"Syre," he seyd, "þys ys my chaunce,
Hyt ys noght my répentaunce;
For, langér as y here lay,
Ryȝt at þe oure of mydday,
Line 4428
Twey ȝunge men come hedyr to me,
Þe feyrest þat any man myght se;
Me þoght, ryȝt whan y sagh þo,
Þat y felt no þyng of wo.
Line 4432
Byfore my bedde þey stode a þrowe, [O. gloss 'whyle.']
And behelde me as they shuld me knowe;
when þey had stonde a lytyl tyde,
Þey set hem doune on my bedde syde.
Line 4436
when þey set were, furþ þey toke
And shewed a lytyl feyrë boke,
And bad me þat y shuld hyt rede,
For alle hyt was myn ownë dede;
Line 4440
And y þat neuer on bokë couþe,
Alle y hyt red with opun mouþe;
Alle þe gode dedys þat euer y wroght,
Alle were þere before me broght,
Line 4444
Þe lestë þoght þat y coulde þynke,
Þat of godenesse hadde any blynke,
Alle y sagh hyt before me,
For lytyl was hyt vnto se;
Line 4448
For lessë myȝt neuer haue bene
Ȝyf any man hyt shulde haue sene.
"when y hadde reddeþat y myght rede, [folio 3012a]
Þey shette here boke, and furþ þey ȝede.
Sone aftyrward whan þey were gone,
Line 4453
Come ouþer two, sone anone;
Blak þey were, and foule stynkyng,
wyþ glesyng yȝen, and mouþe grennyng;
Þey come and stodë on my bedde;
Line 4457
Me þoght y wax nygh wode for dredde;
Y turned me on euery syde,
From hem myght y nat me [me nat.] hyde;
Line 4460
And as y me went hem to fle
