He sende his monkes forte luste,
Priueyliche forto here
What þei tweyne speken ifere.
Heo tok þe child loueliche [Illa autem, puerum amplexans et deosculans, dixit: Fili mi dulcissime, tempus vitae meae venit; relinquo te Deo, ipsum patrem et adjutorem habeas, fili dulcissime, jejuniis et orationibus insistas et fratribus tuis devote servias.]
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In hir armes, ful sweteliche
Custe hit and seide: "child, haue in mende:
Tyme is comen of my lyues ende.
To God of heuene nou leue i þe,
A good mon loke þat þou be,
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Tac him þin helpere and þi syre:
He wol quite þe wel þin hire.
Mi swete sone, beo bisy ay
Him to serue boþe niht and day
Wiþ fastynge and god preyere,
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Whil þat þou schalt liuen here,
Deuout loke on alle wyse
Þat þou beo in þi breþer seruyse."
Wiþ þat word heo ȝald þe gost [Hoc dicens, spi|ritum tradidit (et in domino feliciter obdormivit circa annos domini CCCCLXX): quod puer cernens plurimum flere coepit.]
To God, þat is of mihtes most.
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Whon þe child þerof was war,
He wepte and made muche car.
ÞE abbot þat same niht at euen [In ipsa autem nocte visio abbati monasterii monstrata est in hunc modum: nuptiae maximae parabantur, et veniebant ordines angelorum et prophetarum et martirum et omnium sanctorum, et ecce in medio eo|rum mulier sola, gloria ineffabili circumdata, et venit usque ad nuptias et sedit super lectum, et omnes adstantes advocabant eam;]
Him þhouȝte he say al in his sweuen
A wondur swiþe gret weddyng,
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And þer to was a gret comyng
Of angeles, prophetes, grete and smal,
Of martires and of halewes al;
And hem among was a wommon,
Wiþ wondur gret blisse bigon;
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Whon heo com to þat weddyng,
Vppon a bed was hire sittyng,
And as þei stoden hire aboute
Þei worschiped hire, al þe route.
And þen he herde a vois sei þus: [et ecce vox dicens: Hic est, abbas, Theodorus, qui falso de puero accusatus est, VII tempora super ea mutata sunt, castigata est enim, quia cubile viri sui coinquinavit.]
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"Abbot, þis is Theodorus
Þat falsliche acuised was
Of þat child in þi plas;
Seuen tymes wiþouten les
Vppon hire chaunged þer wes.
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Heo was chastised tofore hire ded,
For heo brac hire spoushed".
Þe abbot ros him vp anon [Excitatus autem abbas concitus cum fratribus ad cellam ejus ivit et eam jam defunctam invenit, et intrantes et discooperientes ipsam esse feminam invenerunt.]
And waked his breþeren euerichon.
And whon þei to þe celle were gon,
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Þei founden hire ded as eny ston.
Hire þere þenne þei vnheled:
A wommon þer þei sayȝ and feled.
Þen þe abbot was aschamed [Misitque abbas pro patre puellae quae eam infamaverat, et dixit illi: Vir filiae tuae mortuus est; et auferens vestimentum mulierem esse cognovit. Factus est igitur timor magnus super omnes qui hoc audierunt.]
And sent aftur hir fadur þat hire defamed.
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"Þe mon is ded, he seide, verreyli,
Þat þi douȝtur hedde child bi".
Whon þe cloþ was taken hire fro,
A wommon he sauh, he wuste wel þo.
Þei weoren aferd and aschamed
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Alle þat euere hire hedde defamed.
AN angel, þat from God was sent, [Angelus autem domini abbati locutus est: (Surge velociter), equum adscende et vade in civitatem et, si quis obviaverit, assume et tecum adduc.]
To þe abbot seide þis entent:
"Tac þin hors, loke þat þou ride
In to þe cité in þis tyde;
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Whomeuer þou metest, whon þou comest þider,
Tac him wiþ þe and bring him hider!"
