162
II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
[PART II.
They layeth out hir largë nettes
470For to take silver and gold,
Fillen coffers, and sackes fettes,
There-as they soules cacche shold.
Hir servaunts be to †hem unhold,
But they can doublin †hir rentall
475To bigge hem castels, and bigge hem hold;
And all such falsë, foule hem fall!
470For to take silver and gold,
Fillen coffers, and sackes fettes,
There-as they soules cacche shold.
Hir servaunts be to †hem unhold,
But they can doublin †hir rentall
475To bigge hem castels, and bigge hem hold;
And all such falsë, foule hem fall!
Here endeth the first part of this tale, and herafter
foloweth the seconde part.
foloweth the seconde part.
PART II.
To accorde with this wordë “fal”
No more English can I find;
Shewe another now I shall,
480For I have moche to say behind,
How preestes han the people pynd,
As curteys Christ hath me [y-]kend,
And put this matter in my mind
To make this maner men amend.
No more English can I find;
Shewe another now I shall,
480For I have moche to say behind,
How preestes han the people pynd,
As curteys Christ hath me [y-]kend,
And put this matter in my mind
To make this maner men amend.
485Shortly to shende hem, and shewe now
How wrongfully they worche and walke;
O hye god, nothing they tell, ne how,
But in goddes word, †tell many a balke.
In hernes holde hem and in halke,
490And prechin of tythes and offrend,
And untruely of the gospell talke;
For his mercy, god it amend!
How wrongfully they worche and walke;
O hye god, nothing they tell, ne how,
But in goddes word, †tell many a balke.
In hernes holde hem and in halke,
490And prechin of tythes and offrend,
And untruely of the gospell talke;
For his mercy, god it amend!
469. her. 470. golde. 472. catche sholde. 473. Her seruauntes; them (read hem); vnholde. 474. theyr (for hir). 475. holde. 476. suche.
478. fynde. 479. nowe. 480. saye behynde. 481. Howe; pynde. 482. kende; see l. 530. 483. putte; mynde. 484. amende. 485. nowe. 486. Howe. 487. howe. 488. worde; telleth (see l. 487). 490. offrende. 492. amende.
