PART II.]
II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
165
All tho that han the world forsake,
And liven lo[w]ly, as god bad,
In-to hir prison shullen be take,
560Betin and bounden, and forth lad.
Herof I rede no man be drad;
Christ sayd, his [servaunts] shulde be shend;
Ech man ought herof be glad;
For god ful well it woll amend.
And liven lo[w]ly, as god bad,
In-to hir prison shullen be take,
560Betin and bounden, and forth lad.
Herof I rede no man be drad;
Christ sayd, his [servaunts] shulde be shend;
Ech man ought herof be glad;
For god ful well it woll amend.
565They take on hem royáll powére,
And saye, they havë swerdes two,
Oon curse to hell, oon slee men here;
For at his taking Christ had no mo,
Yet Peter had [that] oon of tho.
570But Christ to Peter smyte gan defend,
And in-to the sheth bad putte it tho;
And all such mischeves god amend!
And saye, they havë swerdes two,
Oon curse to hell, oon slee men here;
For at his taking Christ had no mo,
Yet Peter had [that] oon of tho.
570But Christ to Peter smyte gan defend,
And in-to the sheth bad putte it tho;
And all such mischeves god amend!
Christ bad Peter kepe his sheep,
And with his swerde forbad him smyte;
575Swerd is no tole with sheep to kepe
But to shep[h]erdes that sheep woll byte.
Me thinketh, suche shep[h]erdes ben to wyte
Ayen hir sheep with swerd that contend;
They dryve hir sheep with greet dispyte;
580But al this god may well amend.
And with his swerde forbad him smyte;
575Swerd is no tole with sheep to kepe
But to shep[h]erdes that sheep woll byte.
Me thinketh, suche shep[h]erdes ben to wyte
Ayen hir sheep with swerd that contend;
They dryve hir sheep with greet dispyte;
580But al this god may well amend.
So successours to Peter be they nought
Whom [that] Christ madë cheef pastour;
A swerd no shep[h]erde usen ought
But he wold slee as a bochour.
585For who-so were Peters successour
Shuld bere his sheep till his bak bend,
And shadowe hem from every shour;
And all this god may wel amend.
Whom [that] Christ madë cheef pastour;
A swerd no shep[h]erde usen ought
But he wold slee as a bochour.
585For who-so were Peters successour
Shuld bere his sheep till his bak bend,
And shadowe hem from every shour;
And all this god may wel amend.
557. worlde. 558. loly; badde. 559. her. 560. forthe ladde. 561. dradde. 562. Supply servaunts; shende. 563. Eche; gladde. 564, 572, 580, 588. amende. 567. One; one. 569. Supply that; one. 570. defende. 571. badde. 572. suche. 573. badde; shepe. 574. forbade. 575. Swerde; shepe. 576. shepe. 578. her shepe; swerde; contende. 579. her shepe; great. 582. Supply that; chefe pastoure. 583. swerde. 584. bochoure. 586. Shulde; shepe; backe bende. 587. shoure.
