Batre un prodomme ke unk fist nosaunce 20
A cors Cristiene, par nuli temoygnaunce.
Si homme countredye à nul de l’aliaunce,
Ou marchaund de ses merz li vee fere creaunce,
En sa mesoun demené, sauntz altre daliaunce,
Batuz serrait been, ou pur l’acordaunce
Dora de ses deners et prendre aquitaunce.
Si en la riot ne seit fet desturbaunce,
Une commune guere se levera par chaunce.
Entendu ad ly reys la plaint et la parlaunce,
Escutez ore coment purveu est la vengaunce. 30
Parmy Engletere gentz de graunz resouns
Assignez sunt justizes sur les traylbastouns;
Les uns par enquest sunt jugez à prisouns;
VARIOUS READINGS.--19. _voillaunce_, R. 1.--20. _ne fist_, R.
2.--23. _vee de er._, R. 2.--26. _prendra_, R. 2.--31. _grant
resons_, R. 1. _gent de grant_, R. 2.
Li altre alez à fourches à pendre envirouns;
Plusours sunt privez de [lour] possessiouns;
Ke meyns mesfesaynt sunt passez par raunsouns.
Si chastiment ne fust de ribaldes et bricouns,
Osé ne serrait homme vivre en mesouns.
O! cum Deus est bons de drayturels guerdouns,
Ke taunt sovent nous ad vengé de felouns! 40
Novel avoms oy entre compaygnouns
De William le Walays, mestre de larouns;
Sire Jon de Meneteft li suist à talouns,
Enprès de sa puteyne li prist en tapisouns;
A Loundres le menait en ferges et laceouns,
Où jugez esteit sur cels condiciouns;
En primer à fourches fust trayné pur tresouns,
Pendu pur roberyes et pur occisiouns,
VARIOUS READINGS.--34. _altres_, R. 1 and 2.--36. _passé_, R.
2.--39. _est draiturels e de bone_, R. 1.--40. _vengés_, R.
2.--41. _Novels_, R. 1.--42. _des barouns_, R. 1.--43. _Johan
de Menetest_, R. 1. _Mentest_, R. 2.--44. _Semprès de sa_, R. 2.
Et pur ceo k’il avait ennenty par arsouns.
Viles et eglises et religiouns, 50
Avalez est de fourches, et overt les ventrouns,
Le quoer et la bowel brullez en carbouns,
Et copé la teste par tels mesprisiouns,
Pur ceo ke il avait par ces havyllouns
Maintenuz la guere, doné protecciouns,
Seysye seygnurye en ses subjecciouns
De altri realme par ses entrusiouns.
Copé li fust le cors en quatre porciouns,
Chescun pende par say en memor de ses nouns,
En lu de sa banere cels sunt ces gunfanouns. 60
Pur finir sa geste,
A Loundres est sa teste,
du cors est fet partye
En .iiii. bones viles,
Dount honurer les ylles
VARIOUS READINGS.--55. _meintenu_, R. 2.--56. _en sa_, R. 1.
ke sunt en Albanye.
And tus may you here,
A ladde to lere
to bigken in pais.
It falles in his eghe, 70
That hackes ovre heghe,
wit at Walays.
VARIOUS READINGS.--67. _thus_, R. 1 and 2. _mai men_, R.
2.--68. _te lere_, R. 2.--69. _biggen_, R. 1. _biggin_, R.
2.--70. _fallis ... iȝe_, R. 2.--71. _hagges_, R. 1. _hakkis
... hie_, R. 2.--72. _with that Waleis_, R. 2.
TRANSLATION.--In September after Stirling was delivered;--the
King Sir Edward was fatigued with his labours,--he held his way
towards Burstwick on Humber,--he remained there a while for his
health.--Sir John de Warenne, an Earl well known,--was then dead
and ready to be put in his coffin.--The King, whom God keep!
in going towards his own,--through Lindsey inquired from place
to place,--whilst he had been in Scotland in his war,--who had
broken his peace, and who had held it;--straight at his will,
remedy was provided--for him who was attainted of having broken
his peace.
