The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman together with Vita de Dowel, Dobet, et Dobest, Secundum Wit et Resoun, by William Langland (About 1362-1380 A.D.): Edited from numerous manuscripts, with prefaces, notes, and a glossary, by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat ... In four parts |
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| XVI. | PASSUS XVI. (DO-BET I.)
Passus xvjus, & primus de dobet. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
 | The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman |  |
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PASSUS XVI. (DO-BET I.) Passus xvjus, & primus de dobet.
“Now faire falle ȝow!” quod I þo “for ȝowre faire shewynge,
For haukynnes loue þe actyf man euere I shal ȝow louye;
Ac ȝet I am in a were what charite is to mene.”
For haukynnes loue þe actyf man euere I shal ȝow louye;
Ac ȝet I am in a were what charite is to mene.”
“It is a ful trye tree,” quod he “trewly to telle.
Mercy is þe more þer-of þe myddel stokke is reuthe,
Þe leues ben lele wordes þe lawe of holycherche,
Þe blosmes beth boxome speche and benygne lokynge;
Pacience hatte þe pure tre and pore symple of herte,
And so, þorw god and þorw good men groweth þe frute charite.”
Mercy is þe more þer-of þe myddel stokke is reuthe,
Þe leues ben lele wordes þe lawe of holycherche,
Þe blosmes beth boxome speche and benygne lokynge;
Pacience hatte þe pure tre and pore symple of herte,
And so, þorw god and þorw good men groweth þe frute charite.”
“I wolde trauaille,” quod I, “þis tree to se twenty hundreth myle,
And forto haue my fylle of þat frute forsake al other saulee.
Lorde,” quod I, “if any wiȝte wyte whider-oute it groweth?”
And forto haue my fylle of þat frute forsake al other saulee.
Lorde,” quod I, “if any wiȝte wyte whider-oute it groweth?”
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“It groweth in [a] gardyne,” quod he “þat god made hym-seluen,
Amyddes mannes body þe more is of þat stokke;
Herte hatte þe [h]erber þat it in groweth,
And liberum arbitrium hath þe londe to ferme,
Vnder Piers þe plowman to pyken it and to weden it.”
“Piers þe plowman!” quod I þo and al for pure ioye
Þat I herde nempne his name anone I swouned after,
And laye longe in a lone dreme and atte laste me þouȝte,
Þat Pieres þe plowman al þe place me shewed,
And bad me toten on þe tree on toppe and on rote.
With þre pyles was it vnder-piȝte I perceyued it sone.
“Pieres,” quod I, “I preye þe whi stonde þise piles here?”
“For wyndes, wiltow wyte,” quod he to witen it fram fallynge;
Amyddes mannes body þe more is of þat stokke;
Herte hatte þe [h]erber þat it in groweth,
And liberum arbitrium hath þe londe to ferme,
Vnder Piers þe plowman to pyken it and to weden it.”
“Piers þe plowman!” quod I þo and al for pure ioye
Þat I herde nempne his name anone I swouned after,
And laye longe in a lone dreme and atte laste me þouȝte,
Þat Pieres þe plowman al þe place me shewed,
And bad me toten on þe tree on toppe and on rote.
With þre pyles was it vnder-piȝte I perceyued it sone.
“Pieres,” quod I, “I preye þe whi stonde þise piles here?”
Cum ceciderit iustus, non collidetur; quia dominus supponit manum suam;
And, in blowyng-tyme, abite þe floures but if þis piles helpe.Þe worlde is a wykked wynde to hem þat wolden treuthe,
Coueityse cometh of þat wynde and crepeth amonge þe leues,
And forfret neigh þe frute þorw many faire siȝtes.
Þanne with þe firste pyle I palle hym down þat is, potencia dei patris.
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Þorw lykyng and lustes so loude he gynneth blowe,
Þat it norissheth nice siȝtes and some tyme wordes,
And wikked werkes þer-of wormes of synne,
And forbiteth þe blosmes riȝt to þe bare leues.
