Wwhat þis monteyne be-meneth C ; and þe merk dale

And þe ffeld ffull of ffolk ; I shall ȝou ffare shewe

A louely lady of lere ; in lynnen I-cloþid

Come doun ffrom a castell ; & Called me ffaire

And sayd sone slepeste þou ; seest þou þis pepill

How besy þey ben ; abouȝte þe mase

The moste partie of þis pepill ; þat passen on þis erthe

Haue þei wurschippe of þis world ; þei wullen no better

Of oþer heuene þan here ; holden þei no tale

I was afferde of hire fface ; þouȝ sche ffaire were

And said mercy ma-dame ; what is þis to mene

The toure vp þe toft quod sche ; truþe is þer-inne

And wolde þat ȝe wrouȝten ; as his word techiþ

For he is ffader of ffeith ; fformede ȝou alle

Boþe with ffelle & with fface ; & ȝaf ȝou ffyve wittis

For to wurshepe him þer-with ; þe while ȝe ben here

And þer-ffore he hyȝte þe erthe ; to helpe ȝou ichon

Of wollen of lynnen ; of lyflode at nede

In mesurable maner ; to make ȝou at ese

And Commaunde P ȝou on his curteyse ; in Comune þre þingis

Arn non nedffull but þoo ; nempne hem I þinke

and rekene hem be roson ; reherse ȝe hem after

þat on is clothinge ; ffrom colde the to saue

And mete at mele ; ffor mysese of þi-selue

And drynk whan þou dryeste ; & do not out of reson

þat þou worthe þe werse ; whan þou worche shuldest

For loth in his lijf-daies ; ffor lykyng of drynk P

Dyde by his douȝtres ; þat þe deuell lykyd

delytid him in drynk P ; as þe dyuell wolde

And leccherie hym lauȝte ; & lay be hem bothe

Inebriemus eum vino dormiamus-que cum eo vt seruare possimus de patre nostro Semen

