sauour come oute of his grave that al the peple were fulfilled with that heuenely swetenes. And that same tyme a blynde woman re- ceyued hir sight by the merytes' of seint Swithen. And many on was helyd there thurgh that heuenely sauour that were byfore tor- mentide with ful gret sikenes, and yet there oure lorde shewith by his holy seruant many a gret myracle : wherefore his name be preysed, worlde withoute ende. Amen. Here endith the life of seint Swythen. And next folowyth the life of seint kenelrae the holy martyr. D. St. Donston.^ Fol. xxix (53). And than kyng Edgar and Odo made seint donston byshop of bothe, of london and of wynchester. And within a while aftir died Odo, Erchebishop of canturbury. And than kyng Edgar ^ let6 make donstone Erchebishop there, and wel and wisely he goydide ]>is londe, to the plesyng of god, so that gret loye and myrthe was that tyme thorugh al Englonde. And euery man preysed gretly seint Donstone for his goode rule and goydyng. And than he bade euery person to chese, either to kepe goode life and chastite or else to lese his personage. Thus seint Donston, seint Ethelwolde & seint Oswolde went thurgh al englonde to se the rule of persons, and they ]}at^ were not of goode leuyng thei put them oute of j^er personages and toke al ther goodes fro them, and put in ther stede the moste holy men* ]>at wolde entende the wele of manys soule and leuyd aftir the plesure of god. And of the goodes that thei toke of the wickid persons |?ei bylde here in Englonde • xlviij • abbeys of monkys and of nonys, as it is afore seid,^ E. St. Thomas of Canterbury. Fol. 45 b. Gylbert beket was seint Thomas of Caunturbury is fader, and borne in the Cite of london where seint Thomas of akers chirche is ' I give only small portions of Donston and Becket, where they seemed of special interest as showing what Caxton did or did not borrow. * MS. Edgad, cor. in margin. ' MS. and that they ; cor. in marg. * MS. man ; cor. marg. * My italics ; note suggestion above, p. 85 ; this does not refer to any portioa of Donston, and I suggest a reference to a lost chapter on Oswald. 106 Legenda Aurea — L^gende DoHe — Golden Legend. nowe. and he ^ was a ful goode man. and in his yong age he toke the crosse and went into the holy londe, and toke with hym on wyllyam, that was his man, that he loued and trust right wel. and so when god wolde thei come to the Cite of Jerusalem, and there thei dide ther pilgremage with ful gret deuocioun. And as thei were comyng homwarde ayene thei were take prisoners of the sar- asyns, with many other cristen men with hem. And thei al were brought as prisoners to the prynce of howse that was clepid Amy- rand .... But this prynce Amyrand had a gret affection to talke with gilbert beket, and wolde aske hym of the Cristen feith, of the rule of Englonde. and bycause he was famylier with the prynce al his felowes ferde the better for his sake ; and in especial for the princes doughter louyd muche this gilbert. And in a tyme she seid to hym if he wolde wedde hir she wolde forsake al hir heritage and bycome cristen for his loue. And than she askid of hym of the rule of cristen feith, and what shulde be ther rewarde atte laste ende. And he answerd and seid : " the blisse of heuene is ther rewarde.'^ and than she askyd him where he dwellid. He seid : ^^ in Englonde, in the Cite of london." And than she seid : " to london wol I come for thi sake if thou wilte promyse to wedde me to thi wife." And than he mad hir promyse so to do. But within a while aftir he and his felowe, by the puruyaunce of oure lorde, escapid oute of prison and come into cristyndome in safte. . . . And this mayde, the pr^/nces doughter, herde this she was ful heuy, and wepte ful sore. And in a nyght whan she se hir tyme she went away alone, and come into many a wilde place .... and euer she askyd aftir " london, london," and " beket, beket," for more englysshe coude she not. And so atte last by the puruyaunce of oure lorde she come ouer see into englonde, and so forth to lon- don. and when she come ayenst the place where gilbert beket dwellid, there seint Thomas of akirs is nowe, she stode stil ther, and many a sherewed boy wonderyng upon hir, for she koude sey no thyng but " london, london," & '^ beket, beket." Hit happid that william, gilbert bekettes man that was with hym while he was prisoner, knewe this mayde, and went to his maister beket and tolde hym howe the prynces doughter Amyrand stode atte his dore and much peple wonderyng on hir. And then he anone went to 1 MS. he his. Legenda Aurea — L6gende DorSe — Golden Legend. 107 hir. and when she se hym she fel a-sownyng, and lay as she had be dede. and then gilbert beket toke hir up and confortide hir in the best wise he cowde, and led hir into his howse, and bade his men give hir mete and drynke. And in the mene tyme gilbert went to seint Poulys churche, where ther were . vj . bishops atte that tyme. and then he tolde them of this wondyr, howe fer this hethyn maide was come and forsake al hir heritage, and to bycome cristen for his sake if he wolde wedde hir. . . . then anone she was baptized with the ful assent of al the byshops, and forthwith weddyde to the seid Gil- bert^ beket in the churche of Poulys with ful gret solempnyte . . . . (Gilberfs 2nd pilgrimage ^ and birth of Thomas). . . . and within a while aftir he set this holy childe Thomas to scole, wherein he encresid ful muche withyn fewe yeres, and drewe al to virtues {sic) lyvynge, that euery man spake goode of hym. . . . Than he bycome a worshipful mannys seruaunt of this Cite of london, aud kepte al his rekenyng. and his maister loued hym and trust hym ful muche for his trewe seruyce. and aftir that he dwellid with Tybaude, that was the Erchebyshop of Canturbury. and he loued hym so muche that he made hym his Erchedekyn and chefe of his counsel. . . . And then anone aftir the Duke of Normandye that hight bloys dyed ; and then was his sonne herry the secounde made kyng of Englonde ; and he made seint Thomas his Chaunceler. F. The Seven Sleepers. H. fol. 128 b; E. fol. 169 b; A. fol. 141 b; h. fol. 213; D. (incompl.) fol. 79. Here endith the lyfe of Seinte Cristofore. And next folewinge biginneth the lyfe of the . vij . Slepers. Capitulo. lxxxxiiij.° The . vij .^ Slepers wer bore in the Cite of Ephesim. And whan Dacian ^ the Emperour come into Ephesim for the persecucion of cristen peple he commaundid to edifie the templis in the myddis'' of the Cite, so that alle myghte come with him to sacrifice to the ydollis. and made for to*^ seke alle the cristen, and lete bringe hem ^ Words to — Gil. bis. *In h. the No. is inserted by reviser ; A. om. the Cite of. '/n h. reviser has changed to Decian, and elsewhere. *E. & h., middel (myddell). * Others om. for to ; A., above, to do sac. 108 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend. bounde, for to sacrifie or ellis to deye.^ so that eueryche^ were so aferde of peynes that the^ frende forsoke his frende, and the sone renyed his iFadir, and the ffader the sone. And than in that Cite were founde .vij . cristen of whom the names were:* Maximian, Malche, Martinian, Denys, Johan, Sypion/ and Constantyn. and whan thei saugh this persecucion thei had gret sorewe. and for thei wer the first in the Paleis dispisinge the sacrifice of ydollis thei hid hem in her hous, and were in fastinge and in prayer^ contynually. And than thei wer accusid afore '^ Dacian, and come thider; and verili thei were preuid cristen men.^ and than was there yeue to hem space of repentaunce® unto the comynge of Dacian. and in the mene tyme thei spendid al her Patrimonye amonge the pour peple, and toke counsel, and wente to^° the Mounte Selion. and there thei ordeyned hem to be more priueli ; and there thei hid hem longe tyme;^^ and one of her felishippe to ordeyne for her liflode. And whan he wente into the Cite he clothid him as^^ a begger. and whan Dacian was come into the Cite he lete seke hem. and than Malche, her ministre, returned ful of drede to hem, and tolde hem of the cruelte of the Emperour. and than wer thei gretli affraied.^^ But neuer the lees Malche set afore hem the brede that he had brought, so that whan thei wer wel confortid with mete thei myghte be strenger to tormentis.^* And whan thei had take her^* refeccion, as thei satte in sorowe and wepinge thei fil sodedli^^ (sic) aslepe, as god wold. And whan hit come to the morwe, and thei had be sought and myght not be founde, Dacian was ful sory that he had lost so goodli yonge men. And than thei wer accusid, how thei had yeue alle her goodis to pour men, and wer hid unto^^ that tyme in the Mounte of Selion, and abode alweie in her cristen pur- ^E., bounde other to deye or to do sacrifice ; A., b. ether to dye or elles t. d. s. ; h., b. or to die or t. d. s. *E. and h., euery ; A., many oon; E., so sore aferde. ^A., that oon f. forsoke another and. *All, weren. ^E., Sempion ; A., Sympyon ; A., Serapion. ^A., prayng. ' Others, before (by- bi-). ^All, and v. proued C. men. ^All, yeue hem {h., him) space to repente hem. ^^A., un to. ^^All om. tyme. ^*A., clothyd hym lyke a; the Belei MS. Ad. 17,275, /oZ. 171 6, has: il se uestoit en maniere de mire & le contrefesoit. ^'^4., they were. ^*A. om. to tormentis. ^^ A. om. her. ^^All, fillen sodenly ; A., yn a sorowe. ^''A. and h., yn to (into). Legenda Aurea — Ligende DoHe — Golden Legend, 109 pos. And than Dacian lete calle her kynrede, and manasid hem with dethe but yf thei wolde telle al that thei knewe of hem. and thei accusid hem, and complejned on hem, seyinge that thei had dispendid alle her goodis in pour men. And than Dacian thoughte how^ he myghte do with hem; and ordeyned that thei shold be closid up in the Caue with stones, to that ende that thei myghte deye there for hunger and for^ sorwe. And than the werkemen that did that and . ij . cristen men, that is to wite Theodore and RufFyn, wrote her martirdome and put hitsotelli undir^ the stones. And whanne Dacian was ded, and al that generacion, . CCC . and ^ . Ixx vij . yer aftir, in the . xxx . wynter^ of the Empir of Theo- dosian, whan the heresie of hem that^ renyed the Resurreccion of the dede bygan to encrece, that^ the right cristen Emperour Theo- dosian whan he saugh the feithe to be so felonesli^ demened he was ful of sorowe, and clothid him with the heyre, and was in a secrete place, and wepte euery daye. and whan our pitous ® lord saugh this thinge he wold conforte the wepers and yeue hope of the ^^ Resur- reccion of the dede, and opened the tresour of his pite, and arerid the ^^ forseid martris in this wyse. He gaffe wil to a Burgeys of Ephesim that he wold make in that Mounteyne a stabul ^^ for his sheperdis. and so hit fel by auenture that the masons opened that Caue. and the seintes awoke than, and bade eche of hem othir good morwe, and wende that ^^ thei had slepte but one nyghte. and than thei recordid her" sorwe of the daye byfore. and Malche, that min- istred her necessites to hem, seide What Dacian ordeyned had for hem ; ^^ for he seide : " we haue be sought, as I tolde yowe yestir euen, for to sacrifice to the ydollis or ellis to deye." And than^^ Maximian seide: ''god wot that we wyl not^^ sacrifye to deie." and Maximian seide whan he had confortid his felawes he bad Malche that he shold go into the Cite and beye hem brede ; and ^All, what. *E. om. for. ^All^ among. ^All. om. and. ^All have, yere; A. omits in. ^MS., that, bis. ''All, than (ne). M. has, sat yn the filth to be so felously, etc, 1 ^ Others, whan oure peteus lorde god sawe; E. om., pitous; A., sawe that (om. thinge). ^^All om. the. "-4., thes. ^*All, a stable [E., stale) to his ; A., yn the motayne. ^^AU om. that. ^*A., the (ther ?) ^^All, decien hadde or. of hem {A., for us). ^^All om. than. ^''All, neuer ; A., neuer do sacrifice to the Idolle, for we had leuer rather to dye. 110 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^ — Golden Legend, that he brought hem more than he did bifore/ and espied ^ redli what the Emperour had ordeyned for hem. And than Malche toke . v. ^ s. and wente oute of the Caue. and whan he saughe alle the stones he had gret merueile ; but he thoughte but litil uppon ^ the stones : he thoughte moche more thinge.