"Lo," he seide, "mine barones : þat mi conseileres ȝe beoth,
Conseil nimez here-of [al. To con|seile me] in mine court : of þingue þat ȝe i-seoth :
Ȝe i-heorez wel hov þe deuele[n] : with him spekez nov here—
Line 136
For of þing þat ȝe i-heorez alle : he ne may him nouȝt skere.
huy comieth here and confortiez him : ase ȝe i-heorez ech-on.
Strong wichche [he] is, þat ne doutez : of ore godes ech-on;
Wel hardi he is, for he ne tellez : of alle ore tormenz non.
Line 140
bi þe fei þat ich owe to mahun : an-oþur it schal gon!"
Scourgene he liet nime of Ire : þat harde weren i-novȝ,
And is flesch, þat was er bi-leued : þare-with he [al. me] to-gnovȝ.
Þo is flesch þus defouled was : þat reovþe it was to seo,
Line 144
"Þeof," he seide, "ȝeot þov schalt : In wel more torment beo."
his chekene and is mouth a-boute : he liet [MS. liete] bete with stones, [folio 149]
And daschte þe tiez out of is heued : and to-breken is bones.
"Þov wrechche," he seide, "bi-þiench þi-seolf : and torne sone þi þouȝt!"
Line 148
¶ "Sire Aumperour," laurence seide : "þov spext al embe nouȝt :
I-nelle honovri none oþur godes : þane Iesus, in none wise;
For him ich louie, and euere wolle : don him sacrefise."
Þo Decius him hadde i-do : al þat he couþe bi-þenche,
Line 152
"Certes," he seide, "þov schalt beo ded : ne schaltþov nouȝt so at|blenche."
Strong fuyr he lieth maken and gret : and a gredire þar-on sette,
Þene holie Man, seint laurence : þar-to he liet fette
And al-a-long opon þe gredire : ouer þe fure him caste.
Line 156
Þe tormentores stoden al-a-boute : and bleowen þat fuyr wel faste;
with Irene pikes huy pulten him : and schouen In [al. him] faste a-boue.
Louerd, muche was þe pyne : þat he soffrede for þi loue!
Þat fuyr bi-neoþe rostede him : al quic mid flesch and blode,
Line 160
And þe Irene pikes in is flesch : ful bitterliche huy wode.
Seint laurence bi-gan to speke [þo] : and to þe Aumperore he sede :
"Þov luþere wrechche, it ne deriez me nouȝt : al þine luþere dede.
Nim ȝeme þat þine fuyrie coles : wel muche a-kelez me,
Line 164
And into þe strongue fuyre of helle : huy schullen bringue þe.
"LOuerd Iesu crist, þov it wost : I-ne habbe þe nouȝt for-sake,
Ake clanliche mi bodi and al mi þouȝt : þe ich habbe bi-take."
