Bisshop, she seid, if þi wil be, [Ms. if wil be st. I pray þe.]
Line 250
Howsil and schrifte for charite! [250—1) And now in þis sted fore charyte Swythe of schryft I pray the.]
For sorow now I dye." [or st. now. dyȝe.]
Te bisshop seyd anon ryȝt:
"Abide, woman, in þat tiȝt [Woman, abyde a lytell wyght.]
Tille my fermonde be done!" [sermone.]
Line 255
She swonyd & fel downe there;
So ful she was of sorow & care: [256—7) Sche was so full of sorow & care, She fell adoune before þem there.]
To berst hir hert began. [Hyre hert braste in-two.]
Þe bisshop saw she likid ille: [When þe bysschop had seyd hys wyll.]
He bade þe folke sitte stille [bad. sytte & be styll.]
Line 260
And sone tille hir he start. [And to hyre he lepe,]
Vpon hir fast con he calle — [And gane on hyre to clepe & call.]
And she was ded amonge hem alle. [He fonde hyre. þem all.]
Þe bisshop was sory in hert. [Full sore fore hyre he wepe.]
He bade þe folke þat þer ware [there wer all.]
Line 265
Falle on knees with-owten mare, [On þer kneys þei schuld fall,]
A prayer forto make, [A bede forto seyne,]
Þat god graunte þe askynge of þis: [That god schuld þem wyte & wys]
Whedur hir saule be in heuon blisse [Wheþer þe saule wer in blys,]
Or to helle take. [Or in hell peyne.]
Line 270
When þei hade made þeire oryson, [had. þer.]
A voyce came fro heuon down, [come. heuyne done.]
Þat alle men myȝt here, [That þei myght he(re).]
And seid: "þe saule of þis synfulle wyȝt [of þat.]
Is wonnen in-to heuon bright, [wonnen fehlt. in heuyne.]
Line 275
To Jhesu lefe and dere." [Before Jhesu full dere.]
The voyce seid to þe bisshop right:
"Asoyle þe body with alle þi myght
And bery hit in a graue!
Alle-if it did gret foly,
Line 280
With rufulle hert hit cryed mercy;
God graunt þat hit shuld haue." [277—82) fehlen.]
Gode men, I warne alle [Crystene men, I werne ȝou all,]
Þat ȝe in no wanhope falle, [That none of ȝou in wanhop fall,]
Ȝif ȝe haue don gret synne. [They ȝe be in synne.]
Line 285
Forthynk hit sore and crye mercy,
Were hit neuer so gret foly,
And ȝet shalle ȝe heuon wynne. [
286—8) Who-so wyll of a preste be schryfe, And do penans by his lyfe, Heuyne he may wynne. Darauf hat A. noch 3 Stropfen:
Thoff a mane hade done alone All þe synnes euery-chone That euer ȝit wer wrouȝt: And he may in his last dey To a preste his lyue sey, God wyll foregete hym nought. And if a mane haue no preste, To a man þat sytte hym nexte Ȝerne to hym schryfe; And if he may do no more Bot fore hys synnes rew sore, God wyll hym foregyffe. Kynge þat is of myȝhtys moste, Fader & sone & holy goste, Ȝiff vs myȝht & space: When we haue do oure ende, Vnto Joy þat we may wende, Lord, for þi holy grace.
]Finitur fabula.