^ And than he come al dredful ^ to the yates of the Cite, and he was al abasshid, for he saugh the signe of the Crosse set theron. and than he*^ wente to anothir yate, and fonde^ the same token of the Crosse, and than he merueiled ouer mesure ; for vppon euery yate he fonde the signe of the Crosse, and than he blessid him, and re- turned ayen to the first yate, and wende that he had dremed.® and than he confermed him selfe, and hid his visage and entrid into the Cite, and whan he come to the sellers of brede, and he herde men ^" speke of god, And than ^^ was he more abasshid, and seid : " benedicite ! what meneth this ? yister day there durst no man speke of Jhu Crist, and to-daie euery man knowlecheth that they be cristen.^^ I trowe this is not the Cite of Ephesim ; for she is al other wyse byldid.'^ ^^ and than he asked ; and than thei tolde him sikerli that hit was Ephesim, than ^* him thought in him selfe ^^ that he maddid verili, and thought to haue go ayen to his felawes. And than he wente to hem that solde brede. And whan he shewed hem ^^ the money the sellers merueiled gretli, and seide that ^"^ one to that othir that this yonge man had founde ^^ som olde tresour. and whan Malche saugh hem speke togedris he drad ^^ lest thei wold lede hym to the Emperour, and praied hem that thei wolde ^^ lete him go, and kepe his money stille, and the brede also, but thei ^E., thanne the day before, also h. ; A., And he b. m. t. he brought the day before. ^All, aspy. 'il. & A., tolde; E. & A., v shyllingges (Schelynges). *Allf in the. ^All, on other thinge(s). ^E., dredful ly. M. om., he ; A. & h., un to, into. ^E. & h. om., fonde. ^E. & h., and went to haue dremed; A., and had wende to haue dremjd. ^M.j herde hem. ^^All, god/yet was he. ^^A., ben Cristened. ^^E., byled I note whiche and he asked and they ; A., for hit is alle o. w. beldyd I not howe And he askyd and they ; h., bildid, etc., like E. ^^All om. than. ^^E. & h., hym selff verrely ; E., hadde maddyd ; E. <^h. om. verili below. "^^All om. hem. "J. om. that; E. & h., mervailedin. ^^A., founde money of some olde conage or tresour. ^^E. & h., dredde hym ; A., d. hym selfe lest they wolde haue lede. ^A., hem to lete. Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend. Ill hilde him faste, and seide : " whens art thou ? hast thou fbunde tresours of the auncient Emperours ? ^ shewe vs wher hit is, that we mowe be felawes with the, and we shal kepe thi counsel/' and Malche wist not what for ^ to answer hem for dred that he had. And whan thei saugh that he held pees ^ they teyjed a corde * and drowe him thorgh the strete into the myddis of the Cite, and the tydinges wente al aboute ^ that a younge man had founde the olde Tresours,^ so that alle assemblid aboute him. and than^ euery man marueiled of him. but he wolde in no wyse confesse that he had founde eny tresours. and euery man bihilde him, but ^ he was knowe of none. And in that othir side he bihelde the peple, to loke yf he couthe knowe eny of his kynne, that he wende that ® had lyuid yit ; and he couthe none fynde, wherfore he was nyghe oute of him selfe for this gret merueile. and thus he stode al amasid amonge the ^° peple of the Cite. And whan seinte Martyn the Bisshop ^^ and Antepater that was Consulte, which was newe come to^^ the Cite, herde this thinge, thei sente anone that thei shold bringe wysely him ^^ into her presence, and that the money shold be brought with hym. And whan he was brought to the Chirche he wende verili that he shold haue come bifore the Emperour. And than the Bisshoppe and the Consulte merueiled hem of that^* money, and asked him where he had founde that tresour vn knowe. and he answerid and seide ^^ that he had no thinge founde, but that he had come by his kynrede. And also he seide : ^® "I wote wel that I was bore in this Cite, yf this be the Cite of Ephesim." And than seide the Juge^'^ to him : "how shold we leue the, that this^® come of thy kynrede, whan the scripture of the money sheweth that hit is ^E. & h.f art thou/thou hast f. the tresour(es) of aunsien; A., art \>u that hast f. this tresour of an auncien Emperour. *All om. for. ' All^ his p. *J[., a corde to hym and. ^A. & h. here and below, a bouth, abought. *E. & h., the hidde tresours; A., yong madde founde hyd tresoure. ''E. & h., And whan ; A., And whan e. m. knewe that they meruelde on hym and he ; rest also, and he. ^All, and he. ^All om. that. ^°^. & A., al the. ^^A. om. the B. ^*A., the whiche A. &h., into the. ^^All, bringe hym wysely. ^*A., meruelde on the; E. & h. of the. "^^All om. and seide. ^^Ally And he ansuered and saide; A., yet I was. ^M/Z, the iuge saide. "^^All, this money. 112 Legenda Aurea — L^gende DorSe — Golden Legend, passid . ccc . yer . Ixxvij . ^ that hit was made ? for hit wente in the firste daies of Dacian the Emperour, and resemblith no ^ thinge to our money, and how myght ^ hit be that thi kynne shold * be of suche age to lyue nowe? thou art but late bore, and woldist disceyue^ the wise^ and the auncien of the Cite of Ephesim. And therfore I commaunde that thou (be) demened^ aftir the lawes into the tyme that thou hast confessed that thow ^ hast founde." And than Malche knelid downe, and seide : " for goddis loue, my lordis,^ telle me o thinge that I shal aske of yowe.^*^ Where is Dacian the Emperour/^ that was in this Cite, where is he?" And the Bisshop answerid ^^ and seide : " sone, there is ^^ none nowe alyue that highte Dacian. there ^* was an Emperour that hight so meny wordlis ^^ (sic) passid." and than Malche seide : " of this I merueile ^^ me gretli. and there is none that leevith me. but foloweth me, and I shal she we yow ^^ my felawes, that be in the mounte of Silion ; and than I hope that ^^ ye wil leeve hem. for I wot wel that^^ we fled vs for drede of the Emperour ^^ Dacian. And I wot wel that yister nyghte I saugh ^^ the Emperour Dacian entre into this Cite, yf this be the Cite of Ephesym." 22 And than the Bisshop bythought him selfe, and seide to the Juge ^E., ccc yere Ixvij ; h., ccc yere Ix and vij ; the Belet MS. Ad. 17,275, fol. 172 renders the whole better: Li preuost li dist: "fes uenir tes parens, qui tes- moingneront pour toi." & il les noma, & nuls ne les connut. et disoient que il le disoit pour barat, pour ce que il peust eschaper en aucune maniere. Le preuost li dist adonc : " coment te crorrons nous que ce soit de largent ton pere & ta mere, Qwant en lescripture decelui a iijc & Ixxvij ans, & soit du premier iour de decius ? " ^E. & h., in no ; A., moneys ; Douce MS. begins, fol. 79 : nothinge ; oure, see above, p. 60. ^D., mygt. '*-4., kyn myght. *i)., >u art ; disceive. ^A., wise men and. ''D.,\>er{ore; comaunde; >u; ^., ther I c. the that thou bedemened; E.&h., be demened. ^D., )>at \>u ; confessid i'at )>w. ^A. om. my lordis ; h. om. my. ^^D., J?at I ; gowe ; E. & h. om. of. "-D., Emperour. "^. A.& A., ansuered hym. ^^D., Hre; alyve; E., nys. ^*i)., higte ; i>ere was an Emperour t>at higt. *'-£., many worlde ; A., many an olde day passyd ; the corrected h. like A.^ but om. an. ^^E., \>i& ; merveile ; and \>ere. "D., gow. i^D., >at se ; E. & h. om. that. ^^D., >at. ^^D., here and below, Emperour. ^^D., hat gister nygte I sawe. ^*A. & h., into the {h., )>is) C. of Ephesym, and om. final clause. ; D., Ephesim ; \>e Bisshop by Jjougt. Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dor^e — Golden Legend, 113 that this^ was som vision that god wold shewe by this yonge^ man. and than thei^ wente with him, and a gret multitude of* peple of the Cite folowed hem. And whan thei^ come thider Malche entrid first yn. and as the Bisshop wente he fonde amonge the stones the ^ lettris, selid with . i j . selis of siluer. And than the Bisshop ^ callid the peple and rad hem bifore hem alle, and alle wer ^ gretli abasshid of the meruelous ^ huringe. And than thei saugh these seintis sittynge, and her visages al fresshe as eny flour ^'^ of rose, wherfore al the peple glorified god. And anon the^^ Bisshop and the Juge sente to Theodosian the Emperour, prayinge him that he wolde^^ come and se the grete merueilis that god had shewed ^^ late. And whan the Emperour herde this^* massage, anone he aros for the erthe, and did awey the (sak) ^^ wheron he wepte, and glo- rified god, and came fro Constantinople to Ephesim. and al the Cite wente ayenst him, and alle come ayenst him and^^ come to the Mounteyn, where he ^^ entrid into the Caue, and as sone as the seintis saugh ^^ the Emperour her facis shyned as the sonne. And whan the Emperour saugh ^^ this he glorified god, and clippid hem, and wepte vppon eueryche^*^ of hem, and seide : "I behold yowe as though I saughe^^ our lord areyse Lazar fro dethe to lyfe.'^ And than Maximian seide : " Leeue vs truli, ser Emperour, that for thi lone our lord ^^ hath arered vs byfore the day of the^^ Resurrec- cion, for thou sholdist stedfastli byleue the Resurreccion of the dede that be ^^ to come. And verili we be resussitid and lyue. and ^D., )>at this ; J>at. ^D.j >is gonge. ^D., )?ei. '^A., of the peple of t. C. and folowed hym. ^D., j^ei ; Hder. ^Z>., l>e. 'i)., >e Bisshop ; others merely, he called. ®Z>,, were ; E. & h., weren. ^i)., mervelous ; \>ei sawge >ese. '"Z)., floure ; A. & h., as fresche. ^^A. om. the ; D., >e Juge ; ]>e Emperour. '^D., I^at ; wold ; merveilis ; rest, wold come see. ^^E. A.