CLXXVII.
Confessio ex corde facta celat
peccata.
We rede how on̛ a tyme þer dwelte in a town̛ a knyght, & he had a fayr wyfe; & þe preste of þe town̛ held̛ hur. And it was tolde þe knyght, & he wolde nott onone giff faythe þerto; notwithstondyng he had þaim evur in suspecion̛, & he wold̛ nowder latt þe preste nor his wyfe witt at he had þaim so. So on̛ a tyme he prayed þe preste at he wolde go with hym̛ to speke with a man̛ a myle or ij thens. And he said̛ yis, and went with hym̛ vnto a noder town̛, whar̛ þer was a devuƚƚ in a man̛ at wolde teƚƚ euerilk man̛ of aƚƚ þe synys at evur þai had down̛ þat þai wer not wele shrevyn̛ of. And þis preste was aferd̛ þat þe knight broght hym̛ þedur for to aske þis devuƚƚ of his dedis, & he went & soght a preste and þer was nane in þe town̛. And þan̛ he went privalie into þe stabyƚƚ þer þe knightis mann̛ had sett vp þer hors, & he feƚƚ on̛ his kneis befor̛ þe knyghtis man̛, & prayed̛ hym̛ þat he wold̛ here his confession̛, for he was so seke he was bown̛ to dye. And þer, with grete contricion̛ he made a fuƚƚ confession̛ vnto þis man̛, & besoght hym̛ to enione hym̛ penance: and þan̛ þis servand sayd̛; "Sur, I am̛ no preste; I know nott whatt penance I sulde enione you, bod þat penance at ye wolde enione a noder prest and he war shrevyn̛ at you of a like syn̛, þat saƚƚ be your penance." And þis done he went on̛ boldlie with þe knight vnto þis man̛ at had̛ þis devuƚƚ in hym̛. And þan̛ þis knight askid̛ hym̛ if he kend̛ oght with hym̛ selfe; and he sayd, Nay, he knew no þing with hym̛. þan̛ he askid̛ hym̛ what he cuthe say of þe preste, &