ȝyf þou chydyng with hym makes,
whan þyn almes of þe he takes,
He byeþ hyt dere with hys myssawe, [folio 46a:2]
And shame þerwith, and drede, and awe.
Ȝyf for þat ȝyft þou wylt haue mede,
Line 6893
Mysdo hym nat, yn wurde ne dede.
Also hyt ys grete curteysye
To ȝyue ȝoure almës hastylye;
Line 6896
Nat for to makë long delay,
To late a wrecchë stonde al day
Cryyng at þy ȝate yn colde;
He byeþ þyn almes on manyfolde,
Line 6900
And þogh þou ȝyue hym lytyl or noght,
Algate hyt ys dere y-boghte.
And, þarfore hyt were weyl doun
To ȝyue þyn almës gladly and soun.
Line 6904
And y warne ȝow alle of o þyng,
Forþenkeþ nat of ȝoure almes-ȝyuyng.
Ȝyf þou forþenkest, þou getyst maugre,
Þy ȝyft ys nat yn charyte;
Line 6908
Ryght so dyd þe bysshope Troyle,
For hys almes he made grete doyle, [sorowe] [A tale]
Þat a sykenes hym ouer haf [hafe.]
For largë almes þat he ȝaf. [ȝafe.]
Line 6912
Seynt Ihoun þe aumenere telleþ how,
And as he seyþ, y shal telle ȝow;
A gode ensample, as we rede,
Þat none forþynke hys almës dede.
Line 6916
[The Tale of Bishop Troylus and his Thirty Pounds.]
Þys yche seynt Ihōn þe aumenere
was a patryark of grete powere;
Vndyr hym was bysshope Troylus,
Þat for to haue tresour was coueytous.
