Piers Plowman - Maybe You Like It

13.346: Aboute the mouth or bynethe bigynneth to grope,
13.347: Til eitheres wille wexeth kene, and to the werke yeden,
13.348: As wel fastyng dayes as Fridaies and forboden nyghtes,
13.349: And as lef in Lente as out of Lente, alle tymes yliche:
13.350: Swiche werkes with hem were nevere out of seson,
13.351: Til thei myghte na moore — and thanne hadde murye tales,
13.352: And how that lecchours lovye laughen and japen,
13.353: And of hir harlotrye and horedom in hir elde tellen.
13.354: Thanne Pacience parceyved, of pointes his cote
13.355: Was colomy thorugh coveitise and unkynde desiryng.
13.356: Moore to good than to God the gome his love caste,
13.357: And ymagynede how he it myghte have
13.358: With false mesures and met, and [mid] fals witnesse
13.359: Lened for love of the wed and looth to do truthe,
13.360: And awaited thorugh w[itte]s wyes to bigile,
13.361: And menged his marchaundise and made a good moustre:
13.362: "The worst withinne was — a greet wit I let it!
13.363: And if my neghebore hadde an hyne, or any beest ellis,
13.364: Moore profitable than myn, manye sleightes I made
13.365: How I myghte have it — al my wit I caste;
13.366: And but I it hadde by oother wey, at the laste I stale it,
13.367: Or pryveliche his purs shook, unpikede hise lokes;
13.368: Or by nyghte or by daye, aboute was ich evere
13.369: Thorugh gile to gaderen the good that ich have.
13.370: "If I yede to the plowgh, I pynched so narwe
13.371: That a foot lond or a forow fecchen I wolde
13.372: Of my nexte neghebore, nymen of his erthe;
13.373: And if I rope, overreche, or yaf hem reed that ropen
13.374: To seise to me with hir sikel that I ne sew nevere.
13.375: "And whoso borwed of me aboughte the tyme
13.376: With presentes pryvely, or paide som certeyn —
13.377: So wolde he or noght wolde he, wynnen I wolde;
13.378: And bothe to kith and to kyn unkynde of that ich hadde.
13.379: "And whoso cheped my chaffare, chiden I wolde
13.380: But he profrede to paie a peny or tweyne
13.381: Moore than it was worth, and yet wolde I swere
13.382: That it coste me muche moore — swoor manye othes.
13.383: "In haly daies at holy chirche, whan ich herde masse
13.384: Hadde I nevere wille, woot God, witterly to biseche
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