And al staryng dame studie stierneliche saide

Wel artow wise quod she to wit · any wisdomes to telle

To flatterers or to fooles · þat frentik ben of wittes

And blamed hym and banned hym and bad hym be stille

With swilce wise wordes · to wisse any sottes

And saide noli mittere margerie eerles

Amonges hogges þat haue · hawes at wille

thay don but dryuel þer-on · draf were hem leuere

than al prescious perre · þat in paradis vexes

I say it by swich quod sho · þat shewes by hire werkes

That hem were leuere londe · and lordiship on erthe

Or richesse or rentes · and rest ar / a[t] hir wille

than alle sothe sawes · þat salamon saide euere

¶ Wisdom and wit now · is nowt worthe a kerse

But if it be carded with coueitise · as clothers kemben wolle

Who-so kan troue desaytiseLX · and conspire wronges

And lede forth a loueday · to lete wit trouthe

He þat swich craftes kan to conseil is cleped

thay lede lordynges with lesynges · and bileis trouthe

¶ Iob þe gentil in his gestes · gretely witmesseþ / wit[n]esseþ

Þat wikked men welden · þe welþe of þis world

And þat þey beth lordes of ech londe · þat out of libbeþ

Quare impij viuunt bene est hominibus qui preuaricantur & Inique aguntC

the sauter sayes þe same by swich þat don ille

Ecce ipsi peccatores habundantes in seculo optinuerunt diuicias

¶ Loo saith holy lettrure whiche lordes beth þis shrewes

Thilk þat god most greueth · lest good · thay deleth

And most vnkynde to þe comune · þat most catel weldeth

Que perfecisti destruxerunt iustus autem & cetera

¶ harlotes for hir harlotrie may haue of hir goodes

And Iapers and Iogelers · and Ianglers of gestes

And he þat has haly writ · ay in his mouthe

And kane telle of Thobie · and of þe twelue apostels

Or prechen of penaunce · þat pilat wrouȝte

To Ihesu þe gentil · þat Iewes to-droweT

Litil is he loued · þat swich a lessoun sheweth

Or daunted or drawe forth · I do it on god hym-selue

¶ But þo þat feynenN hem fooles · and with faityng lyues

Ayein þe law of oure / oure [lord] · and lyen on hym-selue

Spitten and spewen · and speke foule wordes

Drynken and dryuelen · and do men for to gape

Lykene men and lyen on hem · þat leneþ hem no gestes

Thay konne namor mynstralcie · ne musik men to glade

Thanne Munde þe melner of multa fecit deus

Ne were hir vile harlotrieN · haue god my trouthe

Shul neuer kyng ne knyȝt · ne chanoun of seint poules

Gyue hem to hir yeresgyfte · þe gyft of a groot

¶ And murthe and mynstralcie · amonges men is q{u}outhe

Leccherie and losengerie · and losels tales

Glotonye and grete othes · þis murthe þey louyeth

¶ And if þey harpen of crist thisse clerkes and þisN lewed

At met in murthes whan mynstralles ben stille

thanne telle thay of þe trinite a tale other twayne

And bryngen forth a balled resoun · and take Bernard to witnesseC

And putten forth a presumpcioun · to proue þe sothe

Thus thay dryuele at hir deys · the deite to knowe

And gnawen god with þe goerge · whan hir guttis is fulle

¶ And þe carful May crie · and carpen at þe yate

Boþe a-fyngerd and a-thr{u}ystN · and for chelde quake

Is noon to nymen hym ner his noye to amende

B{v}ot heonn on hym as an hounde · and hoten hym go thennesCN

