'Wych hath a knyff ful 1sharp of egge,1 [[1_1 Stowe]]
And yet he dar no glovys begge; [[Stowe]]
ffor, to vse hys robbery
Off the glovere openly,
Line 17584
He kepeth hym cloos, al out off syht,
And vseth for to walke a [[on St.]] nyht
In narwe lanys, vp and doun.
Whan that the monë ys go doun,
Line 17588
Than he maketh hys ordynaunce
(By gret mescheff and gret meschaunce)
ffor to vse ther brybery,
And for to havnte ther robbery:
Line 17592
On no thyng ellys they sette her thouht,
ffor off hyr owne they ha ryht nouht.
'Thys hand, by force, ageyn al ryht,
Breketh vp howsys toward nyht,
Line 17596
Bothe in bowrys and in hallys,
And maketh hoolys thorgh the wallys.
'Thys hand kan dygge and makë mynys;
Thys hand kan Royne also florynes;
Line 17600
Thys hand ful selde hath any reste;
Thys hand kan brake Cofer and cheste;
Thys hand, (in cold and ek in hete,)
Kan falsly selys counterfete,
Line 17604
And the prent ther-off y-graue;
And thys hand wyl also haue
(By som Engyn, or sleyhtë weye)
Vn-to euery look [[locke St.]] a keye.
Line 17608
'Thys hand kan forge (I vndertake)
ffals monye, and the prent make.
Thys hand in frenshe [[frenche St.]] (I dar expresse)
Ys callyd 'Poitevyneresse,'
Line 17612
ffor yt forgeth (thys the ffyn)
A monye callyd Poytevyn, [folio 250a] [Poitevine, monnaie de Poitou. 'Une poitevine, c'est le quart d'un parisi (1273 Carl de Ponthieu, Richel., l. 10112, 1o, 159 ro.).' —Godefroi. Sol Parisien . . as much as the Tornois & a quarter. Sol Tournois, The tenth part of one shilling.—Cotgrave, 1611.]
Wych ys in valu (by a-countyng)
fful skarsly worth halff a fferthyng.
Line 17616
'Thys hand ek falsly beyth and sylleth;
