No More Learning

e in bleyss see. '
Page 72
hys wyfe ? at was In chamber stokyn,
Of ? ys tydynges harde sche spokyn;
She com forthe in A sempyll pace,
Sory, I wott, welle ? at che was; 374
She swonnyd at ? e fryst syght,
That on here was blake, ? at rest was wyght.
Than she sayd with mylde chere,
'Where hastowe be, my leman dere?
Full long I myght ? e A-byde,
Page 73
Fore thowe hast soughte pylgermages wyde. 380
Thowe hast beene frome long,
Forsothe I haue done ? e no wrong;
Wyghe ? e speke nowe I ne maye,
Nowe maye I weddowe be for Aye,
I maye be weddow And mayden dde,
And I haue done as ye me bade.
Thowe weddest me to be ? y Free,
O nyght togeder when we were, 388
Bot, good leuan, nowe praye for me
That we to geder in blese maye be. '
Page 74
The folke come fast owte of ? e cete,
that ryche Relyke for to see.
Page 75
392
Sone in a A lytell stonde ? er was
Bothe grete throng And prece.
Page 76
The emperoure, that stode ? er ? oo,
Sawe ? e folke presyd ssoo; 396
Sylvyr in ? e strete ? ey cast,
To lete the folke ? at com so Fast,
Bot of sylver yaffe ? ey no force,
Alle held hem Fast to se ? at corce.
At ? e last with trawayle borne hyt was 401
To ? e chyrche of seynt bonyfface.
whan yt was to ? e chyrche I-brought,
A ryche tombe ? ere was wrought,
Of marbyll And of ryche stonys,
Page 77
Craffetyly, And for ? e nonce,
of sylvyr And of golde coloure,
They layd in ? ys Ryche tresowre.
Sythen cam on to hys tombe 409
Blynde And lame, dethe And dome,
And other man many And felle:
Thorowe grace of god ? ey hadden hell.
Be thys holy man men may ssee,
That god lowyght wele pouerte;
he for soke thys worlde all bedene,
And lowyd god, And yt ys sene
Page 78
he for soke hys Fader, Moder, And wyffe, 417
And lyvyd A pore manys lyfe;
Nowe is he in Ioye ? at last[et]he Aye.
Page 79
God bryng us ? ere ? at best maye.
Praye wee All ? at yt soo bee. 421
Amen, Amen, For cheryte.
explicit sante alex.
Page 20
[Vernon MS. , leaf 44. ]
Sitte? stille with-outen strif,
And i wol tellen ou of a lyf
Of an holy Mon; 3
Alix was his nome.
To seruen god ? hu? te him no schome,
? er-of neuer he ne blon. 6
his fadur was a gret lording,
Of rome a kyngus euenyng,
Page 21
and hihte Eufemian. 9
Pore men to clo? e and fede,
In al rome, ? at riche ? eode,
such nas ? er nan. 12
eueri day were in his halle
I-leid ? reo bordus, forte calle
pore Men to fede. 15
Hem to serue he was wel glad;
he dude as iesu crist him bad;
he hoped ? erfore to haue mede.
Page 22
18
whon he was serued bi and bi,
? enne was he redi
to go to his mete; 21
ffor ? e loue of Godes sone,
wi? Men of Religione
wolde he sitte and ete. 24
? His wyf hi? te dame Agloes,
to sigge so? with-oute les,
? at muche was to preyse.
Page 23
27
But heo dede ? e same manere
as dede hir lord, as ? e may here,
was heo nout at ese. 30
Children bi-twene hem hedde ? ei none,
? er-of to god ? ei maden heor mone
bo? e dai & niht. 33
Iesu crist herde her bone,
& sende hem a ful good sone,
heor herte forte liht.
Page 24
36
[folio 44b] So sone was bore ? at blisful child,
Alix bo? e meke and Mild,
and of maners hende. 39
sone after wi? gret hast,
? ei Auouwede bo? e chast
to heore lyues ende.
Page 25
42
? er-aftur was hit not longe,
Alix cou? e speke and gonge,
and was i-set to lere; 45
sone he was a wel god clerk,
& muche he loued godus werk
forte speke & here.
Page 26
48
As time as he bi-gon to belde,
and was i-come to Monnes elde,
him was chosen a wyf,
Page 27
51
Out of ? e Emperors bour,
a maiden god with gret honour,
to wedden wi? -oute strif.
