University of Virginia Library

A miracle of seint Andreu ful late her alonde
Telle ich mot for heo [is] god ho so hire vnderstond
A bischop while an holi man among holi halewen alle
Mest he louede seint Andreu so his hurte gan falle
Þe deuel for hate of seint Andreu hadde þerto gret onde
To bringe in synne þe gode man niȝt & day he gan fonde
So þat he turne a dai his forme as he gan biþenche
To þe forme of a fair womman for he is ful of wrenche
Fairere womman þan he bicom an vrþe nemai beo non
Wiþ noblei & prute ynou to þe bischop he gan gon
Sire heo seide þe heȝe kyng sauue þi dignete
& holde þi state in honur & ȝyue me grace to þe
Fram furrene londe ich am icome for[to] speke in priueite
Wiþ þe of mi soule neode if þu woldest schryue me

Damoisele þe bischop seide ich habbe a penancer
Þat mai þe schryue wiþoute me for he bad mi poer
A sire merci quaþ þis oþer mi synne is so priue
Þat myn hurte hit nele for noþing schowe noman bote þe
Bi bischops ich com meni on as ich hiderward wende
Ac y nespac wiþ noman for ich wot þat God me hider sende
Depardeus if mi Louerd hit wole quaþ þis holi man
Com & ich wole þurf oure Louerdes grace consaille þe [as] ich can

Sire quaþ þis false maide ich crie þe milce & ore
For care & deol þat ich am on ich wilny moche þi lore
For as mi fader vnder God myn schrift telle ich þe mai
Þat ich habbe clene lyf ilad euere ȝut to þis day
A kynges douȝter ich am iwis & al mi fader lyf
Þerfore mi fader me wolde make an heȝ manes wyf
& God ich take to witnisse þat ich þat do nolde
Ne leose mi clene maidenhod for al þe wordles golde
I nemiȝte no lyf habbe of mi fader bote ich dude his wille
Ac þo ich ihurde of þi godnisse fram him ich stal wel stille
To þe þat schalt vnder God consailli me of mi lyue
So as such a clene þing mot to oþer do whan neode him wole todryue
Nou liþer þrift vpon hire clannisse & hire maidenhod also
Wel felliche heo hire biþoȝte to make þe gode man misdo
Whanne wolde hit hire bicome to beo so god & clene
Nou sorewe & sor vpe hire forte ich hire bymene

Þis holi man hadde ioye of þe schrewes speche
Dameisele he seide God hit leoue þat ich mote þe som god teche
Þu schalt bileue atte mete & siþþe me schal þe rede
Þat nere noȝt to þin onur þis liþere maide sede
For so wickede þe wordle is nou & men of liþere mod
Þat me nolde wel raþere þenche þe liþere þan þe god
Of non vuel quaþ þe bischop neschal noman ous doute
For mi meyne schal serui ous & stonde ous aboute
Þis bischop nom þis false maide & riȝt bi him sette
Al prest his men aboute mete & drinke hem fette

