University of Virginia Library

II.—PAULUS.

Ande sene sum thinge is sad here
of paule, þat was peteris fere,
of hym mare ȝet will I tell,
before his deid as hym befell.
sone eftir his conuersione
and þe gret persecucione,
as accordis hillarius,
In schorth spech sayand þus:
“In philippis, with wandis sar,
he wes firste doungyne, & syn þare
presonyt and put in stokis,
and eftere þat vndir gret lokkis
stanyt, and in exoma
tholit panis syndry alsa;
In thesalunuca als he
tholit rycht gret perplexite;
In epheso als wes he gewine
till wilde bestis, till hym haf rewine;
and in damase at-oure þe wall
In a creile he wes latin fall;
and in Ierusalem he wes bofte,
spyit, waitit, and bundyn ofte;
and eftere in sesaria
bundyne, and tholit panis ma;
and sailand in Italy
In parelis wes he stad sindry;
and eftir, quhen he come to rome,
wndir fell nero tholit dowme,
and ded wes,” sais yllarius,
þat his story writtis till ws;
sayand of hym, þat firste quhen he
beguth appostill fore to be,
he heilyt hym þat crepil wes,
and restorit Patroclase;
a serpent als, callit wipera,
þat of venim fillit is sa
þat quham it bittis, it mon be ded,
þar agane is no remed;
and þat serpent bate his hand
of vituryne in-to þe land,
and he in þe fyre but schathe
fra hym [it] keste, or ony wath.
opunionis als syndry are
of petir and paule, quha wes mar;
bot paule wes les in his degre,
and in sum oþir mar wes he,
and als in-to sum othir thinge
he wes to petir as ewelinge;
for paule wes lese of dingnite,
bot in-to prechinge mare wes he;
and, gyfe we say suthtfastnes,
In lyk þai ware in halynes.
aymo recordis In his saw,
þat paule ay, fra þe cok craw
to þe fyfte our of þe day,
quhare-euir he wes, þis oysit ay,
with his handis to be wirkand,
and to þe nycht syne ay prechand,
And all þe lawe spendyt but were
In fude, In slepe, and in prayer.
Ierome ws sais in his lessone,
þat paule, fra cristis passione
ewene þe fyfe and twenty ȝere,
and of nero þe toþir, bwte were,
festus hym send bundyn to rome,
and nero hym gert þar be done
In fre presone, quhare twa ȝer ay
he liffit, In prechinge ilkaday
a-gane þe Iowis; and syne nero
In þe weste partis has lattyn hym go,
and prechit þare in landis sere,
till of nero þe thratten ȝere.
þat tyme of his religione,
and of his wisdome, ran sic renown,
sa þat all wonderit war but were
his ferly warkis þat mycht here.
als sic grace þat tym he had,
þat feile to hym war frendis mad,
þat war to nero Rycht prewe,
þat he gert trew and baptiste be;
and ȝete, quhen to nero cesar
of his pystilis sum rede war,
he wald commende þam, þocht þat he
vas fillit of all cruelte.
Þan went he furth son in hy,
with sere men in-to company.
and as he went ewine furth rycht,
fra hewine schane don a mekil lycht,
and vmlappyt hym son all;
and he with þat to ȝerd can fall.
and as he at þe ȝerde lay,
he herd a voice to hym say:
“saule, saule, quhy warrais þou me?
for is it nocht hard to þe
agane þe brod þu for to prese?”
þane askit he, þat lyand was:
“quhat art þu, lord?” sad he in hy.
“Ihesu of nazareth,” he sad, “am I
þat þu warrays, þat is to say,
all þat trowis in myn lay.
bot ryse and gange in þe citte,
and þar it sall be sad to þe
quhat þu sal do.” And þar withal
þe men, þat with hym war, al
stud abaysit in þe way;
for þat voyce þai þar hard say,
and þai saw na liffand man.
bot saule, þat fra þe ȝerd vpwan,
with flesly ewine he na se mocht,
for he had bene lang blynd in thocht.
þane þai, þat war in company,
be þe handis hym tuk in hy,
ande led hym furth in-[to] damasse.
and þare he thre dais fullely was
bot met na drink, na myicht nocht se.
men trowis, [that] at þat tyme he
was tawcht wele be þe hali gast
þe ewangele þat hym likit beste,
as he to þame of galathas
sais, no man his master was,
na of nane had he techinge,
bot of Ihesu throw his schewinge.
