And ȝyf he wyl nat [nat so.] with feyre lere,
Þan mayst þou speke stoutly to hym,
Line 3521
with-outë wraþþe, wurdys ful grym,
Þat he be chasted at þy fre wylle,
But þat þou bere yn herte none ylle.
Chydyng cumþ of hertë hy,
Line 3525
And gretë pryde, and vylany.
A-nouþer spyce þer ys þat moche deres, [O. gloss 'harmyþ.']
Þat ys, þese cursed bakbyteres.
Line 3528
Of al [alle.] men, þey do most euyl,
here lorefadyr [? teacher, or for 'forefadyr.'] ys þe deuyl.
Þe fende vs bewreyeþ of oure synne
whan he haþ made vs fal þer-ynne.
Line 3532
So are þese bakbyters wunne,
Þey seye þe werst þat þey kunne;
Euer behynde a mannys bak,
with euyl þey fynde hym to lak.
Line 3536
Swyche men god almyȝty hatys [folio 24a:2]
And with here foulë synne hym wlatys. [loþeþ]
Seynt Austyn spekyþ of swyche þynges
yn a bokë of lesyngys.
Line 3540
No custummable bakbytyng
God forȝeueþ, ne no lesyng,
Þat þou þarfore shalt algate drye [suffre]
Sum manere peyne for euery lye;
Line 3544
As þe lesyng ys lesse or more,
Shalt þou suffre peyne þar-fore.
And þat may weyl preuyd be
with a tale of an autoryte,
Line 3548
Þat mochë peynë shal he bere
wyþ-outë ende, þe bakbytere;
And [And here.] y shal tellë ȝou a lyte
Of one þat coude hys felaus byte.
Line 3552
