& of him had scho abit tane,
Line 255
In chastite to lif allane,
And maistres was scho made alswa
Of two hundreth maydens or ma.
King Hirtacus þe appostell praies [T appostel.]
And on þis wise to him he sais:
Line 260
"Half my kingdom sall þou haue
To do þis thing þat I will craue:
No-thing bot help with-owten strif
Þat Effigenia war my wife."
Causa quare mortuus est appostolus.
Here-of þe appostell was noght payd
Line 265
And to þe king al þus he sayd:
"Dere sun, he said, ne wate þou noght
How wisely þat woman has wroght?
In hir fadir tyme biforn
To chastite þan was scho sworn
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And spowse þan was scho made ful euyn
To Jhesu Crist, þe king of heuyn,
And hali abit has scho tane,
To serue him als lord allane.
How suld it ani-wise be sua [T swa.]
Line 275
Þat þou hir to þi spouse sold ta
Þat es spowsed lang tyme or now
Vntill a migtier king þan þou?"
And alsone als king Hirtacus
Herd þe appostell answer þus,
Line 280
Oway he went and was ful wrath
And thoght to wait him with sum skath,
Bot furth he went þan on þis wise.
And þe mayden to þe appostell crise:
"I pray þe, blis me with þi hand
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Thwrgh him to wham þou es serwand, [T thurgh, seruand.]
And all þir maydens euerilkane!
For wele I wate, we mun be slane:
Zon cursed king oure bane will be
Þat mani a tyme has manast me."
Line 290
Þe appostell blisced þam euerilkane,
And bad þam traist in Crist allane
And drede noght forto dy for him
Þat for þam died with panes grim. [T u. H panes.]
Þai granted all with gude entent,
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Þan till his mes þe appostell went.
And when his mes was said and done,
To Jhesu Crist he made his bone
Þat he suld so his seruandes saue,
Fro right trowth þat þai noght raue.
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And, als it was oure lordes will,
In þe kirk so dw(e)lled he still.
Praiand to god with gude entent:
Vntill þe king his men had sent
And bad þam þat he suld be slane.
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Into þe kirk þai come ilkane.
And he þat was þaire slaghter man [T þat, H had.]
Vnto þe appostell playnly ran
And bare him thurgh with-owten let,
Þat þe swerd and þe auter met.
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On þis wise was he marterd þare
And whent to blis for euermare.
And when þe folk herd say als sone
How þe king þis dede had done,
Till his palais þai went with fire:
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To brin him þare was þaire desire;
Ilkone þai swore þai swld him brin
All quik his awin palas within.
Þan to þam went bisschop and priste
And all dekins þat war þam neste,
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And all men of religioune,
Þat vnto godes bidinges war boun,
Praied þe folk faire forto blin,
Þat þai suld noght þe king so brin;
Þai said: "ilkone us war ful lath
Line 325
Þat ze to him suld do slike skath,
For-whi it es oure lordes will
Þat we do gude ogaynes ill.
Bot we will halow with gude chere
Þe marterdom of oure maister dere
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And entre him, als es worthi — [entre = inter.]
For god will quite all right wisly.
And lat us resaiue with gude will
What grace so god will send vs till."
Efter þis cownsall þan þai wroght,
Line 335
To berying faire þai him broght.
And furth in Cristes law gan þai lend,
Als þe appostell had þam kend.
Þan Hirtachus, þat cursed king,
Sone efter gert samyn bring
Line 340
Al þe burgas wiues of þat cete
