‘Sir,’ quod this boy, ‘it nedeth never-a-del. 670
It was me told, er ye cam heer, two houres;
[311: T. 12606-12642.]
He was, pardee, an old felawe of youres;
And sodeynly he was y-slayn to-night,
For-dronke, as he sat on his bench upright;
Ther cam a privee theef, men clepeth Deeth, 675
That in this contree al the peple sleeth,
And with his spere he smoot his herte a-two,
And wente his wey with-outen wordes mo. (350)
He hath a thousand slayn this pestilence:
And, maister, er ye come in his presence, 680
Me thinketh that it were necessarie
For to be war of swich an adversarie:
Beth redy for to mete him evermore.
Thus taughte me my dame, I sey na-more.’
‘By seinte Marie,’ seyde this taverner, 685
‘The child seith sooth, for he hath slayn this yeer,
Henne over a myle, with-in a greet village,
Both man and womman, child and hyne, and page. (360)
I trowe his habitacioun be there;
To been avysed greet wisdom it were, 690
Er that he dide a man a dishonour.’
‘Ye, goddes armes,’ quod this ryotour,
‘Is it swich peril with him for to mete?
I shal him seke by wey and eek by strete,
I make avow to goddes digne bones! 695
Herkneth, felawes, we three been al ones;
Lat ech of us holde up his hond til other, (370)
And ech of us bicomen otheres brother,
And we wol sleen this false traytour Deeth;
He shal be slayn, which that so many sleeth, 700
By goddes dignitee, er it be night.’
Togidres han thise three her trouthes plight,
To live and dyen ech of hem for other,
As though he were his owene y-boren brother.
And up they sterte al dronken, in this rage, 705
And forth they goon towardes that village,
Of which the taverner had spoke biforn,
And many a grisly ooth than han they sworn, (380)
[312: T. 12643-12680.]
And Cristes blessed body they to-rente—
‘Deeth shal be deed, if that they may him hente.’ 710
704. E. yborn; Hn. ybore; Cm. bore; Pt. born; Cp. Ln. Hl. sworne.
705. E. Hn. stirte. Hn. Cp. Ln. Hl. al; E. Cm. Pt. and. 710. they]
Cp. Pt. Ln. we.
Whan they han goon nat fully half a myle,
Right as they wolde han troden over a style,
An old man and a povre with hem mette.
This olde man ful mekely hem grette,
And seyde thus, ‘now, lordes, god yow see!’ 715
The proudest of thise ryotoures three
Answerde agayn, ‘what? carl, with sory grace,
Why artow al forwrapped save thy face? (390)
Why livestow so longe in so greet age?’
This olde man gan loke in his visage, 720
And seyde thus, ‘for I ne can nat finde
A man, though that I walked in-to Inde,
Neither in citee nor in no village,
That wolde chaunge his youthe for myn age;
And therfore moot I han myn age stille, 725
As longe time as it is goddes wille.
Ne deeth, allas! ne wol nat han my lyf;
Thus walke I, lyk a restelees caityf, (400)
And on the ground, which is my modres gate,
I knokke with my staf, bothe erly and late, 730
And seye, “leve moder, leet me in!
Lo, how I vanish, flesh, and blood, and skin!
Allas! whan shul my bones been at reste?
Moder, with yow wolde I chaunge my cheste,
That in my chambre longe tyme hath be, 735
Ye! for an heyre clout to wrappe me!”
But yet to me she wol nat do that grace,
For which ful pale and welked is my face. (410)
But, sirs, to yow it is no curteisye
To speken to an old man vileinye, 740
But he trespasse in worde, or elles in dede.
In holy writ ye may your-self wel rede,
“Agayns an old man, hoor upon his heed,
Ye sholde aryse;” wherfor I yeve yow reed,
Ne dooth un-to an old man noon harm now, 745
Na-more than ye wolde men dide to yow
[313: T. 12681-12718.]
In age, if that ye so longe abyde;
And god be with yow, wher ye go or ryde. (420)
I moot go thider as I have to go.’