DCCXVIII.
Simplicitas aliquando prodest.
Cesarius tellis how som tyme þer was a noble castellan̛, and he vsid̛ oft sithes to take cateƚƚ & shepe of a certayn̛ abbay of Ceustus ordur þat was nere-hand̛ hym̛. And when̛ þe abbott & dyvers of þe monkis prayed̛ hym̛ to lefe, he wolde nott. So on̛ a day he drafe away a grete drafe of þer cateƚƚ, and þe abbott sent vnto hym̛ a monke þat was bod̛ a symple man̛, and commaundid̛ hym̛ þat what at evur he mot gett agayn̛ of þis cateƚƚ, he sulde with-owten̛ delay resayfe it. So aboute mete-tyme, þis monke come vnto þe casteƚƚ, and did̛ his message. & þe knyght ansswerd̛ hym̛ & sayd̛; "Sur, ye saƚƚ furste dyne, & þan̛ I saƚƚ gyff you ane ansswer." And as þe monke sat at meate emang oþer men̛, he was servid̛ with flessℏ as oþer was, and þat largelie. So he vmthoght hym̛ of þe cateƚƚ of þer abbay, and he ete of þis flessℏ a grete repaste; and þe knyght & his wyfe behelde hym̛ grathelie. And when̛ þai had dynyd̛, þis knyght callid̛ þe monke osyde, & axkid̛ hym̛ whi he ete flessℏ when̛ it was rewle of his ordur þat monkis sulde [not] ete flessℏ? And þe monke fuƚƚ mekelie ansswerd hym̛ agayn̛ & said̛; "Sur, myne obedyence cawsid̛ me to eat flessℏ, ffor myne abbot commaundid̛ me þat of our cateƚƚ at was tane away fro vs, I sulde resayfe agayn̛ what at I mot gett. And I knew wele at þe flessℏ at was sett befor̛ me was of our cateƚƚ, and I trow þat I mon̛ nevur requover mare. And þerfor̛ in etyng, I resayvid̛ als mekuƚƚ as I myght." And when̛ þe knyght hard̛ þis, he was somwhat compuncte with þe monkis meke ansswer, and he callid̛ his men̛ & commaundid̛ at þe monke sulde be restorid̛ of als many cateƚƚ agayn̛ as evur he had tane fro þaim. And also he beheste at fro thens furtℏ he sulde not noy þaim, bott rather restore þaim. And þe cateƚƚ was delyverd̛ vnto þe monk̘, and he went home with þaim̛ & with his mesage to-gedur, and tellid̛ þe abbott & þe covent aƚƚ how he had done. And þai had grete merveƚƚ here-off, & thankid̛ God & was fuƚƚ fayn̛.