Forsoth also he herd al the houshold as in suche a busynes evene
moeved, and to tho thynges whiche to the lord and his felawship and
to hors wern necessary, here and ther ran and arraied. In the meane
while the wikked wif was so gnawen in hir conscience for dreede
lest she shuld be take with the clerk, mette hir husbond with faire
delicious wordis that he shulde nat be suspect of hir cursed deedis,
willyng if that she myght nat only hym, but al his felawship in like
gladnes, lest anything with grace issued withoutfurth as only the
cause of his so soone comyng to require, she beyng glad in as moche
as she myght to withhold as to shewe agenst a friend. The wretchid
clerk huydeng[1] in a corner for the dreede of the houshold meyne
til al wern housed, was nat so hardy to go out of the Court. Forsoth
he knew hymsilf to be prived of his life if he at suche tyme
he wer ther founde of any of the lordes (f. 138) meyne. Whiche
put and sette in so straite[2] an angwissh, seeyng nowher no subsidie,
refuge, nor help whider to flee, sawe a Tonne of the whiche
that on end was out, lay in the porche of the house. The whiche
forsoth whan he had seen, thider tended, and willyng hymsilf ther
to huyde, entred in hopyng to escape the perel folowyng. But with
the maner of that fere and basshidnes his drede bigan to augmente
and to encrease. Forwhi ther was a Bere tied in the Court the
whiche brak his cheyne at the discours and rennyng of the
servauntis[3] whom the houndis foloweden hider and thider and in
their pursute hym bote and driew, and of veray neede coarted hym
to entre in to the Tonne above saide. The meyne and seruauntis
fallyng to with grete and stavis willyng to drawe hym out, myght
nat performe it, whos body was al hid save only the hede. The
grace of this maner thyng of theym withoutfurth expelleden ran to
that other part of the tonne to cast out the bottum. The wretche
whiche was hid withyn tremblyng, quakyng and wailyng, praieng
god that thei myght nat breke it, hield fast with al his myght, and
with his feete knocked and smote on the Beres bak and with his
hede he hield the bottum; so the Bere wold he nold he fled and the
wretche huydyng remayned. The suters of this thyng ne bien thei
nat of this vnremembred.
Page:Disciplina Clericalis (English translation) from the fifteenth century Worcester Cathedral Manuscript F. 172.djvu/77
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DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS
71