And in a wyncking wrath wexyd I a-slepe

And maruellous mettels met me than

That I was rauyshed ryght there & fortune me fette

And in to the land of Longing , alone she me brought

In a mirour hight Midleerth she made me to bihold

Sithen she sayd to me here myghtest thou se wondres

And know þat thou couetest & cum therto perauenture

Than had fortune foloing hyr two faire damsels

Concupiscencia carnis men called the elder mayde

And Couetous of eyes called was the other

Pride of perfet lyuinge pursued hem bothe

And bad me for my countenaunce acount Clargie lyght

Concupiscentia carnis colled me about the necke

And sayde thou art young & yemp / ye[e]p & hast yers inowe

For to lyue long and Ladies to loue

And in thys myrror you myght see myghts ful many

That leaden þe wylie wyse to lyking al thy life tyme

The second said the same I shal sue thy wyll

Tyl thou be a lorde and haue lande let the I nell

That I ne shal follow thi felloweship if fortune it like

He shal fynde me hys frend quod fortune therafter

The freke that followed my wyll fayled neuer blysse

Than was ther one þat hight Eld þat heuy was of chere

Man quod he , if I mete with the by Marie of heuen

Thou shalt fynde Fortune the fayle at thy most nede

And Concupiscentia carnis clene the forsake

Bitterly shalt thou banne hem bothe day and night ,

Couetyse of eye , that euer thou hyr knew

And pryde of perfecte lyuinge , to much perill þe bring

Ye rech þe neuer quod rechles , stand forth in raged clothes ,

Folow forth þat fortune wol , thou hast wel for til Eld

A man may stoupe by time inoughe , whan shal tine the crowne

Homo proponit , quod a Poete , & Plato he hyght ,

And Deus disponit , quod he , let god do hys wyll ,

If truth do wytnes it be wel done , fortune to folow

Concupiscentia carnis , ne Couetise of eyes ,

Ne shal not greue the greatly , ne but þou wilt begile the

Yea fare wel Phip quod Faunteltie , & forth gan me draw ,

Til Concupisentia carnis , accorded all my worckes .

Alas Eighe quod Elde , and holines bothe ,

That wit shal turne to wretchednes , for wyll to haue his liking

Couetise of eyes conforted me anone after ,

And folowed me fourty wynter , and a fiste / fifte more ,

That of dowell ne dobet , no deynty me thought .

I had no liking leue me , if ye list of hem ought to know

Couetise of eyes came ofter in mynde ,

Than dowell or dobet , amonge my dedes all ,

Couetyse of eyes conforted me ofte ,

And sayd haue no conscience how thou come to good

Go confesse the to some fryer , & shewe hym thy sinnes ,

For while fortune is thy frend , Friers wil the loue

And fetche the to their fraternitie , and for the beseche

To her Prior prouinciall a pardon to haue ,

And pray for the pole by pole , if thou be pecuniosus ,

Sed pena pecuniaria non sufficit , pro spiritualibus de

By wishing of this wench I wrought , hir words wer so swete

Til I forgate youth , and yarne into elde ,

And than was fortune my foe , for al hir faire behest

And pouertie pursued me , and put me lowe ,

And tho found I the Fryer aferde , and flytting bothe

Agaynste our fyrste forwarde , for I sayde I nolde ,

Be buried at hyr house , but at my paryshe churche ,

For I heard once how consience it tolde ,

That kind wold men be biried , ther thei were christenid

Or wher þat he were parishen , þat ther he shold be grauen

And for I sayd thus to Fryers , a fole they me helden

And loued me the lesse , for my lely speache ,

And yet I cryed on my confessour , þat helde him-self cun=ning

By mi faith frier quod I , ye faren like these wowers

That wed none widows , but for to weld hir goods

Ryght so by the rode rought you neuer ,

Where my body were buried , by so ye had my siluer

I haue muche maruaile of you , & so hath many other

Why your couent coueteth to confesse and burye

Rather than to baptise barnes that be catekinlinges

Baptysynge and buriynge , bothe be neadfull

And much more meritorie , me thinketh it is to baptise

For a baptised man may , as these masters telleth

Through contrition come to þe high heuen , sola contricione / contricio

And barne wythout baptisme , may not be saued ,

Nisi quis renatus fuerit , loke ye lettred men , where I lye or do not

And leauti loked on me , & I loured after ,

Wherfore lourest þou quod leauty , & loked on me hard

If I durste quod I , amongeste men , these metels auowe

Yes bi Peter & by Poule quod he , & toke hem both to witnes .

