Hou Merci multiplieþ þe timliche guodes, hyerof we habbeþ uele uayre
uorbisnen, huerof ich wille hier zome telle. Me ret of Saint Germain of
Aucer_r_e þet, þo he com uram Rome, ate outguoinge of Melane, he acsede
at onen of his diaknen yef he hedde eny zeluer, and he ansuerede þet
{5} he ne hedde bote þri pans, uor Say<n>t Germayn hit hedde al yeue to
pouren. Þanne he him het þet he his ssolde yeue to þe poure, uor God
hedde ynoȝ of guode, huerof he hise uedde uor þane day. Þe dyacne
mid greate pine and mid greate grochinge yeaf þe tuaye pans, and ofhild
þane þridde. Þe {10} sergont of ane riche kniȝte him broȝte ane
his lhordes haf tuo hondred pans. Þo clepede he his dyacne, and him zede
þet he hedde benome þe poure ane peny, and yef he hedde yeue þane þridde
peny to þe poure, þe kniȝt him hedde yzent þri hondred pans. {15}
Efterward me ret ine þe lyue of Ion þe Amoner, þet wes zuo ycleped uor
þe greate elmesses þet he dede: A riche ientilman wes yrobbed of þieues,
zuo þet him naȝt ne blefte. He him com to playni to þe uorzede manne,
and he him zede his cas. He hedde greate reuþe þerof, and het his {20}
desspendoure þet he him yeaue uyftene pond of gold. Þe spendere, be his
couaytise, ne yeaf bote vyf. An haste a gentil wymman wodewe zente to
þe uore-yzede Ion uif hondred pond of gold. Þo he clepede his spendere,
and him acsede hou moche he hedde yyeue to þe kniȝte. He ansuerede
{25} 'vyftene pond.' Þe holy man ansuerede þet 'nay, he ne hedde bote
vyf'; and huanne he hit wiste þe ilke zelue þet his hedde onderuonge,
zuo zayde to his spendere þet yef he hedde yyeue þe viftene pond þet
he hedde yhote, oure Lhord him hede yzent be þe guode wyfman a þouzond
and vyf {30} hondred pond. And huanne he acsede ate guode wyfman, þo
he hedde hise ycleped, hou moche hi hedde him ylete, hi andzuerede þet
uerst hi hedde ywrite ine hare testament þet hi him let a þousend and
vyf hondred pond. Ac hi lokede efterward ine hare testament, and hi
yzeȝ þe þousend pond {35} defaced of hire write, and zuo ylefde þe
guode wyfman þet God wolde þet hi ne zente bote vif hondred.
Efterward Saint Gregori telþ þet Saint Boniface uram þet he wes child he
wes zuo piteuous þet he yaf ofte his kertel and his sserte to þe poure
uor God, þaȝ his moder him byete {40} ofte þeruore. Þanne bevil þet
þet child yzeȝ manie poure þet hedden mezeyse. He aspide þet his
moder nes naȝt þer. An haste he yarn to þe gerniere, and al þet his
moder hedde ygadered uor to pasi þet yer he hit yaf þe poure. And þo his
moder com, and wyste þe ilke dede, hy wes al out of hare {45} wytte. Þet
child bed oure Lhorde, and þet gernier wes an haste al uol.
Efterward þer wes a poure man, ase me zayþ, þet hedde ane cou; and
yhyerde zigge of his preste ine his prechinge þet God zede ine his
spelle þet God wolde yelde an hondreduald {50} al þet me yeaue uor him.
Þe guode man, mid þe rede of his wyue, yeaf his cou to his preste, þet
wes riche. Þe prest his nom bleþeliche, and hise zente to þe oþren þet
he hedde. Þo hit com to euen, þe guode mannes cou com hom to his house
ase hi wes ywoned, and ledde mid hare alle þe {55} prestes ken, al to
an hondred. Þo þe guode man yzeȝ þet, he þoȝte þet þet wes þet word of
þe Godspelle þet he hedde yyolde; and him hi weren yloked beuore his
bissoppe aye þane prest. Þise uorbisne sseweþ wel þet merci is guod
chapuare, uor hi deþ wexe þe timliche guodes. {60}