And som lakked my lif · allowed it fewe

And leten for a lorell · and loth to reuerence

Lordes or ladies · or any lif elles

As persons in pelleur · and with pendantz of siluer

To sergeantz ne to swich · saide nouȝt ones

God loke yow lordes · ne louted faire

That folke helde a fole · and in þat folie I raued

Til reson had reuth on me ˜ and rokked me a-slepe

Til I seigh as it sorcerie were · a sotil thyng with-al

Oon with-outen tonge and teeth · tolde me whider I scholde

And where-of I cam and what kynde · I coniured hym atte laste

If he were cristes creature ˜ for cristes loue me to telle

¶ I am criste creature quod he · and cristne in many a place

In crist court I-knowe wel · and of kynne a partie

Is nouther petir the porter ne poule · with his faucheon

That wol defende me the dore · dynge I neuere so late

At mydnyȝt at mydday · my voice sa is yknawen

That Ilke a creature of his court · welcomes me faireP

¶ What er ye called in þat court quod I · amonges cristes pepile

The whiles I quik was in þe body quod he · called am I anima

And whand / whan I wilne and wolde · animus ich hatte

And for that I kan and knowe · called am I Mens

And whan I make moon to god · Memoria is my name

And whan I deme domes · and do as treuthe teches

Thanne is racio my riȝt name · Reson on Englissh{Barred}

And whan I fele þat folk telles · my nam is sensus

And þat is wit and wisdome · the wel of alle craftes

And whan I chalange or chalange nouȝ · chepe or refuse

Than am I called · goddes clerk and his notarie

And whan I loue lely our lord · and alle other

Than is lele loue my name · in latyn amor

And whan I flye fra the flessh{Barred} · and forsake the caroigne

Than am I spirit specheles · spiritus than ich hatte

Austyn and Isodorus either of hem bothe

Nempned me thus to name · now thow myȝte chese

How thow coueitest to calle me · now knawestow al my names

¶ Anima pro diuersis accionibus diuersa nomina sortitur · dum vi-

¶ ye ben a bisschop quod I al burdyng þat tyme

For bisshopes yblissed beren many names

Presul and pontifex and Metropolitanus

AnLX other names an hepe · Episcopus and pastor

That is soth sayed he · now I se thy wille

Thow woldest knowe and konne · the cause of al{le} hir names

And of myn if thow myghtest · me thynkes by thy speche

¶ ye sir I saide by so no man were greued

Al the sciens vndir sonne · and alle the sotil craftes

I wolde I knowe and kouthe · kyndely in myn herte

¶ Than artow vnparfit quod he · and on of pride knyghtes

For swich a lust and likyng · lucifer fel fram heuene

Ponam pedem meum in aquilone & similis ero altissimo

¶ It were ayeins kynd quod he · and alkynnes reson ·

That any creature schulde konne al · except crist oon ·

Ayeins swich Salamon spekes · & dispisses hir wittes

And sith · Sicut qui mel comedit multum non est ei bonum˜

Sic qui scrutator est magestatis opprimitur a gloria

¶ To englissh{Barred} men this is to men · that mowen speke and here

The man þat muche hony eteis · his maw it englames

And the more þat a man ˜ of good matere heres

But he do þer-after it does hym double scathe

Beatus est saies saynt bernard qui scriptura legit

Et verba vertit in opera · fullich to his powerT

Sciencie appetitus hominem in-mortalitatis gloriam spoliauit

¶ And riȝt as hony is yuel to defien · and englaymes the mawe

Ryght so that thurȝ reson · wolde the rote knowe

Of god and hise myghtes ˜ his grace it lettes

For in the likyng lyges a pride and in a likames coueitise

Ayeins cristes counseil · and alle clerkes techyng

That is Non plus sapere quam oportet sapere

¶ Freres and fele other maistires · þat to þe lewed men prechen

Mouen maters in mesurables · to tellen of the trinite

That ofte tymes the lewed pepile · of hir bileue douten

Better to leue wer many doctours swich techyng

