University of Virginia Library

Sanct edmwnde, of Ingland kinge,
lovit sancte Iohn a-beouf althinge,
out-ane our lord and our lady,
and in custum had, for-þi,
þat quha-se-euire vald almus crafe
for luf of sancte Iohne suld hafe.
and sa be-tyd a day of case
þat þe kinge ves in solace,
and a pilgrime to cum by,
þat askit hym rycht pituisly
almus for sancte Iohnnis sak;
and he had nocht quhare-of to tak,
to mak asyth to þat beggar,
for cause þan nan ves hym nere;
bot of his fynger tuk a ringe,
far, and worth mekil thinge,
and to þe pilgram gaf it rath,
þat almus fore sancte Iohnn can craf;
and þe pilgram held [h]is va syth,
þat semyt, þarfore, to be blyth.
In Ingland þat tym ves a knycht,
In ded of armys þat ves vycht,
and had bene in landis syndry
for til haf lose of chevalry.
and tyd a tyme, þar-fore, at he
for sic cause passit þe gret se
In to a cunctre far away.
as he rad a-pon a day,
he met a pilgrime in the gat,
þat haliste hyme, & sad þus-gat:
“sir knycht, sene þu is of Ingland,
þat edmwnd kinge has nov in hand,
I pray þe þat þu tak þis rynge
on my be-halfe, & gyf þe king,
& say hym: ‘quham-to þat þu
gafe it umquhil, þe gyffis it nov,
ȝeldand þe thank of þi gud vil,
þat nocht ellis had to gyf hym til
þane, fore þat þu ves þe alane.’”
& he vith þat þe ringe has tane;
& quhen he had his Iorne don,
and in Ingland com ham sone,
he vent to vesy þe kinge,
& tel hym of his travalinge,
as is þe costome fore to do,
& sad to hyme: “myn lord, lo,
þis ringe, þat [I] yu present now,
me gafe a pilgram to gyf ȝow,
þat I, quhar I ves traveland,
mete vith of case in to fere land,
& sad, fra ȝov þat It tuk he,
as In name of cheryte,
one sik a day, in sik a place,
quhare þat nane by ȝov ves,
and bad I suld gyf it ȝov til,
& thange ȝou of ȝore gud vyl.”
& quhen þe kinge had sene þe rynge,
he knev It, & be þe taknynge
persavit vele, sancte Iohne It ves,
þat It had tane fore distrase,
aperand in-to pylgrime ved,
þis of his helpe hafand ned.
fore-þi, þat kynge euire fra þat day
ekit his devocione ay
to sancte Iohne, & fore his sak
gef almus to þame vald It tak.
fore-þi, sancte Iohne, þat mychtty Is
vith god, þi cusynge, kinge of blis,
pray for vs, þat ve hyne twyne
but det, schame, ore dedly syne!