Thanne Pacience perceyved Of pointes of this cote, That were colomy thorugh coveitise And unkynde desiryng; 8740 Moore to good than to God The gome his love caste, And ymagynede how He it myghte have With false mesures and met, And with fals witnesse; Lened for love of the wed, And looth to do truthe; And awaited thorugh which Wey to bigile, 8750 And menged his marchaundise, And made a good moustre; "The worste withinne was, A greet wit I let it, {268} And if my neghebore hadde any hyne, Or any beest ellis, Moore profitable than myn, Manye sleightes I made How I myghte have it, Al my wit I caste. 8760 And but I it hadde by oother wey, At the laste I stale it; Or priveliche his purs shook, And unpikede hise lokes; Or by nyghte or by daye Aboute was ich evere, Thorugh gile to gaderen The good that ich have. "If I yede to the plowgh, I pynched so narwe, 8770 That a foot lond or a forow Fecchen I wolde Of my nexte neghebore, And nymen of his erthe. And if I repe, over-reche, Of yaf hem reed that ropen To seise to me with hir sikel That I ne sew nevere. "And who so borwed of me, A-boughte the tyme 8780 With presentes prively, Or paide som certeyn; So he wolde or noght wolde, Wynnen I wolde, And bothe to kith and to kyn Unkynde of that ich hadde. "And who so cheped my chaffare, Chiden I wolde, {269} But he profrede to paie A peny or tweyne 8790 Moore than it was worth; And yet wolde I swere That it coste me muche moore, And swoor manye othes. "On holy daies at holy chirche Whan ich herde masse, Hadde I nevere wille, woot God, Witterly to biseche Mercy for my mysdedes, That I ne moorned moore 8800 Nor losse of good, leve me, Than for my likames giltes. As if I hadde dedly synne doon, I dredde noght that so soore, As when I lened, and leved it lost, Or longe er it were paied. So if I kidde any kyndenesse Myn even cristen to helpe, Upon a cruwel coveitise Myn herte gan hange. 8810 "And if I sente over see My servauntz to Brugges, Or into Pruce-lond my prentis, My profit to waiten, To marchaunden with moneie, And maken hire eschaunges, Mighte nevere me conforte. In the mene while Neither masse ne matynes, No none maner sightes; 8820 Ne nevere penaunce perfournede, Ne pater-noster seide, {270} That my mynde ne was moore On my good in a doute, Than in the grace of God, And hise grete helpes. _Ubi thesaurus tuus, ibi et cor tuum._