Þere he hade hys medycyne,
At seynt Edyght, þe holy vyrgyne.
Line 9232
Brunyng, þe bysshope of seynt Tolous,
wrote þys tale so merueylous;
Seþþe was hys name of more renoun,
Men called hym þe pope Leoun;
Line 9236
Þys at þe court of Rome þey wyte,
And yn þe kronykeles hyt ys wryte,
Yn many stedys be-ȝounde þe see,
More þan ys yn þys cuntre;
Line 9240
Þarfor men seye, an weyl ys trowed,
"Þe nere þe cherche, þe fyrþer fro God."
So fare men here by þys tale:
Some holde hyt but a [but for a.] trotëuale;
Line 9244
Yn oþer stedys hyt ys ful dere,
And for grete merueyle þey wyl hyt here;
A tale hyt ys of feyre shewyng,
Ensample and drede aȝens cursyng;
Line 9248
Þys tale y tolde ȝow, to make [to make H, om. O.] ȝow aferde, [folio 61b:2]
Yn cherche to karolle, or yn cherche ȝerde,
Namely aȝens þe prestys wylle;
leueþ, whan he byddeþ ȝow be stylle,
Line 9252
Ianglyng longeþ to sacrylage;
Þar-of takeþ þe fende taylage;
Iangle we yn cherche neuer so lyte,
Alle þat we do [Iangle O, do Iangle H.] Iangle, þe fende doþe wryte,
And shal shewe hyt before oure face
Line 9257
whan hys rolle ys broght yn place:
And y shal tellë, as y kan,
A bourdë of an holy man.
Line 9260
[The Tale of the Devil's Disappointment with the Chattering Women.]
Shortly to tellë, and nat longe, [A tale]
An holy man hys messë songe;
And at þe messe, whan tymë fel
Þe dekene to redë þe gospel,
Line 9264
