Þys munke stode and loked þarto,
Line 3584
And had þerof so mochë drede
Þat he wende hauë go to wede. [mad]
As he stode so sore a glyfte, [feryd]
Hys ryȝt hand vp he lyfte
Line 3588
And blessede hym-self stedfastly;
And seþþen, he wax more hardy,
And þoght, 'þys ys sum pryuyte
Þat God almyȝty sheweþ to me.'
Line 3592
hastyly [O, hastly Harl.] þer-to he ȝede,
And hadde þer-of no morë drede;
And seyd, "best, y cóniure þe,
Yn God þat ys persónës thre,
Line 3596
Þat þou me telle why þou syttest here,
Yn swych forme, and yn swych manere."
To answere, he ne myȝt wyþ-drawe,
"y was a munke, þyn owne felawe,
Line 3600
Þat suffre all þys peyne and shame;
Hyt am y,"—and tolde hys name,—
"y was a wykked bakbytere,
Euyl wurdys aboute for to bere;
Line 3604
Of my felaws, wykkedly to seye
Al þat euer y myȝt bewreye;
And mystrowyng was y ay [O. gloss 'eure.']
Of my felaws boþe nyȝt and day.
Line 3608
Þe wykked wurdys þat y haue seyd,
wykkedly are þey on me leyde;
Y shal abeye hem ful dere
with peynës strong, as ȝe se here."
Line 3612
he wente, an [and.] was no more sene; [folio 24b:2]
Dampned he was, as y wene.
þys tale y wote and vndyrstand
where hyt fyl, yn Yngland,
Line 3616
At a ful namecouthe abbey
Þat y ne wyl telle, ne bewrey.
