University of Virginia Library

Qwa wil þe vertu wyt of stanis,
in þe lapidar ma fynd ane is
of þam þat callyt is “margaret,”
vertuyse, clere, lytil, and quhyt.
& for þere prophetis thre
we se It oft weile bocht be.
vertu It is blud to restrenȝe,
& flux of wame refrenȝe;
& is vertuyse callyt alsa
agayne ane Il, callyt “cardiaca;”
& It awalȝes specyaly
gyfine in met agayn mysalry.
& for it is quhyt, clere schenand,
men bryngis It of ful fare land,
for til enhorne vchis & cronis,
mad fore sere folk þat of renone is.
& it is lytil and rond alsa;
þar-for oft men wil it ta
& set it in bruchis & in ryngis,
þare-in delyt has mychtty knygis.
ȝet of þis margarit þe name
of margaret ma wele be tane,
þat lytil was & mylk quhit clere
& vertuyse, be causis sere.
fyrst lytil thru humylyte,
þat may to god mast thankful be,
for thru humylite but dred
was mary mad oure alleris med.
& clere quhyt thru vergynite,
þat to god next humylyte
Is. sa is margarit quhyt,
& clene of al fleschly delyt.
& alswa scho was vertuse,
fore vertuysly scho cane vincuse
þe flesch, þe warld, þe fend alsa.
& fyrst, thru pennance scho can sla
hyre flesch & floure of ȝouthed,
& kepyt euire hyre madynhed
in body and treutht wnuemmyt ay,
& nocht of rocht of flescly play.
þe wikit warld scho ourcom als,
þat ay is totyre, fekil, & fals.
fore scho rocht nocht of warldis gud,
bot scho had symply hyre fud
& clath, to cleth hyre honestly,
for-out pryd and surcudry.
als þe feynd scho ourcom wel
& his werkis Ilke dele.
for pride in hyre, na auarise
herbryt in hyre mycht be na vise,
na slawnes, na lychery,
na wreth, na gnedschepe, na gluto[ny];
bot hyre sa wisly can scho ware
with almus, fasting, & prayere
þat scho ourcom hyr fais fel,
as in hyre story I herd tel,
word be word, as teophinus,
þat wrat hyre story, tellis vs.
þat sais, þis margret fare & fre
of antioche in þe cite
wes borne, & of kine gret & clere,
al-þo þai paianis ware but were;
for teodosius mychtty & stark,
þat of þat lawis wes patriarch,
wes hyre fadir, & scho his ayre
of rentis gret & landis fayre;
& gefine wes to fostir & fede
wtouth þe towne in hir ȝouthede
til a man, had gud Inuch,
sic as men wynnis of erd & pleuch.
& fra he had þis madyn lacht
in ȝemsel, he gert hyre be tacht
in cristis lacht, & syne scho tuk
þe lacht of baptyme, & forsuk
þe feynd, & to crist gef hir so hale
þat of þe warld scho gef na tale,
& had na thocht of hyre gret kyne,
na of riches, na of warldis wyne.
& scho beand in tendir elde,
hyr modyr, þat was al hir beld,
deit; &, for scho cristine was,
hyre fadyre rocht of hir þe les,
sa þat scho nedit for to kepe
fore faut of helpe ilke day schepe
of hyre nuryse, til scho com nere
to þe elde of fyftene ȝere;
for hyre fadir hir hatit sa,
for cause scho cristine treuth cane ta,
þat mare esful til hyre war
hyr dede an lyf or welfar.
ȝet, þo scho wes in pouir stede
& nocht with hyr fadir cane be fede,
nocht-þane scho wes of sik boute
þat it wes wondir for to se;
for farare thing mycht be nane
in ony degre, in flesch or bane;
& hyr fare hafyng als with þat
in al hyr dede sa wele hyre sat.
bot ȝet wes scho al-out fairare
thru treutht scho had in cristis layre,
to quham scho pleysit in al degre
of consciens thru fyne bewte.