In þat towne wes a lele man sted,
þat ananyas to name had,
to quhowme god sad in visione:
“ananias, ryse, mak þe bowne,
and of þis towne pase til a rew,
quhare þat Iuda dwellis now,
and sek ane saule till his name,
þat beris of tharse till his sorname;
for, lo, he prais, I say þe.”
to god agane þis answerit he:
“and I haf herd fele gud men say,
at þat man has done gret il ay
to þame, þat ar to þe lele men
In þe towne of ierusalem,
and for þat cause is cumin hiddyr,
to gaddir sik men all togiddir,
to haf þam to þe forsad towne,
for þi sak to thole passione.”
quod god: “til hym gang, I byd þe,
for he weschele is to me
chosine, for to bere myn name,
forowut dowt of manis blame,
before kingis and folkis fell,
and to þe sonnis of israell;
fore I hafe schawit hym quhat he
mone thole for þe sayk of me.
for I haf mad of felone sawle
a leile prechour, and callit is paule,
and of a felone wolf eke
a lame I haf mad hym mek.”
but mar þan passit anany
to þe howse of Iuda in hy,
and one paule his handis lad,
and, as god bad hym, þus he sad:
“paule, bruthir, god Ihesu send me,
þat in þe get apperit to þe,
þat þu þi sicht ma hafe in haste,
and be fillit of þe haly gaste.”
And with þat word fel fra his ene
mirknes, as þa skalis had bene,
and he þat sicht þane gat, and rase,
and anany hym baptiste has.
and he tuk mete, and confourt had,
and þar with discipulis abad
a quhyle, þat war in-to damase;
and syne to synagogis cane pase
and prechit Ihesu criste alsone,
sayand þat he wes goddis son.
þan all þat harde, wondir hade,
and sik spech of hym þai mad:
“Is nocht þis he, þat all þe men
werrayt in Ierusalem,
þat euir callit one cristis name,
and now to prech it has na scham,
and for þat cause com her to fynd
sic cristine folk, and þame to bynd,
and to ierusalem þame to led
to þe prince of our presthed?”
and ay þe mar þat þai sad þat,
þe fer mare he his strinthis gat,
and schamyt faste þe Iowis fele,
þat in-to damase þan can dwell,
affermand ay þat Criste Ihesu
wes goddis sone in for to trow.
and þan þe name of felone sawle
wes turnyt in to prechore paule,
þat all þe warld be lycht of preching
to þe suthfaste trewcht can bringe.
off petir and paule haf ȝe hard,
and how þat nero with þam ferde,
and how þat þai for criste war slane.
now will I tell [ȝu] of þe payne
þat nero tholit, as was skill,
for tyranny and dedis ill.
and þocht it be ypocrifa,
I will be-gyne at seneca,
þat to nero, þat tyran kene,
In all tyme had master bene,
and techit hym full mekil wit,
þocht þat he na folowt it.
þis nero worthit ay of ned,
throw o custum of his barnehed,
ryse ay quhen his master com nere,
aganis his will þocht it war,
And do hym reuerence; and for-þi
It missat hym grettumly.
and als þis senek forthirward
for his trawell asskit reward;
bot nero, as a wekit man,
has fundin ane enchesone þane,
þat it ganyt nocht þe emprioure
til do till ony mane honoure.
and for hym worth[it] honour do
til seneca, he sad hym to,
þat he suld chese quhat kind of tre
hym lykit one to hangit be;
vthir reward he suld hawe nan.
þan sad seneca, makand mayne,
for myse, or for quhat cause he
sa to dede suld put be.
þane nero, þis wekit fowle,
gert set his mastere on a stule,
and owth his hevid sittand þar
brandiste a brand þat scharply schar.
and quhen he saw hym sa sted,
for þe scharpe sword ay ves he rad,
and with þe hewid wald eschow,
þan sad nero: “quhare for now
bowis þu þi hed for dowt of sword?”
þane seneca sad hym þis word:
“for I ame a man in dowt sted,
and nedly fore dede mon be red.”
quod nero: “I am ay red for þe
as I a barne wes wont to be;
þar-for wit þu þat in radnes
I ma nocht luf in hartly es,
till þat þou luffis.” þan seneca
sad hym: “sene I ded mon ta,
I ask for reward and med,
þat þu will tholl me to bled
In a bath of myn armis twa,
þat I þe ded ma softly ta.”
þane sad nero: “se, þat be downe
swith, for þu sall dee alsone!”
