And trewëly [[trewly C., truly St.]] (I took good kep,)
She wente vp to a fosse kaue dep;
And ther she bad me lokë doun; [prose cap vi]
Wher I hadde inspeccïoun
Line 17268
Off an abbey, wych euerydel
(As I beheld the maner wel) [folio 245a]
Was foundyd besyden a cheker, [[C. & St.]]
Squar as ys a Tabler. [[8 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.]]
Line 17272
And I beheld [[lokyd St.]] also with-al,
Ther wer esches, bothe gret and smal,
fful wel ywrouht in allë thynges.
Ther sawh I rookys and ek kynges,
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And knyhtys (ek in verray soth)
Drawen, as a ffers y-doth
In travers wysë, by bataylle,
Euerych other gan assaylle
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Wyth sharpë swerdys, thus thauhtë me,
A dysguysë thyng to se;
ffor at the ches, in al my lyff,
Sawh I neuere swych a stryff,
Line 17284
Nor so fers A contenaunce;
ffor everyche gan hym sylff avaunce,
Whan ther bataylle was ado,
To make hem redy for to go
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To that abbay ther besyde,
And, be surquedye and pryde,
Ther to forreye, what they may,
Robbe and spoylle, and ber a-way,
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And revë hem off ther rychesse,
And brouhten hem in swych dystresse,
That no thyng leffte to ther refut,
But made al bare and destytut.
Line 17296
Whan I hadde al thys yseyn, [folio 245b]
How al was makyd wast and pleyn, [[C. & St.]]
Quod I, "what thyng meneth thys, [prose cap vii] [[C. & St.]]
That thys cherche destroyed ys? [[C. & St.]]
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Thys ys (to myn oppynyoun)
The woful Interieccïoun,
Wher-off pleynly (me semeth so)
