A nonne þerinne heo was ischore
And serued God so euermore. [Infirmatus aliquando vir Dei, cum extremum jam spiritum tra|here videretur,]
VPpon a tyme seint Bernard
Was itaken wiþ seknesse hard,
Line 580
Þat hit was a comuyn sawe
Toward þe deþ þat he dude drawe.
His spirit rauisched was anon [in excessu mentis suae ante tribunal Dei visus est praesentari, affuit autem et Sathan ex adverso improbis eum accusationibus pulsans.]
Tofore God, sittinge in tron,
And þer was al redi þe fend Sathan,
Line 585
Þat him þere accused þan.
Whon þat he his tale hedde told, [Ubi vero ille omnia fuerat prosecutus et viro Dei pro sua fuit parte dicendum, nihil terri|tus aut turbatus ait:]
Seint Bernard dredde not, but was bold
And seide: "for myn vnworþines [Fateor, non sum dignus ego, nec propriis possum meritis obtinere regnum coelorum; caeterum duplici jure illud obtinens dominus meus, here|ditate scilicet patris et merito passionis, altero ipse contentus alterum mihi donat; (ex cujus dono jure illud mihi vindicans non confundor).]
Of meryt oþur of goodnes
Line 590
I knowleche wel I may not craue
Þe kyngdom of heuene for to haue;
But for my lord haþ double riht
To þat kyngdom so ful of liht:
Bi wei of heritage of his fader
Line 595
And bi merit of his passion togeder,
He is wel payed of þat one,
Þe toþur he me ȝaf as Godus sone".
Þe fend confuis wente awey þan, [Confusus in hoc verbo inimicus, (conventus ille solutus) et vir Dei in se reversus est (601-2 Zus.).]
Þe spirit aȝein to þat man
Line 600
Turned: and þerwiþ he awoke
And lyfliche aboute him he gon loke.
HE abstined him so wondurliche [Tanta autem abstinentia, labore et vigiliis corpus suum attrivit, quod et gravis|sima et fere continua aegritudine languens conventum vix sequi posset (610 Zus.).]
And trauailed and waked so bisyliche,
His bodi he brouhte so lowe eke:
Line 605
Þat continueliche he was so neiȝ seke,
In so muchel þat vnneþe
Him serue nolde his oune breþe,
Þe couent forte suwe þo,
To þe chirche whon þei schulde go.
Line 610
VPpon a tyme wiþ seknesse stronge [Quadam vice dum gravissime infirmaretur, fratribus pro eo instanter orantibus aliquantulum convaluisse se sensit; congregatis autem fratribus dixit:]
He was itaken, þat heold him longe;
His breþeren for him preyed so faste:
He fond him amendyng atte laste.
Aboute him he gedred hem euerichon
Line 615
And to hem alle he seide anon:
"Wherto, my breþeren dere, [Quid tene|tis miserum hominem? fortiores estis et invaluistis, parcite, quaeso, parcite et sinite me abire.]
A wrecched mon holde ȝe þus here?
Ȝe ben strengore þen I,
Þerfore ȝe han þe mastri
Line 620
Wiþ ȝor preyere touward our God.
I preiȝe ow alle wiþ mylde mood:
Spareþ me, i preye ou, spareþ me nou
And leteþ me passe hennes from ȝou!"
OFte forsoþe wiþ good hope [A multis autem civitatibus vir Dei in episcopum electus, prae|cipue a civitate Ianuensi et civitate Mediolanensi, petentibus se (nec annuens nec im|probe renuens) dicebat: se non esse suum (der Dichter las servum), sed aliorum servitio deputatum (634 Zus.). (Fratres autem ex consilio viri Dei sibi provide|rant et summi pontificis auctoritate muniti erant, ne quis gaudium suum ab iis tollere]
Line 625
He was chosun to beo bisschope,
But specialiche of citees tweyn:
Ianuesse and Melayn;
And whon þei asked his assent,
He onswered þus, verreyment:
Line 630
"Seruaunt, he seide, am I non,
But I am deputet nou al on
To þe seruyse of oþur men,
Þat as worþi as I ben".