Þanne sette I to þe secounde pile sapiencia dei patris,
Þat is, þe passioun and þe power of owre prynce Ihesu.
Þorw preyeres and þorw penaunces and goddes passioun in mynde,
I saue it til I se it rypen & somdel y-fruited.
And þanne fondeth þe fende my fruit to destruye,
With alle þe wyles þat he can and waggeth þe rote,
And casteth vp to þe croppe vnkynde neighbores,
Bakbiteres breke-cheste brawleres and chideres,
And leith a laddre þere-to of lesynges aren þe ronges,
And feccheth away my floures sumtyme afor bothe myn eyhen.
Ac liberum arbitrium letteth hym some tyme,
Þat is lieutenant to loken it wel by leue of my-selue;
Videatis qui peccat in spiritum sanctum, nunquam remittetur, &c.; Hoc est idem, qui peccat per liberum arbitrium non repugnat.
Ac whan þe fende and þe flesshe forth with þe worldeManasen byhynde me my fruit for to fecche,
Þanne liberum arbitrium laccheth þe thridde plante,
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And helpe of þe holy goste and þus haue I þe maystrie.”
“Now faire falle ȝow, Pieres,” quod I “so faire ȝe discryuen
Þe powere of þis postes and her propre myȝte.
Ac I have þouȝtes a threve of þis þre piles,
In what wode thei woxen and where þat þei growed;
For alle ar þei aliche longe none lasse þan other,
And to my mynde, as me þinketh on o More þei growed,
And of o gretnesse and grene of greyne þei semen.”
Þe powere of þis postes and her propre myȝte.
Ac I have þouȝtes a threve of þis þre piles,
In what wode thei woxen and where þat þei growed;
For alle ar þei aliche longe none lasse þan other,
And to my mynde, as me þinketh on o More þei growed,
And of o gretnesse and grene of greyne þei semen.”
“Þat is soth,” seide Pieres “so it may bifalle;
I shal telle þe as tite what þis tree hatte.
Þe grounde þere it groweth goodnesse it hiȝte,
And I haue tolde þe what hiȝte þe tree þe trinite it meneth”—
And egrelich he loked on me & þer-fore I spared
To asken hym any more ther-of and badde hym ful fayre
To discreue þe fruit þat so faire hangeth.
I shal telle þe as tite what þis tree hatte.
Þe grounde þere it groweth goodnesse it hiȝte,
And I haue tolde þe what hiȝte þe tree þe trinite it meneth”—
And egrelich he loked on me & þer-fore I spared
To asken hym any more ther-of and badde hym ful fayre
To discreue þe fruit þat so faire hangeth.
“Here now bineth,” quod he þo “if I nede hadde,
Matrymonye I may nyme a moiste fruit with-alle.
Þanne contenence is nerre þe croppe as cal[e]wey bastarde,
Þanne bereth þe croppe kynde fruite and clenneste of alle,
Maydenhode, angeles peres and rathest wole be ripe,
And swete with-oute swellyng soure worth it neuere.”
Matrymonye I may nyme a moiste fruit with-alle.
Þanne contenence is nerre þe croppe as cal[e]wey bastarde,
Þanne bereth þe croppe kynde fruite and clenneste of alle,
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And swete with-oute swellyng soure worth it neuere.”
I prayed pieres to pulle adown an apple, and he wolde,
And suffre me to assaye what sauoure it hadde.
And suffre me to assaye what sauoure it hadde.
And pieres caste to þe croppe and þanne comsed it to crye,
And wagged wydwehode and it wepte after.
And whan it meued Matrimoigne it made a foule noyse,
Þat I had reuth whan Piers rogged it gradde so reufulliche.
For euere as þei dropped adown þe deuel was redy,
And gadred hem alle togideres bothe grete and smale,
Adam & abraham and ysay þe prophete,
Sampson and samuel and seynt Iohan þe baptiste;
Bar hem forth boldely no body hym letted,
And made of holy men his horde in lymbo inferni,
There is derkenesse and drede and þe deuel Maister.
And wagged wydwehode and it wepte after.
