Al staryenge dame studie sturneliche seide

Wel art þow wys quaþ hue to wit suche wisdome shewe

To eny fol other flatorere · oþer to frentik puple

And seide nolite mittere ȝe men margerie perles

A-monge hogges þat hauen hawes at wille

Thei don bote dreuelyn þeron · draf were hem leuere

Þan al þe preciouse perreye · þat eny prince weldeþ

Ich segge hit by suche quaþ studie þat shewen by here werkus

That loueþ lond and lordshup · and lykyng* of body more

Than holynesse oþer hendenesse · oþer al þat seintes techeþ

Wysdom and wit now is nat worth a carse

Bote hit be carded with couetyse · as cloþers kemben wolle

Ho þat can contreeue and caste · to deceyue þe puple

And lette with a loueday treuthe and by-gyle hym

That can coueyty anLX caste thus · aren cleped in-to counsail

Qui sapiunt nugas & crimina lege uocantur

Qui recte sapiunt lex iubet ire foras .

He is reuerenced and robe{t}d · þat can robbe þe peuple

Þorwe fallas and false questes · and þorw fykel speche

Iob þe gentil and wys · in hus gestes wytnesseþ

What shal worthe of suche wenne þei lyf leten ·

Ducunt in bonis dies suos & in fine descendunt ad infernum .

The sauter seith þe same · of alle suche ryche

Ibunt in progenie patrum suorum & usque in eternum non uidebunt lumen . Et alibi . ecce ipsi peccatores . & cetera .

Lo holy lettrure seith · wiche lordes been thees shrewes ·

Tho þat most good gyueþ · most greue ryght and treutheC

Que perfecisti destruxerunt iustitiam

And harlotes for harlotrie · aren holpe er nudy poure

And þat is no ryght ne reson · for raþer men sholde

Help hem þat hath nouht · þan þo þat han no neede

Ac he þat haþ holy writ · ay in hus mouthe

And can telle of treuthe and of þe twelue apostels

Oþer of þe passion of crist · oþer of pugatorie peynes

Lytel is he a-lowed þere-fore · a-mong lordes of festes

Now is þe manere atte þe mete · when mynstralles ben stylle

The lewede a-ȝens þe lered · þe holy lore to dispute

And tellen of þe trinite · how two slowe þe þridde

And brynge forth ballede resones · and taken bernarde to wittnesse

And putteþ forþ presompcions to preouen þe sothe

Thus thei dreuelen atte deyes · þe deyte to knowe

And gnawen god with gorge · when here guttes fullen

Ac þe carful mai crie · and quaken atte ȝate

Boþe a-fyngred and a-furst · and for defaute spille

Ys non so hende to haue hym yn · bote hote hym go þer god is

Thenne semeþ hit to my syght · to suche as so biddeþ

God is nat in þat hom · ne hus help neither

Lytel loueþ he þat lorde · that lente hym þat blisse

That so parteþ with þe poure · a parcel wenne hym mideþ

Ne were mercy in mene men · more þan in ryght ryche

Meny tyme mendynans · myghte gon a-fyngred

And so seith þe sauter · ich sauh hit in memento

Ecce audiuimus eam id est caritatem in effrata inuenimus eam in campis silue .

Clerkus and knyghtes · carpen of god ofte

And haueþ hym muche in hure mouthe · ac mene men in herte

Freres and faitours · han founde vp suche questiones

To plese withe proute men · sitthe þe pestelences

That folk is nouht ferm in þe feith · ne free of hereP goodes

Ne sory for here synnes · so is pryuyde en-hansed

In religion and al þe reame · among ryche and poure

That preyeres han no power · thees pestelences to lette

For god is def now-a-dayes · and deyneþ nouht ous to huyre

And good men for oure gultes · he al to-grynt to dyþe

And ȝut þees wrecches of þys worlde · is non whar by oþer

Ne for drede of eny deþ · with-draweþ hem fro pruyde

Ne parteþ with þe poure · as pure charyte wolde

Bote in gayenesse and in glotenye · for-glotten here goodes

And brekeþ nat here bred to þe poure as þe book hoteþ

...?...?...T

Ac þe more he hath and wynneþ · þe worlde at hus wylle

And lordeþ in leedes · the lasse good he deleþ

Tobie tauhteP nat so · takeþ hede ȝe ryche

How he tolde in a tyme · and tauhte hus sone dele

Si tibi sit copia abundanter tribue .

