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Vor as muche as a lewed man þat þe o partie was
Clanliche was vnder þe king & vnder no bissop nas
An oþer was þat no bissop ne clerc naþemo
Ne ssolde wiþoute kinges leue out of þis lond go
& þanne hii ssolde suerie vpe þe bok ywis
Þat hii ne ssolde purchasy non uvel þe king ne non of his
Þe þridde was ȝuf eni man in mansinge were ibrouȝt
& suþþe come to amendement ne aȝe riȝte nere noȝt
Þat he ne suore nouȝt upe þe boc ac borewes finde ssolde
To stonde to þat holichirche þer of him loky wolde
Þe verþe was þat no man þat of þe kinge hulde ouȝt
In chef oþer in eni seruise in mansinge nere ibroȝt
Bote þe wardeins of holichirche þat broȝte him þer to
Þe king sede oþer is bailifs wat he adde misdo
& lokede verst wer hii wolde to amendement it bringe
& bote hii wolde bi hor leue do þe mansinge
Þe vifte was þat bissopriches & abbeies al so
Þat vacauns were of prelas in þe kinges hond were ido
& þat þe king ssolde al þe lond as is owe take
Vort atte laste þat him luste eni prelat þer make
& þanne þulke prelat ssolde in is chapele ichose be
Of is clerkes wuche he wolde to such prelat bi se
& þanne wan he were ichose in is chapele riȝt þere
Homage he ssolde him do ar he confermed were
Þe sixte was ȝuf eni play to chapitle were idrawe
& eni man made is apel ȝuf me dude him vnlawe
Þat to þe bissop fram ercedekne is apel ssolde make
& fram bissop to erchebissop & suþþe non herre take
& bote þe erchebissopes court to riȝte him wolde bringe
Þat he ssolde fram him bi clupe biuore þe kinge
& fram þe king non herre mo so þat atten ende
Plaininge of holi churche to þe king ssolde wende
& þe king amendi ssolde þe erchebissopes dede
& be as in þe popes stude ac sein tomas it wiþsede
Þe seueþe was þat plaidinge þat of dette were
To ȝelde wel þoru treuþe ipliȝt & nouȝt iholde nere
Al þei þoru treuþe it were þat ple ssolde be ibroȝt
Biuore þe king & is bailifs & to holi churche noȝt
Þe eiȝteþe was þat in þe londe citacion non nere
Þoru bulle of þe pope of rome ac clene bileued were
Þe niþe was þat peires panes þat me gadereþ manion
Þe pope nere nouȝt on isend ac þe king echon
Þe teþe was ȝuf eni clerc as felon were itake
& vor felon iproued & ne miȝte it noȝt uorsake
Þat me ssolde him uerst desordeini & suþþe þoru pur lawe
& þoru Iugement of þe lond honge him oþer to drawe
Vor þes & vor oþer mo þe godemon seint tomas
Fleu verst out of engelond & suþþe ymartred was
Vor he sei þer nas bote o wey oþer he moste stif be
Oþer holi churche was issent þat mid riȝte was so fre
Endleue hundred ȝer of grace & foure & sixti þerto
It was þat sein tomas of londe wende so
Þe nexte ȝer þer after þe amperesse mold
Wende out of þis liue as þe boc aþ itold
Þe king let crouni to kinge an vif ȝer after þis
Henri is eldoste sone at westmunstre ywis
As endleue hundred ȝer of grace & sixti & tene
& sixtene ȝer he was old þo he was icrouned ich wene
Þe erchebissop of euerwik & þe bissop of londone
& of salesbury him crounede aȝen riȝt & wone
Vor þe erchebissop of canterburi mid riȝte it ssolde do
Þo sein tomas it wuste gret deol he nom him to
Þat þe churche of kanterbury in such vnriȝt was ibroȝt
He nolde vor to þolie deþ leng þolie it noȝt
He drou him toward engelond to is martirdom
As godes kniȝt he bigan þo he hider com
He amansede alle þulke þat such vnriȝt adde ido
To þe churche of canterbury & þe king icrouned so
