CCCVI.
Episcopalis status periculosus est.
Cesarius tellis how on̛ a tyme þer was a monk̘ of Clariuaƚƚ þat was chosyn̛ to be a bisshopp̛; and he forsoke to take it & wold̛ not agre þerto, nowder be commandment of his abbott nor yitt of þe archbisshopp̛. So with-in a while after hym̛ happend̛ to dy, and on̛ þe night after he apperid̛ to a man̛ þat he luffid̛, a bruther of his, and he askid̛ hym̛ of þis inobediens, whether it noyed̛ hym̛ or nay. And he ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & said̛ nay, it noyed̛ him not; "ffor," he said̛, " si episcopatum suscepissem, eternaliter dampnatus essem. And I had̛ taken̛ þe bisshopprike, I had bene dampnyd̛ for evur." And he ekid̛ to & sayd a fuƚƚ ferdfuƚƚ wurd̛, & þat was þis, þat þe estate of þe kurk̘ sulde happen̛ so, at it suld̛ not be wurthi to be gouernyd̛ bod with reprevable bisshoppis.
- ...Episcopus habens iusticiam secularem diligenter debet auertere quid balliuis suis precipiat. Infra de iudice.