OF THEM THAT PLAYE AND IAPE AT THE MASSE.
SHALLE telle yow another Ensample of them that jangle at the masse, when they ought to here the seruyse of god. It is conteyned in the gestys of Athenes that ther was an heremyte, a moche hooly man and of blessid lyf. And he had a Chappel in his hermytage of saynt Johan. And thyder cam many knyghtes, squyers, ladyes, and damoysels of the Countre, as wel for the feste as for the holynes of hym. And this hooly heremyte songe the masse, and when he torned hym after the gospel he behelde the ladyes and damoisels, knygtes and squyers, that bourded & iangled in the tyme of the masse and ronned one with another. And he beheld moche theyr contenaunce, and he sawe that at eche ere of man and woman was a fende, moche black and horryble, whiche also laughed and jangled amonge them, and wrote the wordes that were said. These fendes wenten spryngyng vppon theyr queynt arayement and nyce araye, lyke as the smale byrdes that lepe fro brauche to brauche. And this hooly man blessid hym and merueyled. And when he was in his canon aboute thende he herde them speke and laughe, and thenne he smote the booke for to make them be stylle, but somme there were that wold not. Thenne said he, "Fayre lord god, make thou them to hold their pees and be styll, and that they may knowe their folye." Thenne they that soo laughed bigan to crye and braye, bothe men and wymmen, as demonyakes and suffryng so grete peyne that it was a pytous thyng to see and here. And when the masse was songen the hooly heremyte said hou he hadde sene the fendes of helle laugh vpon them with euyl contenaunces when he was at the masse. And after he told them that they fylle in grete perylle when they spak and bourded, and of the grete synne that they dide in the tyme of the masse, when