Þe þre bissopes wroþe were & nome hom to rede
& wende vorþ to normandie & þe olde king it sede
Þe king was nei vor wraþþe wod & sede ȝuf þat he
Amanseþ alle þulke men þanne amanseþ he me
He acorsede alle þulke men þat he adde uorþ ibrouȝt
Þat of an false preste ne abbe eke him nouȝt
Þat word he sede ofte in hastinesse ywis
Foure of þe deueles limes is kniȝtes hurde þis
Sire Reinaud le fiȝ ours sire roger brut al so
Sire hue de moruile sir willam traci þer to
Hii nome hom to rede & uor to paye is wille
Wende uorþ to engelond hasteliche & stille
Þo þe king com to is mete & is kniȝtes mid him were
He bihuld & nuste þulke foure þere
Is herte him ȝef anon wuderward hii wende
In anguisse & sor ynou after hom he sende
Toward þe se hasteliche þat hii come aȝe
Ar þe messager come hii were in þe se
Hii wende hom vorþ to kanterburi & in þe churche riȝt
Hii martreden sein tomas an tiwesday at niȝt
Þis godeman sat adoun akne & is heued buyede adoun
& wel softe as some hurde sede þis orison
God & seinte marie & sein denis al so
& alle þe avowes of þis churche in was ore ich am ido
Ich bitake min soule & holi churche riȝte

Ȝut he bed vor holi churche þo he nadde oþer miȝte
Sir reinaud le fiȝ ours mest ssrewe of echon
Vor to smite þis holi man is suerd drou anon
Ac edward grim þat was is clerc of grantebrugge ibore
To helpe is louerd ȝuf he miȝte pulte is arm biuore
He wounde is arm suiþe sore þut blod orn adoun
Mid þulke dunt ek he smot sein tomas vpe þe croun
Þat þut blod orn bi is face in þe riȝt half of þe wounde
Loude gradde þe luþer kniȝt smiteþ alle to grounde
In þulke sulue wounde an oþer him smot þo
Þat he abuyde is face adoun vort þer come mo
Þe þridde in þulke sulue stede þer after smot anon
& made him aloute al adoun is face vpe on þe ston
In þulke stede þe verþe smot þat þe oþere adde er ydo
& þe point of is suerd brec in þe marbreston a tuo

Ȝut þulke point at canterbury þe monekes lateþ wite
Vor honour of þe holi man þat þerwiþ was ismite
Wiþ þulke stroc he smot al of þe scolle & ek þe croune
Þat þe brain orn al abrod in þe pauiment þer doune
Þo þis holi man imartred was þe kniȝtes gradde echon
Þis traitor is to deþe ibroȝt wende we henne anon
Syweþ vs þe kinges men & alle þat mid him beþ
Of þis traitor we beþ awreke as ȝe nou iseþ
He þouȝte be herre þan þe king & binime him is croune
& to nouȝte bringe al engelond & nou he liþ þer doune
In endleue hundred ȝer of grace þis godeman sein tomas
& sixti & endleuene þus imartred was
Þo þe king it wuste he made deol ynou
So þat vor anguisse nei him sulue he slou
In þe castel of argentein vourty dawes he was
In a chaumbre al one wiþoute eni solas
In wop & sorwe & deol inou & confort non him nas
Ac euere on þe holiman criede sein tomas
So þat tueie cardinals þe pope him sende iwis
& hii him asoilede of þat was ido amis
& he vndude þe luþer lawes & grauntede alle þe gode
Þat sein tomas esste as hii vnderstode
Of forest & of oþer þing þat is elderne nome amis
He vndude & þer to is chartre made iwis
Ac after is daye iholde febliche it was
Of king Ion & of oþere & naþeles þer nas
Non of hom þat some time Mid wille þei it nere
Ne grauntede & confermede it þei it lute wurþ were
Vor mani is þe gode bodi þat aslawe is þeruore
To betere ende god it bringe þat vor vs was ibore
After sein tomas deþe aboute an ȝeres to
Þer sprong contek suiþe strong þei it luþer were ido
Bituene king henri þe olde & þe ȝonge mid wou
