Now wol I speke of othes false and grete
A word or two, as olde bokes trete. 630
Gret swering is a thing abhominable,
And false swering is yet more reprevable.
The heighe god forbad swering at al,
Witnesse on Mathew; but in special
Of swering seith the holy Ieremye, 635
[310: T. 12570-12605.]
‘Thou shalt seye sooth thyn othes, and nat lye,
And swere in dome, and eek in rightwisnesse;’
But ydel swering is a cursednesse. (310)
Bihold and see, that in the firste table
Of heighe goddes hestes honurable, 640
How that the seconde heste of him is this—
‘Tak nat my name in ydel or amis.’
Lo, rather he forbedeth swich swering
Than homicyde or many a cursed thing;
I seye that, as by ordre, thus it stondeth; 645
This knowen, that his hestes understondeth,
How that the second heste of god is that.
And forther over, I wol thee telle al plat, (320)
That vengeance shal nat parten from his hous,
That of his othes is to outrageous. 650
‘By goddes precious herte, and by his nayles,
And by the blode of Crist, that it is in Hayles,
Seven is my chaunce, and thyn is cink and treye;
By goddes armes, if thou falsly pleye,
This dagger shal thurgh-out thyn herte go’— 655
This fruyt cometh of the bicched bones two,
Forswering, ire, falsnesse, homicyde.
Now, for the love of Crist that for us dyde, (330)
Leveth your othes, bothe grete and smale;
But, sirs, now wol I telle forth my tale. 660
632. Cp. Ln. Hl. _om._ yet. 644. Hn. Cm. Hl. many a.; E. any; Cp. Pt.
Ln. eny other. 656. Hl. bicchid; Ln. becched; Hn. Cm. bicche; Pt.
thilk. 659. E. Hn. Lete; _rest_ Leueth.
Thise ryotoures three, of whiche I telle,
Longe erst er pryme rong of any belle,
Were set hem in a taverne for to drinke;
And as they satte, they herde a belle clinke
Biforn a cors, was caried to his grave; 665
That oon of hem gan callen to his knave,
‘Go bet,’ quod he, ‘and axe redily,
What cors is this that passeth heer forby; (340)
And look that thou reporte his name wel.’