SEint petre hire let fette : and þoruȝ ore louerdes grace
Made hire hol, bi-fore al þat folk : anon in þulke place.—
Ase seint petre prechede a day : he seide in his prechingue
Line 235
Þat, ho-so seruede ore louerd wel : scholde habbe guod endingue.
¶ Þo stod þare op a swiþe old man : his lockes weren ful hore;
pouere and stoupinde and miseise. : he bi-gan to siken sore.
"gret revþe," he seide, "ich habbe of eov : þat ȝe bi-trayez men so;
Ech man bi-fallez ase his ȝwate is : ȝwat-so he euere do.
Line 240
¶ For þei a man swyncke and crie on god : and bidde ȝeorne is bede,
him schal bi-falle, guod oþur vuel : ase it is him i-queþe.
Þei mani man beo wis and euere swynke : he ne may neuere bate;
And þei manie don vuele and euere folie : ȝeot he hath guod ȝwate."
¶ Seint petre hiet þe þreo breþren : þat is desciples were,
Line 245
Despuyti aȝein þis olde man : of þat he tolde þere.
huy stoden and heore [r]esones [orig. oresones] seiden : þat ech man scholde a-fongue
After þat he wurche wolde : And elles it were with wrongue; [folio 144]
Line 248
"For, ho-so nath no guod, ne swinke nele : ne of porueance beo,
Ȝwat-so-euere man beo Iqueþe : he ne may it neuere fleo; [r. i-þeo]
And [ho]-so is wys to winne guod : and wel it witie can,
Ȝwat-so-euere is ȝwate beo : he worth riche man.
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For ore louerd wole here and elles-ȝware : ȝelden ane mannes seruise
After þat he him-seolf wurche wole : ake aftur ȝwate in none wise."
GRet clerk was þis olde Man : he desputede wel faste
A-ȝein þe þreo breþren with gret reson. : þat playt wel longue laste.
Line 256
Seint Clement was grettest clerk : þare-fore atþenende
Maister he was, þoruȝ grace : þat ore louerd him wolde sende.
Atþe laste þis olde Man : bi-gan to sike and grone,
And seid[e], "wel, icholde i-leue : ower resones ech-one,
Line 260
Ȝif I-ne hadde to muche i-fondet : of þinge þat geth bi ȝwate.
Alas þulke soruful tyme : for mi confort cometh to late!
Line 262
Riche man ich was elles-ȝware : þei ich beo nouþe a wrechche here;
Ich hadde þreo ȝoungue children : and a guod wif þat was mi fere.
Mine tweie sones heo ladde awei : þo we heom hadden al bi-swonke :
Ine heorde neuereft word of heom : Ich wot huy beoth a-dronke.
Alle myne freond and al mi guod : Ich bi-lefte me bi-hynde
