¶How the rynge that saynt Edwarde had gyuen to a poore pelgryme / for the loue of god & saynt Iohan Euangelyst came ayen to kynge Edwarde.
THys noble man Saynt Edwarde reg∣ned .xiii. yere. And thus it befelle vp∣on a tyme are he deyed / that two men of Eng¦londe were gone in to holy londe / and had do¦ne theyr pelgrymage / and were goynge ayen in to theyr owne countree where they came fro And as they went in ye waye / they mette a pyl∣gryme that curtely theym saluwed / and axed of them in what londe and in what countree they were borne. And they sayd in Englonde. Tho axed he who was kynge of Englonde. And they answered & sayd. the good kyng Ed¦warde. ¶Fayre frendes sayd tho the pelgry¦me / whan yt ye come in to your countres ayen. I praye you yt ye wyll go vnto kynge Edwar∣de / & oftentymes grete hym in myn name and oftentymes hym thanke of hys grete curteysy that he to me hath done & namely for the ryn∣ge that ye haue me whan he hadde herde masse at westmestre for saynt Iohans loue Euange∣lyst. And toke it to ye pelgremes & sayd. I pray you go and bere this rynge & take it vnto king Edwarde / and tel hym that I sende it hym and a full ryche yefte I wyll hym yeue. For vpon the .x. daye he shall come unto me / & euermore dwelle in blesse without ony ende. ¶Syr say¦de ye pelgremes / what mē be ye / & in what coun¦tree is your dwellynge. ¶Fayr frendes sayd he I am Iohn̄ the Euāgelyste / and I am dwel¦lynge with almyghty god / and your kynge Ed¦warde is my frende / & I loue hym ī specyal for by chause that he hath euermore lyued in clen∣nesse & is a clene mayde & I praye you my mes¦sage fulfyll as I haue you sayd. whan ye saynt Iohan the euangelyst had them thus charged sodenly he voyded out of theyr syghtes bothe / The pelgrymes tho thanked almyghty god & wene forth theyr waye. And whan they hadde gone two or thre myle. they begā to waxe wery & sette them a downe for to rest them / & so they felle one slepe / And whan they had slepte well one of them a woke & lyfe vp hys heed & loked about / & sayd to his felowe. Aryse vp & walke we in our way. what sayd that one felowe vn¦to that other / where be we now. Certes sayde that other / it semeth me yt this is not the same coūtree there we layde vs downe in for to rest & slepe. For we were from Ierusalem but thre myle. They toke vp theyr hondes and blessyd them / & went forth in theyr way And as they went in theyr waye / they sawe shep•• go∣ynge wyth theyr shepe ye spake none other lan∣gage but englysshe. ¶Good frendes sayd one of the pelgrymes / what countree is this & who is lorde therof. ¶And one of the sheperdes an¦swered & sayd. this is ye coūtree of kent in Eng¦londe / of the whiche the good kyng Edwarde is lorde of. The pelgrymes ••anked tho almy¦ghty god and saynt Iohn̄ Euangelyst & wen¦te forthe in theyr waye and came to Caunter∣bury / and fro thens vnto London / and there they founde the kyng And tolde hym all frome the begynnynge vnto ye endynge asmoche as saynt Iohn̄ had them charged & of al thynges how they hadsped by the waye. And tooke the rynge to the kynge Edwarde / & he tooke it •• & thanked almyghty god and saynt Iohn̄ Euan¦gelyst. And tho made hym redy euery daye fro daye to daye to departe out of thys lyf / whan god wolde for hym sende.