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90
She was fair honeste & wijs,
Louelich, & of gret prijs,
Ycome of gode kynrede; 93
A? eins no Man she mystook,
wi? contenaunce ne wi? look,
Noi? er in word ne dede. 96
(9)
? Barayne was ? at gode wijf,
In sorou? she ledde her lijf,
ffor she no childe hadde. 99
hir lorde for ? at ilk ? inge
Ofte his honden gan to wrynge,
And sorou? ful lijf he ladde;
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102
ffor he wende ? at god almi? th
had ben wroo? wi? hym apli? th,
? ereof sore hym dradde. 105
Ofte he bisou? th god in heuene
Sende hem a childe, wi? mylde steuene,
To maken hem bli? e & gladde, 108
(10)
? Conforte of hym forto haue,
her godes after hem to saue,
her londes & her ledes; 111
her eyre of hym forto make,
And her richesse hym bitake,
Palfreies & her stedes. 114
Ofte ? ai maden ? us her bone,
And god sent hem grace sone,
? at fulfilde were ? oo dedes: 117
A son conceyued ? at gode wijf;
Tyme com in her olde lijf
ybore it most be nedes
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120
(11)
? ? ai ? ankeden god, & glade were,
And avoweden in ? is manere
Chastite bo? e to take, 123
And to lyuen in clene lijf,
Eufeniens & his gode wijf,
And synne to forsake. 126
? e childe was mery in al manere,
As ? ai maden her praiere,
Ani? th as ? ai gan wake. 129
Alexius ? ai gonnen hym calle;
yloued he was amonges hem alle
? at to hym gonnen take.
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132
(12)
? Alexius was sett to boke,
To gode maistres ? ai hym toke,
And wise of clergie. 135
? e more he wex in elde & leng? e,
To seruen god he dude his streng? e
And his moder Marie. 138
To ? e Emperour whan he was brou? th
? ere dedes of Armes weren ywrou? th
To lernen chiualrye; 141
? ere mi? th he sen in tour[na]ment
what kni? th was dou? ttiest of dent
And man of most maistrie.
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144
(13)
? His fader was bo? e wijs & ware,
ffor ? at his son so wel hym bare,
he loued hym al his lijf. 147
he ? ou? th to don swiche puruyaunce,
whar-wi? he mi? th hym avaunce
And wynne hym a wijf. 150
To a riche prince his son he sent,
And afterward to hym he went,
Stille wi? outen strijf: 153
A dou? tter he had, bri? th & shene,
? e heritage shulde hires bene
Of Castel & londes rijf. 156
(14)
? whan ay? er herd o? eres wille,
And speken ? erof to-gedre stille
To make ? at sposaile, 159
Of ? e tyme comen was ? e day
To fulfille wi? outen delay,
Certeyn, wi? outen faile,
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162
To ? e chirche of seint Bonefas
wi? ? is maiden ? ai token ? e pas,
? at hei? e was of paraile; 165
As custume was & shulde be,
? ai maden gret solempnite,
? e Pope & his conseile. 168
(15)
? Alexius was shamefast,
And of weddyng he was agast,
his vijs al pale bywent; 171
Leuer hym were to be ded
? an haue ytrowed ? at ilk red
By his owen assent. 174
He ne wist what he mi? th don;
fful gret sorou? com hym on,
he helde hym-self shent. 177
To god he gan hym al affye,
And to his moder seint Marie,
Trewely, wi? gode entent.
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180
(16)
? Na? eles he lete his heuynysse,
And made mychel ioye & blisse
At ? at solempnite. 183
He bare hym curteislich & tsllie,
To fulfille his faders wille,
Glad as he had ybe. 186
ffulfild was ? e weddyng
wi? ioye & blis in al ? ing,
? at many man mi? th see. 189
? e ni? th was comen, & ? e day gon,
? e kni? ttes waten on & on
To her owen cuntre. 192
(17)
? Eufeniens his son gan calle,
And tidynges amonge hem alle
He tolde hym ? at were newe. 195
'Son, to ? i chaumbre ? ou most wende,
To ? i wijf fair & hende, [folio 22b]
Blysful & bri? th of hewe. '
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198
And whan Alixius herd ? at word
It pricked his hert as speres oord,
So sore it gan hym rewe; 201
Bot his fader wra? ? i he nolde,
He had leuer be vnder molde,
? at neuer man hym knewe. 204
(18)
? whan ? e folk was went away,
And he al-one in chaumbre lay,
Alexius gan to preche; 207
Of Iesu he bigan his game,
werldes likyng he gan blame,
his ? onge wijf to teche. 210
He tau? tte hir, ? at was so hende,
Hou she shulde haue god to frende
? at is oure soules leche; 213
? if she wolde alle her lijf
Duelle bo? e maiden & wijf,
? e fende she mi? th do wreche.
