Digital Index of Middle English Verse: No. 4572

DIMEV 4572

IMEV 2873

NIMEV 2873

Saint Cecilia of noble kind I-bore was at Rome

Life of St. Cecilia in the South English Legendary — couplets

Title(s): South English Legendary

Subjects: saints’ lives; Cecilia, saint, life of

Versification: — two-line — aa

Manuscript Witnesses:

1.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Ashmole 43 (SC 6924), ff. 185v-188v

First Lines:

SEyn Cecile of noble kunne ibore was at rome
Our lord crist heo louede wel ar heo fram cradel come…

Last Lines:

…Nou bidde we our suete lord uor hire holi martirdom
To bringe ous to þulke Ioie þat hire soule to com

Editions:

Lovewell, Bertha Ellen, ed. The Life of St. Cecilia from ms. Ashmole 43 and ms. Cotton Tiberius E. VII. Yale Studies in English 3. Boston, New York, 1898: 72-91.

Furnivall, Frederick James, ed. Originals and Analogues of some of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Chaucer Society 2nd ser. 7, 10, 15, 20, 22. London: Trübner, 1872-87: 208-18.

2.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Bodley 779 (SC 2567), ff. 286-288v

First Lines:

seint sisile of nobil in kin bore was at rome
oure lord crist ȝhe louid wel er ȝhe fro cradil come…

Last Lines:

…now bidde we oure swete lord for here strong marterdom
bring oure soulus to þe ioyȝe þat here to com

Editions:

Lovewell, Bertha Ellen, ed. The Life of St. Cecilia from ms. Ashmole 43 and ms. Cotton Tiberius E. VII. Yale Studies in English 3. Boston, New York, 1898: 72-91.

3.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 108 (SC 1486), ff. 230v-233v

First Lines:

Seinte Cecilie of noble kynde I bore ȝe was at rome
Oure louerd crist ȝe louede wel ar ȝe fram cradel come…

Last Lines:

…Nou bidde we oure swete louerd for hire martirdom
To bringge vs to þat ioye þat hire soule to com

Attributed Title: Vita & passio Sancte Cecilie virginis & martiris (f. 230v)

Editions:

Horstmann, Carl, ed. The Early South-English Legendary. EETS o.s. 87 (1887; repr. 1987): 490-6.

4.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Addit. 3039, ff. 43v-46v

First Lines:

Sayne Cecil come of noble kynde at Rome borne sho was
While sho was ȝonge sho lufed god forþi sho had grete grace
Sho was cristende priuely als we in story rede
And faste sho prayed to Ihesu criste to kepe hir madenhede…

Last Lines:

…Ihesu for þis maiden lufe & for hir martirdome
Þou brynge vs to þat mekil ioye þat hir saule is to come

5.Source: Cambridge UK, Fitzwilliam Museum McClean 128, f. 8

First Lines:

…The queller hyr smete with all his mayn thre sith in hir fwyre
He ne might it fully smyten of ho boght the deth full der…

Last Lines:

…lord for the martirdome that saint Cecile was In
Graunte vs to that ylk Ioye to com that hir life con wynne

Note: Begins imperfectly at line 235; last 20 lines only.

Attributed Title: Saynt cissill (RT)

6.Source: Cambridge UK, Magdalene College Pepys 2344, pp. 508-514

First Lines:

Seint Cecile of noble kyn ybore was at Rome
Oure lord crist ȝeo louede wel ar ȝeo ffram hure cradel come…

Last Lines:

…Now bidde we oure lord ffor hure stronge martirdom
To bringe vs to þulke ioye þat hure soule to com

Attributed Title: Sancta Cecilia (RT)

7.Source: Cambridge UK, Trinity College R.3.25 (605), ff. 165-167v

First Lines:

SEint Cecelie of noble kunde bore was at rome
Oure lord heo loued wel or heo fram cradel com…

Last Lines:

…lord for þe marterdom þat seint Cecile was
graunt ous þulke Ioie þat hire saule ys Inne

Attributed Title: Cecily (RT)

8.Source: London, British Library Cotton Cleopatra D.IX, ff. 155v-158v

First Lines:

[S]Eint Cecile of noble kinne ibore was at Rome
Our louerd crist ȝeo louede wel er ȝeo fram cradel come…

Last Lines:

…Nou louerd for þulc marterdom þat seint Cecilie hadde
Graunte ous to þulk ioie come þer þat angles hire to ladde amen

Note: Folio number reflects the most recent foliation. Space left for enlarged ‘S’, which was left blank.

Editions:

Lovewell, Bertha Ellen, ed. The Life of St. Cecilia from ms. Ashmole 43 and ms. Cotton Tiberius E. VII. Yale Studies in English 3. Boston, New York, 1898: 72-91.

9.Source: London, British Library Cotton Julius D.IX, f. 187

10.Source: London, British Library Egerton 2810 [olim Allan of Darlington], f. 114v

11.Source: London, British Library Stowe 949, ff. 58-61

First Lines:

Seynt cecylie of noble lynne yore was at Rome
Our lord crist heo loued wel ar heo fro cradel come…

Last Lines:

…Lord for martirdom þat seynte cecylye hadde
Graunt vs to þulke ioye come þat þin aungel her ladde

Note: “Amen” added after last line.

12.Source: London, Lambeth Palace Library 223, ff. 221v-225

First Lines:

SAynt Cecile of noble kyn born was at Rome
Oure lord Crist she loved wel er she fro þe cader come…

Last Lines:

…Lord for þe martirdome þat saynt Cecile was In
Graunte vs to þat ioye to come þat hir lyf con wynne Amen

Attributed Title: Saynt Cecile (RT)

13.Source: New Haven, Yale University, Beinecke Library, Takamiya Deposit 54 [olim Weld, sold Sotheby’s, lot 57, June 24, 1980], ff. 166-169v

First Lines:

Seynt Cicile þe good mayde ybore was at Rome
Our lord she loued moche er she from cradel come…

Last Lines:

…Now prey we our swete lord þat for hur marterdom
Brynge vs to þat ilk ioye þat hur soule to come. Amen

Attributed Title: Vita Sancte Cecile Virginis (f. 166)