Geoffrey Chaucer

“ This abbot, that was an holy man, as monks be, or else ought to be, begun to conjure this young child and said, "O dear child, in virtue of the holy Trinity, I supplicate thee tell what is thy reason for singing, sith to my seeming thy neck is cut?" "My throat is cut to my neck-bone," said this child, "and by way of nature, I should have died, yea, long time ago, but as ye may learn in books, Jesu Christ willeth that his glory last and be kept in mind, so for the worship of his sweet mother, I may still sing 'O alma' clear and loud. ”

“ Our first foe, the serpent Sathanas, that in a Jew's heart hath his wasp's nest, up-swelled and said: "O Hebrew people is this, alas! a thing seemly to you, that such a boy shall walk as he list in your despite and sing of such a theme, which is against the reverence of your law?" From thenceforth the Jews have conspired to hunt this innocent out of this world. ”

“ This provost causeth these Jews that wist of his murder to be slain, and that anon, with torment and shameful death; he would suffer no such cursedness. Evil shall have what evil deserveth, therefore he let them be drawn with wild horses and after that he hanged them by law. Aye upon his bier lieth this innocent before the chief altar while mass was singing, and after, the abbot and his monks sped them to bury him, and when they cast holy water on him yet spake this child and sang—"O alma redemptoris mater!" ”