Litil loues he þat lord · þat lente hym alle þat blisse

that thus partes with þe pouere · a parcelle whan hym nedes

Ne were mercye in mene men · more þan in riche

Mendinantz meteles · miȝte go to bedde

God is muche in þe goerge · of þis grete maisters

And amonges mene men · his mercye and his werkes

And so sayes þe sauter I haue seen it ofte

Ecce audiuimus eam in effrata & inuenimus eam in campis silueCN

¶ Clerkes and other kynnes men carpen of god faste

And haue hym muche in þe mouthe · and mene men in herteC

¶ Freres and faitours han founde swich questiouns

To plese with proude men · siþen pestilence tyme

And prechen at seynt poules for pure enuye of clerkes

that folk is nouȝt fermed in þe fayit · ne fre of hir goodes

Ne sory for hir synnes · sa is pride vaxen

In religioun and in þe reame · amonges riche and pouere

that prayers haue no power · þe pestilence to letteT

And yet þe wrycches of þis world · is non ywar by other

Ne for drede of þe deth · with-drawe nouȝt hir pride

Ne bees plenteuouse to þe pouere · as pure charite walde

But in gaynesse and gloton{u?}ye · forglutten hir good hem-selue

And breken nouȝt to þe begger · as þe book teches

Frange esurienti panem tuum & cetera

¶ And þe more he wynneþ and welt · welthes and riches

And lordes in londes · þe lasse good he deleth

Thobie telles yow nowth sa · take he þe riche

How þe book of þe bibile of hem bereth witnesse

Si tibi copia sit · habundanter tribue · si autem exiguum impertiri stude libenter

¶ Who-so has muche spene · muche so meneth Thobie

And who-so litel weldeth reule hym ther-after

For we haue no lettre of oure lif · how longe it shal dure

Swich lessons lordes shuld · loue to here

And how he miȝte mooste · meyn manliche fynde

¶ And nouȝt to fare as a fedhler · or a frere for to seek festes

Homliche at other mennes houses and hatien hir owne

Elenge is þe halle · ech day in þe weke

Ther þe lord andN þe lady · likes nouȝt to sitte

Now has elk riche a reule · to eten by hem-selue

In a pryue parloure for pouere mennes sake

Or in a chamber with a chymeneye · and leue þe chief halle

Þat was made for meels · men to eten Inne

And al to spare and to spille · þat spende shal another

¶ I haue herd heigh men · etyng at the table

Carpen as thay clerkes were · of criste and of his myghtes

And layden fautes on þe fader · þat formed vs alle

And carpen ayein clerkes · crabbed wordes

Why wolde oure saueour suffre · swich a worme in his blisse

that bigiled þe womman and the man after

Thurgh which wiles and wordes · thay wenten to helle

And al hir seed for hir synne · þe same deeth suffred

Here l{i}yeþ youre lore · þise lordes gynnes dispute

Of þat þe clerkes vs kennen of crist by þe gospel

¶ Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris & cetera

Why sholde we þat now ben · for þe werkes of Adam

Roten and rend reson walde it neuere

vnusquisque portabit onus suum & cetera.

¶ Swich motyues þey moeue · þise maisters in hir glorie

And make men in mysbileue · þat muse muche on hir wordesCN

ymaginatif here-after · shal answere to youre purpose

Austyn to swich arguers · telles this teme

Non plus sapere quam oportet & cetera.

