4

Men spake myche of his goednes : bothe fer and nere
It bfiel þan þat þe bisshop : of Wynchestre was deed
þe king and þe erchebisshop Ode : þer of toke her reed
and þe gode abbot seint Dunstone : bisshop þei made þere
To make him heyer in goddes lawe : ageyn his wille þowe it were
Som men were atte erchebisshop : of cantirbury sir Ode
and asked himm whi he made him bisshop : and his gr^ates were so goed
ffor he sshal quod þis goed man : afar me here be
Archebisshop of cantirbury : as men shal sone se
What wotest þou þis oþir seide : þou spekest fullyche ywis
þou wotest no more þan þine hele : al in god it is
mi leeue fiendes quod þis goed man : ȝou thar me blame noght
wele i wote þat oure lord ihesus crⁱst : in my mouthe it hath broght
as who sey of thing : þat he hath on me seide
welle i may þowe it bifalle : aftir þat i am deed
Bisshop he was of Londoun : seint Dunstone sith also
Of Londoun and of Wynchestre : for he hielde bothe tuoo
It bifel þat þe erchebisshop : of cantirbury was deed
þe pope and þe king Edgar : þer of [...] her reed
and made þe goed man Dunstone : ere[...]hop þere
Goed men þat him knewe : ful glad þerof were
Cristendome of englonde : to goed state he drough
and þe rightes of holi chirche . hielde up fast ynough
he had first thorou al englonde : þat iche person shulde chese
To kepe him chaste fro lecherie : or his churche lese
Seint Athelwold þat tyme : bisshop was of wynchestere
and seint Oswold þe goed [...] as of wircestere
þise bisshopes and seint [...]t o reed
and Edgar þe goed [...]de
þise three biss[...] englonde
and iche w[...] none withstonde
her chirch [...] hem bynom
and bisett[...]pes reed of Rome
Eight and [...] nonne
þer arered [...]f persons wonne
and so it [...]er in shrewen
for þer g[...]ei wil shewen
Goed were þise þree biss[...] tyme were þo
þe bettir is englonde for hym [...] so shal it be euer moo
Oure lord gaf on erthe [...] seint Dunstone faire grace
on a tyme as he was him self in a privy place