To telle men of ten comandementes · and touche þe seuene synnesCT

And how þat folk in folies · myspenden hir fyue wittes

As wel frers as other folk · folilich spenen

In housyng in hateryng · and heigh clergie shewyng

More for pompe than for pure charite · the pepile woot þe sothe

That I lye nouȝt lo · for lordes ye plesen

And reuerrencen the riche · the rather for hir siluer

Confundantur omnes qui adorant sculptilia & cetera . et alibi vt quid

¶ Go to the glose of the vers · ye grete clerkes

If I lye on yow to my lewed wit ˜ ledes me to brynnyng

For as it semes · ye forsake na mannes almness

Of vsurers of hores · of auerouse chapmen

And louten to thise lordes · that mowe lene yow nobles

Ayein youre reule and religioun · I take recorde of Ihesus

That saide to his disciples ˜ ne sitis personarum acceptores

¶ Of this matere I miȝt make make a longe bibile

And of curatours of cristen pepile ˜ as clerkes berres witnesse

I shal tellen it for truthes sake · tak he who-so lokes

¶ As holynesse and honeste · out of holy cherche spredes

Thurȝ lele libbyng men · that goddes lawe techen

Riȝt so out of haly cherche · al yueles spredes

Ther inparfit presthod is · prechours and techers

And se it by ensample ˜ in somer tyme on trowes

Ther some bowes be leued · and som beres noon

Ther is a myschief in þe more · of swich manere bowes

Riȝt so persones and prestoes / prestes · and prechours of haly cherche

that aren rote of the riȝt faith · to reule þe peple

And ther þe rote is roten ˜ reson woot þe sothe

Schal neuere flour ne fruyt · ne faire leef be grene

For-thy wolde ye lettred leue · the leccherie of clothyng

And be kynde as bifel for clerkes · and curtesie of cristoes goodes

Trewe of youre tonge · and of youre tail bothe

And hauen to here harlotrie · {ytilied} and nouȝt to vndirfonge

Tethes of vntrewe thyng · ytilied or chaffard

Lathe were lewed men · bot thaye youre lore folowed

And amenden hem þat mysdoon · more for youre ensamples

Than for to prechen and proue it nouȝt · ypocrisie it semes

For ypocrisie in latyn · likned is to a donghill

That war bisnewed with snaw · and snakes with-InneT

Right sa many prestees · prechours and prelates

Er enblaunchid wit bele paroles · and with clothes also

And youre werkes and wordes · þat vnder aren ful vnloueliche

Iohannes crisostomus of clerkes · spekes and prestes

Sicut de templo omne bonum egreditur sic de templo omne malum

¶ If lewed men wiste · what this latyn mene{.}s

And who was myn auctor · muche wonder me thyngkes

But if many a preest bere for hir · baselardes and hir broches

A peir bedes in hir hande · and a book vnder hir arm

Sir Iohan and sir Geffray · hase a girdel of siluer

A baselard and a ballok knyf · with botons ouergilte

And a porthous þat shulde be his plow · placebo to saye

Hade he neuere seruice to saue siluer þer-to · sayes it with ydel wille

Allas ye lewed men · muche lese ye on prestees

And thyng that wikkedliche is wonne · and with false sleightes

Walde neuere of witty god ye wit · but wikked men it hadde

The which aren prestes inparfit · and prechours after siluer

Sectours and suddenes sumnours and hir lemmannes

This þat with gile was geten · vngraciouslich is spended

So harlotes and hores aren holpen · with swiche goodes

And godes folk for defaute ther-of · for-faren and spillen

¶ Curatours of haly chirche · as clerkes þat ben auarous

lightliche þat thay leuen · losels it hase

Or dyes intestat · and þan þe bischope entres

And makes myrthe þer-with · and hise men bothe

And saye he was a nygard · þat no good myȝt aspare

To frend ne to fremde · þe fende haue his saule

For a wrecched {vs} hous · he held al his lif tyme

And þat he spared and bispared · spende in murth

By lered by lewed · þat lothe is to spende

Thus goon hir goodes by þe gost faren

And for good men god woot grete doel men maken .

