No More Learning

e ber was mychel lyght,
wi? fair pal it was betyght,
& wi? clo? es of golde. 597
fforto honour ? is holy man,
of al ? at lond folk ? ider cam,
? at fayn wake wolde. 600
// Alle seke ? at ? ere were,
As sone as ? ei turned ? e bere,
hole ? ei were anon 603
Of ? e yuel ? at ? ei hedde,
If ? ei in ? e nome bede
of ? is holy mon.
Page 77
606
? To chirche com ? ong & olde,
? at holy corps to beholde,
? at ? ider was . y. -brought. 609
A wel gentyl marbelston,
To louke inne his holy bon,
Sone was y. -sought. 612
? e thridde day was . y. -come,
So me dide ? e londes wone,
Men dide ? e seruise. 615
? eder com more & lasse,
? e pope self song ? e masse,
wi? -outen feyntise.
Page 78
618
? o ? e masse was y. -do,
? e pope & ? emperour also,
? e holy corps ? ei kiste. 621
? ei nome ? o ? e holy bon,
& leide it in a marbelston,
y-loke in a chiste. 624
? Alle ? ilk ? at ? er were,
heried god wi? loude bere,
& crieden mercy,
Page 79
627
Of ? e wonder ? at he dide
In ? e selue holy stede,
ffor loue of Alexij. 630
? Beseke we ? erne & ofte, [folio 118b]
Ihesu ? at vs deore boughte,
? at he vs grace sende. 633
? at we mote him seruy,
And for ? e loue of Alexij,
To his blisse wende. AMEN. 636
Page 20
[Trin. Coll. MS. , Oxf. , 57 [81], lf 73. ]
Vita Sancti Allexij.
Lestene? alle, and herkene? me,
? onge and olde, bonde & fre,
And ich ? ow telle sone, 3
How a ? ong man, gent and fre,
By-gan ? is worldis wele to fle:
Y-born he was in Rome. 6
? In Rome was a do? ty man, [folio 73b]
? at was y-clepud Eufemian.
Page 21
Man of moche my? te, 9
Gold and seluer he hadde y-nou? ;
Halle and boures, oxse and plou? ,
And swi? e wel it dy? te, 12
ffor alle ? e sike of ? e borgh,
ffaste ? e? were y-sou? t ? orgh,
And i-bro? t to his house; 15
? And set hem bedde wel & fede,
And to hem toke guod hede,
Him-selue & eke his spouse.
Page 22
18
? is man hadde a wel guod wyf;
Hy ne louede fy? t ne stryf
In al here lyue. 21
? e sike men wel ofte hy fedde,
And bro? te hem to hare bedde:
I-blessed be hy to wyue! 24
? Hy were to-gyderes ? eres two,
And so ? e? were somdel mo,
With-oute eny blede.
Page 23
27
? e? bede god with herte guode,
? at hem sende such a fode,
To seruy him & drede. 30
And iesu crist, ? at is so mylde,
Hem ? af grace hy was with childe,
? at guode Leuedye. 33
? Bothe be daye & eke be ny? te,
Wel ? erne hy ? onkede oure dry? te,
And so hy dede Marie.
Page 24
36
? o ? is child y-bore was,
Crist ? e? ? onkede of ? at cas,
With wel glade chere. 39
Al-so as ? e wone was,
As hy cou? e with softe pas
? at child to cherche bere. 42
? ? o ? is child to cherche com,
To vnderfonge cristendom,
As ri? t it is, 45
His fader & his moder bo,
Swi? e blithe were ? o,
And clepude it 'allexis. ' 48
? Hy nadde bote ? at ilke sone,
? erfore, as it is ? e wone,
Hy louede him ? e more. 51
? ? o he was old ? eres seuene,
? e? wissede him with mylde steuene,
And sette him to lore*. [[MS. sore]].
Page 25
54
? is child wax, and wel y-? e? ,
Cristis help him was ne? ,
And ? at was wel y-sene; 57
ffor more he lernede*. [[MS. sernede]] in one ? ere
? an eny of his o? ere fere
Dede in ? eres tene. 60
? ffor sone ? is child him vnderstod
? is worldis blisse was no? t guod,
? e man ? at him vnderstode, 63
Worldes wele he forsoke,
And to iesu crist him toke,
? at do was on ? e rode. 66
He by-so? te ny? t and day
Heuene kynge, ? at al ? ynge may,
He ? eue him streng? e & my? te 69
? A? ens ? e fend ? at is a-boute,
To brynge vs in euel route,
Gostlich to fy? te.
Page 26
72
His bone y-herde ? e kynge of heuene,
And spake to him with mylde steuene,
And seyde, 'allexis, 75
To-day ? ou my? t wel bly? e be,
ffor ? yne bone ich granty ?
e,
And my blessynge y-wis. 78
? And ich ? e do wel to vnderstonde
? at ? ou most ? olye shame & shonde,
Al for myne sake. 81
Into vncou? e londe ? ou most wende,
Sone ? uder ich wil ? e sende,
And al ? y ken forsake. 84
In-to vncou? lond ? ou most fare, [folio 74a]
And soffry moche tene ? are,
Al for sone myne. 87
? And su? ? e ? ou shelt a-? e come,
And in ? y fader hous [shalt] wone,
And ? er-ynne fyne. '
Page 27
90
? is childis fader fel on elde,
And his moder godis helde,
? eres hadde fele. 93
Hy wolde here sone sholde wyue,
To gladen hem in ? is lyue,
And haue worldis wele. 96
? Hy by-so? ten him a mayde,
? at witty was and ful of rede,
I-come of he? e kenne; 99
Woman hy was of hewe bri? t,
Hy ? o? te on crist day and ny? t,
And wiste here fro senne. 102
ffor ? o hy were to-gydere y-come,
? is mayde and ? is ? onge gome,
In godis lawe, 105
? ? er was game and moche gle,
Ac, al for-so? e ich telle ? e,
Ne eysede hem no plawe.
