Having thus removed her scruples, she called the midwife, and directed her to destroy one of the infants, and to declare that one only had been born. But she refused; and the unnatural mother was reduced to seek for a more submissive and supple agent. She had a maid-servant, educated in the family, to whom she imparted her difficulties; and this confidential counsellor at once proposed a contrivance for removing them: "Give me the child," said she, "and be assured that, without destroying, I will so remove it, that it shall never give you any further trouble. There are many religious houses in the neighbourhood, whose inhabitants cannot be better employed than in nursing and educating orphan children. I will take care your infant shall be discovered by some of these good people, under whose care, by the blessing of Providence, it will thrive and prosper; and in the mean time I will take such means that its health shall not suffer. Dismiss your sorrow, therefore, and trust in my discretion." The lady was overjoyed, and accepted the offer with assurances of eternal gratitude. As it was her wish that those who should find the child might know it was born of noble parents, She took a rich _baudekine_,[40] That her lord brought from _Constantine_,[41] And lopped the little maiden therein; And took a ring of fine gold, And on her arm it knit, With a lace of silk in _plit._[42] The maid took the child her _mid_,[43] And stole away in an even tide, And passed over a wild heath; Thorough field and thorough wood she _geth_,[44] All the winter-long night. The weather was clear, the moon was light, So that she com by a forest side; She wox all weary, and gan abide. Soon after she gan heark, Cockes crow, and dogs bark; She arose, and thither wold; Near and nearer, she gan behold, Walls and houses fell the seigh, A church, with steeple fair and high; Then was there nother street no town, But an house of religion; An order of nuns, well y-dight, To servy God both day and night. The maiden abode no _lengore_;[45] But yede her to the church door, And on her knees she sate her down, And said, weepand, her orisones. "O Lord," she said, "Jesus Christ, That sinful mannes _bedes_,[46] _Underfong_[47] this present, And help this seli innocent! That it mote y-christen'd be, For Marie love, thy mother free!" She looked up, and by her seigh An asche, by her, fair and high, Well y-boughed, of mickle price; The body was hollow, as many one is. Therin she laid the child for cold, In the _pel_,[48] as it was, _byfold_[49] And blessed it with all her might. With that it gan to dowe light. The fowles up, and sung on bough, And acre-men yede to the plough, The maiden turned again anon, And took the way she had ere gon. The porter of the abbey arose,