VI.
Abbas interdum debet gaudere cum subditis
suis.
We rede in þe life of Saynt Anton̛ how on̛ a tyme ane archer, þat was a gude sh[oter], fand Saynt [Anton] syttand emang his brethir makand merie with þaim. And þis archer was displesid̛ þerwith & þoght þai sulde hafe bene in þer clostre, & tente þer bukis & þer serues, & nott hafe bene att no sporte nor no welefare. And onone Saynt Anton̛ purseyvyd̛ his menyng, and callid hym̛ to hym̛, & bad hym̛ putt ane of his arows in his bow, & shote als fer as he myght, & he did̛ so; and þan̛ bad hym̛ take a noder, and do on̛ þe same wyse, and he did as he bad hym̛; & þan̛ he bad hym̛ take a thrid̛, & draw hys bow als fer as he myght, at it mott fle far fro hym̛. And þan̛ þis archer [MS. archerd̛.] [ansswerd] hym̛ agayn̛ and said̛, "Sir, I dar nott, for I may happen̛ draw so fer þat I may breke my bow, & þat wold̛ I nott, for þan̛ I monde make mekuƚƚ sorow." Than̛ Saynt Anton̛ sayd̛ vnto hym̛ agayn̛, "loo! son̛, þus it is in þe werke of aƚƚmyghtie God̛; ffor and we draw it oute of mesur, we may sone breke itt; þat [MS. þan.] is to say, and we halde our̛ brethir so strayte in aw þatt þai com̛ to no myrtℏ nor no sporte, we may lightlie [MS. lighlie.] cauce þaim to breke þer ordur. And herefor̛ vs muste som̛ tyme lowse our̛ pithe, & suffre þaim hafe som̛