For þys ys one þe mostë [is þe moste D, most HO.] synne
Þat any man may fallyn [ony . . . falle D.] ynne.
Line 160
Ȝyf þou haue synned [synnyd O.] þus gretly,
With sory herte þou aske [drery herte aske D.] mercy.
For god ys ful euer [euere ful OD.] of pyte,
Hys mercy ys euer redy to þe.
Line 164
Drede þe noght; [nouȝt O.] ȝyf þou wylt craue,
Hys mochel [gret D.] mercy shalt þou haue.
And þat may wel [weyl.] [i-]preuyd be
Wyþ [be D.] a tale of auctoryte.
Line 168
Þe tale ys wrytyn, al and sum,
In a boke of [callyd D.] 'Vitas Patrum:'— [[Vit. Pat. p. 579; Libro de los Exemplos, no. 35 (Spanish MS.); Gaston Paris, in Hist. Litt. de la France, xxviii. 193.]]
[The Tale of the Tempted Monk.] A Tale
Hyt was onys a munke, [munk O, monk D.] and had a celle
In a wyldernes, [wyldyrnesse O, wildernesse . þere D.] for to dwelle;
Line 172
Þys munkë [munk O, monk of holy D.] of relygyoun
Had a [hadde a D, had Harl. O.] grete [gret O.] temptacyoun;
He was so temptyd [temptyd O, fondyd D.] with lecherye,
He ȝede fro hys celle to seke folye;
Line 176
He dede hym sone to a cyte, [cytee O.]
In-to egypte, þat yche cuntre. [cuntree O, ilke cuntre D.]
And, as hé cam [com O, cam in to D.] yn a strete,
with a womman he gan mete;
Line 180
Hys flesshe on [of O.] here was so abeyted, [abeytyd OD.]
Þat þyke [þeke O.] womman [þat woman sore D.] he couéytyd. [coueytyd OD.]
To here fadyr swyþe he ȝede,
And asked here to haue [hym hir to han D.] yn dede.
Line 184
Here fadyr was prest of sarysyne; [sarȝyne D.]
In maummetry [maumetrye OD.] he leued ynne. [leuyd ynne O, leuyde he D (om. ynne).]
Þe prest seyd þe munke [munk O, þat monk D.] vn-to,
