His life, according to the Golden Legend of James of Voragine, as Englished by William Caxton.
Sequence by Adam of St. Victor:
Exultemus et laetemur
Et Andreae delectemur
Laudibus apostoli;
Hujus fidem, dogma, mores,
Et pro Christo tot labores,
Digne decet recoli.
Hic ad fidem Petrum duxit,
Cui primum lux illuxit,
Joannis indicio.
Secus mare Galilaeae,
Petri simul et Andreae
Sequitur electio.
Ambo prius piscatores
Verbi fiunt assertores
Et formae justitiae.
Rete laxant in capturam
Vigilemque gerunt curam
Nascentis Ecclesiae.
A fratre dividitur
Et in partes mittitur
Andreas Achäiae.
In Andreae retia
Currit, Dei gratia,
Magna pars provinciae.
Fide, vita, verbo, signis,
Doctor pius et insignis,
Cor informat populi.
Ut Aegeas comperit
Quid Andreas egerit,
Irae surgunt stimuli.
Mens secura, mens virilis,
Cüi praesens vita vilis,
Viget patientia.
Blandimentis aut tormentis,
Non enervat robur mentis
Judicis insania.
Crucem videns praeparari,
Suo gestit conformari
Magistro discipulus.
Mors pro morte solvitur
Et crucis appetitur
Triumphalis titulus.
In cruce vixit biduum,
Victuris in perpetuum:
Nec vult, volente populo,
Deponi de patibulo.
Hora fere dimidia
Luce perfusus nimia,
Cum luce, cum laetitia,
Pergit ad lucis atria.
O Andrea gloriose,
Cujus preces pretiosae,
Cujus mortis luminosae
Dulcis est memoria;
Ab hac valle lacrymarum
Nos ad illud lumen clarum,
Pie pastor animarum,
Tua transfer gratia. Amen.
Englished by Digby S. Wrangham:
Now delighted to be praising
The Apostle Andrew be:
Whose faith, life, and doctrine precious,
With his mighty works for Jesus,
Should be honoured worthily.
He, who first the true light's glowing
Saw, at John the Baptist's showing,
Peter led the faith to see!
Then are Peter and his brother
Called along with one another
At the Sea of Galilee.
Fishermen till then, both preachers
Of the word become and teachers
Of the rules of righteousness:
Now a net to catch men loose they,
And a wary forethought use they
The young Church to guard and bless.
Andrew soon his brother leaves,
When commission he receives,
And is in Achaia placed:
Of which province a great part
By God's grace convinced in heart,
To the nets of Andrew haste.
By his faith, life, signs, and speeches
This great, good, man's doctrine reaches
And reforms the people's heart.
When Aegeas findeth out
All that Andrew thus had wrought,
Forth his bitter wrath-stings start.
His staid heart and manly spirit,
Who in this life saw no merit,
Stronger from endurance grow.
Flattering or tormenting either,
His insensate judge by neither
Can his strength of mind o'erthrow.
When he sees the cross preparing,
Like his Master, suffering sharing,
The disciple longs to be;
For Christ's death he pays his own,
And for its triumphal crown
On the cross seeks eagerly.
Upon the cross he lived two days,
Thenceforth to live in heaven always;
Nor, when the people wished, would he
Be lifted from the fatal tree.
Nigh half an hour upon that height
Bathed in a light exceeding bright,
In light, exulting at the sight,
He passes to the halls of light.
Andrew, crowned with endless glory!
Rich in prayer propitiatory!
Of whose brilliant death the story
'Tis so sweet in thought to trace!
From this vale of woe exceeding
To that light such radiance shedding,
Loving shepherd, spirits feeding!
O transport us by thy grace! Amen.
