Þe lyf þat is to ow so leof,
He wol ȝou reue, and eke or hele;
Line 176
Þis poyntes may no mon him repele.
He comeþ so baldely to pyke his pray,
Whon men beoþ muryest at heor Mele:
I rede ȝe þenke on ȝusterday.
Line 180
8. Keep well Christ's Commandments.
(13 stanzas of 8, abab bcbc.)
(1)
I warne vche leod þat liueþ in londe,
And do hem dredles out of were,
Þat þei most studie and vnderstonde,
Þe lawe of crist to loue and lere.
Line 4
Þer nis no mon fer ne nere
Þat may him-seluen saue vn-schent,
But he þat casteþ wiþ concience clere
To kepe wel Cristes Comaundement.
Line 8
(2)
¶ Þow most haue o God, and no mo,
And serue him boþe with mayn and miht;
And ouer alle þinges loue him also,
ffor he haþ lant þe lyf and liht.
Line 12
Ȝif þou beo nuyȝed day or niht
In peyne be meke and pacient,
And rule þe ay be reson riht,
And kep wel Cristes Comaundement.
Line 16
(3)
¶ And let þi neiȝhebor, frend and fo,
Riht frely of þi frendschupe fele,
In herte þat þou wilne hem so
Riht as þou woldest þi-self weore wele;
Line 20
And help to sauen hem from vncele,
So þat heore soules beo not schent,
And also heore care þou helpe to kele,
And kepe wel Cristes comaundement.
Line 24
