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A woman there was some tym alyve, that was a bawde betwene an housbond-
man and anothere mannys wife, and ofte sithe had brought hem togedre in the
synne of avoutery; and contenued many a day throw help of this bawde. Atte laste
this woman, that was bawde, felle seke, and shuld deye. She thought in here
herte, how she had ben a synfull wrech, and was sory in here herte that ever she
had offendid God, and thought she wolde amende here, as holy chirche wolde;
and sente for here criature and was shrevyn and toke here penaunce, as she
myght for the tyme, and was in wille never to torne agayne to synne; and wepte
faste, and praiede Criste, for the vertue of His blessyd passyon, that He wolde
have mercy on here, and also for the prayere of His blessyd modre and all seyntes;
and so she passyd oute of this worlde. And sone after, the man and the woman
that lyvedyn in synne, deyedyn withoute repentaunce. This womans housbond
praide faste for his wife, that was the bawde, that God wolde shewe hym how his
wife fared. Afterwarde on a nyght, as he lay in his bedde, his wife aperid to hym,
and seide, "Housbond, be not aferde, but rise up, and go with me, for thou shalte
se mervayles." He rose, and wente with here, til they come into a fayre playne.
Then she seide, "Stond here still, and be not aferde, for thou shalte have no
harme, and wisely beholde what thou shalte se." Then she wente a litill way from
hym til she come at a grete stone that had an hole in the myddes; and as she stode
afore the stone, sodenly she was a longe addre, and putte here hede in at an hole in
the myddys of the stone, ande crepte throwe; but she lefte hire hame withoute the
stone, and anone she stode up a fayre woman. And sone after com two devyls
yellyng and broughtyn a cawderon full of hote wellyng brasse, and sette it downe
besyde the stone; and after hem came othere two devyls, cryenge, and broughtyn
a man; and after hem came othere two devyls, with grete noyse, and broughtyn a
woman. Than the two devyls tokyn bothe the man ande the woman that they
brought, and caste hem into a cawderon and helde hem there, till the fleshe was
sothyn fro the bone. Then they tokyn oute the bonys, and leyde hem beside the
cawderon; and anone they were made man and woman. And the devyls caste hem
in agayne into the cawderon; and thus were they served many a tyme. And then the
devyls wentyn as they comyn thiddere. The woman, that crepte throw the stone,
wente agayne to hire housbonde, and seide, "Knewes thou ought this man and this
woman?" He seide, "Yee, they were oure neghbores." "Sawe thou," she saide,
"what payne they had?" He saide, "Yee, an hideouse payne." "This peyne," she
seide, "shull they have in helle ever more, for they lyvedyn in avoutery, and amendid
hem nought. And I was bawde betwene hem, and brought heme togedre; and I
shuld have bene with hem in the cawderon ever had I nought amendid me in my
lyfe, with contricion, confession, and satisfaccion, as I myght, be the mercy of
God; and crepte throw the stone, and lefte my hame behynde me." The stone is
Criste; the hole is his blessid wounde on His side; and the hame is my synnes that
I lefte behynde me, be the merite of Cristes passion; and therfore I shall be savyd.
Go thou now home, and bewarre of synne, and amende thee, for thou shalte lyve
but a while; and do almesse dedes for thee and for me." Then the housbond wente
home, and did as she bade hym; and with in shorte tyme after he deyede and
wente to the blisse.
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