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SEint Austin þat cristindom · broȝte to Engelonde.
Riȝt is þat amonge oþer iwis · he be vndirstonde.
Seint Gregory þe holi man pope · was at Rome
Engelond he louide muche · þei he þer neuir ne come.
Me tolde him þat þe londe was · ^⁊ þat it heþene was.
Sori was seint gregori · þat hit y cristind nas.
¶Him sulfe he wolde habbe · ywend · her in to engelonde
Ac he ne moste vor is cardinales · ac ssholde sende is sonde.
¶Wiþ an vourti of godemen · seint Austin he nom.
And ysende hom in to Engelonde · to prechi cristindom.
Þat echon monkis werre · seint Austin ⁊ eke þeoþir.
Þis holi men wende vorþ · þat werre alle is broþir.
¶Aftir þat god was ybore viiue hundride ȝer it was.
And vourescore ⁊ nei tuo ȝer · þat hy dude þis holi cas.
Hy draddde sore vor hy no couþe · þe speche of engelonde.
Hy nome mem þat couþe · þe langage vndirstonde.
¶Hy dude hom vorþ in þe se · ⁊ þo hy þudir come.
Toward þe hauene of engelonde · þan riȝte wey hy nome.
To an yle by este kent · hore sschip gan euene wende.
Þat theuet is yclupid · as hourre louird wolde sende.
¶Þer hy nome verst har in · ⁊ nome hom sone to rede.
Hou hy miȝte beste ontake · ^to do þis holi dede.
¶Þe kinge ailbriȝt þa^t was þo · kinge of engelonde.
By agqueynte messager · vairre he sende hor sonde.
Þat hy werre messagers · ⁊ fram an heie man ycome.
To don him an message · ffram þe court of rome.
¶Þat ssholde wyþoute ende · tohim alto alis londe.
To gret prow ⁊ to gret richesse · ȝuf hy wolde vndir vonge.
¶Þo þis word to þe kinge com · he stode awile in þoȝt.
God tidinge he sede mote itbe · þa^t hy habbiþ me ybroȝt.
Vndir vongeþ hom vair ynoȝ · ⁊ honouriþ hom also.
⁊ vindiþ hom plente ynoȝ · of þat hy habbiþ neode þer to.
Vort ychabbe wiþ hom yspeke · ⁊ hore message yse.
God leue as hy me by hotiþ wel · þat it mote prou be.
¶Hys heste was ful wel yholde · me auenge vairre ynoȝ.
Þe kinge toward þulke yle sone þer aftir droȝ.
¶Þo he to þe yle com · to seint austin he sende.
Þat he to do is message · wiþ his felawis to him wende
¶Seint austin him greiþid wel · ⁊ is felawis echone.
Vorto viȝte aȝen þe deui · ⁊ to bataile gone.