VI.
HOW ÞE HALI CROS WAS FUNDIN. BE SEINT
ELAINE [[Fairfax MS. 14, Bod. Lib. [folio 88b] , art, 63.]]
Of þe rode now for to rede
ihesus criste he be mi spede,
þat þare-on suffred sorouful pine
to lause vs fra our wiþer-wine;
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we agh to buxumli hit bere,
for hit of bote is our banere,
baþ on bodi and in hert,
againe alle our care hit is our quert.
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quen ihesus þer-of was vn-done,
þe iewes hid hit efter sone
fra cristen men hit to blinde;
laþ ware ham þai sulde hit finde,
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þai wiste þe cristen walde hit kepe
for-þi in erþ þai grofe hit depe
vnder erþ, and oþer twa
quare-on þe theuis hang on squa;
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þe riȝt rode þai went to dille
out of þe cristen mennis skille,
þat if wiþ chaunce men on ham hit
quilk þai sulde haue þai sulde noȝt witt:
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¶ bot crist, þat nane is to him like,
walde noȝt late his dere relike,
squa noteful þing, squa lang be hid,
þat he ne walde þat hit ware kid.
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quen hit had bene ij. hundre ȝere
vnder erþ, þat druri dere,
to bote of baþ our saule and life,
he did hit be fundin þorou a wife:
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