And whan it meued Matrimoigne it made a foule noyse,
Þat I had reuth whan Piers rogged it gradde so reufulliche.
For euere as þei dropped adown þe deuel was redy,
And gadred hem alle togideres bothe grete and smale,
Adam & abraham and ysay þe prophete,
Sampson and samuel and seynt Iohan þe baptiste;
Bar hem forth boldely no body hym letted,
And made of holy men his horde in lymbo inferni,
There is derkenesse and drede and þe deuel Maister.
And Pieres for pure tene þat o pile he lauȝte,
And hitte after hym happe how it myȝte,
Filius, bi þe fader wille and frenesse of spiritus sancti,
To go robbe þat raggeman and reue þe fruit fro hym.
And hitte after hym happe how it myȝte,
Filius, bi þe fader wille and frenesse of spiritus sancti,
To go robbe þat raggeman and reue þe fruit fro hym.
And þanne spakke spiritus sanctus in Gabrieles mouthe,
To a mayde þat hiȝte Marye a meke þinge with-alle,
“Þat one Ihesus, a iustice sone moste iouke in her chambre,
Tyl plenitudo temporis fully comen were,
Þat Pieres fruit floured and fel to be ripe.
And þanne shulde Ihesus iuste þere-fore bi iuggement of armes,
Whether shulde [fonge] þe fruit þe fende or hymselue.”
Þe mayde myldeliche þo þe messager graunted,
To a mayde þat hiȝte Marye a meke þinge with-alle,
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Tyl plenitudo temporis fully comen were,
Þat Pieres fruit floured and fel to be ripe.
And þanne shulde Ihesus iuste þere-fore bi iuggement of armes,
Whether shulde [fonge] þe fruit þe fende or hymselue.”
And seyde hendelich to hym “lo me, his handemayden,
For to worchen his wille with-outen any synne;”
Ecce ancilla domini; fiat michi [secundum verbum tuum], &c.
And in þe wombe of þat wenche was he fourty wokes,Tyl he wex a faunt þorw her flesshe and of fiȝtyng couthe,
To haue y-fouȝte with þe fende ar ful tyme come.
And Pieres þe plowman parceyued plenere tyme,
And lered hym lechecrafte his lyf for to saue,
Þat þowgh he were wounded with his enemye to warisshe hym-self;
And did him assaye his surgerye on hem þat syke were,
Til he was parfit practisoure [if] any peril [felle],
And souȝte oute þe syke and synful bothe,
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And comune wommen conuerted and to good torned;
Non est sanis opus medicus, set [infirmis], &c.
Bothe meseles & mute and in þe menysoun blody,Ofte he heled suche he ne helde [it] for no maistrye,
Saue þo he leched lazar þat hadde yleye in graue,
Quatriduanus quelt; quykke did hym walke.
Ac as he made þe maistrye mestus cepit esse,
And wepte water with his eyghen þere seyen it manye.
Some þat þe siȝte [seyen] saide þat tyme,
Þat he was leche of lyf and lorde of heigh heuene.
Iewes iangeled þere-aȝeyne and iugged lawes,
And seide he wrouȝte þorw wicchecrafte & with þe deueles miȝte,
Demonium habes, &c.
“Þanne ar ȝe cherles,” quod [ihesus] “and ȝowre children bothe,And sathan ȝowre saueoure ȝow-selue now ȝe witnessen.
For I haue saued ȝow-self,” seith cryst “and ȝowre sones after,
Ȝowre bodyes, ȝowre bestes and blynde men holpen,
And fedde ȝow with fisshes and with fyue loues,
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And mysseide þe iewes manliche and manaced hem to bete,
And knokked on hem with a corde and caste adown her stalles,
Þat in cherche chaffareden or chaungeden any moneye,
And seyde it in siȝte of hem alle so þat alle herden,
“I shal ouertourne þis temple and adown throwe,
And in thre dayes after edifye it newe,
And make it as moche other more in alle manere poyntes,
As euere it was, and as wyde wher-fore I hote ȝow,
Of preyeres and of parfitnesse þis place þat ȝe callen;
Domus mea domus oracionis vocabitur.”