þoruȝ wyn & þoru wommen ; þer was loth acombred

And þer he gatte in glotonie ; gerlys þat were cherlis

For-thy drede delectable drynk ; & þou shalt do þe better

Mesure is medecyne ; þouȝ þou moche ȝerne

It is not alle good ffor þe goost ; þat þe gutte asketh

Ne lijflode to þi lykham ; þat leue is to þi{s} soule

leeue þou not þi lykham ; ffor a lyer him techeth

That is a wrechid world ; wo{r}lde þe betraye

For þe ffende and þi ffleshe ; ffolowen þe to-gedir

This and þat seiþ þi soule ; & seiþ in þin herte

And ffor þou shuldeste be war ; I wisse þe better

Ma-dame mercy quod I ; me lykyth well ȝoure wordis

And þe mony of þis molde ; þat men so ffaste holdyn

Telle me to whom ma-dame ; that tresoure appendeth

Go to þe gospell quod sche ; þat god seyd him-seluen

To þe pepill þat him aposede ; with a peny in þe temple

wheder þey shulden þer-with ; worshepe þe kyng Cesar

And god asked of hem ; of whom spake þe letter

And þe ymage ylyke ; þat þer-inne stondeth

CeesarisP þei seiden ; we seen him well ichon

Reddite Cesari quod god ; þat C{e}esari be-ffalleth

Et que sunt dei deo ; or ellis ȝe don euell

For ritffull reson ; shulde rewle ȝou alle

And kynde witte be wardeyn ; ȝoure welthe to kepe

And tutour of ȝoure tresore ; & take it ȝou at nede

and hosbondrie & þei ; holdyn to-gedir

Than I ffrayned hir ffaire ; ffor him þat hir made

That dongeon in þe dale ; þat dredffull is of syȝth

what may it be-mene ; ma-dame I ȝou be-seche

That is þe Castell of care ; who-so cometh þer-inne

May banne þat he born was ; to body and to soule

Ther-inne woneth a wyȝtt ; þat wrong is I-hite

Fader of ffalsed ; and ffoundid it him-selue

Adam and Eue ; he conceylid to ille

Counceillid Caym ; to kyllyn his brother

Iudas he Iapid ; with Iuwes siluer

And sithen on an eller ; hangid him after

He is letter of loue ; and lyeth hem alle

þat trosten on his tresore ; bitrayeth hem sunneste

þan had I wondir of my witte ; what wommen it were

þat swiche wyse wordis ; of holy wrytte schewed

And asked hir in þe hie name ; er sche þens ȝede

what sche were witterly ; þat wissed me so ffaire

Holy chirche I am quod sche ; þou auȝteste me to knowe

I vndirffonge þe ffriste ; and þe ffeith tauȝte

and þou browȝteste me borewes ; my biddinge to ffulfille

And to loue me truely ; þe while þi lijf durith

þan I courbed on my kneys ; & cried hir of grace

And prayed hir pitously ; pray ffor my synnes

And also kenne me kyndely ; on crist to beleue

That I myȝth worche his wille ; þat wrouȝt me to man

Teche me to no tresore ; but telle me þis ilke

how I may saue my soule ; þat seint art I-holden

whan alle tresores ben I-tried ; treuthe is þe beste

I do it on deus Caritas ; to deme þe sothe

It is as derworþi a druerie ; as dere god him-self

who-so is trewe of his tunge ; and telleth non oþer

And þe werkis þer-with ; and wilneþ no man ille

he is a god by þe gospell ; on ground & on lofte

And like to oure lord ; by seint lukas wordis

The clerkis þat knowen þis ; shulde kenne it abouȝte

For cristen & vncristen ; cleymen it ichoun

Kyngys and knyȝtis ; shulde kepe it be resoun

Riden and rappen adoun ; in rewmes abouȝte

And take transgressouris P ; and tien hem ffast

Til truthe had I-termyned ; her trespas to þe ende

And þat is þe profession apertly ; þat appendith to knyȝtis

And not to ffasten a ffriday ; in ffyue score wynter

But holdyn with him and with hir ; þat wolden all truþe

And neuer leue hem ffor loue ; ne ffor lackynge of syluer

For dauid in his daiez ; dubbid knyȝttis

And dede hem swere on her swerde ; to serue truthe euere

And who-so passid þe poynt ; is apostata in þe ordre

But Crist knyȝted kyng ; knyȝted ten

Cherubyn and Saraphyn ; Swyche Seuene & anoþer

And ȝaff hem myȝth in mageste ; þe meriere hem þouȝt

And ouere his mene meny ; made hem archaungelis

Tauȝte hem bi þe trinite ; truþe to knowe

To be buxum at his biddinge ; he bad hem nouȝt ellis

luciffer with legiounes ; lerned it in heuene

But ffor he brake buxumnesse ; his blis gan he tyne

And ffelle ffro þat ffellawschepe ; in a ffendis likenesse

In-to a depe derk helle ; to dwelle þer ffor euere

And mo þouusandis with him ; þan man couude nounbre

Loopen out with lucyffer ; lotheliche fforme

For þey leued vp-on him ; þat lyed in þis manere

Ponam pedem meum in aquilone et similis ero altissimo

And alle þat hoped it myȝth be so ; non heuene myȝth hem holde

But ffellen out in ffendis likenesse ; nyne daiez to-gedere

Tyll god of his goodnesse ; gan stable and stynte

And garte þe heuene stekþe ; & stondyn in quiete

