Harley_2278

[Decorative page header, ornate motif, cap. letter T] To alle men/ present/ or in absence which to seynt Edmund have Devocion with hool herte/ and Dew reverence Seyn this Antephne/ and this Orison Two hundred daies/ ye grantid off pardon write and registred / afforn his hooly shryne which for our feith/ suffrede passion Blyssyd Edmu[n]d / Kyng/ martir/ and virgyne

[lower page] pictured royal retinue, devotion at elevated, golden shrine. [blue] angelic figures [top left and right corners] look down on scene.

Ave rex gentis anglor[um] miles regis angelor[um]. O. Edmunde flos martirum velud Rosa vel librum. funde preces ad dominum pro salute fidelum V Ora pro nobis beate Edmunde [R] Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus [Christi?]. Oracio Deus ineffabilis misericordie qui beatissimii Regem Edmundum tribuisti pro tuo nomine [Con]nimicum moriendo vincere. concede propicius familie tue; ut eo interveniente mereatur in se. antiqui hostis incitamenta superando extinguere. Per [christum] dominum nostrum, Amen.

The noble story / to putte in remembrance Of saynt Edmund / martir maide & kyng With his support / my stile I wil avance First to compile / aftir my kunyng[?] His glorious lif / his birthe and his gynnyng And be discent / how that he that was so good Was in saxonie born / of the roial blood

[Arms of England in the opening initial T] [Miniature with a monk presenting a book to the enthroned king, surrounded by other monks and nobles].

ornate margin

In Saxonie whilom ther was a kyng Callid Alkmond / of excellent noblesse A manli prince / vertuous of levyng And ful habounde / of tresour and richesse Notable in armys / ful renomed of prowesse A semly persone / hardi and corageous Mercurie in wisdam / lik Mars victorious

Eyed as Argus / be vertuous providence And circumspect / as famous Scipion In kyngli honour / of most excellence Holde in his tyme / thoruh many a region But nat withstandyng / his famous hih renon He so demened / his hih noblesse in deede Above al tresour / to love god and dreede

In wordli honour / thouh he were fortunat Set in a chaier / of kyngli dignite He koude knowe / in his roial estat Above alle kyngis / god hath the sovereynte And advertisid / in his most mageste That sceptre or crowne / may litil availe / or nouht To hem that love not god / in herte and thouht

Thus first the tyrant gan his malis shewe By cruel vengance / the cite despoilyng He spared no sect / sauf he kepte a fewe Of folkes olde / unweeldy and hastyng Upon ther deth / for febilnesse languysshyng Such as he dempte / platly forto seye That were not worthy / on his swerd to deye

This tirant Hyngwar / by feer gan them compelle Voidyng delaies forto teche hem where Or in what castel Kyng Edmund dide duelle And of his puissance thei gan also enquere And that thei shulde / conveie him and lere Toward the place / or geten him a guyde Where his houshold / that tyme dide a bide

For verray dreed / these folkes feeble and olde Of ther lyues / stondyng in jupartye Unto Hyngwar / the place anoon thei tolde And with his host / thei lad him that partye Wher as kyng Edmond / with his chevalrye Withynne castre / a place delectable His houshold heeld / ful roial and notable