þane seneca in þe bath
leit hym-selfe blud of armis bath,
and bled to ded. Ȝet summan sais
þat he deit all wthir wais,
as of a fellone poyssone,
myngit and mad be tresone;
bot quhedir sa suld be na strife,
for nero gert hym lose þe lyf.
syne eftir þis nero wes brocht
In sa mekill wodnes of thocht,
þat he his awne modir gert sla,
suppos fele þar-of wes wa,
for nedly he wald se þe place,
quhare-in he consawit wes,
and all þe tothir instrumentis
he gert vnhele in his presence.
and ay as men war hyr scherand
þai prewetes, and scho murnand,
he had gret ese of hyr hard pyn,
and blythtly bad bringe hym þe wyn.
and with his modir þus he ferde,
for, passand þe towne throw, he herd
a womane with barne traweland
ful pituysly, and sar granand;
for-þi he thowcht þat he wald se
ye cause of hyr Infirmyte
In his awne modir, and nane ellis,
but pety, as þe story tellis.
and sum, þat war till hym prewe,
seand his gret Iniquite,
sperit at hym, quhy he did sa
fellely his awne modir to sla;
for, gyf he wit quhat wa þat scho
for hym tholyt, he suld nocht þat do:
“for is na payne, we wele þe warne,
In life sa gret as to ber barne;
and law warnis, and lofe forbedis,
þat ony chyld, þe modir fedis,
suld defowle þe modir þat hym fed
of hir wame in þe preue sted.”
þe tyrand þan can to þam say,
þat he wald be hym-selfe assay
how hard panis, ore how sar
his modir tholit, þat hym bare.
mony medicinar[is] for-þi,
and masteris in philosophy
rycht awful þan can [he] warne,
þat þai suld mak hym with barne.
sad þai, Inpossible thinge
was til do his ȝarnynge,
for natur tholyt it nocht to be done.
þane to þame sad he sone,
bot þai did It, þai suld de.
þan þai, þat wyse war and sle,
but persawinge sudandly
a padok gert hym drink in hy,
and syne throw thar suttellite
In his wame gert it fosterit be,
þat his wame bolnyt ner and rafe,
a-ganis kynd for þat he strafe.
bot þai fosterit hym neuir-þe-lese
with sic dietis, as cordand wes
for þe padok, and sad, sic fowd
was for his barne and hym gud.
his breth hym grewit mar & mare,
and he, þat mycht nocht thole sic sare,
sad til his medicinaris, þat he
wald of his barne deliuerit be,
for he mycht nocht leste in lyff
In sik panys and sic striff.
for-þi he sad he suld þame sla,
bot þai hym losyt of syk wa.
þane ordanyt þai a poton,
to ger hym caste owt þat poysson,
þat hym handlit sa faste,
till a fowle padow at þe laste
he keste, þat wes laythe to se.
þan at his mastere askit he,
quhar-for his birth wes sa wile,
sa foule, and sa horribyle.
þan ansuerte þai, be-cause at he
a-gane kind wald deliuerit be.
þan sperit he rycht besyly,
gyf þat he wes sa wgly
quhen he wes borne; and þa sad, “ȝa.”
þat vgly padok þan gert he ta,
and in a towre of stane gert he
It besyli fosterit be,
till at it liffit; and it wox sa,
till þai, þat war wele far it fra,
micht her it ȝele a wel far way.
for-thi þat place callit þai
laterent, quhare ful gret pardone
Is now in rowme, and deuocione.
and in ekine of his mysded,
It hapnyt nero for to red
of troy þe gret distruccione,
at quhylum wes sa far a towne,
and syne wes brynt halely.
of swilk fyr he had ferly,
þat wes sa gret and lang lestand.
for-þi þe tyrand tuk on hand
for to byrne þe gret cite
of rome, sic a fyr to se
as was þe fellone fyr of troy,
In yll þe tyrand had sic Ioy.
þan tyrandis he callit hym till,
and, his wikitnes to fulfill,
bad þame in all þe partis of rome
set fyre at anis but ony howne,
þat he mycht stand his towr In,
and se all to-geidir byrne.
