Whan folk had laughen at this nyce cas 3855
Of Absolon and hende Nicholas,
Diverse folk diversely they seyde;
But, for the more part, they loughe and pleyde,
Ne at this tale I saugh no man him greve,
But it were only Osewold the Reve, 3860
By-cause he was of carpenteres craft.
A litel ire is in his herte y-laft,
He gan to grucche and blamed it a lyte.
3862. E. Pt. _om._ is.
‘So theek,’ quod he, ‘ful wel coude I yow quyte (10)
With blering of a proud milleres yë, 3865
If that me liste speke of ribaudye.
But ik am old, me list not pley for age;
Gras-tyme is doon, my fodder is now forage,
This whyte top wryteth myne olde yeres,
Myn herte is al-so mowled as myne heres, 3870
But-if I fare as dooth an open-ers;
That ilke fruit is ever leng the wers,
Til it be roten in mullok or in stree.
We olde men, I drede, so fare we; (20)
Til we be roten, can we nat be rype; 3875
We hoppen ay, whyl that the world wol pype.
For in oure wil ther stiketh ever a nayl,
To have an hoor heed and a grene tayl,
As hath a leek; for thogh our might be goon,
Our wil desireth folie ever in oon. 3880
For whan we may nat doon, than wol we speke;
Yet in our asshen olde is fyr y-reke.
3865. E. Ln. eye. 3867. E. Hn. no (_for_ not). 3869. Hl. My (_for_
This). 3870. E. mowled also. 3872. E. leng; Ln. longe: _rest_
lenger. 3876. E. ay whil that; Hn. alwey whil þat; _rest_ alwey
while.
Foure gledes han we, whiche I shal devyse,
Avaunting, lying, anger, coveityse; (30)
[113: T. 3883-3918.]
Thise foure sparkles longen un-to elde. 3885
Our olde lemes mowe wel been unwelde,
But wil ne shal nat faillen, that is sooth.
And yet ik have alwey a coltes tooth,
As many a yeer as it is passed henne
Sin that my tappe of lyf bigan to renne. 3890
For sikerly, whan I was bore, anon
Deeth drogh the tappe of lyf and leet it gon;
And ever sith hath so the tappe y-ronne,
Til that almost al empty is the tonne. (40)
The streem of lyf now droppeth on the chimbe; 3895
The sely tonge may wel ringe and chimbe
Of wrecchednesse that passed is ful yore;
With olde folk, save dotage, is namore.’
3885. E. eelde. 3886. E. vnweelde. 3893. Hn. sith; E. sithe.
Whan that our host hadde herd this sermoning,
He gan to speke as lordly as a king; 3900
He seide, ‘what amounteth al this wit?
What shul we speke alday of holy writ?
The devel made a reve for to preche,
And of a souter a shipman or a leche. (50)
Sey forth thy tale, and tarie nat the tyme, 3905
Lo, Depeford! and it is half-way pryme.
Lo, Grenewich, ther many a shrewe is inne;
It were al tyme thy tale to biginne.’
3904. E. Cm. And; _rest_ Or. _All but_ Hn. _om. 2nd_ a. 3907. Cp.
Pt. Ln. that (_for_ ther). 3908. Pt. hie (_for_ al).
‘Now, sires,’ quod this Osewold the Reve,
‘I pray yow alle that ye nat yow greve, 3910
Thogh I answere and somdel sette his howve;
For leveful is with force force of-showve.
3912. _In margin of_ E.—vim vi repellere.
This dronke millere hath y-told us heer,
How that bigyled was a carpenteer, (60)
Peraventure in scorn, for I am oon. 3915
And, by your leve, I shal him quyte anoon;
Right in his cherles termes wol I speke.
I pray to god his nekke mote breke;
He can wel in myn yë seen a stalke,
But in his owne he can nat seen a balke. 3920
3918. Hl. tobreke; Pt. alto-breke. 3919. Pt. ye; Cp. ȝe; rest eye.
[114: T. 3919-3943.]
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