"I ha sothly no powere
Line 24597
to make of hir a massagere,
to takë herbergage for me
In that hevenly, chef cyte.
Line 24600
almës, and al such oother thynges,
mot ben of lordës and of kynges
Sent to-forn to that cyte,
Yef they wil wel receyved be,
Line 24604
ther to make her purveaunce,
terberwe [[to harbour, lodge]] hem to their plesaunce.
"for (who-so list the trouthë lere)
alle estates in this world here—
Line 24608
kyngës, prynces, bothë two,
Dukës, lordës ek also,—
Reekne hem allë, by and by,
and thei be pilgrymës as I:
Line 24612
let hem toforn pourveyë wel
forto take vp their hostel,
Sende her massagers [[theyr mesengars St.]] to se
their herbergage in that cyte,
Line 24616
that, for lak of providence,
through slouth, or through necligence,
they be dispurveyed, at her comyng,
as Barlam telleth of a kyng,
Line 24620
which, of custom synguler,
Reyned neuere but a [[one St.]] yer
In a lond; and this the ende,
than of forcë he must wende
Line 24624
Into an Ilond (in certeyn)
that was of vitaille ful bareyn;
and thus this kyng cam to meschaunce,
for laak oonly of pourveyaunce,
Line 24628
that he toforn, for his availle,
lyst to sendë no vitaille.
Ther was noon other menë wey; [folio 306a] [[C. & St.]]
for hunger, he must nedë deye.
Line 24632
"after whom, thus stood the cas,
that a-nother kyng ther was,
which shuldë [[shuld C., St.]] for a yer succede;
but he was wys, and took good hede,
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