þane þai cuth son; fulfill
of þat tyrand þe wikit will,
and, hym sa till emplece,
þai gert rowme bryn vpe in a bles;
and Ithandly it brint sewin dais
but cessinge, as þe story sais.
and all þat tyme owt of his towre
þe fyr beheld þat fell tratowr,
and sad, It wes þe farrest fyre
þat euir he saw, sene he wes syr.
and of þis tyrand sais þe buk,
with goldine nettis he fesche tuk;
and of þe syngyne als cuth he mar
þane all þe me[n]stralis at þat tym war;
and he as wyff wald wedit be
wmquhill to man, and quhyll walde he
tak hym a man in sted of wyff.
of þis tyrand sic wes þe lyff.
and ȝet, amang ill dedis ma,
his awne brethir he gert sla.
als he slew petir and paule,
till eke þe tynsale of his sawle,
and [did] fell vthire Ill dedis fer,
þat war lange to rekine her.
þe men of rowme ful noyt wes
of his foly and his wodnes,
and thowcht to thole hym no mar,
na till his fellony mar to spar,
bot erar thocht hym to sla.
quhane he persawit it wes swa,
[he] fled allane owt of þe towne,
willand in wastine vpe and done,
and fand a tre, and it schapit
with his tetht, and syne on; It
slewit hym-self rycht to þe hart,
and offerit to þe fend þat mart.
bot it is red in wthir place
þat, in a wod as he wandrand was,
wolfis hym rafe, and drank þe blud,
þat to Ill ay thocht sa gud.
and þai of rowme, quhen þai hym socht
in wildirnes and fand nocht,
come a-gane, and þe padok fand
In a rownd tour still ȝelland,
and gert men haf it owt of towne,
and bryne [it] þar, as wes resone.
þis wes nero for his felony
wele punyst, as [he] wes worthy,
þat mony thowsand gert sla
for cristis sak in dowte and wa.
bot for þe panys þai can fele,
god has þame rewardit wele
with hevinlyk Ioy and lestand bliss,
þat he has grathit for al his;
quhare hele beis ay but seknes,
ȝouthed but eld or wrechitnes,
fulth but hungir or wantinge
of goddis fud, or hard ȝarninge,
ay lestand lykine with fredome
but seruitut or thrildome,
blowmand bewte but wane or smyt
of sawle and body to-giddir knyt,
but ded ay lestand lyf,
and habundance of pece but strif,
sikirnes but dut or dred,
full knawlage of alkind ded;
er ma nocht her, na e se,
na in hart comprisit be
þe gret Ioy, þat god to med
has granttit þam, þat will hym dred.
þe quhilk Ioy petir and paule
browkis now in body and sawle;
and nero wa, þat can nocht blyne,
In hel tholis for his syne.
for-thi war gud to lef þe play,
to lestand payne þat ledis ay,
and her þis fleschely delyt
mon cesse, men wat nocht how tyt;
for-þi quhen þe play best is,
best is to lefe þan I-wyse.
of þis nero quha wald for-þi
behald þe dedis verraly,
þat luffit sa þis schort delyt,
þat he mon euir dwel in syt,
als wele in body as in sawle,
and wald syne luk to paule,
þat conuertit and lewit his syne,
and of Ihesu sic luf can wyne,
þat he is mad til ws merour,
þat na man suld for gret errour
fal in wanhope for to purches
eftir syne of god þe grace,
þe doctor gregor sais þar-by,
þat nothir stekis fra godis mercy
of þe fel syne þe quantite,
na ȝet þe gret ennormyte,
na ȝet þe latnese of þe howre,
ellis þat till our saweour
þe will of þe man k[n]awyn be,
as be sanct paule we ma se,
þat rocht of na wardly thinge,
ellis þat he mycht criste Inbringe.
for-þi in his pystil, he wrat
to þame of rome, [he] sad þusgat,
þat he tholit trawal ful gret,
and als bath gret hungir & het,
and þat he wes oft in presone
for cristis sak, but resone;
and of þe Iowis he can tak
gret dispyt for his master sak;
wondis fyfe tymis fourti, ane lese,
and strakis one his nakit flesche
with a swerd, fel and Ill,
mad for sic cause of litill skil;
and with wandis dongyne sar,
for þat he prechit cristis lare;
and anis als stanit wes he;
and thriis fchipe-brokine in þe se,
and all þe nycht hale and þe day
at sey-grownd, he sad, he lay;
and ofte tym tholit he gret wath
In gattis and in wattir bath;
and a-mang thefis and his kyn
he wes of[te] tym parele In;
and in cites and wildirnes
in gret parele ful oft he wes;
and a-mange þam þat war fals
he wes ofte in parele als;
and trawel with dule and wrak
he tholyt ofte for cristis sak;
and in a creile or þe wall
of damasse he wes lattyn fall;
owtwart thingis neuir-þe-les
owtane, þat wes þe besynes
þat he had of all þe kirk,
þat is, þat al men suld wel wirk.
for quha-sa had Infirmite,
þare-for wes paule sek as he;
and quha for his gilt tholit blame,
paule for hyme brynt for schame.
