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   The prest whech wrot this boke for to prevyn this creaturys felyngys many tymes
and dyvers tymes he askyd hir qwestyons and demawndys of thyngys that wer for to
komyn, unsekyr and uncerteyn as that tyme to any creatur what schuld be the ende,
preyng hir, thei sche wer loth and not wylly to do swech thyngys, for to prey to God
therfor and wetyn, whan owyr Lord wold visiten hir wyth devocyon, what schuld be
the ende, and trewly wythowtyn any feynyng tellyn hym how sche felt, and ellys wold
he not gladlych a wretyn the boke. And so this creatur, sumdel for drede that he wold
ellys not a folwyd hir entent for to wryten this boke, compellyd, dede as he preyd hir
and telde hym hir felyngys what schuld befallyn in swech materys as he askyd hir yyf
hir felyngys wer trewth. And thus he prevyd hem for very trewth. And yet he wold not
alwey gevyn credens to hir wordys, and that hyndryd hym in this maner that folwyth.
It befel on a tyme that ther cam a yong man to this prest, whech yong man the preste
nevyr sey beforn, compleynyng to the preste of poverté and disese whech he was
fallyn in be infortunyté, expleyntyng the cawse of infortunyté, seying also he had
takyn holy orderys for to be a preste. For a lytil hastynes, hymself defendyng as he
mygth not chesyn les than he wold a be ded thorw pursute of hys enmys, he smet a
man or ellys tweyn, wherthorw, as he seyde, wer ded or ellys lyche for to be ded. And
so he was fallyn into irregularité and mygth not executyn hys orderys wythowtyn
dispensacyon of the cowrt of Rome, and for this cawse he fled fro hys frendys and
durst not comyn in hys contré for drede to be takyn for her deth. The forseyd preste,
gevyng credens to the yong mannys wordys, inasmech as he was an amyabyl persone,
fayr feturyd, wel faveryd in cher and in cuntenawns, sad in hys langage and dalyawns,
prestly in hys gestur and vestur, havyng compassyon of hys disese, purposyng to
getyn hym frendys into hys relevyng and comfort, went to a worshepful burgeys in
Lenn, a meyrs pere and a mercyful man, whech lay in gret seknes and long tyme had
don, compleynyng to hym and to hys wyfe, a ful good woman, of the myschef of this
yong man, trustyng to have fayr almes as he oftyntyme had for other that he askyd for.
It happyd the creatur of whom this boke is wretyn to ben ther present and herd how the
preste compleyned for the yong man and how the preste preysed hym. And sche was
sor mevyd in hir spiryt ageyns that yong man, and seyd thei haddyn many powyr
neybowrys whech thei knewyn wel anow hadyn gret nede to ben holpyn and relevyd,
and it was mor almes to helpyn hem that thei knewyn wel for wel dysposyd folke and
her owyn neybowrys than other strawngerys whech thei knew not, for many spekyn
and schewyn ful fayr owtward to the sygth of the pepyl, God knowyth what thei arn in
her sowlys. The good man and hys wyfe thowtyn that sche seyd rygth wel, and therfor
thei woldyn grawntyn hym non almes. At that tyme the preste was evyl plesyd wyth
this creatur, and, whan he mett wyth hir alone, he rehersyd how sche had lettyd hym
that he mygth non almes getyn for the yong man whech was a wel dysposyd man as
hym thowt and commendyd mech hys governawns. The creatur seyd, "Sere, God
knowyth what hys governawns is, for, that I wot of, I sey hym nevyr and yet I have
undyrstondyng what hys governawns schuld be, and therfor, ser, yf ye wyl do be my
cownsel and aftyr that I fele, latyth hym chesyn and helpyn hymselfe as wel as he can
and medyl ye not wyth hym, for he schal dysceyve yow at the last." The yong man
resortyd alwey to the preste, flateryng hym and seyng that he hath good frendys in
other placys whech schuld helpyn hym yyf thei wysten wher he wer, and that in schort
tyme, and also thei woldyn thankyn tho personys that had supportyd hym in hys dysese.
The preste, trustyng it schuld be as this yong man teld hym, lent hym sylver wyth
good wyl to helpyn hym wyth. The yong man preyed the preste to have hym excused
if he sey hym not of too days er thre, for he schuld gon a lytyl wey and comyn ageyn
in schort tyme and bryng hym agen hys sylver rygth wel and trewly. The preste,
havyng confidens in hys promysse, was wel content, grawntyng hym good lofe and
leve unto the day whech he had promysed to come ageyn. Whan he was gon, the
forseyde creatur havyng undyrstondyng be felyng in hir sowle as owyr Lord wold
schewyn that he was an untrewe man and no mor wold come ageyn, sche for to preve
whethyr hir felyng was trewe or fals askyd the preste whethyr the yong man was that
he had preysed so mech. The preste seyd he walkyd a lytil way and trustyd that he
wold come ageyn. Sche seyd sche supposyd that he wold no mor se hym, ne no mor
he dede nevyr aftyr. And than he repentyd hym that he had not don aftyr hir cownsel.
In schort tyme aftyr this was passyd, comyth another fals schrewe, an elde man, to the
same preste and proferyd hym a portose, a good lytyl boke, for to selle. The preste
went to the forseyd creatur, preying hir to preye for hym and wetyn whedyr God
wolde he schulde by the boke er not, and, whyl sche preyd, he cheryd the man as wel
as he cowde, and sythen he cam ageyn to this creatur and askyd how sche felt. "Syr,"
sche seyth, "byith no boke of hym, for he is not to trustyn upon, and that schal ye wel
knowyn yyf ye medyl wyth hym." Than the preste preyde the man that he mygt se this
boke. The man seyde he hath it not upon hym. The preste askyd how he cam therby.
He seyd he was executor to a preste whech was of hys kynred, and he chargyd hym to
sellyn it and dysposyn it for hym. "Fadyr," seyde the preste becawse of reverens,
"why profyr ye me this boke rathar than other men or other prestys whan ther arn
many mo thryftyare, richare prestys in this cherch than I am, and I wel wot ye had
nevyr no knowlach of me before this tyme?" "Forsothe, syr," he seyde, "no mor I had,
nevyrtheles I have good wyl wyth yowr persone, and also it was hys wyl that awt it
befor that, yef I knew any yong preste that me thowt sad and wel dysposyd, that he
schuld han this boke before any other man and for lesse prys than any other man that
he myt prey for hym. And these cawsys mevyn me to come to yow rather than to
another man." The preste askyd wher was hys dwellyng. "Ser," he seyde, "but fyve
myle fro this place in Penteney Abbey." "Ther have I ben," seyd the preste, "and I
have not sey yow." "No ser," seyd he ageyn, "I have be ther but lytyl whyle and now
have I ther a lyvery, thankyd be God." The preste preyd hym that he mygth have a
sygth of the boke and lokyn yf thei mygth acordyn. He seyde, "Sere, I hope to be her
ageyn the next woke and bryng it wyth me and, ser, I behote yow ye schal have it
before any other man yyf yow lyke it." The preste thankyd hym for hys good wyl, and
so they partyd asundyr, but the man wold nevyr comyn at the preste aftyr, and than the
preste knew wel that the forseyd creaturys felyng was trewe.