3

And beo þere wiþ oute ende · mid god þa^t us boȝte
Þe king stod þo he hurd þis · as þei he were in þoȝte
¶Swuþe fair þing it is he sede · þa^t ȝe bi hoteþ me
Were ich siker þa^t it were soþ · do ich wolde after þe
Ac Ine cosenti noȝt þerto · for it is ȝute nywe
Ar ich habbe more vnder ȝute · weþer þis message beo trⁱwe
Ac for ȝe þus tr^auailed beoþ · fr^am so feorne londe
¶And for mine gode as ȝe seggeþ · and doþ me vnder stonde
Greui nel ich ȝou noȝt · ac faire bi ȝou do
And vnder fange ȝou and finde ȝou ek · þa^t ȝe habbe nede to
And ich gr^ante al þulke ek · þa^t wolleþ to ȝou t^urne
Gode leue ich ȝiue echman · Inelle noman werne
Þis was atte ferste me þingþ · agod bigynnynge
Þer after was þe betere hope · to come to god endynge
¶Seint austin and alle his · aswuþe fair woninge
Þe kyng ȝaf in þe toun of douere · to don In hore prechinge
Seint austin and is felawes · bigonne to prechi faste
So þa^t somme þa^t gode were · to hom hore heorte caste
And t^urnde hom to crⁱtendom · euere þe leng þe mo
So þa^t folk aboute hom com · so þuke so it miȝte go.
¶Hore dede sprong so wide sone · þa^t to þe kyng it com
Þe faire miracles þa^t hi dude · as hi prechede crⁱtendom
Þe king wende and hurde hore prechinge · him þoȝte it was wel god
To longe he sede ich habbe abide · ar ich þis vnder stod
He t^urnde him to crⁱtendom · and let him baptise anon
And biluuede on Ihesu crⁱst · and is men echon
So longe so þis holymen · hore wille hadde attenende
Þat þe folk of euerich toun · to crⁱtendom gan wende
¶Seint austin wende aȝen þo · þe pope he tolde at rome
Hou al þat folk of engelond · crⁱtendom nome
Þo was þe pope sein grⁱgori · Ibroȝt in grete blisse
He het seint Aust to wende aȝen · þa^t londe bet to wisse
¶Seint Austin wende anon aȝen · and þo he þuder com.
Twelf bissops he made in þelond · to wardi crⁱtendom
Þe þritteþe he was him sulf · as ourre louerd ȝaf þe cas
Erche bissop at douere · þe ferste þa^t euere was
Seint austin broȝte crⁱtendom · þus to engelonde
Wel aȝte we is dai holde · ȝif wewerre wel vnder stonde
¶Is day toward þe ende of may · for þulke day he wende
Out of þis lyue to ihesu crⁱst · þa^t after him þo sende