University of Virginia Library

I fand a myrakle, as I red
of þe swet laydy þat criste fede,
of a felone Iuge of dome,
þat stewine was callyt & dwelt in rom,
& gladly wald gyftis tak,
& fals Iugment oft mak,
& nocht anerly in war[l]dly thing,
bot kyrkis als, & spirituale thing.
of sic warkis ymang þe laf
falsly cane he wyne & haf
thre housis, þat gewine ware
to vphauld sancte laurens altere,
& a ȝard fra sancte agnet
with falset [had] he wonnyne ȝet,
& hadine þame with violence
fra haly kyrk, in fawt of fence.
& eftyre þat a lytil we
sa hapnyt þis wrech to de,
& to be brocht in Iugment,
quhare he na tyme had to repent,
& was accusyt stratly þare.
& sancte laurens in þat sythware
come, & beheld hyme with dedyngne,
& be þe areme can hyme strenȝe
[þriis] rycht sayre and Increly.
with þat angnes come nere by,
& with hyr virginis in quantyte,
bot scho wald nocht one hyme se.
þe Iuge þane sic sentence gaf,
þat man, þat wald tak, & haf
vtheris menis gud with Iniquite,
with Iudas traditore suld he be.
sancte preiect þan come but bad,
þat þis stewine in his lyf ay had
honouryt in gret specialite,
quhene he did mast iniquite;
& he sancte laurence & agnet
fore stewine prayt with wordis swet,
& with þe helpe of oure laydy,
þat þai come to þe Iug in hy,
& askyt grace fore his pyte,
þat stewine suld nocht sa tynt be.
þe Iuge þane at þe prayere
of þire fowre, I spak of here,
granttit þat his saule in hy
suld agayne til his body
fore thretty days, til þat he
of his synnis mycht clengyt be.
& quhene þai þis grace gottine had,
to stewine þane oure lady bad,
þat, for til helpe haf in þat ned,
he suld ilke day say þe bed.
& quhene þe saule was suthly
cummyne agane to þe body,
he fand his harme sa sare & wa
þat nere of wyt It gert hym ga;
fore it was lyk, quha had [it] sene,
brulyt in a fyre to haf bene.
þane restoryt he Ilkane,
þat with wrang he had tane,
& penance þane did werray,
& deyt one þe threty day,
& passit to god, þat bocht hyme dere.
bot ay his arme was sare but were.
þare-fore me think, laurence to wrath,
al gud men suld be rycht layth,
bot serwe hyme bath nycht & day,
to quhame be Ioy & honoure ay.