Kenne me by some craft · to knowe the fals

Loke vp-on thy left half · and lo where he standeth

Bothe fals and fauel and hir feres manye

¶ I loked on my left half · as the lady me thaughte

And whas war of a womman · worthely I-clothed

Purfiled with pelure · the fynest vp-on erthe

Ycrouned with a croune · the kyng haes non bettere

Fetisliche hir fyngers were fettred · with gol wire

And ther-on rede rubies · as rede as any glede

And diamauntes of derrest pris · and doubyle manere saphyrs

Orientales and ewages · enwenymes to destroye

¶ Hir Robe was ful riche · of rede skarlet engreynde

With ribanes of red golde · and of riche stones

Hir arraye me rauisshed · sylke rychesse sawe I neuere

I had wonder what scho was · and whos wif sche were

¶ What is this womman quod I · so worthily atired

¶ That is mede þe maide quod she · hathes noyed me ful ofte

And I lakked my lemman · that leaut is hoten.

And by-lowen hir to lordes · that lawes hathes to kepe

In þe popes paleys · scho is pryue as my-selfe

Bot sothnesse wolde nought so · for scho is a bastarde

¶ For fals was hir fader · that hath a fikel tonge

And neuere soth saide · sithen he com to erþe

And mede is manered after hym · ryght as kynde askes

¶ Qualis pater talis filius · bona arbor bonum fructum facit :

¶ I aughte ben herre þan she · I cam of better

My fader the grete god is · and grounde of alle grace

O god with-outen gynnyng · and I good doughter

And hath geue me mercie · to marye with my-self

And what man be merciful · and lelly me loue

Schal be my lord and I is lief · in þe heigh heuene

¶ And what man taketh mede · Myn hed dar I legge

That he schal lese for hir loue · a lappe of caritatis

How construeth dauid þe kyng · of men þat takes mede

And men of this molde · that maynte{..}neth treuthe

And how ye sal saue yowre self þe sauter beres witnesse

¶ Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo & cetera

¶ And now worth þis Mede · ymaried al to a maysed schrewe

ThoLX on fals fikil tonge · and fendes biȝete

Fauel thourth hir faire speche · hayth this folke enchaunted

And al is lyers ledyng · that she is þus ywedded

¶ Tho-morwen worth ymade · the maydesnesse bridale

¶ And ther myght thou wite if thou wolt · which þei ben alleC

That longeth to þat lordchip · þe lasse an þe more

Know hem þer if thou kanste · an kep thy tonge

An lakke hem nought · but lat hem worth til leaut be IusticeC

And haue power to punysse hem · þat put forth þy reson

¶ Now I be-kenne þe crist quod she · an his clene moder

And lat no conscience acombre þe · for couetise of Mede

¶ Thus left me þat lady · lyggyng a-slepe

And how mede was ymaryed · In metels me thoughte

That al þe riche retenauntz · þat regneth with þe fals

Were boden to þe bridale · on bothe two sides

Of alle manere of men · the men and þe riche

ThoLX marrie this maiden · was many man assembled

As of knygtes an of clerkes · and other comune pepyle

As sisours and sompnours . schirreues and hir clerkes

Bedelles and bayllifs and brocours of chaffare

Forgoers and vitaillers · and vokates of þe arches

I kan nought rekene þe route · that ran aboute Mede

¶ And simonye and Ciuile · and sisours of courtes

Were most priue with Mede of any men me thoughte

And fauel was the first · that fette hir out ofP boure

And as a brocour broughte hir · to be with fals enioyned

Whan simonye and ciuile seiȝ hir beire wille

thay assentid for siluir · to s{e}ay as bothe wolde

than lepe lyer forth · and saide lo hire a chartire

That gile with his grete othes · gaf hem togidire

And praide ciuile to se · and simonye to rede it

Thanne simonye an ciuile . stonden forth bothe

And vnfoldes the feoffament · that fals hath ymakede

And thus bigynnes thise gromes · to greden ful heiȝ

¶ Sciant presentes & futuri & cetera :

