University of Virginia Library

[c]ypriane lewit nocht þare-with-all,
bot ane vthir feynd can call;
þe quhilk, quhen he com hyme til,
sad: “frend, I kene hale þi wil
& þe vnmycht of my compere,
þat to spede had na powere;
bot I sal al his fawt supple,
& to þi purpos weile bryng þe:
for I sal wond hyr hart rycht sare
throw lust of lichery but mare,
& scho sal cum to þe þis nycht
to do þi wil; þat I þe hicht.”
& þar-with went he on his way
& come to Iustine but delay,
& mad hyr persuacione
of hyre saule [to] þe confusione,
sa fere as scho wes in wil
vnlesum lust [for] to fulfil.
bot thru helpe of þe haly geste
scho vm[be]thocht hyre in [til] haste,
þat It a foule fandyng was
to gere hyre grant to fyle hir flesch;
þar-for on hyre scho can lay
þe takyne of þe croice verray,
commendant [hir] to criste Ihesu,
& þare-with dispytuisly blew
on þe flatrand fend, þat na mycht
had, fra he had sene þat sicht,
bot as a reke away he wat,
& to cypriane come fut hat,
þat sad til hyme: “quhy has þou nocht,
as þu sad, þe maydine brocht?”
sad he: “at hyre haf I bene,
& one hyre sic a takine sene
þat me has mad nere out of wit,
sen I on hyre fyrste saw It;
for my crafte mycht nocht awale,
bot tynt has al hale myn trawele.”
hou of[t] þat þai hir fandyng made,
for scho hyre croysit but abade,
& þan ware þai fullely schent,
& fore rednes fra hyre went,
& come to cypriane alsone,
& tald hyme al how þa had don,
bot nocht, to do as þai had mynt,
bot vtrely þare trawale tynt;
for a takine scho on hyre made,
þat þaim discomfyt but abade;
na til hyre durste þai cum nomare;
for þat takine so red þai ware.
bot scho, of þis þat wiste nocht
bot one god set al hyre thocht,
gef lowyng to hevinis king,
þat kepyt hyre in sic fanding.
bot cypriane ȝet þan but were
in his foly cane perseuere,
& in his thocht trawalit & het;
for he mycht nocht his wil get.
bot thinkand ȝet he wald prowe
þe sufferande helpe for his be[h]owe,
þe principale of dewilis al,
selfe satan, cane he cal,
þat but bad come hyme til,
& sad: “now, quhat is þi wil?”
quod he: “quhare is al ȝoure vertu?
for I ne helpe can fynde in ȝow,
bot granttis al [þat] þai ma nocht
gere my desyre til ende be brocht,
bot are discumfit schamefully
thru a ȝung maydine anerly,
& be a takine þat þai se
apone hir, as þai sa [to] me.
þare-for me think I haf Il set
my tyme on ȝou, þat ma nocht get
sa smal a thing as þis to me,
þat seruis ȝou in al degre
sen I firste cuth spek ore ga.”
þe maister dewil can ansuere ma,
& sad: “frend, disese þe nocht!
for þi ȝarnynge sal be wrocht,
& þai þat failyt, sal haf schame,
til helpe þe, & mekil blame.
þare-for my-self on wil fare
& with feile feuir wond hire sare,
& als gere hir as fire bryne;
sic lustful het sal be hir in,
& eftyr hyr stirke sal I
nere wodnes & frenesy,
& fantyse als ferly sere
til hyre als I sal gere apere,
til scho, for al hir mekil slycht,
sal to þe cum þis ilke nycht.”
þene þe feynd þe forme tuk
of a maydine, as sais þe buke,
& to hyre come but delay,
& sat done, & syne þis can say: