Chapter V: Part 5

"Ac fals folk feyth-lees,
Theves and lyeres,
Wastours and wrecches,
Out of wedlok, I trowe, 5410
Conceyved ben in yvel tyme,
As Caym was on Eve;
Of swiche synfulle sherewes
The Sauter maketh mynde:
{167}
_Concepit in dolore, et peperit iniquitatem, etc._ =

"And alle that come of that Caym,
Come to yvel ende.
And God sente to Seem,
And seide by an aungel, 5420
'Thyn issue in thyn issue
I wol that thei be wedded,
And noght thi kynde with Caymes
Y-coupled nor y-spoused.'

"Yet some, ayein the sonde
Of oure Saveour of hevene,
Caymes kynde and his kynde
Coupled togideres,
Til God wrathed for hir werkes,
And swich a word seide, 5430
'That I makede man
It me for-thynketh.'
_Poenitet me fecisse hominem._

"And com to Noe anon,
And bad hym noght lette:
'Swith go shape a ship
Of shides and of bordes;
Thyself and thi sones,
And sithen youre wyves,
Busketh yow to that boot, 5440
And bideth ye therinne,
Til fourty daies be fulfild,
That the flood have y-wasshen
Clene awey the corsed blood
That Caym hath y-maked.

"'Beestes that now ben
Shul banne the tyme
That evere that cursed Caym
{168}
Coom on this erthe;
Alle shul deye for hise dedes, 5450
By dales and by hulles,
And the foweles that fleen
Forth with othere beestes,
Excepte oonliche
Of ech kynde a couple,
That in thi shyngled ship
Shul ben y-saved.'
Here a-boughte the barn
The bel-sires giltes,
And alle for hir fadres 5460
Thei ferden the werse;
The Gospel is her ayein,
In o degré, I fynde:
_Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris,
et pater non portabit iniquitatem
filii, etc._

"Ac I fynde if the fader
Be fals and a sherewe,
That som del the sone
Shal have the sires tacches. 5470

"Impe on an ellere,
And if thyn appul be swete,
Muchel merveille me thynketh;
And moore of a sherewe
That bryngeth forth any barn,
But if he be the same,
And have a savour after the sire;
Selde sestow oother.
_Nunquam colligitur de spinis uva,
nec de tribulis ficus._ 5480

"And thus thorugh cursed Caym
Cam care upon erthe;
{169}
And al for thei wroghte wedlokes
Ayein Goddes wille.
For-thi have thei maugré of hir mariages
That marie so hir children.
For some, as I se now,
Sooth for to telle,
For coveitise of catel
Un-kyndely ben wedded; 5490
As careful concepcion
Cometh of swiche mariages,
As bi-fel of the folk
That I bifore of tolde,
Therfore goode sholde wedde goode,
Though thei no good hadde;
'I am _via et veritas_,' seith Crist,
'I may avaunce yow alle.'

"It is an uncomly couple,
By Crist! as me thynketh, 5500
To yeven a yong wenche
To an old feble,
Or wedden any wodewe
For welthe of hir goodes,
That nevere shal barn bere
But if it be in hir armes.
Many a peire, sithen the pestilence,
Han plight hem togideres,
The fruyt that brynge forth
Arn foule wordes, 5510
In jelousie joye-lees,
And janglynge on bedde,
Have thei no children but cheeste,
And clappyng hem bitwene.
And though thei do hem to Dunmowe,
But if the devel helpe,
{170}
To folwen after the flicche,
Fecche thei it nevere;
And but thi bothe be for-swore,
That bacon thei tyne. 5520

"For-thei I counseille alle cristene
Coveite noght be wedded
For coveitise of catel,
Ne of kyn-rede riche;
Ac maidenes and maydenes
Macche yow togideres,
Wodewes and wideweres
Wercheth the same;
For no londes, but for love,
Loke ye be wedded, 5530
And thanne gete ye the grace of God,
And good y-nough to lyve with.

"And every maner seculer
That may noght continue,
Wisely goo wedde,
And ware hym fro synne;
For lecherie in likynge
Is lyme-yerd of helle.
Whiles thow art yong,
And thi wepene kene, 5540
Wreke thee with wyvyng,
If thow wolt ben excused.
_Dum sis vir fortis,
Ne des tua robora scortis;
Scribitur in portis,
Meretrix est janua mortis._

"Whan ye han wyved, beth war
And wercheth in tyme;
Noght as Adam and Eve,
Whan Caym was engendred. 5550
{171}
For in un-tyme, trewely,
Bitwene man and womman,
Ne sholde no bourde or bedde be;
But if thei bothe were clene
Bothe of lif and of soule,
And in perfit charité,
That ilke derne dede do
No man ne sholde.
And if thei leden thus hir lif,
It liketh God almyghty; 5560
For he made wedlok first,
And hymself it seide:
_Bonum est ut unusquisque uxorem
suam habeat, propter
fornicationem._

"And thei that other gates ben geten
For gedelynges arn holden,
As fals folk fondlynges,
Faitours and lieres,
Ungracious to gete good 5570
Or love of the peple,
Wandren and wasten
What thei cacche mowe,
Ayeins Do-wel thei doon yvel,
And the devel serve;
And after hir deeth day
Shul dwelle with the same,
But God gyve hem grace here
Hemself to amende.

"Do-wel my frend is, 5580
To doon as lawe techeth;
To love thi frend and thi foo,
Leve me, that is Do-bet;
To gyven and to yemen
{172}
Bothe yonge and olde,
To helen and to helpen,
Is Do-best of alle.

"And Do-wel is to drede God,
And Do-bet to suffre,
And so cometh Do-best of bothe, 5590
And bryngeth adoun the mody,
And that is wikked wille
That many a werk shendeth,
And dryveth awey Do-wel
Thorugh dedliche synnes." 5595

* * * * *

{173}

_Passus Decimus de Visione, et Secundus de Do-wel._

Thanne hadde Wit a wif, 5596
Was hote dame Studie,
That lene was of lere,
And of liche bothe;
She was wonderly wroth 5600
That Wit me thus taughte;
And al starynge dame Studie
Sterneliche loked.

"Wel artow wis," quod she to Wit,
"Any wisdomes to telle
To flatereres or to fooles,
That frenetike ben of wittes."
And blamed hym and banned hym,
And bad hym be stille,
With swiche wise wordes 5610
To wissen any sottes.
And seide, "_Noli mittere_, man,
Margery perles
Among hogges, that han
Hawes at wille;
Thei doon but dryvele theron,
Draf were hem levere
Than al the precious perree
That in paradis wexeth.
{174}
I seye it by swiche," quod she, 5620
"That sheweth by hir werkes,
That hem were levere lond
And lordshipe on erthe,
Or richesse, or rentes,
And reste at hir wille,
Than alle the sooth sawes
That Salomon seide evere.

"Wisdom and wit now
Is noght worth a kerse,
But if it be carded with coveitise, 5630
As clotheres kemben hir wolle.
Who so can contreve deceites
And conspire wronges,
And lede forth a love-day
To lette with truthe,
He that swiche craftes can
To counseil is cleped.
Thei lede lordes with lesynges,
And bi-lieth Truthe.

"Job the gentile 5640
In his gestes witnesseth,
That wikked men thei welden
The welthe of this worlde;
And that thei ben lordes of ech a lond
That out of lawe libbeth.
_Quare impii vivunt, bene est omnibus
qui prævaricantur et inique
agunt._

"The Sauter seith the same
By swiche that doon ille: 5650
_Ecce ipsi peccatores abundantes in
sæculo obtinuerunt divitias._

"Lo! seith holy lettrure,
{175}
Whiche beth thise sherewes?
Thilke that God gyveth moost,
Leest good thei deleth;
And moost un-kynde to the commune
That moost catel weldeth.
_Quæ perfecisti destruxerunt, justus
autem, etc._ 5660

"Harlotes for hir harlotrie
May have of hir goodes,
And japeris and jogelours,
And jangleris of gestes.

"Ac he that hath holy writ
Ay in his mouthe,
And kan telle of Tobye,
And of twelve apostles,
Or prechen of the penaunce
That Pilat wikkedly wroghte 5670
To Jhesu the gentile,
That Jewes to-drowe;
Litel is he loved
That swich a lesson sheweth,
Or daunted or drawe forth,
I do it on God hymselve.

"But thoo that feynen hem foolis,
And with faityng libbeth,
Ayein the lawe of oure Lord,
And lyen on hemselve, 5680
Spitten and spuen,
And speke foule wordes,
Drynken and drevelen,
And do men fer to gape,
Likne men, and lye on hem,
That leneth hem no giftes;
Thei konne na-moore mynstralcie
{176}
Ne musik men to glade,
Than Munde the millere
Of _Multa fecit Deus_. 5690
Ne were hir vile harlotrye,
Have God my trouthe!
Sholde nevere kyng ne knyght,
Ne chanon of seint Poules,
Gyve hem to hir yeres-gyve
The gifte of a grote.

"Ac murthe and mynstralcie
Amonges men is nouthe
Lecherie, losengerye,
And losels tales, 5700
Glotonye and grete othes,
This murthe thei lovyeth.

"Ac if thei carpen of Crist,
Thise clerkes and thise lewed
At mete in hir murthe,
Whan mynstrals beth stille,
Thanne telleth thei of the Trinité
A tale outher tweye,
And bryngen forth a balled reson,
And taken Bernard to witnesse, 5710
And putten forth a presumpcion
To preve the sothe.
Thus thei dryvele at hir deys
The Deitee to knowe,
And gnawen God with the gorge,
Whanne hir guttes fullen.

"Ac the carefulle may crie
And carpen at the yate,
Bothe a-fyngred and a-furst,
And for chele quake; 5720
Is ther noon to nyme hym neer,
{177}
His anoy to amende,
But hunten hym as an hound,
And hoten hym go thennes.
Litel loveth he that Lord
That lent hym al that blisse,
That thus parteth with the povere
A percell whan hym nedeth.
Ne were mercy in meene men
Moore than in riche, 5730
Mendinauntz mete-lees
Myghte go to bedde.
God is muche in the gorge
Of thise grete maistres,
Ac amonges meene men
His mercy and hise werkes.
And so seith the Sauter,
I have seighen it ofte:
_Ecce audivimus eam in Effrata, invenimus
eam in campis silvæ._ 5740

"Clerkes and othere kynnes men
Carpen of God faste,
And have hym muche in the mouth;
Ac meene men in herte.

"Freres and faitours
Han founde swiche questions,
To plese with proude men,
Syn the pestilence tyme;
And prechen at seint Poules
For pure envye of clerkes; 5750
That folk is noght fermed in the feith,
Ne free of hire goodes,
Ne sory for hire synnes;
So is pride woxen,
In religion and in al the reme,
{178}
Amonges riche and povere,
That preieres have no power
The pestilence to lette.
And yet the wrecches of this world
Is noon y-war by oother; 5760
Ne for drede of the deeth
With-drawe noght hir pride;
Ne beth plentevouse to the povere,
As pure charité wolde;
But in gaynesse and in glotonye
For-glutten hir good hemselve,
And breketh noght to the beggere
As the Book techeth:
_Frange esurienti panem tuum, etc._
And the moore he wynneth and welt 5770
Welthes and richesse,
And lordeth in londes,
The lasse good he deleth.

"Tobye telleth yow noght so,
Taketh hede, ye riche,
How the book Bible
Of hym bereth witnesse.
_Si tibi sit copia, abundanter tribue.
Si autem exiguum, illud impertiri
stude libenter._ 5780

"Who so hath muche, spende manliche,
So seith Tobye;
And who so litel weldeth,
Rule hym therafter.
For we have no lettre of oure lif,
How longe it shal dure,
Swiche lessons lordes sholde
Lovye to here,
And how he myghte moost meynee
{179}
Manliche fynde. 5790

"Nought to fare as a fithelere or a frere,
For to seke festes
Homliche at othere mennes houses,
And hatien hir owene.
Elenge is the halle
Ech day in the wike,
Ther the lord ne the lady
Liketh noght to sitte.
Now hath ech riche a rule
To eten by hymselve 5800
In a pryvee parlour,
For povere mennes sake,
Or in a chambre with a chymenee,
And leve the chief halle
That was maad for meles,
Men to eten inne,
And al to spare to spende
That spille shal another.

"I have y-herd heighe men,
Etynge at the table, 5810
Carpen, as thei clerkes were,
Of Crist, and of hise myghtes;
And leyden fautes upon the fader
That formede us alle,
And carpen ayein clerkes
Crabbede wordes,
Why wolde oure Saveour suffre
Swich a worm in his blisse,
That bigiled the womman,
And the man after, 5820
Thorugh whiche wiles and wordes
Thei wente to helle,
And al hir seed for hir synne
{180}
The same deeth suffrede.

"Here lyeth youre lore,
Thise lordes gynneth dispute,
Of that the clerkes us kenneth
Of Crist by the Gospel:
_Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris,
etc._ 5830

"Why sholde we that now ben,
For the werkes of Adam,
Roten and to-rende?
Reson wolde it nevere.
_Unusquisque portabit onus suum, etc._

"Swiche motyves thei mene,
Thise maistres in hir glorie,
And maken men in mys-bileve
That muse muche on hire wordes,
Ymaginatif herafterwarde 5840
Shal answere to hir purpos.

"Austyn to swiche argueres
Telleth this teme:
_Non plus sapere quam oportet._

"Wilneth nevere to wite
Why that God wolde
Suffre Sathan
His seed to bigile;
Ac bileveth lelly
In the loore of holy chirche, 5850
And preie hym of pardon
And penaunce in thi lyve,
And for his muche mercy
To amende yow here.
For alle that wilneth to wite
The weyes of God almyghty,
I wolde his eighe were in his ers,
{181}
And his fynger after,
That evere wilneth to wite
Why that God wolde 5860
Suffre Sathan
His seed to bigile,
Or Judas to the Jewes
Jhesu bitraye.
Al was as thow woldest,
Lord, y-worshiped be the!
And al worth as thow wolt,
What so we dispute.

