Syre do-well dwelliþ with witte ; not a day hens

In a castell þat kynde made ; of ffoure kyns þingis

Of erthe & eyre it is made ; medelid to-gederis

with wynde and with water ; witteli enioy{...}ned

kynde haþe closid þer-Inne ; craftili with-alle

A lemman þat he loueþ ; like to him-selue

Anima sche hatte ; & envie {s}hir hatiþ

A proude prikere of ffraunce ; princeps huius mundi

And wolde wynne hir away ; with wylis & he myȝth

And kynde knoweþ þis well ; and kepiþ hir þe betterC

And haþe don hir with Sir do-well ; duke of þis marches

Do-bette is hir damysel ; Sir do-wellis douȝter

To serue þis lady lelli ; boþe late & raþe

Do-best is aboue boþe ; a bisschoppis pere

þat he biddiþ mote be don ; he rewliþ hem alle

Anima þat lady ; is ledde bi his lernynge P

And þe cunstable of þat Castell ; þat kepeþ alle þe wecche

Is a wise knyȝte with-all ; sir Inwitte he hatteC

And haþe ffyue ffayre sones ; bi his ffrist wijf

Sire se-well & seie-well ; & here-well þe ende

Sire werche-well-with-þin-hand ; a wyȝte man of strenþe

And sir godffrey go-well ; grette lordis ffor soþe

þese ffyue ben sett ; to saue þis lady anima

Tyll {.....}kynde Come or sende ; to sauen hir ffor euere

what þing is kynde quod I ; canste þou me telle

kynde quod witte is a creature ; of alkyns þingis

Fadere & fformere of alle ; þat euere was makyd

And þat is þe grette god ; þat gynnynge had neuer

lord of lijf & of lyȝt ; of lisse and of peyne

AungellisP and al þing ; arn at his wille

And man is him moste lijke ; of mark & of schafte

For þoruȝ þe word þat he spake ; wexen fforþ bestis

Dixit

and made man likkeste ; to him-seluen one

And eue of his ribbe-bon ; with-ouȝten ony mene

For he was singulere him-selue ; and seid ffaciamus

As who seiþ more mut þer-to ; þan my word oone

My myȝt muste helpe now ; with my speche

Riȝte as a lord shuld make lettres ; & him lackyd parchemyn

þouȝ he kouþe writte neuer so well ; if he had no penne

þe lettres ffor all þe lordschepe ; I leue w{h}e re neuer I-maked

And so it semeþ bi hym ; as þe book telliþ

Ther he seiþ ; dixit et facta suntC

he muste werche with his word ; and his witte schewe

And in þis manere was man made ; þoruȝ myȝte of god almyȝty

with his word ; & werkmanschepe ; & with lijf to laste

And þus god ȝaff him a goste ; of þe godhede of heuene

And of his grette grace ; graunted him blisse

And þat is lijf þat ay shall laste ; to alle lynagis after

And þat is þe Castell þat kynde made ; caro it hatte

And þat is as moche to mene ; as man with a soule

And þat he wroute with werk ; & with word boþe

þoruȝ myȝt of his mageste ; man was y-maked

In-witt & all wittis ; closed ben þer-Inne

For loue of þe lady anima ; þat lijf is ynempned

Ouere-alle in mannys body ; he walkiþ & wandriþ

And in þe herte is hir home ; & hir moste reste

And inwitte is in þe heed ; & to þe herte he lokeþ

what anima is leffe & looþ ; he latte hir at his wille

For after þe grace of god ; þe grettesste is in-witte

Moche woo worþe þat man ; þat mysseruliþ his inwitt

And þat ben glotouns glubbers ; her god is her wombe

Quorum deus

For þei seruen sathan ; her soulis shall he haue

That lyuen synneffull lijf here ; here soule is lyke þe deuellis

and alle þat l{e}yuen good lijf ; ar like to god al-myȝti

Qui manet in caritate

Alas þat drynk P shall ffor-do ; þat god dere bouȝte

and dooþ god fforsaken hem ; þat he scoppeto his likenesse

Amen dico vobis nescio vos / & alibi & dimisi eos secundum desideria eorum & cetera