&h., now late. ^^B., Ms. '*jEZ. tfe D. both om.f leaving a blank space in D., filled by paragraph sign in H; in E., A. & h., sacke (sakke, sak) wher yn; A. om. and - God. ^^D., agenst, both; E. om. the Cite ; A. & h., and alle went a. h. and come to, no repetition. "jR, A. & h., they. ^^D., Cave; sawge the Emperoure, and below. ^^D., sawge. ^°/i., uppon euerech uppon hem and. '^Z)., gowe as ^ouge I sauge oure. '^D., maximian ; Emperoure; H; oure; ^., oure lorde god. ^^A. om. the; i)., J^e; \>u. **jD., )>at; A., is to. 8 114 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorte — Golden Legend. right as ^ the Child is in the modris wombe withoute felinge or disese, right so we haue be her^ lyvinge and slepinge withoute eny disese felinge."^ And whan thei had thus^ seid thei bowed downe her hedis to the erthe and gafe her spiritis vp,^ by the com maun dement of god. And than the Emperour^ arose, and fil vppon hem, and wepte, and kyssid hem, and wente his wey, and commaundid that^ men shold ordeyne Shrynes of gold and syluer to leye hem ynne. and that same nyght thei apperid ^ to the Emperour and seide to him ^ that he shold suffre hem lie^^ in the erthe as thei had done, vnto the tyme that god liste to rere hem ayen.^^ And than the Emperour commaundid that the^^ place shold be araied nobilli with stones, and that^^ alle Bisshopes that wolde confesse the Resurreccion were assoiled : and hit was done, and of that hit is seid they slepte ^* . ccc . Ixxvij . yer, and '^ thei arisen the yer of our lord . cccc . xlviij . and Dacian regned but one yer ^^ only and . iiij . monthis, and that was in the yer of our lord . cc . lij . and so by this they ^^ shold not slepe but an . c . iiij^"" . and ^^ . xiij . yer. Her endith the lyfe of the ^^ . vij . Slepers. G, St. Marine. A. fol. 114; E. fol. 124 b; D. fol. 65 b. Seynt Maryne was a noble uyrgyn, and was oonly with hir fader, without brother or suster. And hir fader aftir the deth of hir ^A.^ resuscite And beleue veryly that right as ; D., lyve ; rijt, and below. ^D., here. ^A., ben here leuyng withoute disese and slepyng wj't^oute felyng. ^D., they ; >us ; >ei ; j'e erthe. ^E., A. &h.., gaue up her; D., gafe; by >e comaundement. ^D., Emperoure. '^i)., comaundid j?at. ^7>., nygt >ei aperid; Emperoure; others am. same. ^E. & h. om. to; A. om. to him. ^^A., to ly; -D., in }>e; as }>ei. ^^J)., tyme >at; agen; E., unto tyme, and h., into tyme. ^^Z)., >e Emperoure comaundid that >e. "Z)., Jjat. ^*E., A. & h., weren assoiled : it is done, of that is sayde that they slepen ; J)., and of ]7at, like H. ^'^E.f A. & h., for; A., ccc and Ix and xvij yere, for they arose in; Z)., gere, both ; pei ; oure ; h., yere afore oure lorde ! ^^D., in all cases, gere. ^''D. ))ei, initial th also thus below; oure lord. ^^E. & h. om. and; A., an c iiij score and. ^^E. & h. om. the ; A., the lyues of the. St. Marine. I do not pretend to give all variants. Legenda Aurea — LSgende Dorie — Golden Legend. 115 moder Enteryd into a monastery of monkes, and chaunged the clothyug of his doughter so ])at men wende that she had ben his sone. And than the fader prayed the abot of the hous & the monkes that they wolde receyue his sone as a monke, for he ^ had no mo childerii. And they grauntyd hyra goodly ; and she was <;allyd among hem brother Maryne. And she bygan to leue reli- giously, and was att alle obedyent. And whan she was atte^ age of . xxvij . yere hir fader felt hym seke ny to the deth. He callyd his doughter to hym, and conferraed hir in hir^ goode purpos, and charged her upon his blessyng that sche schulde neuer diskeuer hit to no creature that sche was a woman. And so he dyed, and sche abode in hir holy purpos. And contynued hir selfe* as an holy monke, Unknowyng to alle creatures that she was a woman. And than it felle so that she went ofte tymes with other monkes to the wode with hir carte and hir oxyn, for to bring home wode unto^ hir monastery. And hir costome was when he (sic) went so to herberowe hem at a frankelyns ® hous, whiche had a doughter that had conceyued a chylde by a knyght. And whan hit was parceyued than ^ she was aresonyd who was the fader. She said surely that hit was the monke Maryne, the whiche hade goten hir with childe. Whan the fader and the moder herd this, they went to the abot and made an horrible clamor^ upon hym for his monke. the abot, hauyng gret schame and sorowe for the^ foule clamor, sent for maryne, and askyd how ^^ he had done so horribly synne. He mekely ansuered and said : " holy fader, I aske oure lorde mercy, for I haue synned." The abbot, heryng this, was out of hym selfe for sorowe and schame, and coraaundid that he schulde schamfully be put out of hir monastery. He paciently abode with- oute, and dwellyd stille att the ^^ yate . iij . yere. And unnethes they threwe ^^ hym a morsellle of bred in a day. ^E. om. he. ^E., of the age. ^E. om. hir. *E., her lyff. ^E.j wode to her. ^E., herburgh hym in a frankeleyne his hous. ''•E., parceyued and that she. ^E.^ an opin clamour. ^E., this. ^^E.f maurin and asked hym whi he hadde do so horrible a. ^^MS. om.; E., atte the. ^^E., drewe. 116 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend, H. St. Marine. Ya. fol. 127; Yr. fol. 146 b; Yo. fol. 123. Marine est dite ^ aussi comme ensamble aueuc marie. Elle en- samble {sic) aueuc la vierge marie par ceqwe elle garda^ virginite^ hurailite, et pascience. Marine fu vierge, et fu une seulle fille auec son pere. Et son pere apres la mort de sa femme entra en . i . moustier, et mua lahit^ de sa fille si que len cuidoit miex que ce fust homme que femme. Et dont deproia le pere labbe & les peres que il receussent son filz, et que il nen auoit plus ; et illi ottroierent ; & fu receu en moine, Et fu^ appelez de tons frere marin. Et dont commenca a viure mowlt religieusement et estre obedient. Et quant elle fu de . xxvij . ans, et le ^ pere se senti ^ aprochier de mort, il apela sa fille & la confrema^ en bon pi^rpos, et li commanda que elle ne reuelast a nul que elle fust femme. Et dont elle aloit souuent auec le char et auec les buefs pour aporter la busche au moustier. Et elle auoit a coustume quant elle aloit la a soi herbergier^ en la maison dun homme ou il auoit une fille qui auoit conceu . i . enfant dun cheualiev, Et quant on li demanda de qui cestoit, elle dist que le moine marin lauoit corrom- pue. Et dont demanda len a marin pour quoi il auoit fait si grant pechie. et il dist quil auoit pechie, et requist pardon. Et tantost il fu gettes hors du moustier, et maint a luis du moustier, et demora la trois ans. Et nauoit que . i . morsel de pain le iour. J. Saint Patrick. H. fol. 64 b ; E. fol. 69 ; A. fol. 95 ; h. fol. 94. Seynt Patrik bygan to preche about the yer of our lord . iiij .^ iiij"^"^ . and as he preched the passion of our lord^ Jhu Crist to the kynge of Scotland,^" he stod by fore hym, and lened uppon hi& borden ^^ that he helde^^ in his bond, and this^^ was parauentur ^ Vr., si est ditte. ^ Vr., regarda. ^MS. has, sa vie ; Vr., labit. ^ Vr., estoit appele. ^ Vr., son. ^ Vo., senti pres de. ' Vr., conferma. ^ Order changed in Vr., a soi hebergier quant ele aloit la. St. Patrick. ^Others omit our lord. ^°A. has been cor. to, Ireland. ^^A. omits. ^^MS. heled, with partial erasure; rest, helde. ^^A., he was ; h., hit was. Legenda Aurea — LSgende Dor^ — Golden Legend. 117 uppon the fote of the kynge. and the poynt of the borden perced ^ the kinges fote. and than the kynge wende that the holy Bisshop had do ^ hit wetingli, and other wayes he myght not resceyue the feithe but if he suffred so for Jhu Crist ; And therfore he suffred hit pacientli. And than at^ last the holy man conceyued this thinge, and ^ was al abasshed ; and than anone he helid the kynge by his prayers, and he gate to that prouynce that no venemous bestis myght leue therynne. and yit he gate more, and the lepres of that contre be holsom ayenst venym.^ Ther was a man that had stole a shepe fro a neyjbore of his and €te hit. and the holy man® ofte tymes had spoke ^ amonge the peple in the chirch, that whoso had ^ do that dede shold make satis- faccion. but none was do, ne none wold knowleche hit^^ priuely ne openly. And whan al the peple was assembled in ^^ a tyme in the cliirch this holy man commaundid, in the name of Jhu Crist, that the shepe sholde blete ^^ withy nne the bely of him that ete^^ him : and so he dyde. And he that was gilti did penaunce.^^ he had in custom to worship alle the Crosses deuoutly that he sawe.^* But in a tyme he passed by a fayre Crosse that he toke none hede of, but passid ouer.^^ And his men asked him why he had not byholde this ^® crosse. And whan he prayed he herde a voyce undir the erthe that ^^ seyde : '* thou hast not byholde me for I am an ^^ hethyn man that am buried her, and am not worthi to see the signe of the crosse." ^^ and than he made the^*' crosse to be take awey. ^h., p^rshed. ^MS. omits; E., hadde done it; A. & h., had do it. ^A., attejje. ^^. (fe A., that /or and. ^E., more, that the trees and the lether of that contre bene ; A., teeres & the lepour ; h., teeres and the leprs. ^h. omits ma,n, but in marg. ''E. & h., hadde often tymes spoken; A., had often tyme spoken. M., who euer had ; h., who so that hadde (doo, marg.). ^3fS. omits; A. has, wolde knowleched hit neither pryveyly, etc. In h. the saint is Patriark ; but such mere orthographic variants are unnoted. ^^A., on a tyme. ^^MS. has, wold; others, shulde blede. *' A., withynne \>e body of him that hadde ete. ^^A., and so he dide penaunce that was gilty. And had in, ete. ^*A., crosses that he seigh right deuoutly. ^^A., passed forthby. And his, etc. ^^ Others, that c. ; A. omits, him ; whi that he hadde, etc. "MS. has, and; others, that; A., that seid to hym. ^^ h. omits, an. "^., worthi of the signe ; A., worthy to haue the ; h. like E. ^^Others, that. 118 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Doree — Golden Legend, And this blessid Seynt Patrik preched in Irelond, and did litel frute amonge hem. he prayed to ^ our lorde that he wold shewe som tokyn by the whiche thei myght be adredde and repent hem.^ And than by the commaundement of our lord he made in a^ place a gret sercle wyth his staff, and than the erthe opned withynne the sercle, and there appered a gret pytte and a depe. and than hit was shewed to the blessid Patrik that there was a place of Purgatory ; And whosoeuer wold go downe there he shold haue non othir pe- naunce, no non othir harme haue for her synnes/ and meny come not ayen that went thedir. And thoo that com ayen most abide there fro on raorwe to anothir. and than longe tyme aftir, whan Seynt '^ Patrik was ded^ there was a man that hyght Nicholas, the which had do many synnes. but he repentid him, and wold suffer to be purged in the purgatory of seynt Patrik. and so as custom was that othir did : he fasted . xv . dayes bifore that he made the dores to be undo of that purgatory, the whiche is kept in an Abbey undir keye.