Þis bischop bihuld þis liþere [þing] ofte as heo sat him neȝ
Þat neuere a so fair creature him poȝte he neseȝ
So longe þat he turned his þoȝt & vpe hire his hurte caste
Þat he þoȝte do folie bi hire atte laste
Þe liþere þing him makede also fol semblant ynouȝ
Þermide as me ofte mai to liþer þoȝt heo him drouȝ
Seint Andreu þat he louede nolde him noȝt vorȝite
Fram heuene he aliȝt adoun fram sunne him to wite
Ate biscopes ȝate he com & bed þe porter to him wende
He escte wiþ wam he wolde speke & ho him þuder sende
A seli pilgrim he sede icham wiþ þe biscop ich haue to done
Þe porter sede þe biscop fore & dude is erande sone
Let him in quaþ þe biscop ȝif he wole speke wiþ me
Sire mercy quaþ þis maide þat nefalleþ noȝt to þe
Strange men come up þi mete bote þou wite wat hi be
Vor gilours þat so vele beþ as me mai al dai ise
Ac escche him verst a good demaunde þat be al wel biþoȝt
Ȝif he ansuereþ wel riȝt it is þat he [be] in ibroȝt
Wel seistou þe biscop sede & alle is men also
Lokeþ nou among ous alle ho schal þe demaunde do
Non of alle it nolde do & sede hi ne couþe noȝt
& seide þat þe maide moste vor heo was queintest of þoȝt
Þat nere noȝt quaþ þe screwe vor inam bote a womman
& ȝif my lord þe biscop wole ich wole escche as ich can
Esche him wuche is þe meste wonder þat þe kyng of alle kynge
Our Lord euere an erþe dude in a lutel þinge
Þo hi hurde þis demaunde þer nas so good clerc non
Þat couþe þerto ȝeue an ansuere hem wondred echon
Þer porter escte þe pilgrim ate ȝate as he stod
Ȝe quaþ he me may fel wel þerto ȝeue ansuere good
Þe meste wonder in a lutel þing þat God þoru is grace
Euere here an erþe makede it was in mannes face
Vor among alle þe men þat euere were & euere schulle be
Nas ones face iliche anoþer as me mai al dai ise
Þe porter eode & tolde fore wat þe pilgrim sede
Þer nas non þat þe ansuere ihurde þat nas in wonder & drede
& him het bringe in to wite more of is lore
Abid sire quaþ þe deuel let him erst telle more
Wen ȝe habbeþ more of him ȝe mowe him in bringe
A straunger demaunde ich wole him make & of strengore þinge
Escce in wuche stude erþe heiere þen heuene be
Þer nas non þat couþe ansuere þerto ise
Ac [ȝif] hi of þe verste demaunde in gret wonder were
Such twenti wonder hem þoȝte of þe latere þere
Þe porter escte þe pilgrim as he stod wiþþoute
Ȝe quaþ he of þis ansuere inabbe none doute
Þo God was an erþe man erþe he was inouȝ
To heuene seþþe in is monhede erþe wiþ him drouȝ
& þer as he is in is trone aboue þe heuene he is
Þer is erþe in is manhede heiere þen heuene iwis
Þis porter eode & tolde uore þis ansuere anon
Hi sete alle as hi gidi were in gret wonder echon
Parde quaþ þis luþer best ȝut ȝe scholle to him sende
Þe þridde demaunde he schal ous telle & seþþe let him in wende
Bid him þat he ous telle þis þing wiþþoute gile
Hou muche is bitwene heuene & erþe & hou mony myle
Nou wo worþe is pol so wis & sorwe him come to
Ichot þer nys non of ȝou þat couþe aposy so
Þe porter escte þis demaunde þo he to þe ȝate wende
Escce of him sulf quaþ þis oþer þat þe huder sende
Vor he it met þo he vel fram heuene to helle
Wiþ Lucifer & oþer deueles he may þe bet telle
Queynte was þe escere þat so queinte vnderstod
Ac queintore was þe answeriare þat is answere was so good
Þe porter sede is erande þat þe pilgrim hem sende
Þo þe deuel ihurde þis adeuelwei he wende
Þo non nuste war he bicom þe biscop him biþoȝte
Þat it þe deuel was & in fol þoȝt him broȝte
& þat som mon com fram God & ate ȝate was þere
Wepynge he het is men loke ho it were
Ac þo hi come to þe ȝate hi nemiȝte him noȝt ise
Wo was þe biscop þat he nuste ho it hadde ibe
Crienge he was nyȝt & day in orisons wel stille
Þat God him scewede ho it were ȝif it were is wille
So þat him com a toknynge as he hurde grede
Þat þe womman þe deuel was to vonde him of mysdede
& þe pilgrim was seint Andreu þat vor him þuder wende
To disturby him of þe deuel þat he flesliche him neschende
Þe biscop cride God mercy & clene lif after ladde
& seruede þo seint Andreu betere þen he euere hadde
Nou bidde we seint Andreu þat he ous so wisse
& bidde uor ous þat we come to heuene blisse