Þarfor, ȝe stywardes on benche,
Þer-on shulde ȝe allë þenche,
'Ȝyf þou of þe porë haue pyte,
Þan wylle God haue mercy on þe.'
Line 5440
For hardë dome and coueytyse [folio 36b:2]
y shal ȝow telle of swych a Iustyse.
[The Tale of the Hard Judge.]
Y haue herde, be-ȝonde þe see [A tale.]
was a Iustyse, yn a cuntre;
Line 5444
Of hym the wurde ful wydë sprong,
he ȝaf harde dome, and oþer whyle wrong.
Godë men ofte hym besoght
For þe pore, þat he wo wroght,
Line 5448
Þat he shulde haue on hem mercy,
And pylle hem nat but mesurly;
Þat þey myȝt lyue yn pes by hym,
And be nat so aȝens hem grym.
Line 5452
Þys was hys answere and hys sawe,
'Y shal do hem no þyng but lawe."
And many lawes are oute of skylle,
But, ȝyf þér [þyr.] be mercy tylle.
Line 5456
was hyt nat long aftyrward,
He fyl yn a sykenes hard;
Hyt telleþ of hym swych a chaunce,
He hadde no godë répentaunce;
Line 5460
Hys sykënes [O, syknes H.] wax harde and strong,
Þat he myȝt nat lyuë long;
For allë [alle men.] hoped weyl y-nogh
Þat he [he O, om. H.] vn-to þe deþ faste drogh.
Line 5464
Men þat sate a-boute hys bedde
were a-gast, and sore a-dredde;
And hopyd wel, and vndyrstode
