Page:Disciplina Clericalis (English translation) from the fifteenth century Worcester Cathedral Manuscript F. 172.djvu/41

   peyne that she deserved torned vnto the man; to whom it profited nat anymore his wif to kepe. Forwhi also an hepe of wrecchidnes fil vnto this man, for the most dele of the people bilieveden that he hadde deserved this that he suffred." Than quod the disciple: "Ther nys no man whiche may kepe hym from thengyne and wills of womman but if that god kepe hym. So bi this tale I shal nat wedde bicause of this exhortacioun." Than quod the Maister: "This oughtist thow [nat] to bileeve of al wymmen, forwhi grete chastite and grete goodenes is Repared and arraied in many wymmen, and wite thow that in a goode womman may be arrettid goode felawship. A goode womman also is a feithful keper and a goode house. Salamon in thend of his proverbis made xxii verse of the laude and the goodenes of wymmen." To this the disciple saide: "Wele hastow comforted me. But herdistow ever of any suche womman whiche that torned hir wit and hir engyne vnto goode?" Quod the Maister: "I have herd." Quod the disciple: "Tel me of hir, for that were to me novelte and grete wounder." The Maister:

"It is saide to me that suche a man of Spayne went to Miche and while he went he cam in to Egipt; whiche wold entre and pas thurgh the deserte [and] thought to leve his money in Egipt. And bifore that he would leve it he asked if any feithful man Were in that Regioun to whom he myght leve it. And an auncient man shewed hym to a man named of goodenes and of trewth, to whom he left a thowsand talentis. From that he went furth and made anend of his journey and cam ageyn to hym to whom he committed his money, and this that he to hym commytted asked. But he ful of wikkednesse saide that he never had seen hym tofore. Forsoth he so disceived went to the goode men of that Regioun arid told to hem and reherced how he to whom he had commytted his money hadde hym entreatid. Forsoth neighburghs heryng suche thynges of (f. 126) hym wolden nat bileeve it, but saiden it myght nat be but that he had lost his money. So every day he went to the house of hym to whom he commytted his money [and] with