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216
(19)
? ? at maiden herkned swi? e stille,
And whan he seide had al his wille
? e holy gost hir lau? tte,
And she hym graunted wi? mylde mood
To louen Iesu ? at dyed [on] rood,
As he hym-self hir tau? tte. 222
Alexius was ? oo glad & bli? e,
his ioye cou? e he noman ki? e;
his spouse a ryng he rau? tte, 225
And seide to hir, 'my suete ? ing,
Take to ? ee ? is ilk ryng,
And kepe it in ? ine au? tte. 228
(20)
? 'Of me whan ? ou wilt haue mynde
Loke here-on, as ? ou art hende,
Bo? e by day & ni? th. 231
In pilerynage now wil I go,
And half ? e godenesse ? at I do
Graunte ? ee god almi? th. '
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234
Alexius ? us his leue tooke;
Rewely his wijf gan on hym loke
? at was so fair &*. [[MS. w]] bri? th;
She ne wist to what londe 238
? at she mi? th sende hym any sonde,
Doune fel ? at swete wi? th. 240
(21)
? Alixius from his richesse
In-to pouert & wrecchednesse,
ffrom his frendes he fledde. 243
vnto ? e Cee he com wel sory,
A shippe he fonde to seil redy,
? e holy gost hym ledde. 246
Of his golde & of his pens
wel he aquited his despens,
hendely of ? at he hedde. 249
? e wynde aroos at her wille,
whe? er ? ai wolde, loude or stille;
At her likyng ? ai spedde.
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252
(22)
? At a Cite Galys men calle
To londe ? ai gonnen aryuen alle,
wi? outen enpeirement.
255
Alexius of hem took leue,
And worschiplich ? ai hym ? eue:
To chircheward he went. 258
He ? anked god wi? good wille
Erly & late, loude & stille,
? at ? ider hem hadde sent. 261
He bisou? th god, & gan to wepe,
? at from ? e fende he shulde hym kepe
And his enticement. 264
(23)
? ? us he ? at had riche wedes,
Hei? e hors, & gode stedes,
And Armes bri? th & shene, 267
Al he leet ? e godes gret,
And went on his bare feet,
his soule to make clene.
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270
Ofte it fel in his mende
Of his fader & moder hende,
? at sou? th he schulde bene. 273
He wolde for none kynnes ? ing
? at Men hadden of hym knouyng,
? erfore he gan to flene. 276
(24)
? ffrom ? at cuntre swi? e he ? ede,
To-ward Surrie in feble wede,
? at noman shulde hym knowe. 279
? ere he duelled in grete pouerte,
In hunger, in ? orst, & o? er smerte,
? at many man it sowe. 282
? e Cee of grece passed he is,
In-to ? e Cite of Annys,
He com ? at ilk ? rowe. 285
God he bitau? tte his compaignye,
And ? ede to a chirche of seint Marie
wi? herte meke and lowe.
