[The Tale of the Bad Bourgeois ['Curialis,' Common-Councilman, bourgeois.] who lay with his God-daughter and was kild for it.]
A man hefe onës at þe fonte
A maydë chylde, as men are wonte;
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Þys mayde wax, and bygan to belde
weyl yn-to womans elde;
And at Ester tyme gan hyt falle
whan men hadde fastë lenten alle,
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Þys man bysoghte, for specyalte,
Þat hys god-doȝtyr wyþ hym myȝt be,
And alle þat ychë Esterday
And lenger, ȝyf hyt were here pay.
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Þe fadyr and þe modyr graunted sone;
Þey þoȝt none euyl myȝt be done.
Þys man, for drunkenes & vnryȝt,
lay by hys god-doȝtyr þat yche nyȝt:
Þys man on þe mornë þoȝt
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How synfully þat he [he O, om. H.] hadde wroȝt;
Ful grete þoȝte þan was he ynne,
Þat he hadde do so greuus a synne;
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Twey þoghtes yn hys hertë come,
To go [go O, gode H.] to þe cherche, or byde at home:
"Ȝyf y vnto þe cherchë ȝede,
Of venïaunce y haue grete drede;
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And, ȝyf y nat þedyr go,
Men wyl wene y haue do sum wo."
So algate vnto þe cherche he name;
he drede nat God, but morë shame.
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Þe fyrst day, he dred hym sore
he shuld be cumbred sumwore,
And ȝyt a-noþer he lokede ay,
whyche tyme þe fende wulde bere hym a|way;
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