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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? e, & god ? ou spede!
? erfore I schal, so god me rede,
? iuen ? ou gold & fee. '
Page 39
144
Nou gon ? ei for? Alex sekynd
In diuerse londes to here tyding,
? if ? ei him my? tte wynne; 147
Somme of hem, ? oru godes grace,
Comen into ? at ilke place
? er Alex was Inne. 150
he sat in pore mene rowe;
? erfore couden he hym nat knowe;
he ? af him charite; 153
& he it tok wi? milde mod,
And seyde 'Iesu, ? at deyde on rod,
Louerd, I ? anke ? e!
Page 40
156
Louerd, i-her[i]d be ? ou ay!
? at i haue beden ? at ilke day,
? at I may, for ? i sake, 159
Of hem ? at in myn owene lond
Serueden me to fot & hond
Here Almesse forto take. ' 162
Nou ? ese men ? at were out-sent,
a? en homward ? ei ben I-went
To sire eufemian. 165
? ei swore to him be heuene king:
Of Alex herde ? ei no tyding,
As wyde as ? ei hadde gan. 168
'In eche a lond ? an haue we be,
We ne founden no man ? at cou? e him se,
? at to him coude vs wisse. '
Page 41
'Allas, he seyde, ? at he was born!
bo? e*. [[bo? o MS. ]] haue I nou for-lorn
Mi ioye & ek my blisse. ' 174
In ? is tale wille we nat dwelle,
Bote of Alex wile we telle,
? at riche pore man. 177
Alex was pouere mannes fere
ffulli seuentene ? ere,
fro ? at he bi-gan, 180
Syttynde in a churche-? erd
Amonges o? ere men an herd
In a simple wede. 183
An ymage in ? at cherche stod,
Of his moder ? at deyde on rood
ffor oure al? res nede.
Page 42
186
At ? e seuentene ? eres ende,
Spak & seyde wordes hende,
? at ymage of tre, 189
To ? e wardeyn of ? e churche,
& seyde: 'wardeyn, ? if ? ou werche
Eny? ing for me, 192
ffeche ? ou In my sones man,
ffor seuentene ? er it is i-gan
? at he ha? ben ? er-oute; 195
I ? e warne wyterly,
To duelle her-inne he is wor? i;
Whar-of ne haue no doute. 198
he ha? deserued heuene bry? th,
? e holy gost is in him ly? th
& ? iuen him my? tte & grace,
Page 43
201
? at his preyer wi? milde stephene
Is good & swete & mylde in heuene
Byfore my sones face. ' 204
? anne ansuerede ? e wardeyn
& seyde: 'lauedi, I wille ful fayn,
and I wiste wilk. ' [folio 235a] 207
'Go owt so swi? e so ? ou mayst go,
? ou ne fyndest ? er no mo,
Bryng him [in] ? at ilk! ' 210
? e wardeyn wente him out ful ? are,
he fond [him] redy sittinde ? ere,
he brougthe him In ful sone; 213
And [seyde]: 'sire, ? if it be ? i wille,
? ou art welcome vs vntille,
Her-Inne schaltou wone;
Page 44
216
I was out after ? e i-sent
? oru our lauedies comandement,*. [[MS. comandemement]]
? e in forto take.
Mechul honur schaltou haue,
& alle ? ing ? at ? ou wilt craue,
ffor ? at lauedies sake. ' 222
Whan ? is word be-gan to springe,
? at of him was a gret spekyngge
ffor his holinesse, 225
Sone he ? outthe forto wende,
To o? er londe forto lende,
? ere men him knewe lesse.
Page 45
228
? ere ne wolde he lengere be,
Mannes honur forto fle,
ffro ? at stede he wende 231
Anon to laodician
ffor? ? e ry? tte wey anon,
Als iesu crist him sende. 234
To A-no? er lond he ? out,
Godes wille to han I-wrouth,
? er noman ne hadde him knowe. 237
Als swi? e as he was in ? e se
fforto wende ? er he wolde be,
? e wynd be-gan to blowe.
Page 46
240
? e wynd be-gan ? e schip to dryue
Til ? at he be-gonne to Aryue,
Als it was godes wille, 243
In rome ? er he was fed & born,
? er his wonyng was be-forn,
? ei al him ? oute ille.
Page 47
246
Whan he saw non o? er won,
he be-? outte him sone anon,
Whare him was best to be; 249
To him-sulf he seyde & ? ou? th:
'Si? en Iesus me ha? hider i-brou? th
In-to ? is cite,
Page 48
252
I ne can no betere red of alle,
Bote gon to my faderes halle
In pore mannes rowte, 255
I may sitte in ? e rowe,
? er nis no man ? at me schal knowe:
So longe Ich haue ben oute. ' 258
Vpon a day sire Eufemian
ffro ? e paleys was he gan,
And homward he ? ede, 261
Wi? mikel folk ? at wel waren dy? th,
Bo? e knaue sweyn & knyth,
? at gode were in nede.
