2

Ȝwat was þat : þat ore louerd crist : fram heouene þat liȝt sende
And þat folk þat þare stod aboute : heore caperes þar of tende
Bote þat of þulke ^holi child : þat was in hire wombe þere
Al enguelond scholde beo iliȝt : bet þane hit euer er were
¶þo þis child was ibore : his freond nomen þer to hede
huy leten hit do to Glastingburi : to norische and to fede
And to techen him his bi leue also : his pater noster and crede
þat child wax and wel iþeuȝ : ase it moste nede
to the world he nam hiyte ȝeme : for to alle godnesse he drouȝ
ech man þat heorde of him speke : hadde of him ioye inovȝ
þo he couþe mannes wit : to his uncle he gan go
þe Erchbischop of caunterburi : Aldelm þat was þo
with him he maude ioye inovȝ : and euere þe leng þe more
þo he iseiȝ of his guodnesse : and of his wise lore
for gret deinte þat he hadde of him : he dude him sone bringue
to þe prince of Engelonde : Aþelston þe kyngue
þe king him maude ioye inouȝ : and g^rauntede al his bone
of ȝwat þing þat he wolde him bidde : ȝif it were to done
Seint Dunston him bad ane place : þare he was forth ibrouȝt
In þe toun of Glastingburi : þat he ne wernde him nouȝt
þe king g^rauntede him is bone anon : and after him also
Edmund is brother þo he was king : and in his power ido
to Glastingburi he wende sone : þe guode man seint Dunston
þo bothe þe kingues ȝeue him leue : Eadmund and Athelston
A fair Abbeye he let þare arere : ase men iseoth þare ȝuyt stonde
Of blake monekes þat was arerd : þe furste of Enguelonde
for ech Abbeie of Enguelonde : þat of blake monekes is
Of þe hous of Glastingburi : furst sprong and cam iwis
him sulf he nam þe Abite þere : and monek formest bi cam
Sone he was Abbot of þe hous : and gret couent to him nam
he makede þare godes seruise : studefast and stable inovȝ
þat couent þat þare inne was : to alle guodnesse drouȝ
þis holi Abbod seint Dunston : hadde gret power
With þe king Eadmund þo he was king : he was is conseiller
After þe king Eadmundes deþe : a guode ȝwyle it was a gon
þat Edwyne is sone was king imaud : ake nouȝt riȝt sone after a non
¶þis Edwyne hadde ful vuel red : and þare aftur he drovȝ
with seint Dunston he was wroth : and with wel gret wovȝ
Of his Abbeye he drof him out : and dude him schame inovȝ
þe more schame þat he him dude : þe more þe guode man lovȝ
he let driue him out of Enguelonde : and let crien him fleme
þis guode man wende out wel glad : ne tok he none ȝeme
to þe Abbeie of seint Amaunt : bi ȝeonde se he drouȝ
And soriornede þare longue : and ladde guod lijf inovȝ
¶ þo þe king Edwyne was ded : Edgar þat was is broþer