PHILEMON.
[This prologue is from p.] The apostil writith this pistil to Filemon, a man of Colosis, that hadde no dignite of ministracioun in the chirche, but he was a worschipful man in the peple; to whom Poul sendith homeli lettris, for Onesimus his seruaunt, that fledde with sum harm of Filemon, for he bar awei of summe of thingis of Filemon, but he was cristened of the apostil, whanne he hadde herd the gospel, to whom the apostil bisechith forȝeuenes, and writith fro Rome fro prison to Filemon. The entent of the apostil is to biseche for Onesymus anentis Filemon. First the apostil salutith Filemon and his [wijf and [Wanting in the Ms.] ] his sone; aftirward [he [Wanting in the Ms.] ] doith thankingis [to God [Wanting in the Ms.] ] for the goodis of [britheren, and [Wanting in the Ms.] ] preisith the feith and [the pitee [Wanting in the Ms.] ] of hem; aftirward [he [Wanting in the Ms.] ] preieth Filemon, [that he [Wanting in the Ms.] ] spare Onesymus, [and that [Wanting in the Ms.] ] he thanke God, th[at he [Wanting in the Ms.] ] resseyuede Onesy|[mus as [Wanting in the Ms.] ] sich, and that he now gesse him not as a seruaunt, but a moost dereworthe brothir. The glose here. Crisostum seith, if Poul makith so greet bisynes for a seruaunt, for a theef, a fleer awei fro his maistir, it bicometh us to be bisi for siche; for Crist seith in the gospel of Mathew, v. co. Blessid . . . . . [The end is torn away.]
Here byginnith another prologe to Filemon [This prologue is from y.] .
The entent of the apostle is, to biseche forȝeuenesse of Filemon to Onesymus, his seruaunt, that wente awei with summe thingis of Filemon, but aftir he was cristened of the apostil Poul, whanne he hadde herd the gospel, he was recounsilid. Therefore Poul writith to Filemon, and preieth him, that he forȝeue Onesymus, and that he thanke God that he resceyuede him siche; and that he now gesse him not a seruaunt, but a most derworthe brothir. And in this pistil ben thre partis, aftir the salutacioun. In the first part is doinge of thankingis to God, for the feith and the pitee that Filemon hadde among britheren. In the ij. part is bisechinge, and tellinge of the dede and the conuersacioun of Onesymus, there he seith, For that thing, etc. In the iij. part is of his obedience, and of the harboringe of Poul, and of the salutaciouns of britheren.