PASSUS XXIII. (DO-BEST II.)
[TITLE. So PGM. Hic] E om. F has—Incipit secundus. OBS. I only preserves fragments of ll. 82—92; the rest is wanting or illegible.] Hic Incipit passus secundus de dobest.
And as ich wente by þe waye · when ich was þus awaked, [A page 367] [wente] wende E. by] in M. awaked] awakede P; waked G.]
Heuy-chered ich ȝeode · and elynge in heorte; [chered EMFG] chired P; cherid TS.]
For ich ne wiste wher to ete · ne in what place. [in] at T.]
And [hit] neyhede ny þe noon · and with neode ich mette, [And] M om. [hit SM] it FT; PEG om. neyhede] neiȝhed F; neyȝ|hede G; neiȝed ET; nyȝede S. ny] ney E. þe] to MF; G om. neode] so PMG; neede F; nede EST; here and below.]
That afrontede me foule · and faitour me calde.
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"Couþest þou nat excuse þe," he seide · "as dude þe kyng and oþere, [Couþest] Canst M. excuse—seide] so EMS; he seide excuse þe P; seide he þe excuse F. he seide] GT om. dude—kyng] þe kyng dude M. dude] G om.]
That þou toke to lyue by · to sustinaunce and cloþes, [sustinaunce] sustinaunces F. sustinaunce—cloþes] cloþis & to sus|tinaunce T. and] & to S.]
As by techinge and tellynge · of spiritus temperancie, [As] Was T; And GF.]
And þat þow nome no more · þan neode þe tauhte? [And] Al G. nome] nyme T. no] E om.]
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Neode haþ no lawe · ne neuere shal falle in dette [Neode] And nede T; For nede F. haþ] ne haþ T; naþ G. ne] & S.]
For þre þynges þat he takeþ · hus lyf for to saue; [þat] T om.]
That is, mete, whanne men hym werneþ · for he no monye weldeþ, [werneþ EMFSGT] wyrneþ P. for] & T. no—weldeþ] naȝt no moneye G. weldeþ] welde M.]
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