yn holy cherche with wymmen to rage,
Þat so ferfurþ was þy wyl
Þat þy naturë dydë spyl,—
Line 8924
Þere, y sey, þou synnest [synnedest.] dedly;
Ȝe, [ȝee.] morë þan þou lay here by.
For þus sey þey þat clergy can,
he [Hyt.] myȝt betyde slaghter of man;
Line 8928
Also holy wryt hyt forbedes,
with womman to do flesshely dedes;
Yn holy stede, hyt ys grete awe
Þe dede to do, or speke with sawe;
Line 8932
And nam[ë]ly þer men do messe,
Many more folde þe synnë ys.
And, for to fle[en] swych trespas,
Y shal ȝow telle an auenturs kas.
Line 8936
[The Tale of the Sacrilegious Husband and Wife who stuck together.]
Þyr was a man, and hyght Rychere, [A tale]
A ryche of pens and of powere;
hyt telleþ algate he hadde enmys,
Oþer for hys gode, or for folys;
Line 8940
Of hem hadde he swyche drede & eye,
he fled and woned yn an abbeye.
Þe abbot ded hym a chambre werche
For hys ese, fast by þe cherche;
Line 8944
And he and hyse hadde here wonnyng, [folio 59b:2]
wyfe and chylde, and ouþer þyng.
O nyȝt þyr was, he knewe hys wyfe
Of flesshely dede, as fyl here lyfe;
Line 8948
And God was nat payd, and [ne.] wlde hyt noȝt,
So ny þe cherche, swyche dede were wroȝt;
Þey myghte no more be broghte a-sondre5
