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thane com a man to hym of case,
þat to name had Nicholase,
and sad hym: “lord, now haf I
of myn elde ȝeris fowrty,
In þe quhilkis I serwit ay
to lichory bath nycht and day;
bot to resiste þe fendis will,
I bar one me þe ewangele,
prayand god of his pytte
to gyf me grace chaste man to be.
bot I am richt nocht ȝet þane,
I þat synnyt as wekit man;
and þocht I lefit for a quhyle,
I turne agane to þat sine wyle.
syne hapynnyt atym þat I,
enflammyt throw full lichory,
for þe ewangele þat I bare
one me, forowtine ony mare
to þe bordale I wente ine hy,
to fulfill myn lichory.
and þar a womane can me say:
‘þu wrechit ald man, ga þi way!
for þi-selfe goddis angel Is,
and to cum her þu doys myse;
þar-[for] fand nocht to nyicht me,
for farly thinge I se on þe.’
þane of hyr word haffand ferly,
I wmbethocht me in-till hy,
þat I þe ewangil on me had;
for-þi I fled away but bad.
and sene þat þou haly man is,
pray þi god to forgyff me þis!”
and quhen Andro herd hym [sa] say,
he [can] gret, and but delay
prait for hym fra morne til nowne;
and, quhene þat he had sa done,
sad, met no drink he nan wald,
till he wyste, þat till þat ald
god had remittit his syne quytly.
þe thred day efter þat in hy,
throw ane angel wes hym tald,
þat god forgevine had þat ald
at his prayer his gret trespas;
bot, as he in penance wes,
sa suld þat ald his penance mak
In prayer, almus, and in wakk.
þane he sex owkis but were
fastit in bred and wattir clere,
and ful of gud wark ȝald þe gaste.
þane till androw sad god in haste,
þat nicholas he gert hym wyne,
þat suld hafe bene tynt for his syne.