University of Virginia Library

[T]he bischope ȝet cuth nocht blyne
þat mare corne schupe god to wine,
in galouay vpe and done
on fete gangand fra tone to tone,
partand þe landis in paroch sere,
& kirkis mad quhare nan were,
& to serwe þame prestis mad,
& statis al at to sic had
partenyt. & eftir þat
his sonnis, þat he in criste gat,
confermyt in-to godis fay,
syne til his awne kirk held his way.
þar he had fundit a gret house
of gud men & of relegiouse,
godis seruice þare to say
& sing, til It be doumysday.

sa a tyme can befal
þat he ymang his brethire al
went to met in þe frature,
as he þat of þaim had þe cure,
to tak sic commone fude
as þai dide, il ore gude,
& saw þe burdis thru þe hale
þat seruice wes nane of cale.
þane þe monk, þat keping hade
of þe ȝard, he callit but bade,
& askit hyme quhy þat þai
vare nocht seruit of caile þat day.
þane sad he: “faddir, but wene
in þe ȝarde is nane erbe grene.”
& þe bischope, þat suth wiste,
bad hyme pas furth but ony first,
& quhat he in þe ȝard fand,
bryng til hyme in his hand.
& furth he went at byddyng,
þo he wiste weile to find na thing,
& in þe ȝard sone has sene
caile & leikis faire & grene,
& al þat men of had neide,
þane cummyne of nev sawine seide.
þe monk, þat saw þis ferly,
wes þane as in extasy,
seand niniane sa ful of grace,
þat gert þat greu in sa litil space;
lofand god þare-of tuke he,
& brocht befor þame al to se.
& god þai lowit mony-fald
for þis merwale, bath ȝung & ald.
to god þe fadir be lowinge,
þat for his seruand wrocht sic thinge,
to god þe sone ay honoure be,
þat menskyt hyme in sic degre,
til haly gaste als, god of mycht;
& til þame til-giddire richt,
þat sanct niniane mad sa mychtty
to wirk here sa gret ferly,
& for his trawal here with-al
to lestand joy [sen] can hyme cal.