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[A Tale of How to put the Devil's Eye out spiritually, or How by Shrift a Man made himself invisible to the Fiend who before used to lead him about chaind.]
Þyr was onys an ermyte,
Þat was euer yn Gode parfyte;
So moche he hadde of Goddys grace,
Þat he coude knowe, yn euery place,
whych men were yn dedly synne,
And who was godë lyfe with-ynne;
And also, he myȝt se weyl
Þyng þat was spyrytuele.
Þat was euer yn Gode parfyte;
So moche he hadde of Goddys grace,
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whych men were yn dedly synne,
And who was godë lyfe with-ynne;
And also, he myȝt se weyl
Þyng þat was spyrytuele.
An halyday fyl, as ys þe acyse,
Men to go to Goddys seruyse;
Þys erymyte lened hym on a walle,
And badde hys bedys, and loked ouer-alle,
And beheld þe folke þat come yn þe gate,
whyche come erlye, and whyche late,
whyche come with gode deuocyoun,
And whyche for ouþer enchesoun:
Alle sagh þys ermyte euerydeyl,
who come wrong, and who come weyl.
Men to go to Goddys seruyse;
Þys erymyte lened hym on a walle,
And badde hys bedys, and loked ouer-alle,
And beheld þe folke þat come yn þe gate,
whyche come erlye, and whyche late,
whyche come with gode deuocyoun,
And whyche for ouþer enchesoun:
Alle sagh þys ermyte euerydeyl,
who come wrong, and who come weyl.
As he stode, he toke gode hede,
How a deuyl, a man gan lede;
with hym he com alle weyl þe gate,
And ledde hym to þe chyrchë ȝate,
And yn to þe cherchëȝerde;
Forþer durst he nat, for ferde.
And whan he yn-to þe cherch shuld go,
Þan brast þe fendës chayn yn two;
Þe fende stode stylle, and loked a-boute,
And a-bode þys man wyþ-oute;
On hys clawys he helde þys cheyne,
And loked what tyme he come aȝeyne.
þe holy man ȝaue godë tent
whyder þat ychë man was went.
þat ychë man, þat was yn synne,
And haddë longë leye þer-ynne;
Þurgh grace óf þe holy spyryt,
he ȝede and shrouë hym astyt,
And þoȝt neuer to turne aȝeyn,
But sorowed þat hé þer-ynne had leyn.
How a deuyl, a man gan lede;
with hym he com alle weyl þe gate,
And ledde hym to þe chyrchë ȝate,
And yn to þe cherchëȝerde;
Forþer durst he nat, for ferde.
And whan he yn-to þe cherch shuld go,
Þan brast þe fendës chayn yn two;
Þe fende stode stylle, and loked a-boute,
And a-bode þys man wyþ-oute;
On hys clawys he helde þys cheyne,
And loked what tyme he come aȝeyne.
þe holy man ȝaue godë tent
whyder þat ychë man was went.
þat ychë man, þat was yn synne,
And haddë longë leye þer-ynne;
Þurgh grace óf þe holy spyryt,
he ȝede and shrouë hym astyt,
And þoȝt neuer to turne aȝeyn,
But sorowed þat hé þer-ynne had leyn.
whan þat þys man shryuë was,
And was passed þat synful pas,
As þys man come outë þere,
Þe fende loked aboute euery-where,
And coude nat fynde hym, for no nede,
Among þe ouþer, þere þey ȝede;
Þe syȝtë of hym hadde he lore,
Al þogh he ȝede next hym byfore.
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As þys man come outë þere,
Þe fende loked aboute euery-where,
And coude nat fynde hym, for no nede,
Among þe ouþer, þere þey ȝede;
Þe syȝtë of hym hadde he lore,
Al þogh he ȝede next hym byfore.
Long loked þat foulë wyght,
And coude nat se hym with no syȝt;
He stode stylle tyl alle men were goun,
But syȝtë of hym hadde he noun.
Þys holy ermyte to hym ȝede:
“Treytur,” he seyd, “for what nede
Stanst þou here; telle hyt me,
Yn Goddys name, y cóniure þe.”
And coude nat se hym with no syȝt;
He stode stylle tyl alle men were goun,
But syȝtë of hym hadde he noun.
Þys holy ermyte to hym ȝede:
“Treytur,” he seyd, “for what nede
Stanst þou here; telle hyt me,
Yn Goddys name, y cóniure þe.”
Þan answered þat glotoun,
“y abyde here my prysoun,
Þat long haþ be vndyr my hande,
And haue led hym aboute with þys bande;
Langer wente he yn fro me,
He come nat oute ȝyt, þat y coude se;
Among many, y haue hym soȝte;
Me þenkeþ wundyr, y fynde hym noȝte.”
“y abyde here my prysoun,
Þat long haþ be vndyr my hande,
And haue led hym aboute with þys bande;
Langer wente he yn fro me,
He come nat oute ȝyt, þat y coude se;
Among many, y haue hym soȝte;
Me þenkeþ wundyr, y fynde hym noȝte.”
Þys ermyte hyed fast and ran,
And ouertoke þys ychë man,
And, preyd hym a stounde to dwelle,
And of hys lyfe, sumwhat to telle:
“Y graunte,” he seyd, “to þe to seye.
To þe cherche, as y wente my weye
y felte me charged yn a synne,—
And, long had y leye þere-ynne,—
y þoȝte y wulde me þer-of shryue,
And amende þe trespas yn my lyue.
At þe cherche, y shroue me weyl,
Plenerly of euery deyl;
Blessed be now God almyȝt,
Me þynkeþ y am wundyrly lyȝt.”
And ouertoke þys ychë man,
And, preyd hym a stounde to dwelle,
And of hys lyfe, sumwhat to telle:
“Y graunte,” he seyd, “to þe to seye.
To þe cherche, as y wente my weye
y felte me charged yn a synne,—
And, long had y leye þere-ynne,—
y þoȝte y wulde me þer-of shryue,
And amende þe trespas yn my lyue.
At þe cherche, y shroue me weyl,
Plenerly of euery deyl;
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Me þynkeþ y am wundyrly lyȝt.”
Þan þoȝte þe Ermyte astyte,
þat whan men haue yn synne delyte,
Þan haþ þe fendë enchesoun
To byndë hym as a presun;
And whan he haþ wyl, hym to shryue,
Hys bandys brest, and al to-ryue;
And, whan he ys clenë shryuyn,
Þe deuyl knoweþ hym no more syþen.
þat whan men haue yn synne delyte,
Þan haþ þe fendë enchesoun
To byndë hym as a presun;
And whan he haþ wyl, hym to shryue,
Hys bandys brest, and al to-ryue;
And, whan he ys clenë shryuyn,
Þe deuyl knoweþ hym no more syþen.
Þe holy man come þan to þe deuyl,
And bad he shulde do no man euyl,
But go to helle, þere he come fro,
Euer to dwelle yn pyne and wo.
And bad he shulde do no man euyl,
But go to helle, þere he come fro,
Euer to dwelle yn pyne and wo.
Þarfore, y rede þat we bygynne
To shryuë vs of alle our synne.
To shryuë vs of alle our synne.
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