And bymeneþ goode mete gyuers · and mynde haues

In prayers and in penaunce · and in parfit charite

¶ What is charite quod I þo a childissh thyng he saiede

Nisi efficiamini sicut paruuli non in-trabitis in regnum celorum

With-outen faunteltee or folie · a fre liberal wille

Wher schold men swich a frend · with sa fre an herte

I haue in lond quod I · my name is lange wille

And fand I neuer ful charite · bifore ne byhynde

Men beth merciable to mendynantz and to pouere

And wol lene ther thay loue lely to be payede

And charite þat poule prayses best · and moost pleses our saueourC

Non in-flatur non est ambiciosa non querit que sua sunt

¶ I seigh neuere swich a man ˜ so me god helpe

That he ne wolde aske aftir his ˜ and other while coueite

Thyng þat nedeth hym nouȝt · and take it if thay miȝte

Clerkes kenne me that crist · is in alle places

And I seigh hym neuer sothly · but as my-self in a Mirour

Ita in enigmate tunc facie ad faciem ·

And so I trowe trewely by þat men tellen of charite

Itt is nouȝt champions fiȝt ne chaffar as I trowe

¶ Charite quod he ne chaffers nouȝt · ne chalanges ne crauesCN

As proude as a peny ˜ as of a pounde of golde

And is as glad of a gowne · of a gray russet

As of a tunicle of Carse · or of tried scarlet

he is glad with alle glad · and good til alle wikked

And lenes and loues alle · þat oure lorde made

Cursees he no creature · ne · ne / ne he kan bere no wratthe

Ne no likyng has to lye · ne laughe men to scorne

Al þat men sayn he let it soth · and in solace takes

And alle manere myschiefs · in Mildenesse he suffres

Coueites he non erthly goode · but heuene-riche blisse

¶ Has he any rentes or richesse · or any riche frendes

Of rentes ne of riches · recches he neuere

For a frend þat fyndes hym · failles hym neuere at nede

Fiat voluntas tua · fyndes hym euere more

And if he soupe he ete bot a soppe of spera in deo

He kan purtrey wel the pater noster · and peynte it with

And other while he is wonte · to wend pilgrymages

Ther pouer men and prisoners · lygges hir pardon to haue

Thouȝ he bere hym na breed · he beres hem swetter liflod

Loues hem as oure lord biddes · and lokes how thay fare

¶ And whan he is wery of þat werk · than wol he som tyme

Labouren in lauendrie wel · the lengthe of a mile

And yerne in-to youthe · yepeliche speke

Pride with al the appurtenantz · and pakken hem togiders

And bouken hem at his brest · and beten hem clene

And lyggen on longe with laboraui in gemitu meo

And with warm water at hise eighen · wasshen hem after

And than he synges whan he doos so · and som tyme sayes wepyngC

Cor contritum & humiliatum deus non despicies

By crist I wolde þat I knewe hym · no creature leuere

With-outen help of piers plowman quod he · his persone sestow neuereC

¶ Where clergie knew hym quod I · þat kepen holy chirche

¶ Clerkes haue no knowyng quod he · bot by werkes & wordesCN

An piers þe plowman parceyued more depper

Wher is þe welle and wher-fore · þat many wight suffres

Et vidis deus cogitaciones eorum

¶ For ther er ful proude herted men · pacient of tonge

And buxom as of beryng · to burgeys and to lordes

And to pouere pepile · han pepir in þe nose

And as alion / a lion he lokes · þer men lakkes hise werkes

¶ For þer er beggers and bidders ˜ bedmen as it were

