Wynkyng* as it were  wyterly ich saw hyt

Of tryuþe & of tricherye  of tresoun and of gyle

Al ich saw slepynge  as ich shal ȝow telle

Esteward ich byhulde  after þe sonne

And sawe a toure as ich trowede  truthe was þer-ynne

Westwarde ich waitede · in a wyle after

And sawe a deep dale · deþ as ich lyuede

Wonede in þo wones · and wyckede spiritus

Afair / A fair feld fol of folke · fonde ich þer bytwyne

Alle manere of men · þe mene & þe ryche

Worchynge and wandrynge · as þe worlde askeþ

Somme pute hem to plow · and pleiden fol seylde {e overwitten?}

In settyng and in sawyng* · swonken ful harde

And wonne þat þuse wasters · wit glotenye distryeþ

Somme putte hem to pruyde · & parailede hem þer-after

In contenuance & in cloþynge · in Meny kynne gyse

In praiers & in penaunces · putten hem Manye

Al for þe loue of oure lorde · lyuend ful harde

In hope to haue a goud ende · & heuene-ryche Blysse

As ancres and Eremites · þat holden hem in hure cellys

Coueytynge noȝt in contrees · to tarien a-boute

For no lykerouse lyflode · hure lykame to plese

And somme chosen cheffare · þey cheffede þe betere

As hit sem{i}eþ to oure syght · þat soche men þryueþ

And somme murthes to make · as mynstrals conneþ

Þat wollen · neyþer swynke ne swete bote swery grete oþes

And fynde vp foule fantesyes · and foles hem maken

And hauen witte at wylle · to worche yf þey wolde

Þat Paul . prechi{.}þ of hem · prouen hit ich myghte

Qui turpiloquium loquitur · ys lucyfers knaue

Bydders and Beggers · faste a-boute ȝoden

Tyl hure bagge and hure bely · were bred ful ycrammyd

Faytynge for hure fode · and fouhten atten Ale

In glotenye tho gomes · goth þey to bedde

And aryseþ wit ribaudrie · tho Roberdes knaues

Slep & synful sleuthe · seweþ suche euere

Pylgrimis & palmers · plyȝhten hem to-gederes

To siche seint Iame · and se{n}yntys of rome

Wenten forth in hure way · wit meny vn-wyse tale

And hauen leue to lye · al hure lyf-tyme ·

Eremytes on an hep · with hokede staues

Wenten to Walsyngham · and hure wenches after

Grete lobies and longe · & loth were to swynke

Cloþede hem in copis · to be knowe fro oþere

And made hem-silue Eremytes · hure eise to haue

Ich fond þer frerus · alle þe foure ordres

Prechynge þe peple · for profit of þe wombe

And glosynge þe godspel · as hem good lykede

For couetise of copes · contrariede som doctors

Meny of þis maistres · of mendinant freres

Hure monye & marchaundise · marchen to-gederes

Ac sutth charite hath be chapman · and chef to shryue lordes

Many ferlies han fallen · in a fewe ȝeres

Bote holy churche & charite · choppe a-doun swich shryuers

Þe moste myschif of molde · Mounteþ vp faste

Ther preched a pardoner · as he a prest were

And broute forþ abulle · with bisshopis seles

And seide þat hym-selue myȝthe · asoilie hem alle

Of falsnesse of fastinges · of vowes to broke

Lewede men lyuede hym wel · and likeden hus wordes

Comen & kneleden · to kyssen his bulles

He blessede hem with hus bulles · and blerede hure eye

And raghte with hus rageman · rynges an Broches

Thus ȝe ȝeueþ ȝoure golde · glotones to helpe

And leneþ it to loreles · þat lecherie haunten

Were þe bisshop blessid · eþer worth boþe hus eren

Hus sele sholde noȝt be sent · in deceit of þe puple

Ac it ys noȝt by þe bysshop · þat þe boye precheþ

Þe parsheprest / parshe prest and þe pardoner · parten þe seluer

Þat poore puple in parshes · sholde haue yf þei ne were

Persones & parsheprestes · pleynede to þe bisshop

Þat hure parshen ben poore · sitthe þe pestelence tyme

To haue licence & leue · in londone to dwelle

And synge þer for symonye · þe wyle seluer ys swete

Bisshopes and bachilers · boþe maisters and doctors

Þat han cure vnder cryst · and crownynge in tokne