Non oderis fratres in corde tuo secrete

They will aledge also quod I , & by the gospel preuen

Nolite iudicare quemquam .

And wherof seruith law quod leuti , if no life vndertoke it

Falsenes ne flatterye , for somewhat thapostle sayd .

Non oderis fratrem , & in the psalter also saith Dauid the prophet .

Existimasti inique , quid erit / quod ero tui similis ?

It is licitum for lewde men to say the sothe ,

If hem liketh and lest eche a lawe that it graunteth ,

Except persons and priestes , & prelates of holy kyrke

It falleth not for that folke , no tales to tell ,

Thoughe the tale were true , and it touched synne

Thing þat al þe world wot , wherfore shouldest þou spare

And reden it in Rethorike , to arate deadly sinne

And be neuermore first , the defaute to blame ,

Though þou se yll , say it not first , be sory it nere amendid

Nothyng that is pryuye , publishe thou it neuer

Neyther for loue laude it not , ne lacke it for enuye

Parum lauda vitupera percius .

He sayth soth quod scripture tho , & scypte vp & preached

And þe matter þat she meaned , if lewde men it knew ,

The lesse as I leue , louen it they woulde

This was hyr theme , & her text , I toke ful good hede

Multi to a mangery , and to the mete were sumpted

Whan þe people were plener come , þe porter vnpind þe gate

And plucked in Pauci , priuily , & let þe remnaunt go

All for tene of her text trembled my herte ,

And in a were gan I wexe , & with my-selfe to dispute

Whether I wer chose or not , on holi kirke I thoght

That vnderfonged me at þe font for one of gods chosen

For Christe cleped vs all , come if we woulde

Saracyns & Scismatikes , and so he did the Iewes ,

O vos omnes sicientes venite . & . cetera .

And badde hem sonke / souke for sinne , safely at hys breast

And drynke bote for bale , brooke it who-so myght

Than may all christen come quod I , & claime her enter ,

By þe bloude þat he bought vs with , & through baptisme after

Qui crediderit , et baptisatus fuerit ,

For though a christen man coueted his christendome to renie

Ryghtfullye to reney , no reason it woulde ,

For may no cherle charter , make ne hys catel sel

Wythouten leue of hys Lorde , no lawe wil it graunt

And he may runne in arerages , and runne so from home

And as a reneyed kaytyfe , recheles runnen aboute

And reason shal reken with hym , & cast him in arerage

And put him after in a prison , in purgatory to brenne

For his arerages rewarden hym there , tyl domes day

But if contrition wyll come and crye by hys lyue

Mercy for hys misdeades , wyth mouth or with hert .

That is sothe sayde scripture , may no synne lette ,

Mercy all amende , and mekenes hyr felowe ,

For thei ben as our bokes telleth , aboue gods werks

Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius .

Yea bawe for bookes quod one , was broken out of hell ,

I Troyans a true knight , take witnes at a pope

How I was dead & dampned to dwel in paine

For an vnchristen creature , clerkes wytten þe sothe ,

That al þe clargi vnder Christ , ne might me cratch from hell

But only loue & leauty , & my lawful domes .

Gregory wyst wel thys , and wylned to my soule ,

Saluation for sothnes , that he se in my workes

And after that he wepte , & wylned me were graunted ,

Grace without any bede bydding , his bone was vnderfogen / vnderfongen

And I saued as ye se , without synging of masses

By loue and by learnynge , of my lyuyng in truth ,

Brought me from bitter payne , ther no bidding might

Lo ye lords what leuty did by an emperour of rome

That was an vnchristen creature as clarkes finde in bokes

Not through prayer of a pope , but for his pure truth

Was þat sarazin saued , as saint Gregory beareth witnes ,

Wel oughten lords þat laws kepen , þat lesson hold in mynd

And on troianus truth to thinke , & do truth to þe puple

Lawe without loue quod Troianus , ley there a beane ,

Or any science vnder the sonne , the seuen artes and al

But they be lerned for our lords loue , lost is thy time

For no cause to catch syluer by , or be called a master

But all for loue of our lord , & the bet to loue þe puple

For saynt Iohn sayd it , and soth are hys wordes .

Qui non diligit manet in morte .

Who-so-euer loueth me not , he liueth in death diyng .

