PART I.]
II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
157
They maken parsons for the penny,
310And canons of hir cardinals;
Unnethes amongest hem all any
That he ne hath glosed the gospell fals!
For Christ made never no cathedrals,
Ne with him was no cardinall
315Wyth a reed hatte as usen mynstrals;
But falshed, foul mote it befall!
310And canons of hir cardinals;
Unnethes amongest hem all any
That he ne hath glosed the gospell fals!
For Christ made never no cathedrals,
Ne with him was no cardinall
315Wyth a reed hatte as usen mynstrals;
But falshed, foul mote it befall!
†Hir tything, and hir offring both,
They cle[y]meth it by possessio[u]n;
Thérof nill they none forgo,
320But robben men as [by] raunsoun.
The tything of Turpe lucrum
With these maisters is meynall;
Tything of bribry and larson
Will makë falshed full foul fall!
They cle[y]meth it by possessio[u]n;
Thérof nill they none forgo,
320But robben men as [by] raunsoun.
The tything of Turpe lucrum
With these maisters is meynall;
Tything of bribry and larson
Will makë falshed full foul fall!
325They taken to fermë hir sompnours
To harme the people what they may;
To pardoners and false faytours
Sell hir seles, I dar well say;
And all to holden greet array,
330To multiply hem more metall,
They drede full litell domes day
Whan all such [falsë] shall foul fall.
To harme the people what they may;
To pardoners and false faytours
Sell hir seles, I dar well say;
And all to holden greet array,
330To multiply hem more metall,
They drede full litell domes day
Whan all such [falsë] shall foul fall.
Suche harlottes shull men disclaunder
For they shullen make hir gree,
335And ben as proude as Alexaunder,
And sayn to the pore, “wo be ye!”
By yere ech preest shall paye his fee
To encrese his lemmans call;
Suche herdes shull well yvell thee,
340And all such falsë shull foul fall!
For they shullen make hir gree,
335And ben as proude as Alexaunder,
And sayn to the pore, “wo be ye!”
By yere ech preest shall paye his fee
To encrese his lemmans call;
Suche herdes shull well yvell thee,
340And all such falsë shull foul fall!
310. her. 315. Redde; vsyn. 316. falsshed foule. 317. Their (read Hir); her. 318. clemeth; see l. 525. 320. Supply by; rannsome. 324, 332, 340. foule. 324. to fall (omit to). 325. her. 328. her scales; dare. 329. great. 332. suche; supply false. 334. her. 336. sayne; poore. 337. eche preeste. 338. encrease. 339. heerdes; the. 340. suche.
