"'Wherefore I sing, nor can from song refrain,
In honour of that blissful Maiden free,
Till from my tongue off-taken is the grain;
And after that thus said she unto me; 215
"My little Child, then will I come for thee
Soon as the grain from off thy tongue they take:
Be not dismayed, I will not thee forsake!"'

XXXII "This holy Monk, this Abbot--him mean I,
Touched then his tongue, and took away the grain; 220
And he gave up the ghost full peacefully;
And, when the Abbot had this wonder seen,
His salt tears trickled down like showers of rain;
And on his face he dropped upon the ground,
And still he lay as if he had been bound. 225

XXXIII "Eke the whole Convent on the pavement lay,
Weeping and praising Jesu's Mother dear;
And after that they rose, and took their way,
And lifted up this Martyr from the bier,
And in a tomb of precious marble clear 230
Enclosed his uncorrupted body sweet.--[F]
Where'er he be, God grant us him to meet!

XXXIV "Young Hew of Lincoln! in like sort laid low
By cursed Jews--thing well and widely known,
For it was done a little while ago--[4] 235
Pray also thou for us, while here we tarry
Weak sinful folk, that God, with pitying eye,
In mercy would his mercy multiply
On us, for reverence of his Mother Mary!"

* * * * *

VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:

1827.

... list ... 1820.]

[Variant 2:

1845.

... by the Bier ... 1820.]

[Variant 3:

1827.

This Abbot who had been a holy man
And was, as all Monks are, or ought to be, [a] 1820.]

[Variant 4:

1836.

For not long since was dealt the cruel blow, 1820.]

* * * * *

FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A:

"Friday, 4th December 1801.... William translating 'The Prioress'
Tale'."

"Saturday, 5th. William finished 'The Prioress' Tale', and after tea,
Mary and he wrote it out"

(Dorothy Wordsworth's Journal).--Ed.]

[Footnote B: See 'Il Penseroso', l. 110.--Ed.]

[Footnote C: Chaucer's phrase is "a litel clergeon," Wordsworth's, "a
little scholar;" but "clergeon" is a choriste