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O hateful harm, condicion of poverte! | |
100 | With thurst, with coold, with hunger so confoundid! |
To asken help thee shameth in thyn herte, | |
If thou noon aske, so soore artow so woundid | |
That verray nede unwrappeth al thy wounde hid; | |
Maugree thyn heed thou most for indigence | |
105 | Or stele, or begge, or borwe thy despence! |
Thow blamest Crist, and seist ful bitterly | |
He mysdeparteth richesse temporal. | |
Thy neighebore thou wytest synfully, | |
And seist thou hast to lite and he hath al. | |
110 | "Parfay!" seistow, "somtyme he rekene shal, |
Whan that his tayl shal brennen in the gleede, | |
For he noght helpeth needfulle in hir neede." |
Herkne what is the sentence of the wise, | |
"Bet is to dyen than have indigence." | |
115 | Thy selve neighebor wol thee despise, |
If thou be povre, farwel thy reverence! | |
Yet of the wise man take this sentence, | |
"Alle dayes of povre men been wikke;" | |
Be war therfore, er thou come to that prikke. |
120 | If thou be povre, thy brother hateth thee, |
And alle thy freendes fleen from thee; allas, | |
O riche marchauntz, ful of wele been yee! | |
O noble, o prudent folk, as in this cas! | |
Youre bagges been nat fild with ambes as, | |
125 | But with sys cynk, that renneth for youre chaunce, |
At Cristemasse myrie may ye daunce! |
Ye seken lond and see for your wynnynges, | |
As wise folk ye knowen all th'estaat | |
Of regnes; ye been fadres of tydynges | |
130 | And tales, bothe of pees and of debaat. |
I were right now of tales desolaat | |
Nere that a marchant, goon is many a yeere, | |
Me taughte a tale, which that ye shal heere. |
Next: The Man of Law's Tale, First Part (ll. 134-385) | © Librarius All rights reserved. |