PART II.]
II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
167
And at last his lord gan tray
Cursedly, through his covetyse;
So wolde these trayen him for money,
And they wisten in what wyse!
625They be seker of the selfe ensyse;
From all sothnesse they ben frend;
And covetyse chaungen with queyntyse;
Almighty god all suche amend!
Cursedly, through his covetyse;
So wolde these trayen him for money,
And they wisten in what wyse!
625They be seker of the selfe ensyse;
From all sothnesse they ben frend;
And covetyse chaungen with queyntyse;
Almighty god all suche amend!
Were Christ on erthë here eft-soon,
630These wolde dampnë him to dye;
All his hestes they han fordon,
And sayn, his sawes ben heresy;
Ayenst his †maundëments they cry,
And dampne all his to be [y-]brend;
635For it lyketh nat hem, such losengery;
God almighty hem amend!
630These wolde dampnë him to dye;
All his hestes they han fordon,
And sayn, his sawes ben heresy;
Ayenst his †maundëments they cry,
And dampne all his to be [y-]brend;
635For it lyketh nat hem, such losengery;
God almighty hem amend!
These han more might in England here
Than hath the king and all his lawe,
They han purchased hem such powére
640To taken hem whom [they] list nat knawe;
And say, that heresy is hir sawe,
And so to prison woll hem send;
It was nat so by elder dawe,
God, for his mercy, it amend!
Than hath the king and all his lawe,
They han purchased hem such powére
640To taken hem whom [they] list nat knawe;
And say, that heresy is hir sawe,
And so to prison woll hem send;
It was nat so by elder dawe,
God, for his mercy, it amend!
645The kinges lawe wol no man deme
Angerliche, withouten answere;
But, if any man these misqueme,
He shal be baited as a bere;
And yet wel wors they woll him tere,
650And in prisón woll hem [be] pend
In gyves, and in other gere;
Whan god woll, it may [a]mend.
Angerliche, withouten answere;
But, if any man these misqueme,
He shal be baited as a bere;
And yet wel wors they woll him tere,
650And in prisón woll hem [be] pend
In gyves, and in other gere;
Whan god woll, it may [a]mend.
622. hys false (om. false). 626. frende=fremd. 628. amende. 629. efte sone. 631. fordone. 632. sayne. 633. And ayenst (omit And); commaundementes (read maundements); crye. 634. brende. 635. suche. 636. amende. 637. Englande. 638. kynge. 639. suche. 640. Supply they (or hem); lyste. 641. her. 642. prysone; sende. 644. amende. 648. bayghted. 649. worse. 650. prysone; supply be; pende. 652. maye mende.
