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Cotton, Titus, A xxvi, lf 145. ]
THE LYFE OF ST. ALEXES.
[A]lle ? at wolle a whyle here dwell,
herkynnythe, and I woll yowe tell
A tale Sone of grete pyte:
Att rome, by-ffell in ? at Cyte,
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4
There somtyme wonnyd a man,
hys name was callyd eufemyan;
he was ryche in all thyng,
And euery day seruyd as a kyng; 8
he had I-now? e of worlldys well,
And seruantes with hym many and fele,
Thre thowesant to hym were atend|aund,
That weryd gold on here pendaunt.
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In hys owne hous euery daye, 13
A custyume was that I schall saye:
there boredes that were fayre spred,
There pormen schulde be fede; 16
Of all pormen of ylk a gate,
there was none ? at werned ? e yate.
A wyfe he had, she hyght a gales,
An holey woman withowten lees; 20
She louyd god with all her myght,
And seruyd hym bothe daye and nyght;
She was of gode wyll, and hart Free
To all ? e dedes of charite.
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there she wollde clothe and fede,
and helpe men at here nede.
By twene theym chyllde had ? ey none,
there fore they made mykell mon.
28
theye were allwaye blythe and hende,
In hope that god shollde hem sende
[folio 145b] Some maydyn chyllde, or some man,
That theyre herytages myght hane;
So long theye prayed with good entent, 33
that a man chyllde god hem sent;
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whan they wyst ? at hit was so,
Chanse theye leuyd bothe twoo, 36
Sythyn ? ey wollde for no need
Com to gedur in Flesschely ded.
Whan thys man chyllde was borne,
Fayne were here frendys therforne;
Theye bare the chylde to chirche A none, 41
And crystenyd hyt in the Font stone.
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there theye callyd ? e chylde Alexe;
Sone hit throofe, and wele hit wex.
Whan hit was vij yere olde and more,
hys freendys sett hym wnto lore; 46
he was sone Full goode of wytt,
And wnderstode the holy wryte;
he loued god in all his thought, 49
And of thys worllde gaffe he nought;
he sawe thys worllde was butt gylle,
for hit showld laste but a whyle;
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52
neuerthe les whan he was elde,
lone and felde For to wellde,
hys fader puruyde hym a wyffe, 55
Wit whome he soulde led hys lyffe;
A mayden there was fayre and Fre,
Com of ? e rycheste of that cette. [folio 146a]
In holy chyrche vppon a daye 59
They were spousyde in goddys laue;
Atte here spousyng I wott there stode
Beshoppys felle and prestes goode;
Sythen theye made a mangery
With all the beste of here aleye;
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64
All that comyn thyder ? at daye
theye were seruyd welle to paye,
Com ? ey erley, com the late,
theye wer neuer wernyd ? e yate; 68
there was nowder man nor knaue,
Byt mete and drynke he myght haue.
Euery man had there plente
Of claret wyne and pymente; 72
There was many a riche wyne,
In sylluer and in golde fyne;
Many a coppe and many a pece,
with wyne wernage & eke of grece;
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And many A noder ryche vessell
with wyne of gascoyne and of rochell.
whan euyne com ? at elke a gest
was gone to bed to take hys rest, 80
Eufemyan callyd hys sone Anone,
And bad hym ? at he shoulde gone
In to hys chaumbur to hys fere,
And cowmfort her in hys manere.