PART I.]
II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
155
245Christ sayd: Qui gladio percutit
With swerdë shall [he surely] dye;
He bad his preestes pees and grith,
And bad hem not drede for to dye;
And bad them be both simple and slye,
250And carkë not for no cattail,
And †truste on god that sitteth on hye;
For all [such] falsë shull foul fall.
With swerdë shall [he surely] dye;
He bad his preestes pees and grith,
And bad hem not drede for to dye;
And bad them be both simple and slye,
250And carkë not for no cattail,
And †truste on god that sitteth on hye;
For all [such] falsë shull foul fall.
These wollen makë men to swere
Ayenst Christes commaundëment;
255And Christes membres all to-tere
On rode as he wer newe y-rent.
Suche lawes they make by commun assent,
Ech on it choweth as a ball;
Thus the pore be fully shent,
260But ever falshed foule it †fall!
Ayenst Christes commaundëment;
255And Christes membres all to-tere
On rode as he wer newe y-rent.
Suche lawes they make by commun assent,
Ech on it choweth as a ball;
Thus the pore be fully shent,
260But ever falshed foule it †fall!
They usen [never] no symonye,
But sellen churches and prioryes;
Ne [yet] they usen no envye,
But cursen all hem contraryes;
265And hyreth men by dayes and yeres
With strength to holde hem in hir stall;
And culleth all hir adversaryes;
Therefor, falshed! foul thou fall!
But sellen churches and prioryes;
Ne [yet] they usen no envye,
But cursen all hem contraryes;
265And hyreth men by dayes and yeres
With strength to holde hem in hir stall;
And culleth all hir adversaryes;
Therefor, falshed! foul thou fall!
With purse they purchase personage,
270With purse they paynen hem to plede;
And men of warrë they woll wage,
To bringe hir enemyes to the dede.
And lordes lyves they woll lede,
And moche take, and give but small;
275But he it so get, from it shall shede,
And make such falsë right foul fal!
270With purse they paynen hem to plede;
And men of warrë they woll wage,
To bringe hir enemyes to the dede.
And lordes lyves they woll lede,
And moche take, and give but small;
275But he it so get, from it shall shede,
And make such falsë right foul fal!
246. Supply he surely. 247. peace. 248. bade. 251. trusteth (!). 252. Supply such; foule. 256. roode. 257. commen. 258. Echeon. 259. poore. 260. befall; read fall. 261. Supply never. 263. Supply yet. 266. her. 267. her. 268. foule; falle. 272. her. 276. suche; foule.
