Chapter I

[Sidenote: [Fol. 57a.]]
[Sidenote: Cleanness discloses fair forms.]
Cla{n}nesse who-so kyndly cowþe co{m}ende,
& rekken vp alle þe resou{n}ȝ þ{a}t ho by riȝt askeȝ,
Fayre formeȝ myȝt he fy{n}de i{n} foreri{n}g his speche,
& in þe co{n}traré, kark & co{m}brau{n}ce huge; 4
[Sidenote: God is angry with the unclean worshipper, and with
false priests.]
For wonder wroth is þe wyȝ þ{a}t wroȝt alle þi{n}g{es},
Wyth þe freke þat i{n} fylþe folȝes hy{m} aft{er},
As renkeȝ of relygiou{n} þat reden & sy{n}gen,
& aprochen to hys presens, & presteȝ arn called; 8
Thay teen vnto his te{m}mple & teme{n} to hy{m} seluen,
Reken w{i}t{h} reu{er}ence þay r[ec]hen his auter,
Þay hondel þer his aune body & vsen hit boþe.
[Sidenote: The pure worshipper receives great reward.]
If þay in cla{n}nes be clos þay cleche gret mede, 12
Bot if þay conterfete crafte, & cortaysye wont,
[Sidenote: The impure will bring upon them the anger of God, Who
is pure and holy.]
As be honest vtwyth, & i{n}-with alle fylþeȝ,
Þen ar þay synful hemself & sulped altogeder,
Boþe god & his gere, & hy{m} to greme cachen. 16
He is so clene in his co{ur}te, þe ky{n}g þ{a}t al weldeȝ,
& honeste in his ho{us}-holde & hagherlych serued,
With angeleȝ eno{ur}led in alle þat is clene,
[Sidenote: It would be a marvel if God did not hate evil.]
Boþe w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne & w{i}t{h}-outen, i{n} wedeȝ ful bryȝt. 20
Nif he nere scoym{us} & skyg & non scaþe louied,
Hit were a meruayl to much, hit moȝt not falle;
[Sidenote: Christ showed us that himself.]
Kryst kydde hit hym self i{n} a carp oneȝ,
Þer as he heuened aȝt happeȝ & hyȝt hem her medeȝ; 24
[Sidenote: St. Matthew records the discourse.]
Me myneȝ on one amo{n}ge oþ{er}, as maþew recordeȝ,
Þat þ{us} of clannesse vn-closeȝ a ful cler speche.
[Sidenote: The clean of heart shall look on our Lord.]
Þe haþel clene of his hert hapeneȝ ful fayre,
For he schal loke on oure lorde w{i}t{h} a bone chere, 28
As so saytȝ, to þat syȝt seche schal he neu{er},
Þat any vncla{n}nesse hatȝ on, anwhere[1] abowte:
For he þ{a}t flem{us} vch fylþe fer fro his hert,
May not byde þat burne[2] þat hit his body neȝen; 32
For-þy hyȝ not to heuen i{n} hatereȝ to-torne,
Ne i{n} þe harloteȝ hod & handeȝ vnwaschen;
[Sidenote: What earthly noble, when seated at table above dukes,
would like to see a lad badly attired approach the table with
“rent cockers,” his coat torn and his toes out?]
For what vrþly haþel þat hyȝ hono{ur} haldeȝ
Wolde lyke, if a ladde com lyþ{er}ly attyred, 36
[Sidenote: [Fol. 57b.]]
When he were sette solempnely i{n} a sete ryche,
Abof dukes on dece, w{i}t{h} dayntys serued,
Þen þe harlot w{i}t{h} haste helded to þe table
W{i}t{h} rent cokreȝ at þe kne & his clutte trasches, 40
& his tabarde to-torne & his toteȝ oute;
[Sidenote: For any one of these he would be turned out with a
“big buffet,” and be forbidden to re-enter, and thus be ruined
through his vile clothes.]
Oþ{er} ani on of alle þyse he schulde be halden vtt{er},
With mony blame ful bygge, a boffet, p{er}au{n}t{er},
Hurled to þe halle dore & harde þ{er}-oute schowued, 44
& be forboden þat borȝe to bowe þider neu{er},
On payne of enprysonment & putty{n}g i{n} stokkeȝ;
& þ{us} schal he be schent for his schrowde feble,
Þaȝ neu{er} i{n} talle ne in tuch he trespas more. 48

[Headnote: THE PARABLE OF THE MARRIAGE FEAST.]