"And tho that useth thise hanylons
To blende mennes wittes, 5870
What is Do-wel fro Do-bet,
That deef mote he worthe,
Siththe he wilneth to wite
Whiche thei ben bothe,
But if he lyve in the lif
That longeth to Do-wel.
For I dar ben his bolde borgh,
That do-bet wole he nevere,
Theigh Do-best drawe on hym
Day after oother." 5880

And whan that Wit was y-war
What dame Studie tolde,
He bicom so confus,
He kouthe noght loke,
And as doumb as deeth,
And drough hym arere;
And for no carpyng I kouthe after,
Ne knelyng to the grounde,
I myghte gete no greyn
Of his grete wittes. 5890
But al laughynge he louted,
{182}
And loked upon Studie
In signe that I sholde
Bi-sechen hire of grace.

And whan I was war of his wille,
To his wif gan I loute,
And seide, "Mercy, madame,
Youre man shal I worthe
As longe as I lyve,
Bothe late and rathe, 5900
For to werche youre wille
The while my lif dureth,
With that ye kenne me kyndely
To knowe what is Do-wel."

"For thi mekenesse, man," quod she,
"And for thi mylde speche,
I shal kenne thee to my cosyn
That Clergie is hoten.
He hath wedded a wif
Withinne thise sixe monthes, 5910
Is sib to seven artz,
Scripture is hir name.
They two, as I hope,
After my techyng,
Shullen wissen thee to Do-wel,
I dar it undertake."

Thanne was I al so fayn,
As fowel of fair morwe,
And gladder than the gle-man
That gold hath to gifte; 5920
And asked hire the heighe wey
Where that Clergie dwelte,
"And tel me som tokene," quod I,
"For tyme is that I wende."

"Aske the heighe wey," quod she,
{183}
"Hennes to Suffre-
Both-wele-and-wo,
If that thow wolt lerne,
And ryd forth by Richesse,
Ac rest thow noght therinne; 5930
For if thow couplest thee therwith,
To Clergie comestow nevere.

"And also the likerouse launde
That Lecherie hatte,
Leve it on thi left half
A large myle or moore,
Til thow come to a court,
Kepe-wel-thi-tunge-
Fro-lesynges-and-lither-speche-
And-likerouse-drynkes. 5940

"Thanne shaltow se Sobretee,
And Sympletee-of-speche,
That ech wight be in wille
His wit thee to shewe;
And thus shaltow come to Clergie,
That kan manye thynges.

"Seye hym this signe,
I sette hym to scole,
And that I grete wel his wif,
For I wroot hire manye bokes, 5950
And sette hire to Sapience,
And to the Sauter glose;
Logyk I lerned hire,
And manye othere lawes,
And alle musons in musik
I made hire to knowe.

"Plato the poete
I putte first to boke,
Aristotle and othere mo
{184}
To argue I taughte. 5960

"Grammer for girles
I garte first to write,
And bette hem with a baleys,
But if thei wolde lerne,

"Of alle kynne craftes
I contreved tooles,
Of carpentrie, of kerveres,
And compased masons,
And lerned hem level and lyne,
Though I loke dymme. 5970

"Ac Theologie hath tened me
Ten score tymes;
The moore I muse therinne
The mystier it seemeth,
And the depper I devyne
The derker me it thynketh.
It is no science, for sothe,
For to sotile inne;
A ful lethi thyng it were,
If that love nere; 5980
Ac for it leteth best bi-love,
I love it the bettre.
For there that love is ledere,
Ther lakked nevere grace.
Loke thow love lelly,
If thee liketh Do-wel;
For Do-bet and Do-best
Ben of Loves kynne.

"In oother science it seith,
I seigh it in Caton: 5990
_Qui simulat verbis, nec corde est fidus amicus,
Tu quoque fac simile, sic ars deluditur arte._
{185}

"Who so gloseth as gylours doon,
Go me to the same;
And so shaltow fals folk
And feith-lees bigile.
This is Catons kennyng
To clerkes that he lereth.

"Ac Theologie techeth noght so,
Who so taketh yeme; 6000
He kenneth us the contrarie,
Ayein Catons wordes.
For he biddeth us be as bretheren,
And bidde for our enemys.
And loven hem that lyen on us,
And lene hem whan hem nedeth,
And do good ayein yvel,
God hymself it hoteth.
_Dum tempus habemus, operemur
bonum ad omnes, maxime autem 6010
ad domesticos fidei._
Poul preched the peple
That perfitnesse lovede,
To do good for Goddes love,
And gyven men that asked,
And namely to swiche
As suwen oure bileve,
And alle that lakketh us, or lyeth,
Oure Lord techeth us to lovye.
And noght to greven hem that greveth us, 6020
God hymself forbad it,
_Mihi vindictam, et ego retribuam._

"For-thi loke thow lovye,
As longe as thow durest;
For is no science under sonne
So sovereyn for the soule.
{186}

"Ac astronomye is an hard thyng,
And yvel for to knowe;
Geometrie and geomesie,
So gynful of speche, 6030
Who so thynketh werche with tho two
Thryveth ful late,
For sorcerie is the sovereyn book
That to tho sciences bilongeth.

"Yet ar ther fibicches in forceres
Of fele mennes makyng,
Experimentz of alkenamye
The peple to deceyve;
If thow thynke to do-wel,
Deel therwith nevere. 6040

"Alle thise sciences I myself
Sotilede and ordeynede,
And founded hem formest
Folk to deceyve.
Tel Clergie this tokene,
And Scripture after,
To counseille thee kyndely
To knowe what is Do-wel."

I seide, "Graunt mercy, madame,"
And mekely hir grette; 6050
And wente wightly awey
Withoute moore lettyng,
And til I com to Clergie
I koude nevere stynte;
And grette the goode man,
As Studie me taughte,
And afterwardes the wif,
And worshiped hem bothe,
And tolde hem the tokenes
That me taught were. 6060
{187}
Was nevere gome upon this ground,
Sith God made the worlde,
Fairer under-fongen,
Ne frendlier at ese,
Than myself, soothly,
Soone so he wiste
Than I was of Wittes hous,
And with his wif, dame Studie.

I seide to hem soothly
That sent was I thider, 6070
Do-wel and Do-bet
And Do-best to lerne.

"It is a commune lyf," quod Clergie,
"On holy chirche to bileve,
With alle the articles of the feith
That falleth to be knowe;
And that is to bileve lelly,
Bothe lered and lewed,
On the grete God
That gynnyng hadde nevere, 6080
And on the soothfast Sone
That saved mankynde
Fro the dedly deeth
And devel's power,
Thorugh the help of the Holy Goost,
The which goost is of bothe,
Thre persones, ac noght
In plurel nombre;
For al is but oon God,
And ech is God hymselve. 6090
_Deus pater, Deus filius, Deus spiritus sanctus._ =
God the fader, God the sone,
God holy goost of bothe,
{188}
Makere of mankynde,
And of beestes bothe.

"Austyn the olde
Herof made bokes,
And hymself ordeyned
To sadde us in bileve. 6100
Who was his auctour?
Alle the foure euvangelistes,
And Crist cleped hymself so,
The euvangelistes bereth witnesse.

