And a-peyryn many [peyryn many a D.] mannys lyfe.
Ȝyf þou bryng [bryngge O, he brynge D.] a man yn fame,
Þat he haue euer lastyng [þat after eueremor it is a D.] shame,—
Line 1520
Byforë god, þou hym slos
whan þou hym reuyst hys [qwan . . . . of his D.] gode los.
Bakbyter, þurgh ryght [a bacbitere þorw D.] resun, [folio 11a]
Of þre mennys deþ ys enchesun.
Line 1524
Þou wost weyl, with-outyn [þat wete ȝe wel with-out D.] les,
þe bakbyter fyrst hym self [hym selfe ferst O.] sles;
He slekþ hym þat trowyþ hys lesyng, [lesyngge O, sleth . . eryth þe lesyng D.]
whan he forþ beryþ hys bakbytyng; [furþ berþ hys bakbytyngge O, qwan he beriþ forth þis b. D.]
Line 1528
And hym algate [also D.] þat hyt ys on leyde,
He ys slayn; god help þe vpbreyde. [slayn be þat vpbreyd D.]
As mochë þan he ys [mechil is be þan D.] to blame
Þat ȝeueþ a man a vyle ekename; [þat causith a sclaundrous name D.]
Line 1532
Ȝyf hys ryȝt [good D.] name be withdrawe,
Gostlychë [Gostlych O, gostly D.] þou hast hym slawe.
Also ys [þer is a D.] slaghter gostly
To vse to spekë [þat vsyn to spekyn D.] vyleyny.
Line 1536
For many wurdys þat beþ spoke, [arn spokyn D.]
were better [betre O, better D.] yn brest to be loke. [in þe brest be lokyn D.]
And, sum owtȝë nat [some owte nat O, so owyn men D.] to be
Of herë wurdys to [ouer O, euere D.] fre,—
Line 1540
By þese [þys O, þese D.] ordryd men, y mene,
Here wurdys owtȝ [oghte to be feyr & O, owyn euere to be D.] to be feyr & clene,
And namlyche to [a namely in D.] relygyun
Men shuld fynde [schuldyn fyndyn D.] noun enchesun:
Line 1544
For ȝyf þey spekë oute of skore, [spekyn ony schame D.]
Þey beþ to be blamed eft þarfore. [arn michel þe more to blame D.]
