That wollen by-molen it , many adayes maugry my chekes

It hath ben laued in lente , & out of lente both

With the soupe of sickenes , that seketh wonder depe ,

And with the losse of cattell , loth for to a gylt

God or any good man , by ought that I wiste

And was shriuen of a priest , that gafe me for my sinnes

To penaunce Patience , and pore men to fede

Al for couetis of my christendome , in clennes to kepe it

And could I neuer by Christ , kepe it cleane an houre

That I ne soyled it with sight , or with some idle speach

Or through work or through word , or wil of my hert

That I ne slober it foule , from morowe tyll euen

And I shall kenne the quod Conscience , of contrition to make

That shal claw thy cote , of al kinds of filth .

Cordis contritio . &cetera .

Dowel shal wash it & wryng it , through a wyse confessoure

Oris confessio ,

Dobet shal beat it & bonke it as bryght as any scarlet

And engrauen it with good wyl , & gods grace to amend þe

And sithen send the to satisfaction , for to sowen it after .

Satisfactio dobeste ,

Shal neuer chest bymolen it , ne mough after byte it

Ne fende ne false man , defoulen it in thy lyfe

Shall no heraude ne harper , haue a fayrer garmente

Than Hankin the actyue man , & thou do by my teaching

Ne no minstrel be more worthe , amonge pore & ryche

Than Hankyns wyfe the waferer , with hys actiua vita

And I shal puruey þe paast & patience , though no plow erye

And floure to fede folke withal , as best be for þe soule

Thoughe neuer grene growed , nor grape apon vyne

All that lyueth and loketh lyuelode woulde I fynde

And that inough shal none faile , of thing þat hem nedeth

We should not be to busy aboute oure lyuelode

Ne soliciti sitis . &cetera , Uolucres celi deus pascit , &cetera , patien

Than laughed Hankyn a lytle , and lyghtly gan swere

Who-so leueth you bi our lord , I leue not he be bleste

No quod Conscience Patiently , and out of his poke hent

Uytailes of greate vertues for all maner beastes

And sayd looe here liuelode inoughe , if oure beleue be true

For lent neuer was life , but liuelode were shapen

Wherof or wherfore , or wherby to lyue

Fyrste the wylde worme vnder wete earth

Fyshe to lyue in the floude , and in the fyre the creket

The kurlew by kind of hem are clenest flesh of byrds

And beastes by grasse and by grene , & by grene rotes

In meanynge that all men might the same do ,

Lyue through lele beleue , & loue as god wytnesseth .

Quodcumque petieritis a patre meo in nomine meo , & cetera ,

And I loked what liuelod it was , þat patience so praised

Haue Hanken quod Patience , & eate thys whan þe hungreth

Or whan thou clomsest for colde , or clyngest for drye

Shall neuer gyues the greue , ne great lordes wrathe

And it was a piece of þe Pater noster , Fiat voluntas tua

Prison ne payne , for Patientes vincunt ,

By so that thou be sobre of syght and of tonge

In eatyng , & in handelyng , and in all thy fyue wyttes :

Darst thou neuer care for corne , ne lynen cloth ne wollen

Ne for drynke ne death dreade , but dye as god lyketh

Or through honger or through heate , at hys wil be it

For if thou liue after hys lore , the shorter life þe better .

Si quis amat Christum , mundum non diligit istum .

For through his breath beastes waxed & abrode yeden

Dixit et facta sunt .

Ergo throughe hys breath may men and beast liuen

As holy wryte wytnesseth whan men sein her graces

Aperis tu manum tuam et imples omne auimal / a[n]imal benedictione .

It is found that forty winter folke liued without tilling

And out of þe flint spronge the floud þat folke and beastes dronke

And in Helies time heauen was closed

That no raine ne ronne , thus reade men in bokes

That many wynter men lyued , & no meate ne tiliden

Seuen slept as sayth the boke , seuen hundred wynter

And lyued without lyuelode and at the last they woken

If men liuid as mesure wold , shud neuer mor be defaut

Amonge christen creatures if christes wordes be true

And vnkindnes Charistiam , maketh amonge christen puple

And ouer plenty maketh pryde amonges pore & rych

Therfor mesure is so mich worth it mai not be to dere

For the mischife & the mischaunce amongs men of Sodom

Wext throughe plenty of payne and of pure Slouth

Ociositas et habundantia panis , peccatum turpissimum

For they measured not hem-selfe of þat they eat & drancke

They dyd deadly synne that the deuyll lyked

So vengeaunce fel apon hem for her vyle synnes

They sonken into hell the cityes eche one

Therfore mesure we vs wel & make faith our feltron

And through fayth cometh contrition Conscience wot wel

Whych dryueth away deadly syn & doth it to veniall

And though a man might not spek contrition might saue

And bring his soul to blisse , be so þe fayth were witnes

That while he liued he beleued in þe lore of holy kyrke

Ergo contrition fayth & conscience , is kindly dowel

And surgeons for dedly sin , whan shrift of mouth faileth

And shrift of mouth more worthi is , if man be lik contrit

For shryft of mouth sleeth sinne , be it neuer so deadly .