Wilnes neuere to wite · why þat god wolde

Suffre sathan his seed to bigile

And bileues lealy · in þe lore of holy cherche

And praye hem of pardon · and penaunce in þy lyue

And for his muche mercy · to amende yow here

For al þat wilnes to wite · why þat god woldeT

Suffre Sathan his seed to bigile

Or Iudas to þe Iewes · Ihesum bitraye

Al was as þou woldest lord worshiped be þou

And worþ as þou wolt · what-so we dispute

And þo þat vse þise hauylounes · to blynde mennes wittes

What is do-wel fro dobet · now deef moot he worthe

Sith he wilnes to wite · wich þey ben boþe

But if he lyue in the lyue · þat longeth to do-wel

For I dar ben hisN bolde borgh · þat do bet wol he neuere

They do-best draw on hym day after other

¶ And whan þat wit was I-war what dame studye tolde

He be-come so confuse · he kouþe nouȝt looke

And as doumbe as deth · and drowe arere

¶ And for no carpyng I kouthe after · ne knelyng to þe {gro} groundeC

I miȝte gette noN greyn of hise grete wittes

But al laughyng he louted · and loked vp-on studie

In signe þat I shulde · biseche hir of grace

And whan I was war of his wille · to his · to his / to his wif gan I louteC

And saide mercy ma-dame · youre man shal I be

As longe as I lyue bothe late and rathe

For to worch youre wille · the w{?}hille my lif lastes

With þat ye kenne me kyndely · to knowe what is dowel

¶ For þy mekenesse man quod she · and for þy mylde speche

I shal kenne þe to my cosyn · þat clergie is hoten

He has wedded a wif with-Inne þise sex monethes

Is sibbe to þe seuene artes · scripture is hir name

thay two as I hope · after my techyng

Shal wissen þe to dowel · I dar it vndirtake

Thanne was I also fayn · as fowle of faire morwe

And gladder thanne þe gleman · þat gold has to gyfte

And axed hir þe heiȝ way wher þat clergie dwelte

And telle me som token quod I · for tyme is þat I wende

¶ Axe þe heigh way quod studye · hennes to suffre

Beþ wel an wo · if þat þou wylt lerne

And ride forth by richesse · and reste nouȝt þer-Inne

For if þou couplest þe þer-with · to clergie comestow neuere

And also þe likerous launde · þat leccherie hattes

Leue it on þy left half · a large myle and more

Til yow come to a court · kepe wel þy tonge

For lesynges and lither speche · and likerouse drynkes

¶ Thanne shaltow se sobere · and symplete of speche

Þat ech wiȝt be in wille · his wit þe to shewe

And thus shaltow come to clergie · þat kan many thynges

Say hym this taken · I sette hym to scole

And þat I grete wel his wif · for I wroot hir many bokes

And sette hir to sapience · and to þe Sauter glose

Logik I lerned hir · and many other lawes

And al þe musons in musik · ymade / y made hir to knowe

¶ Plato þe poet I putte hym first to book

Aristotle and other ma · to argue I taughte

Gramer fo / fo[r] {g}cildire I garte firste write

And bete hem with a wande · but if þey walde lerne

Of alkynes craftes · I controued tooles

Of capentrie / ca[r]pentrie of keruers · and compassed masons

And lerned hem leuel and lyne · thouȝ I loke dymme

¶ Theologie has tene / tene[d] me · ten score tymes

The more I muse þer-Inne · þe mistier it semeth

And þe depper I deuyne · þe derker me it thynkes

It no sentens for-sothe · for to subtile Inne

A ful lyght thyng it were · if þat loue nere

And for it let best by loue · I loue it beter

For þer þat loue is leder · ne lakkes no grace

loke þou loue lely · if þe likes do wel

For do-bet and do-best · ben of loues kynne

In other science it seiþ · I seigh it in caton.

Qui simulat verbis nec corde est fidus amicus

Tu quoque fac simile sic ars deluditur arte

Who-so gloses as gilours done · do hem þe same

And so shaltow fals folk · and feith-les bigile

This catons kennyng to clerkes þat he lereth

And theologie teches nouȝt so · who-so takes yeme

And kenneth vs þe contrarie · ayeins Catons wordes

For he bid vs be as brethren · and bid for oure enemys

And louen hem þat lyen on vs · and lene hem whan hem nedes

And also do good ayeins yuel · god hym-self it biddes

dum tempus habemus operemur bonum ad omnes maxime autem ad domesticos fideiC

¶ Poule preched þe pepile þat perfitnesse loued

To d{t}o goode for goddesloue / goddes loue · and gifen men þat asked

And nameliche to swich þat sweth oure bileue

And al þat lakkes vs and lies vs · god teches vs to loue

And nouȝt to greue hem þat greue vs · god þat forbedes

Michi vindictam & ego retribuam & cetera.

¶ For-þy loke þou loue · as longe as þow durest

For is no conscience vndir sonne · so souereigne for þe soule

¶ And astronomye is and harde thyng · and yuel for to

Geometrie {.}andC Geomesie is gynful of speche N

Who-so thynkes werche with þo two · thryues ful late

For sorcerie is þe souereigne book · þat to þe science langes

¶ yet ar þer fibiche in forcers · of fel men makynge

¶ Experimentz of alkenamye · the pepile to deceyueT

If þow thynk to do wel · del þer-with neuere

Alle þise sciens · I my-self · sotiled and ordeigned

And founded hem formest · folk to deceyue

¶ Telle clergie þis tokens · and scripture after

I conseille þe kyndely · to knowe what is do-wel

¶ I saied graunt mercy madame and mekelich hir grete

And went wightly a-way · with-oute more lettyng

And til I come to clergie · I kouþe neuere stynte

And grette þe goodman wel · as studye me taughte

And afterwardes þe wif · and worschiped hem bathe

And tolde hem þe toknes · þat me taughte were

Was neuere mane vp-on þis grounde · syn god made þe worldeC

Fairer vnder-fongen · ne frendloker at esse

Þanne my-self sothly · soone so he wiste

Þat I was of wittes hous · and wiþ his dame studieT

I saide to hym sothly · þat sent was I thider

do-wel and do-bet · and do-best to lerne

¶ It is a comune lif quod clergie · on haly chirche to bileue

With alle þe articles of þe faith · þat falleth to be knowe

And þat his to bileue lely · bothe lered and lewed

On þe grete god · þat gynnyng had neuere

{O}And{CHECK MS} on þe sothfast sone · that saued man-kynde

Fro the dedly deth · and the deuels power

Thurȝ þe help of þe haly gast · þe which goost is of bothe

Thre persones · and nought in plurel noumbre.

