'Wych wolde nat suffre the to lere,
Noon Armys nor noon harneys were,
The to dyffende fro thyn enmyes,
Brygauntys and other false espyes; [[C. & St.]]
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And shortly (yiff I shal nat tarye)
He ys thy gretest aduersarye
That thow hast, & most to drede:
Be war therfor, & tak bet hede.'
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The pylgrym:
"Ma dame," quod I, "yiff ye lyst se,
I merveylle what he sholdë be,
He that ye accuse and blame,
And put on hym so gret dyffame,
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How that he sholdë, day & nyht,
Be bysy (as ffer as he hath myght)
To traisshe [[traysshe St.]] me, as a fals tractour,
And to my worshype & honour
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Don any derogacioun
By swych compassyd fals traisoun.
"I pray yow for to tellen me
What maner whyht he [[that he St.]] sholdë be.
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Telleth me ek whar he was born, [folio 142a]
And warneth me off hym to-forn;
Telleth hys name & hys fygure,
That I may my sylff assure
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Ageyn hys mortal Enmyte, [Stowe folio 161b]
That I myghte avengyd be.
And, by my trouthe, a-noon I shal
Dysmembren hym on pecys smal,
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Quyk on the Erthe, what-euere he be,
And ye hys namë tellen me.
And yet thys vengaunce, in no wyse
Myghtë nat ynowh suffyse,
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Thogh al quyk (to myn entente)
I dysmembrede hym ther he wente."
Grace dieu:
'Certys,' quod she, 'thow seyst ryht wel:
But, & thow wylt wyten euerydel,
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And conceyve ek in thy thouht,
Ne wer thy-sylff, he wer ryht nouht,