"Alle the clerkes under Crist
Ne koude this assoille;
But thus it bi-longeth to bileve
To lewed that willen do-wel.
For hadde nevere freke fyn wit
The feith to dispute, 6110
Ne man hadde no merite,
Myghte it ben y-preved.
_Fides non habet meritum, ubi humana
ratio præbet
experimentum._

"Thanne is Do-bet to suffre
For the soules helthe,
Al that the book bit
Bi holi cherches techyng;
And that is, man, bi thy myght, 6120
For mercies sake.
Loke thow werche it in werk,
That thi word sheweth,
Swich as thow semest in sighte
Be in assay y-founde.
_Appare quod es, vel esto quod appares._ =

"And lat no body be
{189}
By thi beryng bigiled,
But be swich in thi soule 6130
As thow semest withoute.

"Thanne is Do-best to be boold
To blame the gilty,
Sythenes thow seest thiself
As in soule clene;
Ac blame thow nevere body,
And thow be blame worthy.
_Si culpare velis,
Culpabilis esse cavebis;
Dogma tuum sordet, 6140
Cum te tua culpa remordet._

"God in the Gospel
Grevously repreveth
Alle that lakketh any lif,
And lakkes han hemselve.
_Qui consideras festucam in oculo
fratris tui, trabem in oculo tuo, etc._ =

"Why menestow thi mood for a mote
In thi brotheres eighe, 6150
Sithen a beem in thyn owene
A-blyndeth thiselve.
_Ejice primo trabem in oculo tuo, etc._ =
Which letteth thee to loke
Lasse outher more.

"I rede ech a blynd bosarde
Do boote to hymselve,
For abbotes and for priours,
And for alle manere prelates, 6160
As persons and parisshes preestes
That preche sholde and teche
{190}
Alle maner men to amenden
Bi hire myghtes.

"This text was told yow,
To ben y-war, er ye taughte,
That ye were swiche as ye seye,
So salve with othere;
For Goddes word wolde noght be lost,
For that wercheth evere; 6170
If it availled noght the commune,
It myghte availle yowselve.

"Ac it semeth now soothly
To the worldes sighte,
That Goddes word wercheth noght
On lered ne on lewed,
But in swich a manere
As Marc meneth in the gospel:
_Dum cæcus ducit cæcum, ambo in
foveam cadunt._ 6180

"Lewed men may likne yow thus,
That the beem lith in youre eighen;
And the festu is fallen
For youre defaute,
In alle maner men,
Thorugh mansede preestes.
The Bible bereth witnesse
That the folk of Israel
Bittre a-boughte the giltes
Of two badde preestes, 6190
Offyn and Fynes,
For hir coveitise,
_Archa Dei_ mys-happed,
And Ely brak his nekke.

"For-thi ye corectours claweth heron.
And corecteth first yowselve
{191}
And thanne mowe ye safly seye,
As David made in the Sauter,
_Existimasti inique quod ero tui
similis, arguam te, et statuam 6200
contra faciem tuam._

"And thanne shul burel clerkes ben abasshed
To blame yow or to greve,
And carpen noght as thei carpe now,
Ne calle yow doumbe houndes.
_Canes non valentes latrare._
And drede to wrathe yow in any word,
Youre werkmanshipe to lette,
And be prester at youre preiere,
Than for a pound of nobles. 6210
And al for youre holynesse,
Have ye this in herte.

"In scole there is scorn,
But if a clerk wol lerne,
And gret love and likyng,
For ech of hem loveth oother.

"Ac now is Religion a rydere,
A romere aboute,
A ledere of love-dayes,
And a lond-buggere, 6220
A prikere on a palfrey
Fro manere to manere,
An heepe of houndes at his ers
As he a lord were.
And but if his knave knele
That shal his coppe brynge,
He loureth on hym, and asketh hym
Who taughte hym curteisie.

"Litel hadde lordes to doon,
{192}
To gyve lond from hire heires 6230
To religiouse, that han no routhe,
Though it reyne on hir auters.

"In many places ther thei ben persons,
By hemself at ese
Of the povere have thei no pité;
And that is hir charité.
Ac thei leten hem as lordes
Hire londes lyen so brode.

"Ac ther shal come a kyng,
And confesse yow religiouses, 6240
And bete yow as the Bible telleth
For brekynge of youre rule;
And amende monyals,
Monkes and chanons,
And puten to hir penaunce
_Ad pristinum statum ire_;
And barons with erles beten hem,
Thorugh _Beatus-virres_ techyng,
That hir barnes claymen
And blame yow foule. 6250
_Hi in curribus et hi in equis ipsi
obligati sunt, etc._

"And thanne freres in hir fraytour
Shul fynden a keye
Of Costantyns cofres,
In which is the catel
That Gregories god-children
Han yvele despended.

"And thanne shal the abbot of Abyngdone =
And al his issue for evere, 6261
Have a knok of a kyng,
And incurable the wounde.
{193}

"That this worth sooth, seke ye
That ofte over-se the Bible:
_Quomodo cessavit exactor, quievit
tributum, contrivit Dominus
baculum impiorum et virgam
dominantium cædentium plaga
insanabili._ 6270

"Ac er that kyng come,
Caym shal awake.
But Do-wel shal dyngen hym adoun,
And destruye his myghte."

"Thanne is Do-wel and Do-bet," quod I,
"_Dominus_ and knyghthode."

"I nel noght scorne," quod Scripture,
"But if scryveynes lye;
Kynghod ne knyghthod,
By noght I kan a-wayte, 6280
Helpeth noght to hevene-ward
Oone heris ende;
Ne richesse right noght,
Ne reautee of lordes.
Poul preveth it impossible
Riche men to have hevene.
Salomon seith also
That silver is worst to lovye:
_Nihil iniquius quam amare
pecuniam._ 6290
And Caton kenneth us to coveiten it
Naught but as nede techeth,
_Dilige denarium, sed parce dilige formam._ =
And patriarkes and prophetes,
And poetes bothe,
Writen to wissen us
{194}
To wilne no richesse,
And preiseden poverte with pacience;
The apostles bereth witnesse 6300
That thei han eritage in hevene,
And by trewe righte;
Ther riche men no right may cleyme,
But of ruthe and grace."

"_Contra_," quod I, "by Crist!
That kan I repreve,
And preven it by Peter,
And by Poul bothe,
That is baptized beth saaf,
Be he riche or povere." 6310

"That is _in extremis_," quod Scripture,
"Amonges Sarzens and Jewes,
They mowen be saved so,
And that is oure bileve,
That an un-cristene in that caas
May cristen an hethen;
And for his lele bileve,
Whan he the lif tyneth,
Have the heritage of hevene
As any man cristene. 6320

"Ac cristene men withoute moore
Maye noght come to hevene;
For that Crist for cristene men
Deide and confermed the lawe,
That who so wolde and wilneth
With Crist to arise,
_Si cum Christo surexistis, etc._
He sholde lovye and leve,
And the lawe fulfille.
That is, love thi lord God 6330
Levest aboven alle;
{195}
And after, alle cristene creatures
In commune, ech man oother;
And thus bi-longeth to lovye,
That leveth be saved.
And but we do thus in dede,
At the day of dome
It shal bi-sitten us ful soure
The silver that we kepen;
And oure bakkes that mothe-eten be, 6340
And seen beggeris go naked;
Or delit in wyn and wilde fowel,
And wite any in defaute.
For every cristene creature
Sholde be kynde til oother,
And sithen hethen to helpe,
In hope of amendement.

