University of Virginia Library

Off þulke Bred in þe gospelle
Seint Ion we here þus telle:

182

Þat ȝif we ne ete of þulke brede
Ne drynke his blood, vr lyf were dede.—
And þeih we ete hit al þus here,
Hit is in heuene al entere.
So schaltou leeue, Cristene mon,
Þat in no weere þi leue beo on!
ffor þi feiþ tit no mede
Where þing of deþ takest hede;
Hit is inpossyble to serue crist
But þi be-leeue beo good and trist.
And eȝe of feiþ hit is ful kene
Þat seoþ a siht þat is not sene.
Þerfore alle þing þat we [ne] seoþ
Leeue we as holychirche deþ,
ffor þat I holde þe rihte fey
And to heuene þe nexte wey.—
To telle more I mot nede
Hou men ete Angeles Brede.
Of ffoles I herde herby-fore
Þat wyse men toke of hem heore lore,
And so a sek mon mihte teche
A good skile perauenture bifore a leche.
Þis Bred mihte neuermore be spende
Til God hym-self on eorþe hit sende,
To saue mon fro pyne of helle,
So þat he kepe hit welle.
Sum tyme such lawe þer was
Þat vche sonday after mas

183

Eueri trewe wyf and Mon
Schulde be hoseled or þei eode þon. . . .
And þat for þis enchesun,
I wol ow telle for what resun:
On was, for þat folk mis-bere
Hem-selue, whon þei hoseled were.
Þe toþer was, for þe grete trauayle
Þat holy churche hedde be þat entayle,
In nome of þat for Godus drede
Me ȝiueþ nou þe holy Brede.
Þerfore þe pope ordeyned, þries in þe ȝere
Vche mon I-hoseled were;
And bote he were ones atte leste,
Þe pope Comaundet be his heste
Þulke bodi þat so ne dede
Schuld neuer be buried in holy stude.
Þerfore beo redi, I ow Rede,
fforte fonge Angeles Brede.
And beo þis Bred I wol ȝou telle
A luytel ensaumple hou hit bi-felle.