 | The Pearl; Cleanness; Patience |  |
17
X.
The date of þe daye þe lorde con knaw,
Called to þe reue “lede pay þe meyny,
Gyf hem þe hyre þat I hem owe,
& fyrre, þat non me may repreue,
Set hem alle vpon a rawe,
& gyf vehon in-lyche a peny.
Bygyn at þe laste þat standeȝ lowe,
Tyl to þe fyrste þat þou atteny;”
& þenne þe fyrst by-gonne to pleny
& sayden þat þay hade trauayled sore,
Þese bot an [h]oure hem con streny,
Vus þynk vus oȝe to take more.
Called to þe reue “lede pay þe meyny,
Gyf hem þe hyre þat I hem owe,
& fyrre, þat non me may repreue,
Set hem alle vpon a rawe,
& gyf vehon in-lyche a peny.
Bygyn at þe laste þat standeȝ lowe,
Tyl to þe fyrste þat þou atteny;”
& þenne þe fyrst by-gonne to pleny
& sayden þat þay hade trauayled sore,
Þese bot an [h]oure hem con streny,
Vus þynk vus oȝe to take more.
More haf we serued vus þynk so,
Þat suffred ham þe dayeȝ hete,
Þenn þyse þat wroȝt[e] not houreȝ two,
& þou dotȝ hem vus to counterfete.
Þenne sayde þe lorde to on of þo,
“Frende no wrang I wyl þe ȝete,
Take þat is þyn owne & go;
& I hyred þe for a peny a grete,
Quy bygynneȝ þou now to þrete;
Watȝ not a pene þy couenaunt þore?
Fyrre þen couenaunde is noȝt to plete,
Wy schalte þou þenne ask more?
Þat suffred ham þe dayeȝ hete,
Þenn þyse þat wroȝt[e] not houreȝ two,
& þou dotȝ hem vus to counterfete.
Þenne sayde þe lorde to on of þo,
“Frende no wrang I wyl þe ȝete,
Take þat is þyn owne & go;
& I hyred þe for a peny a grete,
Quy bygynneȝ þou now to þrete;
Watȝ not a pene þy couenaunt þore?
Fyrre þen couenaunde is noȝt to plete,
Wy schalte þou þenne ask more?
More weþer louyly is me my gyfte
To do wyth myn quat so me lykeȝ?
Oþer elleȝ þyn yȝe to lyþer is lyfte,
For I am goude & non by-swykeȝ.”
“Þus schal I,” quod kryste, “hit skyfte,
Þe laste schal be þe fyrst þat strykeȝ,
& þe fyrst þe laste, be he neuer so swyft,
For mony ben calle[d] þaȝ fewe be mykeȝ.”
Þus pore men her part ay pykeȝ,
Þaȝ þay com late & lyttel wore,
& þaȝ her sweng wyth lyttel at-slykeȝ,
Þe merci of god is much þe more.
To do wyth myn quat so me lykeȝ?
Oþer elleȝ þyn yȝe to lyþer is lyfte,
For I am goude & non by-swykeȝ.”
“Þus schal I,” quod kryste, “hit skyfte,
Þe laste schal be þe fyrst þat strykeȝ,
& þe fyrst þe laste, be he neuer so swyft,
For mony ben calle[d] þaȝ fewe be mykeȝ.”
Þus pore men her part ay pykeȝ,
Þaȝ þay com late & lyttel wore,
18
Þe merci of god is much þe more.
“More haf I of ioye & blysse here-inne,
Of ladyschyp gret & lyueȝ blom,
Þen alle þe wyȝeȝ in þe worlde myȝt wynne
By þe way of ryȝt to aske dome.
Wheþer wel nygh[t] now I con bygynne,
In euentyde in-to þe vyne I come,
Fyrst of my hyre my lorde con mynne,
I watȝ payed anon of al & sum;
Ȝet oþer þer werne þat toke more tom,
Þat swanage & swat for long ȝore,
Þat ȝet of hyre no þynk þay nom,
Paraunter noȝt schal to ȝere more.”
Of ladyschyp gret & lyueȝ blom,
Þen alle þe wyȝeȝ in þe worlde myȝt wynne
By þe way of ryȝt to aske dome.
Wheþer wel nygh[t] now I con bygynne,
In euentyde in-to þe vyne I come,
Fyrst of my hyre my lorde con mynne,
I watȝ payed anon of al & sum;
Ȝet oþer þer werne þat toke more tom,
Þat swanage & swat for long ȝore,
Þat ȝet of hyre no þynk þay nom,
Paraunter noȝt schal to ȝere more.”
Then more I meled & sayde apert,
“Me þynk þy tale vnresounable,
Goddeȝ ryȝt is redy & euer more rert,
Oþer holy wryt is bot a fable;
In sauter is sayd a verce ouerte
Þat spekeȝ a poynt determynable,
‘Þou quyteȝ vchon as hys desserte,
Þou hyȝe kyng ay pretermynable,’
Now he þat stod þe long day stable,
& þou to payment com hym byfore,
Þenne þe lasse in werke to take more able,
& euer þe lenger þe lasse þe more.”
“Me þynk þy tale vnresounable,
Goddeȝ ryȝt is redy & euer more rert,
Oþer holy wryt is bot a fable;
In sauter is sayd a verce ouerte
Þat spekeȝ a poynt determynable,
‘Þou quyteȝ vchon as hys desserte,
Þou hyȝe kyng ay pretermynable,’
Now he þat stod þe long day stable,
& þou to payment com hym byfore,
Þenne þe lasse in werke to take more able,
& euer þe lenger þe lasse þe more.”
| The Pearl; Cleanness; Patience | |