Seynt Gregory tellyþ hyt wyþ grete eye;
But as he seyþ, þan dar y seye.
Þys ychë chyld [sone] aftyrward
Fyl yn[to] a syknes hard;
Line 4876
Þe fadyr hadde þerof pyte,
Þe chyld he daunted on hys kne,
And haddë þarfor mochë kare
Þat he sagh hys chylde so fare;
Line 4880
For hyt began to braye and crye
As, þogh hyt shuld al to-flye.
Þe fadyr asked, why hyt so ferde,
Or what hyt sagh, or what hyt herde.
Line 4884
Þe chyldë seyd "blake men, blake,
Are aboutë, me to take;
Me, wyþ hem, wyl þey lede,
Y ne shal skapë for no nede."
Line 4888
Yn þe fadrys [faders.] bosum hyt wulde hym hyde,
But þe fende, þat ychë tyde,
Refte þe saulë vnto helle.
Þan began þe chylde to ȝelle,
Line 4892
And cursed onys Goddys name,
And deyde, and ȝede [wente.] to helle with shame.
Þys yche chylde þat y haue of tolde,
was but fyuë wyntyr olde.
Line 4896
Þus þe chylde þat was so ȝunge
was lore for faute of chastysynge.
But þe fadyr, þat [O. omits 'þat.'] no gode couþe,
Line 4899
Myȝte haue chastyëd hym [hyt.] with mouþe,
Stoutly, for euery a lak,
And betë hyt, whan hyt so spak.
Oueral y se þys custome wonys;
Rychë men haue shrewed sonys,—
Line 4904
Shrewys yn dedë and yn sawe,—
why? For þey haue nonnë awe.
Yn hys ȝouþe shal he mysseye
