CCCCXX.
Iusticia eciam exerceri debet in propriis parentibus.

Herkenwaldus *. [MS. Harl. Herkyndaldus de Bornayre, vir nobilis, etc.] tellis of ane þat hight Bormar, þat was a noble man̛ and a myghti, & in dome he sett by no man̛. So on̛ a tyme Page  288 he feƚƚ seke & lay in his bed in his chambre, and as he lay he hard̛ in þe nexte chambr̛ by hym̛ grete cryingis as it had bene of wommen̛. And he spurrid̛ what it was & þai wold̛ not teƚƚ hym̛. And þan̛ he sent one of his childer þedur and warnyd̛ hym̛, a payn̛ of puttyng oute of bothe his een̛, to teƚƚ hym̛ þe treutℏ. And þan̛ he went & saw it & com̛ agayn̛, & with grete drede tellid̛ hym̛ what it was & said̛; "Sur! my felow, your sister son̛, wold̛ þer hafe oppresid̛ a womman̛ & defowlid̛ hur, and þis was þe cauce of þe cry." And at þis wurd̛ he was gretely grevid̛, and bad ij of his knyghtis go & hang hym̛. And þai said̛ þai sulde, and went furtℏ & tolde þe yong man̛ what his eam̛ had bydden̛ þaim doo. And þai bad hym̛ withdraw hym̛ oute of his eam̛ sight at he saw hym̛ not, & þai sulde teƚƚ hym̛ at þai had done as he bad þaim do; for þai durst not sla þis yong man̛. And with-in a few howris þai come agayn̛ vnto þer maister, & tolde hym̛ þai had done as he commanddid̛ þaim. And vppon̛ þe fifte day after þis yong man̛, trowyng þat his eam̛ had forgetten̛ þis trispas, putt oppyn̛ þe chambr̛-dure & lukid̛ in. And onone as þis seke man̛ saw hym̛, he callid̛ hym̛ vnto hym̛ & gaff hym̛ fayr language, & made hym̛ to sitt down̛ by hym̛. And sodanlie with his one arm̛ he gatt hym̛ aboute þe nekk̘, & held̛ hym̛; & with þe toder arm̛ he drew his knyfe & shewid̛ it in his throte & kyllid̛ hym̛. And aƚƚ þat was aboute wondred̛ þerof & vgged þerwith. So his sekenes swagid̛ a littyƚƚ, & þan̛ he sent for þe bisshop̛ Herkenwaldus *. [Harl. MS. Episcopus uocatus cum sacris aduenit. Herbinbaldus, cum multis lacrimis et cordis contricione, omnia peccata sua confessus est, tacita iuuenis interfectione.] , and he come with þe sacrament & shrafe hym̛, & howseld̛ hym̛ not *. [MS. not added above the line.] . & he made grete sorow & had grete contricion̛ in his harte for his syn̛. And in his confession̛ he spak no wurd̛ of þe slayng of his cussyn̛. And þe bisshop̛ had grete mervaƚƚ þerof, & said̛; "Whi layn̛ ye þe mansslaghter of your cussyn̛ at ye slew?" And he ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & said̛; "Sur, was þat a syn̛?" & þe bisshop said̛, ya, it was a crueƚƚ syn̛. And þe seke man̛ ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & said̛; "I am̛ a Iustis & hafe þe law in gouernans, & nowder I deme it a syn̛, nor I wiƚƚ neuer aske God forgifnes þerof." Þan̛ Page  289 þe bisshopp̛ ansswerd̛ & said̛; "I wiƚƚ neuer gyff you þe sacrament or ye shryfe you þeroff." þan̛ þis Iustis ansswerd̛ hym̛ agayn̛ & said̛; " Non ex rancore, sed ex zelo iusticie et Dei timore illum interfeci; I slew hym̛ not of rankor nor of il wiƚƚ, bod for luff of rightwusnes & drede of God; ffor þer was neuer man̛ luffid̛ his sister son̛ bettyr þan̛ I did̛ hym̛. And þer-for & ye deny me þe holi sacrament þat is Goddis bodie, I betake bothe my body & my saule vnto þat holie sacrament, þat is God Hym̛ selfe." And þus þe bisshop̛ went away & wulde not howsyƚƚ hym̛. And onone after, þis seke man̛ sent for hym̛ agayn̛. And when̛ he come att hym̛, þis seke man̛ bad hym̛ luke in his box if þe sacrament war þer. And so he did & fande riȝt not þerin. Þan̛ þis seke man̛ said vnto hym̛; "Lo! þat at ye denyed me, Almiȝtti God Hym̛ selfe hase giffen̛ me & not denyed me." And with þat he oppynd̛ his mouthe, & þai mot se þe sacrament þerin; and þan̛ he dyed̛. And þan̛ þe bisshopp̛ was ferd̛ & had grete sorow herefor̛, & prechid̛ þis in euer-ilk place for a grete meracle.