And that all maner of men , enemies and frendes

Loue eyther other , and leue hem as hem-selfe ,

Who-so leueth not , he loueth not , god wot the sothe ,

And commaundeth ech creature to conforme him to loue ,

And souerainely the pore puple , and her enmies after

For hem that haten vs , is our merite to loue ,

And pore people to please , her prayers may vs helpe

And our ioye , and our healthe , Iesu christe of heauen ,

In a pore mans apparayle , pursued vs after ,

And loked on vs in hyr likenes , & that with louely chere ,

To know vs by our kynde hert , & casting of our eien

Whether we loue þe lords here , before the lord of blisse

And exciteth vs by þe euangely , þat whan we make feasts

We shold not clepen our kinne therto , ne none kynnes ryche

Cum facitis conuiuia , nolite inuitare amicos .

And call the carefull thereto , the croked & the pore ,

For your frendes wil feden you , & found you to quite

Your festing & your fayr gift , ech frend quiteth so other .

And for the pore I shal pay , & wel quite her trauayle

That geue hem meat or monei , and loue hem for mi sake

For the best ben some ryche , & some beggers & pore ,

For we al ar Christes creatures , & of his cofers rich ,

And brether as of one blud as well beggers as erles

For on Calueri of christis blud , christendome gan spryng

And bloudy brethren we becom ther , of one bodi won

As Quasi modo geniti , and gentilmen eche one ,

No begger ne no boy amongs vs , but if sinne it make

Qui facit peccatum , seruus est peccati .

In old lawe , as holy letter telleth ,

Mennes sonnes men called vs eche one ,

Of Adams issue and Eue , aye till God man dyed

And after hys resurrection , Redemptor was his name ,

And we his brethren by him bought , both rich & pore

Forthy loue we as leue brether , & ech man leue other

And of that ech man may forbear , amend ther it nedeth

And euery man helpe other , for hence shal we all ,

Alter alterius onera portate .

And be we not vnkind of our cattel , ne of our kinning

For wot no man how nye it is , to be bynome from both

Therfore lacke no others life , though he more latine know

Ne vndernime not foul , for is none without faut ,

For what euer clarkes carpe , of christendome or els ,

Christ to a commen woman sayd , in commune at þe feste ,

That Fides sua , should saue hir , & saluen her of al sinnes

Than is beleue a lelly helpe , aboue logike or law ,

Of logyke or of lawe , in Legenda sanctorum

Is lyttle alowaunce made , but if bileue hem helpe

For it is ouer long or logyke , any lesson assoyle

And lawe is lothe to loue , but if he lacke syluer

Both logyke and lawe , that loueth not to lye ,

I counsel all christen , cleue not theron to sore

For some words I find write , wer of faiths teching

That saued sinful men , as saynt Iohn bereth witnes

Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis remecietur vobis

Therfore lerne we þe law of loue , as our lord taught

And as saynt Gregory sayd , for mans soule health

Melius est scrutari scelera nostra , quam naturas rerum .

Why I meane this matter is most for the pore

For in her likenes our Lord oft hath bene knowen

Wytnes in Paske weke , whan he yede to Emaus

Cleophas ne knewe him not , that he Christ were

For hys pore apparell , and pylgrames wedes ,

Tyll he blessed , and brake the breake that they eaten ,

So by these workes they wyste , that he was Iesus ,

And bi clothing thei knew him not , ne by carpinge of tonge

And all was in example , to vs synfull here

That we shoulde be lowe and louely of speach

And apparel vs not proudly , for pilgrimes are we al

And in the apparel of a pore man , & pilgrymes lyknes

Many times god hath ben met among nedy people ,

There neuer segge him see , in sette of the ryche

Saint Iohn & other sayntes were sene in pore clothynge

And as pore pilgrames prayden mens goodes

Iesu Christ on a Iews daughter light , gentle though she were

Was a pore maid , & on a pore man weddid

Martha on Marye Magdalen , an hudge plainet she made

And to our sauiour selfe , sayd these wordes

Domine non est tibi cure quod soror mea reliquit me solam

And hastely god answered & eythers wyll folowed ,

Bothe Marthaas & Maries as Mat. bereth witnes

And pouerty god put before , & praysed that better .

Maria obtimam / o[p]timam partem elegit que non . &cetera .

And all þe wise that euer were , by ought I can espye ,

Praysen pouerty for best lyfe , if patience folowe ,

And both better , & blesseder , by many fold than ryches

And thoughe it be soure to suffer , yet after commeth swete

As on a walnut without is a bitter barke ,

And after that bytter barke , be the shell awaye

Is a kirnell of conforte lyfe to restore ,

So is after pouertie and penaunce , patiently taken

For it maketh a man to haue mind in god , & a gret wil

To wepe and to well byd , wherof wexeth mercy

Of whych Christ is a kernel to confort the soule ,

And well syker he slepeth the man that is pore

And lesse he dreadeth death , and darke to be robbed

Than he that is ryght ryche , reason beareth wytnes

Pauper ego ludo dum tu diues meditaris .