"God hoteth heighe and lowe
That no man hurte oother;
And seith, 'Slee noght that semblable is 6350
To myn owene liknesse,
But if I sende thee som tokene;'
And seith '_Non moechaberis_.
Is slee noght, but suffre,
And al for the beste;
For I shal punysshe hem in purgatorie
Or in the put of helle,
Ech man for hise mysdedes,
But mercy it lette.'"

"This is a long lesson," quod I, 6360
"And litel am I the wiser;
Where Do-wel is or Do-bet,
Derkliche ye shewen.
Manye tales ye tellen
{196}
That Theologie lerneth;
And that I man maad was,
And my name y-entred
In the legende of lif
Longe er I were,
Or ellis un-writen for som wikkednesse, 6370
As Holy Writ witnesseth:
_Nemo ascendit ad coelum, nisi qui
de coelo descendit._

"I leve it wel," quod I, "by oure Lord!
And on no lettrure bettre.
For Salomon the sage,
That Sapience taughte,
God gat hym grace of wit,
And alle hise goodes after;
He demed wel and wisely, 6380
As Holy Writ telleth.
Aristotle and he,
Who wissed men bettre?
Maistres that of Goddes mercy
Techen men and prechen,
Of hir wordes thei wissen us
For wisest as in hir tyme,
And al holy chirche
Holdeth hem bothe y-dampned.

"And if I sholde werche by hir werkes 6390
To wynne me hevene,
That for hir werkes and wit
Now wonyeth in pyne,
Thanne wroughe I un-wisly,
What so evere ye preche.

"Ac of fele witty, in feith,
Litel ferly I have,
Though hir goost be un-gracious
{197}
God for to plese.
For many men on this moolde 6400
Moore setten hir hertes
In good than in God;
For-thi hem grace failleth
At hir mooste meschief,
Whan thei shal lif lete.
As Salomon dide, and swiche othere
That shewed grete wittes;
Ac hir werkes, as holy writ seith,
Were evere the contrarie.
For-thi wise witted men, 6410
And wel y-lettrede clerkes,
As thei seyen hemself,
Selde doon therafter.
_Super cathedra Moysi, etc._

"Ac I wene it worth of manye,
As was in Noes tyme,
Tho he shoop that shipe
Of shides and of bordes;
Was nevere wrighte saved that wroghte theron, =
Ne oothir werkman ellis, 6421
But briddes, and beestes,
And the blissed Noe,
And his wif with hise sones,
And also hire wyves;
Of wightes that it wroghte
Was noon of hem y-saved.

"God leve it fare noght so bi folk
That the feith techeth
Of holi chirche, that herberwe is, 6430
And Goddes hous to save,
And shilden us from shame therinne,
{198}
As Noes ship dide beestes;
And men that maden it
A-mydde the flood a-dreynten.
The culorum of this clause
Curatours is to mene,
That ben carpenters holy kirk to make
For Cristes owene beestes:
_Homines et jumenta salvabis, Domine, etc._ =

"On Good Friday I fynde 6442
A felon was y-saved,
That hadde lyved al his lif
With lesynges and with thefte;
And for he beknede to the cros,
And to Crist shrof him,
He was sonner y-saved
Than seint Johan the Baptist;
And or Adam or Ysaye, 6450
Or any of the prophetes,
That hadde y-leyen with Lucifer
Many longe yeres,
A robbere was y-raunsoned
Rather than thei alle,
Withouten any penaunce of purgatorie,
To perpetuel blisse.

"Than Marie Maudeleyne
What womman dide werse?
Or who worse than David, 6460
That Uries deeth conspired?
Or Poul the apostle,
That no pité hadde
Muche cristene kynde
To kille to dethe?
And now ben thise as sovereyns
With seintes in hevene,
{199}
Tho that wroughte wikkedlokest
In world tho thei were.
And tho that wisely wordeden, 6470
And writen manye bokes
Of wit and of wisedom,
With dampned soules wonye.
That Salomon seith, I trowe be sooth
And certein of us alle:
_Sunt justi atque sapientes et opera
eorum in manu Dei sunt, etc._

"Ther are witty and wel libbynge,
Ac hire werkes ben y-hudde
In the hondes of almyghty God, 6480
And he woot the sothe,
Wherfore a man worth allowed there,
And hise lele werkes,
Or ellis for his yvel wille,
And for envye of herte,
And be allowed as he lyved so;
For by the luthere men knoweth the goode.

"And wherby wiste men which were whit,
If alle thyng blak were?
And who were a good man, 6490
But if ther were som sherewe?
For-thi lyve we forth with othere men,
I leve fewe ben goode;
For _quant_ oportet _vient en place_,
_Il n'y ad que_ pati.
And he that may al amende,
Have mercy on us alle!
For sothest word that ever God seide
Was tho he seide _Nemo bonus_.

"Clergie tho of Cristes mouth 6500
Comended was it litel;
{200}
For he seide to seint Peter,
And to swiche as he lovede,
_Cum steteritis ante reges et præsides, etc._ =
Though ye come bifore kynges
And clerkes of the lawe,
Beth noght abasshed,
For I shal be in youre mouthes,
And gyve yow wit and wille, 6510
And konnyng to conclude
Hem alle that ayeins yow
Of Cristendom disputen.

"David maketh mencion,
He spak amonges kynges,
And myghte no kyng over-comen hym
As by konnynge of speche,
But wit and wisedom
Wan nevere the maistrie,
Whan man was at meschief, 6520
Withoute the moore grace.

"The doughtieste doctour
And devinour of the Trinitee
Was Austyn the olde,
And heighest of the foure,
Seide thus in a sermon,
I seigh it writen ones:
_Ecce ipsi idiotæ vi rapiunt coelum, ubi
nos sapientes in inferno
mergimur._ 6530

"And is to mene to men,
Moore ne lesse,
Arn none rather y-ravysshed
Fro the righte bileve,
Than are thise konnynge clerkes
That konne manye bokes.
{201}

"Ne none sonner saved,
Ne sadder of bileve,
Than plowmen and pastours,
And othere commune laborers; 6540
Souteres and shepherdes,
And othere lewed juttes,
Percen with a pater-noster
The paleys of hevene,
And passen purgatorie penaunce-lees
At her hennes partyng
Into the blisse of paradis,
For hir pure bileve,
That imparfitly here knewe,
And ek lyvede. 6550

"Ye men knowe clerkes,
That han corsed the tyme
That evere thei kouthe or knewe moore
Than _Credo in Deum patrem_;
And principally hir pater-noster
Many a persone hath wisshed.

"I se ensamples myself,
And so may manye othere,
That servauntz that serven lordes
Selde fallen in arerage, 6560
And tho that kepen the lordes catel,
Clerkes and reves.

