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but a greet sweller of eres!" For manye han had ful greet
renoun by the false opinioun of the poeple, and what thing
may ben thought fouler than swiche preysinge? For thilke folk
that ben preysed falsly, they moten nedes han shame of hir
preysinges. And yif that folk han geten hem thonk or preysinge
10
by hir desertes, what thing hath thilke prys eched or
encresed to the conscience of wyse folk, that mesuren hir good,
nat by the rumour of the poeple, but by the soothfastnesse of