here neghburs þyng, falsly to wynne.
And a ryche man hyt noyeþ oftyn tyde [folio 40a:2]
Þat a porë man hat oght [haþ oght hym.] besyde.
Line 5980
Alle þat he may, with euyl he fondys
For to reue hym, and haue hys londys;
Ȝyf he may nat hem at hym bye,
He wul weyte hym oþer felunnye,
Line 5984
hym to sle, or to endyte,
Or þeft he wyl vpon [vpon O, on H.] hym wyte,
Or ouþer skaþe he wyl hym weyte,
Hys bestes for to bete or bayte, [beyte.]
Line 5988
To ete hys grasse, [gresse.] or foule hys corne,
So þat hys gode shal neuer [nere.] be lorne:
Of swyche men, boþe wryte hyt ys [wryte ys.] & seyd,
Moche peyne ys before hem leyde;
Line 5992
here synne shal noþer be forȝyuen ne slakyn
Vn-to [Vntyl.] þey ȝelde þat þey haue takyn;
Here mercy ys ful on- [vn.] certeyn
But þey ȝelde hem here gode aȝeyn.
Line 5996
Of þys, before ȝe herde me rede,
How seynt Fursyn founde hyt yn dede;
And here y shal telle a lytyl tale
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Of swyche a man þat brewed hys bale.
[The Tale of Lucretius, and how the Devil leapt into him.]
Þyr was a man þat hyght Lucrecyus, [A tale]
A swyþë ryche and [and a.] coueytous;
Besyde hym wonèd a mayden wys,
Here [Here O, He H.] name was kalled Beatrys.
Line 6004
Lucrecyus þoght on felonye;
here landës he wulde algate bye.
And, shortly ȝow for to telle,
Þys lady wuldë nat hem selle.
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