But þere shal be here most veniaunce.
Line 3996
Enuye ys onë þe werst synne
Þat þe deuyl maketh any man fal ynne.
Seynt Gregory telleþ a tale þar-by; [A tale.]
And as he seyþ, so wyl y.
Line 4000
[The Tale of the Bear which kept the Hermit's Sheep, and how it was slain by envious Monks.]
Þer were twey men of holy wyl
Þat leuyd to-gedyr, with-outen yl,
A-lonë yn an ermytage,
And, as meke as bryd yn kage;
Line 4004
Þe toon, men calle Eutycyus,
Þe touþer hyght Florentyus. [florencyus.]
A gode clerk was þe toon,
he turned to þe feyþ many on.
Line 4008
Eutycyus was þe clerk
Þat taght þe folk of goddys werk.
Florens was nat so moche yn lore,
Yn preyours he was euermore.
Line 4012
þer besyde was an abbey,
And yn here tyme þe abbot gan deye;
whan þys ychë abbot was dede,
Alle þe munkës toke hem to [toke here.] rede,
Line 4016
And chese hem syre Eutycyus
To be abbot of here hous.
On alle manere fyl so here lot,
Eutycyus þey made here abbot.
Line 4020
Aftyr Eutycyus, Florens gan dwelle
And woned a-lonë yn hys celle.
Florens madë gretë [þarfore gret.] mone
For þat he shuld dwel [wone.] alone;
Line 4024
And had grete sorowe, and was drery,
As many be þat lese gode cumpany.
