[6-text p 188]
¶ Vp on this beere / ay lith this Innocent
Biforn the chief Auter / whil the masse laste
And after that the Abbot with his Couent
Han sped hem / for to burien hym ful faste
Line 1828
And whan they / hooly water on hym caste
Yet spak this child / whan spreynd was hooly water
And song O Alma redemptoris mater.
Line 1831
¶ This Abbot which þat was an hooly man
As Monkes been / or elles oghte be
This yonge child / to coniure he bigan
And seyde o deere child I halsen thee
Line 1835
In vertu / of the hooly Trinitee
Tel me / what is thy cause / for to synge
Sith þat thy throte is kut to my semynge
Line 1838
¶ My throte is kut vn to my nekke boon
Seyde this child and as by wey of kynde
I sholde haue dyed / ye longe tyme agon
But Ihesu crist / as ye in bookes fynde
Line 1842
Wil þat his glorie / laste / and be in mynde
And for the worship / of his mooder deere
Yet may I synge / O Alma / loude and cleere
Line 1845
¶ This welle of mercy Cristes mooder sweete
I loued alwey / as after my konnynge
And whan þat I my lyf / sholde forlete
To me she cam / and bad me for to synge
Line 1849
This Anthephen / verraily / in my deyynge
As ye han herd / and whan þat I hadde songe
Me thoughte / she leyde a greyn vp on my tonge
Line 1852
Wherfore I synge / and synge I moot certeyn [folio 155a]
In honour / of that blisful mayden free
Til fro my tonge / of taken is the greyn
And afterward / thus seyde she to me
Line 1856