Si autem exiguum illud impertiri libenter stude .

And þis is no more to mene · bote ho-so muche good weldeþ

Be large þer-of while hit laste · to leedes þat been needy

Yf þow haue lytel loue sone · loke by þy lyue

Get þe loue þer-with · þauh þow fare þe werse

Ac lust no lord ne lewed man · of suche lore non to hure

Bote lythen how þey myghte · lerne lest good to spene

And so lyuen lordes now · and leten hit a dowel

For is no wit worth now · bote hit of wynnynge soune

For thi quaþ hue to wit be war · holy writ to shewe

Amonges hem þat hauen · hawes atte wille

The wiche is a lykynge and aloust / a loust and loue of þe worlde

An wanne wit was whar · what studie menede

Ich myghte gete no greyn · of wittes grete wittes

Bote al lauhwynge he lotede · and loked vp-on studie

Semynge þat ich sholde · by-sechen hure of grace

When ich was war of hus wil · to þat womman ich loutede

And seide mercy ma-dame · ȝoure man shal ich worthe

As longe as ich lyue · bothe late and rathe

And for to worche ȝoure wil · the while my lyf duyreþ

With þat ȝe kenne me kyndeliche · to knowe what is dowel

For thi meeknesse quaþ hue · and for thi mylde speche

Ich shal þe kenne to clergie my cosyn þat knoweth

Alle kyne konnynges · and comsynges of dowel

Of dobet and dobest for doctor he his yknowe

And of scripture þe skyful / skylful · and scryuaynes were trywe

For hue is sybbe to þe seuen ars · and also my soster

And cleregies wedded wif · as wys as hym-selue

Of lore and of letterure · of lawe and of reson

So with þat þat cleregie can · and counsail of scripture

Thow shalt conne and knowe · kendeliche dowel

Thenne was ich al-so fayn · as foul of fair morwenynge

Gladder þan gleo-man · þat gold haþ to gyfte

And asked of hure þe heye way · wher þat cleregie dwelte

And tel me som tokne quaþ ich · for tyme is þat ich wende

Aske þe heye wey quaþ hue · hennes to suffre

Bothe wele and moche wo yf þow wolt lerne

And ryd forth by richesse and r{.}est nouht þer-ynne

Yf þow coueity to be riche · to cleregie comst þow neuere

Bothe wommon and wyn · wratthe yre and slewthe

Yf þou hit vse oþer haunte · haue god my treuthe

To clergie shalt þow neuere come · ne knowe what ys · dowel

Ac yf þou happe quaþ hue · þat þow hitte on clergie

And hast vnderstondyng* · what he wolde mene

Sey to hym þy-self · oueer-see my bokes

And seye ich grette wel hus wif · ich wrot hure abyble / a byble

And sette hure to sapience · and to þe sauter glosede

Logyk ich lerede hure · and al þe lawe after

Alle þe musons in musyk* ich made hure to knowe

Plato þe poete · ich putte hym ferst to booke

Aristotile and oþere · to arguen ich tauhte

Grammere for gurles · ich gart furst wryte

And bet hem with a baleyse · bote yf þei wolde lerne

Of alle kyne craftes · ich contreeuede here tooles

Of carpentrie of kerueres · and contreeuede þe compas

And cast out by squire · boþe lyne and leuell

Thus þorw my lore beþ men ylered · þauh ich loke dymme

Ac theologie haþ teened me · ten score tymes

The more ich muse þer-on · the mystiloker hit semeþ

And þe deppere ich deuyne · the deerker me þynkeþ hit

Hit is no scienceP sothliche · bote a sothfast by-lyue

Ac for hit lereþ men to louye · ich by-leyue þer-on þe bettere

For loue is a lykynge thyng* · and loth for to greue

Lerne for to louye · yf þe lyke to dowel

For of dobet and of dobest here doctour ys dere loue

Tho wente ich my way · with-oute more lettynge

And to clergie ich kam . as clerkes me seide

And ich grette hym goodliche · and greiliche hym tolde

How þat wit and hus wif · wissed me to hym

To kowe and to knowe · kyndeliche dowel

By cryst quaþ clergie yf þow coueyte dowel

Kep þe ten commandemens and kep þe fro synne

And by-leyf leelly · how godes sone a-lyghte

On þe mayde marie for mankynnes sake

And by-cam man of þat mayde · with-outeP mannes kynde

And al þat holy churche · here-of can þe lere

By-leyf lelly þere-on · and look þow do þer-after

Her-of Austyn þe olde · made bokes and bokes

Ho was hus autor and hym of god tauhte

Patriarkes and prophetes . aposteles and angeles

And þe holy trinite to austyn appeirede

And he ous seide as he seih · and so ich by-leyue

That he seih þe syre and þe sone · and seynte spirit to-gederes

And alle þre bote on god · and her-of made he bokes

Ȝe busiliche bokes · ho butLX hus wytnesses

Ego in patre & pater in me & qui me uidit patrem meum uidit qui in celis est .

