 | [Poems from the Vernon MS] |  |
Þe wikked gost onswerde þo
And bad let þat tale go,
“Lete we þis dispuytyng
And speke we of anoþer þing.
Þou spekest & seist þe prest haþ forbode
Wraþþe & onde, þorw biddyng of gode.
Hit was neuer forbode of no wys mon,
But of sum folte, 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,
Who mihte þe blame?
Wel miȝt þou þenne þinke schame
And vuel may hit þe like
Þat he schal be so heiȝ : And þou not so riche.”
And bad let þat tale go,
“Lete we þis dispuytyng
And speke we of anoþer þing.
Þou spekest & seist þe prest haþ forbode
Wraþþe & onde, þorw biddyng of gode.
Hit was neuer forbode of no wys mon,
But of sum folte, 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,
Who mihte þe blame?
Wel miȝt þou þenne þinke schame
And vuel may hit þe like
Þat he schal be so heiȝ : And þou not so riche.”
| [Poems from the Vernon MS] | |