"And al that Marc hath y-maad, Mathew, Johan, and Lucas, Of thyne doughty dedes 3500 Was doon in oure armes. _Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis._ = "And by so muche me semeth The sikerer we mowe Bidde and bi-seche, {108} If it be thi wille, That art oure fader and oure brother, Be merciable to us, And have ruthe on thise ribaudes 3510 That repenten hem here soore, That evere thei wrathed thee in this world, In word, thought, or dedes." Thanne hent Hope an horn Of _Deus, tu conversus vivificabis_, And blew it with _Beati quorum Remissæ sunt iniquitates_, That alle seintes in hevene Songen at ones. _Homines et jumenta salvabis, quemadmodum 3520 multiplicasti misericordiam tuam._ = A thousand of men tho Thrungen togideres, Cride upward to Crist, And to his clene moder, To have grace to go with hem Truthe to seke. Ac there was wight noon so wys The wey thider kouthe, 3530 But blustreden forth as beestes Over bankes and hilles; Til late was and longe That thei a leode mette, Apparailled as a paynym In pilgrymes wise. He bar a burdoun y-bounde With a brood liste, In a withwynde wise Y-wounden aboute; 3540 {109} A bolle and a bagge He bar by his syde, And hundred of ampulles On his hat seten, Signes of Synay, And shelles of Galice, And many a crouche on his cloke, And keyes of Rome, And the vernycle bi-fore, For men sholde knowe 3550 And se bi hise signes Whom he sought hadde. This folk frayned hym first, Fro whennes he come. "Fram Syny," he seide, "And fram oure Lordes sepulcre; In Bethlem and in Babiloyne, I have ben in bothe; In Armonye and Alisaundre, In manye othere places. 3560 Ye may se by my signes, That sitten on myn hatte, That I have walked ful wide In weet and in drye, And sought goode seintes For my soules helthe." "Knowestow aught a corsaint, That men calle Truthe? Koudestow aught wissen us the wey, Wher that wye dwelleth?" 3570 "Nay, so me God helpe!" Seide the gome thanne, "I seigh nevere palmere, With pyk ne with scrippe, {110} Asken after hym er Til now in this place."