156
II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
[PART I.
They halowe nothing but for hyre,
Churchë, font, ne vestëment;
And make[n] orders in every shyre,
280But preestes paye for the parchement;
Of ryatours they taken rent,
Therwith they smere the shepes skall;
For many churches ben oft suspent;
All such falshed, yet foul it fall!
Churchë, font, ne vestëment;
And make[n] orders in every shyre,
280But preestes paye for the parchement;
Of ryatours they taken rent,
Therwith they smere the shepes skall;
For many churches ben oft suspent;
All such falshed, yet foul it fall!
285Some liveth nat in lecherye,
But haunten wenches, widdowes, and wyves,
And punisheth the pore for putrye;
Them-selfe it useth all their lyves.
And but a man to them [him] shryves,
290To heven comë never he shall;
He shal be cursed as be captyves,
To hell they sayn that he shall fall.
But haunten wenches, widdowes, and wyves,
And punisheth the pore for putrye;
Them-selfe it useth all their lyves.
And but a man to them [him] shryves,
290To heven comë never he shall;
He shal be cursed as be captyves,
To hell they sayn that he shall fall.
There was more mercy in Maximien,
And in Nero, that never was good,
295Than [there] is now in some of †hem
Whan he hath on his furred hood.
They folowe Christ that shedde his blood
To heven, as bucket in-to the wall;
Suche wreches ben worse than wood;
300And all such faytours, foule hem fall!
And in Nero, that never was good,
295Than [there] is now in some of †hem
Whan he hath on his furred hood.
They folowe Christ that shedde his blood
To heven, as bucket in-to the wall;
Suche wreches ben worse than wood;
300And all such faytours, foule hem fall!
They give hir almesse to the riche,
To maynteynours, and to men of lawe;
For to lordes they woll be liche,
An harlottes sone nat worth an hawe!
305Sothfastnessë suche han slawe,
They kembe hir crokets with cristall;
And drede of god they have down drawe;
All suche faytours, foul hem fall!
To maynteynours, and to men of lawe;
For to lordes they woll be liche,
An harlottes sone nat worth an hawe!
305Sothfastnessë suche han slawe,
They kembe hir crokets with cristall;
And drede of god they have down drawe;
All suche faytours, foul hem fall!
282. shyppes (!); 1550, shepes. 283. ofte. 284. suche; foule. 287. poore. 289. Supply him. 292. sayne. 295. Supply there; nowe; them. 296. hoode. 297. blode. 298. buckette; (wall=well). 299. wode. 300. suche. 301. her. 302. Omit to? 304. sonne; worthe. 306. her crokettes; christall. 307. downe. 308. foule.
