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Ioyefull schall I neuer bee,
Tyll I maye my leman see. ' 160
hys Fader send bothe fer and vyde
Messengers on euery syde,
To seke his sonne where he was went,
Bothe Fer and nere where he was went.
Sythen affter yt befell soo, 165
Of messengeres there com too,
Ryght to the Ryche Cete, [folio 148a]
There alex lywyd In pourte. 168
As they com In to a strete,
Alex com and shoulde hym mete;
Sone knewe he ? eyme fwll welle,
And ? ey knewe hym neuer a dele.
lowde he spake vnder hys hoode,
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'For goddes lowe do me som goode;'
Theye gaffe hym of theyre money,
For goddes lowe there in the waye.
whan Alex sawe ? eye knwe hym nought, 177
he thanked god in all hys thought.
'lorde,' he sayde, 'I thank the
the grace ? at thowe hast sent me;
Myne owne men that shoullde bee,
hate gewyn me of theyre cheryte. '
Alex dwellyd styll there
Fully xlij yere and more. 184
To chyrche he went euery daye,
his goode bedeyes there for to saye;
In to that chyrche, with owtyn fayle,
Was an Images of fayre entayele,
Of owre lady ? at is so Free, 189
With here sonne wppon here knee;
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That Images spake, ? at was so bryght,
to the sexteyene vppon a nyght.
192
[folio 148b] 'Take,' sche sayde, 'my seruante swythe,
he hathe me seruyd all hys lyeffe;
Full offte he wolle to me lowthe,
hit is no ryght ? at he is withowte. '
'lady,' he sayde, 'I knowe hym nought,
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Nor I wott neuer where he schull be sought. ' 198
She sayde, 'he sitte? e eorly and late
Withowtyn att the mynster yate. '
Anon he owte of his slepe brayde,
And thought what ? e Image sayde.
And forthe went the sextayne, 203
And fownde alexknelyng In ? e Rayne.
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Fayne was he that he hym founde,
A-non he toke hym vpe be ? e hande.
'A-ryse,' he sayde, 'my leve and dere,
hit ys no ryght ? at thowe sitt here.
Com,' he sayde, 'my lady bade,
And there of mayst ? ou be glade. '
All that hard this tydynges, 211
Theye worshippyd Iesu, hewyn kyng.