& thocht þat he was rewyst ewine,
as hyme-self sais, to þe thred hewyne
& syne in paradis, quhare he
herd, as he sais, priwete,
as It afferyt nocht to man
to spek þat thing, þat [he] herd þan;
of þis yet þan na Ioy had he;
bot ay of his infirmyte
he had gret Ioy; for þan, he wist,
Crystis vertu in hyme suld reste.
& als, as sais a gret doctor,
of alkyne folk sanct paule had cure,
& he was wischeall chosine, throw
to bere þe name of swet Ihesu.
& he to Ihesu criste was ayre
of wisdome in þe vertu fare,
& fillyt all þe warld wele nere
with cristis [e]wangel, þat is clere;
& [at the] last Iugment sall bryng
nere hand all men befor þe kyng.
& for sic cause he trawalyt mare
þane all þe postilis, þat euir ware,
for till gere all men leif þare syne,
& þare sawlis to god to wyne.
laith of lysing als taucht he
til Ilke man in his degre,
to princis, lordis, & pure men,
to thrillmen & to women,
& to ȝoung men als gef he lare,
& faddire & modyre, þat þaim bare,
to licheouris & to continent,
till all he prechit his entent;
&, schortly, he was hym allane
a commowne man till euirilkane.
[A]nd quhen þat he brocht was to rome,
befor nero to thole doume,
all þat euire war of Iowis lay
Come to sanct paule, & þis can say:
“Defend oure lacht, we pray þe now,
sene þu art borne man of hebrew!
cause of folk þu suld defend,
& thol It cum till spedfull end.
syne circumcydit of þaim is nane,
& circumcisione þu has tane,
& þow, as ws think, vald put don
þe lacht of circumcisione,
þar-for, quhen [þu] seis petire ma,
sustene our lacht agan hym ay;
for he fayndis bath lat & ar
for to distroy quytly our lare;
for bath our sabbot & fest-day
he forcis for to put away.”
þane said paule: “quhen I petir se,
Ȝe sall apertly prewe be me
þat I ame verray Iow, quhen I
þe circumcisione suthly
& þe sabbottis sall aprowe ay;
for god hym restit on þe VII day,
als our elderis lacht ws leyrit.
quhy suld þane petir sa be steryt,
þat he ymang þe folk suld preche,
or ony new law to þame teche?
þarfor lat hyme cum now to me,
& yhe but Ire or wreth sall se
hym ourcumyne, suppos he ware
fere wisare; bot gif his lare
throu witnes be approwit now
of þe ald bukis of hebrew;
& gif It swa be, we mon all
obey till his lare, gret & small.”
quhen þis was herd, but mare went þai,
quhar petir was, & can hym say:
“paule appostill is cumyne; loo,
we pray þe þat þu cum hyme to;
for he is bundine, & but leife
to cum here, he ma nocht eschewe.”
quhen petir þis herd, he was blyth,
& with þame went to paule alswyth.
& þai bath, fra þai sammyn met,
for pure pytte & Ioy þai gret;
& Ilkane of þame tald til vthire,
as bruthire suld do to his bruthire,
all hale þare trawale les & mare,
& þe gret dout þat þai in ware.
syne one þe morne richt ayrly
to paule come petir full freyndly,
& fand a multytud wele greit
of Iowis, stanand at his yhat;
& was þar a full gret strife þare
betwen þe Iowis & folk, þat ware
Conuertyt to god throw his grace.
for þe Iowis in þat place
sad: “we ar of ryall kyne,
of goddis dere frendis chosine,
Abraham, ysaac & Iacob leile,
& prophettis, quhome with god can meille,
& schaw to þame his priuete,
& his ferlyis he leit þame se;
& yhe are cumyne of folk but drede,
þat god wrocht nathing in þare sede,
bot þai till wrechit ydolis ay
has bene seruandis; þis is na nay.”
