"The gome that gooth with o staf, He semeth in gretter heele Than he that gooth with two staves, To sighte of us alle. "And right so, bi the roode! Reson me sheweth That it is lighter to lewed men O lesson to knowe, Than for to techen hem two, 11450 And to hard to lerne to the leeste It is ful hard for any man On Abraham bileve; And wel awey worse yit For to love a sherewe. It is lighter to leeve In thre lovely persones, Than for to lovye and leve {351} As wel lorels as lele." "Go thi gate!" quod I to _Spes_, 11460 "So me God helpe! Tho that lernen thi lawe, Wol litel while usen it." And as we wenten thus in the wey Wordynge togideres, Thanne seighe we a Samaritan Sittynge on a mule, Ridynge ful rapely The righte wey we yeden, Comynge from a contree 11470 That men called Jerico, To a justes in Jerusalem He chaced awey faste. Bothe the heraud and Hope And he mette at ones Where a man was wounded, And with theves taken; He myghte neither steppe ne stande, Ne stere foot ne handes, Ne helpe hymself soothly, 11480 For semy-vif he semed, And as naked as a nedle, And noon help aboute hym. Feith hadde first sighte of hym; Ac he fleigh aside, And nolde noght neghen hym By nyne londes lengthe. Hope cam hippynge after, That hadde so y-bosted How he with Moyses maundement 11490 Hadde many men y-holpe; Ac whan he hadde sighte of that segge {352} Aside he gan hym drawe Dredfully bi this day, As doke dooth fram the faucon. Ac so soone so the Samaritan Hadde sighte of this leode, He lighte a-down of lyard, And ladde hym in his hande, And to the wye he wente 11500 Hise woundes to biholde; And perceyved bi his pous He was in peril to dye, And but he hadde recoverer the rapelier, That rise sholde he nevere. With wyn and with oille Hise woundes he wasshed, Enbawmed hym and bond his heed, And in his lappe hym leide, And ladde hym so forth on lyard 11510 Te _lex Christi_, a graunge Wel sixe mile or sevene Biside the newe market; Herberwed hym at an hostrie, And to the hostiler called, And seide, "Have kepe this man Til I come fro the justes; And lo! here silver," he seide, "For salve to hise woundes." And he took hym two pens, 11520 To liflod, as it weere; And seide, "What he spendeth moore, I make thee good herafter; For I may noght lette," quod that leode; And lyard he bistrideth, And raped hym to Jerusalem-ward {353} The righte wey to ryde. Feith folwede after faste, And fondede to mete hym; And _Spes_ spakliche hym spedde, 11530 Spede if he myghte To overtaken hym and talke to hym, Er thei to towne coome.