for the gretnes of hir Religioun with a demure spirite toke hir
in. To this forsoth folowed hir whelp. Whan this goode womman
saw that litel hound so weepyng [she] askid what it had and ailed
and wherfor it so the eyen tered and wept. To this thold wif aunswerd:
'Diere friende, ne aske nat what is the cause forwhi it is
so grete a sorow that I may nat tel it.' Forsoth the womman
somoche the [more] stired hir to telle. Than thold wif or old Vek
saide: 'This litel hounde the whiche thow biholdist was my doughter,
a chast maiden and a faire and right beautevous, whom suche
a yongman loved; but she was so chast that in althyng vttirly his
love she dispised.'[1] Wherof he somoche sorowyng was streyned
in to a grete sikenes; for the whiche blame wrecchidly my doughter
here is chaunged in to an hounde.' And this saide, for grete sorowe
she brake out in teeris wepyng, that old wif. To that the goode
womman: 'What! therfor diere dame, I feele mysilf that I am
made in like synne. Me forsoth a yongman lovith, but of my
chastite his love I have vttirly dispised, and in like maner to hym
it fallith.' To whom that old wif: 'Ewer I praise the, my diere
friende, but rather (f. 124b) than this wrecchidnes of eschaunge
in to an hounde shuld fal to the, do that he askith and desirith.
If forsoth I had knowen the love bytwene the forsaide yongman and
my doughter, mi doughter shuld never have be[n] chaunged.' To
whom the chast womman saide: 'I beseche the as in this thyng
that thow tel me holsum and profitable counsail that my forme and
shap be nat deprived and made like an hound.' To whom thold wif:
'For the love of god[2] right gladly, and forwhi of the, my doughter,
I am merciful and have on the compassioun; and that forsaide
yongman I shal seeke if he may be in any place founde and bryng
hym vnto the.' To whom the womman dide thankynges. And so
thold wif with hir crafty spechis and wordis yaf hir feith; and the
yongman whom she promysed brought and so felawshipped hem
toguyder."
"A," quod the disciple to the Maister, "Never herd I of suche
a mervaile, whiche as I trowe was don bi craft of the devil." Quod
the Maister: "Ne doubte the nat it was so." Than quod the disciple:
"I hope if any suche man were so sapient, as alwey he drad
hym how he myght be disceived bi the engyne and craft of womman
haply he myght kepe hym from hir engyne and wiles." Quod the
Maister: "I have herde of suche a man whiche that moche laboured,
