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How Our Lady's Sauter was First Found
Leuedi swete & milde, {f.259rb}
 For loue of þine childe,
Ihesu ful of miŠt,
Me þat am to wilde
5000 Fram schame þou me schylde,
Bi day & bi niŠt.
¶ Ichil bigennen here
& tellen þe manere
Now in þis stounde
1000 Of þi sauter here,
Wiþ wel gode chere,
Hou it was yfounde.
¶ Sende me þi grace
Now in þis place,
1500 So wele for to done,
Y bid þe þi grace.
Þerto liif & space.
Yhere now mi bone.
¶ A riche man was while,
2000 Þat loued no gile;
He loued holi chirche.
Bisiden him a mile
An abbay of seyn Gile
His eldren dede wirche.
2500 ¶ Gode liif þis man ladde. On sone he hadde,
Þat gode dedes dede.
Wiþ cloþ & wiþ bedde
His sone fair he schredde {f.259va}
3000 In þilke stede.
¶ Monke þerin he bicam
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4500 Queint man & sleiŠe.
For it was euer his wone
To teche him bi costome.
Þe order, fer & neiŠe.
¶ He Šede forþ aboute
5000 Wiþinne & wiþout
Wiþ þe lord aday.
His sone he lete þerout;
He Šede for to aloute –
Tellen ich Šou may –
5500 ¶ Þe leuedi ful of miŠt Þat bar our driŠt,
In a chapel þere,
Bi day & bi niŠt
When he þerto com miŠt,
6000 Were where he were.
¶ Šou al tellen y may
An hundred ich day
Greteinges he seyd.
Wele he held his lay
6500 & þe order, par ma fay,
For loue of þat mayde.
¶ Wele he hadde ywrouŠt
For gode was his þouŠt;
Þat was wele ysen.
7000 He no lesse it nouŠt,
Heuen he hadde ybouŠt
Þurth his gode ben.
¶ No lete he non stounde {f.259vb}
Þat he no fel to grounde
7500 & aknewes badde
& þouŠt on þe fif wounde
Þat God for alle þe mounde
On rode hadde ysprad.
¶ An hundred to þe maide
8000 Greteinges he seyd
Bi tale ich day.
He nouŠt it no layd,
Ac so wele he playd,
RiŠt soþe for to say,
8500 ¶ Þat he seiŠe wel briŠt Our leuedi ful of miŠt
On a Saterday, ywis,
Where sche sat vpriŠt
Half-cloþed bi siŠt,
9000 & seyd to him þis:
‘Mi monk, no drede þe nauŠt,
For y þe haue ylauŠt
& y þe wil take.
Þou hast don a gode frauŠt.
9500 No bestow nouŠt bicauŠt;
God ne schal þe lake.
¶ Y þanke þe here nouþe
For þatow wiþ þi mouþe
Me hast paid so wel;
1000 Bi norþ & bi souþe
It schal be wel couþe
Þine dedes eueridel.
¶ Ac þou most more say,
For me now ich day
1050 Fifti al bi score
Of aue maries,
Ich day þries.
Wite now wharfore:
¶ Þat is riŠt mi sauter.
1100 & þou it schalt ywite her
Hou it schal be do:
Fifti say bifore,
& euer ten bi score,
& þe antemis þerto.
1150 ¶ In tokne of þe blisse Þat fel me wiþ, ywis.
Þo þe aungel to me cam {f.260ra}
& seyd me tiding
Þat of me schuld spring
1200 God bicome a man.
¶ After say þou sone
Fifti middidone
Al for þat ich blis
Þat he wiþouten sore
1250 Wald of me be bore;
Þerof þat þou no misse.
¶ Þerafter þou shalt say
Eft fifti ich day,
Bi þine fingres ten,
1300 Of aue maries,
Ich day þries –
Telle it fele men –
¶ Fifti at þe nende,
For y shulde wende
1350 To mi sone þo
For blis, & for to amende,
Þat he to me gan sende,
To me comen & go.
¶ He brouŠt me to þe blis
1400 Þat neuer no schal
mis, 
In þat ich stounde.
Blisced be þe time
Þat he brouŠt out of pine
Þerin were ybounde.’
1450 ‘A, leuedi, y þe grete, For þou art fair & swete
& gode to serue wel.
Graunt me þi nore,
For y schal eueremore
1500 Don þis eueri del.
¶ Šif y durst & couþe,
Ich wald wite nouþe,
Leuedi, here of þe,
Whi þe failes gore,
1550 Sleuen & no more
Of cloþ ich on þe se?’
¶ ‘Þis cloþe þou me Šeue
Of Friday at eue,
Þurth aue maries,
1600 Þo þou me gun grete
& no day nold lete {f.260rb}
Ac seydest fifti tviis.
¶ For þou most say more
Þries fifti bi score.
1650 Also y teld þe.
Today a seueniŠt
Ycloþed al ariŠt
Þou schalt me fair yse.
¶ Be here of al scille,
1700 & say wiþ gode wille
Al þis greteinges,
& y schal þe bring
Fram mi sone, þe king,
Gode tidinges.’
1750 ¶ Mari went þo oway & þe monke ich day
Seyd riŠt þre siþes
Wiþ wel gode wille
Boþe loude & stille
1800 His aue maries.
¶ Þat day a seuenniŠt
Our leuedi, ful of miŠt,
To þe monk cam,
In hir wede riŠt
1850 Ycloþed swiþe briŠt
& þonkede þe man.
¶ ‘Fair is now mi wede,
For bedes þat þou bede,
Þatow hast Šeue me.
1900 Mi sone þe wil rede,
Þat þou noþing no drede
For soþe y telle þe.
¶ Þou schalt abot bicome,
When þou art hom ynome,
1950 For Šour abot schal dye.
Haue þou euer in wone
To sigge bi costome
Þine aues ich day.
¶ Wende al about
2000 & preche it in & out
Þat þis is mi sauter;
For al þat ich day
Wil þis for me say,
Y schal hem ben wel ner.
2050 ¶ Leue monke, ich
telle þe {f.260va} Þat þou most al for me
Wenden ner & wide
& tellen of þis þing
& so my sone bring
2100 Fele him biside.
¶ For þurth aue maries
Þat men schal siggen þries
In þe worþschippe of me,
Y schal hem help alle
2150 Þat to me wille calle,
For soþe y telle þe.
¶ Nis non þat schal day,
Þat þries wil say
Þis aue maries –
2200 Wiþouten housel & schrift –
Bi day no bi niŠt,
For non folies.
¶ He schal in ich place
Wele finde mi grace
2250 At his liues ende,
& he schal finde space
& haue gode grace
Him al for to amende.
¶ Gon ichil hanne.
2300 Say it mani man
Þis & make it couþe.
For seuen Šer after þis
Þou schalt dien, ywis –
Y telle þe wiþ mouþe.
2350 ¶ So long is þi time To hold þe & þine
& hem for to teche.
After þat of pine
Þou worst ybrouŠt to mine,
2400 For y schal be þi leche.’
¶ Marie went forþ hir way.
& þe monke ich day
Folk to God bring,
Þurth þis ich þing
2450 & his precheing.
Gode was þis tidinge.
¶ Now ich bidde here,
& on alle wiþ gode chere,
Þat Še sigge þries
2500 Wiþ wel gode wille
Boþe loude & stille
Þis aue maries.
¶ & God our alder driŠt
So Šiue ous strengþe & miŠt
2550 So wele for to done
Þat at our ending
He mot ous alle bring
To blis swiþe sone.
Amen
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