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 Then Mary went away in haste, The carling made her so ashamed she had no will of such a guest, To lose her pains and be so blamed. Now good saint Paul, said Magdalen, For that you are a learned man, Go and convince this woman then, For I have done all that I can: Sure if she were in hell, I doubt They would not keep her long there, But to the gate would put her out; And send her back to be elsewhere. Then went the good apostle Paul, To put the wife in better tune, Wash off that filth which fyles thy soul, Then shall heaven's gates be op'ned soon. Remember, Paul, what thou hast done, For all th' epistles thou didst compile, Though now thou sittest up above, Thou persecuted'st Christ a while. Woman, he said, thou art not right, That which I did, I did not know; But thou didst sin with all thy might, Although the preachers did thee show. Saint Paul, she said, it is not so, she did not know so well as ye, That I will to my Saviour go, Who will his favour show to me: You think you are of flyting free, Because you was rapt up above, But yet it was Christ's grace to thee, And matchlessness of his dear love.