[108] disparage.
[109] orig. is here apparently very corrupt; it reads: "all thoughe the
meat therein were nat ynoughe, sodenlye commaunded," &c.
+ _Of the penytent that sayd the shepe of God have mercy upon me._ lxv.
+ A certayne confessour, in the holy tyme of Lente, enioyned his
penytente to saye dayly for his penaunce this prayer: Agnus Dei miserere
mei, whiche was as moche to saye in englysshe as the Lambe of God haue
mercye vpon me. This penytente acceptynge his penaunce departed, and
that tyme twelfe monthe after came agayne to be confessed of the same
confessoure, whiche demaunded of him whether he had fulfylled his
penaunce that he hym enioyned the laste yeare. _Than_ he sayde thus: ye,
syr, I thanke God I haue fulfylled it. For I haue sayd thus to daye in
the mornynge and so dayly: the shepe of God haue mercy vpon me. To whome
the confessour said: nay, I bad the say: Agnus Dei miserere mei, that
is, the Lamb of God haue mercy vpon me. Ye, syr, quod the _penytente_,
ye say truthe; that was the laste yeare. But now it is a twelfemonthe
_since_, and it is a shepe by this tyme. Therfore I muste nedes say
nowe: the shepe of God haue mercy vpon me.
By this tale ye may perceyue, that if holy scripture be expowned to the
lay people onely in the lytterall sence, peraduenture it shall do lytell
good.