And lyue þere [þe.] best wyse þat y may,
Syn y serue nat God to pay."
Line 8480
Þan seyde þe abbot syre Apollo,
"Þe olde man wyst nat what was to do;
Þou mayst se now, by my vysage,
Þat y am olde, and weyl yn age,
Line 8484
And y fele a ful hard prykyl
Þat my flesshe tempteþ me mykyl,
Vnneþë ys hyt day ne oure [folio 56b:2]
Þat y ne am þar-with tempted soure;
But þogh my þoght be oute of skyl,
Line 8489
To do ȝyt wers[ë], y ne wyl;
Ne more [No more.] shalt þou þy self mysdo,
Þogh þou be tempted neuer so.
Line 8492
Y rede, þat ['þat' omitted.] yn godenes þat þou dwelle,
And turne aȝen vnto þy celle,
And fonde aȝens þy flesshe to fyȝt,
And late hyt nat haue alle þe myȝt."
Line 8496
He broȝte þys ermyte to swyche certeyne,
Þat to hys celle he turned aȝeyne.
Þe abbot knew [wel] alle þe pas
where þe olde man wonyng was;
Line 8500
Þedyrwarde þe wey he nam.
And when he a lytyl besydë cam,
He sette hym dowun, and preyd Ihesu
Ful of myȝt and [of] vertu,
Line 8504
Þat þe olde man myȝt fele sum þyng
Of þe ermytes flesshely temptyng,
To chastyse hym for hys broþer,
Þat he myscumfort eft noun oþer.
Line 8508
when he hadde leye yn orysun
long with grete deuocyun,
He ros vp, and byhelde,
And sagh a blak man stonde yn þe felde,
And to þe olde man arwes [arewes.] ded shete
Line 8513
