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In a somyr sesoun . whenne I souþ wente |
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I schop me a schroude . as I a schep were ; |
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In abyte as an ermyte von holy of werkys |
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Y wente wyde in þis worlde . wondrys to hure . |
| 5 |
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But vpon a may morwe on maluerne hyllys |
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Me by fel a ferly . of fayrye me þouʒte ; |
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I was wery for wandred . I wente me to reste |
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Vnder a brod banke by a burne syde . |
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But as I lay and lenede and loked on þe waterys |
| 10 |
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I slombryd in a slepyng . I sweuenede so merye ; |
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ʒer gan I to mete a merwelous swouene |
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ʒat I was in a wildernysse . I wyste neuere where . |
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But as I behelde into þe este . vp to þe sunne |
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I saw a tour in a coste . tryly ontyrid ; |
| 15 |
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A dep dale by neþe . a doungon þerynne |
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wiþ depe dykys and derke . dredful of syʒth . |
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A fayr felde ful of folke fonde I bytwene |
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Of alle maner of men . þe mene and þe riche ; |
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Worchynge and wandrynge as þis wordle askys |
| 20 |
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Somme putte hem to þe plow . and pleyde ful selde . |
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In seed tyme of sowyng swonkyn ful harde |
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ʒat þes wastourys now wyt glotonye destroyen ; |
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Some putte hem to pride . and paralyde hem þer after |
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In countenance of cloþing þey [***]yn dysgysed . |
| 25 |
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To prayere and to penaunce putte hem many |
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ffor þe loue of oure lord lyuede ful strayte ; |
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In hope for to haue heuene ryche blysse |
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As ankerys and hermytys þat lyuen in her cellys . |
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And coueytyn nouʒth in þe countre to caryen a boute |
| 30 |
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for none lykerous lyflode here lykamys to plese ; |
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And somme chosen hem to chaffare . þey cheuyd þe betre . |
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as it ys sene to oure syʒth þat suche men þryuen . |
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And summe men myrthes to make . as menstralys cunne |
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Gete gold wiþ her gle . synne les I trowe ; |
| 35 |
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Ac iaperis and iangeleres . iudacys chyldryn |
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gon fyndyn meny fantasyes and foles hem makyn . |
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And han wit at her wille to worche what hem lykys |
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ʒat þat poule precheþ of hem I dar not prouyn here ; |
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Qui loquitur turpiloquium ys lucyferes hyne |
| 40 |
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beggeres and bydderes faste a boute ʒede, . |
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Til her belyes and her bagges ware bred ful crammed |
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þei flyteþ for her foode . and fyʒthen at þe ale; |
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in glotenye god wot . go þei to bedde |
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and rysen up wiþ rybaudye . as robertes knauys; |
| 45 |
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Sclep and slowthe sewyth hem euere |
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pylgrymys and palmeres plytyth hem to gedere |
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For to seke seynt Jame and sentes in rome |
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and wente forþ in her way wiþ manye wyse talys . |
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And hadde leve to lye al her lyf after |
| 50 |
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hernytes on an hepe wiþ hokede stauys |
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wente to Walsyngham . and her wenches after. |
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grete lobyes and longe . loth for to swynke . |
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Cloþed hem in copys to be knowe fro oþere; |
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schopyn hem ermytes . here ese to haue ; |
| 55 |
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[ ] on fele halue fonden hem to done |
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lederes þei be of louedayes . and wiþ þe lawe medle . |
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I fonde þer þe freres . alle þe fower orderes |
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prechynge þe peple for profyt of here wombys ; |
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glosede þe gospel as hem goud lykede |
| 60 |
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for couetyse of copys construd yt as þei wolde . |
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Many of þo maystres mown cloþen hem at lykyng |
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for her money and her marchaundyse metyn to gederes ; |
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Sythe charite haþ be chapman . & chef to shryue lordis |
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ffele ferlis han falle in a fewe ʒerus |
| 65 |
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But holy cherche and þey holdyn to gederys |
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þe moste myschef of þis molde mounteþ vp faste ; |
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þere prechede a pardoner . a prest as þouʒ he were |
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brouʒthe forþ bullys wyth busschopys selys . |
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And seyde hym self myʒte a soyle hem alle |
| 70 |
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of falsnesse of fastynge . of a vowes brokyn ; |
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þe lewde men leued hym wel . and lykyd his speche, |
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come knelyng vp to kyssyn his bullys . |
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He blessed hem wiþ his brevet . and blered here eyes |
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rauʒthe hem wiþ his rageman broches and rynges ; |
| 75 |
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ʒus ʒe ʒeuen ʒore gold glotonys to helpyn |
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And lenyn hit loselys þat lecherye haunten . |
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But were þe byschop y blessed and worþ boþe his erys |
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His selys schulde not be sent to disseyue þe peple ; |
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I trowe hit be not for þe byschop þat þe boye precheþ |
| 80 |
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but for þe pardoner and þe parichesprest departyn þe syluer |
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þat þe pore scholde departyn þat þei ne were |
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parsonys and parrysprestes playnen to her byschop ; |
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þat her parryssenys ben pore siþen þe pestelens tyme |
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to haue a lycence and a leue at londoun to dwelle . |
| 85 |
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To synge for symonye . for sylver is swete |
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þer houyd an houndred in howys of sylke ; |
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seriauntes þo semede . pletede at þe barre |
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þei pleted for penys and poundyt þe lawe . |
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Ac non for þe loue of our lord opnyd here lyppys |
| 90 |
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þu myʒthist beter mete þe myst on maluerne hyllys |
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þan getyn a mum of her mowʒt tyl monye be schewyd |
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I saw þer byschops bolde and bacheleres of dyuyn |
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By come clerkes of acount . þe kyng for to seruen |
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I saw ther archedeknys and denys . þat dignyte hauyn |
| 95 |
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to preche þe peple and pore men to fede |
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þey beþ lopyn to loundoun . þorw leue of here byschop . |
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And beþ clerkes of þe kynges bench . þe cuntre to shynde. |
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barounys & burgeysys . and bondeagys alse ; |
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I saw in þat symple . as ʒe schul here herafter |
| 100 |
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I saw þer bakesteres & brewesteres . bocheres & kokys . |
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Wollene webesteres . and weuerys of lynene |
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taylowres tauerneres . and tynkeres boþe, ; |
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masounys, mynores and many oþer craftys |
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ac dykeres and delueres . þat don here werk ylle . |
| 105 |
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To dryue forþ þe longe day wiþ deusa dammeme |
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cokys and her knawys cryden "Hote pyes hote |
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gode gees & grys . Go we dyne, go we!" |
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tauerneres tolled hem and tolde hem þe same . |
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Wiþ "whyt wyn of oseye . and of gascoyne |
| 110 |
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Of þe ryn and þe rochel . þat roost to defye ; |
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þis I saw my self . and seuen syþes more . |