63. See note.

64. B. P. now; F.

58, 62. MSS. dreme (= dreem). yow; rest om. 71. P. strem; rest streme (= streem); so P. drem (rest dreme) in 1. 80. MSS. cometh (=com'th). 73. Cx. Th. clepe; F. clepeth. 77. F. That; rest And. 78. Th. wol; P. wul; Cx. wyl; F. B. wolde. 85. F. B. stonde; Cx. Th. stande; P. stond. Cx. alle; F. Th. al (wrongly).

And shelde hem fro povert and shonde,
And fro unhappe and ech disese,
And sende hem al that may hem plese,
That take hit wel, and scorne hit noght,
Ne hit misdemen in her thoght
Through malicious entencioun.
And who-so, through presumpcioun,
Or hate or scorne, or through envye,
Dispyt, or Iape, or vilanye,
Misdeme hit, preye I Iesus god

That (dreme he barfoot, dreme he shod),
That every harm that any man

Hath had, sith [that] the world began,
Befalle him therof, or he sterve,

And graunte he mote hit ful deserve,
Lo! with swich a conclusioun

As had of his avisioun
Cresus, that was king of Lyde,
That high upon a gebet dyde!

90

95

100

105

88. All pouerte. P. om. a.

89. B. ech; F. eche.

100. I supply that.

103.

(abrayde).

109, 110. Cx. seyd, abreyd; the rest seyde (sayde), abreyde Grammar requires seyd, abreyd; (abreyde also occurs). 118. Cx. P. leonard, hard; F. Th. B. leonarde, harde. P. om. of. MSS. slept, slepte; read sleep, as in 1. 438.

117,

119.

F. B. olde; Th. golde; Cx. P. gold. F. sawgh. 131. Th. This; rest The.

132. F. sawgh.

F. B. partee (!).

a mede.

F. broune.

134. Th. heed; B. hed; F. Cx. hede. Cx. Th. P. parde; 135. B. red; F. Th. rede; Cx. Rose garlondes smellynge as 136. MSS. combe. B. hed; rest hede. 139. Cx. P. brown; 140. Cx. down; F. dovne. 141. P. fond; F. Cx. B. fonde;

Th. founde. Cx. Th. wal; B. wall; F. walle.

143. F. B. say; rest synge. 148. Cx. Th. P. Lauyne; F. B. 152. Cx. Th. P. Troye; F. B. Troy; see l. 155.

F. B. P. om. that.
Labyne.

146. F. B. Troy.

159.

173.

153. All om. That. F. B. P. fals; Cx. fals vntrewe; Th. false vntrewe. Cx. Th. kyng; F. B. kynge. F. y-slayne; rest slayn. 160. Th. Polytes; F. B. Polite. From this point I make no further note of obvious corrections in spelling. 172. Cx. P. Th. goddes; F. B. goddesse (wrongly). F. B. -brende; rest -brenned. 174. Cx. P. this; F. B. his. That dede not I how she was; B. That ded not I how she was; note I how it was; Th. That rede nat I howe that it was. insert but.

184. F. P. Cx. That rede Read deed, and

193. Cx. Th. grauen; P. graven ;

F. grave; B. graue. 196. F. B. Towardes. 199. P. Iubiter; rest Iupiters; read Iupiteres. 204. F. blowe; P. Cx. Th. blowen.

rest hert.

210. Th. herte; 220. F. omits from lisse to tempest in next line; the rest are right.