Page 28
54
? whon heo weren weddet ? e furste ni? t,
in godus lawe as hit was ri? t,
& weren i-brou? t to house, 57
Mekeliche he gon hire teche
to drede god of sunne is leche,
? at is Maidenes spouse.
Page 29
60
He preched hire with al his miht,
of sunne heo scholde haue no pli? t,
but holden hir Maidenhed. 63
Of Iesu ? at Maiden clene,
in whom was neuere wem i-sene,
heo schulde han hire med.
Page 30
66
? enne tok he his gold ryng,
and ? af hit to ? at Maide ? ing,
and seide to hire ? us: 69
'Tac ? is Ryng and kep hit me,
til ? at godes wille be,
crist beo bi-twene vs. '
Page 31
72
? whon he hedde don as i ou sei,
he tok his leue & went his wei
from ? at Maiden fre. 75
A parti god with him he tok,
& al ? at o? ur he forsok,
and wende him to ? e see.
Page 32
78
He fond schipes redi,
to on he wente priueli,
ouer forte fare. 81
whon he was ouere on ? e sond,
he was in an vnkou? lond,
? er he con neuer are. 84
He went him for? with godus wille,
a feir cite he com tille,
? e nome i schal ou telle. 87
Edissa hette ? e cite,
godus seruaunt forte be,
? erinne forte dwelle.
Page 33
90
? e goodus ? at he wi? him brou? t
of hem wolde he ri? t nou? t,
he ? af hem pore men. 93
His Robe he ? af ? er he sauh nede,
and clo? ed him-self in pore wede,
for no mon scholde him ken. 96
He ede to A chirche hei,
? er pore men seeten in ? e wei,
Almus forte take. 99
AMongus hem he sat a-doun,
and asked wi? deuociun
sum god for Godus sake.
Page 34
102
? at chirche was of vr ladi,
? er-Inne was a gret celli,
an ymage of hire sone, 105
Maked of a wonder werk,
? at nou? ur lewed mon nor clerk
ne mi? t wite hou hit was done; 108
ffor? i was ? ider gret sekyng
of on and o? ur, old and ? yng,
of al ? at Cuntre,
Page 35
111
ffor? i ? e pore ? at ? er ware,
Alle ? e betere mi? te fare
for heore Charite. 114
Alix, of al ? at mi? te he gete,
nedliche bote he moste ete,
he ne held to his bi-houe; 117
To pore men ? at wolde hit take,
he ? af hit for cristes sake,
? at sitte? us alle aboue.
Page 36
120
? Nou is Alix dwelled ? ore:
his fader atom sike? wel sore,
and sei? , Allas! Allas! 123
His Moder wepe? niht and day,
& sei? , Allas! & weila-wey,
? at euere heo i-boren was.
Page 37
126
? His wyf wepe? and make? hir mone,
& sei? ? at heo schal liuen alone
as turtul on ? e treo. 129
Euermore with-outen Make,
Ioye and blisse heo wole forsake
til heo hire spouse i-seo.
Page 38
132
Nou is fader, with dreri chere,
bidde? his Men comen him nere,
as ? ei wolde haue heore mede. 135
He pre? e? hem ? at ?
ei ben boun
to wenden & sechen his deore sone,
in eueriche a ? eode; 138
? at ? e ne dwelle for no ? ing,
er ? e han herd sum god ti? ing
wher ? at he be. 141
Go? nou for? , and god ow spede,
? erfore i schal, so God me rede,
? iuen ou gold and ffe.
Page 39
144
? Now wende ? ei for? Alix sekande,
vchone to diuerse lande,
? if ? ei mi? te him winne. 147
Summe of hem ? orwh Godus grace,
comen in-to ? at ilke place
? at Alix was Inne. 150
He sat in pore Mennes rowe,
? erfore ? ei cou? e him not knowe,
? ei ? euen him Charite. 153
He tok hit wi? mylde mod,
and seide, 'Iesus, ? at died on Rod,
lorde, i ? onke ? e.
Page 40
156
Lord, i-? onked be ? ou ay,
? at i haue beden ? at ilke day,
? at i may for ? i sake; 159
Of hem ? at in myn owne lond,
serued me to fot and hond,
her Almus to take. ' 162
Nou ? is Men ? at weren out-sent,
a? ein ham-ward ? ei hem went
to sire Eufemiane. 165
? ei sworen alle bi heuene kyng
of Alix herde heo no? ing,
as wide as ? ei hedden i-gone. 168
In eueri lond [? at] we han ben
we founde no mon ? at him cou? e sen,
? at to him cou? e vs wisse.
