'Ben by fflateryë lost,
And put in greet oppressyoun
And in greet tribulacyoun;
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I mene, by swychë as be stronge,
To porë men ffor to do wronge,
And suppose, thorough ther greet myght,
That they may doon it off ryght;
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fflaterers bere hem so on hande,
Whiche, day and nyght, aboute hem stonde,
And fful ffalsely hem counsayle
To dispoylë the porayle;
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Seyn, [[seyne St.]] the good is herys off ryght;
Whiche causith, in the peplys syght,
fful greet envye and greet haterede,
Whanne they be pressed with greet drede;
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And causith, by swyche óppressynges,
Greetë rwmours and rysynges,
And, som while, rebellyoun
In many dyuerse regyoun; [[Illumination.]]
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ffor lak oonly off polosye [[polecie St.]] [Tib folio 95b]
Off ffolke aboue, that scholde hem guye;
Causith, som while, schedynge off blood.
Wherffore this meroure, ȝeue it be good,
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Take it to thi pocessyoun,
To haue there-in Inspeccyoun.'
¶ The Pylgryme:
"MAdame," quod I, "ȝow not displeese,
This myroure schal do me noon eese:
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For, [[for St., om. Tib.]] wher-so that I leese or wynne,
I wole neuere looke there-Inne."
But ryght anoon, myne happe it was
To loken in another glasse,
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In the whiche (withouten wene)
I sawe my-sylff, ffoule and vncleene,
And to byholdë, ryght hydous,
Abhomynabel and vecyous.
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Thilkë [[Thilke St., That Tib.]] merour and that glas
Schewyd to me what I was. [Stowe folio 356a] [[Illumination.]]
WHerffore, off rancour and dysdeyn,
The same merour I caste ageyn,
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