^ And than he descendid into the pit.^ and in the side of the pit^ he founde a dore, and^ entred withynne. and there he founde an oratory ; and ^^ monkes that were reuest in Abbayes en- tred there to that oratory and did her seruyse. And than ^^ thei seide to Nicholas that he shold be sad and stedfast in the feythe, for him byhoueth to passe by many hard assayes of the ^^ fendis. and than he asked hem what remedi and help^^ he myght haue ayenst hem, they seid : " as sone as thou felest the turmentid wyth peynes, sey anone,^* Jhu Cristej fili dei viui, miserere michi peccatori." And anone as these men were go the fendis come and bade him to obeye hem, and made^^ him gret promys yf he wold do^^. hit, that thei wold kepe him and brynge him ayen to his owne ^Others omit to. ^A., myght be agast and repent hym. M. omits, a. '^E. & h., haue none other p. fele ne, etc. ^A., whan seint p. come ayen ther was, etc. ^A., under lok and key. ''A., that pitte. ^Others, that. M., and he. ^^MS. has, of ; others, oratori and monkes ; E.,m aubys entred in to ; h., in Abeys entred into ; A., (monkes) that were reuesshed entred in to, etc. ^^A.. And thei seid. ^^h. omits, the. ^^A. omits, and help; haue to helpe hym ayenst them. ^*A., sey anone thise wordes. ^^A., and they made. ^^E. omits, do Legenda Aurea — Ligende DorSe — Golden Legend. 119 place. But whan he wold not obey to hem ^ in no wyse, than he herde^ voyce of dyuerse wylde bestis, and the cryinge of hem togeders^ semyd as though alle the elementis had falle downe. and as he trembled for drede orrible he seid : * " Jhii CWste, fili dei viui, miserere mihi peccatori." And as sone as he had seid these wordis al that multitude of the horribil bestis aplesed.^ and than he went ouer to anothir place, and there he founde a gret multitude of enemyes : ^ " Wenest thou that thou be ascaped fro us?^ nay, thenke® hit not, but knowe wel® we shal begynne to turment the." And than there apperid a gret multitude ^^ and an horrible fyre byfore him : " " yf thou wylt not consent to us, we shal throwe the in this fyre brennynge." ^^ and whan he refused hit thei toke him and '^ cast him in that dredful fyre. and whan he felt him self turmentid, anone he cryed : ^^ " Jhu CHste, fili dei viui, miserere michi peccatori." and than anone ^^ the fyre quenched. And fro thens he went into anothir place and seigh ^^ Som men brenne in the fyr al quycke. and fro thens he went into anothir place to be bete with pecis al of Iren brennyng, and the bodyes ^^ to-rent with tonges of fyre,^^ that the bowels appered. and hadden her ^* belyes toward the erthe, and gnewe the erthe for sorwe and wo, and^^ cryed peteuously : "spare us, spare us." and than the fendes^^ bete him more greuousli. And he sawe othir of whom the ^^ ser- pentis deuoured her membres, and feendes^^ drewe here bowels ^E, omits, to hem. ^E. & A., the voys. '"^E. & h,, criengges ; A., that hit semyd as al the, etc. *E. & h., trembeled all for the horrible drede he seid ; A., for the horrible drede that he herde and seigh than he seid thus. ^E., were apesed ; A., were aplesed ; h., were apesed [And l>an he went ouer to a noJ>er place and l^ere he founde a grete multitude of J?e {bis) horrible bestes were apesed] ; all in brackets erased & repeated correctly on reverse, top offol. 95 b. ^A., enemyes. and than thei seid to hym. Wenest, etc.; h. had same as H., hut in marg. bef. wenest is inserted, \>at sayde. ''A., fro us this. ^& ^A., thyng hit not. But nowe we schul, etc.; E. & h., think; then like A. ^^E., A. & h. omit multitude. '^ h. adds after him, in marg., & >ay sayde. ^^A., fire that is hote brennyng. ^^A., and they. ^* Others, he cried anone. ^^E. omits, anone. ^^MS. has, seid ; also E. & h. ; A., seigh. ^''E., al quik and to beten with peces of Iren; h., al quik and to be beten, etc.; A., al quycke and thei were beten with p. of Iron al brennyng and ther, etc. ^^A , al fire that her. ^^E. & h., and hadden; A., her belyes was towarde. ^^A., and thei. '^'E., fendes; E. & A., bete hem. 'M. omits, the. ^'^E. & h., bufones drew ; A., vufones. 120 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend. aboute with her brennynge prick es. And whan Nycholas wold not assent to hem he was ^ cast in the same fyre and in the same tur- mentis.^ bilt he was anone delyuered of that peyne. and aftir that he was led to a place wher men wer fryed in a panne by bemys^ of fyre. And there was a gret whele ful of fyre, and theron wer these ^ men hanged by dyuerse membres. and whan she was hastely turned she threwe out bemys^ of fyre. and aftir that he sawe a gret hous that was ful of boylinge lede and othir metallis by pittis.^ In the which pittis^ some had on foote, some had . ij . Othir ^ wer with ynne unto the knees ; othir unto the bely ; some to the brest ; some to the necke ; and some to the eyen. and in rennyng thorugh the turmentis * he called the name of our lorde. and ^° he passid ouer, and by held withy nne a depe pyt, of ^^ the which ther went out a foule ^^ smoke and a styncke that none ^^ myght suffer the odour therof. and out of that place come men brennynge as bote Iron, in manere of ^* sparkis of brennynge ^^ fyre. but the feendis anone threwe him yn ay en. and the feendis seid ^^ to him : " this place that thou byholdist is helle, wher belsabub oure maister dwel- lyth. In this pyt we shal nowe cast the yf thou wil not consent to us. and be thou onys there thou mayst neuer ascape, for there is no remedy." ^^ and than he despised hem, and wold not obeye hem, thei ^^ toke him and threwe him into the pyt, wher he felt so gret turment and sorwe that he had ny foryete the name of our lord ; but as sone as hit came to his mynde he seid hit in his herte, for ^A., not consent to hem they cast hym ; h. omits, was; cor. in marg. ^Others, torment. ^A., by the lemes of fire; E. e grete; A., hir gret b. she was Ioyned to con. ^MS. lighte; rest, hight(e). 136 Legenda Aurea — L^gende DoHe — Golden Legend, Criste was hongid on. but none knoweliche to her of yow ; ffor I wote well than that our lawe shal be distroied, and the techingis of our kinrede amentisid. for zathee/ my graunte ffadir, tolde my ffadir, and my ffadir tolde me whan he deide, and seide : *^ sone, I charge the that whan the tyme cometh that men seke the Crosse of Criste, that thou shewe hit to none ^ bifore thou haue suffred som tormente. For aftir that she shal be founde, the peple of Jewes shal haue no kyngdome, but thei shal haue hit that worshippe the crucified ; for he is Jhu Criste, the sone of god.' And than I seide to him : ^ ffadir, yf your Auncien ffadris knewe that he was the sone of god, whi hinge thei him on the Gebet of the Crosse ? ' " than seide his ffadir : " god wot I was neuer of her counseil, but ayen-seide hem meny tymes. for I wote wel he was a right- wise man, and repreued the vices of the Phariseis, whiche made him to be crucified. And he arose verili the thridde day fro dethe to life, and stied into heuene seynge his disciplis. And Stephert, thi brothir, bileued. in him ; ^ and therfore the woode Jewes stoned him to the dethe. Wherfore kepe the, good sone, that thou blame him not, ne his disciples.'^ but this is not righte prouable, that the ffadir of this Judas myghte haue be in the tyme of the passion of Jhu Criste ; for hit was . cc . yere and . Ixx . fro the passion Of Criste unto the comynge of Eleyne, in whos tyme the Crosse was founde ; but yf hit were, parauentur, that men lyued in thoo dales lengir than thei do nowe.* And than seide Judas to the Jewes : ^ "we herde neuer of these thingis. But loke yf the Queue enquere of these thingis that thou discouere this nought.'^ And than aftir (whan) thei wer alle broughte bifore the Queue, and she askid hem wher the place was that Jhu Criste was crucified on ; but thei wolde not telle her in no wise. And than the Queue commaundid that thei sholde alle be brente in a fire, so that thei dradde fore the dethe, and delyuered her Judas, seyinge : " Madame, this is the sone of a rightwise man ^E. & h., Sachee myn (my) graunsere (Graunsire) ; A., Zachee my grauntsir. ^E. & h., to man tofore thou haue s. to miche torment. All om. hit. '^A., in hym verily. And l^erefore kepe the, etc., also h., originally, but here the omission is supplied in marg., minor details agreeing with E. rather than H. *Note omission of this sentence in V. and Caxton. ^Dizerunt ergo Judaei ad Judam ; the error common to all, tho' h. does notice it, and corrects thou to ge, in marg.; no error in Vr. Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dor^e — Golden Legend. 137 and a prophete, and knewe the lawe right well ; and he can shewe yow al that ye wil axe him." and than she lete go alle that othir and kepte Judas allone. And than Eleyne seide to him : "chese of .ij . thinges, whethir thou wilte dele or lyue.^ shewe me the place that is callid Gal- gatha, wher Jhu Criste was crucified, so that I may finde the Orosse." than Judas aunswerid and seide: "how may I knowe the place, sith hit is .cc. yer and .Ixx., and I was not in that tyme." To whom the Queue seide : " bi him that was crucified, but yf thou telle me the trouthe I shall make the deie for hunger.'^ And than she commaundid that he shold be caste into a depe prisone, and there to be tormentid wyth hungre. and whan he had be there . vii . dayes, he bisoughte her that he myghte come oute, and he wolde shewe the peple ^ {sic) of the Crosse. And whan he was had oute of prison he come to the place, and made his praiers to the place. And than that place bigan to meue sodenli, and the peple felte a meruelous sauour of swetnesse,^ so that Judas merueilid, and reioysed, and ioyned his hondis togedres, and seide : " in trouthe, Jhu Criste, thou arte the sauyour of the worlde ! " And as men rede in the Maister of stories that the temple of venus* was in the same place, the whiche Adrian the Emperour lete make, for that cause yf eny cristen men come to worshippe the place that he sholde be seie to worship^e the ydolle of venus ; and therfore that place was nat hauntid, but as al foryeten. And than Eleyne made that temple to be destroied and that place to be wor- shiped. And than aftir that Judas and othir bigan for to digge myghteli, that thei diggid . xx . paas depe ; and there thei founde , iij . Crossis hid, the whiche he broughte to the Quene Eleyne. ^Caxton must have used Lat. or Eng. here: "Thenne she shewed to hym his lyfe •& dethe, & bad hym chese. whyche he wold;" =■ V.J. 135: *'dont lui dist elle la vie et mort de son propos, ' preng lequel qwe tu veulz ; ' " = Vr. f. 128 : " Ellis lequel qwe tu voudras, ou morir, ou viure." Aho below, V. : dont luy dist la roine : " par le crucifix, ie te ferai perir de faim ; " = Vr. : au quel la roine dist : "Par €il qui fu crucefie, ie te ferai raorir par faim." ^Others, place; A., the place to hir. And whan he had made his prayers the place bygan, etc.; h. also originally so, but marginal correction now makes it like E.: Come to the place, and whanne he hadde made his praiers the place beganne, etc. ^Vr.: "et len senti oudeur de merueilleuse douceur daromates;" V., "une fumiere de grant oudeur," = Caxlon: "fume of grete swetenes. *V. & Caxton simply: le temple dune deesse, ^ of a goddesse. 