'wher-so it like the, or displese,
I wil abiden at myn eese,
And fro this placë not retourne,
but euere in on with thè [[the om. C., the St.]] soiourne.
I may not parte lyghtly a-way,
Line 24293
as Youthë dede this other day.
She thè [[the om. St.]] forsook (in verray dede)
whan thou haddest to hir most nede;
Line 24296
she went hir way, and took hir flyght,
and fled a-noon out of thy syght; [folio 301a]
caste hir neuere to come ageyn:
to looken after, wer but veyn.
Line 24300
but I, be leyser mut abyde,
tóward dethe [[towardeth C., toward deathe St.]] to be thy guyde;
for, til deth come, I vndertake
that I shal the not forsake.
Line 24304
'I haue doon my besy peyne.
to bryngë thé patentës [[patents C., St.]] tweyne,
oonly of fauour, for [[to St.]] thy best;
ther-vp-on that thou mayst reste,
Line 24308
and of noon entencïoun
to takë fro the thy bordoun:
to the, bothë may availle.
'and, for mor suer sowpewaille, [[supewayle St.]]
Line 24312
to the bordoun spiritual,
a staf is nedful, temporal:
Euerych of hem with-outë [[out C., St.]] wene,
the tother must of ryght sustene;
Line 24316
for whan the tó part doun doth falle,
help of the tother he must calle,
yef hym list hym-self assure.
but thou ne shalt not [[not, om. C., St.]] wel endure
Line 24320
the felle assautës of vs tweyne;
for, we ne shal no lenger feyne,
but (for short conclusïoun)
ber thè to the Erthe a-doun.'
Line 24324
Pilgrim: [[St., om. C.]]
And bothë tweynë, with a brayd,
vpon a bed they ha me layd,
for they wolde not of me faille,