Per confessionem to a prieste , peccata occiduntur ,

Ther contrition doth driue downe into veniall synne

As Dauid sayth in the psalter , Et quorum secta / [t]ecta sunt peccata

And satisfaction seketh oute the rote

And bothe slepe and voydeth

And as it neuer had ben to nought , bringeth dealy / dea[d]ly sin

That eft it is not sene ne sore , but semith a wound helid

Where wonith chariti quod Hankin , I wist neuer in mi lyfe

Man that wyth hym spake , as wyde as I haue passed

That perfit trouth & pore herte is , & Patience of tong

There is charitie þe chiefe chamberer for God hym-selfe

Wher patient porti quod Hankin be mor plesant to our dright

Than ryches rightfully wonne , & resonably dispended

Ye quis est ille quod Patience , quyke laudabimus eum

Though men read of ryches , right to the worlds end

I wist neuer reuke / re[n]ke þat rych was , þat whan he reken should

When he drough to his dethes day , þat he ne drad him sore

And that at þe rekening in arerage fel , rather then out of dette

There þe pore dare plete & preue by pure reason

To haue alowaunce of his lord , bi þe law he it claimeth

Ioy that neuer ioy had , of ryghtfull iudge he asketh

And seeth so byrdes and beasts þat no blys ne knoweth

And wild worms in woods by winters yow greuith

And maketh hem welnyghe meke , & milde for defaute

And after þou sendest hem somer , that is hir souerayn ioye

And blysse to that bene bothe wylde and tame

Than may beggers as beastes after bote wayten

That all hir lyfe haue lyued , in langour and in defaute

But god sent hem sometime , some maner ioye

Or here or els where , kynde woulde it neuer

For to wrotherhele was he wroght , that neuer was ioy shapen

Angels þat in hel now ben , had ioye sometime

And Diues in dentis lyued , and in Douce vie

Ryght so reason sheweth that the men that were rych

And her makes also , liued her lyues in myrth

And god is of a wonderous wil , by þat kind wit shewith

To giue mani man mercimonie , er he it hath deseruid

Right so fareth god by some rich , ruth me it thinketh

For they haue her hyre here , and heuen as is were

And great lykyng to lyue , without laboure of the bodye

And when he dyeth , he disalowed , as Dauid said in the psalter

Dormierunt et nihil inuenierunt / inuenerunt .

