Þus seinte Marie egyptiane : out of hire fole dede
Wende to heouene blisse : þoruȝ penaunce þat heo gan lede.
Line 342
40 Vita sancti Cristofori.
SEint Cristofre was a saracen : in þe londe of canaan.
In none stude bi is daie : nas so gret a man :
Foure-and-twenti fet he was long : and þicke and brod i-nouȝ :
A scwuch bote he were strong : me þinchez it were wouȝ!
Line 4
Al a contreie þare he were : for him wolde fleo.
Þare-fore him þouȝte þat noman : aȝen him scholde beo :
He seide, he nolde with no man bi-leue : bote with on þat were
hext louerd ouer alle men : and onder non oþur nere.
Line 8
Swuch a Man he wente to seche. : and so þat men him tolde
Of þe hexte manne þat on eorþe was : and of mest power i-holde.
Seint Cristofre souȝte feor : and atþe laste he cam him to.
Þe king axede him a-non ȝwat he were : and ȝwat he souȝte also.
Line 12
Cristofre him seide ȝwat he was : and þat he serui wolde
Þene hexte Man þat ouȝwere were : and þat non oþur abouwie ne scholde,
Ȝif he miȝte ani scwych [orig. scwuch] finde. : þis king to him sede
Þat he ne heold of no man : ne a-bouwie he nolde ne drede.
Line 16
Eiþur was of oþur glad. : Cristofre him seruede longue.
Þe kyng louede muche Melodie : of fieþle [r. fiþele] and of songue :
So þat is Iugelour a day : bi-fore him pleide faste,
And nemde in is ryme and in is song : þene deuel atþe laste.
Line 20
Anon so þe kyng þat i-heorde : he blessede him a-non.
Seint Cristofre nam wel guode ȝeme : and nolde ane fot feor gon
Are he wuste ȝwi it were. : þe king was ful loth to telle.
Cristofre seide, "bote þou me segge : no leng serui þe I-nelle."
Line 24
Þo þe kyng ne i-saiȝ non oþur : "leoue Cristofre," he sede,
"Ich blessede me þo ich heorde him nemme : for ich habbe of him gret drede."
"Þanne he is," quath Cristofre : "herre Maister þane þou?"
"Þat ne may ich," quath þe kyng : "for-soþe for-sake nov."
Line 28
"Haue guod day," quat Cristofre þo : "Inelle neuereft with þe beo.
Ichulle seche þane deuel [MS. feond; deuel on the margin.] and serui him : ȝif ich him owere iseo."