Page 28
108
? e day was go, ? e ny? t was come;
? o seyde ? e fader to ? e sone,
With wel glade chere, 111
'Op arys, ? ou sone myn,
And go [? ou] in-to boure ? yn,
To glady ? yne fere. ' 114
? ? o he was in-to boure y-bro? t,
He by-held ? at may swa? el & to? t
Of bri? te hywe. 117
Sone turnde he his ? o? t,
In fondynge he was y-bro? t,
His care be-gan al nywe; 120
He si? te, & made sorweful chere,
Teres ouer his whyte lere
Bytere he let falle. 123
? Ne my? te him gladye his fere,
With wordes ne with fayre chere,
? at stod y-shrud in palle;
Page 29
126
? o it alles op a brake,
? e ? onge man to his brede spake,
With wel fayre bere: 129
'Leman, haue guod day,
No lenger ich ne may
With ? e by sene here. 132
? Wende ich mot fer out of londe,
And soffry tene & peynes stronge,
My synnes to bete. 135
Bothe ich mot, for godis sake,
ffader & moder myne forsake,
And ? e ? at art so swete. ' 138
? o hy hadde y-herd ? e tale,
Hire blesse turnde to bale,
A-swo? e hy fel to grounde. 141
? ? o hy of swo? enynge a-ros,
Wel sore here a-gros,
With care hy was y-bounde.
Page 30
144
Sone so hy my? te op-stonde,
Hy tar here her, & wrang here honde,
And made reuful bere: 147
'Now ? ou wilt lef out of londe,
Loky ich may after ? e longe;
Allas! ? at ich ded nere! 150
? Allas my lef! what hast ? ou ? o? t?
In moche care ich am y-bro? t;
Of me ? ou hast synne. 153
After ? at ? ou art a-gon,
Op breyde me tyt of manyon,
Of ? yne riche kynne; 156
A-wey my lef, ? at ich was y-bore,
ffor al my blisse is for-lore,
And now wexe? my pyne. 159
? Allone her-ynne ich wille wonye,
[folio 74b] And euere eft mannes mone shonye,
Al for loue ? yne. '
Page 31
162
'Leman, al for ? yne sake,--
So do? ? e drake for here make,
Whanne he is a-slawe,-- 165
Alle merthe ich wille forsake,
And euere-more sorwe take,
And shonye alle plawe. ' 168
? He nam his gerdul on his hond,
And his mantel ? er-on he wond,
And his ryng of golde. 171
'My leman, haue now ? is to ? e,
And o? er whyle ? enk on me,
whanne ich ligge vnder molde; 174
Gret wel fader & moder myn,
By-lef her-ynne, & serue him
With wel mylde mode. 177
? ? ulke lord ich ? e by-teche,
? at is of alle bale leche,
? at de? ? olede on rode. '
Page 32
180
Out of ? e borgh he wente anon,
So swi? e so he my? te gon
Ry? t to-ward ? e stronde; 183
Sone a schip he fond ? are,
? at was redy to fare
In-to vncou? e londe. 186
? In-to ? e schip anon he wente,
And god wel sone such a wynd sente,
? at to ? e lond hem bro? te. 189
? at schip was guod, ? at water dep,
And o? er whyle sore he wep,
And was in moche ? o? te;
Page 33
192
? o he in-to ? e lond com,
He solde his clo? es euerichon,
And bo? te him pouere wede. 195
? Al his gold and al his fe,
Among ? e pouere delte he,
? at hadde moche nede; 198
Sone he it vnder-nom,
? at he to one borgh com,
? at moche was & kete. 201
Sone so he ? uder com,
To ? e temple he wente anon,
God self to grete.
Page 34
204
? Among ? e pouere he wonede ? are,
In moche sorwe and moche care,
ffor-to he fel to elde.
Page 35
207
Al ? at he spelye my? te,
Be daye and ek be ny? te;
His pouere feren he delde.
Page 36
210
? o ? e tydynge was y-come
To ? e fader of ? e sone,
How he was a-go, 213
? Him ? o? te his herte wolde breke,
O lepy word he ne my? te speke,
ffor sorwe and for wo; 216
Ofte he si? te & grente sore,
To tar his shroud, his lokkes hore,
? e guode olde man. 219
? erne he gradde godis ore,
? at he ne moste lyue namore;
To swo? eny he be-gan.
Page 37
222
? His moder with wel softe pas
Wente to bedde, & gradde, 'allas,
? at hy was y-bore. ' 225
Nolde hy neuere eft out-come,
Ac ? ere hy wep for here sone,
? at hy hadde for-lore. 228
Alle ?