Ben chargid wit holy churche · charyte to tulie

Þat is leel loue and lif · a-mong* lered and lewed

Thei leyen in londene · in lentene and elles

Somme seruen þe kynge · and hus seluer tellen

In þe chekkere and þe chauncelrie · chalengynge hus dettes

Of wardes & of wardemotes · wayues and strayues

Somme aren as seneschals · and seruen oþere lordes

And ben in stede of stywardes · and sitten & demen

Concience cam & acusede hem · and þe comune herde hit*

And seide ydolatrie ȝe soffren · in sondrye places menye

And boxes ben yset forþ · bounden with yre

To vnder-take þe tool · of vntrewe sacrifice

In menynge of miracles · muche wex hongeþ þere

Al þe wordle wot wel · hit myȝte nat be trywe

Ac for it profitiþ ȝow to porswarde · ȝe prelates soffren

Þat lewede men in mysbylyue · leuen & deien

Ich lyue wel · by oure lorde · for loue of ȝoure couetyse

Þat al þe wolde / wo[r]lde be þe wors · as holy wryȝt telleþ

What cheste & meschaunce · to children of israel

Ful on hem þat free were · þorwe two false preestes

For þe synne of ophin · · and of finéés · hus brother

Þei were disconfit in bataille and losten Archa . deiC

And fore hure syre sauh hem syngen · and soffrede hem don ille

And noȝt chasted hem þer-of · and wolde noȝt rebuke hem

A-non as it was ytold hyme · þat þe children of israel

Weren disconfit in bataille and Archa dei . ylore

And hus sones slayen · anon he ful for sorwe

Fro hus chaire þare he sat · and brak hus necke a-tweyne

And al was for veniaunce · þat he butLX noȝt hus children

And for þey were preestes · and men of holychurche

God was wel þe wroþer · and tok þe raþere veniaunce

For þei ich seȝe ȝe preestes and men of holychurche

Þat soffren men do sacrifice · and worshepen Maumettes

And ȝe sholde be here fadres · and techen hem betere

God shal take veniaunce · in alle swiche preestes

Wel harder and grettere · on suche shrewede faderes

Þan euere he dude on ophin · and finéés · or in here fader

For ȝoure shrewede suffraunce · and ȝoure owene synne

Ȝoure masse & ȝoure matynes and meny of ȝoure houres

Aren don vndeuotlich* · drede ys at þe laste

Leste crist in hus constorie · of ȝow · a-corse menye

Ich parceuede of þe power · þat peter . hadde to kepe

To bynden and vnbynden · as þe boke telleþ

How he loste witLX loue · as oure lorde wolde

Amonges foure vertues · most vertuose of vertues

That cardinales ben callid · and closynde ȝates

Ther crist is in kyngdome · to closye with heuene

Ac of þe cardinales at court · þat chaut han such* a name

An power presumen in hem-self · a pope to make

To haue þe power þat peter . hadde · repugnen ich nelle

For in loue and in letterure · lith þe grete eleccion

Countrepleide it noȝt quahtLX Conscience . for holy churches sake

Þanne cam þer akyng / a kyng* · knyȝt-hod hym ladde

The meche myȝte of þe men · made hym to regne

And þanne cam a kynde witte · & clerkus he made

And conscience & kynde wit · and knyȝt-hod to-gederes

Caste þat þe comune · sholde hure comunes fynde

Kyndewit & þe comune · contreuede alle craftes

And for most profytable to þe puple · a plouh þei gonne make

Wit leel labour to lyue · wyl lyue and londe lasteth

Than kynde wit to þe kyng · and to þe comune seide

Crist kep þe kyng* · and þy kynryche

And lyue þe lede so þy lon{e}de · þat leaute þe louye

And for þy ryȝtful ruelyng* · be rewardid in heuene

Conscience · to cleregie · and to þe kyng saide

Sum rex sum princeps · venturum fortasse deinceps

O qui iura regis · ChristiP specialia regis

Hoc vt agas melius · iustus & esto pius

Nudum ius a te · vestiri vult pietate

Qualia vis metere · talia grana sere

Si seritur pietas · de pietate metas

Conscience . and þe kyng* · in-to þe court wenten

Wer houede an hondred · in houes of silke ·

