Capitulum XV.
And in þy meditacioun þu schalt nouȝt forȝite þe offryngge of þre kynges; [ 495] and also, whan vre lady for drede of Herowd fleþ in to Egypte wt here child in here lappe, let here not goon alone, bot go forþ wit here, and haue on opinion þat þis is soþ þat i schal now telle to þe. Narracio bona. Whanne hure lady wente to Egipte-warde, sche was (take) of þeues. & among hem þe maister-þef hadde a sone, whic sterte to vre lady & vndyde here lappe, and þer [ 500] he fand here swete child liggynge. And þer come swhiche lemes of liȝt & brit∣nesse out of his blessede fas, þat þis þef wyste wel in his herte þat þis child was of grettere mageste þan an oþur pur man; and for greet loue he kleppede hym in his armes & kyst hym, seyinge deuoutly in þis wyse: | »O þu most blessede babe among alle þat euere were; heraftur whanne þu cumst to þy grete [ 505] lordschipe, in caas þu see me euere at eny myscheef, help me and haue myende of þis tyme! for i wyl kepe þe and þy moder harmles.« | Suster, it is iseyd þat þis was þilke þef þat hynge on Cristis riȝt syde, wiche vndernam þat oþer þat hynge on his left syde, seyingge to hym, as it is iwryten in þe gospel in þis wyse: | Neque tu times deum, quod in eadem dampnacione es. Et nos quidem [ 510] iuste: nam digna factis recepimus; hic vero nichil mali gessit &c. | And þoo wt gret meknesse and contricioun he turnyde hym to Criste [MS. Cristis.] : and seingge þe same schynyngge and briȝtnesse þat he hadde longe byfore iseye in his face in his moder lappe, wt alle þe veynes of his herte he cryede: Memento mei, domine, dum veneris in regnum tuum, þat is to seyn: Lord, haue myende of me, whan [ 515] þu comest in to þy kyndom! | And for soþe, Crist forȝat not is couenaunt, for he answerede anoon & seyde: Amen dico tibi, hodie mecum eris in paradyso. | Suster, to stire þe to more tendrenesse of loue, haue an opinioun þat þis tale is soþ! | And hit schal be non harm to þe, al-þouȝ þu be-þenke þe how þy ȝunge husbonde Crist, while he was child, childly & myryli pleyde hym among [ 520] oþer children at Nazareth, and oþer-whyle hou seruisable he was to his moder, and anoþer tyme how swete and gracious he was to his nursche.