He bad þe ryche men scholde brynge
Neet & scheep to here offerande,
And pore men vp alle þynge
Line 35
Quyke foulys in here hande;
And, as þey wolde here lyuys hente,
For noþyng ne scholde þey wonde.
Þis was þe kyngys comaundement
Þat he sente þorwȝ al hys londe.
Line 40
Þe folk vp-on þis manere ȝood —
To wraþþe þe kyng þey weren adrad.
Beforn hys goddys hym-seluen stood,
In ryche cloþyng was he clad.
Alle(!) men were þere, boþe false & fykil,
Line 45
He bad þat þey scholde be ful glad;
Noyse þey maden wundyr mekyl,
As here emperour hem bad.
Anoþer kyng in þat lande was þoo:
Costus was hys name calde.
Line 50
A douȝtyr he hadde — chyldryn no moo —
Off XVIIIe wyntyr was sche alde:
Kateryne was here ryȝte name,
Off wyt & wysdom was sche bolde;
Sche louyd Jhesu, þouȝ sche bar blame —
Line 55
For hys loue was here lyff solde.
As sche stood in here fadyr coort,
Gle-men herde sche lowde synge,
Wiþ pypys & trumpys þey maden de|spo(rt),
& bellys herde sche lowde rynge.
Line 60
Sche fraynyd of here fadir men
What was þat noyse & þat pypyng.
Þey tolde here of þat offryng þen
Þat Maxcens garte his folk to bryng.
Sche hooff vp here hand, þat mayden ȝungge,
Line 65
& blyssyd here fol wyttyrly,
Ferst here brest & þanne here tungge —
So says þe book off here story.
Þedyr, sche sayde, alone sche þouȝte,
For to se þat melody.
Line 70
But al alone wente sche nouȝte:
Þey wente wiþ here þat stood here by.
Whenne sche com to hys palayse,
Sum sche sawȝ make game & glee.
