_Ogy._ But rather thou woldest
call hym humanite it selfe if thou dydest well know
hym. For ther is in hym soche lernynge, so vertuouse
lyffe, soche purenes of maneres, that a ma cowld wyshe
no gyfte of a parfayte Byshope in him, that he hathe
nat. Frome thens afterward we were ladde to greater
thynges. For behynde the hyghe aultre, we ascedyd as it
were in to a nother new churche, ther was shewed vs in
a chapell the face of the blessed man ouergylted and
with many precyous stones goodly garnysshed. A soden
chaunse here had almost marred the matter and put vs
out of conceyte. _Me._ I tary || to knowe what euyl
chaunse yow wyll speke of. _Ogy._ Here my companyo
Gratia gote hym lytle fauoure, for he, after we had mad
an ende of praynge, inquyred of hym that sate by the
hede, herke, he seyd, good father, is it true that I
here, that saynt Thomas whyl he it lyued was mercyfull
toward ye poer people? That is very true saythe he, and
he bega to tell greatly of his liberalyte and
compassyon that he shewede to the poer and nedy. Then
sayd Gratia: I thynke that affection and good mynd in
him not to be chaungyde, but that it is now moche
better. Unto this graunted ye keper of the hede, agayn
sayd he, then in as moche as thys holy man was so
gratyouse vnto ye poer, whan he was yet poer, & he hym
selfe had nede of monay for ye necessarys of hys body,
thynke ye nat that he wold be contet, now that he is so
ryche, and also nedethe || nothynge, that if a poer
woma hauynge at home chylderne lakynge mete and drynke,
or els doughters beynge in danger to lose ther
virginite, for defaute of ther substaunce to mary them
with, or hauynge her husbande sore syke, and destitute
of all helpe, in case she askyd lycens, & pryuyly stole
away a small porcyon of so greate riches, to sukkre her
howshold, as and if the shold haue it of one that wold
other leane, or gyue it to herre? And whan he wold nat
answere that kepyd the golden hedde, Gracyane, as he is
som what hasty, I, saythe he, doo suppose playnly, that
this holy man wold be gladde, yf that she, now beynge
deade, myght sustayne the necestiye of pore people.
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