(41)
¶"Euere þe fattir þat y it feede,
Euere þe freischer it is my foo,
Ȝit y muste bere it a-boutë nede:
Ful febil it is, it wole me sloo.
Line 368
Þe world, þe feend, me [bataile] beede,
Sumtyme with weele, sumtyme with woo;
What may y do with a wekkid [[MS. welkid]] wede,
To fiȝte aȝen þree enemyes soo?
Line 372
(42)
¶"Whanne y enforsoþe me oþir whilis,
And þinke y wolde lyue a trewë lijf
And forsake all batailis & gilis,
Þe world biddiþ me bataile blijf;
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And, but y wole vse wrenchis & wilis,
Þe comoun uoice is, y schal not þrijf.
Summe at me mowis, summe at me smylis,
And counten me but a kynde caitif.
Line 380
(43)
¶"But y þinke, not-withstonding þis, [page 206]
To forsake falsnes wiþ-outen eende,
To restore aȝen þat y took mys,
And to paie my dettis fair and hende;
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And whanne y haue ȝeuen eche man his,
As resoun is, þanne wole y spende,
And ȝeue myn almës þere nede is;
Mercy, ihesu! y wole amende."
Line 388
(44)
(Christ's Sixth Complaint.)
"MAn, y sente þee kindeli in-siȝte [God.]
Of vndir-stondyng, skil, & witt,
To rewle þi silf bi resoun riȝt;
More-ouer þou hast holi writt,
Line 392
Þat cleerli schewiþ þee goostli liȝt,
How þou schuldist deedli synne with-sett,
And, how þou me pleasë myght:
What eiliþ þee, man, þin iȝe to schett?
Line 396
