University of Virginia Library

Deus qui corda fidelium,
askand help of þe haly gaste
al wikkednes oway to waste;
(hali)water eftsones kest he
and said asperges me domine.
Þan cald he þe wife with-outen mare,
and sho com wepeand wonder sare;
he said: “dame, teche me to þe stede
and to bed ware Gy was dede”.
Þe woman was ful mased and mad,
scho trembild þan so was scho rad,
for care hir hert bigan to calde;
bot to þe bed sone scho him talde;
and in hir wa so als scho was,
scho said: “Sir prior, or ȝe pas
I prai ȝow for mending of me
and als in dede of charite
þat ȝe wald bid sum hali bede
and mak ȝowre prayers in þis stede
for his saul þat was husband here”;
and when scho had said on þis manere,
down scho fell als scho wald dy,
opon a noþer bed þar-bi,
for dole and wa scho wex al wan.
and þan þe prior þus bigan
and said: dominus vobiscum,
his breþer answerd all and sum;
And efter þan he said onone
þe first godspell of saint Ione,
In principio clerkes it call;
when þat was said, þan sat þai all
opon a burd þe bed biside,
and said þe seruise in þat tyde
þat for þe ded aw for to be,
Placebo with þe dirige;
and efter laudes þai said in hi
seuen spalmes with þe letany.
and agnus dei when þai said (thrise),
þai herd ane answer on þis (wise),
a febill voyce þare might (þai ken)
als of a childe, saiand amen.
þarfore þai war all ful a(ffrayd).
and þan þe prior þusga(te said):
“I coniore þe, þou creat(ure),
in þe vertu of oure (saueure),
þat es a god of mig(htes mast),
fader and sun and h(ali gast),
þat was and es [OMITTED]
þat þou me ans(wer) [OMITTED]
and tell me [OMITTED]
als fer als [OMITTED]”
[OMITTED]
(It answe)rd hym on þis manere:
“(Syr) prior, aske sune what þou will,
and I sal tell it þe vntill
als fer als I haue might or minde
or als I may haue leue by kinde”.
Þis ilk voice þan herd þai all
þe armed men obout þe hall,
and in þai come ful fast rinand,
ilkone with wapin in þaire hand,
for wele it was in þaire trowing
þat þai suld se sum gastely thing.
bot neuer-þe-lese þare saw þai nane
ne noght herd bot a voyce allane.