University of Virginia Library

syne eftir þis nero wes brocht
In sa mekill wodnes of thocht,
þat he his awne modir gert sla,
suppos fele þar-of wes wa,
for nedly he wald se þe place,
quhare-in he consawit wes,
and all þe tothir instrumentis
he gert vnhele in his presence.
and ay as men war hyr scherand
þai prewetes, and scho murnand,
he had gret ese of hyr hard pyn,
and blythtly bad bringe hym þe wyn.
and with his modir þus he ferde,
for, passand þe towne throw, he herd
a womane with barne traweland
ful pituysly, and sar granand;
for-þi he thowcht þat he wald se
ye cause of hyr Infirmyte
In his awne modir, and nane ellis,
but pety, as þe story tellis.
and sum, þat war till hym prewe,
seand his gret Iniquite,
sperit at hym, quhy he did sa
fellely his awne modir to sla;
for, gyf he wit quhat wa þat scho
for hym tholyt, he suld nocht þat do:
“for is na payne, we wele þe warne,
In life sa gret as to ber barne;
and law warnis, and lofe forbedis,
þat ony chyld, þe modir fedis,
suld defowle þe modir þat hym fed
of hir wame in þe preue sted.”
þe tyrand þan can to þam say,
þat he wald be hym-selfe assay
how hard panis, ore how sar
his modir tholit, þat hym bare.
mony medicinar[is] for-þi,
and masteris in philosophy
rycht awful þan can [he] warne,
þat þai suld mak hym with barne.
sad þai, Inpossible thinge
was til do his ȝarnynge,
for natur tholyt it nocht to be done.
þane to þame sad he sone,
bot þai did It, þai suld de.
þan þai, þat wyse war and sle,
but persawinge sudandly
a padok gert hym drink in hy,
and syne throw thar suttellite
In his wame gert it fosterit be,
þat his wame bolnyt ner and rafe,
a-ganis kynd for þat he strafe.
bot þai fosterit hym neuir-þe-lese
with sic dietis, as cordand wes
for þe padok, and sad, sic fowd
was for his barne and hym gud.
his breth hym grewit mar & mare,
and he, þat mycht nocht thole sic sare,
sad til his medicinaris, þat he
wald of his barne deliuerit be,
for he mycht nocht leste in lyff
In sik panys and sic striff.
for-þi he sad he suld þame sla,
bot þai hym losyt of syk wa.
þane ordanyt þai a poton,
to ger hym caste owt þat poysson,
þat hym handlit sa faste,
till a fowle padow at þe laste
he keste, þat wes laythe to se.
þan at his mastere askit he,
quhar-for his birth wes sa wile,
sa foule, and sa horribyle.
þan ansuerte þai, be-cause at he
a-gane kind wald deliuerit be.
þan sperit he rycht besyly,
gyf þat he wes sa wgly
quhen he wes borne; and þa sad, “ȝa.”
þat vgly padok þan gert he ta,
and in a towre of stane gert he
It besyli fosterit be,
till at it liffit; and it wox sa,
till þai, þat war wele far it fra,
micht her it ȝele a wel far way.
for-thi þat place callit þai
laterent, quhare ful gret pardone
Is now in rowme, and deuocione.