"Tel on a noon, & doth nat ffeyne."
Grace Dieu. [[St., om. C.]]
Quod Grace dieu: 'out off my mouth
Wentë neuere north nor south,
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Est, nor west, nó lesyng, [[Est and no are emphatic, and each stands for a measure.]]
Illusyoun, nor fals dremyng.
But I axe a questyoun:
Answere ther-to by good resoun:
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'Yiff thow were now in a place
fful off merthe & off solace,
Wyth mete & drynke, at good ese,
And wyth al thys, the to plese,
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Haddyst thy comaundëmentys
Off hallys, chaumbrys, & gaye Tentys,
Sofftë beddys, dysport & play,
And euery thyng vn-to thy pay,
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Havyng no lak vp-on no syde; [Stowe folio 164b]
Yiff thow myghtest ther abyde
At thy choys ffrely alway,
Woldestow gladly parte a-way,
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Or ellys stylle [[Stylle Ellys St.]] abydë there?
Tel on boldly, & ha no ffere.'
Ye pilgrim [[In Stowe's hand. The Pylgryme St.]]
"Ma dame," quod I, "dysplese yow nouht;
I sey ryht as lyth in my thouht:
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Myn hertys esë for to swe,
I wolde abyde (& nat remewe,)
ffor myn ese, euere in on,
Rather than thenys [[thens St.]] for to gon;
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ffor yt ys profytable tabyde [[to abyde St.]]
Wher that a man, on euery syde
ffyndeth vn-to hys plesaunce
Soiour, [[Sokour St.]] wyth-outë varyaunce.'
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Grace Dieu. [[St., om. C.]]
'Ys that verrayly,' quod she, [folio 145a]
'Soth that thow hast sayd to me?
I vnderstonde, by thy language,
Thow woldest leue thy pylgrymage,
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And platly settyn hyt a-syde,
Only for reste, & ther a-byde.'
