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“lorde Ihesu criste, I thank þe
& lowis, for þu lewyt nocht me
in-to na payne na torment,
bot ay þi helpe to me þu sent;
for, hou hard payne sa-euir it was
þat þe seruand of wykitnes
gert do me of iniquite,
þu has it turnyt in Ioy to me.
þare-for, god, for þi gret mycht,
grant me now werray sicht
of my fel fa, þat priuely
werrais me þis felloun[l]y,
þat I may face to face hyme se,
& fycht with hyme, quhat he be;
& syne þat I may hyme vincuse
be mycht of þe in me, Ihesus!”
þane rase scho fra hyr oracion
& lukit by hyre vpe & down,
& saw a dragon nere hyr by,
sa mykil, sa gret, & sa vgly
þat of wit scho wes wel nere,
of þat best for þe fellon bere;
þa scayland schalis set vp rath,
with vryss ful lang & ful herd bath,
& tung & tetht brynnand as fyre,
& schot on hyre in gret Ire,
& tuk hyr in his mouth hale,
to suely hyr in mekil bale.
bot, as scho enterand was to pas
þe throt of þat ful sathanas,
þe takine of þe croice scho mad
on hyre, & þe best but bad
brast in twa, & scho but hurt
eschapit wele or ony sturt.
þane had þe feynd gret inwy
at hyr, & apperit sone in hy,
in sume part lyk a man to be,
bot blakar þane ony sut wes he,
with handis bundine til his kneis,
& helis vpwart til his theis—
sa wgly, þat, quha mycht hym se,
suld gretly abaisyt be.
þane was þe maydine sum part red,
& knelyt & hyre bedis bad,
& saynit hyr, & rase vp hath,
& rakit to þat body rath,
& hynt hyme harskly be þe hare.
& he one hyr can rudly rare,
& sad: “þu godis maydine dere,
spar me a quhil! for þi prayere
& þi teris brynis me so sare
þat in hel leware me ware.
quhat haf I don to þe, for-quhy
þu brynnis me þis felloun[l]y?
cese now, I pray, of press[i]on!”
& to þe ȝerd scho kest hym don,
& on his nek set hyre fut,
& sad: “ful feynd, is þe na but;
for her sal þu ȝeld þe to me,
& of a woman ourcumyne be.”
þane sad he: “haly margaret,
I ma na langare thole þi thret,
& ȝeldis me [al] wtrely
to þe. but mare care haf I
of a women ourcumine to be
þane a man had vincust me;
for fyrst of al, women it wes
þat I ourcom be brukilnes,
quhen it mycht nocht me awale
for stedfastnes man til assale.
for-þi mar It schamis me
of women til ourcumyne be.
& als þi fadir & modir ware
to me teyndir & frendis dere.”
þane at hyme sperit scho quhy he
Come þar; & he ansuert in hye:
“To consel þe til consent
in althing to þe presydent.”
þan demandit scho for-quhy
þat he had sa gret inwy
at cristine men befor þe lawe.
þane sad he: “for I mon nedly haf
Inwy at þame for þare vertuse,
& for feile of þame ar relygiouse;
& þame agane euir kyndly,
for þare vertu fed haf I;
& namely for þat fele of þai
wynnis þe Ioy þat I fel fra,
& for þai bruk þat I haf tynt.
for-þi to faynd þam neuir I stynt,
þat Ioy to gere þame tyne
þat I ame falline fra & myne.”
þane tald he hyr hou salamon
þat wyse[s]t king þat set in trown,
of feyndis þat na nowmir was
in a weschale stekit of gles;
& quhen salamon wes ded,
of cowatice men tuk to red
to brek þe gles, treuand þar
a souerane gud or tresoure ware.
& quhen þai brokine had þat gles,
sa fele [feyndis] out can pas
þat þai fulfillit sa þe are
as motis ar in sown-beme fare.
& of his nek hyr fut a-way [OMITTED]
scho tuk, & let hyme pas his way,
& neuir cristine forthyrmare,
& vanyst he a-way ful suyth,
& scho alane lewit, glad & blyth;
for scho sykyr al wes mad,
þat scho ourcumyne had
þe maister feynd, þare-for þe hand
scho suld ourcume his wikit seruand.