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¶ 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,
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.