People of good will have made answer to the King,--how a great
grievance is made in the land--by common squabblers, who are
by oath--obliged together to a purveyance;--this company are
called Trailebastons,--they offer to make conventions at fairs
and markets,--for three or four shillings, or merely to show
their courage,--to beat a good man, who never did hurt--to any
Christian body, by the testimony of no one.--If a man contradict
any one of the alliance,--or a merchant will not trust them
for his merchandise,--taken in his own house, without other
interference,--he shall be well beaten, or by agreement--he
shall give of his money and take acquittance.--If there were no
hindrance made to their riot,--a war among the commons would
by chance arise.--The King has heard the complaint and the
talk,--now hear how the punishment is provided.
Throughout England men of great account--are assigned as
judges on the Trailebastons;--some by inquest are judged
to prisons;--others to go to the gallows, to hang there
about;--many are deprived of their possessions;--those who
had done least ill are obliged to pay fines. If there was
not chastisement of ribalds and rascals,--people would not
dare to live in their houses.--O! how God is good in his just
dealings,--who has so often revenged us of felons!--We have
heard news among companions--of William Wallace, the master of
the thieves;--Sir John de Menteith followed him close at his
heels,--and took him in bed beside his strumpet;--he brought
him to London in fetters and bonds,--where he was judged on the
following conditions:--first to be drawn to the gallows for
his treasons,--to be hung for robbery and for slaughter,--and
because he had destroyed by burning--towns and churches and
monasteries,--he is taken down from the gallows, and his belly
opened,--the heart and bowels burnt to ashes,--and his head cut
off for such faults,--because he had by these ...,--maintained
war, given protections,--seized lordship into his subjection--of
the realm of another by his intrusions.--His body was cut
into four parts,--each hung by itself in memory of his
name,--instead of his banner these are his standards.--To finish
his history,--at London is his head,--his body is divided--in
four good towns,--whereby to honour the isles--that are in
Albania.--And thus may you hear,--a lad to learn--to build in
peace.--It falls in his eye,--who hacks too high,--with the
Wallace.
* * * * *
POEM ON THE EVIL TIMES OF EDWARD II.
[From the Auchinleck MS. fol. 328, r^o. written in the beginning of
the reign of Edw. III. in the Advocates Library, at Edinburgh.]
_The Simonie._
Whii werre and wrake in londe and manslauht is i-come,
Whii hungger and derthe on eorthe the pore hath undernome,
Whii bestes ben thus storve, whii corn hath ben so dere,
GLOSSARY.--1. _werre and wrake_, war and mischief.--2.
_undernome_, undertaken, seized upon.--3. _storve_, starved,
perished.
Ȝe that wolen abide, listneth and ȝe muwen here
the skile.
I nelle liȝen for no man, herkne who so wile.
God greteth wel the clergie, and seith theih don amis,
And doth hem to understonde that litel treuthe ther is;
For at the court of Rome, ther treuthe sholde biginne,
Him is forboden the paleis, dar he noht com therinne 10
for doute;
And thouh the pope clepe him in, ȝit shal he stonde theroute.
Alle the popes clerkes ban taken hem to red,
If treuthe come amonges hem, that he shal be ded.
There dar he noht shewen him for doute to be slain,
Among none of the cardinaus dar he noht be sein,
for feerd,
If Symonie may mete wid him he wole shaken his berd.
Voiz of clerk is sielde i-herd at the court of Rome;
Ne were he nevere swich a clerk, silverles if he come, 20
Thouh he were the wiseste that evere was i-born,
But if he swete ar he go, al his weye is lorn
i-souht,
Or he shal singe _si dedero_, or al geineth him noht.
