noise and the cry ran and founde a man slayn and sought what he
myght be that did the manslaughter, entred the temple hopyng to
fynde the mansleer ther. Fyndyng ther the Egipcian and askyng
of hym wherfor he had slayn the man, he heryng this of theym[1]
saide: "I am he that hath slayn the man; coveityng deth so to end
his pover[te]". And so was he taken and imprisoned, and on the
morow brought bifore the juges and to the deth condempned and to
the gibet and for to execucioun. Many forsoth ther were in that
maner that met hym, of the whiche oon was his friende of whos
cause[2] he cam [to] Baldach, and sharply beholdyng hym tooke hym
to be his friend whiche he left in Egipt. Remembryng also of the
goodenes whiche he had done to hym in Egipt, thynkyng forwhi that
after his deth he myght nat yield nor acquite hym his goode deede,
decreed in hymsilf for hym to die. And with a grete voice cryeng,
"What condempne yee an innocent? Whider wiln yee leede [hym]
that no deth hath deserved? It is I that hath the man slayn." Than
thei laiden handis on hym and hym bond and hym led with that
other toward the gybet for to have execucioun; and that other from
the peyne of deth loosed and absoiled. The mansleer beyng in the
same pres, biholdyng and seeyng this, than went with theym and
saide in hymsilf[3]; "I have slayn the man (f. 120b) and this is
dampned. And here another innocent is deputed vnto turment, and I
forsoth that hath don the nuysaunce goeth free. What is the cause
of this maner of justice I wote nat, but that only it be of the grete
suffraunce and pacience of god. Forsoth I knowe that god is a
veray just juge and no hid synne levith vnpunysshed. And lest that
he herafter take on me more harder vengeaunce, so of this maner of
blame I shal nat deferre me to be gilty. And so from deth I shal
assoile and loose [hym] to purge and clense the synne that I have
don." [He] obeied hymsilf[4] therfor to the perel saieng: "I, I whiche
hath don the evil; these that ye han dampned[5], leve yee hem
vnhurt." Forsoth the juges nat a litel woundryng thiese[6] other from
deth delyvered they bond. And now nat a litel[7] of jugement
doubtyng this with thiese other bifore delyvred ledden bifore the
kyng and to hym al told and rehersed bi order and hym also com-
- ↑ Lat. (I. 5, l. 13) audierunt ab ipso quia ego illum interfeci.
- ↑ Ms. 'cauj'; Lat. cuius causa.
- ↑ These three words inserted on margin
- ↑ Lat. (I, 6, l. 2) obiecit se ergo periculo dicens.
- ↑ 'that ...... dampned' not in the Latin, which has istum dimittite in noxium.
- ↑ Lat. (I, 6, l. 2) hunc.
- ↑ The preceding three words supplied on margin.
