'wher he dothe full gret myschefe;
for wher so evar he dothe aproche,
with this staffe he can a-croche
Line 17976
the herts of folks by covetyse,
and ordeynythe in full cursyd wyse
sheppards to kepë christis shepe,
whiche of theyr offyse toke no kepe.
Line 17980
'an herd man is [y]sayd, in dede,
only, for he shuld[ë] fede
his shepe with spyrituall doctryn; [Stowe folio 311b]
but they draw by an othar lyn:
Line 17984
they may be callyd, for ther werkynge,
pastours only of fedynge.
they fede them selff with háboundaunce,
and let ther shepe go to myschaunce;
Line 17988
I trow it is full well ysene,
them selfe be fatt, ther shepe be lene.
I trow, the most[ë] part of all,
men shuld them rather wolv[ë]s call
Line 17992
than trwë herd[ë]s; yong and old,
they come to robb[ë] christis fold;
they shuld ther shepe from wolv[ë]s were;
the wool, the mylke, a-way they bere.
Line 17996
I can not se wher-of they serue,
that lat ther shepe at meschefe starue,
and put them selffe in gret defame.
'and they would ekë makë lame
Line 18000
gracë dieu of cursydnesse,
lyke as I shall a-non exprese,
ffrom the trone of hir mageste,
by gyfte of temporalite:
Line 18004
his fals office I can well tell;
he can now byen, he can now sell,
by bound[ë]s of collusyon;
and all comythe in by syr symon.
Line 18008
'yet at the last it shall be found
that gracë dïeu is nat bound,
nor, hathe not lost hir fraunchise
by none suche fals[ë] marchandyse,
Line 18012
as comythe in by symony,
