St. Andrew and the Three Questions in the Scottish Legendary (c. 1400), lines 863-1156, from Cambridge, University Library MS Gg.2.6, fols. 29v-32v

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Ane bischope umquhile I herd say, Religeouse lyf liffand ay, Sancte Andrew in affeccione Had ay, and in devocione, Oure all hawlouys that evir ware, Outane Goddis modir dere. And als in custum he had ay, Quhen he suld eythir do or say Or spedful or helplyk thinge, Ay to say in the begynninge: "In worschipe of God almychty And of Sancte Andro thus do I." The fals fend thane, our felone fay, Had invy he liffit sa Thankfully to God and mane;1 Forethi enforcit he hym thane And for to dissave hym fellounly, And ger hym fal in lichery. And that he mycht sa that man wyne, And for to ger hym fal in syne, He transformyt hym in hy In forme of a fare lady, And come to the bischope in, Sayand schou wald schryf hir of syne, And to sik man schryfyne be, That till assolye hyr had pousté,2 That mycht na man, hyr thocht, Sa wel do as he mowcht. Thane answert he, and sad: "Pardé, I haf ministeris undir me, To quham I haff gevine powere Al schriftis halely till here; Tharefor tak thee ane of tha, And til hym thi schrift thu ma!" Thane sad schow, "Pardé, To na man will I schriffyne be Bot anerly to yow, ore nocht Schaw that I haff in thocht." The bischope than, as innocent, That misknew al hyr entent Sat done thar, and mad hym chifte In gud lasere to here hyr schrift. Thare schow one kneys devotly Sat done and sad mekly, "For Goddis sak I pray thee That thu wil haf mercy of me! Fore I, stabelaste in youthed, As ye ma se, and ye tak hed, And fosterit delecatly, Of kingis kyne yet am I, Thocht I this symple wed has tane, And cumyne hiddir one allane. Fore my faddir of mekil mycht Wald me haf marryit with a knycht, Bot I wald nocht consent thareto, For nathynge he mycht evire do; Fore manis falowschipe haf I Refoysit evirmare halely, And to the Kynge of Hevyne tan me To lyf ay in virginité. Bot he sa hale set his entent To weddinge to ger me consent That othir worthit me do his will, And halely my purpos spill, Or thole torment gret and fell. Forethi I thowcht I wald nocht dwell, Bot stal away this prevely, Fore me ware levare utrely Be banyste fare owt of myn land, Thane fore to brak to Criste the band, That I hafe mad and paid ay, Of my lif to the last day. And fore your word is spred wid Of halynes one ilke syd,3 I chesit you to cum till, Opand in youre gentill will, That ye in youre gret pitté In sik distrese wald rew one me; For I can fynd place naquhare That to me sa gaynand ware As undir your proteccione To luf in contemplacione And warldly thingis to refuse, And hevinly thing sine to use." And quhen the bischope thus tale To the hend had hard hale, He beheld hyr increly And wes forferlyt grettumly That in hyre suld assemblit be Sic nobillay, youthed, and bewté, And that scho suld yet, nevirthelese, With castité restrenye hyr flesche, And oure all hyre wyss spekyne. Thane mad he hyr answeringe: "Be sikyr, douchtyr, and dred nocht! For He in quham thu set thi thocht Sall thi helpe and protectore be, Sene thu til Hym has gevine thee, And fore this joy falyeand, thu Aylestand joy has chosine nou. And I, thocht I symple be, Goddis servand, hechtis thee That thu sal hafe thi uphalding With honesté in al thinge In myn diocé, quhare thu Will chese dwelling to mak nou. Bot this day with me thu sall ete Eftyr travel and the hete." Thane sad scho, "Lord, lat be! Of sic thinge requere nocht me That mycht be hendringe to myn fame, And lattinge als to yore gud name For men will lichtly spek ye ill, Thocht thai haf litill cause tharetill." Thane sad the bischope til hyr sone "Of sic thinge thar thee nocht schone, For we sal nocht be us ane twa Converse, forowtine witting ma;4 That sal al il presumpcione Exclud, and all suspicione." Quhen this wes sad, and mes done, Samyn thai yed to met sone, And the lord gert hyr be set Evene before hym at the mete, Syne the lawe in thar degré War to met set, as thai suld be. Bot ay the bischope in a rane Beheld hyr bewté, and nocht fane [ . . . . . . ] Quhen his harte wes het within Of fleschly luste with hyr to syne. And as the fend had persavynge That the biscope sic lykyne Had in hyr farhed, than gerte he In hyr appere the mare bewté, Till that the bischope had gret will His fellone lust to fulfil, Waittand bot lasare quhen he Mycht purchess oportunité. Thane