broughtë me two massagers, [[brought C. & St., messengers St.]]
benygne and goodly of her chers.
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[The Porter:] [[6 lines blank for an Illumination.]]
Quod the porter anoon to me: [folio 305a]
'I ha thè brought (yef thou lyst se)
two massagers [[brought C. & St., messengers St.]] (it is no nay)
which shal the teche the ryghtë [[ryght C., St.]] way
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to Ierusalem the cite;
for (bi tooknes that I se,)
I conceyve (on euery syde)
thou mayst her, no while abyde.
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wherfore, to makë thy passage,
Send hem toforne, on thy massage, [[message St.]]
that thou mayst, by thy sendyng,
be bet receyved at thi comyng,
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withouten eny spot of blame.
and makë to hem, in thi name,
a maner of commyssïoun,
and ek a procuracïoun,
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that they may, thorugh their werkyng,
be receyuëd of the kyng
thorugh fauour of their langage,
to taken vp their herbergage
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In that cyte clestial,
wher the kyng is éternal.
'thes ladyes namës to expresse,
they ben Prayer and Almesse;
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And they ben redy, bothë tweyne,
In this caas to done her peyne.'
[The Pilgrim:]
"Truely," quod I to the porter,
"I wolde, with al myn hert entier,
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don almës of entencïoun;
but I ha noo pocessïoun,
nor nothyng in propurte,
but al thyng in communyte.
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al propurte, I ha forsake,
And to pouerte me take,
Of myn [[St., C. burnt]] ordre, in sothfastnesse. [folio 305b]
"Wherfore, touchyng such almesse, [Stowe folio 377b]
