Ȝit I Courbede on my knees ; & cried hir of grace

And sayd mercy ma-dame ; ffor marie loue of heuene

That bare þat blessed barn ; þat bouȝte vs on þe rode

kenne me by sum craft ; ffor to knowe the ffalse

loke vp-on þi lifte half ; & lo where sche standiþ

Bothe ffals & ffauel ; & her fferes many

I loked on my lifte half ; as þe lady me tauȝte

And was war of a womman ; worþily I-cloþed

purfilid with pelure ; þe ffynest vpon erthe

Crouned with a croune ; þe kyng haþe non better

Fetisslich hir ffyngris wern ; fetrid with gold whire

And þer-on reed rebens ; as reed as ony glede

And deamauntes of derrest price ; & double manere sapheris

Orientalis & ewagis ; envenemes to distroie

hir robe was of riche ; of reed scharlet engreyned

with rebans of reed gold ; & of riche stones

hir aray me raueschid ; swiche richesse saw I neuer

I had wondir what sche was ; & whos wyf sche were

what is þis womman quod I ; so worþily atired

That is mede þe mayden quod sche ; hath noyed me ffull ofte

And Ilackid my lemman ; þat leute is hoton

And bilowen hir to lordis ; þat lawis har to kepe

In þe popis paleys she is ; preuy as my-self

But sothenes wolde not so ; ffor sche is a bastard

For ffals was hir ffader ; þat had a ffekill tunge

And neuer sothe said ; Sithe he Come to erthe

And mede is manered after him ; rith as kynde askeþ

Qualis pater talis filius Bona arbor bonum fructum facit

I auȝte ben hiere þan sche ; I cam of a better

My ffader þe grett god is ; & ground of alle grace

o god with-outyn bigynnynge ; & I his good douȝter

And hath ȝyuen me mercy ; to marie with my-selue

And what man be mercyffull ; & lelly me loueþ

shall be my lord & I his leef ; in þe hie heuene

And what man takiþ mede ; my lyff dar I ley

þat he shall lese ffor his loue ; a lappe of Caritas

how construeþ dauid þe kyng ; of men þat taken mede

And men of þis mold ; þat menteynyn truthe

And how ȝe shulle saue ȝou-seluen ; þe sauter berith wittenesse

Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo & cetera .

And now worþ þis mede I-maried ; al to cursid

To on ffals fekell tunge ; a ffendis biȝete

Fauell þoru his ffaire speche ; hath þese ffolk enchaunted

And alle is lyers ledynge ; þat she is þus I-weddid

To-morwe shall be made ; þe maydenes bridale

And þer myȝteste þou witte if þou wilte ; whiche þei ben alle

That longen to þat lordschepe ; þe lesse & þe more

knowe hem þer if þou canste ; and kepe well þi tunge

And lacke hem not but late hem worþe ; tille leute be iustice

And haue power to ponyshe hem ; þan put fforth þi reson

Now I be-kenne þe crist quod she ; & his clene moder

And late no concience acomber þe ; ffor coueytise of mede

Thus lafte me þat lady ; liginge aslepe

And how mede was I-maried ; in metels me þouȝt

And al þe riche retenaunce ; þat regneþ with ffalse

weren boden to þe bridale ; on boþe two sidis

Of alle maner of men ; þe mene & þe riche

To marie þis mayden ; was many man asembled

As of knyȝtis & clerkis ; & oþer Comune peple

as sisouris & sumpnours ; schreues & her clerkis

Bedellis & balifs ; and brokouris of schaffare

Forgoers & vitayleris ; & vocatis of þe archis

I can not rekene þe rouȝte ; þat ran abouȝte mede

And Symonye & Syuyle ; & Sisouris of courtis

were most preuy with mede ; of ony men me þouȝte

And ffauell was þe ffriste ; þat ffette hir out of boure

whan Symonye & Seuyle ; saw her boþer wille

They asentid ffor siluer ; to sey as boþe wolden

þan lepe lyer fforth ; and sayde lo here a chartre

þat gyle with his grette oþes ; gaff hem to-gederis

And preyed Cyuyle to se ; & Symonye to rede it

Than Symonye & Ceuyle ; stondyn fforth boþ

AndC vnffoldyn þe ffeffement ; þat ffals haþe made

And þus bygonnen þese gomes ; to greden ffull hie

Sciant presentes et futuri & cetera .