Although Solomon saith as folke seeth in the bible .

Diuitias nec paupertates .

Wiser than Solomon was , bereth witnes & taught

That perfecte pouertie was , no possession to haue

And lyfe most likinge to god , as Luke bereth witnes

Si vis perfectus esse , vade et vende . &cetera .

And is to meane men that on this molde lyuen ,

Who-so will be pure perfect , must possessions forsake

Or sell it as sayeth the boke , and the siluer deale

To begers þat gone & beg & bidden good for gods loue

For failed neuer man meat , that mightful god serueth

As Dauid sayeth in the psalter to such þat ben in wyll ,

To serue god goodlyche , ne greth hem no penaunce ,

Nihil impossibile volenti .

Ne lacketh neuer lyuelode , linnen ne wollen .

Inquirentes autem dominum non minuentur omni bono .

If priestes were perfite , they woulde no syluer take ,

For masses ne for matens , ne her meate of vsurers

Ne nether kirtle ne cote , though thei for cold shold die

And thei her deuour dyd as Dauid sayth in the psalter .

Iudica me deus et discerne causam meam .

Spera in deo , speketh of priests þat haue no spending siluer

Than if thei trauel truly , & trusten in god almighti

Hem should lacke no lyuelode , nether wollen nor linnen

And þe title thei toke orders by , telleth thei be auanced

Than nede not you to take siluer , for masses þat ye syng

For he þat toke ye your title , shold pai you your wagis

Or þe bishop that blessed you , if that ye be worthy

For made neuer king a knight , but he had catel to spend

As befell for a knight , or founde him for his strenght

It is a carefull knight , & of a kaytife kynges making

That hath no land ne linage riche ne good loos of hys handes

The same I say forsoth , by al such priestes ,

That haue nether cunning ne kynne , but a crowne one

And a title a tale of nought , to liue by at his mischife

He hath more beleue I leue , to latch through crown

Cure than for kennynge , or knowen for clene beryng

I haue wonder why , and wherfore the byshop

Maketh such priestes that lewde men betrayen .

A charter is chalencheable , before a chiefe iustice

If false laten be in that letter , the lawe is impugne

Or painted pentrelniarie , or percell ouerskipped

The gome þat gloseth so charters , for a goky is holden

So it is a goky by god , that in hys gospel fayleth

Or in masse or mattens , maketh anye defaute .

Qui offendit in vno , in omnibus est reus .

Also in the psalter sayeth Dauid to ouerskyppes / ouerskyppe[ri]s .

Psallite deo nostro psallite , quoniam rex terre deus Isra

The bishop shalbe blamed before god as I leue ,

That crowneth such gods knightes þat can not sapienter

Synge ne psalme read , ne say a masse of the daye ,

And neuer nether is blamles , the bishop or þe chaplen

For here ether is indited , & that is ignorantia

Non excusat episcopos nec idiotes priestes ,

This loking on lewd priests I am leapt from pouerti

Which I praise , her patience is more perfit than riches

And much more in meting thus , with me gan one dispute

And slepyng I se all thys , and sythen came kynd

And named me by my name , and bade me nimen hede

And through the wonders of this world , wyt to take

And on a mountain þat mydle erth hight as me thought

I was fette forth by ensamples to knowe

Through ech a creature & kynde my creatour to loue .

