Select English works of John Wyclif; edited from original mss. by Thomas Arnold.

ÞIS gospel telliþ a myracle of Crist to stire men to hope mercy, al ȝif þei ben synful. Þe story telliþ how Jesus wente oute of Jude and fel in þe contrees of Tiry and Sidon, þat were countres occupied wiþ heþene men, and nyȝe to Jude. And hem visitide Crist, and lo, a womman of Canaan wente out of hir coostis, and cryede upon Crist, and saide þus to him, Lord, have mercy on me, David sone, my douȝtir is yvel traveilid of a fend. And Crist to contynue devocioun of þis womman, answeride not first a word to hir. And here may we lerne to contynue oure good werke, al ȝif God graunt not oure wille at þe bigynnyng; for God wole have oure herte devoute to him wiþouten ende, here and in hevene. Þe disciplis cam to Crist and spake þus to him, Leve þis womman, for sche crieþ after us. But Crist answeride and seide þus comounly [So rightly in E; A and B include the words in the italics.] [comounly is equivalent to 'in general terms.'] , Y am not sent but to þe perishid sheep of þe hous of Israel, wher þis woman be siche [So rightly in B, C, and E. The clause is included in the italics in A.] . And bi þis þis womman came and loutide Crist, and seide, Lord, help me, and Crist answeride and seide, It is not good to take þe breed þat falliþ to children and ȝyve it to houndis to ete fro þes children. And þis womman answeride knowinge Cristis speche, and grauntide þat it were good; as if she wolde mene þus; siþ þou clepist me an hound, and Y suffre mykely, ȝyve þou sum mete of children to þis hound, for whelpis eten of crummes þat fallen fro lordis boordis. And Jesus answeride to her, and wiste hir entent [So rightly C; clause included in the italics in A and B.] , and seide, O womman, grete is þi feiþ; be it done to þee, riȝt as þou wilt. And hir douȝter was heelid riȝt in þat hour.

Here men douten comounly, where Crist mysseide þis womman or scornede hir, or putt on hir þat she was an hound.