138 Legenda Aurea — Legende Dor^e — Golden Legend. And whan thei couile not knowe the Crosse of Jhu Criste fro the Crosse of the thefis, thei leide hem alle three in the myddis of the Cite, and abode there the grace of god. And than aboute the oure of none men here a yonge man dede by the weye. And than Judas toke the first Crosse, and the secounde, and leide hem uppon the ded body ; but he meued neuer the more. But as sone as he was touchid with the thridde Crosse he aros anone fro dethe to lyffe. JtfEn rede in the stori Ecclesiaste,^ that a ladi, whiche was Ladi of that Cite, lay in her bedde, halfe dede. and Macharie, that was Bisshop of Jerusalem, toke the firste Crosse, and the secunde ;^ but thei profighted her not. And than he toke the thridde Crosse and touchid her therewith : and she aros anone al hole. And Ambrose seith how that thei knewe the Crosse of our lorde bi the titil that Pilat had sette thereon, that was founde and radde there. and the ffende cried in the eyre, and seide : " O, thou Judas ! whi haste thou doo this? thou hast not folewed^ myne othir Judas, but thou haste do the contrarie. For he dide the treson that I connseiled him ; and thou haste forsake me, and haste founde the Crosse of Jhu Criste. By my Judas I haue wonne meny a soule ; and bi the I shal lese thoo of the Jewes that I had gete som tyme. I regned by him in the peple ; and bi the I shal be caste oute of the peple. and therfore verili yf I may I shal ouercome the. for I shal meue ayenst the anothir kynge, that shal lese* the lawe of the Crucified, and make the to renaye the crucified." the which thinge the flPeende mente bi Julian Appostata, the whiche tormentid aftir that same Judas wit/i meny grete tormentis; for he was made Bisshope of Jerusalem, and a martir of Jhu Criste. And whan Judas herde the ffeende crie so, he dradde him not, but cursid him strongli, seyinge : ^^ Jhu Criste hath dampned the depe in helle, in euerlastinge fire.'' And aftir that Judas was cris- tened, and callid Quiriacus ; and than he was ordeyned to be Bisshop of Jerusalem. And whan the blessid Eleyne saughe that she had not the blessid Nayles of Jhu Criste, she praied Quiriacus that he wolde go to the same place and seke hem diligentli. And 1 This story om. in V. and C. ; but in Vr. *A.y and the seconde and touchid hir ; but, etc. ' A., Thu hast not defouled myn, etc. *Re8tf leue ; A. om. and make — crucified. Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend, 139 whan he come thidir and made his praiers, the Nayles of our lorde Jhu Criste bigan to shyne aboue the erthe as golde.^ than he toke hem up and bare hem to Eleyne the Quene. and than she knelid a-doune, and enclyned here heed, and worshipid hem with grete reuerence. And than seinte Eleyne toke that one partie of the Crosse, and that othir she made to be putte in a fayre Shryne ^ of siluer, and here hit into Jerusalem. And that othir partie she bare to her sone, and the Nayles of our lorde that he was nayled with. Of the whiche Nailes, as Cesarience seith, Constantine made to sette {oon ofY hem in a Bridell whiche he used whan he wente into bataile. And with that othir he arrayed his helme. But raeny affermed, a& Gregorie of Touris seith/ that there were . iiij . uailes fastned in oure lorde Jhu ; of the whiche seinte Eleyne put . ij . in her sones Bridell. and the thridde was sette in the ymage of Constaunte that is at Rome, and apperid aboue al the Cite. And the . iiij . ''"' she caste in the see of Adrian, the whiche into that tyme had be a deluge and distruccion of alle thoo that come thereynne. And she commaundid that this feeste of the Inuencion of the Crosse were euery yere halewid solempneli. and Ambrose seith the same, how that Eleyne soughte the Nayles of oure lorde, and fonde hem. and of that one she made her sone a Bridell. and of that othir a Croune ; and she made to sette the Nayles in the forheed, and the^ Cronne in the backe of the hede ; and the reyne in the honde : so that the witte apperid, the feithe shyned, and the myghte gouerned. And whan alle these thingis were done, Julian the Appostata slouje Seint Quiriacus the Bisshop, for that he had founde the holy Crosse, and this Julian enforsid him al that he couthe to distroie the holy Crosse.^ for whan Julian wente ayens the men of Perce^ he toke Quiriacus, and wolde haue made him to do sacrifice to the ydollis. And whan Quiriacus had denyed hit, he made to kutte ^A., golde. tho he knelyd downe, and enclyned his hed, and worshipped hem with gret reuerence, and bare hem to the quene. 'A., put a shrine, hut in a fair inserted in marg. ^All om.; in marg. of h., made set (oon of) them. * This and fol. to end of paragraph om. in V. and Caxton ; but in Vr. ^Others, of the crowne; cf. Lat. p. 310. ® Sentence repeated in A., but erased ; this Julian omitted. 140 Legenda Aurea — L^gende DorSe — Golden Legend. of his right honde, and seide that he had write to many letters with his honde : ^' bi the whiche he hath witMrawe moche peple to sacrifice to our goddis.^' And than Quiriacus seide to him : " thou wood hounde, thou haste do to me a grete profighte. For or I wer oristen I wrote ofte into the synagoge of Jewes that none^ sholde bileue in god. and nowe thou haste caste aweye al the disclaundir of my bodi.'' And than anone this Julian lete melte lede, and poured hit in his mouth, and aftir that he lete make a Grederne of Iren, and made him to be leide thereon, and grete fire to (be) ^ putte undir of oolis. and than he made his woundis to be frotid with salte and grece. And Quiriacus helde him stille withoute meuynge. and than Julian seide to him : " yf thou wilte not sacrifie to our goddis, yit renaye that thou arte a cristen man.'^ and whan Quiriacus had refusid to do that cursid^ dede, Julian commaundid to make a depe pitte in the erthe, and put thereynne Quiriacus, and caste uppon him venemous serpentis. but these serpentis were dede anone. And than Julian commaundid that Quiriacus sholde be put in a Cau- dron ful of Oyle boylinge hoote. and he blessid him, and entrid ynne with his good wille, and praied to oure lorde that he wolde baptize him ayen in the lauatorie of martirdome. And than was Julian wrothe, and commaundid that he were smyte thorugh the bodi with a spere ; and so he disserued to fulfille his martirdome. how moche the vertu of the Crosse apperid in that trewe ISTotarie that an enchauntour wolde haue disseyued, and broughte him into a place where he callid the ffeendis, and bihijte him that he sholde habounde in al manere of richesse. And than he saughe a grete Ethiope sitte an highe uppon an highe seege. and had aboute him meny Ethiopis that helde swerdis and staues in her bond is. And than he asked of the Enchauntour what man that was. and he seide : ^' lorde, hit is youre seruaunt.^^ And than the Ethiope seide : ^^ wil he worshipe me, and be myne, and renaye his Criste ? And I shal make him sitte uppon ray righte side." and than anone this Notarie made uppon him the signe of the Crosse, and seide that he ^A. & h., men ; but in h. non replaces erased men. ^MS. om.; in rest; A. has, gret Colys of fire to be put under. ^E., and whanne he hadde refused that in cursinge, Julyan, etc.; A. & h., he had do to refuse that in scornjng, Julian, etc. Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend, 141 was the seruaunt of Jhu Criste. and anone that multitude of ffeendis vanysshid awey. And aftir that in a tyme as this Notarie wente vfiih his maistre and entrid into a Chirche of seihte Sophie, and stode bothe bifore the ymage of the sauyoure, his maystre saughe how that the ymage bihilde the Notarie verili, and had his eyjen sette uppon him en- tenteli. And (whany the maistre sawe this he had grete merueile^ and made him turne into the right side of the ymage. and yit he sauje the ymage haue alwey his eyjen uppon him. And than he made him turne on the lifte side, but the ymage turned his eyen uppon him, and bihelde him stedfasth*. And than the maistre con- traried^ him, and praied him to telle him what he had deserued towardis god that the ymage bihelde him soo? And than this Notarie seide that he cowthe not remembre him of no goode dede that he had done, but that he wolde not renaye god aftir the ffendis biddinge.^ Here endith the Findinge of the holy Crosse. Chapter VI. Kemarks on the Texts. Eesults. A few words must be said on the principles which have guided me in editing the legends given above. In the MSS., and in the printed text of de Vignay, the eccentricities of the original uses of capitals have never been ^' corrected ; ^' whether according with our ideas or not, I have always attempted to reproduce the original. But in the case of punctuation I felt myself free ; for such rude attempts at indicating punctuation as "were to be found in the MSS. were too scanty, and too thoroughly inconsistent. In both Eng- lish and French legends, therefore, I am responsible for the punc- tuation, which I have used to bring out the proper meaning according to my best judgment. I trust that some semblance of order has been brought out of chaos, so that at least some sort of meaning will be got out of the sentences. In the printed V. there is some punctuation, which is in general quite correct, but insuffi- cient ; as far as possible I have preserved this (indicated by/, as in Caxton), and supplemented it with my own. I have also felt bound to reduce the inconsistent uses of the MSS. as regards divi- ^MS. om.; rest, And whan he sawe. ^Others, his maister coniured. ^E. & A., wolde not renye hym afore the fende {A. adds, and enchauntour). 