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De sctō Bertelmo heremita & confessore.
SEynt bartelyn was sone of the kynge of Kynge of the countrey of Stafforde / & he lefte his coun¦trey and went into Irlonde / & there was in gre∣te famylyaryte with a Kynge of Irlonde / And there by entysynge of the Goostly enemy / he gate the Kynges doughter with chylde and pryuely brought her into En¦glonde / And in a Forest she traueylyd where bothe she & the Chylde were kyllyd with Wolfes / which he accomp∣ted to be his defaute wherfore he dyd great penaūce ma¦ny yerys / and the Deuylle temptyd hym to make of sto∣ne Brede / and to the contrary he made of Brede a stone that yet remaynyth at Bertesmesley / and after he wente with seynt Guthlake fro kependon / to Croulande & the∣re he lyuyd with hym many yerys in great penaunce do¦ynge / And when seynt Guthlake was goon oute of this transytorye Lyfe / And seynt Bertelyn hadde seen hym Buryed he retourned agayne to his Fader / And he ga∣ue hym ye groūde where staff is now Buyldyd thē beyn∣ge growen with Busshes / & breerys to lyue therin a soly¦tary Lyfe / but his fader knewe not that it was his sone / And after his faders deth a Kynge that enteryd the Re∣alme by myght wolde haue takyn the grounde fro hym vnder coloure of lawe / and offerde to ioyne batayle ther¦fore / And by an Aungell that was his champyon he de∣fendyd it / and after that the Kynge and all the people lo¦uyd hym as theyr owne Father / And he aduoydynge tē∣porall honoure / Lefte that place and Lyued in Deserte placys in prayers & vygyll & endyd this Lyfe ye .v. Ious of September / And at Stafforde our Lorde hathe she ••••yd for this holy man many great Myracles.