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HIt [MS. "AIt"] is contened in the stori of Constantine-noble, ther was an emperoure hadd̛ .ij. doughters, and the yonggest had good condiciones, for she loued wel God, and praied hym, atte aƚƚ tymes that she awaked, for the dede. And as she and her suster laie a-bedde, her suster awoke, and herde her in her praieres, and scorned and mocked her, and saide, "hold̛ youre pees, for y may not slepe for you." And so it happed
that youthe constreyned hem bothe to loue .ij. bretheren, that were knightes, and were goodly men. And so the susteres tolde her counsaile eche to other. And atte the laste thei sette steuen that the knightes shulde come to lye bi hem bi night priuely atte sertaine owre. And that one came to the yongest suster, but hym thought he sawe a thousand dede bodies about her in shetis ; And he was so sore afraied and aferde, that he ranne awaie as he had̛ be oute of hym selff, and caute the feuers and gret sikenesse thorugℏ the fere that he had, and laied hym in his bedde, and might not stere fer siknesse. But that other knight come into that other suster witℏoute letting, and be-gate her with childe. And whanne her fader wost she was with childe, he made cast her in-to the Riuer, and drenche her and her childe, And made to scorcℏ the knight quicke. Thus, for that delyt, thei were bothe dede; But that other suster was saued. And y shaƚƚ teƚƚ you on the morw it was in aƚƚ the hous how that [fol/col 2b/2] one knight was sike in his bedde; and the yongest suster yede to see hym, and asked hym wherof he was sike. "As y wende to haue entered̛ be-twene the curteynes of youre bedde, y sawe so gret nombre of dede men that y was nigℏ wode for fere, and yet y am aferde & afraied of the sight." And whanne she her de that, she thanked God humbly, that had kept her from shame and distruccion ; And from that forwarde she worshipped and praied God devoutly atte aƚƚ tymes that she awaked, and al wey [kept] her selff clene and chaste. And not longe after, a kinge of Grece wedded her, And was continued a good woman and a deuoute, and had a good name; and thus was she saued, as ye haue herde, forto worshippe and praie to God for the dede. And her eldest suster, that mocked her, was dede and disworshipped, as ye haue herde. And therfor, doughters, be-thenke you on this exsaumple whan ye wake, and slepe not tiƚƚ ye haue praied for the dede, as dede the yongest doughter. Yet y wolde ye knew an exaumple how a lorde ["how a lorde" is repeated, by mistake, in the MS.] wolde haue a gentiƚƚ-woman, bi faire or be force, for to do his foule lust with her.