For if there be in countre an horeling, a shrewe,
Lat him come to the court hise nedes for to shewe,
GLOSSARY.--4. _wolen_, will (pl.). _muwen_, may.--5. _skile_,
cause, reason.--6. _nelle liȝen_, will not lie.--7. _theih_,
they.--10. _paleis_, palace.--11. _doute_, fear.--12. _clepe_,
call.--13. _han_, have (pl.). _red_, counsel.--19. _voiz_,
voice. _sielde i-herd_, seldom heard.--20. _swich_, such.--22.
_ar_, before.
And bringe wid him silver and non other wed,
Be he nevere so muchel a wrecche, hise nedes sholen be spede
ful stille,
For Coveytise and Symonie han the world to wille. 30
And erchebishop and bishop, that ouhte for to enquere
Off alle men of holi churche of what lif theih were,
Summe beth foles hemself, and leden a sory lif,
Therfore doren hii noht speke for rising of strif
thurw clerkes,
And that everich biwreied other of here wrecchede werkes.
But certes holi churche is muchel i-brouht ther doune,
Siththen Seint Thomas was slain and smiten of his croune.
He was a piler ariht to holden up holi churche,
Thise othere ben to slouwe, and feinteliche kunnen worche, 40
i-wis;
Therfore in holi churche hit fareth the more amis.
But everi man may wel i-wite, who so take ȝeme,
That no man may wel serve tweie lordes to queme.
Summe beth in ofice wid the king, and gaderen tresor to hepe,
And the fraunchise of holi churche hii laten ligge slepe
ful stille;
Al to manye ther beth swiche, if hit were Godes wille.
GLOSSARY.--27. _wed_, pledge.--28. _muchel a wrecche_, great
a wretch. _sholen be_, shall be.--29. _stille_, quietly.--34.
_doren hii_, dare they.--35. _thurw_, through.--36. _everich_,
every one. _biwreied_, accused.--38. _Siththen_, since.--39.
_piler_, pillar.--40. _slouwe_, slothful. _kunnen_, know
how.--41. _i-wis_, truely, in truth.--43. _i-wite_, know.
_ȝeme_, care (_take ȝeme_, pay attention).--44. _queme_,
pleasure.--45. _gaderen_, gather. _to hepe_, in a heap.
And thise ersedeknes that ben set to visite holi churche,
Everich fondeth hu he may shrewedelichest worche; 50
He wole take mede of that on and that other,
And late the parsoun have a wyf, and the prest another,
at wille;
Coveytise shal stoppen here mouth, and maken hem al stille.
For sone so a parsoun is ded and in eorthe i-don,
Thanne shal the patroun have ȝiftes anon;
The clerkes of the cuntré wolen him faste wowe,
And senden him faire ȝiftes and presentes i-nowe,
and the bishop;
And there shal Symonye ben taken bi the cop. 60
Coveytise upon his hors he wole be sone there,
And bringe the bishop silver, and rounen in his ere,
That alle the pore that ther comen, on ydel sholen theih worche,
For he that allermost may ȝive, he shal have the churche;
i-wis,
Everich man nu bi dawe may sen that thus hit is.
And whan this newe parsoun is institut in his churche,
He bithenketh him hu he may shrewedelichest worche;
Ne shal the corn in his berne ben eten wid no muis,
GLOSSARY.--49. _ersedeknes_, archdeacons.--50. _fondeth_,
seeketh, endeavours. _shrewedelichest worche_, work most
cursedly.--51. _mede_, bribe.--52. _late_, let.--54. _stoppen_,
stop.--55. _sone so_, as soon as.--57. _wowe_, woo, court.--58.
_i-nowe_, enough.--60. _cop_, head.--62. _rounen_, whisper.
_ere_, ear.--63. _on ydel_, fruitlessly, to no avail.--64.
_allermost_, most of all.--66. _nu bi dawe_, now-a-days.--68.
_hu_, how.--69. _muis_, mouse.
But hit shal ben i-spended in a shrewede huis; 70
if he may,
Al shal ben i-beten out or Cristemesse-day.
