University of Virginia Library

[O]fe þe ferlys þis is ane
þat god wrocht firste for s: Ninian,
fra þis lyfe fra he can wend,
lestandly with god to lend.
þar duelt a man in þat cunctre,
þat wes of bot sympil degre,
& one his wyf a knafe child gat,
þat fadire & modyre gert sare gret;
for thru it haldine wes þar name
in gret lak and in schame,
& to þe puple in vondrynge—
sa wes it borne a bys[n]yng—
& in gret horrour but wene
til al þat euire It had sene.
for a-gane kynd wes it sa,
þat bakwart stud heile & ta.
& þe face als to þe bake
It had, þat gretly wes to lake.
& þe hend part þare neste
of þe hed ves fast to þe breste.
handis & harmis to þe kne
var drawine as al ane suld be.
& vtrely wes it but profyte—
I vat nocht gyf nature had þe wit.
Nocht-þane lang tyme þai It fede,
for þai hyme gat in lachful bede,
& tretyt weile þat vnthrifte,
til eld had it brocht fra schrifte.
& quhen modir & fadire bath
had sorouyt til þe lyf þai lath,
þai held þame stil, þo þai wa ware,
nedly for þai mycht nomare.
& at þe laste ran þame to thocht
þat gret vondire sancte Niniane wrocht
of goddis grace, to quhom he
had bene seruand in al degre.
& in traste of his mykil mycht,
þai tuk vpe þat for-worthine wycht,
& brocht [it], quhar sancte Niniane lay,
& It done laid & cane say:
“sanct Niniane, tak þis gyfte,
ve þe bryng, a thing but thrifte;
þe quhethire, þo it lathly be,
inpossible is nocht to þe
for to recouer it, gyf þu wil;
þarfor we bryng [it] her þe til,
othir be þe to hafe remede
of þis mysfigur, or be dede.
þar-for profe þi mykil mycht
for goddis sak in þis wicht!”
& as þis done wes, in hart sare
þe bysnyne thing þai lefit þare,
& went agane to þare place,
gretand and sayand, “alace!”