Page 49
264
Alex ? oute he wolde him mete;
& ran for? faste be ? e strete
Vn-til ? at he him mette; 267
Whan he say ? at [he] was ney,
Wi? a voys bo? e loud & hey,
Sire Eufemian he grette, 270
& seyde wi? a mylde stephene:
'Sire, for godes loue of heuene
haue merci on me! 273
Ich am a pilgrym pore & nakud,
? at gret defaute ha? I-maked,
Sire, as ? e may I-se.
Page 50
276
'Resceyue me into ? in halle,
? ere ? ine pore men ben alle,
& graunte me ? e mete! 279
And I schal preye ny? th & day
for ? i sone ? at is awey,
? at Iesu crist him ? e gete, 282
'& grante ? e, for his wondes fiue,
? at ? ou myttest him se in ? ine lyue,
? at was ? in herte blisse, 285
&, sire, to habbe wi? oute strif
Ioye of him in soule & lif,
Crist ? e til him wisse. '
Page 51
288
? anne eufemian ? er wi? stod,
& grantede him wi? milde mod,
? e pore man his bone; 291
he grantede him to clo? e & fede,
& bad his men he scholde him lede
To his hous as sone; 294
And grauntede him, as [I] ? ou telle,
An hous allone ? er-in to dwelle
Wi? -outen eny fere, 297
& a man ? at scholde him gete
And bringe him bo? e drynk & mete,
Whan ? at mester were.
Page 52
300
Nou Alex, As ? e habbe? i-herd,
Is dweld in his fader ? erd
As a pore man. 303
In preyere of fasting & waking,
he seruede Iesu, heuene kyng,
In al ? at he can. 306
Seruant? ? at were proute & ? ungge,
him dryuen ofte to he? ingge,
As he ? ede vp & doun; 309
& ofte-si? es, bro? of ffissches,
& water, as he wessch here dissches,
? ei caste vp-on his croun.
Page 53
312
[folio 235b] Of al ? e schame ? at ? ei him wrou? the,
He ? onkede Iesu, ? at him bouthe,
& ? af him my? tte ? erto;
He was ? olemod in alle ? inge,
? er-out ne my? tte no man him bringe,
ffor nowth ? ei couden do. 318
? ere dwelde Alex stille,
As it was Iesu cristes wille,
Seuentene ? er; 321
In his owene faderes In,
kneu him non of al his kyn,
Ney? er fer ne ner.
Page 54
324
At ? e seuente? e ? eres ende,
he wiste he scholde hennes wende,
? oru grace of ? e holy gast, 327
To Iesu crist, godes sone,
In blisse of heuene ay forto wone,
In ? e lif ? at euere schal last.
Page 55
330
// he gat him enke & parchemyn;
And al his lif he wrot ? er-In,
? at he had lyued here, 333
And radde it se? en eueri-del,
& ? onkede god, so my? t he wel,
Wi? ful bli? e chere.
Page 56
336
Whan he hadde I-do as I ? ou say,
Vpon ? e holy soneday
? at com after nest, 339
Wi? meche ioye & meche ly? th,
his soule, ? at was so fair & bry? th,
Wente out at his brest. 342
When his soule was went to heuene,
? er com a vois wi? milde stephene
In-to an holy stede, 345
? er al ? e folk of rome were,
Godes seruise forto here,
To bidden holy bede,
Page 57
348
And seyde ? es wordes wi? oute faille:
"Come? to me, ? at haue? trauaille
O? er charge for my sake! 351
Come? to me, I schal ? ou fille
Wi? ioye & blisse at al ? oure wille,
? at neuere mor schal slake. " 354
Whan ? e folk hadde ? at word herd,
? e[i] were echone sore a-fered
& fullen doun to grounde; 357
As ? ei leyen & hedde here face,
? ar com owth, ? oru godes grace,
In a litel stounde,
Page 58
360
Ano? er stephene mylde & meke,
& bad hem vp arise, & seke
A godes man of rome, 363
'? at ? e mowe, ? oru his preyer,
Of his godnesse ben partener
At ? e day of dome. ' 366
// ? ei risen alle wi? bli? e chere
& southe bo? e fer & nere,
Be weye & ek be strete; 369
Bote for no? ing ? at ? ei wrouth,
Wi? ? at relyk ? at ? ei south,
My? tte ? e[i] nowar mete;
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372
Til ? at voit?