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laurens tholit his passione
eftir crystis incarnacione
twa hundir ȝere aucht & fyfty,
of quhame a tale here tel wil I.
gregore byschape of torone sais,
þat lytil tyme eftyre his days,
It hapnyt þat a prest perchans
was dewot to sancte laurens,
thocht he wald a kyrk refresch,
þat of sancte laurens halowit vas,
þe quhilk sic ned had of mending,
þat it was nere þe done-cummyng.
he fyrst þe wal gerrit amend,
& þe tymyre syne he sende.
& ymange vthyre was a tre,
quhare-of a balk mad suld be,
& It was schortare gret thing
þane suld serue be his etlyng.
quhare-of anoyt was he,
for he had nane vthyr tre.
þane to sancte laurens can he pray
þat, as he wont was to help ay
al poure þat ware in-to distres,
þat [he] sa, for his halynes,
wald helpe þat þat tre mycht fil
þe wark as It was ordenit til.

418

& quhene he had þis prayer mad,
with hope þat he in laurens had,
callyt þe wrycht þane but hone,
he gert mesoure þe tre sone,
& fand It mare be quantyte
þane to þe wark nedit be.
þe cuttinge þan þe prest has tane,
& in smal pecis, ore he fane,
he smat & wypyt þame in pal,
& as relykis held þame al.
& eftyre his treutht sa þai ware,
for, quha twechit þat with ony sare,
It was mad hale but respyt
of þis martyre be meryt.
sancte fortane beris to þis vitnes,
sayand, In ytale, quhene he was
at þe castel of boras, he
saw a mane sa disesyt be
of tuth-wark, þat he wald be ded
erar þane sic lyf lang to leyd;
syne fel swa þat eftyre was he
twechit with þe forsad tre,
he gat sic hele of þat sare
þat he feld It neuirmare.