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' 468
? whon his Moder herde of ? is,
heo sturte for? in haste i-wis,
As A lyonesse; 471
with hirself heo ferde to wonder,
heo ter hir clo? us al in sunder,
in a gret woodnesse.
Page 69
474
Heo drou? hir her as heo weore wod,
& seide, 'for him ? at died on rod,
Men, ? e ? iue me way, 477
? at I mai to mi sone go;
was neuer Moder half so wo
as me is ? is day. 480
? if me roum, & let me se
? e bodi ? at was boren of me,
and fed of my breste. 483
Let me come ? at cors to,
for wel ? e witen hit is skil so
? at i beo hit nexte. '
Page 70
486
Whon heo mi? te nei? e hit neer,
heo fel ? er-on with deolful cher,
& seide, 'Allas! mi sone, 489
Whi woldestou ? us with us fare,
to leten vs dwellen in serwe & care?
whi hastou ? us done? 492
? ou hast i-se? en ? i fader and me
wepen & maken gret del for ? e,
bo? e erly and late; 495
And ? ou hast seuentene ? er
vnknowen i-dwelled mid vs her,
in pore beggers state. ' 498
Ofte-si? es heo fel doun
on ? at dede cors al in swoun,
and custe hondes and feet; 501
And ? at face ? at was so swete,
heo custe hit & mad hit wete
with teres ? at heo leet.
Page 71
504
Heo seide, 'allas! ? at me is wo,
? ou were my sone with-outen mo,
wepe? alle wi? me. 507
Ichaue ? e fed moni a day,
Allas! sone, weilaway,
? at i ne knewh not ? e. 510
? ou mist haue be a gret lordyng,
and ben honoured as a king,
? if hit hedde beo ? i wille. 513
Nou hastou had despit and wrong
of ? i ? ralles euer among,
and boren hit ful stille. 516
Allas! ho schal ? iue to me
welle of teres to wepe for ? e
bo? e dai and niht? [folio 44b] 519
Allas! allas! me is wo,
icholde myn herte wolde breken a-two,
? at i sai? nou ? is siht. '
Page 72
522
? ? enne com for? a dreri ? ing,
i-clo? ed in clo? us of mournyng,
? at was his owne wyue. 525
Heo wepte ? at pite was to se,
and seide, 'Allas! ? at wo is me,
? at euere hedde I lyue. 528
Nou al my ioye a-wei is gon,
er hedde i hope, nou habbe i non
to seon him a-lyue. 531
Nou am i widewe, allas! ? e stounde,
serwe ha? ? iue myn herte a wounde,
? at me to de? wol driue.
Page 73
534
Allas! what is me to rede,
mi Muror is broken & is dede,
? at my likynge was Inne. 537
Hope of ioie nou haue I loren,
& serwe is newed me beforen
? at neuermore schal blinne. ' 540
Al ? e folk ? at stod be-side,
? at sei? heore serwe so vnride,
a wepten ful tenderliche. 543
? er was non ? at mi? te hem holde,
Mon ne wommon, ? ong ne olde,
and ? at was no feorliche.
Page 74
546
? ? e pope*. [[pope crosst through]] com, & ? e Emperours
bad bringe him for? out of ? e hous
& lei him on A bere,
And bar him wi? solempnete,
for? Amidde ? e cite,
& cri? inge ? at almi? te here, 552
And seide, 'come seo? ? at holi mon
? at ? e haue sou? t euerichon,
here he is in ? is place. 555
He is founden, and he is here,
? at holi bodi on a beere,
? orwh help of godus grace. '
Page 75
558
Alle ? at wusten of ? at cri,
? ei ornen ? idere wel hasteli,
? ei tolde ? eron nout a lyte. 561
An Alle ? e seke ? at ? er were,
? at mi? te touche ? at bodi ? ere,
? ei weren hole as tite. 564
? e blinde hedde ? ere of him here si? t,
woode of him heore wit fol ri? t,
? e halt here limes hole Anon. 567
Hit was non ? at ? ider mi? te winne,
what seknes ? ei were inne,
? at ? ei were hole vchon.
Page 76
570
? whon ? e Emperours sai ? e wonder
? ei toke ? e bere & eode ? er-vndur,
with the Pope*. [[crosst out]] helpande;
ffor ? ei wolde be i-mad holi,
? orwh beringe of ? at bodi,
? ei toke ? e bere in hande. 576
? ei made sowen in ? at cite
gold & seluer gret plente;
and ? at was for ? is skil 579
? at ? e folk scholde hem with-drawe,
and ? at auayled not wor? an haue,
? ei tok no tent ? er-til.
Page 77
582
? ei preced euer neer and neere,
forte come to ? at bere
? at ? e cors lay Inne. 585
? ei precede wi? so gret fors
? at vnne? e with ? e holi cors,
to chirche mi? te ? ei winne. 588
? whon ? ei come to ? e chirche,
A toumbe of gold ?
ei lette worche
of preciouse stones. 591
In A schort tyme hit was diht,
ful richeliche and Al ari? t
? ei leide ? er-in his bones.
Page 78
594
whon ? at holi cors was leid
in ? at toumbe ? at wel was grei|? ed,
wi? ful gret honour, 597
To alle ? at weren in ? at place
? er com out, ? orwh godes grace,
a ful swete odour; 600
So swote felede ? ei neuer non,
as wyde as ? ei hedden gon,
of no spicerie.
Page 79
603
? enne worschupeden heo Alle with o steuene,
Iesu, godus sone of heuene,
and his Modur Marie. 606
Iesu crist, ? orwh ? e prei? ere
of him ? at we haue of told here,
? if ? i wille hit be, 609
Graunt vs alle god endyng,
and in heuene a wonyng.
