184
II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
[PART III.
And all the seven sacraments
Ye speke ayenst, as ye were sly,
Ayenst tythings with your entents,
1160And on our lordes body falsly ly.
All this ye don to live in ese,
As who sayeth, ther ben non suche;
And sayn, the pope is not worth a pese,
To make the people ayen him gruche.
Ye speke ayenst, as ye were sly,
Ayenst tythings with your entents,
1160And on our lordes body falsly ly.
All this ye don to live in ese,
As who sayeth, ther ben non suche;
And sayn, the pope is not worth a pese,
To make the people ayen him gruche.
1165And this commeth in by fendes,
To bringe the Christen in distaunce;
For they wold that no man were frendes;
Leve thy chattring, with mischaunce!
If thou live well, what wilt thou more?
1170Let other men live as hem list;
Spende in good, or kepe in store;
Other mennes conscience never thou nist.
To bringe the Christen in distaunce;
For they wold that no man were frendes;
Leve thy chattring, with mischaunce!
If thou live well, what wilt thou more?
1170Let other men live as hem list;
Spende in good, or kepe in store;
Other mennes conscience never thou nist.
Ye han no cure to answere for;
What meddell ye, that han not to don?
1175Let men live as they han don yore,
For thou shalt answere for no †mon.”
The Pellican sayd, “Sir, nay, [nay],
I dispysed not the pope,
Ne no sacrament, soth to say;
1180But speke in charitè and good hope.
What meddell ye, that han not to don?
1175Let men live as they han don yore,
For thou shalt answere for no †mon.”
The Pellican sayd, “Sir, nay, [nay],
I dispysed not the pope,
Ne no sacrament, soth to say;
1180But speke in charitè and good hope.
But I dispyse hir hyë pryde,
Hir richesse, that shuld be pore in spryt;
Hir wickednesse is knowe so wyde,
They servë god in fals habyt;
1185And turnen mekenesse into pryde,
And lowlinesse into hy degrè,
And goddes wordes turne and hyde;
And that am I moved by charitè
Hir richesse, that shuld be pore in spryt;
Hir wickednesse is knowe so wyde,
They servë god in fals habyt;
1185And turnen mekenesse into pryde,
And lowlinesse into hy degrè,
And goddes wordes turne and hyde;
And that am I moved by charitè
1157. sacramentes. 1158. speake; slye. 1159. tythynges offringes with (omit offringes); ententes. 1160. lye. 1161. done; ease. 1162. there; none. 1163. sayne; pease. 1167. wolde. 1168. Leaue; chattrynge. 1173. fore. 1174. done. 1175. done. 1176. shalte; man. 1177. Supply nay. 1179. sacramente. 1180. speake. 1181–3. her. 1182. shulde; poore; spirite. 1184. false habyte. 1186. hye.