And whan he hath i-gadered markes and poundes,
He priketh out of toune wid haukes and wid houndes
Into a straunge contré, and halt a wenche in cracche;
And wel is hire that first may swich a parsoun kacche
in londe.
And thus theih serven the chapele, and laten the churche stonde.
He taketh al that he may, and maketh the churche pore,
And leveth thare behinde a theef and an hore, 80
A serjaunt and a deie that leden a sory lif;
Al so faire hii gon to bedde as housebonde and wif;
wid sorwe
Shal there no pore lif fare the bet nouther on even ne on morwe.
And whan he hath the silver of wolle and of lomb,
He put in his pautener an honne and a komb,
A myrour and a koeverchef to binde wid his crok,
And rat on the rouwe bible and on other bok
no mo;
But unthank have the bishop that lat hit so go. 90
For thouh the bishop hit wite, that hit bename kouth,
He may wid a litel silver stoppen his mouth;
GLOSSARY.--70. _huis_, house.--74. _priketh_, rideth.--75.
_cracche_, properly a manger, perhaps here, a cradle.--76. _wel
is hire_, it is well for her.--81. _deie_, dairymaid.--85.
_lomb_, lamb.--86. _pautener ... honne_,....--87. _koeverchef_,
kerchief. _crok_, crook.--88. _rat_, reads. _rouwe_,
rough.--89. _mo_, more.--91. _bename kouth_, could take in
hand. (?)
He medeth wid the clerkes, and halt forth the wenche,
And lat the parish for-worthe; the devel him adrenche
for his werk!
And sory may his fader ben, that evere made him clerk.
And if the parsoun have a prest of a clene lyf,
That be a god consailler to maiden and to wif,
Shal comen a daffe and putte him out for a litel lasse,
That can noht a ferthing worth of god, unnethe singe a masse 100
but ille.
And thus shal al the parish for lac of lore spille.
For riht me thinketh hit fareth bi a prest that is lewed,
As bi a jay in a kage, that himself hath bishrewed;
God Engelish he speketh, ac he wot nevere what;
No more wot a lewed prest in boke what he rat
bi day.
Thanne is a lewed prest no betir than a jay.
But everi man may wel i-wite, bi the swete rode!
Ther heth so manye prestes, hii ne muwe noht alle be gode. 110
And natheles thise gode men fallen oft in fame,
For thise wantoune prestes that pleien here nice game,
bi nihte,
Hii gon wid swerd and bokeler as men that wolde fihte.
GLOSSARY.--93. _medeth_, takes bribe.--94. _for-worthe_, go
to nought. _adrenche_, drown.--96. _ben_, be.--97. _prest_,
priest.--99. _daffe_, fool. _lasse_, less.--100. _unnethe_,
hardly.--102. _for lac of lore spille_, be ruined for want of
teaching.--104. _bishrewed_, cursed.--105. _wot_, knows.--106.
_rat_, reads.--109. _rode_, cross, rood.--110. _muwe_, may.
Summe bereth croune of acolite for the crumponde crok,
And ben ashamed of the merke the bishop hem bitok;
At even he set upon a koife, and kembeth the croket,
Adihteth him a gay wenche of the newe jet,
sanz doute;
And there hii clateren cumpelin whan the candel is oute. 120
And thise abbotes and priours don aȝein here rihtes;
Hii riden wid hauk and hound, and contrefeten knihtes.
Hii sholde leve swich pride, and ben religious;
And nu is pride maister in everich ordred hous;
i-wis,
Religioun is evele i-holde and fareth the more [amis.]
For if there come to an abey to pore men or thre,
And aske of hem helpe _par seinte charité_,
Unnethe wole any don his ernde other ȝong or old,
But late him coure ther al day in hunger and in cold, 130
and sterve.
Loke what love ther is to God, whom theih seien that hii serve!
But there come another and bringe a litel lettre,
In a box upon his hepe, he shal spede the betre;
And if he be wid eny man that may don the abot harm,
He shal be lad into the halle, and ben i-mad full warm
aboute the mawe.
