Þay ware cumbyrde in couetyse, þe cay|tefs had care
For þaire kuaues ware cledde in clethyng full clene
And þay hade no-thyng in hande as þay had hadde are
And ware noghte haldene so myghty as þay hade are bene.
Line 170
For-thi wroghte þou þaire will: of wandes þat ware
Thow made golde full gude, and gafe þam, I wene;
Smale stanes of þe see saynede þou þare:
And þay warre saphirs, forsothe, — was nane swylke sene.
Sene swylke was þare none
Line 175
For fyne precyouse stone;
The wandes, whene þou badde,
Þay ware golde ylkone.
Þou gafe thayme welthe mare wone
Þan þay euer hadde.
Line 180
Whene þay had welthe more wane þane þay euer bewanne,
Þay wente home by þe waye — vnwysely þay wroghte.
A ȝonge barne in þat burghe was dede ryghte thanne;
Þat ilke body þat hym bare, to bale scho was broghte,
His modir come murnande, with hir many manne; [Perry manande!]
Line 185
To the made thay thayre mane — mele myghte thay noghte.
And for thay grett so grysely, to grete þou byganne;
To godd of his gudnes seþene þou be|soghte.
Þou besoghte godd of myghte:
Þane þe childe rase vpe ryghte,
Line 190
And tolde þame full euene
Þat lett by þi lare lyghte
And couetede þe golde bryghte,
How þay hadd loste heuene.
Than thay wepede and weryede þaire werke and þaire wyll,
Line 195
Þat þay for welthe of þe werlde sulde wende vnto woo.
Thow said: "will ȝe suffire sothely and still
Seuene dayes penance?" and sonne said thay ȝoo.
Thay tuke at thi techynge and traysted þar-tyll,
Þay had forthynkyng in thoghte þat þay it fledde froo.
Line 200
Þe precyouse stones, semly to see appone syll,
And þe golde in thaire kynde a-gayne gune þay goo.
Thay go agayne in degre [folio 233]
As þaire kynde was, to bee
Stones as þay ware;
Line 205
The golde turnede to wandis free.
Þane þat syghte fra thay see,
Myse didd þay na-mare.
In þat cuntre was a clerke, knawene and kende:
Þay callede hym Cratone þe cunande, thurghe owte clergy;
Line 210
All þe lande and þat lede þat he gune in lende,
With his lawes and his lare warre þay ledd by.
Þat philosophir all þe folke faste he de|fende
That thay suld noghte in thi faythe, Johne, þame affy;
Þus merrede he þe mene þaire mysse for to mende,
Line 215
And thurghe mawmetis he made mony a maystry.
Thurgh thaym the he soghte,
For the, Johne, forsothe he wroghte
A puysone, to profe the;
He saide: as he thoghte,
Line 220
If it noyede the noghte,
Þane walde he lufe the.
Bot þat puysone to profe, þat proud|deste in palle
