Þys talë to ȝow haue y tolde,
how þe fendë halt hym bolde
whan he haþ tyced an holy man
with any temptacyun þat he kan,
Line 7884
hym þenkeþ he haþ do a grete chaffare;
And namely þo þat ordred are,
whedyr hyt be yn a womman handlyng,
Or yn any oþer lusty þyng;
Line 7888
Þarefore lordynges þat kun wel se,
Amendeþ ȝow, pur charyte,
And makeþ nat a-mys þe toye,
Þat þe fende of ȝou haue Ioye.
Line 7892
Prest wel y ['y' omitted.] -lettred ys to blame,
Þat letteþ nat, for drede ne shame,
To pley with wommen, and to rage;
For, aftyr pleyyng, cumþ outrage.
Line 7896
Ofte men se, and haue herd seye,
Þat swyche men go an euyl weye.
Ȝyue þou a-mong hem mayst na [nat.] lyue,
But some algatë on þe clyue,
Line 7900
Take þou ensample at seynt Ierom;
Do as he dyd, and go fro hom.
Seynt Ierom wente yn-to deserte,
For drede of synne and foly grete.
Line 7904
Men asked hym why he þedyr ȝede,
Syn he was an holy man yn dede;
"y wentë þedyr, synne to fle,
Y dredde hyt wlde ha maystred me;
Line 7908
Synne of womman wyl with me fyȝt,
And y fele me yn moche vnmyȝt.
For ȝyf y a-bydë þat batayle,
Y drede þat y shal falle or fayle;
Line 7912
And ȝyf y fle þat ychë bekyr,
Y hopë þan y may be sekyr:"
Þarfore me þenkeþ, foles are þo
Þat fyȝt, and mow[ë] be þar-fro,
Line 7916
Þat fyȝt[ë] so þe deþ to haue [folio 53a]
whan þey mow fle, hem self to saue.
Þarefore, ȝe prestes þat dwel at hom,
