University of Virginia Library

of þe emperoure als sancte henry
ane vthyre tale red haf I.
thane with radagunde his wyf
he had lange tyme led his lyf
In virginite, bath scho and he.
þe feynd, þat ay wil besy be
to tempt, þat þame twa had Inwy,
& gert hyme fal In Ialusy,
venand his wyf had mysdone
vith a ȝunge knycht. þane but hone
sic commawnment hyre he cane ma,
þat for quetance scho suld ga
one ane heyt yrne brynnande,
as þane þe law was in þe land,
þe quhilk of lynth fyftene fut had.
& quhene scho had hyre redy mad
to pas þare-one with gud chere,
hely scho sad, þat al mycht heyre:
“lord Ihesu, as þu wat me
of henry ȝet vnwemmyt to be,
& of al vthyre, sa I þe pray
þat I ma safly pas þis way.”
þe emperoure, þat schamyt was,
gaf hyre a strak a-pone þe face.
þane sad a voyce til hyre ful chere,
þat al þat stud by micht here:
“madyne, þu dred þe na dele,
fore mary þe sal helpe ful wele.”
with þat þe yrne but rednes
scho one ȝed, þat sa het was,
but ony skathe, as one cald lede.
& quhene þe emperoure was ded,
be-syd quhare ane herymyt lay
mony feyndis hyld þare vay.
his vyndow opnyt he in hy,
& þat þe last þat come þare-by,
he speryt quhat þai menȝe ware?
& he “a legione” sad “we are
of feyndis, þat passis in hy
to þe ded of cesare henry,
fore to se gyf he had ocht
mysdone to god in word ore thocht.”
þe hermyt þane hyme coniuryt sone
þat, als-a tyt as þai had done,
he til hyme but mare delay
suld cume, & tel quhat þare did þai.
& he reparyt but lang taryng,
sayand, þai did þare na thing;
“for, quhene we wald in skale put don
his ewil consawit suspicione,
þat he had of his wyf but skil,
& al vthyre ewil dedis til,
& in-[to] þe tothyre skale
his gud dedis ware al hale,
& we wend wele til haf þe mane
rostyt laurence come furth þane,
& a gret pot with erys twa
of massy gold furth he cane ta,
& in þat balance has he [it] done;
þane ourys veyt vpe tycht sone,
& of þat massy pot ful tyt
I brak ane ere fore þare dyspyt.”
þat pot, he sad, wes a chalyce
mykil & fayre at [al] dewice,
þat þe emperoure gert ma,
þat fore þe wecht had erys twa,
& in a kyrk offeryt It,
þat of sancte laurens was halowyt.
þis hermyt send þane to spere,
& fand al suth but ony were,
þat ded was þe emperoure
þat [sammyne] day & in þat houre,
rycht as þe feynd sad hyme hare,
& of þe chalyce fand þe ere
brokine þare & layd by.
þane gert þai þis notyfy
til almene fere & nere,
til excyt þame & til stere
to þis martyre dewot to be,
þat wele cane helpe quhare-euir wil he.