"Amonges cristene men This myldenesse sholde laste. In alle manere angres Have this at herte, That theigh thei suffrede al this, God suffrede for us moore, In ensample we sholde do so, And take no vengeaunce Of oure foes that dooth us falsnesse, That is oure fadres wille. 10140 "For wel may every man wite, If God hadde wold hymselve, Sholde nevere Judas ne Jew Have Jhesu doon on roode, Ne han martired Peter ne Poul, Ne in prison holden. Ac he suffrede in ensample {311} That we sholde suffren also, And seide to swiche that suffre wolde, That _patientes vincunt_. 10150 "_Verbi gratia_," quod he, "And verray ensamples manye, In _Legenda Sanctorum_, The lif of holy seintes, What penaunce and poverte And passion thei suffrede, In hunger, in hete, In alle manere angres. "Antony and Egidie, And othere holy fadres, 10160 Woneden in wildernesse Among wilde beestes; Monkes and mendinauntz, Men by hemselve, In spekes and in spelonkes, Selde speken togideres. "Ac neither Antony ne Egidie, Ne heremyte that tyme, Of leons ne of leopardes No liflode ne toke; 10170 But of foweles that fleeth, Thus fyndeth men in bokes. Except that Egidie After an hynde cride, And thorugh the mylk of that mylde beest The man was sustened; And day bi day hadde he hire noght His hunger for to slake, But selden and sondry tymes, As seith the book and techeth. 10180 "Antony a dayes, {312} Aboute noon tyme, Hadde a brid that broughte hym breed, That he by lyvede; And though the gome hadde a gest, God fond hem bothe. "Poul _primus heremita_ Hadde parroked hymselve, That no man myghte hym se For mosse and for leves; 10190 Foweles hym fedde Fele wyntres withalle, Til he foundede freres Of Austynes ordre. Poul, after his prechyng, Paniers he made, And wan with hise hondes That his wombe neded. "Peter fisshed for his foode, And his felawe Andrew; 10200 Som thei solde and som thei soden, And so thei lyved bothe. "And also Marie Maudeleyne By mores lyvede and dewes Ac moost thorugh devocion And mynde of God almyghty. I sholde noght thise seven daies Siggen hem alle, That lyveden thus for oure Lordes love Many longe yeres. 10210