Al þat ben in dedly sinne | and þenk wiþ merci to mete,
Leue in Crist þat ȝaue ȝou witt | ȝour sinnes forto bete.
Listen, and ȝe schul here telle | wiþ wordes fair and swete
Þe vie of on maiden, | men clepeþ seyn Mergre(te).
Hir fader was a patriarke, | as y ȝou telle may,
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In Antiage he was born | opon þat false lay;
Feble was his hert, | vnstable was his fay,
Deue þinges and doumbe | he serued niȝt and day.
Teodosus was his name. | in god no leued he nouȝt:
He leued opon his fals godes | wiþ hondes þat were wrouȝt;
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Wicked weren his werkes | and feble was his þouȝt,
And euer he þouȝt to bring | cristendom to nouȝt.
As þai liued togider, | þe king and þe quene,
Maiden Mergrete | was geten hem bitvene,
Þat seþþen leued on Jhesu Crist | and hadde michel tene,
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And miche pine þoled seþþe | hir bodi, þat was so schene.
While þe quen ȝede wiþ child, . . . . . [Hier sind im Ms. 11 Halbzeilen mit der Illustration der Rückseite ausgeschnitten.]
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Þat it were to deþ brouȝt | wiþouten more striif.
Þo hye herd þat tiding, | sche wex a careful wiif.
Anon so Mergrete was yborn, | hir moder was wel wo,
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For hir fader hadde beden | to deþ þat sche schuld go.
Sche þouȝt to saue þe childes liif | and bring hir out of wo:
Ful priueliche and stille | to Azie sche sent hir þo.
Into Azies-ward | þe child was taken to loke.
Anon as sche was of eld, | Mergrete was sett to boke.
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Hir felawes þat hir lyen bi, | at ich time þat þei woke,
Hou Mergrete was in hir bedes | gode hede þai toke.
Þe norice þat hir ȝemed, | sche ȝemed hir wiþ winne;
Alle þai loued hir ful wele, | þe hous þer sche wond inne.
Anon as sche couþe witt, | michel sche hated sinne;
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Sche toke hir to Jhesu Crist, | hir form liif to biginne.
Anon as þe mayden was | o fiftene winter eld,
Hir norice schepe | sche ȝemed on þe feld.
Hir felawes þat hir wiþ were | ful ȝern þai hir biheld
Hou sche maked hir praier | to Jhesus, þat al may weld.
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