66

them all to holde their pease, that he myght the better here and understande Robert. Than sayd Robert to the pope in this manner: O! holy fader, I am the moost and the greteste syner of all the worlde!" The pope toke Robert up by the hande, and sayde to hym: "Good frende, what is your desyre, and what eleth you to make all this noyse?" Than sayd Robert: "O! holy fader, I beseche you to here my confessyon, for I be not by you assoyled, I am dampned worlde withouten ende, for it is meruayle that the deuyll bere me not awaye body and soule, seynge the foule innumerable synne that I am laden and bounden withall more than ony man lyuynge; and in soo moche that ye are he that gyeuth helpe and comforte to them that haue nede, therefore I humbly beseche you for the passyon of our Lorde Jhesu Cryst to here and purge me of my abhomynable synnes, wherby I am deceued and departed from al the joyes of heuen, and I am wors than a Jewe." The pope herynge this, demed and thought in hymselfe whether this were Robert the Deuyll, and axed hym, "Sone, be ye Robert the whiche I haue herde so moche spekynge of, the whiche is worst of all men." Than Robert answered and sayd, "Ye." Than the pope sayd: "I wyll assoyle you, but I conjure you in the name of God that ye do no man harme." The pope and all that were aboute hym were aferde to loke upon Robert. Robert fell on his knees with great deuocyon and repentaunce of hys synnes, saynge, 66 Holy fader, nay as longe as I lyue I promyse God and his blessed

moder I wyll neuer hurte Crysten creature." Than incontynent the pope toke Robert aparte, and herde his confessyon, to whome Robert shrowe him deuoutly, shewynge how his moder had gyuen hym to the deuyll in his concepcyon, wherof the pope was sore aferde.

How the pope sente Robert thre myle without Rome to an holy heremyte.

THE pope this herynge was gretly abasshed, and blessyd hym, and sayd to Robert: “ My dere sone, ye muste goo thre myle without the towne, and there ye shall fynde an heremyte whiche is my goostly fader, and to hym ye shall confesse you, and saye that I sende you to hym, and he shall asoyle you." Robert answered the pope : I wyll go with a good wyll;" and toke his leue of the pope saynge, "God gyue me grace to do that may be to the helth of my soule." Soo that nyght Robert abode in Rome, for it was late, and in the mornynge erly Robert went out of Rome towarde the place where he sholde fynde the heremyte; and so he wente so longe ouer hylles and dales with grete desyre to be shryuen of his synnes, and at last he came where the heremyte dwelled, whereof he was glad, and came to the heremyte and tolde hym how the pope had sent hym theder to be confessed of hym. Than the heremyte sayd he was hertly welcome; and within a whyle Robert began to confesse and shewe his synne, and fyrst he shewed the heremyte how his moder had gyuen hym to the deuyll in his concepcyon; and how he smote

the chyldren in his youth or he coude goo alone; and how he kylled his scole master; and how many knyghtes he kylled at the iustynge whan his fader made hym knyght; and he rode thorowe his fader's lande, robbynge and stelynge, forsynge of women, rauysynghe of maydens; and how he thrast out the eyen of his fader's* men in despyte of hym; and how he had kylled vii heremytes; and shortly shewed hym all the offences that euer he dyde, sethen the houre of hys byrth tyll that tyme, wherof the heremyte had maruayle, but he was glad that Robert was repentaunt for hys synnes. Whan Robert had thus confessed hym, the heremyte sayd to hym: Sone, thys nyght ye shall abyde here, and to morrowe I shall gyue good councell of that ye haue to do." Robert that was so curst and myscheuous, ferful cruel, and proude as a lyon, is now as gentyll and curteys, and swete of wordes, and wyse in his dedes, as euer was ony duke or prynce lyuynge. Then Robert was soo wery and ouercome with goynge, that he coude nother ete nor drynke, but went aparte and sayd his prayers to Almighty God, prayenge hym thrughe his indeles mercy, that he wolde kepe hym from the fendes temptacyon and deceyte, the heremyte made Robert to lye that nyght in a lytell chapell that stode nye his celle, and the heremyte prayed all the nyght to our lorde for Robert, whiche sawe that he hadde grete repentaunce for his synnes, and thus prayenge the heremyte fell a sleep.

How God sent an aungell to the heremyte to shewe hym the penaunce that he sholde gyue to Robert for his synnes.

THE heremyte being thus a slepe, ther cam to hym an aungell, saynge to hym in this wyse: "Holy fader, here and take hede of the message that God commaundeth the; yf that Robert wyll be shryven of his synnes, he must kepe and counterfete the wayes of a fole, and be as he were dombe; and he may ete no maner of mete, but that he can take it from the dogges; and in this wyse, without spekynge, and counterfetynge the fole, and no thynge etynge but what he can take from the dogges, must he be tyll tyme that it please God to shewe hym that his synne be forgyuen;" and with this vycyon the heremyte awoke out of his slepe, and began to remembre hymselfe of this that sayd is, and thanked our Lorde of his message done to hym. And whan the day began to apere, the heremyte called Robert unto hym, with fare and comfortable wordes saynge to hym, "My frende, come hether to me;" and incontynent Robert came to hym with grete deuocyon, hym confessynge. And whan Robert had shryuen him, the heremyte sayd thus unto hym: "Sone, I thought and aduysed me of the penance that ye shall haue, to get remyssyon of your synnes, in whiche ye gretly offended ayenst God, that is to wete ye must counterfayte and playe the fole; and ye may ete no mete but that ye can take it from the dogges whan men gyue them ought;

also you must kepe you dombe without speche, and lye among dogges, for thus hath God thys nyght commaunded me by a aungell to gyue you this for your penaunce, and ye may offende no man the whyle your penaunce be a doynge; and this penaunce ye must doo for your synnes in maner and forme as I haue tolde. you, tyll suche tyme as it shall please your Lorde to sende you worde that your synnes be forgyuen.”. Robert beynge mery and glad, thank ynge our Lorde that he was assoyled of his synnes, and had therfore so lyght penaunce as hym thought that it was. Nowe taketh Robert leve of the heremyte, and goth to do his sharpe penaunce, whiche he helde but lyghte, remembrynge his grete abhomynable stynkynge synnes that he hath done all the dayes of his lyfe; this was a fayre myracle, for he that was so vycyous and so furyous a rebell, and proude a synner, is now so full of uertues and fayre condycyons and tame as a lambe.

How Robert the Deuyll toke leve of the heremyte, and went agayne to Rome to do his penaunce that the heremyte had gyuen hym.

ROBERT had taken leue of the heremyte, and is gone towarde Rome, there for to do his penaunce. And whan he came into the cyte he began to lepe and renne about the stretes, makynge hymselfe as he had ben a fole, and the chyldren in the stretes se Robert renne in this wyse, and they after hym shoutynge and cryenge and castynge with myre and derte, and all suche fylth