[6-text p 395]
And for despit/ he drank ful muchel moore
And hondred part/ than he hadde bifoore
And right anon / this Irous cursed wrecche
Leet/ this knyghtes sone / bifore hym fecche
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Comandynge hym / he sholde bifore hym stonde
And sodeynly / he took his bowe in honde
And vp the streng he pulled to his ere
And with an arwe / he slow the child right there
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Now / wheither haue I / a siker hand or noon
Quod he / is al my myght and mynde agon
Hath wyn bireft me myne eyen sight
¶ What sholde I telle / thanswere of the knyght
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His sone was slayn / ther is namoore to seye
Beth war therfore / with lordes how ye pleye
Syngeth Placebo / and I shal if I kan
But if it be / vn-to a poure man
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To a poure man / men sholde hise vices telle
But nat to a lord / thogh he sholde go to helle
LO Irous Cirus / thilke Percien
How he destroyed / the ryuer of Gysen
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ffor that an hors of his was dreynt ther-Inne
Whan þat he wente / Babiloigne to wynne
He made / that the Ryuer / was so smal
That wommen / myghte wade it ouer al
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Lo what seyde he / that so wel teche kan
Ne be no felawe to an Irous man
Ne with no wood man / walke by the weye
Lest thee repente / ther is namoore to seye
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NOw Thomas leeue brother / lef thyn Ire
Thou shalt me fynde / as Iust/ as is a squyre
Hoold nat the deueles knyf ay at thyn herte
Thyn angre dooth thee / al to soore smerte
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But shewe to me / al thy confession
¶ Nay quod the sike man / by Seint Symon
I haue be shryuen this day / at my curat
I haue hym toold hoolly al myn estat
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