CCCCLXXXVI.
Mensura semper debet esse iusta.
Cesarius tellis how in þe bisshopprik in Colan̛ som tyme þer was a wedow at was a brewster, & vsid̛ to seƚƚ ale, & fyre happend̛ in þe town̛ & byrnyd a grete dele þeroff. And when̛ sho saw it come nere hur howse, sho wold̛ nothyng remow furtℏ of hur howse, bod tuke hur mettis & hur messurs at sho fillid̛ ale with, and sett þaim at hur dure with-oute, & said̛; "O, þou rightwus & mercifuƚƚ God! If I hafe rightwuslie & trewlie mesurd̛ with thies mesurs to þaim at I selde ale to, I beseke ye at þis tyme to behalde my myster, and at þou wolde vuchesafe to spare me and my hows & my howsold̛ þat is þer-in. And if I hafe with þies messurs messurd̛ wrang, or disseyvid̛ any creatur, þan̛, Lord̛, I wiƚƚ at my howse be burnyd & aƚƚ þe gudis at I hafe." Lo! þis was a mervalos faythe of þis womman̛! And yit was þe mercie of God mor̛ mervalos, ffor when̛ þe fire come at hur howse, at aƚƚ folk saw & had grete wonder þeroff, as God [MS. gold.] wold̛, þe fflawme at had burnyd̛ aƚƚ þe town̛-end to thedir sesid̛, & wold̛ burn̛ no maner of þing of [hur] howse, nowder thak nor tymmer. & yit not-withstandyng, aƚƚ þe howse semyd̛ clene our with fire as it had burnyd̛, & yit was it nothyng hurte with þe fyre, nor no gude of hurris þat was þerin. And þe fire sesid̛ & burnyd̛ no ferrer, þat a hondretℏ men̛ cuthe not sease befor̛. And here-by hur neghburs vnderstude þat hur messurs warr gude & trew. et c̛.