And þer was an oold womman, Anna, þat was a prophete in þis tyme: she was douȝter of Fanuel, of þe kynrede of Aser. Þis Anna wente wel in her daies, and she lyvede sevene ȝeer wiþ hir hosebonde þat was weddid wiþ hir fro her maidenhod. And þis Anna was widewe unto foure score ȝeer and foure, þat wente not out of þe temple, but servede þerinne, boþe niȝt and dai, bi fastinge and devoute preieris. And þis Anna cam þe same tyme, and made hir confession to God, and spake of Crist, as [So E; A reads and.] of God and man, to alle oþer, þat camen to hir and weren in bileve, and abiden þe biyng aȝen of mankynde. Here men douten comunli how old þis Anna was, and wheþer þes foure score ȝeer and foure ben countid in hir two eeldis bifore, as in tyme of hir maidenhood, and in tyme of hir wedlok. But leve we þis witt to God, and wite we wel þat þis Anna was an old womman; and so Crist wolde have witnesse of ages and statis of folk. Crist wolde have witnes of old folk, as weren Anna and Symeoun; and he hadde witnesse of ȝong folk, as weren Innocentis martrid for him; and he hadde witnesse of myddil folk, as weren his fadir, and modir, and herdis. But comunli Crist hadde witnesse of just folk of good name.
And whanne þei hadden do alle þingis in þe temple, þat fel to be done bi Goddis lawe, þei turneden aȝen to Galile, to þe citee Nazareth. For, siþ Crist was circumcisid, and pore offringe was maad for him, þer was no more þere to do bi Crist, of so tendir age; but whanne he was of twelfe ȝeer, he cam aȝen wiþ his eldris and enfourmede þe doctours of þe temple, as þe gospel of Luk seiþ. And in þe meene while, þe child wexide and was confortid, ful of witt, and þe grace of God was wiþ him.