[Sidenote: The parable of the “Marriage of the King’s Son.”]
& if vnwelcu{m} he were to a worþlych prynce
Ȝet hy{m} is þe hyȝe ky{n}g harder i{n} her euen,
As maþew meleȝ in his masse of þat man ryche,
Þat made þe mukel mangerye to marie his here dere, 52
& sende his sonde þen to say þat þay samne schulde,
& in comly quoyntis to com to his feste;
[Sidenote: The king’s invitation.]
“For my boles & my boreȝ arn bayted & slayne,
& my fedde fouleȝ fatted w{i}t{h} sclaȝt, 56
My polyle þat is pe{n}ne-fed & partrykes boþe,
Wyth scheldeȝ of wylde swyn, swaneȝ & croneȝ;
Al is roþeled & rosted ryȝt to þe sete,
Comeȝ cof to my corte, er hit colde worþe.” 60

[Headnote: THOSE INVITED TO THE FEAST REFUSE TO COME.]

[Sidenote: Those invited begin to make excuses.]
When þay knewen his cal þ{a}t þider com schulde,
Alle ex-cused hem by þe skyly he scape by moȝt:
[Sidenote: One had bought an estate and must go to see it.]
On hade boȝt hym a borȝ he sayde by hys t{ra}wþe,
Now t[ur]ne I þeder als tyd, þe tou{n} to by-holde; 64
[Sidenote: Another had purchased some oxen and wished to see
them “pull in the plough.”]
An oþ{er} nayed also & nurned þis cawse:
I haf ȝerned & ȝat ȝokkeȝ of oxen,
& for my hyȝeȝ hem boȝt, to bowe haf I mest{er},
To see hem pulle in þe plow aproche me byhoueȝ; 68
[A third had married a wife and could not come.]
& I haf wedded a wyf, sower[3] hy{m} þe þryd,
Excuse me at þe co{ur}t, I may not com þere;
Þ{us} þay droȝ hem adreȝ w{i}t{h} dau{n}g{er} vchone,
Þat non passed to þe place[4] þaȝ he prayed were. 72
[Sidenote: [Fol. 58a.]]
[Sidenote: The Lord was greatly displeased, and commanded his
servants to invite the wayfaring, both men and women, the better
and the worse, that his palace might be full.]
The{n}ne þe ludych lorde lyked ful ille
& hade dedayn of þat dede, ful dryȝly he carpeȝ:
He saytȝ “now for her owne sorȝe þay for-saken habbeȝ,
More to wyte is her wrange, þen any wylle gentyl; 76
Þe{n}ne gotȝ forth my gomeȝ to þe grete streeteȝ,
& forsetteȝ on vche a syde þe cete aboute;
Þe wayferande frekeȝ, on fote & on hors,
Boþe burneȝ & burdeȝ, þe bett{er} & þe wers, 80
Laþeȝ hem alle luflyly to lenge at my fest,
& bry{n}geȝ hem blyþly to borȝe as barou{n}eȝ þay were,
So þat my palays plat-ful be pyȝt al aboute,
Þise oþ{er} wrecheȝ I-wysse worþy noȝt wern.” 84
[Sidenote: The servants brought in bachelors and squires.]
Þe{n} þay cayred & com þat þe cost waked,
Broȝten bachlereȝ hem wyth þat þay by bonkeȝ metten,
Swyereȝ þat swyftly swyed on blonkeȝ,
& also fele vpon fote, of fre & of bonde. 88
[Sidenote: When they came to the court they were well
entertained.]
When þay com to þe co{ur}te keppte wern þay fayre,
Styȝtled w{i}t{h} þe stewarde, stad i{n} þe halle,
Ful man{er}ly w{i}t{h} marchal mad forto sitte,
As he watȝ dere of de-gre dressed his seete. 92
[Sidenote: The servants tell their lord that they have done his
behest, and there is still room for more guests.]
Þe{n}ne seggeȝ to þe souerayn sayden þer-aft{er},
“Lo! lorde w{i}t{h} yo{ur} leue at yo{ur} lege heste,
& at þi ba{n}ne we haf broȝt, as þ{o}u beden habbeȝ,
Mony renischche renkeȝ & ȝet is rou{m} more.” 96