Loken as lambern · and semen lif holy

And it is more to haue hir meet · in swich esy manere

Than for penaunce or parfitnesse · þe pouerte þat swich takeþ

Ther-fore by colour ne by clergie knowe shaltow hem neuere

Neiþer thurȝ wordes ne werkes · but þurȝ wille oon

And þat knowes no clerc ˜ in creature in erthe

But piers þe plowman · petrus id est cristus

¶ For he is nouȝt in lollers · ne in lande lepers heremytes

Ne at ancres þer a boxe hanges · alle swich þey faiten

Fy on faitours · and on fautores suos

For charite is godes champion · and as a good childe hende

And þe meriest of mouthe · at met where he sittes

the loue þat liþ in his {.}herte · makes hym liȝt of speche

And is companable and confortif · as crist bit hym-selue

Nolite fieri sicut ypocrite tristes &cetera ·

¶ For I haue seyn hym in silk · and som tyme in russet

Bothe in grey and in gris · and in gilte hernes

And as gladlich he it gaue · to gomes þat it nede{d}s

Edmond and · Edward ayther were kynges

And sayntes yset · til charite hem folowed

I haue seyn charite also · syngen and redand

Riden and rynnen · in ragged wedes

And biddyng as beggers · biholde hym neuere

And in riche robes · rathest he walkes

ycalled and crymailed · and his corowne shaue

And clenliche yclothed in cipyrs · and in tarterine

And in a freres frokke he was yfounde oones

And it is fer ago in saynt Fraunceys tyme

And in þat secte siþ · to selde has he ben knowen

¶ Riche men he recomaundeth · and of hir robes takes

That with-outen wiles · ledes hir lyues

Beatus est diues qui & cetera ·

¶ In kynges court he comes ofte · ther the counseil is trewe

And if coueitise be of þe counseil · he wol come ther-Inne

In Court amanges Iapers · he comes nouȝt be selde

For braulyng and bakbityng · and berynge of fals witnesse

¶ In the consistorie bifore the comissarie · he comes nouȝt ful ofte

For hir law dures ouer longe · but if thay lacchen siluer

And matrimoigne for moneie · maken and vnmaken

And þat conscience and crist · hase knyt faste

Þat vndone it vnworthily · the doctours of lawe T

And gyue vs grace good · charite to folowe

For who-so myȝte mete with hym · swich maneres hym

Nouther he bannes ne blamed · bostes ne praises

Craues ne coueites · ne cries after more

Lakkes ne losees · ne lokes vp stierne

In pace in ipsum dormiam & cetera ·

¶ þe moost liflode he lyuees · by · is loue in goddes passioun

Neither he biddes ne he begges · ne borwes to yelde

Misdoþ he no man · ne with his mouthe greues

¶ Amonges cristen men · this myldenesse schuld laste

In al manere angres · haue this at herte

That thouȝ þei suffred al this · god suffred for vs more

In ensample we schul doo so · and take no vengeaunce

Of oure foos þat doos vs falsnesse · þat is our fadires wille

For wel may euery man wite · if god had walde hym-selue

Shul neuer Iudas ne Iewe P haue Ihesu doon on rode

Ne han martired petir ne poule · ne in prison holden

And he suffred in ensample · that we suffre also

And sayed to swich þat suffre wolde · þat pacientes vincunt

verbi gracia quod he and verray ensamples many

In legenda sanctorum the lif of holy sayntes

What penaunce and pouerte · and passioun thay suffred

In hunger and in hete · in alle maneres angres

Antonye and Egidie and other holy farders

