And what man he myghte be · of meny man ich askede

Was neuere wiht in þis worlde · þat wisse me couthe

Wher þat he lengede · lasse ne more

Til hit by-ful on a frydaye · two freres ich mette

Maisteres of menours · men of grete witte

Ich {.}hailsede hem hendilyche as ich hadde ylernede

And prayede purcharite / pur charite · ar þei passede forþere

Yf þei knewe eny contrei{e}s · oþer costes a-boute

Wher þat dowel dwelleþ · dere frendes telleþ me

For ȝe aren men of þys molde · þat most wide walken

And knowen contreies and courtes and menye kynne places

Boþe princes paleis · and poure menne Cotes

And dowel and do vuele · wher þei dwellen boþe

Sothliche seide þe frere · he soiourneþ with ous freres

And ay hath as ich hope · and wol her-after

Contra quaþ ich as a clerke · and comsede to dispute

And seide sothliche sepcies in die cadit iustus .

Fallynge fro ioye iesus wot þe sothe

Seuene syche seith þe bok · syngeþ day by day

The alþer ryghtfulleste renk · þat regneþ vpon eerthe

And ho-so syngeþ ich seide · certys doþ nat wel

For ho-so synegeþ sikerliche doþ vuele

And dowel and do vuele · may nat dwelle to-gederes

Ergo he ys nat al-way · at hom among ȝou Freres

He hisLX som-while elles-wher to wisse þe puple

Ich shal seie þe my sone · seide þe frere þenne

How seuene sithes þe sadde man · syngeþ on þe daye

By aforbusene / a forbusene quaþ þe frere · ich shal þe faire shewe

Let brynge a man in a bot · in myddes a brode water

The wynde and þe water · and waggynge of þe bote

Makeþ þe man meny tyme · to stomble yf he stande

Stonde he neuere so styfliche · þorgh sterynge of þe bote

He bendeþ and boweþ · þe body his vnstable

Ac ȝut he is saf and sounde · so fareth hit by þe ryghtful

Þauh he falle he falleþ nat · bote as ho fulle in a bote

Þat ay is saf and sounde · þat sitteþ with-ynne þe borde

So hit fareþ quaþ þe frere · by ryghtfulmannes / ryghtful mannes fallynge

Þawe he þorghe fondinge falle · he falleþ nat out of charite

So dedliche synne doþ he nat · for dowel hym helpeþ

The water ys liknede to þe worlde · þat wanyeþ and wexeþ

The godes of þe grounde · aren lyke to þe grete wawes

As wyndes and wederes · walwen a-boute

The bot ys lycknede to oure body þat brotel ys of kynde

That þorgh þe fende and oure flesch · and þis frele worlde

Senegeþ seuene sithe · þe saddest man on erthe

And lyfholiest of lyf þat lyueth vnder þe sonne

Ac free wil and free wit · folweþ a man euere

To repenten and ryse · and rowen out of synne

To contricion to confession · til he come to hus ende

Raþer haue we no reste · til we restitue

Oure lyf to oure lord god · for oure lykames gultes

Ich haue no kynde knowyng quaþ ich · to conceyue al þy speche

Ac yf ich may lyue and loke · ich shal go lerne bettere

Ich by-kenne þe crist quaþ he · þat on þe croice deide

And ich seide þe same · saue ȝow fro meschaunce

And gyue me grace on þis grounde · with good ende to deye

Ich wente forþ wyde-where · walkynge myn one

In a wylde wyldernesse · by a wode syde

Blisse of briddes · a-byde me made

And vnder lynde in a launde · lenede ich a stounde

To lithen here laies · and here loueliche notes

Murtthe of here murye mouthes · made me to slepe

And merueilousliche me mette · a-myddes al þat blisse

A muche man me þouhte · lyke to my-selue

Cam and callede me · by my ryhte name

What ert þow quaþ ich · þat my name knowest

That wost þou wille quaþ he · and no wight betere

Wot ich quaþ ich · ho ert þow · thouhte seide he þenne

Ich haue þe suwed þis seue ȝer · seih þou me no rather

Ert þow þouhte quaþ ich þo · þow couþest me wisse

Were þat dowel dwelleþ · and do me to knowe

Dowel and dobet quaþ he · and dobest þe þridde

Beþ þre fayre vertues · and beeþ nouht ferr to fynde

Who-so his trywe of ys tonge · and of hus to handes

And þorwe leel labour lyueþ · and loueþ hus emcristine

And þer-to trywe of hus tail · and halt wel hus handes

Nouht dronkelewe ne deynous dowel hym folweþ

Dobet doþ al this · ac ȝut he doþ more

He is lowe as a lombe · and loueliche of speche

And helpeth herteliche alle men · of þat he may aspare

The bagges and þe by-gurdeles · he hath to-broke hem alle

That þe eorl auerous · heeld and hus eires

And of mammonaes moneye · mad hym meny frendes

And is ronne in-to religion · and rendreþ hus byble

And precheþ to þe puple · seynt poules wordes

Libenter suffertis insipientes cum sitis ipsi sapientes .