Foolys þat ffauten In-witt ; I ffynde þat holy chirche

shulde ffynde hem þat hem ffauteþ ; & ffadirles childrin

and wedowes þat han not were-with ; to wynne hem here ffode

Madde men & maydenes ; þat helples weren

alle þese lakken in-witte ; & lore bihoueþ

Of þis matere I myȝt ; make a longe tale

And ffynde ffele wittenesse ; amongis þe ffoure doctouris

And þat I lye not of þat I lere þee ; luke bereth wittenesse

Godffader & godmoder ; that seen her godchildrinC

at myssese & myschef ; & mown hem amende

shull haue penaunce in purgatorie ; but if þei hem helpe

For more bilongeþ to þe litill barn ; er he þe lawe knowe

Thanne nempnynge P of a name ; & he neuer þe wyser

shulde no cristen creature ; crie at þe ȝate

Ne ffayle payn ne potage ; & prelatis deden as þei shuldenC

A Iu wolde not seen a Iu ; go Iangelinge ffor deffauȝte

For alle þe mebles ; on þis molde . & he amende it myȝt

Alas þat a cristen creature ; schall be so vnkynde to anoþer

Siþen Iues þat we Iuggen ; Iudas ffellawes

Eyþer of hem helpeþ oþer ; of þat þat him nediþ

why nyle we cristen ; of cristis good be as kynde

As Iues þat ben oure lorismen ; schame to vs alle

þe Comune ffor her vnkyndenesse ; I drede me shall abie

bisschoppis shulle be blamed ; ffor beggerez sake

he is wers þan Iudas ; þat ȝeueþ Iapers Siluere

And biddiþ þe begger goo ; ffor his brokyn cloþis

Proditor est prelatus cum Iuda ; qui patrimonium Christi minus distribuit

Et alibi perniciosus dispensator ; qui res pauperum invtiliter consumit

he dooþ not well þat dooþ þus ; ne drediþ not god al-myȝty

Ne loueþ not salomonys sawes ; þat sapience tauȝte

Inicium sapiencie tymor

Drede god ffor loue & þou doste well ; but not ffor veniaunce & þou dost beet

Thou dost beste if þou with-drawe ; by day & be nyȝt

To spylle ony speche ; or ony space of tyme

Qui offendit in vno ; est omnibus reus

lesynge of tyme ; truþe woot þe soþe

Is moste hatid vppon erthe ; of hem þat ben in heuene

And siþe to spille speche ; þat spire is of grace

And godis gleman ; & a game of heuene

wolde neuer þe ffeiþeffull ffader ; his ffeþele were vntempred

Ne his gleman a gedelynge ; a goere to tauernes

To alle trwe tydymen ; þat trauaile desiren

Oure lord loueþ & lent ; {l}louuȝde eiþer stille

Grace to goo to hem ; & agoon her lijfflodeC

Trewe weddyd leuynge ffolk ; in þis world is do-well

Inquirentes . autem . dominum

For þei musten werche & wynne ; & þe world susteyne

For of her kynde þey comen ; þat conffessouris ben nemepned

kyngis and knyȝtes ; kayseris and cheerlis

Maydenys & martiris ; out of oo man comen

The wijf was made þe weye ; ffor to helpe werche

And þus was wedloke y-wroute ; with a mene persone

Frist bi þe ffadris wille ; and þe ffrendis {.....}Conceyll

And siþe bi þe assent of hem-selue ; as þei two myȝte acorde

And þus was wadelok y-wrouȝt ; & god him-selue it made

Þe erþe in heuene is ; him-selue was þe wittenesse

and ffals ffolk ffeyþeles ; þeues and lyeris

wastouris and wrecchis ; out of wedlok I trowe

Conceyued in euell tyme ; as Caym was of eue

Of swiche synneffull schrewes ; þe sauȝter makiþ mynde

Concepit in dolore et peperit iniquitatem & cetera

And alle þat come of þat Caym ; come to yuell ende

God sente to Sem ; and said bi an aungell

þin issu in þin issu ; I wolle þat þei be Ioyned

And not þi kynde with Caymys ; y-couupled ne spouȝsed

ȝit summe aȝeins þe sonde ; of oure saueoure of heuene

kaymes kynde and his kynde ; ycoupledP to-gedris

Tylle god wraþen with her werkis ; & swiche a word said

That I makede man ; now me it aþenkiþ

Penitet me fecisse hominem

And come to noe anon ; & bade him not lette

Swyþe go schape a schipe ; of schidis & of bordis

Thi-selue and þi þre sones ; & siþen ȝoure wyues

Buske ȝou to þat boot ; and byde ȝe þer-Inne

Tyll ffourty daiez be ffullfillid ; þat fflode haue y-wasshyn

al euen away þe cursid blood ; þat Caym haþe ymakid

Beestis þat now ben ; shulle banne þe tyme

þat euere þat cursid Caym ; come on þis erthe

Alle shulle die ffor his dedis ; b{e}y dallis & be hillis

And ffouulis þat ffleyn ; fforþ with oþer bestisC

Excepte oneliche of iche ; a kynde & a couple

þat in þi schyngled schipe ; shull ben y-saued

here bouȝte þe barn ; þe bellesiris geltis

And all ffor here fforffadris ; þey fferden þe wers

The gospell is here-aȝeyn ; in o degre I ffynde

Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris et pater non portabit & cetera

