And many tymës, so hyt gos,
mennës eyres are here most fos;
Namly, an eyre þat ys a qued, [shrewe [ashrewe O.] ] [aqued O.]
þat desyreþ hys fadrys [fader O.] ded;
Line 6280
For oftë haue men herde and sen
Þat swych eyrës hauë ben.
yn London, þe wurde [wrd O.] gan go, [folio 42a:2]
Þat eyrës ded here fadrys slo;
Line 6284
And wyues wundryng was so bolde
To make here husbundes kokëwolde:
Many tymës, for swych dede,
Are eyrës mochë for to drede;
Line 6288
For doute þerof, þys ys þe skyle,
To queþe here landys where þey wyle;
hous and rente, and ouþer þyng,
Mow þey queþe at here endyng.
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Ȝe ryche men, before ȝow se,
Þe whyles ȝe are yn ȝoure pouste;
On ȝoure soules, y rede ȝow þenke;
y warne ȝow of ȝoure eyres blenke;
Line 6296
Ne haueþ no trust of ȝoure sokoure,
Nat of ȝoure owne executoure;
Ȝyueþ ȝeself with ȝoure hondys, [hendes O.]
For þe dede haþ few[ë] frendys;
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For þey þat þou louyst [leuest O.] with-alle,
For þy soule wyl ȝyue but smalle.
Of þre executurs y shal ȝou rede,
how þey halpe ones a soule yn nede. [A tale]
[The Tale of the Three Dishonest Executors.]
A tale y herde a gode man sey,
Line 6305
how a man dyd whan he shuld deye:
he ches hym þre executours,
Of al hys godys ordeynours,
Line 6308
Twey lewed men and a clerke,