And in an other stede also , Uelut sompnum surgentium domine

In ciuitate tua et ad nichillum rediges ,

Alas that ryches shal reue , and robbe mans soule

From the loue of oure lord , at his last ende

Hewen that haue her hyre afore , are euermore nedy

And seld dieth he out of det , that dineth or he deserue it

And tyll he haue done hys deuour , & hys dayes iorney

For whan a workman hath wrought , than men say þe soth

What he were worthy for his worke , & what he hath deserued

And not to sing before , for dred of disanulling

So I say by you ryche , it semeth not that ye should

Haue heauen in your here beryng , and heuen hereafter

Right as a seruant taketh his salary before , & sith wold claim more

As he that none had , & hath hire at þe last

It may not be the rych men , or Mathew on god lieth

De delitiis ad delitias difficile est transire

And if the ryche haue ruth , and reward well the pore

And lyue as lawe teacheth , done leauty to hem all

Christ of hys curtesy shal confort you at the last

And reward you al double ryches , þat ruful hert haue

And as an hyne that had hys hyre , ere he begone

Whan he hath done his deuour wel , men do him ouirbount

Giue him a cote aboue hys couenaunt , right so Christe geueth heuen

Both to rych & not rich , þat rufully liueth

And al þat done her deuour wel , haue double hire for hir trauel

Here forgiuenes for her sins , & heuen blis after

And it is but seld sene , as by sayntes bokes

That god rewarded double rest to any rych man

For much myrth is among rych , as in meat & clothes

And much myrth in May is amongest wylde beastes

And so forth the while somer lasteth , her solace dureth

And beggers aboute mydsomer , breadles they soupe

And yet is winterfor / winter for hem worse , for wetshode thei gang

A-furst sore , and a-fyngred , and fowle rebuked

And rated of ryche men , that ruth is to heare

Nowe Lorde sende hem somer , and some maner ioye

Heuen after her hence goyng , þat here haue such defaute

For all myghtest þou haue made , none meaner than other

And lyke wytty and wyse , if the well had lyked

And saue ruth of these rich men , þat reward not thy prisoners

Of the good that þou hem giuest , ingrati ben many

And god of thy goodnes giue hem grace to amende

For may no derth ben hem dear , drough ne wete hem greue

Ne neyther heate ne haile , haue they her heale ,

Of that they wyl and would , wanteth hem not here

And pore puple thi prisoners lord in þe put of mischefe

Confort the creatures , that much care suffren

Through death through drough , all her dayes here

Woo in wyntertymes , for wantynge of clothes

And in somer tyme selde soupen to the full

Conforte thy carefull Christe in thy ryches

For how þou confortest all creatures clarkes bereth witnes

Conuertimini ad me , et salui eritis .

Thus In genere , of gentryes Iesu Christ sayde

To robbers and to reuers , to rych and to pore

Thou taughtest hem in thy trinitie to take baptisme

And be cleane through þat christening of all kins sinnes

And if vs fyll through foly to fall in synne after

Confession and knowledginge , and crauing thy mercy

Shal amend vs as many sythes as man would desire

And if the Pope would plede here-agayne and punysh

He should take the acquitaunce as quycke

And to the queed shew it , Pateat &cetera. per passionem domini

And put of so the pouke , and preuen vs vnder borow

And the parchmin of the Patente , of pouerty be most

And of pure patiente and perfect beleue

Of pompe and of pryde , the parcemyn declareth

And principalitie of al people , but they be pore of hert

Els is all idle , and all that euer we wryten

Paternoster and penaunce , and pilgrimages to Rome

But our spenses and spending sprynge of true wyl

Els is all our labour loste , lo howe men wryteth

In fenestres at the Fryers , if false be the fundament

Therfore christen shold be in commen rych , none couetise for him-self

For seuen synnes þat ther be assailen vs euer

The fend foloweth hem al , and foundeth hem to help

And with ryches that rybaude , he rathest men begileth

For there that ryches raygneth , reuerence foloweth

And that is pleasaunt to pryde in pore and in rych

And the rych is reuerenced , by reason of hys ryches

And the pore is put behynd , & peraduenture can more

Of wyt and of wisedome , that farre awaye is better

Than ryches or rialtye , and rather hard in heuen

For þe rych hath much to reken , & right ofte him þat walketh

The hye way to heuenward , ryches hym letteth

Ita possibile diuiti , &cetera

There the pore praiseth before þe rych with a pake at his rygge

Opera enim illorum sequntur illos ,

Batauntly as begers done , & boldly he craueth

For hys pouerty and his patience , a perpetual blysse .

Beati pauperes , quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum

And pryde in riches raygneth , rather than in pouertye

Erst in the master or in þe man , some mantion he haueth

And in pouerty there patience is , pryde hath no might

Ne none of the seuen synnes , syt ne may there longe

Ne haue power in pouertye , if patience it folowe

For the pore is aye preste , to please the ryche

And buxome at hys byddyng , for hys broke loues

And buxomnes and bost are euermore at warre

And either hateth other in all maner workes

If wrath wrestle with the pore , he hath the worse ende

And if they both pleyne , the pore is but feble

And if he chyde or chatter , hym cheueth the worse

And if couetise catch the pore , they mai not come togithers

And by þe nek nameli , ther none mai hent other

For men knowen well that couetouse is of kene wyll

And hath handes and armes of a longe length

Pouerti is but a petit thing , apperith not to his nauel

And louelike was yet neuer bitwene , þe long & þe short

Though auarice wold angry þe pore , he hath but litle might

For poreti hath but pokis , to put in his goods

Their auarice hath almaries , and iron bound cofers

And whether be lyhgter to breake , & lasse bost maketh

A beggers bagge , than an yron bound cofer

Lechery loueth hym not , but he geueth but litle siluer

Ne doth hym not dyne delicatlye , ne drynke wyne ofte

A straw for the Stewes , it stode not I trowe

Had thei nothing but of pore men , her houses stod vntild

And though slouth sue pouerty , & serue not god to pay

Myschiefe is hys master , and maketh hem to thyncke

That god is hys greatest helpe , and no gome els

And he hys seruaunt as he sayth , and of his sute both

And whether he be or be not , he bereth þe sygne of ponerty / po[u]erty

And in þat secte our sauioure , saued al mankynd

Therfore all pouertie that patient is , may claime and asken

After her endynge here , enlyche blysse .

