Þat God hys preyer vndyrstode—
Line 10432
Y hopë [hopede.] þan, grace to haue,
Þat hys messë myȝt me saue."
Ofte he seyd[ë] to hys wyfe
"A prest! A prest! of clenë lyfe."
Line 10436
On þe mornë, sone she ȝede [folio 69b]
To þe frerës eft god spede,
And shewed hyt to þe pryour,
And prey[ed] hym of socour,
Line 10440
'Ȝyf he had any broþer,
Þat he hoped, were better þan oþer,
Þat wyl syngë me a messe
For a man þat dedë ys;
Line 10444
And at myn esë he shal haue,
To a pytaunce, þat he wyl craue.'
Þe pryor spake vn-to a frere,
And prey[ed] hym on alle manere
Line 10448
Þat he wulde a messë synge
For þat soule þat she made preyng.
Þe frerë was an holy man;
And ar þat he hys messe bygan,
Line 10452
He preyde to God hys orysoun
Yn ful grete afflyccyoun,
Þat hyt myȝt be, hym to pay,
Þe messe þat he shulde synge þat day.
whan þe messe was do to ende,
Line 10457
He bad þe womman home to wende;
"And, whan þou more eftë heres,
Cum and sey to ourë freres."
Line 10460
Þe nyȝt aftyr, lesteneþ now,
He come, [Cum.] and seyd, "slepest þou?"
'Nay,' she sayd, 'how farë ȝe?'
"weyl," he seyd, "and so wurþ þe." [most þou]
Line 10464
'were ȝe pay[ed] of þat messe,
Þat, for ȝow, sungyn ys?'
"Ȝe," he seyd, "graunte mercy,
Þys messe to me ys more wurþy
Line 10468
Þan alle þe worlde, an hunder syþe,