Seriauntes hij semede · þat seruen atte þe barre

To plede for penyes · and poundes þe lawe

And nat for oure lordes loue · vnlose hure lyppe ones

Þow myȝt bet mete þe myst · on maluerne hulles

Þan gete a mom of hure mouth · til moneye be hem shewid

Thanne ran þer a route · of ratones as it were

And smale mys with hem · mo þan a þousand

Come to on counsail · for hure comune profit

For a cat of a court · cam wanne hym lykyde

And ouer-leep hem lyȝtlyiche · and lauhte hem at wille

And pleide with hem periloslich · & putte hem þer hym lykyde

And if we grucche of hys game · he wol greue ous sarrer

To hus clees clawen ows · and in hys cloches holde

Þat ous loþeth þe lyf · er he lete ows passe

Myȝte we witLX eny wyȝt · hus wil to with-sette

We myȝte be lordes aloft · and lyue as vs lusten

Tho saide a raton of renoun · mestLG resonable of tonge

Ich haue yseie grete syres · in sytees and in tounes

Bere byȝes of bryȝt gold · al aboute hure neckes

And colers of crafty werke · boþe knyȝtes and squiers

Were þer abelle / a belle on hure byȝe · by Ihesus me þynkeþ

Men myȝte wite wer þei wenten · an{n}d hure wey roume

Ryȝt so quaþ þe raton · reison me shewith

A belle to byggen of bras · oþer of bryȝt seluer

And knytte it on a coler · for oure comune profit

And honge aboute þe cattys hals · þanne hure we mowe

Wer he ryt oþer rest · oþer romyþ to pleye

And yf hym luste for to layke · þanne loke we mowe

And appere in hus presence · wil hym pleye lykeþ

And yf he wratthe we mowe be war · and hus way roume

Al þe route of þe ratons · to þys reison a-sentede

Ac þo þe belle was ybouȝth and þe byȝe hongede

Ther was no raton of al þe route · for al þe reame of fraunce

Þa þerste haue bounde þe belle · a-boute þe cattes necke

Ne haue it hongid a-boute hus hals · al engelonnd to wynne

And leten hure labour ylost · and al hure longe trauail

A mous þat muche good couthe · as me þo þouthe

Strok forþ sturneliche · and stod by-for hem alle

And to þe route of ratones · rehercede þuse wordes

Thauh we hadde ycullid þe catte · ȝut sholde þer come anoþer

To chracchen ous & al oure kynde · þouh we crepe vnder benches

For þei ich consaile for comune profit · lete þe cat worthe

And neuere be we so bold · þe belle hym to shewe

For ich hurde my syre sayn · seuen ȝer passed

Ther þe cat nys bote a kyton · þe court is ful elynge

Witnesse of holy wryt · who-so can rede

UE terre ubi puer est Rex .

Ich sigge it for me quaþ þe mous · ich seo so muchel after

Shal neuere þe cat ne þe kyton · by my consail be greuede

Ne carpen of hure colers · þat costide me neuere

And þauh it costned me catel · by-knowe ich ne wolde

Bote soffren and sigge nouht · and so is þe beste

Tyl myschief a-menden hym · þat meny men chasteþ

And meny mannys malt · we myes wolde distrye

And ȝe route of ratons · of rest men a-wake ·

Ne were þe cat of þe court · And ȝonge kytones to-warde

For hadde ȝe ratones ȝoure reed · ȝe couthe nat ruelie ȝow-selue

Wat this metals by-meneþ · ȝe men þat butLG murye

Diuine ȝe for ich ne dar · by dere god almyȝty

Ȝut mete me more · of mene and of ryche

As barouns & burgeis · and bonde-men of þroupes

Al ich sauh slepyng* · as ȝe shullen hure after

Boþe bakers and brywers · bouchers and oþere

Webbesters and walkers · an wynners with handen

As taylours and tanners · and tyliers of erthe

As dikers and deluers · þat don here dedes ille

And dryueþ forþ hure daies · with deux saue dame emme

Kokes and here knaues trieden · hote pyes · hote

Good goos and grys · go we dyne gowe

Tauerners a tast for nouht · tolden þe same

Whit wyn of oseye · and of gastoyne

Of þe ruele and of þe rochel · wyn þe roste to defye

Al þis ich sauh slepynge · and seuene sythes more