4

Summe axid of þe erchebischop : of cauntirbery sire ode ·
Wherfore he him bischop made : ⁊ his gr^aces were so goode ·
For he schal quod þis holi man : after me here I be ·
Erchebischop of caunterbery : and þat ȝe schul I do · se ·
What wost þou þese oþere seide : þou spekist folie I wis ·
Þou wost no more þan þi fot : in god al it is ·
An leue frendis quod þis goode man : ȝe þar me blame nouȝt ·
Wel Iwot what oure lord crⁱst : in my mouþ haþat brouȝt ·
As ho seiþ of þat þing : þat he haþ me seid ·
Telle I may þouh it be falle : after þat I am ded ·
Bischop he was of londoun : seint donston also ·
Of londoun and wircetre : and held boþe too ·
It be fel þat þe erchebischop : of caunterbery was ded ·
Þe pope and þe king edgar : þer of toke here red ·
And made seint dunston : erchebischop þere ·
Goode men þat him knewe : glad þer of þei were ·
Cristindom of Ingelond : to good stat he drough ·
And þe riȝtis of holi chirche : he held vp faste I nough ·
He formed þoro al Ingelond : þat eche persoun schulde chese ·
To kepe him chast fro lecchorie : or his chirche lese ·
Seint adelwold was þat tyme : bischop of winchestre ·
And seint oswold þe goode man : bischop of wircetre ·
Þese too bischopis ⁊ seint dunston : were alle at on rede ·
And edgar þe goode king : to don þis goode dede ·
Þese þre bischopis wenten aboute : þoro al Ingelond ·
And eche liþer persoun casten out : hem myȝte not wiþ stond ·
And here oþer good clenli : þei hem be nome ·
And be sette it on goode men : þoro þe popis grace of rome ·
Xlviij abbeis : bothen of monkis and of nonne ·
Wiþ tresor þat þe a rerid in Ingelond : ot persouns Iwonne ·
And so it was bet be sett : þan it was er on schrewen ·
Þer as goode maistrⁱs ben : sum goodnes þei monn schewen ·
Goode were þese þre bischopis : þat at oo tyme were þo ·
Þe betere is Ingelond for hem : ⁊ schal be euere mo ·
Oure lord ȝaf seint donston : a wol fair grace ·
Þat on tyme as he was : in a pryuy place ·
His fader ⁊ his moder ek : in þe ioye of heuyn an heigh ·
After þei were dede : a pertlye he seigh ·
Wol gret loue oure lord him kedde : whan he him schewid þere ·
So meche of his prⁱuete : whil he a lyue were ·
As he lai an oþer tyme : in his reste a nyght ·
He seigh þe ioye of heuyn : wondirly ful of liȝt ·