Enuye and yuel wille was in þe iewes;Thei casten & contreueden to kulle hym whan þei miȝte,
Vche daye after other þeire tyme þei awaited.
Til it bifel on a fryday a litel bifor Paske,
Þe þorsday byfore þere he made his maundee,
Sittyng atte sopere he seide þise wordes—
“I am solde þorw one of ȝow he shal þe tyme rewe
Þat euere he his saueoure solde for syluer or elles.”
Iudas iangeled þere-aȝein ac Ihesus hym tolde,
It was hym[-self] sothely and seide, “tu dicis.”
Þanne went forth þat wikked man and with þe iewes mette,
And tolde hem a tokne how to knowe with ihesus,
And which tokne to þis day to moche is y-vsed,
Þat is, kissyng and faire contenaunce & vnkynde wille;
And so was with iudas þo þat Ihesus bytrayed.
“Aue raby,” quod þat ribaude and riȝt to hym be ȝede,
And kiste hym, to be cauȝt þere-by and kulled of þe iewes.
Þanne Ihesus to Iudas and to þe iewes seyde,
It was hym[-self] sothely and seide, “tu dicis.”
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And tolde hem a tokne how to knowe with ihesus,
And which tokne to þis day to moche is y-vsed,
Þat is, kissyng and faire contenaunce & vnkynde wille;
And so was with iudas þo þat Ihesus bytrayed.
“Aue raby,” quod þat ribaude and riȝt to hym be ȝede,
And kiste hym, to be cauȝt þere-by and kulled of þe iewes.
“Falsenesse I fynde in þi faire speche,
And gyle in þi gladde chere and galle is in þi lawghynge.
Þow shalt be myroure to manye men to deceyue,
Ac þe wors and þi wikkednesse shal worth vpon þi-selue;
Necesse est vt veniant scandala; ve homini illi per quem scandalum venit!
Þow I bi tresoun be ytake at ȝowre owne wille,Suffreth my postles in pays & in pees gange.”
On a thoresday in thesternesse þus was he taken
Þorw iudas and iewes ihesus was his name;
Þat on þe fryday folwynge for mankynde sake
Iusted in ierusalem a ioye to vs alle.
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Aȝeines deth and þe deuel destruyed her botheres myȝtes,
Deyde, and deth fordid and daye of nyȝte made.
And I awaked þere-with & wyped myne eyghen,
And after piers þe plowman pryed and stared.
Estwarde and westwarde I awayted after faste,
And ȝede forth as an ydiote in contre to aspye
After Pieres þe plowman; many a place I souȝte.
And þanne mette I with a man a mydlenten sondaye,
As hore as an hawethorne and Abraham he hiȝte.
I frayned hym first fram whennes he come,
And of whennes he were and whider þat he þouȝte.
And after piers þe plowman pryed and stared.
Estwarde and westwarde I awayted after faste,
And ȝede forth as an ydiote in contre to aspye
After Pieres þe plowman; many a place I souȝte.
And þanne mette I with a man a mydlenten sondaye,
As hore as an hawethorne and Abraham he hiȝte.
I frayned hym first fram whennes he come,
And of whennes he were and whider þat he þouȝte.
“I am feith,” quod þat freke “it falleth nouȝte to lye,
And of Abrahames hous an heraud of armes.
I seke after a segge þat I seigh ones,
A ful bolde bacheler I knewe hym by his blasen.”
“What bereth þat buirn?” quod I þo “so blisse þe bityde!”
And of Abrahames hous an heraud of armes.
I seke after a segge þat I seigh ones,
A ful bolde bacheler I knewe hym by his blasen.”
“What bereth þat buirn?” quod I þo “so blisse þe bityde!”
“Þre leodes in o lith non lenger þan other,
Of one mochel & myȝte in mesure and in lengthe;
Þat one doth, alle doth & eche doth by his one.
Þe firste hath miȝte and maiestee maker of alle þinges;
Pater is his propre name a persone by hym-selue.