& þan þe folk, þat cristine ware,
mad to þe Iowis sic answere:
“fra þat we herd þe suthfastnes,
we left oure errour mare & les,
& ar set now in þe richt way,
& suthfastnes sall folow ay.
bot yhe, þat wat ȝour fadderis lare,
& of prophettis þat wysmen ware;
þat dryfut passit throu þe se,
& saw ȝour fays drownyt be,
& till ȝou one þe day can pere
of full gret licht a gret pillere,
& syne till ȝou apone þe nycht
It apperyt & gef ȝou licht;
for met of hewine gef ȝou manna,
& stane gef yhou wattir alswa;
bot nocht-withstannand syk gud dede,
þat god wrocht for ȝou in to nede,
of þe gret gold, þat yhe þan had,
ane ydoll of a calf ȝe mad,
& honour[t] It, & had na thocht
of þe gret gud, god for ȝou wrocht.
bot we, þat neuir sic thing had sene,
in þat god trewis wele but wene,
þat yhe haf left, & trewis now
in error, þat ma nocht helpe ȝou.”
& till þat þai war þis striwand,
petir and paule war ȝarne prechand
to þame þat lang tym striwine had,
& gud acord betwene þaim mad.
of petir syne throu þe preching
god schawyt þar a ferly thing,
þat of þe folk full mony ware
conuertyt throu þe postilis lare.
& ymang wtheris treutht can ta
þe wyf of Nero, libia,
na to agrippe, þe prefet,
to be cristine vald nocht lat,
þat had to name agrippyna;
& vthir women mony ma
þar husbandis left for heile of saule,
& aneherdit to petir & paule.
& mony knychtis þar erroure,
þat war dere to þe emprioure,
left, & þar knichthed alswa,
& cristis treutht rycht þare can ta,
sa þat þai wald fra þame na was
Cume to þe king, na his palas;
bot trewit trewly to sanct paule,
& throw hym wan þe heile of saule.
[D]ere lord, quhat sall we say
of awfull doume apon þe day,
quhen þat we sall gif strat reknyng
befor þe auchtfull Iug & king
of all þat we haf sad or wrocht;
and als of oure maste priwe thocht,
& wat þat we na gud haf done?
for-þi full sare vs bird to mone
to þis paule, gif we gud tent tak,
at gud ensampill can ws mak,
hou we suld wirk till we are here,
þat we but dred mycht þane apere.
bot, allace! how worthy ar we,
one þat day, to condampnyt be,
quhen we, þat in a man se may
all gud but want, suthly to say,
we set neuir oure cure na hart
of sic gud to gat ony part.
& yheit a flesclyk man was he,
& lyk till ws in sic degre,
and lyf & sawle lyk ws he had,
& in þis warld [his] duelling mad;
ȝeit þane of thewis fare to se,
condicione and honeste,
þe vertu of will þare to mare,
he transcendit all men þat þare,
or yheit þat befor hym had bene,
as þai suld say þat had hym sene.
and all his dedis mare & les
war witnes þat þis suthfas[t] wes.
for-þi till hyme in hewyn is mad
sic Reward as he seruit had,
till he in þis erth duelland was,
in presone of euire brukill fleschias.
þarfor I pray hyme þat I may
of þis warld sa depart ay way,
þat sawle ma fra þe body twyne
bot schame, or deit, or dedly syne.
gregour of twryne alswa sais,
þat Iustine yungre in þai dais,
þar was a man disparit swa
þat he a stalowart gyrne can ma
to hang hym-self with be þe hals,
at þe tysing of þe feynd fals.
nocht-þan he had in custum ay
deuotely to sanct paule to pray,
& quhen þat he did ony thing,
he wald call paule in helpyng;
& tyd hym to do swa þare,
quhen he [þe] rape mad al ȝare,
sayand: “sanct paule, I pray þe
þat þou wald cum now, & helpe me!”
þan come a schadow full hugly,
blak & blay, & stud hyme by,
& sad hyme: “man, do furth þi dede!
quhy houffis þou? quhy has þou dred?”
for-þi þe man was graithand ay
þe girne, & yhet þan can he say:
“sanct paule, helpe me now but bad!”
with þat þe gyrne wes redy mad.
þan a schaudow rycht nerehand,
as of a man, saw by hym stand,
& to þe first schadow can say:
“þu wekit spryt, ga hyne þi way!
for paule, þis manis adwocat,
is cumine till hym now fut-hat.”
with þat þe foule schedow can fle;
& þan þe man thocht weile þat he
had mysdon in his entent;
for-þi he can hym sare repent,
& gretly lof[it] god & paule,
þat wald nocht thole hym tyn his saule,
na of þe feynd confundit be,
as þan to purpos tane had he.
for-þi to god be honour ay,
as we alsinful acht to say;
& helpyne to all warldly men
In hewyry tyme! say we Amen.