Alle þe clerkes vnder crist · ne couthe this asoile

Bote thus by-longeþ to by-leyue · alle þat lykeþ dowel

For hadde neuere frek fyn wit the faith to dispute

Ne man myghte haue no merit þerof · myghte hit be preouede

Fides non habet meritum ubi humana ratio possidet dominium .

Thus by-leyue and leaute · and loue is þe þridde

That makeþ men to dowel . dobet and dobest

The scripture scorned me · and menye skyles shewede

And contynaunce made to clergie to congie me hit semede

And lakkede me in latyn · and lyght by me sette

And seide multi multa sapiunt . & seipsos nesciunt .

Tho wepte ich for wo · and wraþede of hus wordes

And in a wynkynge ich warth · an wonderliche ich mete

For ich was raueshede ryght þer fortune me fette

In-to þe londe of longynge · and loue hue me brouhte

And in a myrour hihte myddelerd · hue made me to loke

And sutthe seide to me · her myghte þow see wondres

And knowe þat þow coueitest · and come þer-to paraunter

Thenne hadde fortune folwynge hure two faire maidenes

Carnis concupiscentiaT me calde þe eldere mayde

And coueitise of eyen · ycald was þat oþere

And pruyde of parfit lyuynge · pursewede in faste

And bad me for my contynence · counte clergies lore lyght*

Concupiscentia carnis . comfortyde me in þys wyse ·

And seide þow ert ȝong and ȝep · and hast ȝeris ynowe

For to lyue longe · and ladyes to louye

And in þis mirour þow myst see · murthes ful menye

That lede þe wol to lykynge · al þy lyf-tyme

The secounde mayde seide · ich shal sywe þi wil

Til þow be a lord of londe · leten þe ich nelle

That ich ne shal folwie þy felaushupe yf fortune lyke

Hue shal fynde me hus frende quaþ fortune her-after

That man þat me lykeþ helpe · myghte nat myshappe

Thenne was þer on hiht elde þat eny was of chere

Man quaþ elde mette ich with þe · by marie of heuene

Thou shalt fynde fortune faile at þy moste neede

And concupiscentia carnis clene the for-sake

Byterliche shalt þow banne þenne · boþe a daye and nyghtes

Couetise of eyen · that euere þow hure knewe

And pruyde of parfit lyuynge · to muche peril þe brynge

Ȝe reccheþ the neuere quaþ rechelesnesse stod forth in raggede cloþes

Folwe forþ þat fortune wol · thou hast ful feer to elde

A man may stoupe tyme ynowe · wen he shal tyne þe corone

Syre wanhope was sibbe to hym · as som men me tolde

For rechelesnesse in hus rybaurdrye · ryht þus he seide

Go ich to helle go ich to heuene · ich shal nouht myn one

Were hit al soþ þat ȝe seyen thou scripture and clergie

Ich leyue neuere þat lorde ne ladie · þat lyueþ her on eerthe

Sholde sitte in godes sete · ne see god in hus blysse

Ita impossibile est diuiti intrare in regnum celorum  sicut camelus foramen acus .

For clergie seith þat he seih . in þe seynt euangelie

Þat ich man maked was · and my name yentrede

In þe legende of lif · longe er ich were

Prodestinat thei prechen · prechours þat þis shewen

Or prechen inparfit · ypult out of grace

Vnwryten for som wikkednesse · as holy writ sheweth

Nemo ascendit in celum nisi qui {...?...}descendit de celo .

Ich leyue hit wel by oure lorde · and no lett{u}rure bettere

For salamon þe sage · þat sapience made

God gaf hym grace of wit and of good after

Neuere to man so muche · that man can of telle

To ruwele alle reames · and ryche to make

And deme wel and wislyche · wommen bereþ witnesse

Non michi nec tibi sed diuidatur .

