e he knew well that he had ben vnthryfty; how be it, yf he
knew he wold amend hys condycyons he wolde make hym hys executour and
leue hym hys goods, so that he wolde promyse hym to pray for hys soule
and so fynde one dayly to syng for hym: which thyng to performe hys
sonne there made a faythfull promyse. After that this man made hym hys
executour, and dyed. But after that hys sonne kept such ryot, that in
short tyme he had wasted and spente all, and had nothynge left but a
henne and a cocke that was his fader's. It fortunyd than that one of hys
frendys came to hym, and sayd he was sory that he had wasted so moch,
and askyd hym how he wolde performe hys promyse made to hys fader that
he wolde kepe one to syng for hym. Thys yong man answered and sayde: by
God! yet I wyll performe my promyse: for I wyll kepe this same cocke
alyue styl, and he wyl krow euery day, and so he shall synge euery day
for my faders soule; and so I wyl performe my promyse wel ynough.

By thys ye maye se, that it is wysdome for a man to do good dedys hym
selfe, whyle he is here, and not to trust to the prayer and promyse of
hys executours.

+ _Of the mayde wasshynge clothes that answered the frere._ xxi.

+ There was a mayde stode by a reuers syde in her smoke,[45] wasshynge
clothes, and as she stouped ofttymes, her smocke cleued betune her
buttockkes. By whome there cam a frere, seynge[46] her and sayde in
sporte: mayde, mayde, take hede: for Bayarde bytes on the brydell.[47]
Nay, wys [I], master frere, quod the mayden, he doth but wype hys
mouthe, and wenyth ye wyll come and kysse hym.

By thys ye may se that womans answer is neuer to seke.

+ _Of the thre wyse men of Gotam._ xxii.

+ A certayn man there was dwellynge in a towne called Gotam that went to
a fayre iii myle for to bye shepe; and as he cam ouer a bryge he met
with one of hys neyghbours and told hym whether[48] he went, and askyd
hym whych way he wold bryng them. Whyche sayd he wolde brynge them ouer
the same bryge. Nay, quod the other man, but thou shalt not, by God!
quod

_4 lines of the original are wanting._

_Presently there came a milner, who bore a sack of_[49] mele vpon a
horse, a neybour of theyrs, and paciently askyd them what was the cause
of theyr varyaunce; which than she_wyd to hym_ the mater and cause, as
ye haue harde. Thys thyrde man, the mylner, _beganne_ for to rebuke them
by a famylyer example, and toke his sacke of mele _from_ his horse ba