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POlemius was an Emperoure in the cetee of Rome, þe whiche hadde iij. sonnes, that he moche lovid̛. So as þis Emperoure laye in a certeyne nyght in his bedde, he thowte to dispose
his Empir̛, & he thouȝt to yeve his kyngdome to the slowest of his sones. he callid̛ to him his sonnes, & saide, "he that is the sloweste of yow, or most slewthe is in̛, shall have my kyngdom̛ aftir my discese." "Þenne shaƚƚ I have hit," quod̛ the Eldest sone; "for I am̛ so slowe, and̛ swiche slewthe is in me, that me hadde leuer late my fote brynne in the fyr̛, whenne I Sitte þer by, than̛ to withdrawe, & save hit." "Nay," quod̛ the secounde, "yit am I mor̛ worthi thanne þow; for yf case that my necke wer̛ in a rope to be hongid̛; and̛ yf þat I hadde my two hondes at [leaf 192, col. 2] wille, and̛ in on̛ honde þe Ende of þe Rope, and̛ in that oþer honde a sharpe swerde, I hadde levir dye ande be hongid̛, þan̛ I wolde styr̛ myn̛ arme, and̛ kitte the Rope, whereby I myte be savid̛." "hit is I," quod̛ the thirde, "that shalle Regne aftir my syre, for I passe hem bothe in slewthe. yf I lygge in my bedde wyde opyn̛, & þe Reyne Rayne vppon̛ boþe myn̛ yen̛, yee, me hadde leuer lete hit Reyne hem oute of the hede, than I turnid̛ me oþere to the Right syde, or to the lyfte syde." Þenne the Emperoure biquathe his Empir̛ to the thirde sone, as for the slowist.
DEre frendes, this Emperoure is the devil, that is kynge and̛ fadir a-bove al childerin̛ of pryde. By the first sone is vndirstonde the man, that dwellithe in a wickid̛ sitee or place, by the whiche a flavme of fire, scil. of synne, is stirte to him; & yit it is moche I-sene, that he hadde leuer brynne yn̛ synne withe hem̛, thanne Remeve from̛ the companye. By the secounde sonne is he vndirstonde, that knowithe welle him selve to be fastenid̛ in the cordes & bondes of synne, and̛ wolle not smyte hem̛ aweye with the swerde of his tonge; and̛ hadde leuer be hongid̛ for hem in helle, thanne to be shriven her̛. bi the thirde sone, vpon̛ whom̛ water dropis, boþ buþ of the riȝt ye & of the lyfte, is vndirstonde he that hurithe the doctrine of the ioyes of paradys, and̛ of the paynis & tormentes of helle, and̛ wolle not for slownesse of wytte torne him to the Right syde, scil. to leve synne, for love of the Ioyes, ne to the left, [The scribe has here by negligence repeated nearly four lines.] scil. to leeve synne, for drede of peynis, but lithe stille in
synnys vnmevabely; and̛ swiche wolle have the kyngdom̛ of helle, & not of hevene. A quo nos liberet, et ad quod nos perducat imperator semper iure Regnans! amen̛.