CLXXIII.
Confessio pura celat peccatum et recidiuum
manifestat.
Cesarius tellis how som̛ tyme in þe Dioces of Traiecte, þer was a fysscher þat was a fornicatur. & on̛ a tyme he was ferd̛ to be putt vp at þe sene [Latin MSS. timens in synodo accusari.] ; & he went vnto a preste & shrafe hym̛ of aƚƚ his syn̛, and when̛ he had done þat, if he war accusid̛ he mot sekurlie deny it, & suffer þe burnyng of a hate yrn̛ as þer was vse to þaim at denyed it. And so he did̛, and þis hate yrn̛ þat he bare noyed̛ hym̛ no þing. So afterward he fell þerto agayn̛. And on̛ a tyme he ferid̛ ouer a watir with a man̛ þatt had knawlege of his mysgouernans; & þis man̛ spak vnto hym̛ & said̛; "I merveƚƚ, & so duse many mo, þat þe hate yrn̛ byrnyd þe noght; for we knew wele enoghe at þou was giltie, & hase occupyed it syne." & he ansswerd̛ agayn̛, & sayd̛ þe hate yrn̛ noyed hym̛ no more þan̛ did puttyng of his hand̛ in-to þe watir; & with þat he putt his hand̛ into þe watir. And onone [Latin MSS. mira dei iustitia, qui misericorditer penitentem custodiuit iuste, et iuste recidiuantem punivit.] , be þe rightwusnes of aƚƚ-myghti God̛, þat hym̛ hy schameles when̛ he was a penytent, becauce of turnyng agayn̛ vnto his syn̛, þer he was punysshid̛; & onone as he tuchid̛ þe watir it was vnto hym̛ as byrnand̛ fyre. For als sone as his hand̛ was in þe watir he gaff a grete cry & tuke vp his hand̛; and aƚƚ þe skyn̛ lefte behynd̛ in þe watir. And þan̛ he told̛ þaim aƚƚ how it happend hym̛.