4

{¶ Saynt Dunstan }
¶ Hit bifel þe Erchbisshop  of Canterbury was ded
Þe Pope and þe kyng Edgar  þerof token her rede
And made þe godemon Dunstan  Erchbisshop þere
And all þat knewe his condicioun  ful glad þerof þai were
¶ Þe Crⁱstendome of Englond  to gode astate he broȝt
And helde vp holy chirche rightes  boþe in dede 7 þoȝt
He ordeyned þurȝ all Englond  þat persones shulden chese
To kepe hem chaste frm leccherye  or her chirche to lese
Saynt Athelwold was þat tyme  bisshop of wircestre
And saynt Oswald þe gode mon  bisshop of wynchestre
Þese two bisshopes wi^th saynt Dunstan  were all at oon rede
And Edgar þe gode kyng  to mayntene hem as hede
¶ Þese þre bisshopes ȝede about  þurȝ out Englond
Of liþer persones þai toke chirches  ne myȝt þer non wi^th stond
Her chirches ⁊ her oþer godes  clenly þis þre nome
And ȝaf hem oþer gode men  by gr^aunte of þe pope of Rome
Xlviij Abbayes of monkes and of Nonnen
Þai wroȝt in Englond wi^th þe tresour  þa^t was of persones wonnen
So þat hit was mych better sette  þen it was ere on shrewes
For þere as gode men þe maystre han  men vsen gode þewes
¶ Gode were þese þre bisshopes  þat in þe tyme were þo
Þe better was Englond þen for hem  ⁊ shal be euermo
Dure lord ȝaf saynt Dunstan  in erþe so fayre gr^ace
Þat it bifel on atyme  he was in a prⁱuy place
His fader ⁊ his moder boþe  apertly he segh
After þat þai ded were  in þe blisse of heuen on hegh
Wel grete love oure him kid  as he him shewed þere
So myche of his prⁱuyte  whyle he on lyve were
¶ As he lay anoþer tyme  in his reste anyȝt
He segh þe ioye of heuen  ⁊ þe place wel briȝt
Angels he herde synge also  a Murye songe þerynne
As men done ȝett in chirche  þer masse shal bigynne
Kyreleyson kyreleyson  was þat Murye songe
Þis holy mon þat herde al þis  ne þoȝt hit no þinge longe
Wel aȝt he to heuen come  at his endyng day
While þa^t he on lyf was  so mych of heuen saye
Harpe he loved wonder wele  þerof he couþe ynogh