| | He hath a thousand sleyn this pestelence | |
| | Me thinkith it were necessary | |
| | Forto bewaar of suche an aduersary | |
| 355 | Deth is redy forto mete hym euermore | |
| | Thus taughte me my dame I say nomore | |
| | O seynte mary said this tauernere | |
| | The child saith soth for he hath this yere | |
| | Hens ouer a myle slayn in a gret village | |
| 360 | Bothe man and woman child and page | |
| | I trowe his habitacion be there | |
| | To been auisid gret wisedom it were | |
| | Er that he did a man a dishonour | |
| | Ye goddis armys sayde this riotour | |
| 365 | Is it suche peril with hym forto mete | |
| | I shal hym seke by dale and eke by strete | |
| | I shal hym sle be goddis digne bonys | |
| | Harkyn felowis we thre been alonys | |
| 370 | Let ech of vs becomyn othris brother | |
| | And ech of vs holde vp his hond to other | |
| | And we wol sle this traitour deth | |
| | He shal be slayn he that so many sleth | |
| | Be goddis dignite or it be nyght | |
| | To gedir haue thyse thre her hertis hight | |
| 375 | To lyue and dye ilke of theym with othir | |
| | As though he were his owen swore brothir | |
| | And vp they stert al dronke in this rage | |
| | And forth they goon toward that village | |
| | Of whiche the tauerner hath spoke beforn | |
| 380 | And many a grisly oth haue they sworn | |
