heyr lyues wyll neuer do
charyte to theyr neghbours, that God in tyme of theyr dethe wyll not
suffre them to haue grace of repentaunce.

FOOTNOTES:

[26] Orig. reads _and_: _but_ seems to be required.

+ _Of the mylner that stale the nuttes of the tayler that stale a
shepe._ xvi.

+ There was a certayne ryche husbandman in a vyllage, whiche louyd
nuttes meruelously well and sette trees of fylberdes and other nutte
trees in his orcharde, and norysshed them well all his lyfe; and when he
dyed he made his executours to make promyse to bery with him in his
graue a bagge of nuttes, or els they sholde not be his executours;
which executours, for fere of lesynge of theyre romes[28] fulfylled his
mynde and dyd so. It happenyd that, the same nyghte after that he was
beryed, there was a mylner in a whyte cote cam to this mannes garden to
the entent to stele a bagge of nuttes; and in the way he met wyth a
tayler in a black cote, an vnthrift of hys acquayntance, and shewyd hym
hys intent. This tayler lykewyse shewyd hym, that he intendyd the same
tyme to stele a shepe; and so they bothe there agred to go forwarde
euery man seuerally wyth hys purpose; and after that they apoynted to
make god chere eche wyth other and to mete agayn in the chyrch porch,
and he that cam fyrste to tarye for the other. This mylner, when he had
spede of hys nuttys, came furst to the chyrch porch, and there taryed
for hys felow, and the mene whyle satte styll there and knakked nuttes.
It fortuned than the sexten of the church, because yt was about ix of
the cloke, cam to ryng curfue; and whan he lokyd in the porche and sawe
one all in whyte knakkynge nuttes he had wente[29] it had bene the dede
man rysyn owt of hys graue, knakkynge the nuttes that were beryed wyth
hym, and ran home agayne in all hast and tolde to a krepyll that was in
his house what he had sene. Thys crepyll, thus herynge hym, rebuked the
sexten and sayd that yf he were able to go he wolde go thyder and
coniure the spyryte. By my trouthe, quod the sexten, and yf thou darest
do that, I wyll bere the on my neck; and so they both agreed. The sexten
toke the creple on his nek, and cam in to the chyrchyarde again, and the
mylner in the porch seeing[30] one comynge beryng a thynge on his necke
had went[31] it had ben the tayler comynge with the shepe, and rose vp
to mete them. And as he cam towarde them, he askyd and sayd: is he fat,
is he fat? The sexten, heryng hym sey so, for fere