¶ Witeth an witnesse · þat wonyeth vp-on this erthe

That mede is maried · more for hir goodes

Than for any vertus of farnesse · or any fre kyne

Falsnesse is fayn of hir · for he woot hir riche

And Fauel with is fikel speche · feffyth be this chartire

ThoLX be princes in pride · and pouerte to despise

ThoLX bakbite and to bosten · and beren fals witnese

ThoLX scorne and to scolde · and sclaundre to make

Vnbuxom and bolde · to breke the ten hestes

¶ And the erldome of en{u}vyeT · and wrathe togidires

With þe chastelet of cleste / c[h]este · an chateryng out of resoun

the Countee of coueitise · and alle þe costes aboute

that is vsure and auarice · alle I hem graunte

In bargaynes and in brokages · with alle þe borghe of theft

¶ And alle the lordschip of liccherie · In lenthe and in brede

As in werkes and in wordes · and wattynges with eyes

And in wedes an in wissbynges · and with ydel thoughtes

ther as wille ne wolde · werkmanschip failleth

¶ Glotonye he gaf hem ek · and grete othes togiders

And alday to drynk · at diuers tauernes

And þer to Iangle and to Iape · and Iugge hir euene-cristene

And in fastyngdayes to frete · er ful tyme were

An than to sitten and soupen · til slepe hem assaille

And breden as burgh swyn · and bedden hem esily

Thil sleuthe and slepe · sliken hise sides

And thanne wanhope to a-wake hym so with no wille it {ame}amendeC

For he leueth be lost · this is hir laste ende

And thay to haue and to holde · and hire heyres after

A dwellyng with þe deuel · and dampned be for euere

With al the purtenance of purgatorie · In-to þe pyne of helle

yeldyngN for this thyng · at one yeres ende

Hire soules to sathan · to suffre with hym paynes

And with hym to wonye in wo · while god is in heuene

¶ In witnesse of whilch thyng · wrong þe firste

And Pieres þe pardoner of paulynes doctrine

Bette þe beddell of Bokyngham shire

Reynald þe Reue of Rutlande sokne

Maude þe Meller and Many mo other

In þe date of þe deuel · this dede is yseled

By sight of sire simonye and ciuiles leue

¶ thanne torned hym theologie · whan he this tale harde

And saide to Cyuile now sorwe mote thou haue

Swilke wendynges to worche · to wratthe with trouthe

And er this weddyng be wrouhte · wo þe bitide

¶ For Mede is Moilere of amendes engendrethN

And god graunted · to gif Mede to treuthe

And thow hast gyuen hir to a giloure · now god gif þe sorwe

thy text telles þe nought · so treuthe wote þe sothe

For dignus est est / est operarius> . his hir to haue

And thow haste feste hir to fals · fy on thy lawe

For al by lesynges thou leuest · and lecherouse werkes

Simonye and thi-self · scheden holy-chirche

the notaries and ye · noythis þe pepyle

Ye schal a-biggen it bothe · by god that me made

Wel ye witen wirnardes · but if yowre {faille} wit faille

That fals is faytles and fikel in his werkes

And was a bastarde yborne · of belsabubbes kyne

And Mede is moilere · a maiden of goode

And myghte kisse þe kyng · for Cosyn and she wolde

¶ For-thy worches by wisdom · and by wit also

And ledeth hir to londoun · ther lawe is ychewed

If any lawe wol loke · th{o}ay ligge togideres

And þouȝ Iustices iugge · hir to be ioigned with fals

Yet beth ware of weddyng · for witty is treuthe

And conscience is of his conseil · and knoweth yow echone

And if he fynde yow in defaute · and with the fals holde

It schal bisitte youre soules · ful soure at laste

¶ Her-to assentes Ciuile and simonye newolde / ne wolde

Thil he had siluir for his seruise · and also þe notaries

¶ Thanne fette Fauel forth · floreyns ynowe

And bad gile to gyue · gold al aboute

And nameliche to þe notaries · þat hem noon ne faille

And feffe fals witnesse · with floreyns ynowe

For thei may Mede a maistrye · and maken at my wille

¶ þo þis gold was gyue · grete was the thonkynge

ThoLX fals& / fals & to Fauel for hir faire {ȝ}gyftesT

And comen to conforte · fram care þe fals

And saiden certes sire · cesse schal we neuere

Til Mede be þi wedded wif · thoruȝ wittes of vs alle

For we haue Mede amaystred · with oure mery speche