For al is {h}bot oon god · and elkon is god hym-selue

Deus pater deus filius deus spiritus sanctus

God þe fader god þe sone · god holy gast of bathe

Makers of mankynde · and of bestes bothe

¶ Austyn the olde · here-of made bookes

And hym-self ordeigned it · to sadde vs in bileue

Who was his auctour · alle þe foure euaungelistes

And crist cleped hym-self so þe euaungelist {?}bereth witnesse

Ego in patre & pater in me est · & qui videt me videt & patrem meumC

¶ Alle þe clerkes vndir criste · ne kouþe þis assoille

But þus bilongeth to bileue · to men þat wol dowel

For had neuere freek fyn wit · the faith to despute

Ne man had no merite · myȝte it ben yproued

Fides non habet meritum vbi humana racio prebet experimentum

¶ than is do-bet to suffre · for þy soule sake

Al that þe book bides · by haly cherche techyng

And that is man by þi miȝt · for mercies sake

Look þou werche it in werke · þat thy werke shewes

Swich as þou semest in sight · be in assay yfounde

Appare quod es vel esto quod appares

And lat nobody be · by þy lernynge bigiled

But swich in þy soule · as thou semest with-oute

¶ thanne is do-best to be bolde · to blame þe gilty

Sithen thow seste thy-self · as in soule clene

And blame þou neuere body · and thow be blame-worthy

Si culpare velis culpabilis esse cauebis

Dogma tuum sordet cum te tua culpa remordet

¶ God in þe gospel grymly reproueth

Alle þat lakkeþ any lif · and lakkes han hem-selue

Quid consideras festucam in oculo fratris tui trabem in &cetera

Why mouestow thy moode · for a moote in thy brothers eye

Sithen a beme in þyn owne · a-blyndeth þy-selue

Eice primo trabem de oculo tuo & cetera

Which lettes þe to look lasse oþer more

¶ I rede eche a blynde bosard · do boote to hym-selue

For abbotes and priours · and al manere of prelates

And persons and parisshe prestes · þat preche shulde and teche

Al manere of men · to amenden be hir miȝte

This text was tolde yow · to be ware er ye taughte

Þat ye were swich as ye saide · to salue with other

For goddes word wolde nouȝt be loste · for þat werches euere

If it auailled nouȝt þe comune · it miȝte auaille yow

¶ And it semes now sothly · to þe worldes sight

Þat goddes word worches nouȝt · ond lerd ne lewed

But in swich manere · as marc menes in þe gospel

Dum cecus ducit cecum · ambo in foueam cadunt

¶ lewed men may liken yow · þat þe beme lith in youre eighenC

And þe festu is fallen · for yowre defaute

In alle manere men · thurȝ mased preestes

Þe bibile bers witnesse · þat al þe folke of Israel

Bittere bouȝte þe giltes · of two badde prestes

Offyn and fynees for hir couetise ·

Archa dei myshapped and Ely brak his nekke

For-thi correctours clawes her-on · and corectes first youre-seluenC

And thanne mowe ye safly saye · as duid / d[a]uid made þe sauter

Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis arguam te & statuam contra faciem tuamC

Than shal borel clerkes be abasshed · to blame yow or to greue

And carpen nouȝt as thay do now · and calle yow doumbe houndes

Canes non valentes latrare

And dred to wrathe yow in any word · youre werkmanship to lette

And be prestier at youre preier · than a pounde of nobles

And al for youre holynesse · haue ye this in herteT

¶ In scole ther is a scorne · but if a clerke wol lerne

And grete loue and likyng · for ech of hem loues other

¶ And now is religioun a rider a Romer by stretes

A leder of louedayes · and a londe bygger

A priker on a palfrey · fro maner to manoir

And heep of houndes at his ers · as he a lorde were

And bot if his knaue knele · þat shal hym coppe brynge

He loures on hym and axet who tauȝt hym curteisie

Litel hadde lordes to doon · to gyue londe fr{o}am hir eires

To religious þat haue no ryghte · thouȝ it rayne on hir autires

¶ In many place ther thay persons beth · be hem-self at ese

Of þe pouere haue þei no pitee · and þat is his charite

And þey leten hem as lordes · hir lande liþ sa braede

¶ And thar shal come a kyng and confesse yow religiouses

And bete yow as bibile telles · for brekyng of youre reule

And amende monial Monkes and chanouns

And putte hem to hir penaunce · ad pristinum statum ire

And barons and erles beten hem · þurȝ Beatus vir techyng

Þat hire barnes claymen and blame yow foule

Hijs in curribus & hij in equis ipsi obligati sunt & cetera .

