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II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
[PART III.
If the pope and prelats wold
So begge and bidde, bowe, and borowe,
1095Holy churche shuld stand full cold,
Hir servaunts sitte and soupë sorowe!
And they were noughty, foule, and horowe,
To worship god men woldë wlate;
Bothe on even and on morowe
1100Such harlotry men woldë hate.
So begge and bidde, bowe, and borowe,
1095Holy churche shuld stand full cold,
Hir servaunts sitte and soupë sorowe!
And they were noughty, foule, and horowe,
To worship god men woldë wlate;
Bothe on even and on morowe
1100Such harlotry men woldë hate.
Therfore men of holy churche
Shuld ben honest in all thing,
Worshipfully goddes workes werche,
So semeth it, to serve Christ hir king
1105In honest and in clene clothing;
With vessels of golde and clothes riche,
To god honestly to make offiring;
To his lordship non is liche.”
Shuld ben honest in all thing,
Worshipfully goddes workes werche,
So semeth it, to serve Christ hir king
1105In honest and in clene clothing;
With vessels of golde and clothes riche,
To god honestly to make offiring;
To his lordship non is liche.”
The Pellican caste an houge cry,
1110And sayd, “alas! why sayest thou so?
Christ is our heed that sitteth on hy,
Heddes ne ought we have no mo.
We ben his membres both also,
And †fader he taught us to cal him als;
1115Maysters be called defended he tho;
All other maysters ben wicked and fals,
1110And sayd, “alas! why sayest thou so?
Christ is our heed that sitteth on hy,
Heddes ne ought we have no mo.
We ben his membres both also,
And †fader he taught us to cal him als;
1115Maysters be called defended he tho;
All other maysters ben wicked and fals,
That taketh maystry in his name,
Gostly, and for erthly good;
Kinges and lordes shuld lordship han,
1120And rule the people with myldë mode.
Christ, for us that shedde his blood,
Bad his preestes no maystership have,
Ne carkë nat for cloth ne fode;
From every mischef he will hem save.
Gostly, and for erthly good;
Kinges and lordes shuld lordship han,
1120And rule the people with myldë mode.
Christ, for us that shedde his blood,
Bad his preestes no maystership have,
Ne carkë nat for cloth ne fode;
From every mischef he will hem save.
1093. prelates wolde. 1095. shulde stande; colde. 1096. Her seruauntes. 1098. worshyppe. 1100. Suche. 1102. Shulde; thynge. 1104. her kynge. 1105. clothynge. 1107. offrynge. 1108. lordshypppe (!) none. 1109. crye. 1111. hye. 1114. father. 1115. to be (om. to). 1116. Read wikke? 1118. Goostly; earthly. 1119. shulde; hane. 1121. blode. 1122. Badde. 1124. myschefe.
