manassen hem & sumtyme beten hem whanne þei axen here peye. & þus lordis deuouren pore mennus goodis in glotonye & wast & pride, & þei perischen for myschief, & [as X.] hungur & þrist & colde, & þere children also; & ȝif here rente be not redily paied here bestis ben stressid & þei þursued wiþouten mercy, þouȝ þei be neuere so pore & nedi & ouerchargid wiþ age, febilnesse & loos of catel & wiþ many children. & ȝit lordis wolen not mekely here a pore mannus cause & helpe hym in his riȝte, but suffre sisouris of contre to distroie hem, but raþere wyþholden pore men here hire, for whiche þei han spendid here fleisch & here blood. & so in a manere þei eten & drynken pore mennus fleisch & blood & ben manquelleris, as god pleyneþ bi his prophetis. where-fore god seiþ bi þe prophete ysaie, þat siche lordis ben felawis of [Isaiah i. [15. 23.]] þeuys & here hondis ben ful of blood, & þerfore whanne þei preien many preieris bi mouþ & holden vp [page 196] here hondis, god wole not here hem ne resceyue here offryngis þat ben wrong|fully geten of pore mennus goodis bi extorcions & raueyne & robberie. & ȝit men of lawe, þat schulden distroie siche falsnesse bi here offices & don eche man riȝt & reson, [X inserts &.] meyn|tenen wrong for money & fees & robis, & forbaren pore men fro [for X.] here riȝt, þat it is betre to hem to pursue not for here riȝt, be it neuere so opyn, þan to pursue & lese more catel for disceitis of delaies and cauellacions & euele wilis [willes X.] þat þei vsen; & þus wrong is meyntened & trewþe & riȝt outlawid in many statis.
¶ Also stryues, contekis & debatis ben vsed in oure lond, for lordis stryuen wiþ here tenauntis to brynge [brynke X.] hem in þraldom more þan þei schulden bi reson & charite; & þei grucchen aȝen, & cursen & warien nyȝt & day, & grete men of þis world [worldly AA.] debaten, & meyntenen debatis at louedaies; & who so may be strengere wil haue his wille don, be it wrong be it riȝt, & ellis make debate among many hundrid & þousand men & sumtyme many countres, & by [omitted X.] sich debatynge many men holden grete houses & grete araies &
