Piers Plowman - Maybe You Like It

6.224: That nedy ben [or naked, and nought han to spende,
6.225: Love hem and lakke hem noght — lat God take the vengeaunce;
6.226: Theigh thei doon yvele, lat thow God yworthe:
6.226: Michi vindictam et ego retribuam.
6.227: And if thow wilt be gracious to God, do as the Gospel techeth,
6.228: And bilove thee amonges lowe men — so shaltow lacche grace:
6.228: Facite vobis amicos de mammona iniquitatis.'
6.229: "I wolde noght greve God,' quod Piers,-for al the good on
grounde!'
6.230: Mighte I synnelees do as thow seist?' seide Piers thanne.
6.231: "Ye, I bihote thee,' quod Hunger, "or ellis the Bible lieth
6.232: Go to Genesis the geaunt, the engendrour of us alle:
6.233: ""In sudore and swynk thow shalt thi mete tilie,
6.234: And laboure for thi liflode,'' and so Oure Lord highte.
6.235: And Sapience seith the same — I seigh it in the Bible:
6.236: "" Piger pro frigore no feeld nolde tilie —
6.237: And therfore he shal begge and bidde, and no man bete his hunger.''
6.238: " Mathew with mannes face moutheth thise wordes —
6.239: That servus nequam hadde a mnam, and for he wolde noght chaffare,
6.240: He hadde maugree of his maister everemoore after;
6.241: And bynam hym his mnam for he ne wolde werche,
6.242: And yaf that mnam to hym that ten mnames hadde,
6.243: And with that he seide, that Holy Chirche it herde:
6.244: "" He that hath shal have and helpe there it nedeth;
6.245: And he that noght hath shal noght have, and no man hym helpe,
6.246: And that he weneth wel to have, I wole it hym bireve.''
6.247: " Kynde Wit wolde that ech a wight wroghte,
6.248: Or in [te]chynge or in [tell]ynge or travaillynge in preieres —
6.249: Contemplatif lif or Actif lif, Crist wolde men wroghte.
6.250: The Sauter seith in the psalme of Beati omnes,
6.251: The freke that fedeth hymself with his feithful labour,
6.252: He is blessed by the book in body and in soule:
6.252: Labores manuum tuarum &c.'
6.253: " Yet I preie yow,' quod Fiers, "pur charite, and ye konne
6.254: Any leef of lechecraft, lere it me, my deere;
6.255: For some of my servaunts and myself bothe
6.256: Of al a wike werche noght, so oure wombe aketh.'
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