Ȝe wordliche wyse · vnwyse þat ȝe suffre

Lene hem and loue hem · this latyn ys to mene

Dobest bere sholde · þe bisshopes croce

And halye with hoked ende · ille men to goode

And with þe pyk putte adoune preuaricatores legis .

Lordes þat lyuen as hem lust · and no lawe a-counten

And fore here mok and for here meeble · suche men þynken

That no Bisshop sholde · here byddinge with-sitte

Ac dobest sholde nat dreden hym · bote do as god hihte

Nolite timere eos qui possunt occidere corpus .

Thus dowel and dobet diuinede and dobest .

And crounede on to be kyng** · to culle with-oute synne

That wolde nat don as dobest diuinede and tauhte

Thus dowel and dobet and dobest þe þridde

Crounede on to be kyng** · and kepen ous alle

And reulen alle reaumes · by here þre wittes

Bote oþer-wise ne elles nat · bote as þei þree assented

Ich þonked þouht þo · þat he me so tauhte

Ȝut sauereþ me nat þi sawe quaþ ich · so me crist spede

A more kynde knowyng · coueite ich to huyre

Of dowel and of dobet and ho dobest of alle

Bote wit wolle þe wis{e}se quaþ þouht · wer þo þre dwellen

Elles know ich non þat can · in none kynriche

Thouth and ich thus þre daies · to-gederes we ȝeoden

Dispitynge vp dowel daye after oþere

And er we were ywar · with wit gan we mete

He was long and lene · lyke to non oþer

Was no pruyde in hus aparail · ne pouerte noþer

Sad of hus semblant · with a softe speche

Ich þurste meue no matere · to maken hym to Iangle

Bote as ich bad thouth þo . be mene by-twene

And putte forth som purpos · to proouen hus wittes

What dowel was fro dobet and dobest fro hem boþe

Thenne thouth in þan tyme · seede þeese wordes

War dowel and dobet and dobest been in londe

Her is on wolde wite yf wit couthe teche

And what lyues thei lyuen · and what lawe thei vsen

What þei drede an douhten · dere syre telleþ

Syre dowel dwelleþ quaþ wit nat a daye hennes

In a castel þat Kynde made · of foure kyne þynges

Of erthe of aier yt is made · medled to-gederes

With wynd and water · wittyliche en-ioynede

Kynde hath closed þer-ynne · craftilyche with-alle

A lemman þat he loueþ wel · lyke to hym-selue

Anima hue hatte · to hure hath enuye

A prout prikyere of fraunce princeps huius mundi .

And wolde wynne hure away · with whiles yf he myghte

And kynde knoweth þis wel · and kepeth hure þe betere

And dooþ hure with syre dowel duk of þes marches

Dobet ys here damesele · syre doweles douhter

To serue þat lady leelly · boþe late and rathe

Dobest ys a-boue boþe · a bisshopes peer

And by hus lerynge is ladde · þat ilke lady anima .

The constable of þat castel · þat kepeþ hem alle

Is a wys knyght with alle · syre Inwit he hatte

And haþ fyue faire sones · by hus furste wyf

Syre seewel syre seiwel syre huyrewel þe hende

Syre worchewel with þyn hand · awight / a wight man of strengthe

And syre godfaith gowel grete lordes alle

Theese fyue ben ysett · for to sauye anima .

Til kynde come oþer seynde · and kepe hure hym-self

What lyues þyng is kynde quaþ ich · canst þow me telle

Kynde is creature quaþ wit of alle kyne þynges

Fader and formour · of al þat forth groweþ

The wiche is god grettest · þat gynnynge hadde neuere

Lord of lyf and of lyght of lysse and of payne

Angeles and alle þyng** · aren at hus wil

Man is hym most lyk . of membres and of face

And semblable in soule to god · bote yf synne hit make

And as þow suxt þe sonne · som tyme for cloudes

May nat shyne ne shewe · on shalkes on erthe

Right so letteþ lecherie · and oþer lut{.}her synnes

Þat god suweþ nat synful men and suffreþ hem mys-fare

As somme hongen hem-self · and oþer-while a-drencheþ

God wol nat of hem wite · bote leteþ hem yworthe

As þe sauter seiþ · by suche synful shrewes

Et dimisi eos secundum desiderium eorum .

