'Swettere than samoun outher karp,
My tongë ys, that spytë sharp
Wych hath the offyce and the charge
ffor to make a woundë large;
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Yt kerueth sharpë, and mor narwe
Than any quarel or hookyd arwe,
Thogh the bowe be strongë bent
ffro the place that yt ys sent:
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Wyth wych fful many a [[a C., om. St.]] man ys kut.
'And on thys spyte, the Erys be put,
Off folk that yiven audyence,
ffor to heryn the sentence [folio 231a]
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And thabomynable sown
Off sklaundre and off detraccioun,
ffor to lestene hem fer or ner.
And thus I Am maad hasteler
Line 15380
ffor to do my [[done my ful St.]] bysynesse, [Stowe folio 270a]
To serue my moder in hyr syknesse.'
The Pylgryme: [[om. C.]] [Stowe folio 271a]
"Wherfor," quod I, "berstow that Crook,
Dowble-forkyd as a flessh-hook?"
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Detraccioun: [[St., om. C.]]
'Tak hed,' quod [s]he, [[I C., St.]] 'and thow shalt se
How that I werke in my degre:
ffyrst off all (yiff thow lyst lere),
Whan I percyd haue an Ere
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Thorgh-out, and fyndë no dyffence,
Than I do my dyllygence,
With my flesshhook to a-proche;
And ther-with-al I do acroche,
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Rende away, with som fals blame,
The Renoun and the goodë name
Off folkë, [[ffolke St., ffolk C.]] thogh ther be no preff;
ffor I am wers than ys a theff,
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Wych day and nyht doth hys labour,
ffro men to stelyn ther tresour.
'But I stele off entencïoun
Ther goodë fame and ther renoun,
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Wych (shortly for to specefye)
Ys wors than any roberye.'