¶ And thanne freeres in hir fraitour · shul fynden a keye

Of constantyns tresore · in wiche is þe catel

Þat Gregories god-children · haue yuel despended

¶ And þan shal þe Abbot of Abyngton and al hise issu for euere

Haue a knokke of a kyng and in-curable þe wounde

Þat þis worþ soth · seke ye þat ofte ouersee þe bibile

Quomodo cessauit exactor quieuit tributum contriuit dominus

An er þat kyng come · Caym shal awake

And dowel shal dygen hym a-doun · and destruye his miȝt

thanne is dowel and do bet quod I dominus and knyȝthode

I nel nouȝt scorne quod scripture but if scryueyns lye

kynghode aLX knyȝthode · by nouȝt I kan awayte

Helpes nouȝt to heuenwarde · one heres ende

Ne riches riȝt nouȝt · ne reaute of lordes

Poule proues it impossibile · riche men haue heuene

Salamon sayes also · þat siluer is worst to louye

Nichil iniquius quam amare pecuniam.

And caton kennes vs to coueiten nouȝt · but as it nedes

Dilige denarium set parce dilige formam

And patriarkes and prophetes and poetes boþe

Writen to wissen vs to wille no richesse

And praised pouerte with pacience · þe apostles beres witnesse

that thay haue heritage in heuene · and by true riȝte

Þer riche men no riȝt clayme · bot of reuthe and grace

¶ Contra quod I by crist · þat kan I reherce

And proue it by peter · and by poule bothT

Þat is in extremis quod scripture among sarasyns an Iewes

Þay mow be saued so · and þat is oure bileue

Þat an vncristene in þis cas · may cristen an haythen

And for is lele bileue · whahan he þe lif tynes

Haue þe heritage of {b}heuene · as any man cristene

And cristen men with-outen more · may nouȝt com to heuene

For þat criste for cristen men dede · and confermed þe lawe

Þat who-so wolde and wilnes · with criste to arise

Si cum Christo resurexistis & cetera

He sholde louye and leneLX · and þe lawe fulfille

Þat is loue þy lord god · leuest of alle thynges.

And after alle cristyne creatures in comune ech man other

And þus bilonges to loue · þat leues to be saued

And but we do þus indede · or þe day of dome

It shal bisitten vs ful soure · þe siluer þat we kepen

And oure bakkes cloþes þat mothe-eten ben · and seen beggers ga naked

Or delite vs in wyn and wilfoule · and wote any in defaute

For euery cristen creature · schulde be kynde til otherT

God bedes boþe heiȝ and lowe · þat no man hurte other

And saide sle nouȝt þat is sembland · to my owen liknesse

But if I sende þe somme tokene · and sayde non mecaberis

I slee nouȝt but suffre · and alle for þe besteT

For I shal punisshe hem in purgatorie · but mercy it lette

¶ This is a longe lesson quod I · and litel am I þe wiser

Wher do-wel is or do-bet · derklich ye shewen

Many tales ye tellen · þat theologie lerneth

And þat I man made was · and my name yentred

In þe legende of lif · longe er I were

Or elles vnwriten for wikkednesse · as holy witnesse

Nemo ascendit ad celum nisi qui de celo descendit & cetera .

I leue it wel by oure lord quod I · and on no lettrure better

For salamon the sage þat sapience taughte

God gaf hym grace of wit · and al hise goodes afterT

He demed wel and wisly · as haly writ telles

Aristotle and he who wissed men better

Maistires þat of goddes mercy · techen men and prechen

Of hir wordes þey thay wissen vs · for visest as in hir tyme

And as holy cherche · hold hem boþe ydampned

¶ And if I sholde werke by his wekes · to wynne me heuene

that for hir werkes and wit · now wones in pyne

Than wrouȝte I vnwisly · what-so-euere þe preche

And of fele witty in faiþ litil ferly I haue

Þough hir goost be vngracious god for to plese

For many men on þis molde · more sette hir hertes

In good þan in god · forthy hem grace failleth

And þe most meschif · whan þey schul lif lete

As salamon dide and swich oþer · þat shewed grete wittes

And hir wordes as holy writ seiþ · was euere þe contrarie

For-þy wise witted men · and wel ylettred clerkes

As þey sayen hem-self senden don þer-after

Super cathedra moisy & cetera.

