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which was named Alexis, whome they dyd to be taught and enfourmed in all scyences and honours. After this, they maryed hym unto a fayre damoysel, which was of y^e lygnage of y^e emperour of Rome. Whan the daye of y^e weddynge was comen to even, Alexis beynge in the ehambre w^h his wyfe alone, began to enfourme and enduce her to drede god and serue hym, and were all that night togyder in right good doctryne, and fynally he gave to his wyfe his rynge and the buckle of golde of hys gyrdle, bothe bounden in a lytel cloth of purple, and sayd to her. Fayre sister, haue this, and kepe it as longe as it shall please our lord god, and it shall be a token bytweene us, and he gyue you grace to kepe truly your virgynitie. After this he toke of golde and syluer a grete somme, and departed alone fro Rome, and founde a shyppe in which he sayled in to Greece. And fro thens went in to Surrye,^[1] and came to a city called Edessia and gaue there all his money for the lone of God, and clad hym in a cote, and demaunded almes for goddes sake lyke a poore man tofore the chirche of our lady, and what he lefte of the almesses aboue his necessity, he gaue it to other for goddes sake, and euery sondaye he was houseled and receyved the sacrament, suche a lyfe he ladde longe. Some of y^e messengers y^t his father had sent to seche hym through all the partyes of the world came to seek hym in the sayd cyte of Edyssia and gaue unto hym theyr almes, he syttynge tofore the chirche with other poore people, but they knew hym not, and he knewe well them, and thanke our Lord, sayenge, I thank the fayre lorde Jesu Chryst y^t 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 begen. 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 abyde tyll y^t I have tydynges of my sone. And y^e 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 y^t 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 y^e time y^t I shall knowe where my ryghte swete frende is becomen. After that Alexis had done his penaunce by right grete poverte in y^e sayd cyte, and ledde a ryght holy lyfe by y^e space of xvij yere, there was a voyce herde y^t 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. And a voyce came from even and sayd, he sytteth without tofore the entre of the chirche. And so the clerke founde hym, and prayed hym humbly that he wolde come into y^e chirche. Whan this myracle came to the knowledge of the people, and Alexis sawe that men dyd to hym honour and worshyp, anone for to eschewe vaynglory he departed fro thens and came into Grece when he toke shyppe, and entred for to go to Cecyle,^[2] but as god wold there arose

1. Syria.
2. Sicily