He ȝede vnto an oldë man
And tolde hym allë, vp an downe,
Of hys grete temptacyun.
Line 8448
Þat olde man seyd to hym astyte [O. gloss 'anoun.'] [folio 56b]
'He was nat wurþy to be an Ermyte,
Þat swychë þoghtës shuldë þynke,
And þoght of womman wulde hym synke.'
Þys oldë man gan hym so stoute,
Line 8453
Þat hys gode hope was alle yn doute;
For þe wurdes þat þe olde man gan seye,
Yn-to þe wurlde he toke þe weye.
Line 8456
As he cam [com.] goyng yn þe strete,
An holy abbot gan he mete;
Þe abbotys name was Apollo,
And sone he spake þe ermyte to;
Line 8460
Þe ermyte hadde so sory þoght,
Aȝen to þe abbote spake he noght.
Þys abbot was a ful wys man,
And yn hys þoȝt ful sone hyt ran,
Line 8464
And be þe semlant of þe ermyte,
Þat he was yn grete sorowe and syte;
Þe abbot asked hym ones or twyys;
At þe [At þe H, At O.] laste þe ermyte seyd hys auys.
Line 8468
"Y am," he seyd, "broȝt allë down
with flesshly temptacyun;
And at an oldë man y was,
And tolde hym alle my [myn.] hardë kas;
Line 8472
And he seyd, y was nat wurþy,
Þe ermytagë to com ny, [nyghe.]
Ne was yn wey me to saue,
whyl y shulde swych þoȝtës haue;
Line 8476
And, for he [he O., H. om.] comforted me so yl,
Yn-to þe worlde now ys my wyl,
