[6-text p 269]
Of Melayn grete Barnabo viscount [¶ De Barnabo Co|mite Mediolano]
God of delyt and strength of lumbardye
why schuld þyn infortune I nought accounte
Syn in astaat þou clombe were so hye
Line 3592
Thy broþer sone þat was þy double allie
For he þy neuew was and sone in lawe
wiþinne his prisoun made þe to dye
But why ne how not I þat þou were slawe / [[No break in the MS.]]
Line 3596
Of erl hugilin of pise þe langour [¶ De hugilino Comite Pise]
Ther may no tonge telle þe pite
But litel out of pise stant a tour
In whiche tour / in prisoun put was he /
Line 3600
And with him been his litil children þre
Theldest skarsly fyf ȝer was of age /
Allas fortune it was gret cruelte
Suche briddes to put in such a cage
Line 3604
Dampnyd he was to deye in þat prisoun
For Roger which þat bisschop was of pise
Had on him maad a fals suggestioun
Thurgh which þe peple gan on him arise
Line 3608
And putte him in prisoun in such wise
As ȝe han herd and mete and drynk he hadde
So smal þat wel vnneþe it may suffise
And þer wiþ al it was ful pore and badde
Line 3612
And on a day bifel þat in þat hour
whan þat his mete was wont to be brought
The gayler schet þe dores of þat tour
He herd it wel but he saugh it nought [folio 233a]
Line 3616
And in his hert anoon þer fel a þought
þat þay for hungir wolde doon him dyen
Alas quod he allas þat I was wrought
Ther-wiþ þe teeres felle fro his eyen
Line 3620
