University of Virginia Library

The takyne of þe verray croice
ws by[r]d to luf in hart & voice,
quhare-on Ihesu criste cane hynge
of fre wil, for oure ransomnynge,
& thru þat croice mad vndirloute
þe feynd, þat almen aw to dout,
sa þat, quhare-[sa]-euire he
þe takyne of þe croice ma see,
he man fle nedway magre his;
for þat takine sa red he is.
nocht anerly be cristine men
þat he is red þare-for, we kene,
bot be þe Iow forout nay,
þat in feld chapel lay
ourtane be merknes of nycht,
& of sa feyle fendis hade sicht,
þat for rednes he wes nere wod;
bot þane, for þe takine of þe rud
he mad on hyme, as he had sene
cristine men, þat rud had bene,
& thocht he vntrewful was,
ȝet wes he sawit nocht-þe-les.
& a[l]s It may be brocht to mynd
of ysachiel in þe nynd
chapiter, quhare-in men may
þe vertu of þe croice werray.
bot, [þo] þat it be gud to here,
It is lang & I ame suere.
& als þare-[of] is mad mencione
in þe lewint distinccion
of þe decre for-out were
in þe sext chapitere.
& als of þat takine ma we
In þe fynding of it-self see,
hou constantyne had ourcumyne
of þat takine be þe schewynge.
þe quhilk to wryt here lef I,
for it is a wele lang story.
& in þe exaltacione
of þe croice is mad mencione
hou eraclius þe emperoure
of þe croice thru þe fygure
þe son of cosdre slew in ficht,
nocht-gandstandine his gret mycht,
& cosdre hyme-selfe syn slew he;
& syne eftir þe croice wane he.
bot þocht to here it ware delyte,
þis story ware lang to wryt.
crystofer & theodera
to þis a verra prowe ma may,
þat þar is na defence sa gude
as is þe takine of þe rude.
as I sal here by a tale tel
of a maydine hou it befel
þat sere feyndis chasit hir fra,
& þe self master-fend alsa,
þat to fande hir did þer mycht,
bot of þat takine be þe sycht.