ABSTRACT
8 Good men and woymen, þys ys þe þrydde Sonenday of Lenton. Wherfor we redyn yn þe gospell of þys day how our Lord Ihesu. Crist cast out a dombe fende of a man; and when þe fende was 12 out, þen þe man spake. Then schull 3e vndyrstond by þys dombe man all þat haue no pouste yn hor tong to schryue hom of ydull oþes, of ydull wordys, and of ydull þoghtys þat a man wyth delyte occupyeth his hert yn. And when he comyth to schryft, þen ys 16 he dombe, and spekyþe not of hom, wenyng hyt be no synne to þenke on an ydull þoght, ne forto speke ydull wordys to make men to lagh, ne forto swer an oth doþe no harme. 3us, for soþe, hit ys such a synne, as Crist sayth hymselfe, þat a man schall 20 3eue acownte þerof, yn þe day of dome, of yche ydull word þat a man spekyth. Wherfore forto wythdraw all men of such oþes and wordys, Seynt Poule yn þe pystull of þys day forbedyth yche cristen man not to speke all maner ydull speche, and rybaudy, 24 and harlatry, and all othyr speches þat turnyth to foly and to noght. And byddyth hom || speke suche wordys þat ben worschyp- 57 a full to God, and profet to hom þat heryn hom. And byddyþe þat suche foly wordys and rybawdy schuld not be nempnyd among 28 Godis pepull; for þeras þay ben oft ynempnet, þay ben þoght on 1 , and so þay fallyn ynto þe dede of synne, and þogh þe dede of synne sewe not, neuerþeles þe lyst þat a man haþe yn spekyng, ys a gret synne.