142 Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dor^e — Golden Legend. sion of words to some sort of order. For example, the indefinite article was sometimes joined to the following adj., as agrete^ adepe; words which we now write in one body were sometimes divided, as with in, ouer come. These changes have been carried through as consistently as possible. I have not attempted to reproduce the rubric paragraph signs, which are used in all the MSS., but which are not consistent with modern punctuation. It was often a sore temptation to offer certain emendations, but in no case have any such been put in the text unless justified or suggested by another version. In the case of legends A. to E., in- clusive, there was only the text of MS. Add. 11,565, with its marginal corrections. Many interesting collations with Caxton might have been put in here ; but it is perhaps preferable that the comparison be made in bulk. In the other legends the MS. on which the text is based is always the first named. For the Seven Sleepers, St. Patrick, and Holy Gross, I chose the text of MS. Harl. 4775, because it seemed, in general, the smoothest, and also because the relationship between it and Douce 372 could then be shown more clearly. It is, perhaps, needless to say that the texts are as accurate as I could make them. That errors have crept in I can- not doubt, but I hope they will prove to be few and insignificant ; for all portions of the copy which seemed to me doubtful were col- lated many times with the MSS. before leaving London. The variants from other mss. given in the footnotes are not intended to be exhaustive, except in that portion of the Seven Sleepers common to MSS. H. and D. Here I sought to give even the minor orthographic variants. Even thus, they are insignificant in num- ber, and not one is of any real importance. Exactly similar results would appear in other legends which I am not able to print here, such as St. Julian, St. Ursula^ Five wiles of Pharao, and Adam. This seems to me a confirmation of the opinion expressed on p. 73. In the variants from others than MS. D., I have tried to give, in legends F. and J., all that were of any importance, rarely any that were merely orthographic. Even with these restrictions, the notes occupy a good deal of space, so that it may be imagined to what inordinate proportions they would have grown if minute details had been included. I may state here that where a variant reading has been referred to as occurring in All, or in Others, or in rest, I Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend, 143 mean in all other mss. except the one on which the text is based, excluding, of course, cases in which some special variant for a cer- tain MS. has been already given in the note. The choice of the legends here printed has not been altogether haphazard. All of them, we must remember, are here printed for the first time in their present form, with the exception of St, Patrick and the French legends ; and all these, too, except iT., are based on MSS., not on the later printed forms. The first five legends are from MS. A., and are among the most important in the list. For they will show, upon comparison, a much closer relation to Caxton than any of the others. We have discussed this before (p. 83, fol.) and there is little more to add ; for half an hour spent by the reader in comparing these legends with Caxton^s version of them will do more to prove our point than pages of scrappy parallels presented here. I may add, however, that the differences between Caxton and MS. A. in these legends is probably no greater than that between Caxton's Polychronicon and the R. S. ed. of Trevisa^s work. The same holds true of other legends for which Caxton depended on MS. A. The Seven Sleepers was chosen to show another aspect of Caxton's debt to the mss. Here he had his choice between the French, the Latin, and the English. He almost certainly used all three. The first few words of Caxton's story are quite as close to the corres- ponding portion in the mss. (p. 107) as the text of MS. A., for ex- ample, is to that of MS. H. And similar verbal agreements in various parts of the story show phrases borrowed from the mss. ; e. g., MSS. : "And therfore I commaunde that thou be demened aftir the lawes into the tyme that thou hast confessed that thow hast founde '^ — Cax. : "And therfor I commaund that thou be demened after the lawe, til thou hast confessyd where thou hast founde this money." I think there can be no doubt that Caxton translated with the English before him. We may feel perfectly sure that he always kept the Latin by him ; I need here mention only the sig- nificant fact that he uses the Latin form of the names, as MalchuSy and marcyanus (Malche and Martinian in mss. ; cf. also p. 93). And the frequency of French words in place of English ones (doubtous for dredful; entresalewed eche other, for bade eche of hem othir good morwe) shows no less certainly use of the French, even 144 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dor^e — Golden Legend, if we did not find a phrase such as the following, without counter- part in the English or Latin : " that mountayn whiche was deserte and aspre.^' St. Marine^ in its two forms, was put in to show several things (cf. pp. 7] , 87, and 93). In the first place, we find that Caxton here relied mainly upon the Latin ; he did not use the French at all, for it seems probable, from our examination of the etymologies, that he did not use the Mss. which have this legend. But his knowledge of the English may be suspected when we find him using a sentence not found in the Latin, but in our mss. In the second place, a comparison of French and English MS. versions shows that the latter is considerably fuller, and that it is more likely to have come from the Latin than from the French. The three versions of St Patrick were meant to bring out sev- eral interesting points. The comparisons already made between I. and /. (cf. pp. 71, 72) are the basis of my opinion that the English translator used the Latin as well as the French. I leave the texts in the hands of the reader. A mere glance at texts J. and K. will convince any one of the fact that the de Vignay reviser has been at work here. He has changed the form of the original about as much as Caxton usually does. And he has also added two inci- dents by way of supplement. But most noteworthy of all is the attitude assumed by Caxton to the original story, as represented by the three texts here presented and the Latin. He has followed none, but, as we have shown above (p. 86), has written a new legend for himself, in which he leaves out nearly all the familiar purgatory legend, about which he was apparently a little skeptical ; yet he adds many details that seemed to him historical. I selected this legend to show how freely the great printer handles his materials when on ground with which he was familiar. Ralph Higden was to him a trustworthy historian, while the unknown author of this very extra- ordinary story of Nicholas, with his experiences of fire and brim- stone, was hardly to be credited. He describes how the saint discovered the mouth of purgatory, and the conditions of entrance. Then he proceeds, without any mention of Nicholas : "As touchyng this pytte or hole, whyche is named saynt Patrykes purgatorye, somme holde opynyon that the second patryke whiche was an abbot & no bysshop, that god shewed to hym this place of purga- Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dorie — Golden Legend, 145 torye, but certeynly suche a place there is in yrelonde wherein many men haue been, and yet dayly goon in & come ageyn, & somme haue had there meruayllous vysions and seen grysly and horryble paynes, of whome there been bookes maad as of Tundale and other." ^ This is all, except the passing reference below, where the three great feats of St. Patrick are enumerated : " The iii wonder is redde of hys purgatorye, whyche is more referred to the lasse saynt Patryk thabbot." I quote from the K. P. ed., p. 422. In the last of the legends, the Holy Cross, I have attempted to show, first, how Caxton sometimes follows V. (S.), rather than the standard and conventional form found in the Latin, older French, and English versions. But even here, though following V. in omitting many of the details (indicated in the footnotes), he can be detected in the act of adding corrections from the other versions. A case in point is the insertion of the name hoy)S named saltus (== domus saltus), which is not found in theV. text (cf. p. 1 30, note 3). A careful reading would doubtless discover more, but I could not devote much time to minutiae of this nature, having hit upon one point that is quite sufficient for my purposes. I wished also to bring out some of the more interesting features of the Belet and Vignay French versions, and in order to keep the notes within bounds, I was compelled to give very few variants from the Eng- lish MSS. I hope, however, that I have succeeded in retaining all that were of any real value. The legend itself is peculiarly inter- esting, and the footnotes are intended to emphasize certain points, for which I shall refer to the text and to previous parts of this study. A few words must still be said regarding the Kelmscott Press Golden Legend. Mr. Ellis's statement (p. 1285), that "where the text was altogether unintelligible, or absolutely wrong through mistranslation, no hesitation has been felt in correcting it by the Latin original " — without any sort of sign-post to warn one — filled me with alarm, especially in view of other shortcomings of the edition from a critical point of view. I could not leave St. Cuth- ^ Is it not possible that Caxton got his doubts from reading Froissart? Cf. the latter's comment in his Chron., Bk. IV, cap. 62— in Lord Berners, see Wright, St. Pat. Purgatory, p. 139. Caxton certainly knew of Froissart ; see the reference in his Epilogue to the Order of Chivalry, Blades, i, 176. 10 146 Legenda Aurea — LSgende DorSe — Golden Legend, bert, St. Donston, and other holy and blessed saints, martyrs, and •confessors in whom I was interested, defenceless victims to Mr. Ellis's sacrificial shears. I therefore collated all the legends with which I was particularly concerned with the original Caxton. I am glad to say that I found practically no changes of importance. In many places "&" has been substituted for " and,'' or vice versa; and a few capitals have been changed, generally to suit the modern punctuation. We may well forgive such slight changes. With the evidence I have already presented (p. 70, fol.), and with that which the reader may select for himself from the French and English texts of Marine and Patrick, I think it can be proved that the English translator knew and used, to some extent, the original Latin. I shall not argue the question over again, as my views have already been stated as fully as need be. But one piece of evidence, which I had intended presenting earlier had I not been prevented by mislaying a part of my notes, will come in here at the end, where I fear it will produce a stronger effect than I wished to have attached to it. It will be remembered that de Vignay's name always occurs at the end of the legend of St Dominique (cf. p. 45-46). This would be one of the first places in which one would look, therefore, to find out something about the name of the translator of the English version. It so happens that MSS. A., H., and D. are defective just at this point. But in E., fol. 178, and in h., fol. 226, we find the following words, which would have delighted Dr. Horstmann's soul had he happened upon them : ^ "Seint Domenik the ordenaunce [sicY of his ordre sawe ihu crist that helde . iij . dartes in his honde and manaced the worlde, etc, ffor I, frere iohn of Benyngnay, translatour of this boke, will no more putte hereof that vision ; for she is before in the same chap- itre. and thus endith this glorious lyff of seint Domenik, the furst fader and techer of the frere prechoures ; notwithestondinge that I haue not fully drawe oute alle the glorious miracles that hys (/. 