'Now, haue I told yow the maner
Off my bysmë verrayly, [prose cap lix]
And declaryd also, how I [[that I St.]]
Line 4468
Make ther-with confessyoun
By certeyn exposicïoun
As ye han herd her by & by.
'But I shal tellë now shortly
Line 4472
Vn-to yow a lytel tale,
Why I bere thys yerdys smale:
¶ I am off scolys a maystresse,
Chyldren, in ther wantownesse,
Line 4476
Affter ther gyltys to chastyse,
That wyl not lernë to be wyse;
I menë thus, whan they trespáce
Boldëly, a-for my face,
Line 4480
Off age thogh they be xxty yer,
Outher an hundryd, fer or ner, [folio 68a]
Men may ful wel hem 'childre' calle,
ffolk that ben in synnë falle:
Line 4484
And hooly wryt,—Red Y-saye,
In hys wrytynge,—doth specefye [(lxv. 20)]
A chyld an hundryd wynter old,—
(In hys wrytyng yt ys told,)
Line 4488
Swych a chyld a-cursyd ys;—
And therfore, whan they don Amys,
In a-wayt y lygge alway
To wyten whether, ye or nay,
Line 4492
Myn hamer hem touchyd any thyng,
Or whether they, in ther purgyng,
Vn-to my bysme submyttyd be, [Stowe folio 83b]
Off lownesse and humylyte,
Line 4496
That they be swept clenly at al,
And that the hamer brekë smal
ffyrst by trewe contricyoun
And verray iuste confessïoun.
Line 4500
Thanne A-noon myn yerde I take;
And amendys for to make
By répentaunce, in diuers wyse,
With my yerde I ham chastyse,
Line 4504
Putte hem to penaunce of entent