Þe secounde of þat sire is sothfastnesse, filius,
Wardeyne of þat witte hath was euere with-oute gynnynge.
Þe þridde hatte þe holygoost a persone by hym-selue,
Þe liȝte of alle þat lyf hath a londe & a watre,
Confortoure of creatures of hym cometh al blisse.
So þre bilongeth for a lorde þat lordeship claymeth,
Myȝte, and a mene to knowe his owne myȝte,
Of hym & of his seruaunt and what þei suffre bothe.
So god þat gynnyng hadde neure but þo hym good þouȝte,
Sent forth his sone as for seruaunt þat tyme,
To occupien hym here til issue were spronge,
Þat is, children of charite & holicherche þe moder.
Patriarkes & prophetes and aposteles were þe chyldren,
And cryst and crystenedome and crystene holycherche.
In menynge þat man moste on o god bileue,
And þere hym lyked & loued in þre persones hym shewed.
And þat it may be so & soth manhode it sheweth,
Wedloke and widwehode with virgynyte ynempned,
In toknynge of þe Trinite was taken oute of o man.
Adam owre aller fader Eue was of hym-selue,
And þe issue þat þei hadde it was of hem bothe,
And either is otheres ioye in thre sondry persones,
And in heuene & here one syngulere name;
And [þus] is mankynde or manhede of matrimoigne yspronge,
And bitokneth þe Trinite and trewe bileue.
Miȝte is matrimoigne þat multiplieth þe erthe,
Of one mochel & myȝte in mesure and in lengthe;
Þat one doth, alle doth & eche doth by his one.
Þe firste hath miȝte and maiestee maker of alle þinges;
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Þe secounde of þat sire is sothfastnesse, filius,
Wardeyne of þat witte hath was euere with-oute gynnynge.
Þe þridde hatte þe holygoost a persone by hym-selue,
Þe liȝte of alle þat lyf hath a londe & a watre,
Confortoure of creatures of hym cometh al blisse.
So þre bilongeth for a lorde þat lordeship claymeth,
Myȝte, and a mene to knowe his owne myȝte,
Of hym & of his seruaunt and what þei suffre bothe.
So god þat gynnyng hadde neure but þo hym good þouȝte,
Sent forth his sone as for seruaunt þat tyme,
To occupien hym here til issue were spronge,
Þat is, children of charite & holicherche þe moder.
Patriarkes & prophetes and aposteles were þe chyldren,
And cryst and crystenedome and crystene holycherche.
In menynge þat man moste on o god bileue,
And þere hym lyked & loued in þre persones hym shewed.
And þat it may be so & soth manhode it sheweth,
Wedloke and widwehode with virgynyte ynempned,
In toknynge of þe Trinite was taken oute of o man.
Adam owre aller fader Eue was of hym-selue,
And þe issue þat þei hadde it was of hem bothe,
And either is otheres ioye in thre sondry persones,
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And [þus] is mankynde or manhede of matrimoigne yspronge,
And bitokneth þe Trinite and trewe bileue.
And bitokneth trewly telle if I dorste,
[Hym] þat firste fourmed al þe fader of heuene.
Þe sone, if I it durst seye resembleth wel þe wydwe,
Deus meus, deus meus, vt quid dereliquisti me?
Þat is, creatour wex creature to knowe what was bothe;As widwe with-oute wedloke was neure ȝete yseye,
Na more myȝte god be man but if he moder hadde;
So wydwe with-oute wedloke may nouȝte wel stande,
Ne matrimoigne with-oute moillerye is nouȝt moche to preyse;
Maledictus homo qui non reliquit semen in israel, &c.
Þus in þre persones is perfitliche manhede,Þat is, man & his make & moillere her children,
And is nouȝt but gendre of o generacioun bifor Ihesu cryst in heuene,
So is þe fader forth with þe sone and fre wille of bothe;
Spiritus procedens a patre & filio;
Which is þe holygoste of alle and alle is but o god.Þus in a somer I hym seigh as I satte in my porche;
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Thre men to my syȝte I made wel et ese,
Wesche her feet & wyped hem and afterward þei eten
Calues flesshe & cakebrede and knewe what I thouȝte;
Ful trewe tokenes bitwene vs is to telle whan me lyketh.
