SImplician, þat noble man, [Simplicianus autem coepit eum hortari, ipse quoque se ipsum hortari et dicere: Quot pueri et puellae intra ecclesiam domini Deo serviunt, et tu non poteris quod iste et iste? an vero iste et iste in se ipsis possunt et non in Deo suo? quid in te stas et non stas? projice te in eum et excipiet te et sal|vabit te.]
Bigon to amonesten him þan,
Line 250
And so he dude him self also,
Seint Austyn, and seide þo:
"A, hou moni children ben þer now
And maydens þat han imad a vou,
Þat seruen God in holy churche
Line 255
And mony a good dede don worche!
And þou maiȝt not beo he
Þat may do as he and heo?
Or elles þeos men and þeos wymmen
So mihti of hem self ben
Line 260
Þat þei mowen so do þis,
And nouht in God, þat almihti is?
Wherto stondest þou in þi self as ouȝt,
And ȝit ne stondest þou riht nouht?
Caste þi self in him anon,
Line 265
And he schal þe take to him al on
And, for þat þou art not i wele,
He him self wol þe hele".
AMong þis speche boþe more and min [Inter horum colloquia memoria Victorini in medium venit; unde ex|hilaratus Simplicianus narrat, qualiter ibidem adhuc gentilis ob sui sapientiam Romae (, quod maximum tunc erat,) statuam in foro meruisset et qualiter se saepius christia|num dicebat; cui quum Simplicianus diceret: non credo nisi te in ecclesia videro, ille jocando dicebat: numquid parietes faciunt hominem christianum?; tandem dum ad ecclesiam venisset et ei (tamquam verecundo occulte) liber, ubi erat symbolum fidei, (ad legendum et pronuntiandum, ut tunc moris erat,) datus fuisset, ille (in altum adscen|dit et) alta voce pronuntiavit, (mirante Roma, gaudente ecclesia, omnes autem subito perstrepuerunt: Victorinus, Victorinus, cito sonuerunt et cito siluerunt.)]
Þei hedden muynde of on Victoryn,
Line 270
Þat Simplician wiþ glad cher
Tolde Austyn on þis maner
How þat he wuste wel þan
Þat Victorin was an heþen man
And, for of wit he was so sage,
Line 275
Þer was imad an ymage
Of him and set vp at Rome
For worschip of his wisdome,
And he wolde seye ofte among men
Þat he was ful cristen,
Line 280
Simplician wolde seie: "parde!
I leeue hit not, til I þe se
In holy churche wiþ charite
And beo, as cristene men be",
Bourdyng he wolde aske þan
Line 285
Wheþer þe walles maden a cristen man;
Atte last to churche he went,
And him was a bok brouht, verreiment,
Vppon þe whuche was writen þe crede:
Þen al aloud he gan hit rede,
Line 290
Þat alle men miht him here,
Til he hedde pronounced al ifeere.
ANoþur frend of Austines eke [Tunc etiam ab Africa quidam amicus Augustini, nomine Pontianus, supervenit et vitam et miracula illius magni Antonii, qui nuper (in Aegypto) sub Constantino imperatore de|functus fuerat, recitavit.]
Com to him out of Aufreke,
Þat was icalled Poncian,
Line 295
And he him tolde þe lyf of an holi man
And þe miracles also,
Þat seint Antonyn men called þo,
Þat ded was tofore in good hour
In Constantines tyme, þe emperour.
Line 300
Þoruh þeose ensaumples loue hed him take [Horum exemplis Augustinus vehementer exarsit ita, quod socium suum Alipium tam vultu quam mente turbatus invasit et fortiter excla|mavit: Quid patimur, quid audimus? surgunt indocti et coelum rapiunt, et nos cum doctrinis nostris in infernum demergimur; an quia praecesserunt, pudet sequi (et non pudet nec saltem sequi)?]
And brenneþ him wiþinne for Godus sake,
And his tornynge was so cler [tornynge st. troublinge?]
Boþe in þouȝt and in cheer
Þat on his felawe wiþ open lippe,
Line 305
Þat men called þo Alippe,
Þen he cried an heih to his ere:
"What suffre we, what do we here?
