DCCLXXXI.
Voluntas pro facto reputatur quando non adest facultas.

Cesarius tellis how som tyme þer was a monke of Saynt Barnardis, and he lefte his habett & went into þe werld̛, and þer he become a preste of a kurk̘; & he had a lemman̛ dwelland̛ with hym̛, & he gatt hur childer bothe sonnys & doghters. So lang tyme after Saynt Barnard̛ happid̛ to be hostid̛ in þis apostata howse, and he knew Saynt Barnard̛, bod he know not hym̛. And in þe mornyng when̛ Saynt Barnard̛ was bown̛ to ga, he mot not speke with hym̛ for he was gane vnto þe kurk, and he sayd vnto ane of his sonnys; "Go & bere my message vnto þi fadur, & say I thank hym̛ his gude herberie." And þis childe was dombe born̛ & spak neuer wurde. And he ran̛ vnto his fadur & tolde hym̛ aƚƚ how þe abbott sent hym̛ wurd̛. And when̛ he hard̛ his childe speke, for ioy he wepud̛, and he garte hym̛ say his message ouer onys or twyce. And he axkid̛ hym̛ what þe abbot did vnto hym̛, & he said̛ he dyd no thyng vnto hym̛, bod at he spak vnto hym̛ and bod hym̛ go say þies wurdies vnto his fadur. So þis preste was compuncte with so evydent a meracle, and hastelie he come vnto þis holie man̛. And with grete wepyng he feƚƚ to hys ffete & sayd̛; "A! holie fadur! Som tyme I was suche a monk̘ of yours, and Page  521 I beseke your fadurhede to licent me to com̛ hame agayn̛ vnto myne abbay with you." And he ansswerd̛ hym̛ agayn̛ & sayd̛; "Byde me here, and̛ I saƚƚ com̛ agayn̛ by þe & take þe home with me." And he ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & said̛; "Sur, I am̛ aferd̛ in þe menewhile þat I saƚƚ dye." And he ansswerd̛ hym̛ agayn̛ & sayd̛; "And þou dye in suche a contricion̛ & a purpas, doute not þou saƚƚ be a monke befor̛ Aƚƚmyghti God̛." And with þat he went his ways. & when̛ he come agayn̛ he fand̛ hym̛ new dead̛ & berid̛, and when̛ he hard̛ teƚƚ þerof he garte oppyn̛ his grafe. And þai þat wer aboute axkid̛ hym̛ what he wold̛ doo, & he said̛ he wuld̛ se how he lay in his grafe, a clerk or a monk̘; & þai said̛ at þai berid̛ hym̛ in clerkis clothis. And when̛ þe erd̛ was takyn̛ of hym̛, þai fand̛ hym̛ not cled̛ as a clerk, bod rather a monke, & in a monkis abbett. And þus he was magnyfied̛ of aƚƚ men̛, becauce his gude wiƚƚ tornyd̛ hym̛ as to your gude dede *. [Arund. MS. et magnificatus est ab omnibus deus, qui voluntatem pro facto reputat.] .