ere on hyght, he sayd thus: Lo! nowe
standeth the potte there, as I wolde haue it. This wyfe hearynge

_4 lines wanting._

FOOTNOTES:

[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.

FOOTNOTES:

[110] planted it against the roost.

+ _Of the husbande that sayd he was John Daw._ lxvi.

+ It _happened_ dyuers to be in communicacyon, amonge whome there was a
curate or a parysshe preest and one John Dawe, a parisshon of his;
whiche ii had communicacyon more busy than other in thys maner. This
preest thought that one myght nat by felynge knowe one from a nother in
the darke. John Dawe his parysshone, [being] of the contrary opinyon,
layde with his curate for a wager xl pence; whervpon the parysshe
preest, wyllynge to proue his wager, wente to this John Dawes house in
the euenynge, and sodenly gate hym to bedde with his wyfe; where, whan
he began to be somwhat busye, she felynge his crowne sayde shortely with
a loude voyce: by God! thou art nat John Dawe. That hearynge, her
husbande answered: thou sayest trouthe, wyfe, I John Dawe am here.[111]
Therfore, mayster persone, gyue me the money: for ye haue loste your xl.
pence.

By this tale y