And foysyn, yn allë þyng."
Þe clerk ȝaue [ȝaf.] allë hys raunsun
To þe pore men of þe toun,
Line 5808
Plenerly, alle þat he toke,
wyþhelde he nat a ferþyng noke. [O. gloss 'a corner.']
Þe Emperoure sent hys messageres
alle aboute for to sekë Pers,
Line 5812
But þey ne myȝt neuer here
Of rychë Pers, þe tollere,
yn what stedë [stede þat.] he was nome,
No whydyrward he was become;
Line 5816
No þe clerk wuld telle to none,
whydyrward þat Pers was gone.
Now ys Pers bycomë bryche, [logh]
Þat er was boþë stoute and ryche.
Line 5820
Alle þat euer any man hym do bade,
Pers dyd hyt with hert[ë] glad.
he wax so myldë and so meke,
A mylder man þurt no man seke;
Line 5824
For he meked hym self ouer skyle,
Pottes and dysshes for to swele. [swyle.]
To grete penaunce he gan hym take, [folio 39a:2]
And mochë for to fast and wake,
Line 5828
And moche he loued þolmodnesse
To ryche, to pore, to more, to lesse.
Of allë men he wuld haue doute,
And to here byddyng mekly loute;
Line 5832
wulde þey bydde hym sytte or stande,
Euer [Euermore.] he wuldë be bowande;
And for he bare hym so meke and softe,
Shrewës mysded hym ful ofte,
Line 5836
And heldë hym folted or wode,
For he was so mylde of mode.
And þey þat were hys felaus
Mysseyd hym most yn herë sawes;
Line 5840
And alle he suffred here vpbreyd,
