& is contrare til ws ay.
For-þi suthly, ser, we say
Þat we wil hale lef þe,
& he langere with þe be.
For-þi chese, quhethyr þu wil
Line 625
Gyf ws oure lewe or hald hyme stil!"
And þare maister herand hou þai
Sa specialy þis tale cane say, [Ms. spāly,]
He was in perplexyte, [Ms. proplexite.]
Seand hou ane behowit to be:
Line 630
Oþire to do away in haste
His printyce þat he lufyt mast,
Ore þaime þat he had fostryt ay
Fra ȝouthed to þat day.
He prayt þame to hald þaime stil
Line 635
& he suld syne ouretak þar wil.
Þane he kyst in his thocht
In þat case he best do mocht [folio 198]
Makand a-syth to þame bath, [Ms. mak and.]
&, for to kepe Machore of skath,
Line 640
Thocht he wald with wilis dele,
For sawete of þame & þare hele.
Saincte Machore he callyt a day
& til hyme þus-gat cane say:
"My dere bruthyre, in priwete
Line 645
I haf for-to say to þe —
& fyrst I pray þe, þu wil
Be na way tak (it) ine-til Il. [it fehlt.]
Bruthyre, þu wat þat quhyle
Jhesu sad in þe ewangyle:
Line 650
"'Quha lufis his saule mare þane me,
Ma be na way my serwand be'"
& til his printyse cane he say:
"'Passis thru þe warld oure way [oure = ȝoure.]
& til al mene þe ewangelis teche
Line 655
& to tak baptysme þame preche!'"
Hou ma we þane þis word fulfil,
Þat in a nuk here lyis stil
& bot of oure-self thinkis nocht
& of sawle-hele na-thing wrocht
Line 660
Of fele folk, þat wyd-quhare
In fawt of techyng tynt are —
& namely, sene we haf mycht
Of body & of science slycht?
Ryse we þare-for & dresß ws til
Line 665
Godis bydyng to fulfil!
& for my eld, as þu ma se,
To lyf in quyet accordis me,
& for þu ȝongare is þane I,
Scharpare of wyt & mare mychtty:
Line 670
In godis name þu tak one hand
To pas in-to fere land,
& preche godis word alquhare
To þame at in wane-treucht are,
& preß þe bysyly for-to wyne
Line 675
Þare sawlis þat lyis in syne!"
Sancte Machore sad: "master dere,
Gud is I do as ȝe me lere,
For ȝoure prayere & ȝoure consele —
For þat to me ma mast awale."
Line 680
Quaþ he: "with myne oracione,
Mad hartly with deuocione,
I sal helpe þe but fenȝeyng,
& helpe þe in al vthyre thyng;
Eftyr my possybilyte,
Line 685
Dere sone, I sal helpe þe."
Sewine mene þane he taucht hyme til
To serwe hyme & to do his wyl,
& byschape-staf gef hyme alsa
& belt, and of his clathis twa,
Line 690
& bukis þat ware necessare
To hyme to prech godis lare;
& ordenyt hyme a galay,
& wytale þare-in gert he lay.
& þus to mak quyet & pece
Line 695
Of It he wyst fellonny was,
Þare-for, as Machore was redy
To pas þe se, sancte Colme in hy
Gert al his printeyß cume before
Hyme, in absence of sancte Machore,
Line 700
& sad to þame: "sonnis dere, [Ms. sōnis.]
I haf ȝou fostryt mony ȝere,
& wat, gyf ȝe wil one meyne,
Þat I al-way has besy bene
Til infourme ȝu in cheryte
Line 705
& in sawle-hele thochty to be;
&, for ȝoure hartis are herd as flynt
& ek, I haf myne trawale tynt. [ek (ak?) = oak.]
For in ȝoure hartis ȝe had Ithandly
