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II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
[PART III.
For they ne ben but countrefet,
710Men may knowe hem by hir fruit;
Hir gretnesse maketh hem god foryet,
And take his mekenesse in dispyt.
And they were pore and had but lyte,
They nolde nat demen after the face,
715But norishe hir sheep, and hem nat byte;
God amende hem for his grace!”
710Men may knowe hem by hir fruit;
Hir gretnesse maketh hem god foryet,
And take his mekenesse in dispyt.
And they were pore and had but lyte,
They nolde nat demen after the face,
715But norishe hir sheep, and hem nat byte;
God amende hem for his grace!”
Grifon.
“What canst thou preche ayenst chanons
Thát men clepen seculere?”
Pelican. “They ben curates of many towns,
720On erthë they have greet powére.
They han greet prebendes and dere,
Some two or three, and some [han] mo,
A personage to ben a playing-fere,
And yet they serve the king also;
Thát men clepen seculere?”
Pelican. “They ben curates of many towns,
720On erthë they have greet powére.
They han greet prebendes and dere,
Some two or three, and some [han] mo,
A personage to ben a playing-fere,
And yet they serve the king also;
725And let to fermë all that fare
To whom that woll most give therfore;
Some woll spende, and some woll spare,
And some woll laye it up in store.
A cure of soule[s] they care nat for,
730Só they mowë money take;
Whether hir soules be wonne or lore,
Hir profits they woll nat forsake.
To whom that woll most give therfore;
Some woll spende, and some woll spare,
And some woll laye it up in store.
A cure of soule[s] they care nat for,
730Só they mowë money take;
Whether hir soules be wonne or lore,
Hir profits they woll nat forsake.
They have a gedering procuratour
That can the pore people enplede,
735And robben hem as a ravinour,
And to his lord the money lede;
And cacche of quicke and eke of dede,
And richen him and his lord eke,
And to robbe the pore can give good rede
740Of olde and yonge, of hole and seke.
That can the pore people enplede,
735And robben hem as a ravinour,
And to his lord the money lede;
And cacche of quicke and eke of dede,
And richen him and his lord eke,
And to robbe the pore can give good rede
740Of olde and yonge, of hole and seke.
709. countrefete. 710. her fruite. 711. Her; foryete. 712. dispyte. 713. poore. 715. her shepe. 720–1. great. 722. thre; supply han. 723. playeng. 724. kynge. 725. lette. 729. soule; fore. 731. her. 732. Her profytes. 734. poore. 736. lorde. 737. catche. 738. lorde. 739. poore. 740. syke (for seke); see l. 1313.
