'Leuere she hadde hyr mantel lese,
Line 13176
Than abyden in the place
Wher that she may se my fface.
'She madë Ioseph, by gret [[grete St.]] stryff, [Genesis 39 capitulo.—Ioseph, relicto pallio, ffugit. St., om. C.]
fflen ffro Putyffarys wyff,
Lefft hys mantel, and also [folio 200a]
Line 13181
A-noon ffrom hyre he was a-go;
ffor chastyte (by oppynyoun,)
Haueth thys condycïoun,
Line 13184
That she sauff ne wyl nat vouche,
In no wysë me to touche.
'And whan that I hyr maner se,
That yt wyl noon other be,
Line 13188
Than I am besy, be dyffame,
ffor to putte on hyre a blame,—
By som sclaundre ffalsly ffounde,—
Hyr goodë namë to confounde,
Line 13192
By swych ffolk (shortly to telle)
That ar wont with me to dwelle,
And tabyden in myn hous,
Off condicioun vycyous,
Line 13196
That ar glad ay to myssaye,
And chastyte ffor to werraye,
As yt sheweth (with-outë glose)
In my Romaunce off the Rose; [Romance of the Rose St. (in Stowe's hand).]
Line 13200
Make hyr name to ben appallyd, [Stowe folio 232a]
And Faulssemblant to be callyd:
In that book by my notárye,
Line 13203
Wych to hyr name ys ffull [[St., om. C.]] contrárye.
And causë why that I do thus
Geyn chastyte fful vertuous,
Ys ffynally (yiff thow lyst se),
She wyl no queyntaunce han with me.'
Line 13208
The pylgrym:
"Wherfor seystow in any wyse,
And wrongfully lyst to devyse
Mong thyn Errours, on and alle,
Thys Romauncë thyn to calle?
Line 13212
Thy part ther-off ys neueradel;
ffor I knowe that man fful wel