Wonden in wildernesse · amonge wilde bestes˜

Monkes and mendinantz · men by hem-selue

In spekes and spekelonkes · selden speken togidires

And nouther Antonye ne Egidie ne heremyte þat tyme

Of lyons ne of leopardes · no lislode / li[f]lode ne toke

But of foloughes þat fleigh · thus fyndes men in bookes

Except þat · Egide after anhynde / an hynde cried

And thurȝ the milk of þat mylde best · þe man was sustened

And day by day had he hir nouȝt · his hunger for to slake

But selde and sondry tymes · as sayes þe book and teches

¶ Antonye a dayes aboute noon tyme

Had a brid þat brouȝt hym bred · þat he by lyued

And thou{ȝ}gh þe gome had a gest god fonde hem bathe

Poule primus heremita and parroke hym-selue

That no man myght hym se for mosse ·N and for leues

Foules hym Fedde fele wynters with alle

Til he founded freres of austynes order

¶ Poule after his prechyng · panyers he made

And wan with handes þat his wombe neded

¶ Peter fisshed for his fode · and his felawe andrew

Some thay shalde · and som thei sethed · and so þei leued botheC

And also Marie Magdaleyne by mores · lyued and dewes

And moost thurȝ deuocioun · and mynde of god almyghty

I shol nouȝt thise seuene dayes tellen hem alle

That lyueden thus for oure lordes loue · many longe yeres

And ther ne was lyon ne lyberde · þat on laundes wenten

Nouther bere ne boor · ne oþer best wilde

That ne fel to hir feet · and fauned with the tailes

And if thay couthe han ycarped · by crist as I trowe

Thay wolde han yfed þat folk · bifore wilde fowlesT

And god sent hem foode by fowle · and by no fierse bestes

In menyng þat meke þyng · mylde þyng schul fede

As who sayes Religious · riȝtful men schol fynde

And lawful men to lifholy men · liflode brynge

And þan walde lordes · and ladies · be loth to agilte

And to take of hir tenantz · more than truthe wolde

Founde þey þat freres wolde · forsake hir almesse

And bidden hem bere it ther it was yborwed

For we be goddes fowles · and abiden alwey

Til briddes brynge vs meet · þat we schulde lyue by

For hadde ye potage and payn ynouȝ · and peny ale to drynke.

And a messe ther-with · of any maner kynde

ye had right ynough ye religious · and so youre reule me toldeC

Nuncquam dicit Iob rugit onager cum herbam habuerit

¶ If lewed men knewe this latyn · thay wolde lok whom the gyfueC

And auise hem bifore · a fyue dayes or sexe

Ar thay amortiseden to monkes · or chanoignes hir rentes

Allas lordes and ladies lewd counseil haue ye

To yeue from youre heires · þat ailes hadde

And yeueth to bid for yow · to swich þat ben rich

And ben founded and feffed ek to bidde for other

Who perfourneth the prophecie of the peple · þat now libbeth

Dispersit dedit pauperibus ·

If any pepil perfourne this text · it er þe pouere freres

For þat they beggen aboute · in byldyng they spend it

And on hem-self some · and swich as ben hir laborers

And of þat habbeth thay taken · and gyfes hem þat na hase

¶ And clerkes and knyghtes · and communers that ben riche

Fele of yow fareth as if I a forest hadde

That were ful of faire trees and I foonddand caste

how I myght mo ther-Inne · amonges hem sette

Right so ye riche · ye robet þat ben riche

And helpes hem þat helpes yow · and yeueþ þer no nede is

As who-so filled a tonne · of a fressh ryuere .

