Þys prest, þe moste part of hys lyfe,
Helde a womman as hys wyfe,
Þat no tymë he hare [here.] lete,
Só þoght hym þe synnë swete.
Line 7992
Yn synne, and yn foly desyre, [folio 53b]
Foure chyldryn he gate on hyre.
Þese chyldryn, as þey wox [woxe.] more,
He sette hem vn-to scole to lore;
Line 7996
So þey lernede, þat þe þre
were ordeyned, prestes to be;
Þe fourþë sone was a scoler,
To lernë more he dyde hys power.
Line 8000
when þey were prestys, here fadyr deyde,—
Þe prest þat y er of [er of O, er H.] seyde,—
Þys ychë womman lefte a-lyue
Aftyr hym foure ȝere or fyue.
Line 8004
Þese foure chyldryn had grete þoght
How þey were yn synne furþe broght,
And how here modyr leued ynne,
Alle here lyfe, yn dedly synne;
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Þey preyde here, for allë chaunce,
To be of godë répentaunce,
And forþynkë here mysdede
with sorow of hert, and wyþ drede.
Line 8012
But þus answered she to hem alle,
"For no þyng þat may befalle,
Shal y neuer repentë me
whyle y haue ȝow prestës þre
Line 8016
Þat for me mow [mowen] rede and synge,
And, ful weyl, me to blys brynge;
So may my soule to God be broght
For any synne þat I haue wroght;
Line 8020
But wylle ȝe allë fourë do
A þyng þat y prey ȝow to?
kepyþ my body, at ȝoure myȝt,
Þre dayys, and þre nyȝt,
Line 8024