And I ffynde if þe ffader ; be ffals & a schrewe

þat summedell þe sonne ; shall haue þe Sires tacches

Impe on an ellerne ; & if þin appill be swete

Moche merueile me þinkiþ ; & more of a schrewe

That bryngyþ fforþe ony barn ; but if he be þe same

And haue a sauoure after þe sire ; Seldom seste þou oþer

Numquam colligimus de spinis vuas nec de tribulis ficus

And þus þoruȝ cursid Caym ; cam care vpon erthe

And all ffor þey wrouten wedlok ; aȝeins goddis wille

For-þi haue þei maugre ; þat so marien her childrin

For summe as I se now ; soþe ffor to telle

For coueitise of catell ; vnkyndeliche ben weddyd

And careffull concepcion ; comeþ of swiche mariagis

As be-ffelle of þe ffolk ; þat I be-ffore of tolde

For good shulde wedde good ; þouȝ þey no good hadde

I am via & veritas ; I may auaunce alle

It is an vncomeli coupleP ; bi crist as me þinkiþ

To ȝeue a ȝong wenche ; to an olde ffeble

Or weddyd ony wedow ; ffor welþe of hir goodis

That neuere shall barn bere ; but if it be in armes

Many a peire siþe þe pestelence ; han plyȝte hem to-gedris

The ffructe þat þey brngen fforþe ; ar ffoule wordis

In ielousye ioyles ; & Ianglynge on bedde

haue þey no childrin but chest ; & choppinge hem bitwynne

And þouȝ þei do hem to donmowe ; but if þe deuyl helpe

To ffolwyn after þe fflicche ; ffecche þei it neuere

And but þey boþe be fforsworin ; þat bacon þey tynen

For-þi I conceyll alle cristen ; coueyte not be weddyn

For coueytyse of catell ; ne of kynred richeC

And maydenes and maydenes ; macche ȝou to-gedris

wedowes and wedowers ; wircheþ þe same

For no londis but ffor loue ; loke ȝe be weddid

And þenne gette ȝe þe grace of god ; & good ynow to leue with

And euery manere seculer ; þat may not conteyne

wisely go wedde ; and war him ffro synne

For leccherie in lokynge ; is lyme-ȝerd of helle

whilis þou art ȝong ; and þi wepen kene

werke þee with wyuuynge ; if þou wilte ben excusid

Cum sis vir ffortis ne des tua robora scortis

Scribitur in portis ; meretrix est ianua mortis

whanne ȝe han wyved be war ; and wirchiþ in tyme

Not as adam & eue whanne Caym was engendrid

For in vntyme truly ; bitwynne man and womman

Ne shulde no bourde on bedde be ; but if þei boþe were clene

Boþe of lijf & of soule ; and in parffiȝtte charite

þat ilke derne dede do ; no man ne shulde

And if þey leddyn þus here lijf ; it likiþ god almyȝty

For he made wedlok ffrist ; and him-selue it saide

Bonum est vt vnusquisque vxorem suam habeat propter ffornicacionem

And þei þat oþer-gates ben getten ; ffor geddellinges ben holden

As ffals ffolk ffondelinges ; ffaytours and lyeris

vngracious to gette good ; or loue of þe peple

wandrin and wasten ; what þey cacche mown

aȝeins do-well þei don yuell ; and þe deuyll seruyn

And after her deþ-day ; shull dwelle with þe same

But god gyue hem grace here ; hem-selue to amende

Do-well my ffrende . is to do ; as þe lawe techeþ

To loue þi ffrende & þi ffoo ; leue me þat is do-bette

To ȝyuen & to ȝymen ; boþe ȝong and olde

To helen and to helpen ; is do-best of alle

And do-well is to drede god ; and do-bette is to suffre

And so comeþ do-best of boþe ; & bryngyþ adoun þe mody

And that is wikkid wille ; þat many werk schendiþC

And dryueþ awey do-well ; þoruȝ dedly synne