•• Az. 1 riri: as Trcjan::s the trewe
Tj':rel:.!i nou-L: dep^ in Leli-e, [knyght
Tr-a: c":re Lci'ine Lidie hvm lightly
.So level the the: b^ in hevene, [out,
For r.e is in the loweste of hevene,
If oure bileve be trewe ; tvl

And wel loselly he lolleth there,
Lv the la we of holv chirche.
Q.ui reddit unicuique juxta opera
sua, etc

" And why that oon theef on the
Creaunt h}'ni yald [cros

Kathf;r than that oother theef,
Thougli thow woldest appose,
Alio the clerkes under Grist
Kc kouthe the skile assoiUe.
Quare placuit, quia voluit, 7802



PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 241

" And so I seye by thee rses
That sekest after the whyes,
And a-resonedest Keson
A rebukynge as it were ;
And of the floures in the fryth,
And of hire faire hewes,
Wlierof thei cacche hir colours
So clere and so brighte ;
And wiliest of briddesandof beestes,
And of hir bredyng, to knowe,
Why some be a-lough and some Sr
Thi likyng it were ; [loft,

And of the stones and of the sterres
Thow studiest, as I leve ;
How evere beest outher brid
Hath so breme wittes.
" Clergie ne kynde wit
No knew nevere the cause ;
Ac kynde knoweth the cause hym-
And no creature ellis. [self,

He is the pies patron,
And putteth it in hir ere
There the thorn is thikkest 7886
To buylden and brede.
And kynde kenned the pecok
To cauken in swich a kynde ;
And kenned Adam
To knowe his pryv^ membres,
And taughte hym and Eve
To helien hem with leves.
