And next to him malicious Envy rode
Upon a ravenous wolf, and still did chaw
Between his cankered teeth a venomous toad,
That all the poison ran about his chaw.
But inwardly he chawed his own maw
At neighbors wealth, that made him ever sad,
For death it was when any good he saw,
And wept that cause of weeping none he had;
But when he heared of harm, he waxed wonderous glad.
All in kirtle of discolored say
He clothed was y'painted full of eyes;
And in his bosom secretly there lay
An hateful snake, the which his tail upties
In many folds, and mortal sting implies.
Still as he rode, he gnashed his teeth to see
THose heaps of gold with gripple Covertise
And grudged at the great felicity
Of proud Lucifera and his own company.
He hated all good words and vituous deeds,
And him no less that any like did use,
And who with gracious bread the hungry feeds,
His alms for want of faith he doth accuse;
So every good to bad he doth abuse.
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