And a-boue al þan clerkene Robe : ase to is stat bi-cam;
Line 324
So þat he was clerk with-oute : and with-Inne Monek al-so,
Þoruȝ þe Abite þat he hadde on him : priueliche i-do.
In penaunce and In fastingue : he was niȝt and dai,
And In is oresones, bote som ȝwile : þat he slepe lai;
Line 328
And ȝwane he scholde eten is mete : for þat he moste nede,
Euere he preide ore swete louerd : þat he moste wel spede;
And euere ȝwane he Masse song : he wep and siȝte sore;
he hastede euere þare-with faste : ne miȝte no man more.
Line 332
¶ Swiþe faire he fedde him at is bord : with grete nobleie and pruyte
And of þe beste him-sulf he et : ake ofte bote luyte.
Of is ordres he was ful streit : and he was in grete fere
For-to ordeinen ani Man : bote he þe betere were.
Line 336
Idul nolde he neuere beo : ake euere doinde he was;
In eche manere of betere liue : neuere no bischop nas.
Sire henri, þe kingus sone : þat with him was er i-brouȝt,
bi-lefde euere In is warde : fram him nolde he nouȝt.
Line 340
Þe loue þat was hem bi-twene : nas neuere more i-seie,
Ne of no Man þis child nadde : neuere more loue eiȝe. [al. ne eiȝe]
[Reditus regis.] HIt bi-fel þat þe king : ovt of Noremandie cam
In-to Enguelonde, þe stat to loke : and al-so is kynedom.
Line 344
Seint Thomas nam with him : sire hanri, is sone,
And wel faire with honour : wende to south-hamptone.
Þare was Ioie and blisse i-nouȝ : þo heo to-gadere come;
heo custen and heo clupten faste : and hereden god i-lome.
Line 348
Þe king bi-lefde In Engelonde : to wardi is kynedom.
Seint thomas to is priueitez : euere-more he nam
And heold him euere ase he dude er : is hexte conseiller;
bi is wille he nolde habbe i-haued : non oþur chaunceler.
Line 352
Euere ȝwane he ani-þing dude : þat were a-ȝen þe riȝte,
Seint thomas it with-seide : euere with al is miȝte.—
Hit bi-fel þat þe bischop of wirecestre : sone þere-after ded was,
And þe bischop of hereforde al-so : ase ore louerd ȝaf þat cas.
Line 356
Þe bischopriches fullen boþe : In-to þe kingus hond,
For-to onder-fonge al þe prov þare-of : ase lawe was in þe lond.
¶ Þe king heom nolde nouȝt ȝiue sone : bote heold heom swiþe longe
