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We rede in þe 'Meracles of our Ladie,' how som tyme in Rome þer was ane emperour þat had a fayr wyfe & a chaste. So [MS. som̛.] on̛ a
tyme þis emperour sulde traveƚƚ furtℏ oute of contre fro his empyre vnto other grete regions, and he putt a bruther þat he had, & also aƚƚ his empyre, vnto gouernans of his whene. And when̛ he was gone, his bruther wexid̛ fond̛ of þe whene, & at þe laste he oppynd̛ his harte vnto hur, & sho forsuke hym̛ vttirlie and wolde not graunte vnto hym̛ notwithstandyng he wolde not lefe, bod laburd̛ hur daylie þerin. So at þe laste when̛ sho saw he wolde not lefe, sho sparrid̛ hym̛ in a towr̛ horn̛ faste, and gouernyd̛ þe empyre peasfullie. And when̛ v yere was passid̛ þis emperour come home, & be lefe of þe empryce his bruther was lattyn̛ furthe of þe towr̛ & come vnto þe emperour and accusyd̛ þe emprice hugelie vnto hym̛, & sayd̛ þat sho was ane oppyn̛ fornycatur nerehand̛ with evur-ilk man̛. And becauce he wolde not consent vnto hur to ly by hur, þerfor̛ sho sparrid̛ hym̛ faste in a towr̛, & herefor̛ he said̛ he was lene and iƚƚ hewid̛. And þis emperour gaff our redelie truste vnto hym̛, & tuke a grete sorow in his harte, to so mykeƚƚ at he feƚƚ down̛ in swownyng & lay a grete while. So when̛ he come vnto his spyrittis agayn̛ he went furtℏ, and þe whene mett hym̛ & wolde hafe kissid̛ hym̛, & he wolde not bod gaff hur a grete strake, & felde hur vnto þe ertℏ. And he commaundid̛ ij of his men̛ to take hur & hafe hur vnto þe wudd & smyte of hur heade. And þai tuke hur & had hur furtℏ as he bad. & when̛ þai come þer þai sulde hafe smyten̛ of hur head̛, þai wolde bothe hafe ligen̛ by hur. And sho putt þaim by and cryed & made a grete noyse. And þer happend com by a wurthi man̛, & many men̛ with hym̛, and harde hur cry & rade to hur & slew þies ij harlottis at was with hur, & tuke hur [MS. hym.] home with hym̛ & betaght hur vnto his wyfe. And sho made hur nuress of a little yong son̛ at sho hadd̛. So þis wurthi man̛ had a bruder was a knyght, & he wexid so fond̛ on̛ hur at he wiste neuer what he might doo, & oft wolde hafe had at do with hur; and evur sho putt hym̛ bye. So on̛ a nyght, as sho was on̛ slepe in hur bed & þis yong bab by hur, he come privalie with a knyfe & cutt þe barn̛ throte in sonder, & put nemelie þe knyfe in hur hand and sho of slepe; & so he lefte hur and went his wayes. So sho felde warm̛ blude
ryn̛ aboute hyr in þe bed, & wakend þer-with. And when̛ sho saw how it was sho cryed̛, at þe lorde & þe ladie and aƚƚ þe howshold̛ hard̛. So þai come vnto hur at luke what hur aylid̛, and fande þe barn̛ dead̛. And þe howshold̛ meneya wold̛ hafe slayn̛ hur, bod þe lorde and þe ladie wolde not latt þaim. So þe lord̛ commandid̛ at sho sulde be delyverd̛ vnto shipmen̛, & at þai sulde hafe hur in-to a far contrey. And so sho was delyverd̛ vnto shipmen̛ & broght vnto þe ship̛. And onone þai wolde hafe ligen̛ by hur, and in no wyse sho wolde consent vnto þaim, and herefore þai wolde hafe drownyd̛ hur. Bod þugℏ grace of God þer cownceƚƚ changid̛, and þai sett hur vpp̛ apon̛ a hy skar in þe see. And þer our Ladie Saynt Marie apperid vnto hur & comfurthid hur, and̛ bad hur take ane erbe þat was vnder hur head̛ þer sho lay & kepe it, & with þat sho sulde heale aƚƚ þaim þat war lepre whar̛-som̛-evur sho come. And sho was þer many day & had̛ no meat bod herbys & gress. So on̛ a tyme þer come shipp̛-men̛ by þe land̛, and sho cryed̛ vnto þaim and þai had petie on̛ hur, and tuke hur in-to þer ship̛ & had hur vnto a haven-town̛; and onone þer befor̛ þaim aƚƚ sho helid̛ a lepre man̛. And in þe mene while þis vnhappie man̛ þat had slayn̛ his bruther barn̛ þat sho kepid̛, was sodanlie fallen̛ lepre, and sho was broght vnto hym̛ & no bodie knew hur of aƚƚ þe howshold̛. So þe lord prayed hur to hele his bruther, and sho ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & sayd̛ sho myght nott bod if he in presence of þe lorde & þe ladie & oþer viij persons shrafe hym̛ clene of aƚƚ his synnys. And so he did̛, bod þat syn̛ at he did̛ anence hur, he wolde not shryfe hym̛ þerof, and evur sho sayd̛ he was not fuƚƚ shrevyn̛. So he gatt assurans of his bruthir, & knowleged aƚƚ his syn̛ how he had done. And sho ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & sayd̛; "I am̛ þat same womman̛." And þer sho helid̛ hym̛. And þe lorde wolde hafe garte hur wed hym̛ and sho wolde not, bod went hur way; & evur whar̛ any was lepre sho helid̛ þaim. So at þe laste hur happend to com̛ to Rome, and þer sho fand þe emperour hur husband̛ bruther, at had done so vnto hur, lepre. And sho was fechid̛ to hele hym̛, & sho wolde not bod if he confessid̛ hym̛ oppynlie of aƚƚ þe synnys at evur he had done befor̛ aƚƚ men̛; and so he did̛ & telde opynlie how he had done vnto hur, &
how þe emperour had garte sla hur. And aƚƚ þe peple þat was þer & harde made sorow for los of so gude a ladie. So at þe laste sho lete þaim witt at it was sho, & helid̛ in þe cetie aƚƚ þat evur was lepur. And be þat tyme þe emperour was dead, and þe pope sent vnto hur; & becauce þat in hur tribulacion̛ sho had made a vow of chastite, he made hur to take one abbet of religion̛. And þus sho endid̛ hur lyfe in clene liffiyng. et c̛.