And Godes man stant ther oute; sory is that lawe.
GLOSSARY.--115. _crumponde crok_, crumpled crook(?).--116.
_bitok_, gave, delivered to.--117. _kembeth_, combs. _croket_,
curl or lock of hair.--118. _Adihteth him_, fits himself
with.--121. _don aȝein_, do against.--126. _evele i-holde_,
evil held, in ill repute.--127. _to_, two.--129. _ernde_,
errand. _ȝong_, young.--130. _coure_, cower.--134. _hepe_,
pack (?).
Thus is God nu served thurwout religioun;
There is he al to sielde i-sein in eny devocioun; 140
His meyné is unwelcome, comen hii erliche or late;
The porter hath comaundement to holde hem widoute the gate,
in the fen.
Hu mihte theih loven that loverd, that serven thus his men?
This is the penaunce that monekes don for ure lordes love:
Hii weren sockes in here shon, and felted botes above;
He hath forsake for Godes love bothe hunger and cold;
But if he have hod and cappe fured, he nis noht i-told
in covent;
Ac certes wlaunknesse of wele hem hath al ablent. 150
Religioun was first founded duresce for to drie;
And nu is the moste del i-went to eise and glotonie.
Where shal men nu finde fattere or raddere of leres?
Or betre farende folk than monekes, chanons, and freres?
In uch toun
I wot non eysiere lyf than is religioun.
Religioun wot red I uch day what he shal don?
He ne carez noht to muche for his mete at non;
For hous-hire ne for clothes he ne carez noht;
GLOSSARY.--140. _to sielde i-sein_, too seldom seen.--141.
_meyné_ (_maisné_, Fr.), household, people. _erliche_,
early.--145. _ure_, our.--146. _Hii weren_, they wear. _shon_,
shoes. _botes_, boots.--148. _But if_, unless. _hod_, hood.
_fured_, furred. _he nis noht i-told_, he is not reckoned, or
esteemed.--150. _wlaunknesse_, pride. _wele_, weal. _ablent_,
blinded.--151. _duresce_, hardness. _drie_, bear, suffer.--152.
_nu_, now. _moste del_, greatest part.--153. _raddere of
leres_, redder of complexion.--155. _uch_, each.--156. _wot_,
know. _eysiere_, more easy.
But whan he cometh to the mete, he maketh his mawe touht 160
off the beste;
And anon therafter he fondeth to kacche reste.
And ȝit ther is another ordre, Menour and Jacobin,
And freres of the Carme, and of Seint Austin,
That wolde preche more for a busshel of whete,
Than for to bringe a soule from helle out of the hete
to rest.
And thus is coveytise loverd bothe est and west.
If a pore man come to a frere for to aske shrifte,
And ther come a ricchere and bringe him a ȝifte; 170
He shal into the freitur and ben i-mad ful glad;
And that other stant theroute, as a man that were mad
in sorwe;
Ȝit shal his ernde ben undon til that other morwe.
And if there be a riche man that evel hath undernome,
Thanne wolen thise freres al day thider come;
And if hit be a pore lyf in poverte and in care,
Sorwe on that o frere that kepeth come thare
ful loth;
Alle wite ȝe, gode men, hu the gamen goth. 180
And if the riche man deie that was of eny mihte,
Thanne wolen the freres for the cors fihte.
GLOSSARY.--160. _touht_, full.--162. _fondeth to kacche_,
seeketh to take.--163. _ȝit_, yet.--168. _loverd_, lord.--169.
_shrifte_, confession.--170. _ȝifte_, gift.--171. _freitur_,
refectory. _i-mad_, made.--172. _stant_, stands.--173.
_sorwe_, sorrow.--174. _ernde_, errand. _morwe_, morrow.--175.
_undernome_, undertaken.--178. _o_, one. _that kepeth_, that
cares.--180. _wite ȝe_, know ye. _gamen_, game.
