CCCCLXXXI.
Memoria mulieris in corde viri remanere non
debet.
We rede in 'Vitis Patrum' how þat a noble womman̛, ane olde wyfe [Lat. MSS. Matrona quedam nobilis et senex.] , come vnto ane abbot þat hight Arsenius, to se hym̛, & he prayed þe bisshop at sho suld̛ not se hym̛, & he wold̛ not graunt þerto. So sho come vnto his ceƚƚ dure, & fand̛ hym̛ þer-att, & feƚƚ down̛ on̛ hir kneis aforn̛ hym̛. & he with grete dedeyng tuke hur vpp̛ and said̛ vnto hur; "And þou wiƚƚ se my face, se itt now." And sho for shame durst not luke vpon̛ hym̛, bod sho went away & prayed̛ hym̛ to pray for hur vnto God̛, & hafe hur in his mynde always. And he said̛, nay, he wold̛ nott, he sulde pray God̛ to do away þe mynd̛ of hur oute of his harte. And when̛ sho hard þis, sho was gretelie trubbled̛, and went in-to þe cetie & feƚƚ into þe axis. And when̛ þe bisshop̛ come to vyssit hur, sho said̛ vnto hym̛; "I am̛ so hevie þat I mon̛ dy." & þe bisshopp̛ ansswer[d] hur agayn̛ & said̛; "Knowis þou not at þou ert a womman̛? And þe devuƚƚ tempis men̛ with wommen̛, & speciaƚƚ haly men̛. And þerfor̛ yone man̛ said̛ vnto the as he did̛. Bod þuf aƚƚ he said̛ so, yit he prayis for þi saule." And so he comfurthid̛ hur and sho wente home vnto hur awn̛ place. et c̛.
- ...Memoria mortis est multum vtilis. Supra de conuersione, iiij, et de confessore, v, et infra de morte.
- ...Memorie labiles MS. labilis. sunt aliqui. Infra de muliere, iiij.