Boþe miȝte we þenne ben oþures pere;
Hose vs seȝe and knewe vs neyþer,
Þenne miȝt þei wene þat we were breþer.
Line 308
Þenne most I louen him, and he louen me,
Whon vre kynde robes beþ of o ble:
Þo are þe Robes we were wiþ I-bore—
Ar we liggen & rote, ne worþ þei to-tore;
Line 312
Let us be lyk in sum þing, as wel I wot we are,
Al-þauȝ I be riche, & he pore & bare."
ÞE wikked gost onswerde þo
And bad let þat tale go,
Line 316
"Lete we þis dispuytyng
And speke we of anoþer þing.
Þou spekest & seist þe prest haþ forbode
Wraþþe & onde, þorw biddyng of gode.
Line 320
Hit was neuer forbode of no wys mon,
But of sum folte, [cf. folted, v. 606. O. Fr. folet, foolish.] þat no good ne con.
Ȝif þou sest þi broþur or þi kun or a-noþur
Þat he be feiror þen þou be, or wisor þen þou ouþur,
Or ricchor or baldor or be of beter i-told:
Þauȝ þin herte be wo
& of-þinke þat hit is so, [vv. 326-7 in the MS. one verse.]
Who mihte þe blame?
Line 328
Wel miȝt þou þenne þinke schame
And vuel may hit þe like
Þat he schal be so heiȝ: And þou not so riche." [In MS. 2 vv.]
ÞE gode mon wel vnderstod
Line 332
Þat þat þe toþur seide was not good.
"Aftur þi counseil wol I not do,
ffor þe prest seide not so.
No mon haþ so muche good : Þat I wolde [r. nolde] he hedde more,
Line 336
Ne so feir ne so strong ne so wys of lore,
Hit of-þuncheþ me nouht : Ne þer-to haue I non onde,
ffor al þe godes þat mon haþ : Is of godes sonde.
Line 339
God, þorw whom comeþ alle þing : Con ful good skile,
Alle worldes winne : He sendeþ, whon [r. whom] he wile.
Whi scholde I for monnes god haue sorinesse,
Whon I haue for him neuer þe lesse?
God deleþ his dole : To pore and to riche,
Line 344