Loke suche luther men · lome ben ryche

For thei loueþ and by-leyueþ · al here lyf-tyme

More in catel þan in kynde þat alle kyne þynges wroghte

The wiche is boþe loue and lyf · and lasteþ with-outen ende

Inwitt* and alle whittes · closed ben þer-ynne

By loue and by leaute · þer-by lyueþ anima .

And lyf lyueþ by Inwitt* · and lerynge of kynde .

Inwitt* / is in þe hefd · as anima þe herte

And muche wo worth hym · þat Inwitt* mys-speyneþ

For þat is godes owen good · hus grace and hus tresour

That meny lede leeseþ · thorw lykerouse drynke

As lot dude and noe an herodes þe daffe

Ȝaf hus douhter for daunsyng** · in a dissh* þe hefde

Of þe blessyde baptiste . by-fore alle hus gustes

Euery man þat hath ynwitt** · and hus hele boþe

Hath tresour ynow in treuthe · to fynde with hym-selue

Ac fauntekynes and fooles · þe wiche fauten Inwitt**

Frendes suche fynden hem · and fro folye kepe

And holychurche helpe to so sholde no man begge

Ne spille speche ne tyme · ne myspende neiþer

Meeble ne vnmeeble · mete nother drynke

And þanne dude we alle wel · and ȝut wel bet to louye

Oure enemyes entyreliche · and help hem at here neede

And ȝut were best to bee a-boute · and brynge hit to hepe

That alle londes lyueden · anLX in on lawe by-leouede

Bisshopes sholde be here a-boute · and brynge þis to hepe

For to leese þere-fore here londe · and here lyf after

The catel þat crist hadde · þre cloþes hit were

Ther-of was ryflede · and robbed er he deyede

After þat he les hus lyf · for lawe sholde loue wexe

Prelates and Preestes · and princes of holy churche

Sholde doute no deþ · noþer dere ȝeres

To wenden as wyde as þe worlde were

To tulien the eerthe with tonge · and teche men to louye

For ho-so loueþ leyue hit wel · god wol nat lete hym sterue

In myschef for lacke of mete · ne for myssynge of cloþes

Inquiretisautem dominum non minuentur omni bono .

Ho-so lyueþ in lawe · and in loue doþ wel

As theese weddid men · þat þis worlde susteynen

For of here kynde thei come · confessours and maistres

Patriarkes and prophetes · popes and maidones

For god seith hit hym-self · shal neuere good appel

Þorw no sotel science · on sour stock growe

And hit ys no more to mene · bote men þat buth by-getyn

Out of matrimonie nat moillere · mowe nat haue þe grace

That leelle legitime · by lawe may cleyme

And þat my sawe be soth · þe sauter bereþ wittnesse

Concepit in dolore & peperit iniquitatem .

Caym þe cursed creature · conceyued was in synne

After þat adam and eue . hadden ysynged

With-oute repentaunce · of here rechilesnesse

A ryband þei engendrede . and a gome vnryghtful

As an hywe þat ereþ nat auntreþ hym to sowe

On a leye lond a-ȝens hus lordes wille

So was caym conceyued · and so been cursed w{.}recches

That lycame han a-ȝen þe lawe · þat oure lord ordeynede

Alle þat come of caym caytyues were euere

And for þe synne of caymes sed · seyde god to noe

Penitet me fecisse hominem .

And bad shappe hym a shup · of shides and of bordes

Thi-selue and þy sones þree · and sitthen ȝoure wyues

Buske ȝow to þat bot · a-bydeþ þer-ynne

Til fourty dayes be fulfilled · and flod haue wasshe

Clene away þe cursede blod · that of cayme ys spronge

Bestes þat now beeþ · banne shulleþ þe tyme

That euere þat cursed cayme · cam on this erthe

Alle shullen deye for hus dedes · by dales and hulles

And þe foules þat flen · forth with othere bestes

Excepte onliche of eche kynde apeyre / a peyre

That in þy shynglede shup · with the shal be sauede

Here aboute þe barn · hus belsires gultes

And alle for here for-fadres · ferden þe worse

The godspel ys her a-geyn · as gomes may reden

Filius non importabit iniquitatem patris . & cetera .