Firste he fonded me if I loued bettere
Hym, or ysaak myn ayre þe which he hiȝte me kulle.
He wiste my wille by hym he wil me it allowe,
I am ful syker in soule þer-of and my sone bothe.
I circumcised my sone sitthen for his sake;
My-self and my meyne and alle þat male were
Bledden blode for þat lordes loue and hope to blisse þe tyme.
Myn affiaunce & my faith is ferme in þis bilieue;
For hym-self bihiȝte to me and to myne issue bothe
Londe and lordship And lyf with-outen ende;
To me and to myn issue more ȝete he me graunted,
Mercy for owre mysdedes as many tyme as we asken;
Quam olim abrahe promisisti, & semini eius.
And sith he sent me to seye I sholde do sacrifise,And done hym worshipe with bred and with wyn bothe,
And called me þe fote of his faith his folke forto saue,
And defende hem fro þe fende folke þat on me leueden.
Þus haue I ben his heraude here and in helle,
And conforted many a careful þat after his comynge wayten.
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Of a barne þat baptised hym Iohan Baptiste was his name,
Þat to patriarkes and to prophetes and to other peple in derknesse
Seyde þat he seigh here þat sholde saue vs alle;
Ecce agnus dei, &c.”
I hadde wonder of his wordes and of his wyde clothes;
For in his bosome he bar a thyng þat he blissed euere.
And I loked on his lappe a lazar lay þere-Inne
Amonges patriarkes and profetes pleyande togyderes.
“What awaytestow?” quod he “and what woldestow haue?”
“I wolde wyte,” quod I þo “what is in ȝowre lappe?”
For in his bosome he bar a thyng þat he blissed euere.
And I loked on his lappe a lazar lay þere-Inne
Amonges patriarkes and profetes pleyande togyderes.
“What awaytestow?” quod he “and what woldestow haue?”
“I wolde wyte,” quod I þo “what is in ȝowre lappe?”
“Loo!” quod he, and lete me se “lorde, mercy!” I seide,
“Þis is [a] present of moche prys what Prynce shal it haue?”
“It is a preciouse present,” quod he “ac þe pouke it hath attached,
And me þere-myde,” quod þat man “may no wedde vs quite,
Ne no buyrn be owre borwgh ne bryng vs fram his daungere;
Oute of þe poukes pondfolde no meynprise may vs fecche,
Tyl he come þat I carpe of cryst is his name,
Þat shal delyure vs some daye out of þe deueles powere,
And bettere wedde for vs legge þan we ben alle worthy,
Þat is, lyf for lyf or ligge þus euere
Lollynge in my lappe tyl such a lorde vs fecche.”
“Þis is [a] present of moche prys what Prynce shal it haue?”
“It is a preciouse present,” quod he “ac þe pouke it hath attached,
And me þere-myde,” quod þat man “may no wedde vs quite,
Ne no buyrn be owre borwgh ne bryng vs fram his daungere;
Oute of þe poukes pondfolde no meynprise may vs fecche,
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Þat shal delyure vs some daye out of þe deueles powere,
And bettere wedde for vs legge þan we ben alle worthy,
Þat is, lyf for lyf or ligge þus euere
Lollynge in my lappe tyl such a lorde vs fecche.”
“Allas!” I seyde, “þat synne so longe shal lette
Þe myȝte of goddes mercy þat myȝt vs alle amende!”
I wepte for his wordes with þat sawe I an other
Rapelich renne forth; þe riȝte waye he went.
I affrayned hym fyrste fram whennes he come,
And what he hiȝte & whider he wolde and wightlich he tolde.
Þe myȝte of goddes mercy þat myȝt vs alle amende!”
I wepte for his wordes with þat sawe I an other
Rapelich renne forth; þe riȝte waye he went.
I affrayned hym fyrste fram whennes he come,
And what he hiȝte & whider he wolde and wightlich he tolde.
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