Hit nis noht al for the calf that kow louweth,
Ac hit is for the grene gras that in the medewe grouweth
so god.
Alle wite ȝe what I mene, that kunnen eny god.
For als ich evere brouke min hod under min hat,
The frere wole to the direge, if the cors is fat;
Ac bi the feith I owe to God, if the cors is lene,
He wole wagge aboute the cloistre and kepen hise fet clene 190
in house.
Hu mihte theih faire forsake that hii ne ben coveytouse?
And officials and denes that chapitles sholden holde,
Theih sholde chastise the folk, and theih maken hem bolde.
Mak a present to the den ther thu thenkest to dwelle,
And have leve longe i-nouh to serve the fend of helle
to queme;
For have he silver, of sinne taketh he nevere ȝeme.
If a man have a wif, and he ne love hire noht,
Bringe hire to the constorie ther treuthe sholde be souht, 200
And bringge tweye false wid him and him self the thridde,
And he shal ben to-parted so faire as he wole bidde
from his wif;
He shal ben holpen wel i-nouh to lede a shrewede lyf.
GLOSSARY.--183. _Hit nis_, it is not. _louweth_, lows.--184.
_Ac_, but.--186. _kunnen_, know.--187. _als_, as. _brouke_,
use, hold.--192. _theih_, they.--193. _chapitles_,
chapters.--195. _ther_, where.--196. _i-nouh_, enough. _fend_,
fiend.--197. _queme_, pleasure.--198. _ȝeme_, care.--200.
_constorie_, consistory. _souht_, sought.--202. _to-parted_,
separated. _bidde_, ask.
And whan he is thus i-deled from his rihte spouse,
He taketh his neiheboures wif and bringeth hire to his house;
And whiles he hath eny silver the clerkes to sende,
He may holde hire at his wille to his lives ende
wid unskile;
And but that be wel i-loked, curs in here bile. 210
And ȝit ther is another craft that toucheth the clergie,
That ben thise false fisiciens that helpen men to die;
He wole wagge his urine in a vessel of glaz,
And swereth that he is sekere than evere ȝit he was,
and sein,
“Dame, for faute of helpe, thin housebonde is neih slain.”
Thus he wole afraien al that ther is inne,
And make many a lesing silver for to winne.
Ac afterward he fondeth to comforte the wif,
And seith, “Dame, for of thin I wole holde his lyf,” 220
a[n]d liȝe;
Thouh he wite no more than a gos wheither he wole live or die.
Anon he wole biginne to blere the wives eiȝe;
He wole aske half a pound to bien spicerie;
The .viij. shillinges sholen up to the win and the ale;
And bringe rotes and rindes bret ful a male
off noht;
Hit shal be dere on a lek, whan hit is al i-wrouht.
GLOSSARY.--205. _i-deled_, parted.--209. _wid unskile_, with
wrong.--210. _here_, their.--215. _sein_, say.--218. _lesing_,
falsehood.--219. _he fondeth_, he tries.--221. _liȝe_,
lie.--222. _gos_, goose.--223. _eiȝe_, eyes.--224. _bien_,
buy.--226. _bret ful_, broad full, filled up. _male_, chest,
pannier.--228. _on a lek_, for a leek. (?)
He wole preisen hit i-nohw, and sweren, as he were wod,
For the king of the lond the drink is riche and god; 230
And ȝeve the gode man drinke a god quantité,
And make him worsse than he was; evele mote he the!
that clerk,
That so geteth the silver, and can noht don his werk.
He doth the wif sethe a chapoun and piece beof,
Ne tit the gode man noht therof, he him nevere so leof;
The best he piketh up himself, and maketh his mawe touht;
And ȝeveth the gode man soupe, the lene broth that nis noht
for seke;
That so serveth eny man, Godes curs in his cheke! 240
And thilke that han al the wele in freth and in feld,
Bothen eorl and baroun and kniht of o sheld,
Alle theih beth i-sworne holi churche holde to rihte;
Therfore was the ordre mad for holi churche to fihte,
sanz faille;
And nu ben theih the ferste that hit sholen assaille.
