'Take off hym the résemblaunce,
The vesage and the contenaunce,
So to disseyuen, in couert;
And to an heremyte in desert;
Line 19288
I [[And I Tib., I St.]] dyde oonës so appere,
fful off ffetheres bryght and clere,
And toke [[toke St., do Tib.]] on me the message
Off an aungel, by my vysage,
Line 19292
And bad vn-to that hooly man
To kepe hym warly ffrom Sathan,
ffor he was schapen, by batayle, [Tib folio 56a]
The nexte morewe, hym to assayle;
Line 19296
And tolde hym also, (ffynally,
ffor to disceyve hym sotylly,)
He woldë takë, (in sothenesse,)
Off hys ffader the lyknesse,
Line 19300
Bothe vesage and contenaunce,
The maner and the résemblaunce. [[Illustration.]]
'ANd bad the heremyte anoon ryght
To fforce hym, at the ffirstë syght,
Line 19304
To smyte hym ffirste, with knyffe or swerde,
And no thyng to ben afferde
With al his myghtty vyolence,
Whanne he cam ffirste to his presence.
Line 19308
¶ And so, vpon the nextë morewe,
ffor to encresse his dool and sorewe,
I made his ffader hym vesyte;
Line 19311
And anoon, this seyde heremyte, [Stowe folio 324b]
This Innocent, thys cely man,
Wenynge hit haddë be Sathan,
Vp sterte anoon, and toke a knyff,
And raffte his ffader off his lyff,
Line 19316
That he to groundë ffel downe deed.
'And thus I kan (who takyth heed)
A thousande weyës, ffolke [[ffolke to St.]] dysceyue, [Tib folio 56b]
Or they my treynës [[trappis St.]] kan conceyue.
Line 19320
And therffore, [[therfore St., herffore Tib.]] be wel war off me,
ffor I caste eke [[eke to St.]] dysseyuë the;
Ȝeue I at largë may the ffynde,