And went forth with þat water · to woke with Themise

Riȝt so ye riche · ye robeth and fedeth

hem þat han as ye han · hem ye make at ese

¶ And religious þat riche ben · shuld rather feste beggers

Than burgeis þat riche ben · as the book teches

Quia sacrilegium est res pauperum non pauperibus dare · Item pec-

¶ For-thy I counseil al cristen · to confourme hem to charite

For charite with-outen chalangyng · vncharges þe soule

And many a prisson fram purgatorie · thorugh his prayere deliueresC

And þer is a defaute in þe folk · þat þe faiþ kepes

Wher-fore folk is the fibler · and nouȝt ferme of bileue

And in lussheburwes is a lither alay ; and yet lokes he like a sterlyng

The merke of þat moneie is good · and þe metal is fieble

And so it fares by som folk · now thay han a faire spech

Crowne and cristendome · the kynges merke of heuene

And þat metal þat is man soule · with synne is foule allaiedT

That no life loues other · ne oure lorde as it semes

For thorugh werre and wikked werkes · and wederes vnresonableC

Whedir-wise shipmen · and witty clerkes also

Han no bileue to þe lifte · ne to þe lore of philophers

Astronomyens alday in hir art faillen

That whilom warned by-fore · what shuld falle after

Chapmen and shiperdes · þat with ship and shipmen wenten

Wisten by the wolken · what schuld bitide

As of weders and wyndes · they warned men ofte

Tilyers þat tilied the erthe tolden hir maistres

By þe seed þat thay sewe · what thay sell myght

And what to lene and what to lyue by · the land was so trewe

Now failles the folk of the flood · and of þe lond bothe

Schipherdes and schipmen · and so doo this tiliers

Neither thay k{o}anne ne knawes · oon cours bifore an other

¶ astronomyens also · aren at hir wittes ende

Of þat was calculed of þe elementz · the contrarie þay fynde

¶ Grammer the grounde of al bigles now childern

For in non of þis now clerkes who-so takes hede

That kan versifie faire · ne formelich enditen

Ne nouȝt oon amanges an hundreth · that an auctour kan construe

Ne red a lettre in any langage · but latyn and Englissh

Go now to any degree · and but if gile me maistre

And flaterer his felawe · vnder hym to fourmen

Muche wonder me thynke · amonges vs alle

doctours of decrees ˜ and of diuinite Maistres

That sholde konne and know · alle kynnes clergie

And answere to argumentz ˜ and also to a quodlibet

I dar nouȝt say it for schame · if swich weren apposed

They shold faille of hir philophieN · and in phisik bothe

Where-for I am aferd · of folk of haly chirche

Lest thay ouerhyppen as other doon ˜ in offices and in houres

And if thay ouerhyppe as I hoppe nouȝt ˜ oure bileue suffise

As clerkes in corpus christi feste · syngynge and redynge

That sola fides sufficit · to saue with lewed pepile

¶ And so may sarazenes be saued scribes and Iuwes

Allas than but oure loresmen · leuen as thay leren vs

And for hir lyuyng þat lewed men · beth the lother god agylte

For sarasyns han somwhat · semyng to oure bileue

For thay loue and bileue in o person almygty.

