168
II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
[PART II.
The king taxeth nat his men
But by assent of the comminaltè;
655But these, ech yere, woll raunsom hem
Maysterfully, more than doth he;
Hir seles, by yerë, better be
Than is the kinges in extend;
Hir officers han gretter fee;
660But this mischeef [may] god amend!
But by assent of the comminaltè;
655But these, ech yere, woll raunsom hem
Maysterfully, more than doth he;
Hir seles, by yerë, better be
Than is the kinges in extend;
Hir officers han gretter fee;
660But this mischeef [may] god amend!
For who-so woll prove a testament
Thát is natt all worth ten pound,
He shall paye for the parchëment
The third part of the money all round.
665Thus the people is raunsound,
They say, such part to hem shulde apend;
There as they grypen, it goth to ground;
God, for his mercy, it amend!
Thát is natt all worth ten pound,
He shall paye for the parchëment
The third part of the money all round.
665Thus the people is raunsound,
They say, such part to hem shulde apend;
There as they grypen, it goth to ground;
God, for his mercy, it amend!
A simple fornicacioun,
670Twenty shillings he shall pay;
And than have an absolucioun,
And al the yere usen it forth he may!
Thus they letten hem go a-stray,
They recke nat though the soul be brend;
675These kepin yvell Peters key,
And all such shep[h]erdes god amend!
670Twenty shillings he shall pay;
And than have an absolucioun,
And al the yere usen it forth he may!
Thus they letten hem go a-stray,
They recke nat though the soul be brend;
675These kepin yvell Peters key,
And all such shep[h]erdes god amend!
Wonder is, that the parliament
And all the lordes of this lond
Here-to taken so litell entent
680To helpe the people out of hir hond;
For they ben harder in †hir bond,
Wors bete[n] and [more] bitter brend
Than to the king is understond;
God him helpe this to amend!
And all the lordes of this lond
Here-to taken so litell entent
680To helpe the people out of hir hond;
For they ben harder in †hir bond,
Wors bete[n] and [more] bitter brend
Than to the king is understond;
God him helpe this to amend!
654. assente. 655. eche. 657. Her seales. 658. extende. 660. mischefe; supply may; amende. 662. worthe tenne pounde. 664. thyrde parte; rounde. 665. raunsounde. 666. saye suche parte; apende. 667. gothe; grounde. 668. amende. 669. fornycatioun. 670. shyllynges; paye. 671. absolution. 672. forthe; maye. 674. soule; brende. 676. suche; amende. 678. londe. 680. her honde. 681. theyr (for hir); bonde. 682. Worse beate; supply more; brende. 683. vnderstande. 684. amende.
