Who seketh his helpe, shal nat mescheue, [sekith. myscheve.]
To his seruantis gracious and benygne.—
A tale for them, ageyn hym that maligne. [ageyn hem.]
Knyhtes fyue off malice and rauyne,
Line 1170
Ageyn the ffredam off Edmund ful coup|able, [Edmond.]
Haberyowned and in platis fyne [habiriownyd.]
Entred his court, took hors out off his stable, [entryd.]
With swerdis drawe to shewe hem-sylff vengable,
Lyst any man wolde make resistence; [ony.]
Line 1175
Ladde forth the pray bextort violence. [lad. ther pray.]
But sodenly thus with hem it stood: [sodeynly. with them.]
Or they passyd the boundis off the gate,
Trauayled with furye, and echon wex wood. [echoon.]
Repented affter, offred up mayland plate, [repentyd afftir. offryd.]
Line 1180
Confessyd, assoiled, — in cronycle set the date; [in the cr.]
Euer afftir off hool affeccioun [euere.]
Hadde to the martir gret deuocioun. —
Eek oon off Flaundres, that was a fals brybour, [Flaundrys.]
Kam vndyr colour off oblacioun, [cam. cololour (!)]
Line 1185
Kyssed the shryne, lyk a slyh pilour, [pillour.]
And with his teth, the book makith men|cioun,
Rauhte off a nowche. but, in conclusioun, [raught.]
His teth ftak stylle and on the nowche a|bood, [stake.]
By myracle, wher as the pylour stood; [pyllour.]
Line 1190
He koude nat remewe fro the place, [cowde. remeve. fro that.]
But stylle abood, that alle men myhte se. [myght.]
The Couent kam, prayyng the seynt off grace [preying.]
Vpon that wrechche forto haue pite: [wrecche. for fehlt.]
Loosnyd he was and wente at liberte.
Line 1195
Thus kan the martir on rebellis be veng|able; [losnyd.]
Whan they repente, benyngne and mercy|able. — [benigne.]
Theuys eyhte, tentre the cherche at nyht, [chirche.]
Oon brouhte a laddere, a-nother brouhte a barre, [anothir. brought.]
A-nother besy with al his strengthe and myht
Line 1200
To vnpyke lokys, a-nother to vnbarre, [vnpykke lokkys.]
Oon with a leuour to leffte the doore on harre,
Oon with a pykoys, a-nother hadde a spade, [pykoyse.]
Oon clamb the wyndowe his fardell forto lade; [fardel.]
Oon at the grownsel lowe gan to myne, [growncelle.]
Line 1205
A-nother besy to entre, yiff he myhte; [myght.]
Compassed afforn tave kome to the shryne, [compassyd. to haue come.]
To bern away the gold with stonys bryhte. [stoonys bryght.]
But to ther malis the martir hadde a fyhte: [malice. sight.]
So sore be vertu he dyde the theuys bynde, [soore. did.]
Line 1210
Tyl on the morwe the peeple dyde hem fynde:
Stood stylle as ston, sore in them-sylff amasyd, [stoon. soore.]
Somme with ther armys crompyd to the bak,
With eye up-tournyd aboute they haue gafyd, [gasyd.]
Oon with his crampown, a-nother with his sak,
Line 1215
Another stood and on the wal he brak;
Fro ther werk myhte no remews make, [myght.]
Tyl on morwe they were at myscheff take, [on the.]
Bounde and fetryd and throwen in prysown. [folio 110]