Hii brewen strut and stuntise there as sholde be pes;
Hii sholde gon to the Holi Lond and maken there her res,
And fihte there for the croiz, and shewe the ordre of knihte,
And awreke Jhesu Crist wid launce and speir to fihte 250
and sheld;
And nu ben theih liouns in halle, and hares in the feld.
GLOSSARY.--229. _wod_, mad.--231. _ȝeve_, if.--232. _evele mote
he the!_ ill may he thrive!--234. _don_, do.--235. _doth_,
causeth. _sethe_, to boil.--236. _tit_, touches. _leof_, dear
(_i. e._ have he ever so much desire).--238. _nis noht_, is
nothing.--241. _freth_, wood.--247. _strut and stuntise_,
strife and debate(?).--248. _her res_, their assault,
onset.--249. _croiz_, cross.--250. _awreke_, revenge.
Knihtes sholde weren weden in here manere,
After that the ordre asketh also wel as a frere;
Nu ben theih so degysed and diverseliche i-diht,
Unnethe may men knowe a gleman from a kniht,
wel neih;
So is mieknesse driven adoun, and pride is risen on heih.
Thus is the ordre of kniht turned up-so-doun,
Also wel can a kniht chide as any skolde of a toun. 260
Hii sholde ben also hende as any levedi in londe,
And for to speke alle vilanie nel nu no kniht wonde
for shame;
And thus knihtshipe [is] acloied and waxen al fot lame.
Knihtshipe is acloied and deolfulliche i-diht;
Kunne a boy nu breke a spere, he shal be mad a kniht.
And thus ben knihtes gadered of unkinde blod,
And envenimeth that ordre that shold be so god
and hende;
Ac o shrewe in a court many man may shende. 270
And nu nis no squier of pris in this middel erd,
But if that he bere a babel and a long berd,
And swere Godes soule, and vuwe to God and hote;
But sholde he for everi fals uth lese kirtel or kote,
GLOSSARY.--253. _weden_, garments.--255. _degysed_, arrayed.
_i-diht_, arranged, clothed.--256. _unnethe_, scarcely.--258.
_mieknesse_, meekness.--261. _hende_, gentle. _levedi_,
lady.--262. _nel_, will not. _wonde_, stay.--264. _acloied_,
debased. _fot lame_, lame of foot.--265. _deolfulliche
i-diht_, lamentably arrayed.--270. _o_, one. _shende_,
ruin.--271. _middel erd_, world, middle earth.--272. _bere_,
carry. _babel_, fool’s bauble(?).--273. _vuwe_, vow. _hote_,
promise.--274. _uth_, oath.
I leve,
He sholde stonde starc naked twye o day or eve.
Godes soule is al day sworn, the knif stant a-strout,
And thouh the botes be torn, ȝit wole he maken hit stout;
The hod hangeth on his brest, as he wolde spewe therinne,
Ac shortliche al his contrefaiture is colour of sinne, 280
and bost,
To wraththe God and paien the fend hit serveth allermost.
A newe taille of squierie is nu in everi toun;
The raye is turned overthuert that sholde stonde adoun;
Hii ben degised as turmentours that comen from clerkes plei;
Hii ben i-laft wid pride, and cast nurture awey
in diche;
Gentille men that sholde ben, ne beth hii none i-liche.
And justises, shirreves, meires, baillifs, if I shal rede aricht,
Hii kunnen of the faire day make the derke niht; 290
Hii gon out of the heie wey, ne leven hii for no sklaundre,
And maken the mot-halle at hom in here chaumbre,
wid wouh;
For be the hond i-whited, it shal go god i-nouh.
If the king in his werre sent after mihti men,
To helpe him in his nede, of sum toun .ix. or .x.,