Page 41
171
"Nou, allas! ? at i was boren;
bo? e haue i nou forloren
mi Ioye and my blisse. " 174
? In ? is tale wol we non dwelle,
of Alix wol we nou telle,
? at riche pore mon. 177
Alix was pore Monnes fere
fulle seuentene ? ere,
fro ? at he bi-gon, 180
Sittinge in a chirche-? erde,
among pore men an herde,
in a simple wede. 183
An ymage in ? at chirche stoode
of his Modur ? at died on rode,
for ur alre nede.
Page 42
186
? Atte seuentene ? eres ende
spac and seide wordus hende
? at ymage of tre, 189
To ? e wardein of ? e chirche,
& seide, "wardein, if ? ou worche
eny-? ing for me, 192
"ffecche ? ou in mi sones nom,
for seuentene ? er hit is gon
? at he ha? ben ? er-oute. 195
I warne ? e witerli
to dwelle her-in he is wor? i,
? er-of haue ? ou no doute; 198
"He ha? serued heuene bri? t,
? e holi gost in him is liht,
& ? iue? him mi? t and grace,
Page 43
201
? at his pre? ere, with milde steuene,
is swete & god & hei? in heuene
bi-fore mi sone face. " 204
? ? enne seide ? e wardeyn, 'ladi,'
he seide, 'i wolde fayn, & i
wuste whulche. ' 207
'Go out faste as ? ou mai? t go,
? ou fyndest ? er on & no mo,
bring him in ? at ilche. ' 210
? e wardein wente him out ful ? are,
he fond him redi sittinge ? are,
he brou? te him in ful sone. 213
He seide, 'sire, ? if hit be ? i wille,
? ou art welcome nou vs tille,
here-in schaltou wone.
Page 44
216
'I was out aftur ? e sent,
? orwh vr ladies comaundement,
? e in forte take; 219
with muchel honour schaltou haue
alle ? ing ? at ? ou wolt craue,
for ? at ladies sake. ' 222
? ? enne ? is word bi-gon to springe,
& of him was gret spekynge,
for his holynesse. 225
? erfore he ? ou? te forte wende,
to ano? ur lond forte lende,
? er me kneu? him lesse.
Page 45
228
? er wolde he no lengor beo:
monnus honour forte fle,
fro ? at stude he wente 231
In-to Laodiciane,
for? ? e ri? te wey a-none,
as Iesu crist him sente. 234
In-to a-no? ur lond he ? ou? t,
godus wille til he hedde wrou? t,
? er nomon hed him knowe. 237
Assone as he was in ? e se,
forte wende ? er he wolde beo,
? e wynd bi-gon to blowe;
Page 46
240
? e wynt bi-gon ? e schip to driue,
til ? ei bi-gonne to aryue,
as hit was godus wille, 243
In rome, ? er he was fed & boren,
? er his woninge was bi-foren,
of al him ? hu? te hit ille.
Page 47
246
whon he sau? non o? ur won,
he bi-? ou? te him sone Anon,
wher him was best to be. 249
To him-self he seide and ? ou? t,
'si? en ? at Iesu ha? me brou? t
in-to ? is Cite,
Page 48
252
'I con no beter red of alle,
bote go to my fader halle,
in pore mennes route. 255
I may sitte vppon ? e rowe;
? er nis no mon schal me knowe,
so longe ichaue ben oute. 258
? Vppon a day Eufemiane
fro his paleis was he gane,
and ham-ward he eode, 261
with muche folk ? at wel was di? t,
bo? e swein, [&] knaue, & kni? t,
? at gode weren at nede.
Page 49
264
? Alix ? ou? te he wolde him mete,
& ron faste bi ? e strete,
til ? at he him mette. 267
whon he sau? ? at he was nei? ,
with a vois [bo? ] loude & hei? ,
Eufemian his fader he grette, 270
And seide with a milde steuene,
'sire, for godus loue of heuene,
haue merci of me. 273
Icham a pilgrim pore & naked,
? at ha? gret defaute ymaket,
sire, as ? e mowe se.
Page 50
276
Receiue me in-to ?