Much hardier mai he aske , þat here might haue his wil

In londe and in lordeshyp , and in lykinge of body

And for gods loue leueth all , and liueth as a begger

And as a mayd for mans loue , hir mother forsaketh

Hyr father and all hyr frendes , & foloweth hyr make

Much more is the loue of hym , that such one taketh

Than a mayden is , that is maried through brocage

As by assent of sundry parties , and siluer to bote

More for couetous of good , than kynde loue of bothe

So it fareth by eche parson , that possession forsaketh

And put hym to be patiente , & pouerty weddeth

Such is sybbe to god hym-selfe , and so to hys sayntes

Haue god my trouth quod Hankyn , ye praise fast pouerty

What is pouerty with Paticience quod he properly to mene

Paupertas quod Patience , Est odibile bonum ,

I can not construe al this quod Hankyn , ye must ken this in english

In english quod patience , it is wel hard to expound

And somedeale I shal say it , by so thou vnderstande

Pouerty is the fyrst poynt , that pryd most hateth

Than it is good by good skyll , all that agasteth pride

Ryght & contricion is a confortable thing , Conscience wot it wel

And sorowe of hym-selfe , & solace to the soule

So pouerty properly , penaunce and ioye

Is to the bodye pure spirituall leche .

Ergo Paupertas est odibile bonum ,

And contrition conforteth , and Cura animarum ,

Selde syt pouertye , the soth to declare

For as iustice to iudge men , enioyned is no pore

Ne to be mayre aboue men , ne minister vnder kinges

Selde is any pore put to punyshe any people .

Remotio curarum ,

Ergo pouerty & pore men performen the commaundemente

Nolite iudicare quemquam , the thyrde

Selde is any pore men rych , of ryghful heritage

Winneth he not with weight false , ne with vnseled mesures

Ne boroweth of his neighbors , but that he may wel paye

Possessio sine calumpnia ,

The fourth is a fortune that florisheth the soule

With sobrietie from al synne , and also yet more

It afayteth the fleshe from foles full many

A collaterall conforte , Christes owne gyfte .

Donum dei ,

The fift is mother of health , a frende in all fondinges

And for the lande euer a leche , a lemman of al clennes .

Sanitas mater ,

The syxte is a path of peace , ye through þe paas of alton

Pouertye myght passe without peryll of robbing

For there that pouerty passeth , peace foloweth after

And euer the lesse that he bereth , þe harder he is of hert

Therfore saith Seneca , Paupertas est absque sollicitudine

And an hardy man of hert , amonge a heape of theues .

Cantabat / Cantab[i]t paupertas coram latrone viatore / viator

The seuenth is wel of wysdome , & few words sheweth

Therfore lords alow him litle , or lysten to his reasone

For he tempereth his tong to truthward , and no treasour coueteth

Sapientie temperatrix ,

Theght is a lely labourer , and lothe to take more

Than he well deserueth in somer or in wynter

And if he chaffreth he chargeth no lose , may he charity winne

Negotium sine damno

The nynth is swete to the soule , no suger is sweter

For Patience is payne , for pouerty hym-selfe

And sobrety swete drynke , and good lech in syckenes ,

Thus lerned me a lettred man , for our lords loue of heuen

Saint Austen a blessed lyfe wythout busines ladde

For body and for soule , Absque solicitudine felicitas

Now god that al good geueth graunt hys soule reste

That this first wrote to wissen men , what pouerty was

Alas quod Hankin þe actiue man tho , þat after my christendome

I ne had be dead and doluell , for dowels sake

So harde it is quod Hankyn to lyue , & to do no synne

Synne sueth vs euer quod he , and sory gan wepe

And wept water with hys eyen , and wayled the time

That euer he dyd dede that dere god displeased

Swowned and sobbed , and syghed full oft

That euer he had lond lordshyp lesse or more

Or maistry ouer any man , mo than of hym-self

I were not worthy wotte god quod Hankyn to were anye clothes

Ne nether shyrt ne show , saue for shame only

To couer my caroen qnod / q[u]od he , and crien mercy fast

And wepte and wayled , and therwyth I waked