2

Þere hy nome ferst here in  ⁊ tok hem sone to rede
Hou hy myȜt best Þ^er of take  to don Þis holy dede
¶ Þe kyng albryȜt Þat was Þo  kyng of ingelonde
by a queynte messager  fayre Þey sende here sonde
Þat hy were messageres  ⁊ fram hy man icome
To don hum fr an message  from Þe court of rome
Þat cholde world wi^t outen ende  to hym ⁊ to al his londe
To grete Þu ⁊ rychesse be  Ȝif hy hyt wold vndirstonde
¶ Þo Þis wourde to Þe kyng com  he stod awhyle in ÞouȜt
gode tydyng mot hit be  Þa^t he habbeÞ me I brouȜt
he ondirfeng hem fayr I nouȜ  ⁊ honoured hem also
⁊ sonde hem plenteÞ inouȜ  of Þa^t hy hadde need to
ffort ich habbe wi^t hem I spoke  ⁊ here message I se
God leue as hy me be hoteÞ wel  Þat hit mote myne Þrow be
His heste was wel fayre I holde  me afeng hem fayre inouȜ
Þe kyng toward Þilke ile  sone Þ^er aft^er drouȜ
Þo he to Þe ile com  to seint Austin he sende
Þat he to do his message  wi^t his felauis to hym wende
¶ seint Austin in hym greyÞed wel  ⁊ his felauis echon
For to fyȜte aȜen Þe deuil  ⁊ in to batayle gon
he made Þe syngne of Þe croys  for oÞ^er armes nadde hy non
for to don Þis batayle  ⁊ ou^er come alle here fon
a croys of Þe forme  of god hy let arere
⁊ in sted of a banere  byfore hem alle ber
⁊ Ȝedin forÞ wel barde syche  as hardy kniȜtes ⁊ gode
⁊ seued here swete beaner  wit Þe forme of Þe rode
Hy gonne to synge Þe letanye  for Þrowe of Þe londe
Þat oure lord hem sende grace  here preching to ondirstonde
¶ Þe kyng hy grette swyÞe fayre  Þo hy to hym come
⁊ seyde here erand Þat hy brouȜt  from Þe court of rome
⁊ prechyde hym cristindom  ⁊ of oure lordes lawe
To godirele hym ⁊ alle his  Þat wolde Þer to drawe
Hy be het hym Þe ioye of heuene  Þat so ryche was ⁊ is
Þat he cholde aft^er Þilke lif torne to heuene blis
⁊ be Þ^er wi^t outen ende  myd god Þat vs bouȜt
Þe kyng stood Þo he i hurde Þis  as Þeyr he were in ÞouȜt
¶ SwyÞe fayr Þing hit is he sede  Þat Ȝe byhoteÞ me
wer ich sekir Þat it were soÞ  don ich wolde aft^er Þe
ac ich ne consent y nouȜt Þ^er to  for hit is yit neue
ar ich habbe mere Þ^er of ondirȜete wher Þis messageres ben treue
ac for Ȝe Þes I trauayled beÞ  fram so ferren londe
⁊ for myne good as men seggeÞ  doÞ me ondirstonde
For greuy nele ich Ȝou nouȜt  ac fayre by Ȝou ich wole do
Ac undirfonge Ȝoure message ⁊ fonde  also Þat Ȝe habbaÞ need to
⁊ ich grante ale Þilke ek  Þat wole to ȜouȜ torne
⁊ goodleue ich Ȝeue ech man  for I nele noman werne
¶ Þis atte firste me ÞinkeÞ  wel gode by ginnyng
Þat aft^er was Þe bet^er hope  to come to good endyng
Seint Austin ⁊ alle his  swyÞe fayr wonying
Þe kyng Ȝaf hem in Þe toun of doure  to don in here preching
So Þat somme Þat gode were  to hem here herte caste
Seint Austin ⁊ his felauis  by gonne to prech y faste
⁊ tornyd hem to cristendom  eu^ere Þe leng Þe mo
so Þat folk cam aboute hem  so Þikke so hy myȜt go