2

And þei speke ichon to oþer  in what manere it were
That it queynte so sodeynly  her light þat þei bere
As þei stoden and speke þerof  in gret wonder echon
Seyn Dunstons moders taper  on fire wex anon
As she it helde in her honde  she nyst whennys it come
The folk stoden and biheld  grete wonder þerof þei nome
Non wist whennys it come  but þorgh our lordis gr^ace
Þer of þe teende all her liȝt  about in þat place
Who was it but our lord crⁱst  þa^t from heuene liȝt sende
The folk þat stood þer about  her tapere þerof tende
Therof þat holi childe  þat in her wombe was þere
All Engelond shuld be liȝt better  þen euere it were
This child ix^C ȝeere  and xxv^ti right
Aftere þat our swete lord / in his moder was liȝt
And þe first ȝere of crownyg  of king athelson
His moder hight Knidride  his fader Erston
Whan þis child was ibore  his frendis toke hym to ȝeme
They lete him put to Glastenbury  to norish ⁊ to queme
To teche him his bilieve  Pater noster ⁊ Crede
Þat childe wex ⁊ wel ythrof  as it most nede
Litel hede toke he of þe world  but to goodnesse drowe
Ech man þat herd of hym speke  had of hym joie inowe
Whan he was of mannys witt  to his Eine he gan go
Erchbisshop of Caunterbery  Seint Aldem þat was þo
He made with hym ioye jnowe  ⁊ euerlenger þe more
For he so moche goodnes  ⁊ of his wise lore
For deynte þat he had of hym  he lete hym sone bringe
Bifore þe Prince of Engelond  seynt athelston þe kinge
Þe king him made ioye jnowe  ⁊ gr^aunted hym al his bone
What þinge he wolde him bede  Ȝif it were to donn
Þoo preide he him of an abbay  þat he was in forþ brouȝt
In þe toune of glastenbury  þat he hym warned nouȝt
Þe kinge gr^aunted his bone anon  and after hym also
Edmonde his broþer þat was kinge  ⁊ in his pouere ido
To Glastenbury he went sone  þe good man seint donston
Þo boþ þe kingges ȝaue hym leue  Edmond ⁊ athelston
Of þe hous of Glastenbury  ordenou^r he was
And made moch of her good rule  þat neuer among hem nas
And þat hous was bigonne  CCC ȝere þertofore