Of maners wox boþe wylde and nice,
And of þe peple heo worschiped moni on
And ȝiftus ȝaf to vche mon,
Line 240
Hem to sture aȝein Ambrose—
Þat was iwis an vuel purpose.
Þei weoren aboute, of vuel wil [Cum ergo multi eum in exsilium pellere niterentur,]
To haue put him in exil.
A schrewe þer was among oþur— [unus eorum caeteris infelicior in tantum furorem excitatus est, ut juxta ecclesiam domum sibi locaret ac in ea quadrigam paratam haberet, quo procurante Justina facilius raptum ad exsilium deportaret.]
Line 245
I trouwe he was þe deueles broþur—
Þat was so wod in his doyng
Þat bi his chirche he made his dwellyng
And in his hous he hedde redye
A cart, seint Ambrose to carie
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Out of þe lond, fox of fyl,
Whon he weore dampned to exil,
Þat no bodi wox so bolde
In londe him aftur forte holde;
Þis was þe cast of Justine,
Line 255
Þe emperice, a schrewe ful fyne.
But bi Godus ordinaunce [Sed Dei judicio ipso die quo eum rapere arbitrabatur, in eadem quadriga de ea|dem domo in exsilium pulsus est. (Cui tamen Ambr. reddens bona pro malis, sumptus et necessaria ministravit.)]
Þenne bifel þis ilke chaunce:
He þat hedde arayed þe cart
He was exiled swiþe smart
Line 260
Vppon þat ilke same day
Þat wende to ha lad Ambrose away,
In þe same cart he was caried
Out of þat lond, and foule ihariȝed. [wende = wende he, wie 714 wolde, 961 knewe, Theod. 314 leued.]
SEint Ambrose was þe furste man [Cantus et officium in ecclesia Mediolanensi cele|brari instituit.]
Line 265
Þat in þe churche of Melan
Ordeyned offyces and songe
And melodye of vois and tonge.
In þe cite of Melan [Erant et tunc temporis Mediolani multi a daemonibus obsessi, qui se torqueri ab Ambrosio magnis vocibus clamabant;]
Was þat tyme moni a man
Line 270
Þat wiþ þe deuel acumbred were
And weren ibrouht in muchel fere;
Þe deuel made hem crie in heore turment
Þat Ambrose hedde hem ischent.
But Justine, þat wikked womman, [Justina autem et multi Arianorum, cum simul habitarent, dicebant Ambrosium pecunia homines comparare qui se ab immundis spiritibus vexari mentirentur et ab Ambrosio dicerent se torqueri.]
Line 275
Wiþ heretykes of þe secte of Arrian,
Þat to gedere token heore dwellyng,
On Ambrose maden a lesyng:
Þei seiden hit was soþ verrey
Þat Ambrose wiþ his money
Line 280
Hedde hured men to þat entent,
To seiȝe þat þe deuel hem dude turment,
And eke of Ambrose verreyliche
Þis lesyng þei maden falsliche.
HIt bifel sodeynliche þan [Tunc subito unus ex illis Arianis qui adstabant, arreptus a daemonio in medium prosiluit atque clamare coepit: Utinam sic torqueantur ut torqueor, qui non credunt Ambrosio!]
Line 285
Þat on of þe secte of Arrian
Wiþ þe deuel sone was take;
For wod he grenned and gon to quake,
He fel adoun among hem alle
And gon to crye and to calle:
Line 290
"I wolde þat alle þat nou ne purpose, [ms. non statt nou.]
Þat nou ne byleeue on Ambrose, [ms. non statt nou.]
Þat þei ne weore turmented als am I —
I suffre serwe, sikerly!"
Confuys þenne was þat cumpaygnye; [At illi confusi in piscinam demersum hominem necaverunt.]
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Þer þei him slowen for his crye
And þenne wiþ heore oune honde
Þey him dreynte in a ponde.
A maister heretyk þer was on, [Quidam haereticus, acerrimus disputator et durus et inconvertibilis ad fidem, cum audiret Ambrosium praedicantem, vidit angelum ad aures ejus loquentem verba quae populo praedicabat.]
An hard mon of conuercion
Line 300
And a scharp mon of wit