that sho graunteþ to gon · with a good wille

To london to loke · if þat þe lawe wolde

Iugge yow Ioyntly · In Ioie for euere

¶ Thanne was falsnesse fayne an fauel as blithe

And leten sompne alle segges · in schires aboute

And bad hem alle be bown · beggers and othere

To wende with hem to Westmynstre . to witnesse þis dede

¶ And than cared thay for capyls · to carien hem thyder

And Fauel Fete forth · than foolis ynowe

And sette Mede vp-on a shireue schodde al newe

And fals sat on a Sisour that softliche trotted

And fauel on a Flaterer fetislich atired

¶ ThoLX had notaries non · anoyed they were

For Simonye and Ciuile scholde on hir fete gange

¶ And thanne swore simonye and ciuile bothe

That sompnours schold be sadled · and serue hem echone

And lat apperaille this prouisours · in palfreys wise

Sir simonye hym-seluen · schal sitte vp-on hire bakkes

¶ Dens and subdeanes draw yow togidres

Ercedekens and officials and youre Registrers

Lat sadel hem with siluir · oure synne to suffre

As auoutrie and deuorses · and derne vsurie

To bere bisschopes a-boute · abrode in visitynge

¶ Paulynes priues · for pleyntes in consistorie

Schul serue my-self · þat Ciuil is nempned

And cartesadel the comissarie · oure carte shal he lede

And fecchen vs vitailes · at fornicatores

And make of lyer a longe carte to lede alle thise other

As frers and faitours · þat on hir fete rennen

An thus fals and fauel fareth forth to-gidires

An mede in þe myddes and alle þise other after

¶ I haue no tome to telle · þe taylle þat hem folweth

Of many manere man · þat on þis molde libbeth

An gyle was forgoer · and gyed hem alle

¶ Sothnesse seiȝ hym wel · and saide but a litel

And priked his palfrey and passed hem alle

An com to þe kynges courte · and conscience it tolde

And conscience to þe kyng · carped it after

¶ Now by crist quod þe kyng an I catche myghte

Fals or fauel · or any of hise feres

I wolde be wroke of þe wrecches · þat wyrketh so ille

And don hem hange by þe hals · and alle þat hem maynteneþ

Schal neuer man of molde · Maynprise the leste

But right as þe lawe wol loke · lat falle on hem alle

¶ And comanded a conestable · that come at firste

To attache tho tirauntes · for any-thyng I hote

And fettereyth faste falsnesse · for any kynnes gyftes

And gyrdeth of giles hed · and lat hym go no ferthere

And if thou lacche lyer · lat hym nought aschapen

Er he be put on pilorie · for any praier I hote

And brynght Mede to me maugre hem alleN

¶ Drede at þe dore stode · and þe dome herde

And how þe kyng com{e}anded · constables and sergeantz

Falsnesse and his felawschip · to fettren and to bynden

thanne drede went wigtliche · and warned the fals

And bad hym flee for fere · and his felawes alle

¶ Falnesse / Fal[s]nesse for fere · thanne fleis to þe freres

An gile doth hym to go · a-gaste for to dye

And marchantes mette with hym · and made hym abide

And bishetten hym in hir schope · to schewen hir ware

And apperailed hym as a prentice · the pepyle to serue

¶ Lyghtliche lyer lepe a-wey thanne

LorkyngN thorugh lanes · to-lugged of manye

He was naught where welcome · for hise many tales

Ouer-al yhowted · and I hote trusse

Til pardoners haued pite · and pulled hym in-to house.

They wesschen hym and wiped hym · and woundeinN in cloutes

And sente hym with seles · on sondayes to kyrkees

And gaf pardon for pens · poundemele aboute

¶ Thanne loured leches and lettres thay sente

That he schuld wonye wyth hem watres to loke

Spicers spake with hym · to spy{r}en hir ware

For he kouthe of hir craft · and knewe manye gommes

¶ And mynstralles and messengers · mette with hym ones

And helden hym an half yer · and elleuene dayes

¶ Freres with hir fair speche · fetten hym theynnes

And for knowyng of comers · koped hym as a frere

And he has leue to lepe out · as oft as hym liketh

And is welcome whan he wille · and wonyth with hem oft

¶ Alle fledden for fere · and flowen in-to hyrnes

Saue mede the maide · nama durst abide

And trewely to telle · scho trembled for drede

And ek wepte and wrong · whan sho whas attached