DCLXXXVIII.
Sacerdos curatus infirmis debet esse paratus et
petentibus omni tempore sacramenta ministrare.
Cesarius tellis of a preste at was a curatt, þat on̛ a tyme satt playand̛ at þe dice with a cussyn̛ of his. And þer come vnto hym̛ a man̛ hastelie and tolde hym̛ at his moder was seke and bown̛ to dye, & bad hym̛ in payn̛ of þe pereƚƚ þat wolde faƚƚ þeron̛ þat he sulde com̛ in aƚƚ haste vnto hur & shryfe hur & giff hur hur sacramentis. And þe preste ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & said̛ þat he wolde not vnto hys layke war done. And euer þe man̛ stude stiƚƚ & laburd̛ hym̛ to ryse. So at þe laste þis preste said̛ vnto his cussyn̛ at he played̛ with; "Cussyn̛, I compleyn̛ me, & at þe I take wittnes, at þis felow wiƚƚ not lat me alone at my gamen, bod trubbles me and lettis me." So þis man̛ saw þat his taryng profettid̛ hym̛ nott, & went his ways. And his moder dyed withouten̛ howseƚƚ or shrufte. So it happend on̛ þe iij day after, þe cussyn̛ of þis same preste mett þis yong man̛ at þe moder was dead of, and vmthogth hym̛ of þe playnt at þe preste made of hym̛, & pullid̛ oute his dagger & stykked̛ hym̛. And after þis and many oþer synnys, þis preste happend faƚƚ seke & bown̛ to dye. So a cussyn̛ of his, at was his servand̛, cownceld̛ hym̛ to be shrevyn̛ & forthynk̘ hym̛ of his truspas. He wolde nott bod feƚƚ into a despayr, & ansswerd̛ hur & sayd̛; "Seis þou yone grete lathe enence vs? Forsuthe þer is not þerin so many strais as þer is fendis gadurd̛ here aboute me, to take my sawle when̛ I pas."