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for dowte þan of oure fellon fa,
one þare schuldris mary can ma
þe takine of þe croice verray,
þat mycht defend þam in þare vay.
þane he & scho but abad
purwayt & a schipe redy mad
of althinge, þat nedfull ware
to serwe & ese þame in þare fare;
& halely þare possessione,
þat þai had in land ore towne,
þai put al in ȝemsell
of þe magdelane, þat hame can dwel,
& to þe sey passit þare way,
& schippit one þe todyr day,
& saylit furth [a] day & nycht,
til þai of land [had] tynt þe sicht.
syne eftyr can gret wind ryse,
& sterit þe se one mony vyse,
þat hol & hey wawis mad.
& þai þat in þe schepe abad,
war in þat storme sted in sik strife
at euir in poynt to tyn þare lif.
for-þi abasit þai var & rad,
quhene þai þame-selfine sav sa sted.
bot þat laydy oure al þe lafe
sa gret dout & dred cane hafe,
& sa gret dout of hyr child il,
þat na remed mycht be þare-til,
þat na scho [in] þe seknes allase
of a knafe child deliuer wase;
& scho þe lyf allane can thorne,
fra þat ilke barne wes borne.
þane cane hyr husband ȝol & ȝel,
& mony a tyme a-pone hir fel;
bot quhene he saw be ded his vyf,
& his sone borne & haf þe lif,
& wist þat [in] a lytil we
for falt of met þe barne suld de,
sa ekit þane wes his gret care,
þat he cane roydly cry & rare,
& waryt þe tyme he wes borne,
& þe fortone lad hyme beforne,
& regratit ofte be-twene,
þat euir he had þe magdelan sene.
nocht-for-þi in gret & smal
he thocht to do hyr bydinge al.
þe child cane snawil þan, & grape
þe modyr pape, for fud to tak.
allace! nov is þe barne sa borne
modyr-slaar, & he, forlorne
& helples, mon he de of nede,
sene þar is na-thing hym to fed.
þan was þe lord ferly wa,
his wyf saw ded, his barne alsa,
þat gret pitte wes to here
his regrat & sorowful chere.
“allace,” he sad hyme-se[l]sine to,
“werch & waful, quhat sal þou do?
quhene I desyrit barnis til hafe,
þane wes I fule or þe lafe,
& bath has tynt for myn desyre;
for-þi I bryne as in a bale fyre.”
þane cane þe schepmen hely cry:
“do caste we owt þis ded body!
for þis tempeste sal lest, for force,
ay till we herbry þis ded cors;
for-þi, to sawfe ws, cast it owt!”
vith þat hyr husband began to schowt,
& sad: “gyf ȝe spare nocht to me,
na to þe modyr, ȝet parde
ȝe suld, gyf pytte in ȝow var,
to þis squeland barne ȝe spare,
& hafe mercy of þame & me;
for It ma happyne wele to be [OMITTED]
ma fal ȝet nocht fullely ded,
þocht sik dystras hyre can led,
& mad hyr lyk sa to be;
for men ma oft wemen se
in swnyge sum-tyme ly,
& syne our-cum. gudmen, for-þi,
sparis a tyme, þat we ma se
suthfastly gyf scho ded be!”
“na,” sad þai, “we wil nocht spare
bot kyste hyr owt.” & þer-for þare
þai hynt hyr. & sad [ane]: “but were,
I se a lytile Ile apere
In-to þe se, nocht fer away.”
þane pytuisly þe prince can pray,
þat [þai] hyr kest nocht in þe se,
met til vnbestis to be,
bot he prait þam for godis sake,
þat þai wald of his mebile tak,
& schute þare bate with gud wil,
& cary þat body til þe hill.
& with gret dyficulte
to do þat þane purchast he.
& for sik med þat þai wald ȝarne,
þai tuke þe modir & þe barne,
& in þe bat but mare delay
þame lait; syne rowit away,
to þai var cumyne to þat hil,
þis princis ȝarnige to fulfill;
& one þe hil þai lad in hy
þe ȝonge barne & þe ded body.
sa wondir [hard] was þat hil,
& þai had na lomys to wil,
for to make a gannand grawe;
þar-for þai socht & fand a cawe,
& of It in þe maste priwe place
þai lad þat body, þat ded was,
In riche atyre & dressit wele,
wappyt in a furrit mantele;
& layde þe chylde til hir breste,
hed & mouthe þe papis neste;
& gretand sar þine passit away,
& to þe magdelane can say:
“allace! quhy can þu marcil sek,
to me þis mekile bale to eke,
quhare-thru is þus ded my wife,
þat was þe substance of my lyfe?
& I vnhappy cuth nocht fyne
bo[t] trowit in þine admonestine,
&, for þu bad, þis way can take,
& þis has tynt myn warldis make;
for I thocht neuire þe to crawe,
þat I suld ony barnys hafe,
be-cause þat my beste luffit wife
suld one þis wyse now tyn þe lyfe.
&, dere mary, throu þi prayere
scho consawit, I trew but were,
throu þi prayere scho consawit,
quhare-thru til hyr ded is graþit,
& hyre birthe als mon de one nede,
sene nane is It to fostir na fede.
no mare to þe sa wil I,
bot wyfe & barne Increly,
& al þe lafe þat euir myn was,
to god & to þi halynes
I recommend, & prays þe
þat þu wil thochtful one me be,
& pray to god, in quham þu now
sa suthfastly has gerte me trew,
þat of myn wyfis saule he rew,
þat to me wes traste & trew,
& hafe pytte of myn ȝonge barne;
for þi request he wil nocht warne.”
mar dule he mad þan I cane say,
syne passit to þe schipe one his way,
& þare bayt in þai hynte.
þane þe storme be-gane to stynt;
& sowne þai arywinge mad
In þe porte, quhare þai etline had,
& war wondir blythe & glade,
þat þai sa eschapyt hade
sa sere parelis & sic stryfe,
& to land wonnynge with þare lyfe.