‘Brethren,’ quod he, ‘tak kepe what I seye;
My wit is greet, though that I bourde and pleye. (450)
This tresor hath fortune un-to us yiven,
In mirthe and Iolitee our lyf to liven, 780
And lightly as it comth, so wol we spende.
Ey! goddes precious dignitee! who wende
To-day, that we sholde han so fair a grace?
But mighte this gold be caried fro this place
[314: T. 12719-12754.]
Hoom to myn hous, or elles un-to youres— 785
For wel ye woot that al this gold is oures—
Than were we in heigh felicitee.
But trewely, by daye it may nat be; (460)
Men wolde seyn that we were theves stronge,
And for our owene tresor doon us honge. 790
This tresor moste y-caried be by nighte
As wysly and as slyly as it mighte.
Wherfore I rede that cut among us alle
Be drawe, and lat se wher the cut wol falle;
And he that hath the cut with herte blythe 795
Shal renne to the toune, and that ful swythe,
And bringe us breed and wyn ful prively.
And two of us shul kepen subtilly (470)
This tresor wel; and, if he wol nat tarie,
Whan it is night, we wol this tresor carie 800
By oon assent, wher-as us thinketh best.’
That oon of hem the cut broughte in his fest,
And bad hem drawe, and loke wher it wol falle;
And it fil on the yongeste of hem alle;
And forth toward the toun he wente anon. 805
And al-so sone as that he was gon,
That oon of hem spak thus un-to that other,
‘Thou knowest wel thou art my sworne brother, (480)
Thy profit wol I telle thee anon.
Thou woost wel that our felawe is agon; 810
And heer is gold, and that ful greet plentee,
That shal departed been among us three.
But natheles, if I can shape it so
That it departed were among us two,
Hadde I nat doon a freendes torn to thee?’ 815
779. E. Hn. Pt. Ln. yeuen. 780. E. Ioliftee. 796. Hl. Ln. the;
_rest omit._ 803. E. hym; _rest_ hem. E. Hn. Cp. wol; Hl. wil; Cm.
Pt. Ln. wolde. 807. E. _omits_ of hem. 808. E. Hn. Pt. sworn; Cm.
swore: Cp. Ln. Hl. sworne.
That other answerde, ‘I noot how that may be;
He woot how that the gold is with us tweye,
What shal we doon, what shal we to him seye?’ (490)
‘Shal it be conseil?’ seyde the firste shrewe,
‘And I shal tellen thee, in wordes fewe, 820
[315: T. 12755-12790.]
What we shal doon, and bringe it wel aboute.’