Þe lordes answere was sumwhat vyle,
And þat falleþ euyl to a man gentyle;
Line 8688
"weyl were hyt do ryȝt for þe nones
To wurschyþ swych[ë] cherlës bones;
what wurschyp shuld men make
Aboute swych cherlës bodyes blake?"
Line 8692
Þe bonde man answerëd and seyd
wurdys to-gedyr ful weyl [ful weyl to-gedyr.] leyd:
"Þe lorde þat made of erþë, erles,
Of þe [þat.] same erþe made he cherles;
Line 8696
Erlës myȝt, and lordës stut,
As cherlës shal yn erþe be put;
Erlës, cherlës, alle at ones,
Line 8699
Shal none knowe ȝoure, fro oure, bones."
Þe lorde lestened þe wurdës weyl
And recorded hem euery deyl;
No morë to hym wulde he seye,
But, lete hym go furþe hys weye;
Line 8704
He seyd þe bestys shulde no more,
By hys wyl, comë þore. [[6-syll. line]]
Seþen he closed þe chercheȝerde so
Þat no best myȝt come þarto
Line 8708
For to ete, ne fyle þer-ynne;
So þoȝt [þught.] hym seþen, þat hyt was synne.
Þyr are but fewë lordës now
Þat turne a wrde so wel to prow;
Line 8712
But, who [who so.] seyþ hem any skylle, [folio 58a:2]
Mysseye aȝen, fouly þey wylle.
Lordynges,—þyr are ynow of þo,
Of gentyl men, þyr are but fo. [fewe]
Line 8716
Hyt ys defended yn þe decre,
Þat none yn cherche shal beryed be,
But bysshope, or abbot of relygyun,
Or prest þat ys of gode renoun.
Line 8720
A man þat haþ no gode fame ryfe [ryffe.]
Of dede, of hew, of holy lyfe,
Of gode feyþ, ne of charyte