And we lered and lewed in oon godd bileuesT

An oon makometh a man in mysbileue

Broute sarasenes of surry · and se in what manere

This makomet was cristend · and for he moost nouȝt be a popeC

In-to surry he soughte · and thurȝ hise subtile wittes

Daunted a dowue · and day and nyȝt hir fedde

The corn þat she cropped · he caste it in his {h}ere

And if he among the pepil preched · or in place come

Than wolde coluer come · to þe clerkes ere

Menyng as after meet · thus Makomet hir enchaunted

And dide folk þan falle on knees · for he swore in his prechyng

That the coluer þat come so · come fro god of heuene

As messager to makometh · men for to teche

And thus thurȝ willes of his wit ; and a white dowue

Makomet in mysbileue · men and wommen brouȝte

That lered and lewed yet · leuen on hise lawes

¶ And sithen oure saueour suffred · the saracenes so bigiled

Thorugh a cristen clerk · a-coursed in his saule

And for drede of the deth · I dar nouȝt telle treuthe

How englisse clerks a coluer feden ˜ that couetisse hatte ·

And ben manered after Makomete · þat no man vsed treuþe

¶ ankyrs and hermites and monkes and freres

Peren to apostles · thurȝ hir parfit lyuynge

Wolde neuere the faith-ful fader · that hise mynistres sholde

Of tirauntz þat tenees trewe men · taken any almusse

But doon as Antonye dide · dominik and fraunceys

Benet and bernard · the wich hem first taughte

To lyue by litle and in lowe houses · by lele mennes almesse

Grace shold growe and be grene · thurȝ hir good lyuyng

And folke sholde fynde · þat ben in diuerse siknesse

The better for hir biddynges ˜ in bodi and in soule

Hir prayers and hir penaunces to pees shulde brynge

Alle þat be at debate ˜ and bedemen were trewe

Petite & accipietis & cetera

Salt saues catell · saynge this wyues

vos estis sal terre & cetera

The heuedes of holy chirche ˜ and thay holy were

Crist calles hem salt · for cristynes saules

Et si sal euanuerit in quo salietur

¶ And fresshe flessh other fisshe · whan it salt failles

It is vnsauory forsothe · ysoothe or ybake

So is mannes soule sothly · þat sayes no good ensample

Of hem of haly chirche þat the heigh way sholde teche

And be gide and go b{..}ifore ˜ as a good banner

And hardye hem þat bihynde ben · and gyf hem good euidence

Elleuene holy men al the worlde torned

In-to lele bileue · the lyght-loker me thynke

Scholde al manere men · we haue so many maisters

Prestes and prechours · and a pope abouen

That goddes salt shulde be · to saue mannes saule

¶ Al was hethenesse som tyme · Engeland and wales

Til gregorie gerte clerkes · to goo and to preche

Austyn at canterbery · crystned the kyng

And thurȝ miracles as men mowe rede · al that marche he tornedCN

To crist and to cristendome · and cros to honoure

And fulled folk faste · and the faith taughte

More thurȝ miracles þan thurȝ muche prechyng ·

As wel thurȝ hisse werkes · as with hise holy wordes

And saide hem · what fullyng · and faith was to mene

¶ Cloth þat comes fro þ / þ[e]N weuyng · is nought comly to were

Til it be foulled vndir foot · or in fullyng stokkes

Wasshen wel with water · and with taselles cracched

y-walked and yten{d}ted · and vndir taillours hande

And sa it fares by a barne ˜ that born is of wombe

Til it be cristned in cristes name · and confermed of the bisschop

It is hethen as to heuenward · and helples to þe soule

¶ Hethen is to meene after heth · and vntilied erthe

As in wilde wildernesse · wexes wilde bestes

Rude and vnresonabile rennyng with-out croperes

¶ ye take wel how mathew sayith · how a man made a feste

He fedde h{y}em with no venyson ˜ ne fessauntz ybake

But with fouls þat from h{y}em nolde · but folowen his whistlynge

Ecce altilia mea & omnia parata sunt & cetera ·

And with calues flessh he fedde þe folk þat he loued

The calf bitoknes clennesse in hem þat kepys lawes

¶ For as the cow thurȝ kynde mylk · the calf norisshe til an oxe

So loue and leau{..}te lele men sustened

And maidynes and mylde men · mercye desiren

Right as the cow calf · coueites swete mylk

So doon riȝtful men · mercy and treutheT

¶ And who ben þat excusen hem · þat aren persouns and prestes

That hedes of holy chirche ben · þat han hir wille hire

With-outen trauaille the tithe del · þat trewe men biswynken

Thay wyl be wrath for I write þus · and witnesse I take

Bothe mathew and mark · and memento domine dauidT

What pope or prelet now · perfournes that crist highte

Ite in vniuersum mundum & predicate &cetera ·

¶ Alas that men so longe on Makometh schuld bileue

So many prelates to preche · as the pope makes

Of nazareth of Nynyue or Neptalyn · and damaske

That thay ne went as crist {vissed} wissed · siþ þey wol haue nameC

To be pastours and preche · the passioun of Ihesus

And as hym-self saide · so to lyue and dye

Bonus pastor animam suam ponit & cetera

And saide it in saluacion of sarazenes and other

For cristen and vncristen · crist saide to prechours

Ite vos in vineam meam & cetera .

