Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Hooper.djvu/438

354 For all is lawful that them liketh. To whom that els-e it misliketh, And eké right in the self kind In great cities men may find. Thus lusty folk, that make them gay, And wait upon the holy-day, In churches, and in minsters eke, They go the women for to seek, And where that such one goeth about, Before the fairest of the rout; Where as they sitten all a row. There will he most his body show; His crooked kempt and thereon set An ouch-e with a chap-e-let, Or else one of green leaves, Which late come out-e of the greves. All for he should seem fresh: And thus he looketh on his flesh, Right as a hawk which hath a sight Upon the fowl, there he shall light; And as he were a faëry, He sheweth him before her eye, In holy plac-e where they sit. All for to make their heart-es flytte.
 * His eye no where will abide,

But look and pry on every side, On her and her, as him best liketh, And other while, among he siketh; Thinketh "One of them that was for me," And so there thinketh two or three; And yet he loveth none at all. But where as ever his chanc-e fall.
 * And nath-e-less to say a sooth

The cause why that he so doth, Is for to steal a heart or two, Out of the church ere that he go. And as I said it here above, All is that sacrilege of love, For well may be that he stealeth away, That he never after yield may.
 * "Tell me for this, my son, anon,

Hast thou done sacrilege, or none, As I have said in this mannér?"
 * "My father, as of this mattér,

I will you tellen readily What I have done; but tru-e-ly I may excus-e mine intent That I never yet to church went