¶ And I wene it worth of many · as was in Noes tyme

tho he shope þat shippe · of shides and bordes

Was neuere wriȝt saued þat wrouȝt þer-on · ne other werkman ellesC

But briddes and bestes · and þe blissed Noe

And his wif with his sones and also hir wyuesT

¶ God leneN it far nouȝt so · by folk · þat þe faith techen

Of holy kyrce þat herberwe is · and goddes hous to saue

And shilde vs fro shame þer-Inne · as Noe ship dide bestes

And men þat maiden it · amidde þe flode adrugendT

The culorum of þis clause · curatours is to mene

That be carpenters holy cherche · to make for cristes owen bestes

Homines & Iumenta saluabis domine &ceteraT

¶ On good friday I fynde · a felon was I-saued

that had lyued al his lif · wiþ lesynges and with thefte

And for he biknowe on þe crosse · and to criste schroue hym

He was sonner saued þan · Seint Iohan þe baptiste

And er Adam or I-sey · or any of þe prophetes

Þat had yleyen with lucifer · many lange yeres

A Robber was raunceoned · rather than thay alle

Withouten any penaunce of purgatorie to perpetuel blisse

¶ And marie magdaleyne what womman dide worse

Or who wors than dauyd that vries deth conspired

Or poule the apostle · þat no pitte hadde

Muche cristen kynde to kulle to deeth

And now be þise as souereignes · and seintes in heuene

tho þat wrouȝt wikkedest in world · þe / þ[o] þey were

And þo þat wisely wordeden · and writen many bookes

Of wit and of wisdom · with dampned soules wonnes

That Salamon saiþ I trowe be soth · and certein of vs alle

Siue Iusti atque sapientes & opera eorum in manu dei sunt &cetera

¶ Th{e}ay er willy and wel libbyng · and hir werkes ben yhudde

In þe hondes of almiȝty · god and he woot þe sothe

Wharfore loue a man worþ alowed þer and hise lele werkes

Or elles for his euyl wille · and enuye of herte

And be allowed as he lyued · so lither men knowes good

And wher-by wite men which is whit · if al þyng blake were

And who were a good man · but if þer were som shrewe

For-thy lyue we forth with lither men · thay ben few goode

For qant oportet cometh in place il nad que pati

And he þat may · alle amende · haue mercy of vs alle

For sothest word þat euere god saide · þo he saide Nemo bonusT

Clergie þo of cristes mouthe · comended was litel

For he saide to saynt peter · and to swich as he loued

dum steterites ante Reges & presides &cetera .

Though ye come bifore kynges · and clerkes of þe lawe

Bees nouȝt abassed · for I shal be in youre mouthes

And gyfue yow wit and wille · and konnyng to conclude

hem alle þat ayeins yow of cristendom disputen

¶ Dauid makes mencion he spake amonges kynges

And miȝte no kyng ouer-come hym and be konyng of specheC

But wit ne wisdom · ne wan neuere þe maistre

Whan man was at meschief · with-oute þe more grace

The douȝtiest doctour and diuinour of þe trinite

Was austyn þe olde · and heieste of þe foure

Saide þus in a sermon · I seigh it writen ones

Eecce / Ecce ipsi ydiote rapiunt celum vbi nos sapientes in in-ferno

¶ And is to mene on Englissh{Barred} · to more and to losse

Aren non oþer raþer rauysshed · fro þe riȝt bileue

Thanne ar þis konnyng clerkes · þat konne many bookes

Ne non soner saued · ne sadder of bileue

thanne plowmen and pastours · and other comune laborers

Souters and shipherdes · and swich lewed Iottes

Percen with a pater noster þe paleys of heuene

And passen purgatorie penaunles at hir hennes partynge

In-to the blisse of paradis for hir pure bileue

That in-parfitly here knewe · and ek lyued

¶ ye men knowe clerkes · þat han cursed þe tyme

Þat euere þey kouþe on þe book · more than · Credo in deum &cetera

And principaly hir pater noster many persone has wisshed

¶ I see ensamples my-self · and so may many other

that seruantz þat seruen lordes · selde falle in arrerage

But þo þat kepes þe lordes catel · clerkes and reues

Riȝt so lewed men · and of litel knowyng

Selde falle thay so foule · and so fer in synne

As clerkes of haly kirke · þat kepen cristes tresoure

the which is mannes saule to saue · as god saies in þe gospel.C

Ite vos in vineam meam &cetera ·