To winnen good, thou rekkest never how, Unto the worldes ende for a praye." [ye? "A," quod this sompnour, "benedicite, what say I wend ye were a yeman trewely. Ye have a mannes shape as wel as I. Have ye than a figure determinat In Helle, ther ye ben in your estat?” "Nay certainly," quod he, "ther have we non, But whan us liketh we can take us on, Or elles make you wene that we ben shape Somtime like a man, or like an ape; Or like an angel can I ride or go; It is no wonder thing though it be so, A lousy jogelour can deceiven thee, And parde yet can I more craft than he.” [gon "Why," quod the sompnour, "ride ye than or In sondry shape, and not alway in on?" "For we," quod he, "wol us swiche forme make, As most is able our preye for to take." "What maketh you to han all this labour?” "Ful many a cause, leve sire sompnour," Saide this fend. "But alle thing hath time; The day is short, and it is passed prime, And yet ne wan I nothing in this day; I wol entend to winning, if I may, And not entend our thinges to declare: For, brother min, thy wit is al to bare To understand, although I told hem thee. But for thou axest, why labouren we: For somtime we be Goddes instruments, And menes to don his commandements, Whan that him list, upon his creatures, In divers actes and in divers figures, Withouten him we have no might certain, Al be it that it was not our entente He shuld be sauf, but that we wold him hente. As to the archebishop Seint Dunstan. "Yet tell me," quod this sompnour, "faithfully, Make ye you newe bodies thus alway Of elements?" The fend answered, "Nay: But o thing warne I thee, I wol not jape, Fer I wol holden compagnie with thee, Til it be so that thou forsake me." [betide. "Nay," quod this sompnour, "that shal never I am a yeman knowen is ful wide; And bothe we gon abouten our pourchas. To which this sompnour shope him for to wende, So mochel wo as I have with you tholed. The devil have al, bothe hors, and cart, and hay." The sompnour sayde, “Here shal we have a pray;" And nere the fend he drow, as nought ne were, Ful prively, and rouned in his ere: "Herken my brother, herken, by thy faith, Herest thou not, how that the carter saith? Hent it anon, for he hath yeve it thee, Both hay and cart, and eke his caples three." Axe him thyself, if thou not trowest me, This carter thakketh his hors upon the croupe, "Lo, brother," quod the fend, "what told I thee? Here may ye seen, min owen dere brother, The cherl spake o thing, but he thought another. Let us go forth abouten our viage; Here win I nothing upon this cariage.” Whan that they comen somwhat out of toun, I wol have twelf pens though that she be wood, And yet, God wot, of hire know I no vice. "I have," quod he, "of somons here a bill. Up peine of cursing, loke that thou be [kinges, I have ben sike, and that ful many a day. I shal no profit han therby but lite: My maister hath the profit and not I. Yeve me twelf pens, I may no lenger tarie." "Twelf pens," quod she, "now lady Seinte Marie So wisly helpe me out of care and sinne, This wide world though that I shuld it winne, Ne have I not twelf pens within my hold. Ye knowen wel that I am poure and old; Kithe your almesse upon me poure wretche." "Nay than," quod he, "the foule fend me fetche, If I thee excuse, though thou shuldest be spilt." "Alas!" quod she, "God wot, I have no gilt.” "Pay me," quod he, "or by the swete Seinte Anne As I wol bere away thy newe panne For dette, which thou owest me of old, "Thou liest," quod she, "by my salvation, Ne was I never or now, widew ne wif, Sompned unto your court in all my lif: |