skilis now anoon aftir to be rehercid; but not with|stonding this the seid Damasus makith no mensioun of the seid greet endewing born an hond to Con|stantin, that he schulde it make to Siluester Pope. Wherfore treuthe is, that thilk greet endewing so born an hond was not maad.
The skilis ben these: Damasus was preied of Ierom, that Damasus schulde write to Ierom as miche as Damasus couthe fynde in Rome what was doon fro Petir into the dai of Damasus Pope; as the epistle of Ierom sent to Damasus and the epistle of Damasus to Ierom beren witnes. And Damasus writith aȝen to Ierom the now seid storie, and seith that al what he couthe and myȝte wite, encerche, fynde, and knowe what was doon fro Seint Petris daies into hise owne daies thanne lyuyng he hadde write in the now seid storie, which he sende to Ierom. Wherfore sithen it is not likeli that such a notable deede of endewing, if it hadde be doon bi Constantyn, schulde haue be vnknowe to Damasus succeding to Siluester withinne an hundrid of ȝeeris, more than othere smale endew|ingis doon bi Constantyn to diuerse chirchis of which Damasus makith mensioun alredi, it folewith that if thilk greet endewing of the Pope hadde be doon bi Constantyn, Damasus wolde haue write of it, as weel as of othere smaler and lasse endewingis mad to [to the, MS. (first hand).] chirchis in Rome bi Constantyn.
An other skile is: If thilk greet endewing hadde be mad to Siluester, Damasus schulde haue be in posses|sioun of the same endewing in the same tyme in which he wroot to Ierom; and of no thing Damasus myȝte bettir knowe than of the same thing which he helde in possessioun. Wherfore more sureli than of eny other thing, which Damasus wroot to Ierom in
