"It es me tolde in this contre
Þat þou spekes mekill agaynes me
And sais I preche bot herefy;
To holy kirke wittnes I drawe
I preche no thynge agaynes þe lawe,
Line 65
& I sall telle the why,
Þe same ordir þat god gafe here
Þe foure gosepells wretyne fere
On þe rode whene he gune dy;
Þat þou arte bot an heretyke;
Line 70
Þe fende of helle þou erte full lyke,
Þou lyffes noghte ryghtwyffly."
Þe knyghtes hert bygane to tene,
Bot he ne wold not hym to no-mane mene,
Bot satt ay still als stane;
Line 75
Had it noghte bene mare for manes sp(e)che,
Þe frere had nedid none oþer leche
Bot sone he hade bene slayne; —
For þe awe of god ne lettyd he noghte,
Bot for dishonour þat hym thoghte
Line 80
Þat he thare had tane.
Þe frere tuke vp anoþ(er) tale;
Þe knyght satt still & wexe alle pale,
Als his lyfe had bene gane.
Whene þe frere had sayd what he walde,
Line 85
Folke drew to hym thikk-falde,
To schryfe þame of thaire synne. [Die Reime sind verderbt, oder nach v. 90 fehlt eine Strophe.]
Þe knyghte, þat was þe fendys fere,
He styrte by-twix þame & þe frere:
Þay myghte noghte to hym wynne. [Die Reime sind verderbt, oder nach v. 90 fehlt eine Strophe.]
Line 90
Ilk a mane wend he wold do saa
Penance for his synns to taa:
So wende both mane & wyfe;
He was abowte þe frere to tary,
Bathe to fkorne god & Mary
Line 95
& thayme to hethyng to dryfe.
Of his commyng þe frere was fayne
[(Hier ist grosse Lücke).] . . . . .
[folio 148] "The thare noghte be so bayne."
Full preualy he helde hym still,
And thanked Mary hir gud will, [Ms. fewlis st. fowlis.]
Line 100
Þat helde hym fra þat trayne.
Þe frere, þe fend vaneste awaye.
It was myrke & ferre fra daye,
Þe fewlis sange was still.
Þe foulle warlawes of helle
Line 105
Vndir þe wallys fkrykked schille,
And sayd: Mary did wrange & ill
Þat scho solde with hir qwaynt fare
Reue þam þat þairs ware,
Thay myght noghte come þer-till;
Line 110
Mighte þay hafe getyne hym on any wyse,
Þay wold hafe qwitt hym his seruyse.
For sorowe þay cryed fchill.
Fra þat tym, to þe sone rase,
Byfore oure lady kneland he was
Line 115
And prayed hir þat scho walde gaa
And bere his erande to hir dere childe
To forgyffe hym his werkes wylde,
Þat he had bene so thraa.
At forthe dayes þane come his ownne frere
Line 120
With a full mylde chere,
The better of thase twa.
And appone his knes he sett hym downne
And tuk hys absolucyone.
The fend was flayed hym fra.
Line 125
And þare he schrafe hym of his synne
Þat he had lange lyuede Inne,
Wele ferly lange.
Ilk a mane agayne his gud he gaffe
Þat he had tane with ryfe & raffe,
Line 130
With falsehed & with wrange.
And þus to þe blysse gune he wyne.
God late vs neuer byleue in syne
With hert þat es so strange.
Þe mane þat will ilk day do better þane oþer,
Line 135
He may be goddis ownne broþer
And duelle angells amange.
Þus Endis here our talkyng.
Jhesu till his blysse vs brynge,
Þat es euer-lastande. amen. par charite.
Line 140