whan þese wiked wente out ; wondirwise þei ffellen

Summe in þe erthe summe in þe eire ; & summe in helle depe

And lucyffer lowest ; lythe of hem alle

For pride þat he putted out ; his peyne hath non ende

And alle þat werchen with wrong ; wende þei shulle

After her deþe-day ; and dwelle with þat schrewe

And þoo þat worchen well ; as holy chirche telleth

And endyn as I erst said ; & truthe þat is beste

Mowyn be siker þat her soule ; shall wende to heuene

Ther truthe is in trinite ; & troneþ hem alle

For-þi I seie as I seyd eere ; bi siȝth of þese textis

Lereþ it þese lewde men ; ffor lettred men it knowyn

þat truthe is tresore ; þe trieste on ertheT

Ȝit haue I no kynde knowynge quod I ; ȝit muste ȝe kenne me better

by what crafte in my cors ; it Comsiþ and where

þou dodid daff quod sche ; dulle are þi wittis

To litill latyn þou lerdiste ; lewde in þi ȝougþe

Heu michi quod sterilem ; duxi vitam Iuuenilem

It is a kynde knowinge quod sche ; þat kenneþ in þin herte

For to loue þi lord ; leuere þan þi-selue

No dedly synne to do ; dey þouȝ þou shuldest

þis I trowe be truthe ; who can teche þe better

Loke þou suffre him to seye ; and sithe lerne it after

For þus wittenessiþ his word ; worche þou þer-after

For truthe tellith to loue ; is triac{h}le in heuene

May no synne be on him sen ; þat vsiþ þat spice

And alle his werkis he wrouȝt ; with loue as him liste

And lerne it moyses ffor leuest þing ; & most like in heuene

And also þe plente of pees ; most precious of vertus

For heuene myȝth not holde it ; it was so heuy of him-self

Till it had of þe erthe ; eten his ffille

And whan it had of þe ffolde ; ffleishe and blood

was neuer leef vp-on lende ; lyȝter þer-after

And portatyf & persaunt ; as þe poynt of a nedell

That myȝth non armewre it lette ; ne non hie wallis

For-þi his loue leder ; of þe lordis ffolk of heuene

And a mene as þe meyre is ; bitwixe þe kyng & þe Comouns

Rith is loue a leder ; and þe lawe schapiþ

Vppon man ffor his mysdedis ; þe mercyment he taxiþ

And ffor to knowe it kyndely ; it comsiþ be myȝth

And In þe herte þer is þe heed ; and þe hie welle

For in kynde knowinge in herte ; þer a myȝth bygynneþ

And þat ffalliþ to þe ffader ; þat fformed vs alle

loked on vs with loue ; & lete his sone die

Mekely ffor {here} oure myssedis ; to amende us alle

And ȝit wolde he hem no woo ; þat wrouȝten him þat peyne

but mekeliche be mouþ ; mercy he be-souȝte

To haue {pepe} pete on þat peple ; þat peyned him to deþ

Here myȝtest þou se ensamplis ; in him-seluen on

That he was myȝtffull & meke ; & mercy gan graunte

To hem þat hongyn him on hie ; and his herte þirlid

For-þi I rede ȝou riche ; haue rewthe on þe pore

þouȝ ȝe ben myȝtffull to mote ; beþe meke in ȝoure werkis

For þe same mesiris þat ȝe metyn ; amys oþer ellis

Ȝe shulle be weyen þer-with ; whan ȝe wendyn henns

Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis remecietur vobis

For þouȝ ȝe be trewe of ȝoure tunge ; and truliche wynnen

And as schast as a child ; þat in chirche wepiþ

but if ȝe loue lelleche ; and lene þe pore

Swiche good as god ȝou sente ; goodliche partiþ

ȝe ne han no more merite ; in messe ne in ouris

þan malkyn of hir maydinhod ; þat no man desirith

For Iames þe gentill ; iugged in his bokis

þat ffeyth with-outyn þe ffeyte ; is rith no-þing worthy

And as deed as durtre ; but if þe dedis ffollwen

Fides sine operibus ; mortua est

For-þi Chastite without Charite ; worþe cheyned in helle

It is as lewed as a lawpe ; þat no lyȝt is Inne

Many Chapeleyns arn chast ; & charite is aweye

arn no men auorousere þan þei ; whan þe{i}y ben auaunced

Vnkynde to her kyn ; and to alle Cristen

And schewen her Charite ; & chiden after more

Swyche schastite without charite ; worth scheyned in helle

Many curatouris kepen hem ; c{h}lene of her bodies

They ben acombred with Coueitise ; þei con not do it ffrom hem

So harde haþe Auarice ; I-hasped hem to-gedere

And þat is in truthe of þe trinite ; but treccherie of helle

And lernynge P to lewde men ; þe latter ffor to dele

For þise wordis ; ben wretten in þe gospell

Date et dabitur vobis ; ffor I dele ȝou alle

And þat is þe lokke of loue ; & latiþ out my grace

To comforte þe Careffull ; acombrid with synne

loue is leche of lyff ; & next oure lord seluen

And also þe grette gate ; þat goþe in-to heuene

For-þi I sey as I sayd erste ; bi þe truwe tixtis

whan alle tresoris ben Itried ; truþe is þe beste

Now haue I tolde þe what truþe is ; þat no tresore is better

I may no lenger lengþe þe with ; now loke þe oure lord