University of Virginia Library

quehen eustace herd al þat scho
sad, he beheld hyr to,
& wist wel scho wes his wyf,
þat he lufit richt as his lyf.
he gat hyr son a-bout þe [h]als
& kissit, & for Joy gret als.
& scho hyme in þe sammyn wyse
gretand, kissit a hundir cyse,
of[t] lowand god þat sa cuth wirk
for þame, þat sorow had mad Irk,
& eftyr fanding þat cuth say
brink his seruandis out of way.
& I treu wele nan cuth say
þe encre Ioy [þat] þane had þay;
for þai gud liffaris war, I wene,
& lang tyme had nocht vthyr sene,
& syne to-gyddyr vnwittandly
þame tyd to met sudanly.
I treu, þar be na liffand mane
cane tel þe Ioy [þat] þai had þane!
& þis betyd of ȝeris twa
þat þai had bath Ioy & wa.
þane, be hyr hart wes hesit sa
þat scho mycht ony word furth ta,
scho sad til hyme: “der lord, wit þu
of oure sonnis quhat is tyd now?”
“ȝe,” sad he, “be godis macht
I saw qu[h]are wild bestis þaim lacht,
& to þe wod fast with þaim ran,
forout rescourse of ony man”—
& tald hyr al þe manere hou,
as befor I tald ȝou to.
þane sad scho: “I red [þat] we
ȝeld thank to god of maieste;
for rycht as he has lent ws grace
for to se vþir his face,
sa ma he send [til] ws but wene
our barnis, þat we haf nocht sen
lang tyme.” “Deme, I can þe say
þat wild bestis bare þaim away.”
sad scho: “sir, I pray ȝou, blyne!
for ȝistyrday in myn In
as I set, I herd ȝung men twa
be þame ane forout ma
Ilkane til vthyr planly tel
þe wik[it] forton þame befel,
& hou in þare barnede þai
with wyld bestis war had away.
þane þare fadir can gretly men,
& þar modir oft but wene,
with mony vthyr wordis sere.
þar-by I wat but ony were
þat þai our barnis are. for-þi
gerris þame cum & ask in hy
þe suth, & be þame sal ȝe treu,
þat god has send þaim til ws nov.”
& as scho said, he did but bad;
& be þar taknis grath wit had
þat þai war his twa sonnis dere.
a lord! hou blith þan wes his chere
quhen he saw þaim with his ene,
þat he wend bestis met had bene!
& þame in armis he hynt,
& þar modir, or scho stynt,
& kissit of[t], & gret alsa,
bath for gret Ioy & for wa.
& quhen þe gret ost hard record
al þat tyd wes to þare lord,
& for þe wictory he mad
of þar fais, gret Ioy [þai] had.