["I am holde with the abbot," sayd the justyce,]
"Bothe with cloth and fee:"
"Now, good syr sheryf, be my frende:"
"Nay for god," sayd he.
"Now, good syr abbot, be my frende,105
For thy curteysè,
And holde my londes in thy honde
Tyll I have made the gree;
"And I wyll be thy true servaunte,
And trewely serve the,110
Tyl ye have foure hondred pounde
Of money good and free."
The abbot sware a full grete othe,
"By god that dyed on a tree,
Get the londe where thou may,115
For thou getest none of me."
"By dere worthy god," then sayd the knyght,
"That all this worlde wrought,
But I have my londe agayne
Full dere it shall be bought.120
"God, that was of a mayden borne,
[Lene us] well to spede!
For it is good to assay a frende
Or that a man have nede."
The abbot lothely on him gan loke,125
And vylaynesly hym gan [call];
"Out," he sayd, "thou false knyght,
Spede the out of my hall!"
"Thou lyest," then sayd the gentyll knyght,
"Abbot in thy hal;130
False knyght was I never,
By god that made us all."
Up then stode that gentyll knyght,
To the abbot sayd he,
"To suffre a knyght to knele so longe135
Thou canst no curteysye.
"In joustes and in tournement
Full ferre than have I be,
And put myselfe as ferre in prees
As ony that ever I se."140