'Now wole I speke off my mawmet.
The Mawmet:
'ANd off myn ydol that is so oold, [prose cap xxxv]
Made off siluer and off gold,
Line 18372
In the whiche (I the ensure)
Is the ymage and the ffygure
And the prynte (as thou mayste see)
Off the lord off the contre.
Line 18376
This is the god whiche, by depos, [[depose St.]]
Loueth to be schutte in hucches clos.
¶ Somwhyle, that men may hym not knowe, [Tib folio 40a]
He wole hym hyde in erthë lowe.
Line 18380
'This god kan makë ffolkys blynde,
That to his óbseruaunce hem bynde;
And causith hem, ageyn resoun,
To caste her lokës lowë down
Line 18384
In-to the erthe, ageyne nature,
Hem-silffe so mykel they assure
In eerthely tresoure, whiche at [[in St.]] o day
Schal vnwarely passe away;
Line 18388
ffor lawe [[low St.]] in erthe, on euery syde, [Stowe folio 315b]
Lyche a mollë they abyde;
In erthe is hoolly ther labour;
In erthe ys also ther tresour;
Line 18392
Erthe is ther Ioye and ther plesaunce;
No thyng but erthe may hem avaunce;
Gold and seluer makyth hem nygh wood;
Gold is ther god, gold is ther good;
Line 18396
I worschipe gold and my tresour
As ffor my god and savyour;
Saue gold, noon other god I haue. [[Illumination.]]
'I Thenke not how I schal be grave
Line 18400
In eerthë lowe, ther to be ffreete,
Corupcyoun and wormës mete,
Hydous, stynkynge, and horryble, [Tib folio 40b]
And to loke vp-on, odyble:
Line 18404
What may my gold thanne me [[me than St.]] avayle,
Whanne wormes han [[have St.]] with me batayle?
But here, while I haue lyberte,