"Right so lewed men,
And of litel knowyng,
Selden falle thei so foule
And so fer in synne,
As clerkes of holy chirche
That kepen Cristes tresor,
The which is mannes soule to save,
As God seith in the Gospel:
_Ite vos in vineam meam._" 6571

* * * * *

{202}

_Passus Undecimus._

Thanne Scripture scorned me 6572
And a skile tolde,
And lakked me in Latyn,
And light by me she sette,
And seide "_Multi multa sciunt
Et seipsos nesciunt._"

Tho wepte I for wo
And wrathe of hir speche;
And in a wynkynge wrathe 6580
Weex I a-slepe.
A merveillous metels
Mette me thanne,
That I was ravysshed right there,
And Fortune me fette,
And into the lond of longynge
Allone she me broughte,
And in a mirour that highte middel-erthe
She made me to biholde.
"Sone," she seide to me, 6590
"Here myghtow se wondres,
And knowe that thow coveitest,
And come therto, peraunter."

Thanne hadde Fortune folwynge hire
Two faire damyseles;
{203}
_Concupiscentia-carnis_
Men called the elder mayde,
And Coveitise-of-eighes
Y-called was that oother.
Pride-of-parfit-lyvynge 6600
Pursued hem bothe,
And bad me for my contenaunce
Acounten Clergie lighte.

_Concupiscentia-carnis_
Colled me aboute the nekke,
And seide, "Thow art yong and yeepe,
And hast yeres y-nowe
For to lyve longe,
And ladies to lovye;
And in this mirour thow myght se 6610
Myghtes ful manye,
That leden thee wole to likynge
Al thi lif tyme."

The secounde seide the same,
"I shal sewe thi wille;
Til thow be a lord and have lond,
Leten thee I nelle,
That I ne shal folwe thi felawshipe,
If Fortune it like."
"He shal fynde me his frend," 6620
Quod Fortune therafter;
"The freke that folwede my wille
Failled nevere blisse."

Thanne was ther oon that highte Elde,
That hevy was of chere;
"Man," quod he, "if I mete with thee,
By Marie of hevene!
Thow shalt fynde Fortune thee faille
At thi mooste nede,
{204}
And _Concupiscentia-carnis_ 6630
Clene thee forsake.
Bittrely shaltow banne thanne
Bothe dayes and nyghtes
Coveitise-of-eighe,
That evere thow hir knewe,
And Pride-of-parfit-lyvynge
To muche peril thee brynge."

"Ye, recche thee nevere," quod Rechelesnesse,
Stood forthe in raggede clothes,
"Folwe forth that Fortune wole, 6640
Thow hast wel fer til Elde;
A man may stoupe tyme y-nogh,
Whan he shal tyne the crowne.

"_Homo proponit_ quod a poete,
And Plato he highte,
And _Deus disponit_ quod he,
Lat God doon his wille.
If Truthe wol witnesse it be wel do
Fortune to folwe,
_Concupiscentia-carnis_, 6650
Ne Coveitise-of-eighes,
Ne shal noght greve thee gretly,
Ne bigile, but if thow wolt thiselve."

"Ye, fare wel Phippe and Faunteltee,"
And forth gan me drawe,
Til _Concupiscentia-carnis_
Acorded alle my werkes.

"Alas! eighe," quod Elde
And Holynesse bothe,
"That wit shal torne to wrecchednesse, 6660
For wil to have his likyng."

Coveitise-of-eighes
{205}
Conforted me anoon after,
And folwed me fourty wynter
And a fifte moore,
That of Do-wel ne Do-bet
Ne deyntee me thoughte.
I hadde no likyng, leve me if thee list,
Of hem ought to knowe.
Coveitise-of-eighes 6670
Com ofter in mynde
Than Do-wel or Do-bet,
Among my dedes alle.

Coveitise-of-eighes
Conforted me ofte,
And seide, "Have no conscience
How thow come to goode.
Go confesse thee to som frere,
And shewe hym thi synnes;
For whiles Fortune is thi frend 6680
Freres wol thee lovye,
And fecche thee to hir fraternitee,
And for the biseke
To hir priour provincial
A pardon for to have,
And preien for thee pol by pol,
If thow be _pecuniosus_."
_Sed poena pecuniaria non sufficit pro
spiritualibus delictis._

By wissynge of this wenche I wroughte, 6690
Hir wordes were so swete,
Til I for-yat youthe,
And yarn into elde.

And thanne was Fortune my foo,
For al hir faire speche;
{206}
And poverte pursued me,
And putte me lowe.

And tho fond I the frere a-fered,
And flittynge bothe
Ayeins oure firste for-warde; 6700
For I seide I nolde
Be buried at hire hous,
But at my parisshe chirche.
For I herde ones
How Conscience it tolde,
That there a man were cristned
Be kynde he sholde be buryed;
Or where he were parisshen,
Right there he sholde be graven.
And for I seide thus to freres, 6710
A fool thei me helden,
And loved me the lasse
For my lele speche.

Ac yet I cryde on my confessour,
That heeld hymself so konnyng;
"By my feith! frere," quod I,
"Ye faren lik thise woweris
That wedde none widwes
But for to welden hir goodes.
Right so, by the roode! 6720
Roughte ye nevere
Where my body were buryed,
By so ye hadde my silver.

"Ich have muche merveille of yow,
And so hath many another,
Whi youre covent coveiteth
To confesse and to burye,
Rather than to baptize barnes
That ben catecumelynges.
{207}
Baptizynge and buryinge 6730
Bothe beth ful nedefulle;
Ac muche moore meritorie,
Me thynketh it is to baptize.
For a baptized man may,
As thise maistres telleth,
Thorugh contricion come
To the heighe hevene.
_Sola contritio, etc._
Ac barn withouten bapteme
May noght so be saved. 6740
_Nisi quis renatus fuerit._
Loke ye, lettred men,
Wheither I lye or do noght."
And Lewté loked on me,
And I loured after.

"Wherfore lourestow?" quod Lewtee,
And loked on me harde.

"If I dorste," quod I, "amonges men
This metels avowe!"

"Yis, by Peter and by Poul!" quod he, 6750
And took hem bothe to witnesse.
"_Non oderis fratres secrete in corde
tuo, sed publice argue illos._"

"They wole aleggen also," quod I,
"And by the Gospel preven:
_Nolite judicare quemquam._"

"And wherof serveth lawe?" quod Lewtee,
"If no lif undertoke it,
Falsnesse ne faiterie,
For som what the apostle seide, 6760
_Non oderis fratrem._
{208}
And in the Sauter also
Seith David the prophete,
_Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis, etc._ =

"It is _licitum_ for lewed men
To sigge the sothe,
If hem liketh and lest,
Ech a lawe it graunteth;
Excepte persons and preestes, 6770
And prelates of holy chirche,
It falleth noght for that folk
No tales to telle,
Though the tale be trewe,
And it touche synne.

