 The Reue Foure gleedes haue we / whiche I shal deuyseAuauntyng lyyng Anger CoueitiseThise foure sparkles / longen vn to eeldeOure lymes / mowe wel been vnweeldeBut wil ne shal noght faillen / that is soothAnd yet I haue alwey / a coltes toothAs many a yeer / as it is passed henneSyn þᵗat my tappe of lyf / bigan to renneFor sikerlik whan ik was bore anonDeeth drogh the tappe of lyf / and leet it goonAnd euere sith / hath so the tappe yronneTil þᵗat almoost / al empty is the tonneThe streem of lyf / now droppeth on the chymbeThe sely tonge / may wel rynge and chymbeOf wrecchednesse / þᵗat passed is ful yooreWith olde folk / saue dotage is namoore¶ Whan þᵗat oure hoost hadde herd this sermonyngHe gan to speke / as lordly as a kyngHe seyde / what amounteth al this witWhat shal we speke al day / of holy writThe deuel made / a Reue for to pʳrecheOr of a Soutere / a Shipman / or a lecheSey forth thy tale / and tarie noght the tymeLo Depeford / and it is half wey prymeLo Grenewych / ther many a sherewe is InneIt were al tyme / thy tale to bigynne¶ Now sires / quod this Osewold the ReueI pray yow alle / þᵗat ye noght yow greueThogh I answere / and som del sette his howueFor leueful is / with force / force of showueThis dronken Myller͗e / hath ytoold vs heerHow þᵗat / bigiled was a CarpenterꝐPerauenture in scorn / for I am oonAnd by youre leue / I shal hym quyte anonRight / in his cherles termes / wol I spekeI pray to god / his nekke mote to brekeHe kan wel / in myn eye / seen a stalkeBut in his owene / he kan noght seen a balke