wyteþ and wyttenessiþ ; þat wonneþ vpon þis erthe

That mede is maried ; more ffor his goodis

þan ffor ony vertue of ffayrenesse ; or ffor ony ffre kynde

Falsnesse is ffayn of hir ; ffor he wotte hir riche

And ffauell with his ffekill ffellawe ; feffeþ be þis chartre

To be pryncesse in pride ; & pouerte to dispice

To bacbyte & to boste ; & bere ffals wittenesse

To scorne & to scolde ; & slaundre to make

Vnbuxum and bolde ; to breke þe ten heestis

And þe erldom of envie ; & wrathe to-gedris

with þe Chastilet of Cheest ; & Chateringe P out of reson

The Comitte of Coueytise ; & alle þe Costis abouȝte

That is vsurie & auarice ; alle I hem graunte

In bargeyns & in brocages ; with alle þe boruȝ of þeft

And alle þe lordschepe of leccherie ; in lengþe & in brede

As in werkis and in wordis ; & waytyngis with eien

And in wedis & wysshingis ; & with ydell þouȝtis

Ther as wille wolde ; werkmanshipe ffaylith

Glotonye he gaff hem eke ; & grett oþes to-gydris

And al day to drink P ; at dyuerse tauernys

And þer to Iangle & to Iape ; & iugge here euene-Cristen

And in ffastinge-daiez to ffrete ; er ffull tyme where

And þan to sitte & to soupe ; till slepe hem asayle

And bredyn as boruȝ swyn ; beddyn hem esily

Tyll sleuthe & slepe ; slikis his sidis

And þan wanope to awake him so ; with no wille to amende

For he leueth he be loste ; þis is her laste ende

And þei to haue & to holde ; & her eieris after

A dwellinge with þe deuell ; & dampned be ffor euere

with alle þe purtenaunce of purgatorie ; in-to þe pyne of helle

ȝeldinge ffor þis þing ; at on ȝeris ende

her soulis to sathan ; to suffre with him peynes

And with hym to wony / in wo ; while god is in heven

In witnesse of wheche þing ; wronge was þe firstP

And pers þe pardoner ; of paulynys doctrine

Bette þe bedell ; of bokyngham-schire

Reynold þe reue ; Ruteland sokene

Munde þe myluere ; & many mo oþer

In þe date of þe deuyll ; þis dede we asele

By syȝt of Syr Symonye ; and Seuylis leue

Than tened him theologie ; whan he þis tale herd

And sayd to Ceuyle ; now sorowe mote þou haue

Swyche weddinge to worche ; to wrathe with truþe

And er þis weddinge be wrouȝt ; woo þe bityde

For mede is muliere ; of amendis engendrid

And god graunted to gyff ; mede to truþe

And þou hast gyue hir to a gylour ; now god gyue þe sorowe

Thi tixt telliþ þe not so ; truthe wotte þe sothe

For dignus est {e}operariusP his hire to haue

And þou hast ffeste hir to ffals ; ffy on þi lawe

For al by lesingis þou leueste ; & leccherous werkis

Symonye & þi-self ; schenden holy chirche

The Notories & ȝe ; Noyen þe peple

ȝe shulle abye it bothe ; be god þat me made T

welle ȝe witten wernardis ; but if ȝoure witte ffayle

þat ffals is ffeitheles ; & ffekill in his werkis

And was a bastard I-born ; of belsabuckis kyn

And mede mueliere ; a mayde of goode

And myȝth kysse þe kyng ; ffor Cosyn & sche wold

For-thy worchiþ be wisdam ; & by witti also

And ledeth hir to london ; þer lawe is I-schewed

If ony lawe wolle loke ; þei ligge to-gedris

And þouȝ iustices iuggen hir ; to be ioyned with ffals

Ȝit be war of weddinge ; ffor witty is trutheC

And concienc{e}e is of his conceyle ; & knowith ȝou ichon

And if he ffynde ȝou in deffaute ; & with þe ffals holde

It shall be-sitte ȝoure soulis ; ffull soure at þe laste

here-to asentiþ Cyuyle ; & Symonie ne wolde

Tille he had siluere ffor his seruyse ; & also þe Notaries

Than ffette ffauell fforth ; fflorens I-now

And bad gyle go gyue ; gold al abouȝte

And namely to þe Notories ; þat hem non ffaile

And ffeffe ffals wittenesse ; with fflorens I-nowe

For þei may mede maistrie ; & maken at my wille

þoo þis gold was gyue ; grett was þe þanking

To ffals & to ffauell ; ffor her ffaire ȝiftis

And Comen to comfforte ; ffrom care þe ffals

And seid certis sire ; cesse shall we neuer

Tylle mede bi weddid þi wyff ; þoruȝ wittis of vs alle

For we han mede amaystried ; with oure mery speche

That she graunteth to gon ; with a good wille

