For sche ne moste haue neyþer mete ne drynk
Þorwȝ comaundement of þe emperour,
Line 370
Twelue dayes, neuere a pynk,
Sche hadde a betere vyaundour:
Cryst sente to here goostly foode
Fro heuene, þat is oure saueour,
Aungelys, þat brouȝten here lyfflode
Line 375
Þer sche sat presounnyd in a tour.
And whenne þe twelue dayes were gon,
Þenne com Jhesu, heuene kyng,
Wiþ aungelys & maydenys manyon,
For to speke wiþ hys derelyng.
Line 380
He sayde: "ffor me þou hast ben led
In ful gret stryff & gret fandyng:
Looke þat þou be nouȝt adred:
I geue þe, douȝtyr, my blessyng.
Offten I haue þy prayers herde,
Line 385
Whenne þat þou hast me besouȝt;
I schal nouȝt fayle þe — be nouȝt aferde—
To iugement whenne þou art brouȝt.
Looke, þou be stedefast, trewe & sekyr!
Off alle here peynys geue þou nouȝt!
Line 390
For off þe blysse þou may be sekyr
Þat I haue to myn handwerk wrouȝt."
Whenne he hadde sayde þese wurdis þoo,
Out off þe presoun gan he glyde
To heuene blysse, þer he com froo,
Line 395
Hys aungelys vpon ylke a syde.—
Whenne Maxcense hadde Idon his dede,
Hom he come wiþ mekyl pryde;
Wiþ dukes, eerlys & knyȝtys he ȝede,
And pagys rennyng be here syde,
Line 400
Vpon þat oþer day ful sone
He askyd off þe maydenys staat,
Ȝiff þat sche were on lyue or none:
"Sche is ful feble, weel I waat.
Fette here forþ now, my gayler!
Line 405
For hungyr & þyrst sche is ful mate."
Þe gayler brouȝte here to hym þer,
Þer as he sat in ryal sate.
