PART III.]
II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
187
Christ bad ones suffre for his love,
And so he taught all his servaunts;
1255And but thou amend for his sake above,
I drede not all thy mayntenaunce.
For if I drede the worldes hate,
Me thinketh, I were litell to prayse;
I drede nothing your hye estat,
1260Ne I drede not your disese.
And so he taught all his servaunts;
1255And but thou amend for his sake above,
I drede not all thy mayntenaunce.
For if I drede the worldes hate,
Me thinketh, I were litell to prayse;
I drede nothing your hye estat,
1260Ne I drede not your disese.
Wolde ye turne and leve your pryde,
Your hyë port, and your richesse,
Your cursing shuld not go so wyde;
God bring you into rightwysnesse!
1265For I drede not your tyranny,
For nothing that ye can doon;
To suffre I am all redy,
Siker, I recke never how soon!”
Your hyë port, and your richesse,
Your cursing shuld not go so wyde;
God bring you into rightwysnesse!
1265For I drede not your tyranny,
For nothing that ye can doon;
To suffre I am all redy,
Siker, I recke never how soon!”
The Griffon grinned as he were wood,
1270And loked lovely as an owle!
And swor, by cockes hertë blood,
He wolde him terë, every doule!
“Holy churche thou disclaundrest foule!
For thy resons I woll thee all to-race;
1275And make thy flesh to rote and moule;
Losell, thou shalt have hardë grace!”
1270And loked lovely as an owle!
And swor, by cockes hertë blood,
He wolde him terë, every doule!
“Holy churche thou disclaundrest foule!
For thy resons I woll thee all to-race;
1275And make thy flesh to rote and moule;
Losell, thou shalt have hardë grace!”
The Griffon flew forth on his way;
The Pellican did sitte and weep;
And to him-selfë he gan say,
1280“God wolde that any of Christes sheep
Had herd, and y-takë kepe
Eche a word that here sayd was,
And wolde it wryte and well it kepe!
God wolde it were all, for his grace!”
The Pellican did sitte and weep;
And to him-selfë he gan say,
1280“God wolde that any of Christes sheep
Had herd, and y-takë kepe
Eche a word that here sayd was,
And wolde it wryte and well it kepe!
God wolde it were all, for his grace!”
1253. badde. 1254. seruauntes. 1255. amende. 1259. nothynge; estate. 1260. dysease. 1261. leaue. 1262. porte. 1263. cursynge shulde. 1264. brynge. 1266. nothynge; done. 1268. howe soone. 1269. wode. 1271. swore; bloode. 1274. reasons; the. 1275. fleshe. 1276. shake. 1277. flewe; waye. 1278. wepe. 1279. saye. 1280. shepe. 1281. herde. 1282. worde. 1283. wrytte.