178 b) blessed lyff makithe mension of, for shortnesse of tyme ; but ho so luste to rede hem or to here hem, he may clerely and plen- ^ This bit was copied by Mr. J. A. Herbert, of the Brit. Mus., as I was unable to find the notes I had myself made. The two mss. vary only in quite unim- portant points of spelling; I quote from E. * The sentence should possibly read : St. Dom. atie the ordenaunce, etc. Legenda Aurea — Legende Dor^e — Golden Legend. 147 teiioiisly se hem in legenda aurea : and oure blessed lorde thorughe liis praiers yeue us part of his holy merites. Amen." The vision here referred to is that recounted in the Latin, p. 470, beginning : Quidam frater minor .... narravit : cum beatus Dominicus Romae pro Gonfirmatione sui ordinis apud papam instarety node orans vidit in spiritu Christum in aere exsistentem et tres lanceas in manu ten- entem et contra mundum eas vibrantem. There is no doubt whatever in my mind, not only that the words in the English MSS. are trans- lated from the French, with which they agree so ludicrously, but that the very name of Benyngnay is but a corruption of Vignay. Mr. Madge suggests (p. xiii) Bungay (?) ; but he was not aware of the original passage in the French, which explains it all. But in «pite of this tell-tale piece of copying on the part of the English translator, I still hold to my view, for which I think I have given adequate evidence, that he also used the Latin. The original purpose of my study, viz., to work out the sources and method of Caxton^s Golden Legende^ has been obscured by so much detail and followed through such devious ways that I feel it necessary to re-state my conclusions. We have five fairly complete MSS. of an English prose translation of the Legenda Aurea, made from the French of Jean de Vignay, with some use of the Latin, in the first quarter of the XV century. I feel quite sure that other MSS. of this version are to be found. All of those we have are copies, and all agree closely enough to allow of collation. One of these MSS., which has never before been described as belonging to this common version (except, of course, in the Brit. Mus. Cata- logues ; Ward mentions it. Vol. IT, 555, in connection with St. Brendan^ but not as one of the MSS. of the English Golden Legend), contains a number of legends of English saints not found in the others, or in the Latin. We have, besides the more primitive forms, a MS. and a book, printed at Paris (?) in 1480 (?), represent- ing a thorough revision of de Vignay's French version. The orig- inal Latin was available in many places. With these legitimate materials before him, how did Caxton proceed ? what are his sources ? For the arrangement and general plan of his work Caxton chose the revised Vignay of MS. Stowe, = the printed V. ; and this must still be regarded as the groundwork of his Legend. From it he 148 Legenda Aurea — LSgende Doree — Golden Legend, translated certain special feasts — such as the History of the Mass,, and the Twelve Articles — and probably all of the new French or Dutch saints found in his Legend, about thirty-five in all. To these Caxton adds a new and rather long life of St. Roche, translated from some non-Legenda Latin text. Then, the fourteen chapters called Bible stories, which are his own work, based on the Bible, but with a large admixture of legendary matter from Josephus, the^ Polychronicon, etc. Then wc find nineteen English saints, new to- the Legenda. Eight of these can be shown to have come from the English MSS., chiefly Add. 11, 565 ; and as this MS. is defective irt the very places where we should expect to find more English saints,, and as these legends cannot be proved to have come from other sources, we may be allowed to assume that they once existed in the original of MS. A., and that Caxton got them from this English translation. Caxton follows the MSS. in giving a legend of 8t^ Katherine, dijBPering in many particulars from that in the Legenda*. This leaves us, roughly speaking, the original corpus of the Legenda Aurea: how did Caxton treat that? Here we call attention first to three legends : St. George, St. Germayne, and St. Patrick. In< the first we find Caxton adding a paragraph of his own knowledge.. The second is duplicated ; in its first form he used the French of MS. S., = V. ; in the second, the English mss. and the Latin. In St. Patrick he departs from all his models, and writes a new legend,, in which there is but a passing reference to the Purgatory. Irt view of this quite unexpected departure from the role of a mere- translator, we ought not to decide too hastily that the bulk of his- text — the original corpus of the Legenda — is taken unchanged from^ the Latin or the French. We have five legends for which, owing to various reasons, Caxton depended on the Latin, rather than on his usual French and Eng- lish sources. These are : Gordian, Pernelle, Quiryne, Maryne, and Theodora, Examination of the etymologies which Caxton added to those found in MS. S., = V., shows almost beyond question that he here used the Latin, and not the other and older French MSS^ which do contain these etymologies. From this, and from the evidence of the five legends named above, we conclude that Caxton translated these legends from the Latin, may have used the Eng- Legenda Aurea — L^gende DorSe — Golden Legend, 149 lish MSS., but did not know of the other French MSS. representing the earliest stage of de Vignay's work. The .labor of translating such a huge work must have been con- siderable. But Caxton did no1; go about his task rashly or incon- siderately. When we, digging at random in this abandoned mine, chance upon a nugget here and there which is plainly not from the accepted sources, we should be doubly cautious how we claim that this Golden Legend was filled up from this or that book. As I have said before, we are not justified in doing so until every page of his work has been sifted to discover which of his sources was most used. This study makes no such pretense to exhaustiveness ; but as far as it has gone it shows that Caxton depended to a large degree upon the previous English version which he seems in many cases to have adopted bodily, introducing necessary correc- tions from the Latin and the French. This, I think, is putting in its true light the influence of the English MSS. And I believe that further investigation would show a great deal more of this than I feel warranted in positively claiming, but that it would not show many new cases in which Caxton has relied solely upon this version. Appendix. — New Manuscripts. In Todd's Catalogue of the Lambeth MSS. (1812), No. 72 is ■described as a '^ Codex membranaceus, folio. Sec. xv. The Oolden Legend, by W, Caxton. Imperfect, beginning at f. 41. Ends with a Table to the Lives of the Saints on f. 462 a." I had -seen this notice, but, having then no time to investigate, con- cluded that this was nothing more than a copy of Caxton's book, not a MS. My attention was called to it again by Mr. Herbert, and I then requested him to find out something about the matter for me. Shortly after that, he sent me notice of a MS. belonging to the Ash burn ham collection, to be sold at Sotheby's on May 1st. And when the sale came off, he also examined this MS. for me. The results of his careful work are given below, and, though put in its present form by me, the whole is based on the information he obtained. The results confirm, in a most surprising and gratifying manner, many of the surmises I have hazarded, and my regret is therefore all the keener that I did not find these 150 Legenda Aurea — Legends Doree — Golden Legend. Mss. sooner. I shall quote what Mr. Herbert says of the mss.^ making comments of my own. Lambeth MS. No. 72 is a vellum MS., folio, fifteenth century r " I should say,'^ he remarks, " about the middle, later rather than earlier, of the century ; written in two or three hands of the same period, in double columns of 42 lines. It is imperfect at the beginning, but nowhere else that I can discover ; and as the chapters are numbered in the rubrics, and as there are catchwords at the end of each quire, any lacuna should be easily detected. The first leaf (in the present state of the MS.) is numbered 41,. and the last 461 ; but a modern note on the fly-leaf points out that the numbering is not quite correct, 48 and 303 being omitted^ and 170 put twice." The ms. begins in the life of St. Agnes: " myght ys moste stronge, the beholdyng moste feyre, the love moste swete. And the grace grettest of all other. {Paragraph sign.) And after she put fyve benefytes that her spowse yeve here, and to all otherre spouses, ffor he makyth hem noble '^ (cf. Leg., p. 114, 1. 13). This life ends f. 42 b, and the life of St. Vincent begins. Rubric : " Here begynneth the lyfe of seynt Vynsent the deakon. Cap°^ 24"^ " Of the Ashburnham ms., which is by far the most important of all those yet discovered, Mr. Herbert says : " MSS. formerly in Ashburnham Appendix, sold at Sotheby's, 1 May, 1899. Lot 1 (bought by Quaritch). It is an unusually complete copy, by far the most complete of any that I have seen ; and it is a fine MS., of much the same general pattern as Lambeth 72 and our (Brit. Mus.) Add. 11, 565. Large folio. Arms (said to be those of Elias Ashmole) stamped on cover. Vellum, ff. 173, double columns of 69 lines. XVth cent, (about the middle of the century). One or more leaves (probably not more than one or two) lost at the end, otherwise no imperfection so far as I noticed. On f. 1 is a table of chapters, headed ^ The Calendyr of the ly ves of Seyntys ; ' it ignores several of the articles actually included, having only 170 chapters instead of 197. The first page of the ms. proper has a fine illuminated border. Title : ^ Legenda Sanctorum in Englysshe. Here begynneth the boke of J^e lyfe of Seyntis callid in latyn Legenda sanctorum. Of ]>e whiche begynnyth first )?e Legenda Aurea — Ligende Dor^e — Golden Legend. 