5

nostou no more þan þi not oþ god al hie is
Mi leue frend quaþ þis godman ȝe ne derre me blame nouȝt
Wel ichot what our lord crist in mi mouþ haþ ibrout
as ho seiþ of þilke þing þa^t he haþ me iseþ
telle ich mai þei hit bifalle after þa^t icham deþ
bischop he was of londoun sein dunston suþþe also ·
of londoun ⁊ of worchestre he helþ boþe to
¶ hit bifel þa^t þe erchebischop of canterberi was ded
þe pope ⁊ þe king edgar þer of nome hor red
⁊ made þ^e gode sein donston erchebischop dere
godemen þa^t him i knewe · wel glad þer of were
Cristendom of englond to goþ stat he drou ·
⁊ þe riȝtes of holi cherche he held op fast inou
he fourmeþe þorou al englond þa^t ech person scholþe chese
to wite him chast fro lecheri oþer his cherche lese
¶ seint aþelwold was þilke time bischop of wurchestre
⁊ seint oswald þe gode man · bischop of wirchestre
þis tweie bischopes ⁊ seint dunston · were alle at one rede
⁊ edgar de gode king to do þis gode dede
¶ þis þre bischopes wente aboute þorou al englond
⁊ ech luþer person caste out hom ne miȝte non a stonde
hor cherchen ⁊ hor oþer god · clanliche hom binome
⁊ bisette hit on godemen · þorou þe popes gr^ant of rome
ciste ⁊ fourti abbeis of monkes ⁊ of nonne
of þe tresor hi rerde in englond of persons so y wonne ·
⁊ so hit was wel bet biset þa^t hit was er on schrewe ·
for whanne gode maistres beþ som godnesse hi wollet schewe
¶ gode were þis þre bischopes þa^t at on time were do ·
þe beter is englond for hom ⁊ worþ euermo
our lord ȝef an erde sein dunston fair gr^ace
þa^t at on time as he was in a prⁱue place ·
his fader ⁊ his moþer ek · in þe ioie of heuen an hei ·
after þa^t he ded were aperteliche he sei ·
wel gret loue our lord him cudde whanne he him scheueþe dere
so moche of his prⁱuite þe while he aliue were
¶ as he lai a noþer time in his reste a niȝt he sei þe ioie of heuen ⁊ þe place þer inne wel briȝt
angeles he herde also singe a mery song þer inne
þa^t me singet ȝet in holi cherche whan medeþ þ^e masse biginne