As sche so spak to þe mon, Off al þat wist nouȝt seynt Ion. 228 He come to speke w{ i}t{ h} oure ladi; Ferli him þouȝt þat sche was sory,
And sede, “lefdy, what is þe? For my s{ er}uise tel hit me. 228 Lefdi, what is þe ised? Me were leffre to beo ded, Þane iseo þe make such chere. What is þe, my lefdi dere? 232 [_No gap in MS._] Ne schal ihc neure habbe blis, Fort þ{ a}t ihc wite what þe is.”
And seide, “ladi, what is þee? What is þis folk þat I here se? 232 Seie me, ladi, what is þee?” he sede; “For me were leu{ er} þat I were dede, Than I þee se suche semblau{ n}t make, “For schal I neu{ er} suche a ladi take. 236 Hastou ouȝt herde þat I ne can, Off me or of any oþ{ er} man? Schal I neu{ er} haue blis Til I wite, ladi, what þee is.” 240
Vre lefdi wep { and} Ioh{ a}n also; Trewe loue was bituex he{ m} tuo. 236 “Lefdi,” he sede, “what is þe? For my loue, tel hit me.” Marie ansuerde wiþ Milde steu[ene], “A sonde Me ca{ m} while er fram h[euene], 240
_The MS. ends here. Continued from Harl. MS. 2382._
[Sidenote: [leaf 67]] Oure ladi wept and Ioh{ a}n also, For trewe loue was bitwene he{ m} two. Ioh{ a}n seide, “ladi, what is þee? For þi sones loue, seie þou me.” 244 Marie answerde w{ i}t{ h} rewful steuene, And seide, “me cam bode fram heuene,
fro my sone a messynger; he wołł no leng{ er} that y be here. but y wote that rueth me, that y shałł dep{ ar}te fro the; 244 for thi loue and thi s{ er}uice that thu me dost in al wise. thu hast made me ofte glad; thu has don{ e} as my sone bad. 248 my sone shal it yelde to the; y wol hym p{ ra}y when y hym se.”
Fro my sone a massagere; He wol no lengere þat I be here, 248 Wite þou wel hit rewiþ me That I schal, Ioh{ a}n, p{ ar}te fram þee. For þi loue { and} þi seruyce That þou hast dou{ n} on eche wise, 252 Thou hast me boþe fed { and} clad, And doun also my sone þee bad. My sone schal it wel ȝelde þee; I schal him telle when I him se.” 256
[Sidenote: Ioh{ ann}es] Tho answerd to her{ e} seynt Ioh{ a}n, and was a fułł sory man~, 252 “A, lady Marie, what shal y be when y shałł the no leng{ er} se? my ioye thu art eu{ er}y dełł; no leng{ er} in erthe worth y wełł, 256 now we shul dep{ ar}te a two.”
Than answerde seynt Iohan, That was a ful sori man, And seide, “ladi, how mai þis be That I schal þee no more se? 260 Mi ioie, my blis, is do{ u}n eche del; Ne schal me neu{ er} worþen wel, Sithen we ben p{ ar}ted atwo.”