XXII. DE SANCTO IOHANNE BAPTISTA.
Ego uox clamantis in deserto parate uiam domini rectas facite semitas eius. Þe louerd seint lucas giu trinneð on his godspel þe wunderlich hider kume. and þe erueðliche herbiwist. and þe wunderliche heðen sið. of ure louerd seint iohan baptiste. [[Luke iii. 4.]] and þer he specð of his hider cume. he seið þat ure drihten sende his heg engel gabriel to on old man; þat [p 91] was holi prophete. and ec bisshup. and het zacharie. and sende him to seien þat he sholde strene an holie child and clepen hit iohan. and seide wich lif hit sholde leden. and on his burde michel folc blisse. and bifore gode ben michel and mihti. Þo understod þe holi man þat he was of michel elde. and his woreldes make was teames atold. and unberinde. and for þese þre þing let hit unleflich. and ne lefde hit noht; þat þe engel him seide. and þus quað. Vnde hoc sciam. hwu mai ich þis wite þo seide þe [[Luke i. 18, 20].] engel. Qvia non credidisti uerbis meis. ecce eris tacens et non poteris loqui usque ad diem natiuitatis eius. For þu art unlef mine worde. þu shalt beo dumb forte þat child beo boren. and þerbi wite þat ich soð seie. þus bicom þe holi man dumb; and on his spuse þis holi child strende. On the sixte moneð þarafter was þat holi maiden ure lafdi seinte marie liht mid þe holi child ure louerd ih[es]u crist and com to hire moge Seinte elizabet þe ich er embe was þe bar on hire wombe Seinte Iohan baptiste. and alse wat se þat holi meide mid worde grette þe holie spuse; þo warð soð þat þe engel hadde er bi þis child seid. Spiritu sancto replebitur adhuc ex utero matris sue þat child sholde on his