The South English Legendary

Þys gode kniȝt him wende forþ baldeliche and faste
Bi an hol[we] wey vnder eorþe & upe God is herte caste
He ne sey noþing for derkhede ac naþeles noȝt him ne agaste
So longe him þoȝte þat he isey wel uer liȝt attelaste
Þuder ward he wende baldeliche so he com þer ney
Þe vairoste ueld þat miȝte be[o] atte weies ende he sey
Þer inne he wende murie inou amid þe ueld he uond
Þe nobloste and þe uairoste halle þat miȝte be[o] in eni lond
Riȝt cler nas þat weder noȝt bote as it were nei eue
To biholde þis noble work an stonde he gan bileue
Þe walles [nere] noȝt þeron ihol ac þer aboute iwis
Queinte pilers and arches were as monekes cloistre is

In he wende a Godes name & sat him al one an hey

& biheld aboute in euerich angle & þis queinte work ysey
As he biheld al þus aboute þer com in atte on ende
Twelf men in wiȝt vestemens swuþe fair & hende
[Hor] crounen alle nywe yssore swuþe vair hi him grette
And sete hom alle vaire adoun & þis kniȝt bi hom sette
Þo spak on as hore prior mildeliche and stille
Beu frere ihered be[o] God þat sende þe such wille
And lete þe þat þou hast bigonne for his grace wel ende
Beu frere wanne þou wost þis weis for þi sunne wende

Oþer þou most beo studeuast & in no manere turne þi þoȝt
Oþer þou worst uorlore lyf & soule and deuelwey be[o] ibroȝt
For as sone as we beoþ henne iwend þe deuel[en] luþer & wikke
Wol come anon aboute þe in þis hous wel þicke
And do þe tormens & wowe inou and bihote þe wel more
Ac hi wolleþ bihote þe ioie inou ȝif þou wolt luue hore lore
Ac ȝif hi þoru eny biheste mowe þe ouercome
Sicker þou worst lif and soule adeolwey inome

Ac ȝif þou ert stable of bileue & in Iesu Crist dest þenche
Ne uor byheste ne for wo fram him nelt blenche
Þou worst quit of al þine sunne þat [þou] hast euere iwroȝt
And þou sselt iseo al þe ioye þat godemen beoþ inne ibroȝt
And þe pine þat luþer men habbeþ for hore misdede
Ac in wat wo so þou ert þench on God ich rede
And wanne hi þe tormenteþ muche crie Iesu milce & ore
& ȝif þou ert studeuast in bileue hi ne ssolleþ defoule þe namore
We bitakeþ þe Iesu Crist ich rede do oure lore

Þo nuste þe kniȝt war hi bicome he sat & siȝte sore

Elenge he bileuede alone and cride on Godes miȝte
And armede him wiþ holy beden aȝen þe deuel to fiȝte
In þe Holi Gost he cride faste þat he ne ssolde him noȝt faile
He lokede wanne þe deuelen come him forto asaile

As he sat þus a Godes name as bataile forto bide
Þer com a sori reufol cry aboute in euerich side
As þei al þe worlde toborste & breke & as him þoȝte also
Þat þei al þe bestes of þe world togadere were ido
And as grislich as hi miȝte ȝollinde alle were
Hy nemiȝte among hom alle make so grislich bere
Þat ȝif is heorte on Iesu Crist and is hope þe more nere
Anon he hadde wod bicome & ilore is wit for fere

Þo come hi in aboute him þicke and grislich þere
Ȝonynge and grennynge ek wiþ wel sori chere
Bel amy quaþ on of hom þou hast ariȝt ido
Wel aȝte we alle honury þe for al to vewe doþ so
For al oþer men wolleþ abide for hore lif hom beo binome
And ȝute is þis aȝen hore wille ar hi wolleþ hider come
And þou comest al by þi lyue & bi þi gode wille also
Wel aȝte me þy mede ȝulde and gret þonk þe do
Wanne þou hast boþe bodi & soule bitake us bi þi liue
Sanfaille we were vnkunde bote we it ȝoulde bliue

Ac naþeles ȝif þou wolt an eorþe habbe ȝut ioie more
For þe cundehede þat þou to us come al bi þin owe lore
Siker us an hond þat þou wolt on oure seruise bileue
And we wolleþ þe to eorþe lede aȝen al sauf riȝt bi eue
Þou sselt habbe þer ioie inou in halle & eke in boure
For none men beoþ so murie þer as þulke þat beoþ oure
Hey man & noble þou sselt be[o] and men ssolleþ honuri þe
And wanne þou ert ded & to us comst þe tit as god as we

Þis kniȝt þoȝte euere in Iesu Crist he nolde enes change is wille
For þretinge ne uair biheste ac sat him euere stille

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