I se the sunne & the sea , and the sonde after

And where that byrdes & beastes by her makes they yeden

Wyld wormes in woodes & wonderful fowles

Wyth fleked fethers , and of fell colours ,

Man and hys make , I myght bothe behold

Pouertye and plentye , bothe peace and warre

Blysse and bale bothe , I se all at once

And howe men toke mede , and mercye refuced ,

Reason I see sothlye , sewen all beastes

In eatyng & drynkyng , & in engendryng of kynde ,

And after course of conception none toke kepe of other

As whan they had ryden in rote tyme , right anone aftir

Males draw hem to males , a-mornings bi hem-selfe

And in eueninges also , the males ben from the females

There ne was cowe ne cowe kinde , þat conceiued had ,

That wold bellow after boles , ne bore after sowe

Both horse and houndes , & all other beastes ,

Medled not wyth her makes , that with fole were ,

Byrdes I behelde , that in bushes made nestes ,

Had neuer wryght wytte to worke the leste ,

I had wonder at whom , and where the pye learned ,

To lygge the styckes in whiche she layeth & breadeth

Nis wright as I wene cold worch hir nestis to paye

If ani mason made a mold therto , much wonder it wer

And yet me marueiled more howe many other birds

Hydden and hylden her egges full derne ,

In maryes and mores , for men should hem not fynd

And hydden her egges , whan they therefro went ,

For feare of other fowles , and for wylde beastes

And some troden her makes , and on trees bredden

And broughten forth hyr byrds so , all aboue þe ground

And some byrds at þe byl , through brething conceiued

And some cauked I toke kepe howe pecocks breaden ,

Muche marueyled me , what master they had

And who taught hem on trees to tymbren so hyghe ,

That neither barne ne beast , maye hyr byrdes rechen

And sithen I loked on the sea , & so forth apon þe starres

Many selkoughes I see , be not to see nowe

I see floures in the frythe , and her fayre colours ,

And how among þe grene gras , growed so many huis

And some soure , & some swete , selkough me thought

Of her kindes & of her colours , to carpen it wer to long

And that most meued me , and my mode chaunged ,

That reason rewarded , and ruled al beastes ,

Saue man and hys make , manye tyme and ofte ,

No reason hem folowed , and than I rebuked

Reason , and right tyll hym-selfe I sayde

I haue wonder of the quod I , that wyttye art holden

Whi þou ne suiste man & his make , þat no misfeat hem folow

And reason arated me , and sayd reche the neuer ,

Why I suffer or not suffer , thy-selfe hast not to do

Amende þou it if thou myght , for my tyme is to abide

Suffraunce is a suffran vertue , and a swifte vengeaunce

Who suffreth more than god quod he , no gome as I leue

He might amend in a minute while , al þat amise standeth

And he suffreth for some mans good , & so is our better

The wyse and the witty wrote thus in the byble .

De re que te non molestat noli certare .

For be a man fayre or foule , it falleth not for to lacke ,

The shampe ne the shape , that god shope hym-selfe ,

For al þat he did was wel do , as holy write witnesseth

Et vidit deus cuncta que fecerat et erant valde bona .

And bade euery creature in hys kynde encrease ,

All to myrthe with man that most woth holye

In foundynge of the fleshe , and of the fende bothe

For man was made of suche a matter , he may not well astart

That ne somtime him bited , to folowen his kind

Caton accordeth therwith , Nemo sine crimine viuit .

Tho caught I colour anone , & comsed to be ashamed ,

And awaked therewyth , wo was me than

That I in metelles ne myght more haue knowen

And than sayde I to my-selfe , and chyde that tyme ,

Now do I ken dowel quod I , by dere god as me think

And as I cast vp my eyen , one loked on me & asked

Of me what thynge it were , I wysh syr I sayd

To se much and suffer more , certes quod I is dowell

Haddest thou suffred he said , slepyng tho thou were ,

Then hadst þou kende þat clergi came , & kend more bi reson

For reson wold haue rehearsed þe , right as cleargi said

And for thy intermittinge , here art thou forsake ,

Philosophus esses si tacuisses . &cetera .

Adam whyle he spake not had paradise at wyll

But whan he mamelid about mete & entermittid to know

The wisedome and þe wit of god , he was put from blis

And ryght so fared reson with the , thou with thy rude spech

Lakedst & losedst thyng that longed not to be done ,

Tho had he no lykyng for to learne the more .

Pryd now & presumption peraduenture wol me appele ,

That cleargy thy company , ne kepeth not to shew ,

Shal neuer chalengyng ne chydyng chast a man so sone

As shal shame and shenden hym , & shape hym to amend

For let a dronken daffe in a dyke fall ,

Let hym ligge , loke not on hym , tyl hym lyst to aryse

For though reson rebuked him than , it wer but pure sin

And whan nede nimeth hym vp for doubt lest he sterue

And shame shaketh hys clothes , & hys skyn washeth

Than wot the dronken daffe , wherfore he is to blame .

Ye sayen sothe quod I , iche haue isene it ofte

There smyte nothyng so smarte , ne smelleth so soure ,

As shame ther he shewith him , for ech man him shonith

Why ye wysh me thus quod I , was for I rebuked reason

Certes quod he that is sothe , and shope hym for to waken

And I arose vpright with that , and folowed hym after

And prayed hym of hys curtesye , to tel me hys name .