[Headnote: THE HALT AND THE BLIND ARE INVITED.]

[Sidenote: The Lord commands them to go out into the fields, and
bring in the halt, blind, and “one-eyed.”]
Sayde þe lorde to þo ledeȝ, “layteȝ ȝet ferre,
Ferre out i{n} þe felde, & fecheȝ mo gesteȝ,
Wayteȝ gorsteȝ & greueȝ, if ani gomeȝ lyggeȝ,
What-kyn folk so þer fare, fecheȝ hem hider, 100
Be þay fers, be þay feble for-loteȝ[5] none,
Be þay hol, be þay halt, be þay onyȝed,
& þaȝ þay ben boþe blynde & balt{er}ande cruppeleȝ,
[Sidenote: For those who denied shall not taste “one sup” to
save them from death.]
Þat my ho{us} may holly by halkes by fylled; 104
For certeȝ þyse ilk renkeȝ þat me renayed habbe
& de-nou{n}ced me, noȝt now at þis tyme,
Schul neu{er} sitte in my sale my sop{er} to fele,
Ne suppe on sope of my seve, þaȝ[6] þay swelt schulde.” 108
[Sidenote: [Fol. 58b.]]
[Sidenote: The palace soon became full of “people of all
plights.”]
The{n}ne þe sergau{n}teȝ, at þat sawe, swengen þ{er}-oute,
& diden þe dede þat [is] demed, as he deuised hade,
& w{i}t{h} peple of alle plyteȝ þe palays þay fyllen;
[Sidenote: They were not all one wife’s sons, nor had they all
one father.]
Hit weren not alle on wyueȝ su{n}eȝ, wonen w{i}t{h} on fader; 112
Wheþ{er} þay wern worþy, oþ{er} wers, wel wern þay stowed,
[Sidenote: The “brightest attired” had the best place.]
Ay þe best byfore & bryȝtest atyred,
Þe derrest at þe hyȝe dese þat dubbed wer fayrest;
[Sidenote: Below sat those with “poor weeds.”]
& syþen on lenþe biloogh{e} ledeȝ inogh, 116
& ay a segge soerly[7] semed by her wedeȝ;
So with marschal at her mete mensked þay were,
Clene men i{n} compaynye for-knowen wern lyte,
[Sidenote: All are well entertained “with meat and minstrelsy.”]
& ȝet þe symplest in þ{a}t sale watȝ serued to þe fulle, 120
Boþe with menske, & w{i}t{h} mete & mynstrasy noble,
& alle þe laykeȝ þat a lorde aȝt i{n} londe schewe.
[Sidenote: Each with his “mate” made him at ease.]
& þay bigo{n}ne to be glad þat god dri{n}k haden,
& vch mon w{i}t{h} his mach made hy{m} at ese. 124

[Sidenote 1: _aywhere_ (?).]
[Sidenote 2: Looks like _burre_ in MS.]
[Sidenote 3: _swer_ (?).]
[Sidenote 4: MS. _plate_.]
[Sidenote 5: _forleteȝ_ (?).]
[Sidenote 6: MS. þaȝ þaȝ.]
[Sidenote 7: _soberly_ (?).]

[Headnote: THE MAN WITHOUT A WEDDING GARMENT.]