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II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
[PART II.
Successours to Peter ben these
590In that that Peter Christ forsook,
That had lever the love of god [to] lese
Than a shep[h]erde had to lese his hook.
He culleth the sheep as doth the cook;
Of hem [they] taken the woll untrend,
595And falsely glose the gospell-book;
God, for his mercy, †hem amend!
590In that that Peter Christ forsook,
That had lever the love of god [to] lese
Than a shep[h]erde had to lese his hook.
He culleth the sheep as doth the cook;
Of hem [they] taken the woll untrend,
595And falsely glose the gospell-book;
God, for his mercy, †hem amend!
After Christ had take Peter the kay,
Christ sayd, he mustë dye for man;
That Peter to Christ gan withsay;
600Christ bad him, ‘go behind, Sathan!’
Such counsaylours many of these men han
For worldes wele, god to offend;
Peters successours they ben for-than,
But all such god may well amend.
Christ sayd, he mustë dye for man;
That Peter to Christ gan withsay;
600Christ bad him, ‘go behind, Sathan!’
Such counsaylours many of these men han
For worldes wele, god to offend;
Peters successours they ben for-than,
But all such god may well amend.
605For Sathan is to say no more
But he that contrary to Christ is;
In this they lernë Peters lore,
They sewen him whan he did mis;
They folowe Peter forsothe in this,
610In al that Christ wolde †him reprende,
Nat in that that longeth to hevin blis;
God for his mercy hem amend!
But he that contrary to Christ is;
In this they lernë Peters lore,
They sewen him whan he did mis;
They folowe Peter forsothe in this,
610In al that Christ wolde †him reprende,
Nat in that that longeth to hevin blis;
God for his mercy hem amend!
Some of the apostels they sewen in cas,
Of ought that I can understonde,
615Him that betrayed Christ, Judas,
That bar the purse in every londe;
And al that he might sette on honde,
He hidde and stal, and [gan] mispend;
His rule these traytours han in honde;
620Almighty god [now] hem amend!
Of ought that I can understonde,
615Him that betrayed Christ, Judas,
That bar the purse in every londe;
And al that he might sette on honde,
He hidde and stal, and [gan] mispend;
His rule these traytours han in honde;
620Almighty god [now] hem amend!
590. forsoke. 591. Supply to (as in l. 592). 592. hoke. 593. shepe; dothe; coke. 594. Supply they; vntrende. 595. -boke. 596. them amende. 600. badde; behynde. 601. Suche. 602. offende. 604. suche; amende. 606. Read contrar. 608. mysse. 610. Peter (read him); reprehende. 611. But nat (om. But); heuyn blysse. 612. amende. 613. case. 616. bare. 618. stale; supply gan; myspende. 620. Supply now; amende.