To london to {l?ke}loke ; if þat þe lawe wolle

Iugge ȝou Ioyntly ; in Ioy ffor euere

Than was ffalsnesse ffayn ; & ffauell as blithe

And lete Sumpne alle Segges ; in schiris abouȝte

And bade hem alle be bon ; beggers and oþer

To wende with hem to westmynster ; to wittenesse þis dede

And þe{y}n þey cared ffor caples ; to carie hem þedir

And ffauell ffette fforth þan ; ffolys y-nowe

And sette mede vpon a schreve ; schod al new

And ffals satte on a sisoure ; þat softeliche trottid

And ffauel on a fflaterere ; ffetissliche atired

þan had notaries non ; anoyed þei wern

For Symonye & Ceuyle ; schulde on her ffeet gange

And þan swore Symonye ; & Ceuyle bothe

That sumpnours P shulden be sadled ; & serue hem ichon

And late appairele þese prouysouris ; in palffreis wyse

Syr Symonye him-seluen ; shal sitte vpon her backis

Denes & sudenes ; drawe ȝou to-gedris

Erchedekenes & officialis ; & alle ȝoure registreris

late sadil hem with siluer ; oure synne to suffre

As avoutrie & devoces ; and derne vsurie

To bere bisshoppis abouȝte ; abrood {in} in vesitinge

Paulynys preues ; ffor pleyntis in þe consistorie

shulle serue my-seluen ; þat Ceuyle is named

And cartesadill oure comissarie ; oure cart shall he lede

And ffecchin vs vetaillis ; at ffornicatores

And make of lyer a long cart ; to lede alle þese oþer

as ffreris & ffaytouris ; þat on her ffeet rennen

And þus ffals & ffauell ; ffareth fforþ to-gedris

And mede in þe myddis ; & alle þese oþer after

I haue no tome to telle ; þe taile þat hem ffolwith

Of many maner men ; þat on þis molde lyueth

And gyle was ffor-goer ; & guyde hem alle

Sothenesse saw hem welle ; & said but a litill

And prikid his palffrey ; & passed hem alle

And come to þe kyngis court ; & concience it tolde

And concience to þe kyng ; carped it after

Now bi crist quod þe kynge ; & I cacche myȝth

Fals or ffauell ; or ony of his fferis

I wolde be wroken of þo wrecchis ; þat worchyn so ille

And do hem hang bi þe hals ; & alle þat hem menteyne

schalle neuer man on molde ; meynprice þe leste

but rith as þe lawe wulle loke ; late ffalle on hem alle

And commaundid P a constable ; þat come at þe ffrist

To atache þo terauntis ; ffor ony-þing I hote

And ffeteriþ ffast ffalsnesse ; ffor ony-kyns ȝiftis

And gyrde of gylis hed ; & late him go no fforþer

And if ȝe lacche lyer ; late him not scape

Or he be put on þe pyllery ; ffor ony preire I hote

And bringiþ mede to me ; Magrye hem alle

Drede at þe dure stode ; & þe dom herde

And how þe kyng Comaunded P ; constablis & serjauntes

Falsenesse and his ffellawshepe ; to ffeteryn & to byndyn

Than drede wente wyȝtliche ; & warned þe ffals

And bad hem ffle ffor ffeere ; & his ffelawis alle

Falsnesse ffor ffere þan ; ffled to þe ffreris

And gyle doþe him to go ; agast ffor to die

And marchauntis mettyn him with ; & madyn him abyde

And settyn him in her schop ; to schewen her ware

And apparailid him as a prentise ; þe peple to serue

lyȝtely lyer ; lepe away þann

lorkynge þoruȝ lanes ; to-lugged of many

he was no-where welcome ; ffor his many talis

Ouere-all I-howted ; & I-hote trusse

Tyll pardonneris hadden pete ; & pullen hym in-to house

þey wasshed him & wypid hym ; & woundyn hym in cloutis

And sente him with seelis ; on sundais to chirche

And gaf pardon ffor pens ; poundmele abouȝte

Than lowrid leches ; & lettres þei senten

That he shuld wonne with hem ; watris to loken

Spiceris spokyn with hym ; to aspien here ware

For he koude of her crafte ; & knewe many gomes

And mynstrallis & massageris ; mettyn with him ones

And hyldyn him an half ȝere ; & Eleuene dais

Freris with ffaire speche ; ffettyn him þens

And ffor knownisT of comers ; koped him as a ffrere

And he haþe leue to lepe out ; as ofte as him likiþ

And is wellcome whan he wulle ; & wonneþ with hem ofte

Alle ffleddyn ffor ffere ; & fflowyn in-to hirnes

Saue mede þe maydyn ; no mo durste abyde

And truly to telle ; sche trembled ffor drede

And eke wepe & wrong ; whan she was attached