come a pylgrime sodanly To the get, and fast cane cry, "For Goddis sak, entré!" askand. And fore he sped nocht, with his hand He knokit faste apone the get, Sayand, fayne he wald haf met Before the bischope, ore ellis nocht, Fore tharfor had he thiddir socht. Thane come the portare in but hone And to the bischope sad rycht sone That. Quhen the bischope herd that he Askit met in sic degré, He askit the lady quhat hyr thocht, Gyf he suld haf entré or nocht. Scho sad, "Schere, me think resone That ye ask hym sum harde questione, The quhilk gyf he can nocht undo, That the entré be warnyt hym to, For gyf hym wantis sic prudence, He suld nocht cum in your presence." The bischope thocht, and all the lafe, The sentence ganand that scho gafe.5 Thane speryt thai upe and done Quha suld mak this questione, Bot thar wald no man undertak Sa sle a question for to mak. The bischope sad, "Lady, sene ye Of sle spekine has sutelté With wisdome thareto at yore wil, Sendis the questione hym til!" Thane sad scho, "Sir, askis hym in hy Of this warld the maste ferly That God in lytil space has wrocht." And to that man quhen this wes brocht, He mad answere but abad, That the maste mervale that God mad "Is in the visage of the mane; That all are lyk and yet, nocht than, In ilke face in sum degré Mene fyndis diversyté, Of al mene that evir has bene Sene the warld was, forout wene. And in the face the wittis all Of the cors are stedyt, gret and smal." And quhen this ansuere wes mad Till al that in the hall abade, Cuth na man fynd till amend The answer that wes to tham send. Yet sad the lady, "Bot I wyll Ane uthyre questione send hym till, Quharein we ma assay his wit; And gyf he will answere it, He is worthy till haf entré. Tharefore sperys at hym gyf he Cane say, quhare the erd heyest is." And quhen the pilgram had herd this, He sad, "The corse of dere Jhesu In hevyne empyre is heyest nou, That sammyne is bath God and man In a persone; sa mane we thane Trew that the erde in His persone Is in the hyeste regione." Thane he that mediatoure had bene, And hard this answere all bedene, Recordyt it to the bischope, all As he harde, bath gret and smal. Thane all that in the hall were Ilowit the pilgrame answere, And sad worthy ware, that he To the hall suld welcum be. Bot the lady yet sad, "Nay, Anis yet we wil assay - And the thred tyme althirebeste - And wit gyf he doucht to be geste. Fore proponyt till hym sal beposed A thinge of gret diffyculté, And myrke, and hard fore to say, Gyf his wit gud be til assay; And gyve he cane undo that worde, He may wele syt at youre awne burde. Tharefore spere at hym, quhat space is evyne Fra the yerde upe to the Hevyne?"6 The portare thane this demand mad To the pilgrame, and but abade Sad to hyme agane, "Thu ga Til hyre that cane this demand ma And spere at hyre grathly. For schow wat it bettyr thane I; Fore schow met it, quhen scho fell Of the hey Hevine done to Hell. And fore that I in Hell nevir wes, I cane nocht grathly tel the space. And say this bischope als, that schow That sic demand has mad me to, Is the fende in wemanis schape, Hyme with fandinge til umlape." The portare, that hard hym sa say, Come till the hall but delay, Haffand wondir with rednes, And tald this til all that thare wes, Quhareof thai had gret ferly. Bot the fend wes away in hy, Sonare na ony man cuth thynke, And levit the place full of stinke. The bischope thane hymself blamyt, That wes in poynt to have ben schamyt Quhene he consentit fore to syne, And fore that cause the fend socht hym. Thane he repentyt hym in hy Of his trespace and his foly, And gret with his ewyne rycht sare, And bad the portare pase but mare To bringe the pilgram. Bot he thane Away wes went fra sicht of mane. The bischope gert the puple call, And word be wourd sad to tham all How that the fend come till his in7 In wemanis schape to ger hym syne, And commaundit tham fore to pray Fore hyme, als walk and fast the day Til God, of His debonare will, One sum manere wald schau tham til Quha evire wes the pylgram, that sa Saffyt hym fra his felone fa. Thane til hymself that nycht but bad In visione wes warning mad That Sancte Andro, to God rycht dere, "As a pylgrame apperyt here, To kepe thee fra the fend that, na he, Had wikitly confundyt thee." And the bischope fra that tym, ay To Sancte Andrew, nycht and day, Wes mare devote, in al thinge Of Sancte Androw in the lowynge,8 To quham wyrschipe and honour be Of