What then was the original function of our legend of the Assumption? The _evangelium_ and the homily, as we have seen, still retained their places, in part at least, in the _temporal_, where the Assumption would belong, but were supplemented by legendary anecdotes, or even by entire legends. Was our poem originally intended for a place in the religious service, or was it rather a lyrico-romantic production with a sacred theme? What was the original purpose of the poem, it is not easy to determine. In actual use, however, it seems to have played a double role. In two of the six MSS. in which the present version of the story is preserved (viz. the Chetham MS. and Cambr. Univ. MS. Gg. 4. 27. 2.), the legend is associated with romances, and we must infer that it is the romantic quality of the legend that has appealed to the collectors. (Cf. also the slightly different version in the Auchinleck MS.) In the other four MSS., however, the associations, as will be seen later, are distinctly religious, though Harl. MS. 2382 seems rather a literary collection than one designed for church use. In all of the MSS. the poem is referred to as a tale (cf. Harl. MS. 2253, near the end, where occurs the line, _This tale y haue tolde wit mouthe_), and as a _lesson_, that is to say a ‘reading,’ and if we may judge by the general tone of the different versions, the place for this ‘reading’ was quite likely the church. Even if the reading was not confined to the church, it usually was of a professionally religious character as we must judge from the remarkable conclusion in Brit. Mus. Add. MS. 10036: We biseche þee for alle þat hereþ þis vie Off oure ladi seynt marie, That Ih{es}u schelde hem fram g{ra}me Fro dedly synne {and} fro schame, Ne mysauenture schal bi falle þ{a}t man That þis a vie here can. Ne no womman þat ilke dai, That of oure ladi hereþ þis lai, Dien ne schal of hure childe; For oure ladi hure schal be mylde. Ne noone mys-auenture schall be-falle, In felde, in strete, ne in halle, In stede þer þis vie is rad, For oure ladi hure sone it bad, And þe archibisshop, seynt Edmou{n}d, Haþ g{ra}unted xl. daies to p{ar}dou{n} To alle þat þis vie wol here, Or with good wille wol lere. vv. 879-896. § 5. ORIGIN.