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SEint Augustin, þat cristendom : brouhte in-to Engelonde, Riht is among oþere i-wis : þat we him vndurstonde. Seint Gregori þe holy Mon : pope was of Rome, Engelond he louede muche : þeih he þer neuer ne come. Me tolde þat þe lond was good : and þat hit heþene was. Wel sori was seint Gregori : þat hit cristene nas. him-self he wolde habben i-went : in-to Engelonde, Ac he ne moste for þe Cardinals. : ac he sende his sonde: Wiþ ffourti goode men : seint Austyn he nom And sende hym in-to Engelonde : to preche cristendom,
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Þat vchone Monkes weore : seint Austin and eke þe oþere. fforþ heo wenden euerichone : þat were alle as breþere— Aftur þat God was i-boren : ffyue hundred ȝer hit was Þat seint Austin wende in-to Engelonde : to do þis goode cas. he dredde him sore for he ne couþe : þe speche of Engelonde: he nom men wiþ him þat couþen : þe speche vndurstonde. ¶ heo duden hem forþ in þe séé. : þo heo þider comen, Toward þe heþene of Engelonde : þe rihte wey heo nomen. In an Ile bi þe Est : Riht atte on ende Þis Goode Men gonnen aryue : as God wol[d]e hem grace sende. Þer heo nomen furst heore In : and nomen hem sone to Rede hou heo mihten best on taken : to don þis holy dede. ¶ To þe kyng Aþelbert, þat was þo : kyng of Engelonde, Bi a qweynte Messager : feire heo senden heore sonde: Þat heo weoren Messagers : and from an heiȝ mon heo come To don to him a Message : from þe Court of Rome, Þat scholde to him world wiþouten ende : and to alle in his londe To gret prou ben and to gret Richesse : ȝif he hit wolde vndurstonde. ¶ Þo þe kyng þis word herde : he stod a while in þouht. "Goode tiþinges," he seide, "mot hit beo : þat heo me habbeþ i-brouht. vndurfongeþ hem feire inouh : and honoureþ hem also, And fyndeþ hem plente inouh : of þat heo habbeþ nede to, fforte ich habbe wiþ hem i-speke : and heore Message seo; God leue, as heo me bi-hoteþ : þat hit mote to my prou beo." his heste was ful wel i-holde : and me vndurfeng hem feire i-nouh. Þe kyng toward þulke Ile : sone þeraftur he him drouh.]*. Þo he to þe .yle. cam : to seint Austyn he sende, Þat he to him with his felawes : to don is erende, i-wende. ¶ Seint Austyn him greiþede wel : and his felawes echon, For-to fiȝhte a-ȝein þe Deuel : and to batayle gon: huy mauden þe signe of þe croiz— : oþure Armes ne hadden huy non For-to done þis bataille : and to ouer-come heore fon. Ane Croyz of seluer with þe fourme : of god huy leten a-rere And in stude of Banere : bi-fore heom huy bere, And ȝeoden forth wel baldeliche : ase hardie knyȝtes and guode, huy siweden alle heore swete Baner : þe fourme of þe rode; Þe letanie huy gonne singue : for prov of þe londe, Þat ore swete louerd heom sende grace : heore prechingue to vnder|stonde. ¶ Þane kyng huy gretten swyþe faire : þo huy to him come, And seiden him þe erende : þat huy brouȝten fram þe court of Rome,
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And precheden him of cristindom : and of ore louerdes lawe, Þat*. [r. to] goddere hele him and alle his : ȝif huy wolden þare-to drawe; huy bi-heten him þe Ioye of heouene : þat so riche was and is, Þat he scholde after þis lijf : tuyrne into þulke blis And be þere with-outen ende : with god þat us bouȝte. Þe king stod, þo he heorde þis : ase þei he were in þouȝte. ¶ "Swyþe fair þing," he seide, "it is : þat þov bi-hotest me; Miȝhte ich beo siker þat hit sothþ were : ich wolde don after þe. Ake ich ne concenti nouȝt þer-to— : for it is ȝeot so neowe, Are ich habbe more vnderȝite : ȝweþur þis Message beo trewe. Ake for ȝe þus i-trauailede beoth : fram so ferre londe, And for ore guode, ase ȝe seggeth : and ȝe dothþ me onderstonde, Ich eov nelle greui nouȝt : ake wel faire bi eov do And onder-fonguen eov and finden also : þat ȝe habbez neode to; And ich graunti also þat alle þulke : þat wollez to eov torne, Guode leue ich [ȝiue ech]*. [om.] man : for i-nelle no man weorne." ¶ Seint Austin and alle his : A swyþe fair woniingue In þe toun of Douere he heom ȝaf : to makie inne heore prechingue. Seint Austin and is felawes also : bi-gonne to prechie faste, So þat some þat guode weren : to heom heore heorte caste And turnden heom to cristindom : and euere þe leng þe mo; So þat þut folk a-boute heom cam : ase þicke ase huy miȝten go. heore dede sprong so wide sone : þat to þe king it cam Þe faire miracles þat huy duden : as huy precheden cristindom. ¶ He wende and heorde eft heore prechingue : and seiȝ þat hit was guod; "To longue," he seide, "ich habbe a-bide : ar ich þis vnder-stod." he turnde him to cristindom : and liet him baptisen anon And biliefde on ihesu crist : and is Men ech-on. Erchebischop of Caunterburi : þe furste þat euere cam, Seint Austin huy maden þo : to holde up cristindom. ¶ Seint Austin brouȝte cristindom : þus into Enguelonde— Wel auȝte we his [dai] Anouri : ȝif we weren wel vnderstonde. ¶ His day is toward þe ende of May : for in þat day he wende Out of þis lijf to ihesu crist : þat after him þo sende. Bidde we ȝeorne seint Austin : þat cristindom so brouȝte, Þat we moten to þulke Ioye come : to ȝwan ore louerd us bouȝte.
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