alkyne men in al degré! Yet men mycht say mekile thinge Of Sancte Andrew in lowinge Bot, fore I am alde and swere I will say no mare of hym here, Bot lowis hym gretly, for he wes Our al the lave of maste meknes, And wes the fyrste man of tham al That we "appostil" now can call, That chosyne ware with Criste to be, All his derreste and mast privé. And syne Sanct Petir, his awn brothir, He broucht to Criste before al uthyre,9 And syne deit apone the tre, As in it deit his mastir fre. Tharfor he suld haf honowringe That sa thankful til Hevynis Kinge Was fyrste and laste, and traste is now To bruk that blyse with dere Jhesu That ay sal leste but ony end, To the quhilk blyse He us al send!10

one time (once upon a time); (t-note) living always; (see note) (t-note) Above all saints; were Except for; (t-note) also When; should; (t-note) Either useful or helpful (t-note) (t-note) fiend then; cruel foe Therefore he exerted himself then both to deceive; maliciously; (t-note) cause him to; lechery overcome himself in haste bishop's inn (=palace) (see note) [so] it seemed to her could said: "By God["] (par dieu) whom; given wholly to hear Therefore take to yourself (i.e., choose) one of them make she confessed only; or nothing Show as [an] innocent (i.e., without suspecting anything); (see note) was ignorant of down; ready leisure on [her] knees devoutly; (see note) said on still very young; (see note); (t-note) may; if brought up tenderly (daintily); (t-note) also Though I have put on simple clothing alone Wished to have me Refused (Kept free from); completely taken (i.e., dedicated) myself so wholly To make me consent to marriage That either it behooved me to; (see note); (t-note) thwart; (see note); (t-note) suffer; cruel stay (hesitate); (t-note) thus (so) (see note) chose Hoping (Trusting); (t-note) such; take pity on nowhere suitable; (see note) live afterwards to enjoy this; (t-note) end; heard wholly earnestly greatly amazed nobility [of birth] chastity restrain (subdue) above all; speaking (eloquence); (t-note) secure (free from care); (see note) (t-note) Since; thyself in place of this transitory joy Everlasting although promise; (t-note) maintenance (living allowance) respectability (dignity) diocese Will choose to make your home now; (t-note) (see note) Do not ask me [to do] any such thing harm my reputation also a slur upon easily slander you to her at once you need not fear; (t-note) said, and [after] mass [was] finished Together; went; dinner (lit., food) caused the rest according to rank; (see note) continuously; (see note) hostile (averse); (see note) heated by perceived such delight (lit., liking); (see note) fairness; caused more wicked Waiting only for a suitable time (lit., leisure); (t-note) grasp; (see note) (t-note) gate; began to entry (i.e., let me in) And since he had no success he very much wished to (t-note) gatekeeper; without delay; (see note) (see note) manner Sir, it seems reasonable to me which; solve (answer) refused him lacks such intelligence; (see note) asked subtle (ingenious) since you; (see note) sly speaking (eloquence); expertise Send the question to him; (t-note) in haste (quickly) greatest marvel without delay (see note) the human face [In] that; nevertheless (t-note) Since; without a doubt; (t-note) senses body; placed Could; find [a way] to sent said Another Wherein; test ask of; (t-note) earth; (t-note) corpse (body); (see note) [the] empyrean sphere; (see note) simultaneously; both one; so must we then Believe messenger heard; in turn Reported Accepted; pilgrim's said it was fitting should (t-note) Once more third; best of all find out; ought (is worthy); (see note) obscure To find out if his wit be good if; solve that problem board (i.e., table); (t-note) (see note) without delay; (t-note) [He] said did; make carefully ask her [to answer] knows measured From the high; down readily to this bishop also To ensnare him with temptation; (see note); (t-note) without Feeling amazement and fear; (see note) (t-note) astonishment gone in haste Sooner than left about to (see note) wept; eyes; bitterly go out without delay gone caused the people to be summoned them; (t-note) (t-note) also to wake (hold a vigil); (t-note) gracious show who ever malicious foe without delay if he [had] not (see note) praise slow (indolent) praise Over all the rest intimate died noble; (t-note) so pleasing from start to finish; trusted (certain) enjoy without