PART I.]
II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
161
Christ hath twelve apostels here;
Now say they, ther may be but oon,
That may nat erre in no manere;
440Who leveth nat this, ben lost echoon!
Peter erred, so dide nat John;
Why is he cleped the principall?
Christ cleped him Peter, but himself the stoon;
All falsë faytours, foule hem fall!
Now say they, ther may be but oon,
That may nat erre in no manere;
440Who leveth nat this, ben lost echoon!
Peter erred, so dide nat John;
Why is he cleped the principall?
Christ cleped him Peter, but himself the stoon;
All falsë faytours, foule hem fall!
445Why cursen they the croysery,
Christes Christen crëatures?
For bytwene hem is now envy
To be enhaunsed in honours.
And Christen livers, with hir labours,
450For they leve on no man mortall,
†Ben do to dethe with dishonours;
And all such falsë, foule hem fall!
Christes Christen crëatures?
For bytwene hem is now envy
To be enhaunsed in honours.
And Christen livers, with hir labours,
450For they leve on no man mortall,
†Ben do to dethe with dishonours;
And all such falsë, foule hem fall!
What knoweth a tillour at the plow
The popes name, and what he hat?
455His crede suffyseth him y-now,
And knoweth a cardinall by his hat.
Rough is the pore, unrightly lat,
That knoweth Christ his god royall;
Such maters be nat worth a gnat;
460But such false faytours, foule hem fall!
The popes name, and what he hat?
455His crede suffyseth him y-now,
And knoweth a cardinall by his hat.
Rough is the pore, unrightly lat,
That knoweth Christ his god royall;
Such maters be nat worth a gnat;
460But such false faytours, foule hem fall!
A king shall knele and kisse his sho;
Christ suffred a sinfull kisse his feet.
Me thinketh, he holdeth him hye y-now,
So Lucifer did, that hye †seet
465Such oon, me thinketh, him-self foryet,
Either to the trouth he was nat call;
Christ, that suffred woundes wet,
Shall makë such falshed foul fall!
Christ suffred a sinfull kisse his feet.
Me thinketh, he holdeth him hye y-now,
So Lucifer did, that hye †seet
465Such oon, me thinketh, him-self foryet,
Either to the trouth he was nat call;
Christ, that suffred woundes wet,
Shall makë such falshed foul fall!
437. xij. 438. Nowe; there; one. 440. echone. 443. stone. 447. nowe. 449. her. 450. leuyn. 451. But (read Ben). 452. suche. 453. plowe. 454. hate (!). 455. to hym (om. to); ynowe. 456. hatte. 457. poore; latte. 459. Suche; gnatte. 460. suche. 461. showe. 462. to kysse (om. to); fete. 463. ynowe. 464. sette; read seet (=sat). 465. Suche one; hym selfe foryete. 466. For call read tall (?); cf. l. 74. 467. wete. 468. suche; foule.