AMEN par Charite. 612
Page 20
[Laud MS. 108, leaf 233, back. ]
VITA CUIUSDAM SANCTI VIRI NOMINE ALEX. OPTIMA VITA.
Sitte? stille wi? outen strif,
And I schal telle ? ou ? e lif
Of an holy man. 3
Alex was his ry? tte name;
To serue god ? oute him no schame,
& ? erof neuere he ne blan. 6
his fader was a gret lording
Of rome, a kynges euening,
Page 21
& hy? tte sire Eufemian. 9
Pore men to clo? e & fede,
In al rome, ? at riche ? ede,
Swich ne waster non. 12
Eche day were in his halle
Leyd ? re bordes, forto calle
Pore men to fede. 15
Hem to serue he was wel glad,
& dede as Iesu crist him bad;
? erfore he hopede han mede.
Page 22
18
When ? ei were serued by & by,
? ane at arst was he redy
To gon to his mete; 21
? anne in drede of godes sone,
Wi? men of religione
He wolde sitte & ete. 24
His wif hy? tte dame Agles,
To seye ? e so? e wi? oute les,
? at meche was to preyse;
Page 23
27
Bote ? e my? tte do ? e same maner
? at dede hire lord, as y seyde er,
Was ? e nat wel atayse. 30
[folio 234a] Child hem bi-twene ne hadde ? ei non;
? er-fore to god he maden here mon,
Bo? e be day & ny? the; 33
Iesu crist herde here bone,
& sente hem a ful god sone,
here hertes forto ly? the.
Page 24
36
When he was bore, ? at blisful child,
Alex, bo? e mek & myld,
And of maneres hende: 39
A litel after, wi? greth hast
? ei a-voweden to him chast,
To here lyues ende.
Page 25
42
? er-after was it nat lange:
Alex coude speke & gange,
And was set to lere. 45
Sone he was a ful good clerk,
& meche he louede godes werk
fforto speke & here.
Page 26
48
Sone whan he gan to belde,
& forto comen to mannes elde,
him was chosen a wif,
Page 27
51
Out of ? e emperoures bour,
A mayde good, of greth honur,
To wedde wi? -oute strif.
Page 28
54
Whan ? ei were wedded ? e ferste ny? th
In godes [lawe], as it was ry? th,
& was I-brouth to house: 57
Mek[e]liche he gan hire teche,
To drede god, of sinne leche,
? at is maydenes spouse.
Page 29
60
he prechede hire wi? al his my? th:
Of s[i]nne ? e scholde hauen no ply? th,
Bote kepe hire maydenhod; 63
& of iesu, ? at mayde clene,
In whom was neuere wem I-sene,
? e scholde habbe hire mede.
Page 30
66
? anne tok he his gold ring,
& ? af ? at mayde, ? at was ? ing,
& seyde to hire ? us: 69
'Tak ? is ring, & kep it me,
Til ? at godes wille be,
God bi-twene vs. '
Page 31
72
Whanne he hadde ido, as [I] ? ou sey,
He tok his leue & wente his wey
fro ? at mayde fre; 75
A parti of his good he wi? him tok,
And al ? at o? er he for-sok,
he wente to ? e see.
Page 32
78
He fond schipes redely;
To on he wente priueli,
ouer forto fare; 81
He seyde he was a chapman,
& preyde, he moste wi? hem gon,
? if ? at here schip were ? are. 84
ffor? he wente wi? godes wille;
A fair cyte he com vn-tille;
? e name I schal ? ou telle: 87
Edissa hatte ? at cite;
Godes seruant ? er to be,
? er-inne wolde he dwelle.
Page 33
90
? e goodes ? at he wi? him brougth,
Of hem ne wolde he ry? th nowth,
Bote ? af hem pore menne; 93
his robe he ? af ? er he sey nede,
& clo? ede him-sulf in pore wede,
ffor noman scholde him kenne. 96
he ? ede to a churche-? ate,
? er pouere men sete in ? e gate,
Almesse forto take; 99
Among hem he sat a-doun,
& Askede wi? deuocion
Sum good for godes sake.
Page 34
102
? at churche was of oure leuedy;
? er-inne was a greth selly,
An ymage of hire son, 105
Maked of a wonder werk, [folio 234b]
? at ney? er lewed man ne clerk
Niste hou it was don. 108
? erfore was ? ider greth sekyng
Of on & o? er, old & ? ing,
Of al ? at countre;
Page 35
111
ffor-? i ? e pouere ? at ? er were,
Alle ? e betere my? tte fare
? oru here charite. 114
Alex, of ? at he my? tte gete
Nedliche bote ? at him-self wolde ete
he ne held to his by-houe; 117
To pouere men ? at wolde it take,
Al he ? af for godes sake,
? at is in heuene A-boue.
Page 36
120
Nou is Alex dwelled ? ere;
his fader at hom seyet? sore,
& sey? 'allas! allas! ' 123
his moder wepu? ny? th & day
& sey? 'allas & weylawey,
? at euere ? he born was. '
Page 37
126
his wif wep? & make? hire mone,
& ? us [? he] schal lyuen allone,
As turtle opon ? e tre, 129
Euere-more wi? oute make;
Ioye & blisse ? e wile for-sake,
Til ? e hire spouse se.
Page 38
132
Nou his fader wi? dreri chere
He bidde? his men him comen nere,
Als ? ei willen hauen ? ere mede, 135
& preye? hem ? at ? ei ben boun,
To wende & sechen his dere sone
In euerich ilk a ? ede. 138
'? at ? e ne dwelle for no ? ing,
Ar ? e hauen herd sum tyding,
Where ? at he be; 141
Go? nou swy?