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198
[The Tale of the good Hermit who gave away the Money he had saved.]
An ermyte woned fer ouer a doune,
yn a wasteyne, fer fro þe toune;
Þys ermyte þoght vp-on a day
Þat he was yn febyl aray,
And seyd, he wulde gader to store
Tyl eftsones he had nedë more.
He gadred vn-to storë fast,
Þat hys purs he fylled at þe last.
yn a wasteyne, fer fro þe toune;
Þys ermyte þoght vp-on a day
Þat he was yn febyl aray,
And seyd, he wulde gader to store
Tyl eftsones he had nedë more.
He gadred vn-to storë fast,
Þat hys purs he fylled at þe last.
Þo was he yn grete stodye
where he myȝt do hyt pryuylye,
For to lese hyt he was a dred;
And ȝede and leyd hyt at hys bed.
whan he shuld slepë, he myȝt noght,
So mochë on hyt was hys þoght;
whan he sagh men come or go,
He þoghte and seydë, “þeues are þo.”
Euery man he wened had be a robbour,
For dredë þat he had tresoure.
And whan he seyd hys oures of þe day,
He þoght on hys tresour þer hyt lay.
And more was he þan morenande
Seþen þan beforëhand:
Þan seyd hym self, “weyl y ferde
Ar y, yn purs, penys sperde;
Now slepe y neuer but with kare,
Syn y wyst, whére pens ware.”
“y trowe,” he seyde, “þat Goddys curs
ys spred with pens, yn þe purs.”
where he myȝt do hyt pryuylye,
For to lese hyt he was a dred;
And ȝede and leyd hyt at hys bed.
whan he shuld slepë, he myȝt noght,
So mochë on hyt was hys þoght;
whan he sagh men come or go,
He þoghte and seydë, “þeues are þo.”
Euery man he wened had be a robbour,
For dredë þat he had tresoure.
And whan he seyd hys oures of þe day,
He þoght on hys tresour þer hyt lay.
And more was he þan morenande
Seþen þan beforëhand:
Þan seyd hym self, “weyl y ferde
Ar y, yn purs, penys sperde;
Now slepe y neuer but with kare,
Syn y wyst, whére pens ware.”
“y trowe,” he seyde, “þat Goddys curs
ys spred with pens, yn þe purs.”
he ros vp and ȝede to hys ȝate,
And sagh twey men come yn þe gate;
He parseyued weyl whydyrward þey cam,
And swyþe aftyr hys purs he ran,
And kast hyt to hem euery deyl,
And seyd, “haueþ, and broukeþ hyt weyl,
For, myn herte was neuer yn reste
Syn y had hem a nyȝtys geste;
For shal y neuer, aftyr þys day,
Purs, pens, ȝyf þat y may.”
And sagh twey men come yn þe gate;
He parseyued weyl whydyrward þey cam,
199
And kast hyt to hem euery deyl,
And seyd, “haueþ, and broukeþ hyt weyl,
For, myn herte was neuer yn reste
Syn y had hem a nyȝtys geste;
For shal y neuer, aftyr þys day,
Purs, pens, ȝyf þat y may.”
Þarfor he þat mekel has,
Hys herte ys yn many a kas;
Syn þat þykë pore ermyte
was yn dredë for so lyte.
Hys herte ys yn many a kas;
Syn þat þykë pore ermyte
was yn dredë for so lyte.
Auaryce ys þy mochë fo;
Þe loue of God hyt dragheþ þe fro;
And syluer algat[e], namëly,
Hyt ys a god of maumetry;
For maumetry ys madë alle
Of golde and syluer and swych matalle,
þe saraȝyns and ouþer wan bodyes,
Þer-of þey make þat are here goddes;
Þarefor y rede þat ȝe loue hyt noght,
Ne ouer moche to haue yn thoght:
Þyr ys no þyng yn erþe aboue,
Þat draghþ so mochë mannës loue
Fro God, né fro Goddys wurde,
As golde and syluer leyde yn hurde;
And y haue oftë herdë seye
Of sum men whan þey shuldë deye,
Þat, þey wulde haue her pens ete
Raþer þan any ouþer had hem gete;
And, here ar y ferþer go,
y shal telle of one þat ded so.
Þe loue of God hyt dragheþ þe fro;
And syluer algat[e], namëly,
Hyt ys a god of maumetry;
For maumetry ys madë alle
Of golde and syluer and swych matalle,
þe saraȝyns and ouþer wan bodyes,
Þer-of þey make þat are here goddes;
Þarefor y rede þat ȝe loue hyt noght,
Ne ouer moche to haue yn thoght:
Þyr ys no þyng yn erþe aboue,
Þat draghþ so mochë mannës loue
Fro God, né fro Goddys wurde,
As golde and syluer leyde yn hurde;
And y haue oftë herdë seye
Of sum men whan þey shuldë deye,
Þat, þey wulde haue her pens ete
Raþer þan any ouþer had hem gete;
And, here ar y ferþer go,
y shal telle of one þat ded so.
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