DCCLXXXIV.
Vouere et non reddere dampnabile est.
Petrus Damianus tellis how som̛ tyme þer was a riche hard̛ man̛, and on̛ a tyme he made a vow þat and̛ he liffid̛ x yere langer he sulde make hym̛ a religious man̛ in þe monasterie of Saynt Vincent. So when̛ þe tearm̛ was fulfillid̛ þe abbott axkid̛ hym̛, & he began̛ to feyn̛ & wolde nott. And in þe menewhile he feƚƚ in sekenes and he delte mekuƚƚ to pure folk & was shrevyn̛, and semyd as he wer wele disposid̛, so he dyed̛. So on̛ þe nexte night after þe abbott þog[ht] þat he saw [MS. either, say, corrected to saw, or vice versa.] in a grete playn̛ medow ane emperour with aƚƚ his companye, and hym̛ thoght he saw certayn̛ kepers com lede þis man̛ a grete pace. And þis abbo[t] cryed̛ on̛ hym̛ & bad; "Abyde, bruther, & speke with me! Bruther," he sayd̛, "What aylis þe? Wheþer erte þou in payn̛ or in ioy?" And he with a hevie chere ansswer[d] hym̛ & said̛; "Whar-to axkis þou me of ioy, þat is turment with so many paynes?" And þan̛ he axkid̛ hym̛ what Saynt Vincent did̛ vnto hym̛, and he ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & sayd̛; "He made me long to trayste in hym̛, bod now I am̛ werie and hase loste my hope, and as I promytt hym̛ & kepid̛ it not, now I am̛ servid̛ on̛ þe same wyse."