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at I euere a-bod ? is day
? is sorwe forto se! 465
I wende han had of ? e solas
In myn elde, allas, allas,
for doel ded willi be! ' 468
Whenne his moder herde of ? is,
? e sterte for? in haste i-wis
as a leonesse, 471
Wi? hire sulf sche ferde to wonder,
Sche rof hire clo? es al to sonder
In a gret wodnesse;
Page 69
474
Sche drou hire her as sche were wod,
& seyde: "for him ? at deyde on rod,
? e men, ? iue? me wey, 477
? at I may to my sone go!
Was neuere moder half so wo
As me is ? is day. 480
? iue? me roum, & lat me se
? e body ? at was boren of me,
& fed was of my brest! 483
lete? me come ? e cors vntil,
ffor ? e wyten ? at it is skyl
? at I be it next. "
Page 70
486
Whan sche my? tte neyh it nere,
Sche fel ? er-on wi? sori chere,
& seyde: "allas, my son, 489
Whi hauest tou ? us wi? vs fare,
Suffred vs for ? e sorwe & care,
Whi hastou ? us don? 492
? ou hast i-seye ? i fader & me
Wepen & maken gret doel for ? e
Bo? e erly & late; 495
And tou hast seuentene ? er
Vn-knowe duelled wi? vs her
In pouere beggeres state. " 498
Ofte-si? e ? e fel doun
opon ? e body al I-swoun,
& kissede honden & feet; 501
& ? at face ? at was so swete,
Sche it kiste, & made it wete
Wi? teres ? at sche let.
Page 71
504
Sche seide: "allas, what me is wo!
[folio 236b] ? ou were my sone wi? -oute mo;
Wepe? al folk wi? me!
I haue ? e fed many a day;
Allas owt & weylawey,
? at I ne knew nout ? e! 510
? ou my? test han ben a greth lording,
& honured als a kyng,
? if it hadde ben ? i wille; 513
Nou hauest ? ou had despit & wrong
Of ? ine ? ralles euere among,
& bor[e]n it ful stille. 516
Allas, who schal ? iue to me
Welle of teres to wepe for ? e
Bo? e day & ny? th? 519
Allas allas, what me is wo!
I wolde myn herte it breke a-tuo
? at I ne saye nowth ? is sy? th. "
Page 72
522
// ? anne cam for? a drery ? ing,
I-clad in clo? es of mournyng,
It was Alex wif; 525
Sche wep ? at pite was to se
& seyde: "Allas, ful wo is me,
? at euere hadde I lyf! 528
Nou al my ioye awey is gon.
Er hadde I hope, now haue I non
To sen him on lyue; 531
Nou am I wydewe, allas ? at stounde!
Sorwe ha? ? iuen myn herte a wounde
? at me to de? e schal dryue.
Page 73
534
// Allas! what is me to rede?
Mi mirour is broken & is dede
? at my liking was Inne. 537
hope of ioye now haue I lorn,
& sorwe is newed me be-forn
? at neuere more schal blynne. " 540
// Al ? at folk ? at stod be-syde,
? at say ? e sorwe so vn-ruyde,
? ey wepe ful tendreliche; 543
? er ne was non ? at my? tte him holde,
Man ne wif man, ? ung ne old;
& ? at nas no ferliche.
Page 74
546
// ? e pope com for? , & te Emperours
Leten him bringe owt of ? e hous,
& leyden him on a bere, 549
And beren wi? gret solempnete
In-to ? e mydeward of ? e cyte,
& cryeden ? at alle my? ten here, 552
& seyden: "come? , se? ? is holyman
? at ? e han south euerichon!
here he is in ? is place; 555
ffounden he is, & is here,
? at holy body on a bere,
? oru help of godes grace. "
Page 75
558
// Alle ? at wisten of ? at cry,
? ei ronne ? ider hastifly,
& ne drou it nowt to abyd. 561
And alle ? e sike ? at ? er were,
? at my? tte touche ? e body ? ere,
? ei were hol als tyd. 564
// ? e blynde, of him hadden here sy? th;
? e wode, here wyth hadde ful ry? th;
? e halte, here lymes lele. 567
? er ne was non ? at ? ider my? te wynne,
What syknesse ? at ? ei were Inne,
? at ? ei ne hadde here hele.
Page 76
570
// Whan ? e emperour him say ? at won|der,
he*. [[MS. ho]] tok ? e bere & ? ide ? er-vnder,
Wi? ? e pope he wende,
ffor he wolde ben mad holy
? oru ? e bering of ? at body,
he tok ? e bere in hande. 576
// he let sowe in ? e cyte
Gold & siluer gret plente,
& ? at was for ? is skyl, 579
ffor ? e folk scholde hem wi? drawe;
bote ? at a-vaillede nat an hawe,
? ey toke no tent ? er-til.
Page 77
582
? ei preceden euere ner & nerre,
fforto comen to ? e bere
? at ? e corps lay Inne; 585
? ei preseden ? erto wi? gret fors,
? at vnne? e wi? ? at holy cors
To churche my? te ? ei wynne. 588
// Whanne ? ei comen to ? e churche,
A toumbe of gold he leten wurche
Wi? preciouse stones; 591
In seue dayes it was dy?
th
fful richeliche al a-ry? th,
? ei leyden ? er-inne ? e bones. [folio 237a]
Page 78
Wan ? at holy cors was leyd
In-to ? e toumbe richeliche I-grey|? ud
Wi? ful meche honour: 597
To alle ? at were in ? at place
? er com owt ? oru godes grace
A ful swete odour. 600
So swete ne smelde ? ei neuere non,
Als so wyde as ? ey hadden gon,
Of no spiserye.