Holy writ wittnesseþ · þat for no wickede dede

That þe sire hym-self doþ · by hus owene wil

The sone fore syres synne · sholde nat be þe werse

West-mynster lawe ich wot wel · worcheþ þe contrarie

For þauh þe fader be a fraunkelayne · and for a felon be hanged

The heritage þat þe air sholde haue · ys at þe kynges wille

Ac þe godspel ys a glose þere · hudynge þe greythe treuthe

For god seide ensample · of suche manere isshue

That kynde folweþ kynde · and contrarieþ neuere

Numquam colligunt de spinis uuas . & alibi .

Bona arbor bonum fructum facit .

Ac whi þe worlde was a-drent · holy writ telleþ

Was for mariages of man-kynde · þat men maden þat tyme

After þat caym þe cursede · hadde culled abel

Seth Adames sone · sitthen was engendrede

And god sente to seth so sone he was of age

That for no kyne catel · ne no kyne byheste

Suffren hus seed seeden with caymes seed hus broþer

And for þat seth suffrede hit · god seide me for-þynkeþ

That ich man made · oþere matrimonye suffrede

For good sholde wedden good · þauh þei no good hadde

For ich am · uia & ueritas and may auaunce hem alle

Ac fewe folke folweþ this · for thei ȝeueþ here children

For couetise of catel · and connynge chapman

Of kyn ne of kynredene · a-counteþ men bote lytel

Þauh he be loueliche to loken on · and lofsom a-bedde

A mayde wel ymanerede · of good men spronge

Bote hue haue eny oþer good · haue hure wol no ryche

Ac let hure be vnloueliche · vnlofsom a-bedde

A bastarde · a bounde on a begeneldes douhter

That no curtesye can · bote let hure be knowe

For ryche oþer wel yrented · þauh hue reuely for elde

Ther nys squier ne knyght · in contreye a-boute

That he nel bowe to þat bonde · to bede hure an hosebonde

And wedden hure for hure welthe · and wisshen on þe morwe

That hus wyf were wex · oþer a watel ful of nobles

In gelesie ioye-lees and Ianglynge a-bedde

Meny peire sitthe the pestilence tyme · han plight treuthe to louye

Ac þei lyen sothliche · here noþer loueþ oþere

The frut þat þei bryngen forth · aren meny foule wordes

Thei han no children bote cheste · and choppes hem by-twyne

Thauh þei don hem to donemowe . bote þe deuel hem helpe

To folwen for þe flicche · feccheþ þei hit neuere

Bote þei bothe be for-swore · that bacon thei tyne

For-thi ich counseile alle crystine · couette neuere be wedded

For couetise of catel · in no kynne wyse

Bote maydenes and maydonesLX · marien ȝow to-gederes

And wydewers and wydewes · weddeþ ayþer oþer

And loke þat loue be more þe cause · þan lond oþer noobles

And euerech manere seculer man · þat may nat contynne

Wisliche go wedde and war þe fro þat synne

That lecherye is a lykynge þyng · and lym-ȝerde of helle

And whil þow ert ȝong and ȝep · and þy wepne kene

Awreke þe þer-with on wyuynge · for godes werk ich holde hit

Dum sis uir fortis ne des tua robora scortis .

Scribitur in portis meretrix est ianua mortis .

Ȝe þat han wyues beþ war · worcheþ nat out of tyme

As adam dude and eue as ich whiler tolde

For sholde no bed-borde be · bote yf þei boþe were

Clene of lyf and loue in saule · and in leel wedlok*

For þat derne dede · do no man sholde

Bote wedded men with here wyues · as holy writ telleþ

Bonum est ut unusquisque uxorem suam habeat propter fornicacionem .

That oþere-gates been gete · for gadelynges aren holde

And fals folke and foundlynges · faitours and lyers

Vngraciouse to gete good · oþere good loue of puple

A·waytynge and wastynge · al þat thei cacche mowe

A·ȝens dowel thei don vuele · and þe deuel seruen

And after here deþ daye · dwellen shulle in helle

Bote god gyue grace her · goynge to amende

And thus ys dowel my frend · to day as lawe techeþ

To louye and to lowe the · and no lyf to greue

Ac to louye and to leue · leyf me þat is dobet

Ac to ȝeue and to ȝeme · boþe ȝonge and holde

Helen and helpen · is dobest of alle

Fore þe more a man may do · by so þat he do hit

The more is he worth and worthi · of wyse and goode ypreised