Thus arobid in russete ; I romede abouȝte

al a somer seson ; ffor to seke do-well

And ffrayned ffull ofte ; of ffolk þat I mette

If ony wiȝte wiste were ; do-well was at Inne

And what man he myȝt be ; of many men I axedC

was neuer whiȝt as I wente ; þat me wisse kouþe

Tille it be-ffelle on a ffryday ; two ffreris I mette

Maistris of þe menours ; men of grett witte

I haylesed hem hyndeliche ; as I had lerned

and preied hem pur charite ; er þei passed fforþer

If þey knewen ony cuntre ; or costis as þei wenten

where þat do-well dwelliþ ; doþe me to witte

For þei beþ men of þis molde ; þat moste wyde walkyn

And knowen cunttres and courtis ; & many kyns places

boþe princes paleycisP ; & pore mennys cotis

and do-well & do-yuell ; where þei dwellyn boþe

Amongis vs quod þe menours P ; þat man is dwellinge

and euere haþe as I hope ; & euere shall here-after

Contra quod I as a clerk ; & comside to dispute

and said hem soþely ; Sepcies in die cadit iustus

Seuene sithes seiþ þe book ; synneþ þe riȝtfull

And who-so synneþ he said ; doþe yuell as me þinkeþ

Ergo he is not alwey ; amongis ȝou ffreris

he is oþer-while ellis-where ; to wisse þe peple

I shall seye þe my sone ; sayd þe ffrere þanne

how Seuene sythes þe sadman / sad man ; on a day synneþ

by ensample quod þe ffrere ; I shall þe ffaire schewe

latte bringe a man in a boot ; amydis þe brode water

þe wynd and þe water ; & þe boot wagginge

makiþ a man many tyme ; to ffalle & to stumble

For stonde he neuer so styffe ; he stumbleþ if he moueþ

and ȝit is he saff and sound ; and so him be-houeþ

For if he ne arise þe raþer ; and rauȝte to þe sterne

þe wynde wolde with þe water ; þe boot ouere-þrowe

And þanne w{h}ere his lyfe loste ; þoruȝ lacchesse of him-selue

And thus it ffalliþ ; quod þe ffrere ; by ffolk here on ertheC

þe water is likened to þe world ; þat wanyeþ and waxeþ

þe goodis of þis grounde ar lijk ; to þe grette wawes

þat as wyndes and wedders ; walken abouȝte

þe boot is likened to oure body ; þat brotell is of kynde

þat þoruȝ þe ffende and þe ffleisshe ; and þe ffrell world

Synneþ þe sadman ; a day Seuene siþes

and dedly synne doþe he not ; ffor do-well him kepeþ

and þat is charite þe champioun ; cheff helpe aȝens synne

For he strenþen man to stonde ; and steriþ mannys soule

and þouȝ þey body bowe ; as boot doþe in þe water

ay is þi soule saff ; but if þi-self wolle

Do dedly synne ; and drenche þi soule

god wolle suffre well þi slouþe ; if þi-self likeþ

For he ȝaf þee to ȝeresȝyue ; to ȝeme well þi-self

and þat is witte and ffre wille ; to euery wiȝtt a porcion

To ffleynge ffoulis to ffisshis ; & also to bestis

And man haþe moste þer-of ; and moste is to blame

But if he werche well þer-with ; as do-well him techeþ

I haue no kynde knowinge quod I ; to conseyue alle ȝoure wordis

and if I may l{e}yue and loke ; I shall go lerne better

I be-kenne þee crist ; þat on þe croise deied

and I sayd þe same ; saue ȝou ffro myschaunce

and ȝeue ȝou grace ; on þis grounde P . good men to worþe

and þus I wente wyde-where ; walkinge myn oone

By a wylde wildirnesse ; and be a wodis side

Blise of þe bridis ; brouȝte me aslepe

And vndir a lynde vppon a launde ; lened I a stounde

To lyþe þe layes ; þoo louely ffoulis maden

Mirþe of her mouþes ; made me þer to slepe

The meruouslousest meteles ; mette I me þanne

That euere dremed wyȝt ; in world as I weneC

A moche man as me þouȝt ; and like to my-seluen

Come and callid me ; bi my kynde name

what arte þou quod I þoo ; þat þou my name knowest

That þou woste welle quod he ; & no man better

woot I what þou art ; þouȝt seide he þanne

I haue sued þe þis Seuene ȝere ; seiȝ þou me no raþer

arte þou þouȝt quod I þoo ; þou koudist me wisse

where þat do-well dwelliþ ; & do me þat to knowe

Do-Well and do-bette & do-best ; þredde quod he

Arn þre ffaire vertues ; and ben not ffeer to ffynde

who-so is trewe of his tunge ; and of his two handis

And þoruȝ his laboure or his londes ; his lijflode wynneþ

And is tristi of taylinge ; takiþ but his owen

And is not drunklew ne dedeynous ; do-well him ffollwiþ

Do-bette doþ riȝt þus ; & he doþ moche more

He is as lowe as a lombe ; & loueliche of speche

And helpeþ alle men ; after þat hem nediþ

The baggis & þe bigirdeles ; he haþe to-broke hem alle

That þe erle auerous ; helde & his eyris

And þus with mammonaes moneye ; he haþ mad him ffrendis

And is runne to Religion ; and haþe rendrid þe bible

and prechide to þe peple ; Seint poulis wordis

Libenter suffertis insipientes cum sitis ipsi sapientes

And suffren þe vnwise ; with ȝou ffor to l{e}yue

And with glad wille don hem good ; ffor so god ȝou hotiþ

Do-beste is aboue hem boþe ; & beriþ a bisshoppis croos

is hoked on þat oon ende ; to hale men ffro helle

A pike is on þe potente ; to pilte adoune þe wikked

þat waytyn ony wikkidnesse ; do-well to tene

And do-well & do-bette ; Amongis hem ordeyned

To croune oon to be kyng ; to rewlen hem boþe

And þat if do-well or do-bette ; doþe aȝens do-beste

þanne shall þe kyng Come ; & casten hem in Irnes

And but if do-best bidde ffor hem ; þei be þer ffor euere

þus do-well & do-bette ; and do-beste þe þredde

Crowned oon to be kynge ; to kepen hem alle

And to reule þi rewme ; bi her þre wittis

And non oþer-wise ; but as þei þre assented

I þankid þouȝt þo ; þat he me þus tauȝte

And ȝit sauerith me not þi seggenge ; I coueyte to lerne

how do-well do-bette & do-beste ; don Amongis þe peple

But witt kun wisse þee quod þouȝte ; where þoo þre dwellyn

Ellis woot I non þat can ; þat now is alyue

þouȝt and I þus ; þre daies ȝeden

Disputinge vppon do-well ; day after oþer

And er we were ware ; with witte gonne I mete

he was longe and lene ; liche non oþer

was no pride on his apparaile ; ne pouerte neiþer

Sad of his semblaunt ; & of softe chere

I durste meue no matere ; to make him to Iangle

But as I bad þouȝte þoo ; be mene bitwynne

and put fforþe sum purpos ; to prouen his wittis

what was do-well ffro do-bette ; & do-best ffrom hem boþe

þanne þouȝte in þat tyme ; Sayde þese wordis

where do-well do-bette & do-best ; ben in londe

Here is wille wolld witte ; if witte kouþe teche hym

And wheþer he be man or womman ; þis man wolde aspie

And worche as þei þre wolden ; þis is his entent