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288
(25)
? At ? at chirche is an ymage
Of oure lefdy vpon a stage,
? at many man ha? sou? th. 291
It was ymaked of Aungels honde,
To def & doumbe of o? ere londe
Miracle ? ere was wrou? th. 294
Alexius was glad & bli? e,
His ioye cou? e he noman ki? e,
In hert ne in ? ou? th, 297
whan he mi? th seen in signe
Hou goddes ymage fair & digne
In his moders barme was brou? th. 300
(26)
? Often he made his orisoune,
wepande wi? deuocioune,
To ? e quene of heuene, 303
And seide, 'moder mylde & free,
Praie ? i son of gret pouste
ffor his names seuene, 306
? at from heuene com to ? ee, [folio 23a]
By assent of ? e trinite,
? orou? ? e Aungels steuene, 309
Here to suffre many peynes
In al his body & his veynes,
In er? e as I can neuene, 312
(27)
? 'And ? at he shewe? in his mercy,
Marie, to ? ee I make my cry,
? at am a synful Man; 315
ffor wi? his blood & peynes grene,
? e whiche to vs purchaced ene,
ffro helle he vs wan.
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318
Swete Iesu, heuene sire,
warisshed he is ? at wil ? e desire
ffrom ? e fende sathan. 321
wel is hym ? at suffren may
ffor ? i loue ni? th oi? ere day,
Peyne ? at paie ? ee can. ' 324
(28)
? whan no? ing nas hym bileued,
And he fer from his frendes to dreued,
his clo? es weren to rent. 327
Amonge ? e pouere in ? e chirche haw? e
he begged, & was her felaw? e,
And took ? at god hym sent. 330
Almesse ? at god hym ? eue,
? e pouer ? at wolde ? ere bileue
wi? hym in present, 333
He ? af ? at haluendel & more,
And was hym-self of hungred sore,
And took it in good entent. 336
(29)
? Euery sonenday houseled he was,
And shryuen also of vche trespas
? at fel to any synne. 339
Michel he waked & litel he sleep,
Of ? at he shulde his body wi? kepe,
Litel hym com wi? inne. 342
ffrom ? e tyme he took his tourne
ffrom Rome, ? ere he was borne,
he was sou? th of his kynne 345
In alle cuntrees, in euery toun,
In chirche, in felde, vp & doun,
ffor nou? th wolde ? ai blynne.
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348
(30)
? His kynrede com ? ere hym biside,
? at had ysou? th hym fer & wide,
& ? af hym her Almesse, 351
As he sat amonge ? e pouere,
In grete meschief & stronge to couere,
ffor hunger in wrecchednesse. 354
Sore of hym ? ai gonnen rewe,
Stille he satt, & wel hem knewe,
Her names more & lesse. 357
Ychaunged was his faire hewe
? orou? reyn & wynde ? at on hym blewe,
And o? er stronge destresse. 360
(31)
? whan ? ai mi? tten nou? th spede,
Ne hym of axen in no ? ede
Ne in no londe of take, 363
wi? sorou? ? ai gradde, allas! allas!
And wenten to Rome, ? e ri? th pas,
her sorou? mi? th nou? th slake. 366
Alexius no? ing ? ou? th,
Bot on Iesu crist he ? ou? th,
And grete ioye he gan make 369
ffor he ne was nou? th biknowe
Of his frendes hei? e ne lowe,
His wel? e gan a-wake.
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372
(32)
? Eufeniens seide in his mende,
'? e most wrecche fer oi? ere hende
Certes now am I. 375
Conforte ne ioye ne may me come;
Now my childe is me bynome
My song is tourned to cry. 378
My wijf is barayne, & ek olde;
She ne may haue no childe for colde,
Oure heir al forto by. 381
In sorou? & care my lijf is di? th,
ffor to dye it were my ri? th,
And hennes to party. ' 384
(33)
? wi? ? at his moder fel to grounde
And lay yswowen a longe stounde,
And roos vp al afrayed: 387
'My leue son, ? at were so meke,
I ne woot where I shal ? ee seke,
? erefore I am dismayed. ' 390
His moder ne mi? th lete sorou? ,
Nei? er at euene ne at morowe,
In saw? e as it is seide. 393
To hir chaumbre she went in hast,
And of hire bedd ? e clo? es doun cast,
And si? en hem al to breyde,--
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396
(34)
? Ciclatounes ? at weren of prijs,
Pelured wi? Ermyne & wi? grijs,
Alle she cast away, 399
And wered clo? es symple & blake.
Litel she sleep, & mychel gan wake,
And fasted euery daye. 402
'Lorde,' she seide, 'almi? tty,
To ? ee & to ? i moder mary
I make a vow, & saye, 405
?