The Pylgryme:
Off whom I gan anoon enquere,
That sche woldë goodly leere
To me (by schorte conclusyoun)
Hir name and hir condissyoun;
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And off the tablys cured echon,
And there-ate syttynge many on; [[a one St.]]
And also, as I dyde obserue,
Noon other ffolke at metë serve,
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But ffolkes deedë euere more,
Where-off I wás abaschyd sore.
¶ Abstynence:
'I Am,' quod sche, 'the Freytourer
Off this hous, and Botëler,
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And mynystre the sustenaunce
To ffolkës, lyke to ther plesaunce.
I kepe hem hool, I kepe hem cleene,
By a mesurable meene,
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That, surffét be not to blame.
'Abstynence,' that is my name;
And my gorger that thow doste se,
Is I-callyd 'Sobrete,' [[sobriete St.]]
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To kepe the gorge in [[by St.]] sobrenesse, [Tib folio 98b]
ffrom sorffét, and al excesse.
'ANd these ffolkës that ben deede,
Whiche that serue, (ȝeue thow take heede,)
Be thilkë ffolkës euerychon,
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Whichë that, off ȝore agoon,
To-fforne her deth, off holynesse
And off verrey parffytenesse,
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Madë the ffoundacyoun
Off ffolkys off relygyoun;
Endowyd [[enduyd St.]] hem with greet substaunce,
Ther-by to haue ther sustynaunce.
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¶ And ffor that skele (as I devyse)
They donë [[done St., don Tib.]] eche day her servyse,
And ben to hem eke servysable
Whanne they sytten at the table.
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'And ageyneward, sothe to seye,
The tother ffor hem wake and praye,