"Thyng that al the world woot,
Wherfore sholdestow spare
To reden it in retorik
To a-rate dedly synne?
Ac be nevere moore the firste 6780
Defaute to blame;
Though thow se yvel, seye it noght first,
Be sory it nere amended.
No thyng that is pryvé,
Publice thow it nevere;
Neither for love preise it noght,
Ne lakke it for envye.
_Parum lauda, vitupera parcius._"

"He seith sooth," quod Scripture tho,
And skipte an heigh, and preched. 6790
Ac the matere that she meved,
If lewed men it knewe,
The lasse, as I leve,
Lovyen it thei wolde.
{209}

This was hir teme and hir text,
I took ful good hede;
_Multi_ to a mangerie
And to the mete were sompned;
And whan the peple was plener comen,
The porter unpynned the yate, 6800
And plukked in _Pauci_ pryveliche,
And leet the remenaunt go rome.

Al for tene of hir text
Trembled myn herte;
And in a weer gan I wexe,
And with myself to dispute
Wheither I were chosen or noght chosen.
On holi chirche I thoughte,
That under-fonged me atte font
For oon of Goddes chosene. 6810
For Crist cleped us alle,
Come if we wolde,
Sarzens and scismatikes,
And so he dide the Jewes.
_O vos omnes sitientes, venite, etc._
And bad hem souke for synne
Safly at his breste,
And drynke boote for bale,
Brouke it who so myghte.

"Thanne may alle cristene come, quod I," =
"And cleyme there entree 6822
By the blood that he boughte us with
And thorugh bapteme after.
_Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit, etc._ =
{210}
For though a cristen man coveited
His cristendom to reneye,
Rightfully to reneye
No reson it wolde. 6830

"For may no cherl chartre make,
Ne his catel selle,
Withouten leve of his lord;
No lawe wol it graunte.
Ac he may renne in arerage,
And rome so fro home,
And as a reneyed caytif
Recchelesly rennen aboute.
And Reson shal rekene with hym,
And casten hym in arerage, 6840
And putten hym after in a prison
In purgatorie to brenne,
For hise arerages rewarden hym there
To the day of dome;
But if Contricion wol come,
And crye, by his lyve,
Mercy for hise mysdedes,
With mouthe and with herte,"

"That is sooth," seide Scripture;
"May no synne lette 6850
Mercy al to amende,
And mekenesse hir folwe.
For thei beth, as oure bokes telleth,
Above Goddes werkes."
_Misericordia ejus super omnia opera ejus._ =

"Ye, baw for bokes," quod oon
Was broken out of helle,
Highte Trojanus, hadde ben a trewe knyght,
Took witnesse at a pope, 6860
{211}
How he was ded and dampned
To dwellen in pyne,
For an uncristene creature;
"Clerkes wite the sothe,
That al the clergie under Crist
Ne myghte me cracche fro helle,
But oonliche love and leautee,
And my laweful domes.

"Gregorie wiste this wel,
And wilned to my soule 6870
Savacion for soothnesse
That he seigh in my werkes;
And after that he wepte,
And wilned me were graunted
Grace; withouten any bene biddyng
His boone was under-fongen,
And I saved, as ye see,
Withouten syngynge of masses.
By love and by lernyng
Of my lyvynge, in truthe, 6880
Broughte me fro bitter peyne
Ther no biddyng myghte."

Lo! ye lordes, what leautee dide
By an emperour of Rome,
That was an uncristene creature,
As clerkes fyndeth in bokes.
Nought thorugh preiere of a pope,
But for his pure truthe,
Was that Sarsen saved.
As seint Gregorie bereth witnesse. 6890

Wel oughte ye, lordes, that lawes kepe,
This lesson to have in mynde,
And on Trojanus truthe to thenke,
{212}
And do truthe to the peple.
"Lawe, withouten love," quod Trojanus,
"Ley ther a bene,
Or any science under sonne,
The sevene artz and alle,
But thei ben lerned for oure Lordes love,
Lost is al the tyme;" 6900
For no cause to cacche silver therby,
Ne to be called a maister,
But al for love of oure Lord,
And the bet to love the peple,
For seint Johan seide it,
And sothe arn hise wordes.
_Qui non diligit, manet in morte._

Who so loveth noght, leve me,
He lyveth in deep deyinge;
And that alle manere men, 6910
Enemyes and frendes,
Love hir eyther oother,
And leve hem, as hemselve,
Who so leveth noght, he loveth noght,
God woot the sothe!
Crist comaundeth ech a creature
To conformen hym to lovye,
And sovereynly the povere peple,
And hir enemyes after.
For hem that haten us 6920
Is oure merite to lovye,
And povere peple to plese,
Hir preieres maye us helpe.
And oure joye and oure heele
Jhesu Crist of hevene
In a povere mannes apparaille
Pursued us evere;
{213}
And loketh on us in hir liknesse,
And that with lovely chere,
To knowen us by oure kynde herte 6930
And castynge of oure eighen,
Wheither we love the lordes here
Bifore the Lord of blisse;
And exciteth us by the Euvangelie
That whan we maken festes,
We sholde noght clepe oure kyn therto,
Ne none kynnes riche.
_Cum facitis convivia, nolite invitare amicos._ =
"Ac calleth the carefulle therto, 6940
The croked and the povere.
For youre frendes wol feden yow,
And fonde yow to quyte
Youre festynge and youre faire gifte;
Ech frend quyteth so oother.

"Ac for the povere I shal paie,
And pure wel quyte hir travaille,
That gyveth hem mete or moneie,
Or loveth hem for my sake."
For the beste ben som riche, 6950
And some beggeres and povere.
For alle are we Cristes creatures,
And of his cofres riche,
And bretheren as of oo blood,
As wel beggeres as erles.
For on Calvarie of Cristes blood
Cristendom gan sprynge,
And blody bretheren we bicomen there
Of o body y-wonne,
As _quasi modo geniti_, 6960
And gentil-men echone;
{214}
No beggere ne boye amonges us,
But if it synne made.
_Qui facit peccatum, servus est peccati._

"In the olde lawe,
As holy lettre telleth,
Mennes sones
Men callen us echone,
Of Adames issue and Eve,
Ay til God man deide; 6970
And after his resurexcion
_Redemptor_ was his name,
And we hise bretheren thorugh hym y-brought,
Bothe riche and povere.

"For-thi love we as leve bretheren,
And ech man laughe of oother;
And of that ech man may forbere
Amende there it nedeth;
And every man helpe oother,
For hennes shul we alle. 6980
_Alter alterius onera portate._

"And be we noght un-kynde of oure catel, =
Ne of oure konnyng neither.
For woot no man how neigh it is
To ben y-nome fro bothe.
For-thi lakke no lif oother,
Though he moore Latyn knowe;
Ne under-nyme noght foule;
For is noon withoute defaute. 6990
For what evere clerkes carpe
Of cristendom or ellis,
Crist to a commune womman seide,
In commune at a feste,
{215}
That _fides sua_ sholde saven hire,
And salven hire of synnes.

