| | And cristis blissid body they to rente | |
| | Deth shal be ded yf that we may hym hente | |
| | When they haue goon not fully a myle | |
| | Right as they wolde haue goon ouer a style | |
| 385 | An old poure our man with hem mette | |
| | This olde man full mekely hem grette | |
| | And sayde thus lordingis god you se | |
| | The proudest of thyse Riotours thre | |
| | Answerde what charl with hard grace | |
| 390 | Why art thow al for wrappid saue thy face | |
| | Why liuyst thou so longe in so gret age | |
| | This olde man gan loke in her visage | |
| | And sayde thus for I can not fynde | |
| | A man though I walke in to ynde | |
| 395 | Neyther in cyte ne in village | |
| | That wol chaunge his yonthe for myn age | |
| | And therfore muste I haue myn age still | |
| | As longe tyme as it is goddis will | |
| | Ne deth allas wol not haue my lyf | |
| 400 | Thus walke I lik a recheles caytiff | |
| | And on the grounde whiche is my modris gate | |
| | I knocke with my staf erly and late | |
| | And say leue modir lete me yn | |
| | Lo how I vanyssh flesh blood and skyn | |
| 405 | Allas whan shal my bonys be at reste | |
| | Modir with you wolde I chaunge my cheste | |
| | That in my chambir longe tyme hath be | |
| | Ye for an heir clout to wrappe ynne me | |
| | But yet to me she wol not do that grace | |