Page 79
603
? ei worchipeden him alle wi? o stephne
& ? ankeden Iesu crist of heuene
& his moder Marye. 606
// Nou Iesu crist ? oru ? e preyer
of ? at cors seint I tolde ? ou her,
? if ? i wille it be, 609
Graunte vs alle god endyng,
And in heuene a wonying!
Amen, par charite. 612
Page 20
[Laud MS. 463, leaf 116. ]
LEstene? alle & herkene? me,
? ong & olde, thewe & freo,
And I. ? ou telle sone, 3
hou a ? ong man, gent & freo,
Bigan ? e werldes wele to fleo,
y-bore was in Rome. 6
In Rome was a doughty man,
? at was cleped Eufemyan,
Page 21
Man of mychel myghte; 9
Gold & Siluer he hadde . y. -nouh,
Halles & boures, oxen & plouh,
And wonder wel it dyghte. 12
? ffor all ? e seke of ? e burhg
ffaste were y. -sough[t] ? oruhg,
& brouht to his house. 15
he let hem bedde wel & fede,
And to hem tok goed hede,
him-self & his spouse.
Page 22
18
? e man hadde a god wif,
She ne louede flyt ne stryf
In al hire liue. 21
? e sekemen ofte she fedde,
& softe brou? t hem obedde,
blessed beo she to wiue. 24
? ? ei were to-gedere ? eres two,
& so ? ei were somdel mo,
With-outen any blede.
Page 23
27
? ei bede god with herte gode,
? at hem sende suich a fode
to serue hem & drede. 30
And Iesu Crist, ? at is so mylde,
? af hem grace, she was with chylde,
? e gode lauedye. 33
Bo? e be day, & be nyght,
? erne ? ei ? onked our dright,
& Seinte Marie.
Page 24
36
? ? o ? e child y. -bore was,
? ei ? onked Crist of his grace
wi? glad chiere. 39
Also as ? e wone was,
As ? ei coude with softe pas,
to chirche ? ei it bere. 42
// ? o ? is child to chirche com,
To afong Cristendom,
as ? e ryght is, 45
his fader & his moder ? o
Swi? e bli? e were bo,
& cleped it Alexijs. 48
? ? ei nadde bot ? ilk sone,
therfore as it is ? e wone,
? ei loued it ? e more. 51
? o he was old, ? eres seuen,
? ei him wissed with mylde steuen,
& sette him to lore.
Page 25
54
? ? is child wex & wel they,
Cristes help him was ney,
& ? at was wel y. -sene; 57
for more he lerned in on ? er
? an any of his o? er fere
dide in ? eres tene. 60
// As sone as he vnderstod
Werldes blisse nas not god,
Who it vnderstode, 63
Werldes wele he forsok,
& to Iesu. Crist him tok,
? at deyede on ? e Rode. 66
// he besought nyght & day
heuen king, ? at al wel may,
? eue him strength & mygh[t]e 69
A? ein ? e feond ? at is aboute
to bring his soule in gret doute,
gostliche to fighte.
Page 26
72
? his bone herde ? e King of heuen,
& spak to him wi? mylde steuene,
& seide, 'Alexijs, 75
To-day ? ou may bli? e beo,
? i bone I. grante ? e,
& a sete in heuen blisse. 78
? And . I. ? e do to vnderstonde,
? at ? ou most ? ole shame & shonde,
al for my sake. 81
Into vnkou? lond ? ou most wende,
Sone I. wile ? e ? ider sende,
& al ? i kin forsake. 84
Into vnkou? lond ? ou shalt fare,
& suffre myche tene & care,
& al for loue myn; 87
& sithen ? ou shalt a? ein come,
& in ? i fader hous wone,
& ? er-in haue goed fyn. '
Page 27
90
? ? e childes fader fel in elde,
& his moder godes helde
? eres hadde fele. 93
he wold his sone shold wiue,
To glade hem in her liue,
& haue werldes wele. 96
? ei sought hem sone a mayde,
? at witty was, as al folk sayde,
comen of hy kinne. 99
Womman she was of heu bright,
heo ? ouht on crist day & nyht,
& kepte hir fro sinne. 102
? o ? ei wer to-gidere come,
? is maide & ? is ? ong gom,
In godes lawe, 105
? ere was game & myche gleo,
Ac, for-so? e, tel I, ? e,
eyled him no plawe.
Page 28
108
? ? e day was go, ? e nyht was com,
Seide ? e fader to ? e sone,
wi? glad cher, 111
'vp arys, sone myn,
& go into boure ? yn,
To glade ? i fere. ' 114
// ? o he com to boure to his fere,
he beheld ? e may of glad chere,
& of bright hewe. 117
Sone menged his ? ouht,
In fonding he was brouht,
his car began al newe. 120
ne sy? te & made sory chere,
? e teres out of his wete lere
bitter he let falle. 123
Ne myht glade him his fere
with wordes ne with fair chere,
? at stod shred in palle.
Page 29
126
[folio 116b] ? No lenger to hele of he brak,
? e ? ongman to his bride spak,
with wel fair bere: 129
'Lemman, haue goday,
No lenger I ne may
wi? ? e leuen here. 132
// Wende I. mot fer of lond,
& suffre tene & peines strong,
my sinnes to bete. 135
Bo? e I. mot, for godesake,
ffader & moder myn forsak,
& ?