"Thanne is bileve a lele help,
Above logyk or lawe.
Of logyk or of lawe
In _Legenda Sanctorum_ 7000
Is litel alowaunce maad,
But if bileve hem helpe.
For it is over longe er logyk
Any lesson assoille;
And lawe is looth to lovye,
But if he lacche silver.
Bothe logyk and lawe,
That loveth noght to lye,
I conseille alle cristene
Clyve noght theron to soore; 7010
For some wordes I fynde writen,
That were of feithes techyng,
That saved synful men,
As seint Johan bereth witnesse.
_Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis,
remetietur vobis._

"For-thi lerne we the lawe of love,
As oure Lord taughte,
And as seint Gregorie seide
For mannes soule helthe: 7020
_Melius est scrutari scelera nostra,
quam naturas rerum._

"Why I meve this matere,
Is moost for the povere;
For in hir liknesse oure Lord
Ofte hath ben y-knowe.
Witnesse in the Pask wyke
Whan he yede to Emaüs;
{216}
Cleophas ne knew hym noght
That he Crist were, 7030
For his povere apparaille,
And pilgrymes wedes,
Til he blessede and brak
The breed that thei eten;
So bi hise werkes thei wisten
That he was Jhesus,
Ac by clothyng thei knewe hym noght,
Ne by carpynge of tunge.
And al was in ensample
To us synfulle here, 7040
That we sholde be lowe
And loveliche of speche,
And apparaille us noght over proudly,
For pilgrymes are we alle.

"And in the apparaille of a povere man,
And pilgrymes liknesse,
Many tyme God hath ben met
Among nedy peple,
Ther nevere segge hym seigh
In secte of the riche. 7050

"Seint Johan and othere seintes
Were seyen in poore clothyng,
And as povere pilgrymes
Preyed mennes goodes.

"Jhesu Crist on a Jewes doghter lighte,
Gentil womman though she were,
Was a pure povere maide,
And to a povere man y-wedded.

"Martha on Marie Maudeleyne
An huge pleynt made, 7060
And to oure Saveour self
Seide thise wordes:
{217}
_Domine, non est tibi curæ quod
soror mea reliquit me solam
ministrare._

"And hastily God answerde,
And eitheres wille folwed,
Bothe Marthaes and Maries,
As Mathew bereth witnesse;
Ac poverte God putte bifore, 7070
And preised that the bettre.
_Maria optimam partem elegit, quæ non, etc._ =

"And alle the wise that evere were,
By aught I kan aspye,
Preiseden poverte for best lif,
If pacience it folwed,
And bothe bettre and blesseder
By many fold than richesse.
For though it be sour to suffre, 7080
Therafter cometh swete;
As on a walnote withoute
Is a bitter barke,
And after that bitter bark,
Be the shelle aweye,
Is a kernel of confort
Kynde to restore.

"So is after poverte or penaunce
Paciently y-take;
For it maketh a man to have mynde 7090
In God, and a gret wille
To wepe and to wel bidde,
Wherof wexeth mercy,
Of which Crist is a kernelle
To conforte the soule.
And wel sikerer he slepeth,
{218}
The man that is povere,
And lasse he dredeth deeth,
And in derke to ben y-robbed,
Than he that is right riche, 7100
Reson bereth witnesse.
_Pauper ego ludo, dum tu dives meditaris._ =

"Al though Salomon seide,
As folk seeth in the Bible,
_Divitias nec paupertates, etc._
Wiser than Salomon was
Bereth witnesse and taughte
That parfit poverte was
No possession to have, 7110
And lif moost likynge to God,
As Luc bereth witnesse:
_Si vis perfectus esse, vade et vende._

"And is to mene to men
That on this moolde lyven,
Who so wole be pure parfit
Moot possession forsake,
Or selle it, as seith the Book,
And the silver dele
To beggeris that goon and begge 7120
And bidden good for Goddes love.
For failed nevere man mete
That myghtful God serveth,
As David seith in the Sauter
To swiche that ben in wille
To serve God goodliche,
Ne greveth hym no penaunce:
_Nihil inpossibile volenti._
Ne lakketh nevere liflode,
Lynnen ne wollen. 7130
{219}
_Inquirentes autem Dominum non
minuentur omni bono._

"If preestes weren parifite,
Thei wolde ne silver take
For masses ne for matyns,
Noght hir mete of usureres,
Ne neither kirtel ne cote,
Theigh thei for cold sholde deye,
And thei hir devoir dide,
As David seith in the Sauter: 7140
_Judica me, Deus, et decerne causam meam._ =

"_Spera-in-Deo_ speketh of preestes
That have no spendyng silver,
That if thei travaille truweliche
And truste in God almyghty,
Hem sholde lakke no liflode,
Neyther lynnen ne wollen.
And the title that ye take ordres by
Telleth ye ben avaunced; 7150
Thanne nedeth yow noght to take silver
For masses that ye syngen.
For he that took yow youre title,
Sholde take yow youre wages,
Or the bisshop that blessed yow,
If that ye ben worthi.

"For made nevere kyng no knyght,
But he hadde catel to spende
As bifel for a knyght,
Or foond hym for his strengthe. 7160
It is a careful knyght,
And of a caytif kynges makyng,
That hath no lond ne lynage riche,
Ne good loos of hise handes.
{220}

"The same I segge, for sothe,
By alle swiche preestes
That han neither konnynge ne kyn,
But a crowne one,
And a title, a tale of noght,
To his liflode at his meschief. 7170
He hath moore bileve, as I leve,
To lacche through his croune
Cure, than for konnyng,
Or knowen for clene berynge.
I have wonder for why
And wherefore the bisshope
Maketh swiche preestes,
That lewed men bitrayen.

"A chartre is chalangeable
Bifore a chief justice; 7180
If fals Latyn be in the lettre,
The lawe it impugneth,
Or peynted parentrelynarie,
Or percelles over-skipped;
The gome that gloseth so chartres
For a goky is holden.

"So is it a goky, by God!
That in his gospel failleth,
Or in masse or in matyns
Maketh any defaut. 7190
_Qui offendit in uno, in omnibus est reus._ =

"And also in the Sauter
Seith David to over-skipperis,
_Psallite Deo nostro, psallite, quoniam
rex terræ Deus Israel,
psallite sapienter._

"The bisshop shal be blamed
{221}
Bifore God, as I leve,
That crouneth swiche Goddes knyghtes 7200
That konneth noght _sapienter_
Synge, ne psalmes rede,
Ne seye a masse of the day.
And never neither is blame-lees
The bisshope ne the chapeleyn;
For hir either is endited,
And that is, _ignorantia
Non excusat episcopos
Nec idiotes_ preestes.

"This lokynge on lewed preestes 7210
Hath doon me lepe from poverte,
The which I preise ther pacience is
Moore perfit than richesse."

Ac muche moore in metynge thus
With me gan oon dispute;
And slepynge I seigh al this.
And sithen cam Kynde,
And nempned me by my name,
And bad me nymen hede,
And thorugh the wondres of this world 7220
Wit for to take.
And on a mountaigne that myddel-erthe
Highte, as me thoughte,
I was fet forth
By ensamples to knowe
Thorugh ech a creature and kynde
My creatour to lovye.

I seigh the sonne and the see,
And the sond after;
And where that briddes and beestes 7230
{222}
By hir makes yeden;
Wilde wormes in wodes,
And wonderful foweles
With fleckede fetheres
And of fele colours.

Man and his make
I myghte bothe biholde;
Poverte and plentee;
Bothe pees and werre;
Blisse and bale bothe 7240
I seigh al at ones;
And how men token mede,
And mercy refused.