Piers Plowman - Maybe You Like It

20.035: And Nede is next hym, for anoon he meketh
20.036: And as lowe as a lomb, for lakkyng that hym nedeth;
20.037: For nede maketh nede fele nedes lowe-herted.
20.038: Philosophres forsoke welthe for thei wolde be nedy,
20.039: And woneden wel elengely and wolde noght be riche.
20.040: "And God al his grete joye goostliche he lefte,
20.041: And cam and took mankynde and bicam nedy."
20.042: So he was nedy, as seith the Book, in manye sondry places,
20.043: That he seide in his some on the selve roode,
20.044: "'the Fox and fowel may fle to hole and crepe,
20.045: And the fissh hath fyn to flete with to reste,
20.046: Ther nede hath ynome me, that I moot nede abide
20.047: And suffre sorwes ful soure, that shal to joye torne.''
20.048: Forthi be noght abasshed to bide and to be nedy,
20.049: Sith he that wroghte al the world was wilfulliche nedy,
20.050: Ne nevere noon so nedy ne poverer deide.'
20.051: Whan Nede hadde undernome rne thus, anoon I fil aslepe,
20.052: And mette ful merveillously that in mannes forme
20.053: Antecrist cam thanne, and al the crop of truthe
20.054: Torned it [tid] up-so-doun, and overtilte the roote,
20.055: And made fals sprynge and sprede and spede mennes nedes.
20.056: In ech a contree ther he cam he kutte awey truthe.
20.057: And gerte gile growe there as he a god weere.
20.058: Freres folwede that fend, for he gaf hem copes,
20.059: And religiouse reverenced hym and rongen hir belles,
20.060: And al the covent cam to welcome that tyraunt,
20.061: And alle hise as wel as hym — save oonly fooles;
20.062: Whiche fooles were wel gladdere to deye
20.063: Than to lyve lenger sith Leute was so rebuked,
20.064: And a fals fend Antecrist over alle folk regnede.
20.065: And that were rnylde men and holye, that no meschief dradden,
20.066: Defyed alle falsnesse and folk that it usede;
20.067: And what kyng that hem conforted, knowynge h[ir] gile,
20.068: They cursed, and hir conseil — were it clerk or lewed.
20.069: Antecrist hadde thus soone hundredes at his baner,
20.070: And Pride bar it bare boldely aboute,
20.071: With a lord that lyveth after likyng of body,
20.072: That cam ayein Conscience, that kepere was and gyour
20.073: Over kynde Cristene and Cardynale Vertues.
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