Early English versions of the Gesta Romanorum / edited by Sidney J.H. Herrtage

[LI.]
(FABLE OF THE HEN AND HER CHICKENS.)Addit. MS. 9066.

[leaf 61 (cont'd)]

Ofte sithes the henne gaderith to-gedre here briddes vndere here wynges, and̛ namely a gayne the puttock. It̘ happenyd̛ onys, that the puttok come flyeng̘, and̛ houyd̛ ouer the henne and̛ hire briddes. the henne perceyued̛ that, and̛ Called̛ here chekyns, for to haue refute vndire here wynges. they come rennyng̘ aƚƚ safe oon̛, that had̛ fownde a worme, and̛ picked̛ faste thereon̛, for to Ete it. And̛ in the meane tyme come the puttok, and̛ toke hym, and̛ bare hym̛ awaye.

Declaracio.

now gostly, so oure lorde calleth vs from synne, that we shuld̛ fle to the wynges of his proteccion̛; but many ther be, fleyng̘ the deuyƚƚ abouyn hem, and̛ temptyng̘, they flyene from criste to the worme of synne, that is, they drawe to lecherye, and̛ dronkynship, and̛ couetyse. Atte laste comys the puttock, that is, the fende, and̛ takes the Chekyn̛, that is, such a synfuƚƚ man, and̛ beris hym a-waye; of̘ the which is written in Iobe, that seithe, the swetnesse of synne is the worme. Therfore fle we the puttok of helle vnto the wynges of criste, sekyng̘ there an hydyng̘, thinkyng̘ on hym selfe, folowyng̘ hym that seide, he that folowes me, walkes not in derknesse, but he shaƚƚ haue the light̘ of life, that Euer shaƚƚ laste. þis sayeth oure lorde Iesu Criste. Amen &c.