But al hir oune body:
Heo trouwed wel, wiþouten lees,
Line 25
Þat, ȝif þat eny goodnes
Hedde ben in þe modur kynde,
Þe child hit schulde best fede and fynde.
Whon þei woxen ouȝt of stature, [Cum autem crevissent, quamdiu sub manu ejus erant, eremo magis quam curiae nutriebat, cibis grossioribus et communibus pascens eos quasi continuo ad eremum transmittendos.]
Whil heo of hem hedde þe cure
Line 30
Heo norissched hem raþur to desert
Þen in court to lyue apert:
Wiþ comuyn metes and boystous
Heo hem norissched in heor hous,
For þei schulde not aftur ben aferd
Line 35
Hardnes to soffre in desert.
WHon þat wommon meke and mylde [Cum igitur tertium filium, scilicet Bernardum, adhuc gestaret in utero, vidit somnium prae|sagium futurorum:]
In wombe hedde þe þridde childe,
Þat was icalled afturward
At þe cristendom Bernard,
Line 40
Heo hedde a sweuene of him, wituring
What he schulde beo in tyme comyng:
Hir þhouȝte þat in hir wombe heo had [catellum scilicet totum candidum, totum in dorso subrufum et latrantem in utero se habere.]
A luytel whelþ, of mouþ ful glad,
And was as whit as swannes federe,
Line 45
His bac was rouh eke al to gedere.
And to a good holi man [Quod cum cuidam viro Dei exposuisset, ille prophetica voce respondit:]
Þe goode wyf tolde hire sweuene þan,
And he onswerde, as a prophete:
"I schal þe telle what is þi meete: [Optimi catelli mater eris, qui domus Dei custos futu|rus magnos contra inimicos dabit latratus; erit enim praedicator egregius et multos medicinalis linguae gratia curaturus (61-2 Zus.).]
Line 50
Þou schalt beo modur of a whelp
Þat schal boþe berke and ȝelp
And also þerto gret noyse make
Aȝeynes enemys for Godus sake,
For þer schal bi tak eto him [bi = be, wie öfter im Ms. Vernon.]
Line 55
Godus hous for to ȝem;
Þat is to sei: wiþouten let
He schal beon a prechour gret
And wiþ þe medecyn of his tonge
Of sunne hele boþe olde and ȝonge,
Line 60
He schal beo mon of holy churche,
Of grete wondres þer inne worche". [Aehnliche Constr. s. Ambr. 486.]
WHil he was ȝong and tendre ek, [Cum autem Bernardus ad|huc puerulus esset et gravi dolore capitis aegrotaret, venientem ad se mulierculam, ut dolorem suis carminibus mitigaret, cum indignatione nimia exclamans repulit et ab|jecit;]
His hed ook: þat made him sek.
Forte sauen him of þat harme,
Line 65
Þer com a wommon his hed to charme.
Whon þat he þerof was war,
He criede and made muche far
And bad men schulde hire bidde forþ gon,
For of hir charmes wolde he non.
Line 70
Þe child anon, witterli, [pueruli autem bono zelo misericordia Dei non defuit, sed tunc continuo sur|gens liberatum se esse cognovit.]
Þerfore felede Godus merci,
For þe ache was went awey,
And he aros and went to pley.
VPpon a cristemasse niht [In sacratissima dominicae nativitatis nocte cum puer Bernardus matutinale officium in ecclesia exspectaret et qua hora noctis Christus natus fuisset, scire cuperet,]
Line 75
To þe churche he wente forþ riht
And abod þer wiþinne;
And whon matyns schulde biginne,
He coueyted wiþ al his miht
To wite what hour of þe niht
Line 80
Crist vr saueour was bore.
And as he stod in þouht þerfore, [apparuit ei puerulus Jesus, quasi iterum ante oculos suos nascens ex utero matris.]
Him þhouȝt he sauh child Jhesus
As he boren was amongus vs,
In þe tyme riht of þe burþe,
Line 85
As hit hed ben wiþ muchel murþe
Of his modur riht þenne, so dere,