¶ And syth that thise sarazenes · scribes and Iewes

hand a lippe of oure bileue · the lightlyer me thynke

Thay schold torne who-so trauaille wold · to teche hem of the triniteC

Querite & Inuenietis & cetera

¶ It is reuthe to red how rightwismen / rightwis men lyueden

How thay defouled hir flessh · forsook hir owen wille

Fer fro kith and fro kyn · yuel yclothed yeden

Badly ybedded no book but conscience

Ne no richesse but the rode to reioise hem Inne

Absit nobis gloriari nisi in cruce domini nostri & cetera

¶ And þo was plente and pees · a-monge pouer and riche

And now is reuth to red · how the reed noble

Is reuerenced er þe rode · receyued for the worthier

Than cristes cros þat ouer-cam · deth an dedly syne

¶ And now is werre and wo · and who-so why axeth

For coueitise after cros · the crowne standes in golde

Bothe riche and religious · that rode thay honoure

That in grotes is ygraue · and gold nobiles

For couetisse of þat cros · men of holy kirke

Schul torne as templers dide · þe tyme approches fast

Wite ye nouȝt wismen / wis men · how tho men honoured

More tresore thane treuthe · I dare nouȝt telle þe sothe

Reson and riȝtful doom · tho religiouse demed

Riȝt so ye clerkes for youre couetise er longe

Shal thay demen dos ecclesie and youre pride depose

deposuit potentes de sede & cetera

¶ If knyȝthod and kynde wit ˜ and comune conscience

Togideres loue lely · {leue} · leue it wel ye bisshopes

The lordshipes of londes · for euere ye shul lese

And leuen as Leuatic as oure lorde yow teches

Per primicias & diuicias & cetera

Whan constantyn of curtesie · holy cherche dowed

With londes and ledes · lordchipes and rentes ·

An aungel men herden · an heiȝ at Rome crye

dos ecclesie this day · has ydronke venyme

And tho þat han petres power · aren aposoned al

¶ A medicyne mot ther-to · that may a-mende prelates

That schul pray for þe pees · possessioun hem lettes

Take hir londes ye lordes · and leteth hym lyue by dismes

If possessioun be poyson · and inparfit hem make

Good were to dischargen hem · for holy chirche sake

And purgen hem of poyson · er more peril falle

¶ If prested / preste[s] were parfit the pepil schul amende

That contrarien cristes lawe · and cristendom dispise

For alle paynymes preieþ · and profitly bileues

In the holy gret god · and his grace thay {ak} asken

And make hir Mone to makomet · hir message to shewe

Thus in a faith leue þat folk ˜ and in a fals mene

And þat is routhe for riȝtful men ˜ þat in the reem wonyen

And in a peril to þe pope · and prelates þat he makes

That bere bisshopes names · of a bethlem and of babilonT

That hippe a-boute in Engelond · to halwen mennes avtersC

And crepe amonges curatours · confessen ayeins þe lawe

Nolite mittere falcem in messem alienam & cetera .

Many man for cristes loue · was martired in Romaigne

Er ar any cristendome was know ther · or any cros honourd

¶ Euery bisshop þat beres cros ; by that he is holden

Thurgh his prouynce to passe · and to his pepil schew hym

Thellen hem and thechen hem · On þe Trinite to bileue

And feden hem with gostly foode · and gyue þer it nedes

In domo mea non est panis neque vestimentum & ideo nolite constituere me in RegemCN

Orias seith for swich · that sike ben and fiebile

Inferte omnes decimas in oreum meum vt cibus in domo & cetera

¶ And we cristyne creatures ˜ þat on þe cros bileuen

Aren ferme as in the faith · goddes forbode {h}elles

And han clerkes to kepepen vs ther-Inne & hem þat shal come afterC

¶ And Iewes lyuen in lele lawe · oure lord wrote hym-selue

In stoon for it stedfast is · and stonde schuld euere

Diligite deum & proximum is parfit Iuwen lawe

And he took it moises to teche men til messie come

And on þat lawe þey leuen yet · and leten it þe beste

And yet knaw thay crist · that cristendom taughte

For a parfit prophete that muche pepil saued

Of selcouthe sors · thaN seyn it ofte

Both of miruaille and miracles · and howe he men fested

With two fisshes and fyue leues · fyue thousand pepile

And by þat mangerie men myghte wel se · þat messie he semedC

And whan he lifte vp lazar · that laid was in graue

And vndir stoon dede and stanke · with stif vois he called

Lazare veni foras .

Dide hym rise and RomeLX riȝt bifore the Iewes

And thay sayden and sworen · with sorcerie he wroughte

And stoded to stroien and stroiden hem-selue

And thorugh his pacience hir power · to pure nouȝt he broughteC

¶ Pacientes vincunt & cetera ·

Danyel of hir vndoyng deuynd and saied

Cum sanctus sanctorum veniat cessabit vnctio vestra

And yet wenen the wrecches · þat he were pseudo prophetaT

And hopen þat he be to come · þat shal hem releue

Moises eft or messie · hire maistres yet deu{e}ynes

And sarazens · and pharasees scribes and grekes

Aren folk of on feiþ the fader god they honouren

And sithen þat þe sarazens · and also þe Iewes

konne þe first clause of oure bileue · Credo in deum patrem

Prelates of cristyne prouinces ˜ sholde preue if thay miȝte

Lere hem litlum and litlum · & in Ihesum christum filium eius & cetera

Til thay couthe speke and spelle · et in spiritum sanctum & cetera

And reden it and recorden it ˜ with remissionem peccatorum

Carnis resurrecconem et vitam eternam amen