and thanked our Lord, sayenge—I thank the fayre lorde Jesu Chryst yt thou vouchest safe to call me, and to take almes in thy name of my seruants, I praye the to perfourm in me that which thou hast begon. Whan the messengers were returned to Rome, and Eufemyen his fader sawe they had not founden his sone, he layd hym down upon a matres stratchynge on the erth, waylynge and sayd thus, I shal holde me here and abide tyll yt I have tydynges of my sone. And ye wyfe of his sone Alexis sayd wepynge to Eufemyen, I shal not departe out of your hous, but shal make me semblable and lyke to the turtle, whiche after yt she hath lost her felowe wyl take none other, but all her lyfe after lyveth chaste. In lyke wyse, I shall refuse all felowshyp unto ye tyme yt I shall knowe where my ryghte swete frende is becomen. After that Alexis had done his penaunce by ryght grete poverte in ye sayd cyte, and ledde a ryght holy lyfe by ye space of xvij yere, there was a voyce herde yt came fro god unto the chirche of our lady and said to the porter, Make the man of god to entre in, for he is worthy to haue the kingdome of heven, and the spiryte of god resteth on hym. Whan the clerke coude not fynde ne knowe hym amonge the other poor men, he prayed unto god to shewe to hym who it was.
