[The Tale of the good Hermit who gave away the Money he had saved.]
An ermyte woned fer ouer a doune, [A tale.]
yn a wasteyne, fer fro þe toune;
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Þys ermyte þoght vp-on a day
Þat he was yn febyl aray,
And seyd, he wulde gader to store
Tyl eftsones he had nedë more.
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He gadred vn-to storë fast,
Þat hys purs he fylled at þe last.
Þo was he yn grete stodye
where he myȝt do hyt pryuylye,
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For to lese hyt he was a dred;
And [He.] ȝede and leyd hyt at hys bed.
whan he shuld slepë, he myȝt noght,
So mochë on hyt was hys þoght;
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whan he sagh men come or go,
He þoghte and seydë, "þeues are þo."
Euery man he wened [wende.] had be a robbour,
For dredë þat he had [hadde.] tresoure.
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And whan he seyd hys oures of þe day,
He þoght on hys tresour þer hyt lay.
And more was he þan morenande [folio 41a:2]
Seþen þan beforëhand:
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Þan seyd hym self, "weyl y ferde
Ar y, yn purs, penys [penys O, pens H.] sperde;
Now slepe y neuer but with kare,
Syn y wyst, whére pens ware."
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"y trowe," he seyde, "þat Goddys curs
ys spred [sperde.] with pens, yn þe purs."
he ros vp and ȝede to hys ȝate,
And sagh twey men come yn þe gate; [O. gloss 'wey.']
He parseyued weyl whydyrward þey cam,
