And loke þerfore boþe day and niht
Þat for me þou beo good kniht
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To Crist, þat wiþ good chiualri
Clannes þou kepe and beo holi
For þat ilke same huyre
Þat wiþouten ende schal duyre.
Þe habergoun of rihtwysnes
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Loke þou haue wiþ meknes—
Ȝif þat hit þi bodi close,
Þou schalt not flecche from þi purpose, [Ms. þat st. þou.]
But specialiche of þi bodi
Hit wol beo keper from vileny.
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Loke þou haue þe scheld of feiþ,
For, as þe holy bok seiþ,
Sinful woundes þou schalt wiþstonde,
And þou hit take wel forþ on honde.
Þe helm of helþe also þou take,
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Þat wol þe saue from eueri wrake.
Þer vre defence is, iwis, [Ibi enim est praesidium nostrae salutis ubi est Christus, quoniam mulieris caput est vir, virginum Christus".]
Þer Jhesu Crist him seluen is:
A wommones hed is ay mon,
But maidenes hed is Crist al on". [Et inter hae verba chlamyden exuit, suspectus tamen adhuc habitus et per|secutoris et adulteri.]
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Among þeos wordus þis ilke kniht
Dude of his mantel in hire siht,
But neuerþeles in her eiȝe þer
Sumwhat semed of auouter
And eke of an enemy,
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Þe cloþing suspecte was, pardi.
Hire hed þauh adoun heo bent, [Virgo cervicem, chlamydem coepit miles offerre.]
And þe kniht wiþ good entent
Wiþ bliþe cher and hiȝing fast
His mantel on hire hedde icast.
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Wondur couplyng in such a place [Quae pompa illa, quae gratia, cum in lupanari de martirio certarent. Addantur personae miles et virgo, hae dissimiles inter se natura — sed Dei misericordia consimiles, (ut compleatur oraculum: tunc lupi et agni simul pascentur:) ecce agna et lupus non solum simul pascentur sed etiam immolantur.]
Þer was bitwene bost and grace,
Whon þei in hous of hordom
Striuen so faste of martirdom.
NOu to gedere beo þer tweyn,
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A maiden and a kniht, certeyn;
Vnlicchi þouh þei ben of kuynde,
Lichchi inouh in þouht and mynde;
Nou ben ifed to geder wiþ honour
A wolf, a lomb in o pastour,
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And nouȝt onliche to gedere so,
Bote to God offred boþe two.
Whon heo hed chaunged hire cloþing, [(Quid plura?) Mutato habitu evo|lat puella de laqueo: jam non suis alis, utpote quae spiritualibus ferebatur — et, quod nulla unquam viderunt saecula, egreditur de lupanari virgo Christi.]
Forþ heo wente wiþ gret hiȝing,
Out of þat hous, as brid fro gren,
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Heo fleih awei and scaped þen:
Þorwh Godus grace heo was bore
Wiþ spirituel whinges, and nouȝt ilore,
And þat was neuer seiȝen but þat day:
A maiden from bordel plas gon away;
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But heo was Cristes maiden iwis
Þat kepte hire and alle his.
Þe rauinoures þat hire abiden [At illi qui videbant oculis et non videbant corde (engl. anders) (ceu raptores ad agnam lupi fremuere ad praedam).]
Ne seȝen hire nout; þen in þei slyden,
For þei wenden swiþe wel
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Þe maiden ha founden in þe bordel.
On entrede faste wiþ gret heiȝe, [Unus, qui erat immodestior, introivit; sed ubi hausit oculis rei textum, "Quid hoc, inquit, est? puella ingressa est, sed vir videtur. Ecce non fabulosum illud: cerva pro virgine, sed quod verum est: miles ex virgine.]
Þe moste schrewe of þe cumpaignie.
Whon he sauh þer þe kniht sittyng
In a maydens cloþing,
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"A ha", he seide, "what is þis gyn?
A mayden, forsoþe, wente her in,
But now, forsoþe, as i seo con,