151 lyfe of seynt Andrew the apostle/ Cap. 1 begins : ^ Seynt Andrewe and othir of );e disciples were callid iij tymes of our lord.' " There is no necessity for giving a complete table of contents, as we can indicate what the mss. contain by reference to the table of H., p. 50. MS. Lambeth 72, as said, begins with Agnes (incom- plete), = H. Cap. 23. The order is then quite like that in H. Cap. 79, f. 143, gives: ^'lyves of seynt Albon and Araphibal, first martirs of Inglond." Cap. 96 is, says Mr. Herbert, '^a Life of Jeromey in sections, each section headed by a rubric ; including several epistles of Jerome J^ This is the first divergence from H. in MS. Lamb. 72. The Ashburnham MS., beginning with Andreio, runs quite regularly like H. as far as Cap. 66 ; here Jerome is omitted (the Ashb. MS. gives a Cap. later on Jerome^ No. 160). Then after H. Cap. 78 (Geruase) comes Xeo, = H. 82, Latin 88, and in present MS. numbered 78. After this we find most important additions, and as some of them occur in both MSS., I shall put them in one table; the folios for Lamb, are given, as well as the chapters ; for Ashb. chapters alone are given in those legends only which it adds to the list of Lambeth ; the legends found in both are also starred, to avoid all misconception. CAP. FOL. CAP. POL. 79., .. . . . Edward King & Conf. 101 ., ,. 217b . .. *Edmond kyng & 80., ,. ... Winifred Yirg. marUV. 81 ., ,. ... Erkenwolde. 102., .. 218 . .. ^ffrydeswide. 82., •• ... ^Albone & Amphia- belle.^ 103., .. 219 . .. *Edward kynge & martir. 97 ., .. 202 ... "^Brendan {later in Ash.). 104 ., .. 220 . .. *Alphey bieschop. 98.. ,. 208 , ... *Au8tyn bisschop {later in Ash.). 100 .. ,. .. ^Austyn Bp (Apost Angl).' 99.. .213 ... ^Edmond bisschop.' 105 . .. 221 . .. *Oswold. 100 ... 216 ... *Bride. 106 .. 222 b ... *Donston. I ^ These 4 are from Ashb. ; Albone, of course, same as in other mss. ; in Ashb. Albone is followed by chapter8 = H., Nos. 80, 81 (Lat., 86, 87), then 83-91, in- clusive (Lat., 89-97), then Edmond, Ash. Cap. 94, = Lamb. 99. 'In Ashb., "Edmond confessour,'' beginning a new leaf, IJ cols, being left blank after Cap. 93, Appollynar. 'See below, comments on Austyn; does not come in this place in Lamb.; see Cap. 98. 152 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend. CAP. FOIi. CAP. POL. 107 ... 224 ... *Aldelyne con- 112 ... 230 b ... *Cutberte Bp. fessowr.^ 113 ... 231 b ... *ffeythe Virgin. 108 ... 224b ... -^Theophile the 114 ... 232 ... *Dorolhy Virgin. clerke.2 115 ... 232b ... *Leger.3 109 ... 227 b ... *SwythynBysschop. 116 ... 234 ... Michael. 110 ... 228b ... *Kenelme King & 117 ... 237 ... Thomas of Caun- Martyr. turbery.* 111 ... 230 ... *Chadde Bp. 118 ... 251 ... Barbara Virgin.^ The last two, it will be noticed, are only in the Lamb. MS. I continue my comment on this MS., which now adheres to the order of H., though there are still many changes. Cap. 119 is Martha, = H. Cap. 99, and so on regularly through Cap. 105 of H. It is a curious, and, perhaps, a significant coincidence, that the four chapters which are lost in H. are omitted in this MS, namely, Domynyke, Sixte, Donate, and Oiriak. Besides, Hippolitus, Timothy , and Simphorian are omitted, as well as the four chapters, 118— 121 (of H.), inclusive.^ Then the MS. omits all following Cecile, as far as Exaltaoioun, which is followed by Chrysostom (here Cap. 135). After this we pass to (Cap. 136) Matthaeus, followed by Francis, with omission of all those intervening except Leger, given above (115). I shall save time and space by simply giving the numbers of the chapters in the H. table which are here omitted. The MS. omits Caps.: 143, 144, 145, 147, 150, 153, 157, 158, 162 (also omitted here in A., cf. p. 69, and in Ashb., see below), 164 (166 and 167 are transposed), 171 (probably, as in other mss., only an apparent omission ; cf. pp. 63-64). The Lyfe of Adam and Eve (f. 423), and the " V. wylys j^at kyng pharao vsyd ajenst J>e children of Jsraelle to kepe hem in his londe " (f. 431), seem to be complete (as also in Ashb.). Then follows a final cap. (164, f. 437) : " );e ly ves of )?e * i i j * kyngis of Coleyne, ^ In Ashb., Cap. 112, Aldelme. *In Lamb., "followed by the six Mary -legends, numbered 2-7, in Ward, ii, 735-736 ; " cf. p. 66 ; in Ashb., " no Mary legends." ^ After this in Ashb. come Brendan (see Cap. 97) and Orystyne (= Lat. 98), the rest being omitted. *In Lamb., "I think longer than Graesse, Cap. 11," says Mr. Herbert; of course, this is in all probability the same legend found in Add. ^"In 16 chapters, followed by many 'meraclis' of St. Barbara, ff. 251, 274." *As in H., Cap. 125 of Lat. is om. here. Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend. 153 conteyned in • xl vj • chapters." This begins : " Sithe of ]>ese • i ij • Worshipful and glorious kyngis alle j^e World, from j^e arisynge of ]>e sunne to his down goynge, is fulle of preisyngis & meritis, )7er- fore also j^is World shalle and doithe schyne." It ends, on f. 461, near the foot of col. 2 : '^ the whiche • i i j * holy kyngis no we reigne in ]>e hye blisse of heven : to the whiche blysse he vs brynge, there owre lord Jhu crist regneth aboue alle kyngis. Amen." ^ There is, says Mr. Herbert, ^' no colophon ; but there may have been one, for the corner of the (last) leaf has been cut away close up to the concluding words, quoted above. On f. 461 b is a list of contents in a modern hand (XYIth or XVIIth cent.), made after the loss at the beginning." If there had been any doubt as to whether these MS8. should be classed with those we already know, it would be removed when we find the test passage from St. Germayne (cf. p. 73) reading just like all the others : "And than the kynges Cowherd had led his bestes to pasture, so as the Saxons fou-^t ayenst the bretons/^ etc., in Lamb., f. 228 b, and MS. Ashb., f. 89 b, with few verbal differences. The order of ms. Lamb., and particularly of the new legends, is not quite the same as in Add. 11,565 ; but the differences are not very important. In Add., Becket begins the list of new legends, and Brandan closes it (cf. MS. Ash.) ; here the order is reversed, Brendan being put first (we exclude Jeromey though it is probably a new chapter), and Becket next to the last. Besides, in Add. Michael is put much later (cf. p. 68), while here a chapter on Michael — which may be presumed to be of the same nature as that in Add. — precedes Becket. We have noted the coincidence in the omission of Cecile, and the same is true of Ashb. But the strongest reason for classing these two mss. with Add. is the mere fact of the added legends. Lamb, has compensated for the addi- tions by a good many omissions, far more than in Add. ; but the Ashb. MS., to which I now turn, is full. * The version here given seems to be the same found in mss. Cambridge Univ. Libr. Ee. 4. 32, and Cotton, Titus A. xxv. The beginning and end correspond almost verbatim ; cf. The Three Kings of Cologne, ed. Horstmann, E. E. T. S. No. 85, pp. 2 and 156. The present MS. was not known to Horstmann. I must thank Dr. Bright for the hint leading to this note. 154 Legenda Aurea — L^gende Dorie — Golden Legend. In, MS. Ashb., after Leger come (Cap. 112) Brandon, (113) Crystyne, = H. 92, Lat. 98, and then regularly as in H. On folio 93 b, end, we find the close of Domynyh : ^' & he manassid the worlde (f. 94) gretelye, as it is afore rehersid. for I, ffryoi^r John of Renyngnaye, translatowr of this boke, wolle no more put here of that vysion, for she is afore in this same chaptoure. And this endith,'^ etc. Cf. p. 146. The last three chapters in MS. Ashb. are : A dam, Pharao, and Advent, reversing the order of H. The last words of Advent, which is not complete, are : " The worchyng of the ix*^ article is that .... if he be a layman'' — on folio 173b, the last in the volume. It will be remembered that I suggested that MS. Add. once contained a life of St. Ausiyn from which Caxton drew, and a life of Oswolde which he intended to use but did not (pp. 83 and 85). Both are in these new mss., and the Ashb. MS. actually gives the significant title Apost. Angl. to one of its chapters on Austyyi (both MSS. have two Austyns ; in Lam. they are Nos. 98 and 130; in Ashb., 100 and 138). We need have little hesitation in asserting that one of these corresponds to Caxton's first chapter on St. Austyn. Moreover, when we turn back to the list of new English saints (p. 83), we find that the present mss. contain, besides the Oswolde to which Caxton refers without afterwards incorporating it, nearly every one of those enumerated. Three only remain to be accounted for, and they are all comparatively short : Hugh, Bede, and Trans- lation of Beket. One cannot help a feeling of gratification at find- ing predictions so happily justified by the event. And, since guesses have been so promptly and fully confirmed in other cases, I have no doubt that these legends, too, once existed in some form of the English prose translation of the Legenda Aurea. LIFE. I was born January 18th, 1873, in New Orleans, La. Until my fifteenth year I was taught entirely at home, by private instructors, partly on a plantation in Mississippi, partly in New Orleans. In October, 1888, 1 entered Tulane University, where I pursued the regular Academic course, receiving the degree of B. A. in 1892. Two years more spent in advanced study at Tulane, in English, French, and History, during which time I gave elementary instruction to classes in these subjects, brought me the degree of M. A. in June, 1894. In October of that year I went to Paris, where I entered the Sorbonne, pursuing studies in Old and Modern French. In the Spring and Summer of 1895 I was traveling in Italy, France, Great Britain, and Ireland. Keturning to America, I entered the English department of Johns Hopkins University, pursuing courses in English, French, and History. In June, 1897, I returned to England, intending to collect materials for this dissertation. But an unfortunate accident, affecting my sight, compelled me not only to return, but to relinquish all work for that academic year. My sight was so far recovered in May, 1898, that, having been appointed Fellow in English, I returned to England, and spent the Summer collecting materials for this study, in the British Museum, the Bodleian Library, and the Bibliotheque Nationale of Paris. I must take this occasion to acknowledge many obligations to in- structors and friends, and particularly to Dr. James W. Bright. His constant and inspiring help and encouragement alone enabled me to complete this work. The suggestion, the idea, is his own ; the faulty way in which it has been prosecuted is mine. To Dr. R. H. Wilson I owe thanks for some help on Old French. And it is no new thing to find oneself obliged to express thanks for the uniformly kind and polite treatment which a foreign student receives in the great Libraries of Europe, particularly those in England. LbMy'3Q LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 044 152 1 mwA^ . . . : : M ,':H