Egerton_2891_St._Austyn

¶Hi dr^addre ham sore for hy ne couþe þe speche of engelonde Hy nome men þa^t couþe boþe langages · vnder stonde Hi dude hom forþ in þe se · þo hi þuder come Toward þe hauene of engelond · þane riȝte wei hy nome. To an Ile bi este kent · hore ssip bi gan euene wende Þat þe niȝt lond is icluped · as ourre louerd hom wolde sende. Þere hi nome ferst hore In · and nome hom sone to rede Hou hi miȝte best on take · to don þis holy dede ¶Þe king albriȝt þa^t was þo · king of engelonde Hi aqueinte messager · faire hi sende hore sonde Þat hi were messagers · and fr^am an hey man Icome To do him amessage · fram þe court of rome. Þat scholde wor^ld wiþ oute ende · to hi and to alistodnde To gret prou and richesse beo · ȝif hi it wolde vnderstonde ¶Þo þis word to þe kynge com · he stod a wile in þoȝt Gode tydinge he sede mote it beo · þa^t hi habbeþ me ibroȝt He onder veng hom fair Inou · and hon^orede ham also And findeþ hom plente Inou · of þa^t hy habbeþ nede two. Fforte ich habbe wiþ hom yspeke · and hore message iseo God leoue as hi me bi hoteþ wel · þa^t it mote my prou beo Is heste was fol wel yholde · me afeng hom fair Inou Þe king toward þulke Ile · sone þer after drou. ¶Þo he to þe ile com · to seint austin he sende Þat he to don is message · wiþ is felawes to him wende ¶Seint Austin him greiþede wel · and is felawes echon Fforto siȝte aȝen þe deouel · and to bataille gon. Hy made þe signe of þ cr^ois · oþer harm nadde hi non Forto do þis bataille · and to ouercome hore fon. ¶A crois of seluer wiþ þe forme · of gold hi lete arere And in stude of baner · to fore hom alle bere And ȝeode forþ wel baldeliche · as hardi kniȝtes and gode And siwede hore swete banere · wiþ þe forme of þe rode ¶Hi gonne to synge þe letanie · for prou of þe londe Þat ourre louerd hom sende gr^ace · hore prechinge vnder stonde Þe kinge him grette swuþe faire · þo hi to him come And sede hore erande þa^t hi broȝte · fr^am þe court of rome And pr^echede him crⁱstendom · and of oure louerdes lawe Þat goder hele him and alle his · wolde þerto dr^awe ¶Hi bi hete him þe ioie of heuene · þat so riche was and is Þat he scholde after þulke lyf · turne to þulke blys.

And beo þere wiþ oute ende · mid god þa^t us boȝte Þe king stod þo he hurd þis · as þei he were in þoȝte ¶Swuþe fair þing it is he sede · þa^t ȝe bi hoteþ me Were ich siker þa^t it were soþ · do ich wolde after þe Ac Ine cosenti noȝt þerto · for it is ȝute nywe Ar ich habbe more vnder ȝute · weþer þis message beo trⁱwe Ac for ȝe þus tr^auailed beoþ · fr^am so feorne londe ¶And for mine gode as ȝe seggeþ · and doþ me vnder stonde Greui nel ich ȝou noȝt · ac faire bi ȝou do And vnder fange ȝou and finde ȝou ek · þa^t ȝe habbe nede to And ich gr^ante al þulke ek · þa^t wolleþ to ȝou t^urne Gode leue ich ȝiue echman · Inelle noman werne Þis was atte ferste me þingþ · agod bigynnynge Þer after was þe betere hope · to come to god endynge ¶Seint austin and alle his · aswuþe fair woninge Þe kyng ȝaf in þe toun of douere · to don In hore prechinge Seint austin and is felawes · bigonne to prechi faste So þa^t somme þa^t gode were · to hom hore heorte caste And t^urnde hom to crⁱtendom · euere þe leng þe mo So þa^t folk aboute hom com · so þuke so it miȝte go. ¶Hore dede sprong so wide sone · þa^t to þe kyng it com Þe faire miracles þa^t hi dude · as hi prechede crⁱtendom Þe king wende and hurde hore prechinge · him þoȝte it was wel god To longe he sede ich habbe abide · ar ich þis vnder stod He t^urnde him to crⁱtendom · and let him baptise anon And biluuede on Ihesu crⁱst · and is men echon So longe so þis holymen · hore wille hadde attenende Þat þe folk of euerich toun · to crⁱtendom gan wende ¶Seint austin wende aȝen þo · þe pope he tolde at rome Hou al þat folk of engelond · crⁱtendom nome Þo was þe pope sein grⁱgori · Ibroȝt in grete blisse He het seint Aust to wende aȝen · þa^t londe bet to wisse ¶Seint Austin wende anon aȝen · and þo he þuder com. Twelf bissops he made in þelond · to wardi crⁱtendom Þe þritteþe he was him sulf · as ourre louerd ȝaf þe cas Erche bissop at douere · þe ferste þa^t euere was Seint austin broȝte crⁱtendom · þus to engelonde Wel aȝte we is dai holde · ȝif wewerre wel vnder stonde ¶Is day toward þe ende of may · for þulke day he wende Out of þis lyue to ihesu crⁱst · þa^t after him þo sende

¶Þe king ailberd deide þo · six hondred ȝer riȝt And sixtene after þa^t oure louerd · inis moder was aliȝt And on and twenti ȝer · also after is crⁱstendom And in sixe and fifteþe ȝere · of is kyndedom Nou bidde we ȝeorne seint austin · þa^t to crⁱstendom us broȝte Þat we to þe ioie come · to wan oure louerd us boȝte