THEY LIVE IN CAVES
17
Oþir-wise þan it was · in þis word schape,
420Þey gayn-sain hure sauiour · þat hem so made,
& ben aschamed of his schap · & schewen jem ellis.
Þou douhty doutede king · we don þe to knowe,
We never use a bath Þat oure bodies ne ben · in no baþ wahche.
424We han while we here ben · hete of þe sonne,
& vs by-dewen aday · þe dewus of heuene.
All are equal among us We ben busy of no swink · nor no burn maken
For to wirchen our wil · & wordliche serue.
Vs no likeþ of no lud · lordschipe haue;
Non is sternere of stat · ne stouter þan oþir.
Sin we ben bteþeren of brod · brouht into þis worde,
Alle coruen of a king · þat kid is in blisse,
432Whi scholde any schalk · þat god schop on erþe
Haue maistrie of men · more þan an-oþir?
We have no houses but caves. We ne han none hous bote holus · in þe holou cauus,
Vndur hillus ful hie · to holden us inne;
Þere comeþ no wawe of þe wind · no watur of þe rainus.
Hie boldus[1] to bulde · be we not snelle;
To legge lym oþur ston · loþ is us alle;
We use no tools. Vs ne likeþ no lome · in oure land vse,
440 As oþir erþliche men · owen aboute.
We lin, whan us sclepe list · lowe vndur erþe,
Al wiþ-oute any swink · of ert[h]liche werus;
Our caves keep off the weather. Swich housinge we han · to holde out þe wedures
444 & leden þerinne our lif · þe lengþe of our daies
When god likeþ from lif · lede vs to blisse,
We liggen doun in our den · þere we ded worþen.
Þanne is vs g[r]ayþed no graue · in þe grounde doluen,
420Þey gayn-sain hure sauiour · þat hem so made,
& ben aschamed of his schap · & schewen jem ellis.
Þou douhty doutede king · we don þe to knowe,
We never use a bath Þat oure bodies ne ben · in no baþ wahche.
424We han while we here ben · hete of þe sonne,
& vs by-dewen aday · þe dewus of heuene.
All are equal among us We ben busy of no swink · nor no burn maken
For to wirchen our wil · & wordliche serue.
Vs no likeþ of no lud · lordschipe haue;
Non is sternere of stat · ne stouter þan oþir.
Sin we ben bteþeren of brod · brouht into þis worde,
Alle coruen of a king · þat kid is in blisse,
432Whi scholde any schalk · þat god schop on erþe
Haue maistrie of men · more þan an-oþir?
We have no houses but caves. We ne han none hous bote holus · in þe holou cauus,
Vndur hillus ful hie · to holden us inne;
Þere comeþ no wawe of þe wind · no watur of þe rainus.
Hie boldus[1] to bulde · be we not snelle;
To legge lym oþur ston · loþ is us alle;
We use no tools. Vs ne likeþ no lome · in oure land vse,
440 As oþir erþliche men · owen aboute.
We lin, whan us sclepe list · lowe vndur erþe,
Al wiþ-oute any swink · of ert[h]liche werus;
Our caves keep off the weather. Swich housinge we han · to holde out þe wedures
444 & leden þerinne our lif · þe lengþe of our daies
When god likeþ from lif · lede vs to blisse,
We liggen doun in our den · þere we ded worþen.
Þanne is vs g[r]ayþed no graue · in þe grounde doluen,
Si quis autem naturam mutare voluerit, criminale reputamus. Balnea non facimus vt corpora nostra sanemus. Solis ardore calemus et aeris rore perfundimur. Nullam cogitationem habemus nec hominibus nec animalibus dominabimur. Crudele dicimus hominem ad seruitium premere, quia diuina dispositio sic nos liberos liberauit et creauit. Lapides in calcem non resoluium vt nobis domos et palacia fabricemus. Uascula de terra non facimus. In fossis sine solitudine aliqua repausamus. Nos enim tales domos habemus in quibus
- ↑ MS. 'holdus'; see l. 848.