Vor þe sone aros aȝe þe fader & dude him ssame ynou
Þoru þe king of france was doȝter was is wif
Vor þoru a vowe of him þe sone bigan þat strif
Vor þe king of fraunce & þe erl of flaundres þer to
& sir roberd erl of leicestre & sire hue bigod al so
& þe king of scotlond ek & manie oþer kniȝt
Wiþ þe sone aȝe fader hulde wiþ vnriȝt
Hii destruede & robbede þe fader londes mid wou
Þe fader was in normandie & deol made ynou
He huld it al wreche of god vor sein tomas martirdom
& naþeles wiþ gret poer to engelond he com
Þe erl willam of gloucestere huld mid him vaste
& mani oþer trewe kniȝt so þat atte laste
Ac þe olde king at canterbury mid gode herte & wille
Hurde is masse of sein tomas & cride him merci stille
Is ost & is sone ost þe wule masse ilaste
Smite an stronge bataile so þat attelaste
Þoru grace of sein tomas is men ouercome
Hor fon & þe king of scotlonde nome
& sir hue bigod ek & þe erl of leicetre
Inome was þoru willam erl of gloucestre
Manion þer was aslawe so þat þis uair cas
Þe king it þonkede eueridel þe godeman sein tomas
So þat þe fader & þe sone acorded were þo
Ac þe sones herte aȝe þe fader was euermo
& þe breþeren hulde al so aȝen hor fader vaste
Vorte þe ȝonge king henri deide attelaste
A sein barnabes day & as it wolde be
Endleue hundred ȝer of grace & eiȝteti & þre
In normandye he deyde & þulke ȝer al so
Seint egwine at euesham in ssrine was verst ido
Glastingburi was þer after and to ȝer ibroȝt to grounde
Vorbarnd & of king arþure þe bones uerst ifounde
Þe king after is sone deþ þe croune aȝen nom
& in contek muchedel huld þe kinedom
Vor vnkundede of is sones muche to harm him com
& sunne vor he leuede muche in hordom
& huld vnder þe quene rosemounde ywis
Þat so vair womman was & at godestowe ibured is
A bourgeis at bristowe Roberd Harding
Vor gret tresour & richesse so wel was mid þe king
Þat he ȝef him & is eirs þe noble baronie
Þat so riche is of berkele mid al þe seignorie
& þulke roberd harding arerde suþþe ywis
Þe abbeye at bristowe þat of seint austin is
In þe holi londe þo gret worre þer sprong
Bituene cristine & heþene & bataile suiþe strong
Þe king of ierusalem sir guy was þer inome
& þe patriarc aslawe & þe cristine ouercome
Þe heþene king saladin mid poer gret inou
Wende aboute in sirie & cristine vaste slou
& hii þat were of ierusalem gret raunson him ȝeue
In þraldom as vnder him þere to bileue
& saladin nom þe holi croys & to heþenesse it ber
& let witie þe sepulcre þat no cristine ne com þer
So þat cristendom þere ibrouȝt to naȝte was
& þer was þoru al cristendom gret deol þoru þat cas
Heþacli þe patriarc fram ierusalem þo drou
& com here in to engelond mid deol & sorwe inou
& bisouȝte þe king oþer is sones þat som þe warde toke
To be king of ierusalem & hii it alle vorsoke
& naþeles hii croicede hom þuder vor to wende
Þe king & richard is sone & manion in ech ende
& þe emperour freþeric & freþeric is sone al so
& king filip of fraunce & mani bissop þer to
Ac hii sende þuder muche folc & hom sulue nolde wende
Þerwiþ nas noȝt god ipaid oþer þing he gan hom sende
& worre hom bituene vor þe king of fraunce
Cudde vpe þe king of engelond gret destourbance
& richard þe kinges sone þat so god kniȝt was
Aȝen is fader turnde to þe king of france alas
& dude him omage anon alas alas þe stounde
& fondede mid worre to bringe is fader to grounde
Þe olde man in normandie worrede aȝen hom vaste
& slou & barnde vp is fon þe wule is lif ilaste