Wit myght þat godd me gaue an mayn,
Ic haf hym-self werraid agayn,
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Caroles, iolites, and plaies,
Ic haue be haldyn and ledde in ways,
Oþer men dedis oft i demyd,
þar-in my aun folis yemyd,
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Poer and ald and men vnwyse
Til hethyng haue i driuen oft-sythes.
I womman haue vn-buxum bene
And tarid myn husband to tene,
In many thyng þat i suld don,
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And noght queþer my lagh vndon.
Ic haue synned thoro envy,
And þar-of crist! i cri mercy!
Quen i sagh oþer men mistad,
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Of his sare [[MS. fare]] wald i be gladd,
For his ded and his vn-hele,
For skath takyng of his catell.
Quen i sagh my neghbur wele fare,
Min aun soru it was þe mare,
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For his god fare and his fame,
His welth, his wytt, and his god name,
I paind oft at him vn-spede,
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Bath in will and word and dede.
Anentis my better i hade envy,
Quen he was for-þer mar þen j,
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Of him þat was myn euening rike [folio 156a:1]
Me it forthoght he was me like,
And he þe porer was o prise,
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I dred he forthur mare suld rise.
O strif oft haue i oft sauun þe sede
To bring my brother to wan-spede;
Oft haue i bene ouer mistrauand,
Quen i for me na chesun fande,
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And dempt man as me-self list
þof i na wite apon him wist.
His loue-worde wald i lette to rise
And quar i wist a worthy wise,
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And þat suilk oþer man war slayn,
My-self wald haue part of þe payn."
¶ In þat of wreth will scriue þe hale,
On þiskin wise bigin þou sale,
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"Oft sithe haue i wrethid sare
Him þat me gat, here þat me bare,
And sume of þaim wit hand i smat,
Mi lauerd, my maister, my prelat,
Or laid on hand in my sotthed,
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þat ic am cursed o þe dede."
And here þan agh þou for to telle
O suilkin case, hou it be felle,
"Again my breþer haue i bene
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Oft-sith lightly for to tene,
Wit flitt, wit brixil, striue and strut,
Myn euen-cristen haue i hurt,
And oft vn-saght o him i said,
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And of his lastes gaue vp-braid,—
I wald he ware vn-fere or ded,—
And bath i procurd þam wit red,
Thoru tene of him spak i ille,
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And did his loue-word for to spille.
Oft i was to him wit vn-right,
Wit will þat ic on him suld light.
To bak-biters myn here i laid,
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For wele me liked þat þai said;
Ic ha ben wrath and vn-tholand
Quen i was bunden in godds band,
For tynsel, for syte of catell,
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For frendes dede þat me was lele;
þat me wald loue for cristes au
To seke him-seluen wit missau,
To wreth was vnright-wis,
I did man cum be-for iustis,
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