fol. 4v

and sothe to saie he went nev[er]e thenne
but of his lyfe right þere he made an ende.
¶ Also þe worthi noble Simachus.
that was a man grounded alle in grace.
þat as in vertu was heroicus.
þer left not suche a nothre as he was.
At Ravenne eke he slowe hym cruelly.
and aftrewarde in that in that same place.
the next yere he dyed sodeynly.
¶ And as seint .Gregor. doth hym slef write.
As his dialog maketh mencyoun.
there was þat tyme an holy heremyte.
As he was in his contemplacioun.
he sawe .Theodoryk. in visioun.
Bitwene .Simachus. and pope .John.
Right as a thef to his dampnacioun.
howe he was ledde and aftire þat anone.
¶ In þe yle of .Vulcan. was he cast þan.
þat fþulle ys of fyry flaume of helle.
there in alwey . in peynes for to brenne.
And wiþ þe foule Feendes . for to dwelle.
For tyranntes þat so fers bene & felle.
Suche rewardes arayde be for her mede.
I say but as olde bokes telle.
Now to my purpose tyme it is I spede.
¶ And ev[er]y lorde . or lady what ye be
Or clerk, that liketh for to rede . þis.
Biseche .I. lowly with humylite.
supporte where I have do amys.
Correcte . onely . þere þat nedefull is.
If worde or sentence . be not as it sholde.