Aristotile and he · hij tauhten men boþe

Maisters þat techen men · of godes muchel mercy

Whitinessen þat here wordes · and here werkes boþe

Weren wonder goode · and wise in here tyme

And holychurche as ich huyre · haldeþ boþe in helle

Yf we sholden worchen after here workes · to wynnen ous heuene

That for hure werkes and witt · wonyeþ now in peyne

Thenne wroghte we vnwisliche · for al ȝoure wyse techynge

Ac ich countresegge þe nat cleregie · ne þy connynge scripture

That ho-so doþ by ȝoure doctrine · doþ wel ich leyue

Ac me were leuere by oure lord · alippe / a lippe of godes grace

Than al þe kynde witt þat ȝe can bothe · and connynge of ȝoure bokes

For of fele witty in faith · litel ferly ich haue

Thauh here gost be vngraciouse · god for to plese

For meny men of þis molde · setten more here herte

In wordliche good þan in god · for-þy grace hem failleþ

At / A[c]T here meste meschef · mercy were þe beste

And mercy of mercy · needes mot aryse

As holy writ wittnesseþ · godes word in the godspelle

Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis remetietur uobis

Ryght wel ywittede men · and wel lettred clerkes

Seilde arn þei seien · so lyue as þei lere —

Witnesse on godes wordes · þat was neuere vntriwe

Super cathedram moysi . & cetera .

And ich wene hit worth of menye · as was in Noes tyme

Tho þat he shop þe shup · of shides and of bordes

Was neuere writ þat þer on wrouhte ne workman y-saued

Bote briddes and bestes · þat þe blessed noe

And hus wif with hus sones · and hus sones wyues

And wrightes þat hit wroghten · was non ysaued

God leyne hit fare nat so by folke · that þe faith techen

Of holychurche þat sholde kepe · alle cristine saules

For archa noe nemeþ hede · ys no more to mene

Bote holychurche · herbergh to alle þat ben blessede

The culorum of this cause curatores ys to mene

That ben carpenters vnder criste · holy churche to make

For lewede folk godes foules · and hus free bestes

Homines & iumenta saluabis domine & cetera .

At domes-day a dyluuye worth · of deþ and of fuyr at ones

Worcheþ ȝe wryghtes of holichurche · as holy writ techeþ

Leste ȝe be loste as þe laborers were · þat labored vnder noe

A goode fryday ich fynde · a felon was ysauede

That vnlawefulleche hadde y-lyued · al hus lyf-tyme

And for he by-knew on þe crois · and to crist shroue hym

He was sonnere ysaued · þan seynt Iohan þe Baptist

And er Adam oþer ysaie · oþer eny of þe prophetes

That hadden leye with lucyfer · meny longe ȝeres

A robber was y-raunsoned · raþer þan þei alle

With-outhe penaunce oþer passion oþer eny oþer peyne

He passede forth pacientliche · to perpetuel blisse

Also marie Magdalene · ho myghte do worsse

As in lykynge of lecherye · no lyf denoyede

And dauid þe douhty · þat deuynede howe vrye

Mighte slilokeste be slayn · and sente hym to werre

Leelliche as by hus lok · with a lettere of gyle

Paul þe apostel þat no pite hadde · crustene peupleP to culle

Now beeþ þees seintes as men seyen · and souereynes in heuene

Tho þat worst wroghten wile þei weren here

By þat þat salamon seith · hit semeþ þat no wyght

Wot ho is worthi · for wele oþer for wicke

Whether he is worthi to wele · oþer to wickede pyne

Sunt iusti atque sapientes & opera eorum in manu dei sunt

Thus ich rechelesnesse haue rad · registres and bokes

And fond ich neuere in faith · for to telle of treuthe

That clergie of cristes mouth · comended was euere

For crist seide to seintes · and to suche as he louede

Dum steteris ante reges et presides & cetera .

Thauh ȝe come by-fore kynges · and clerkes of þe lawe

Beeþ nat a-ferd of þat folke · for ich shal ȝeue ȝow tonge

Connynge and clergie to conclude hem alle

Dauid makeþ mencion · he spak a-mong* kynges

And myghte no kynge hym ouer-come · as in connynge speche

Sothly seide rechelesnesse ich see by menye euedences

That noþer wit ne wyghtnesse · wan neuere þe maistrie

With-oute þe grete gyfte of god · with hus grace and fortune .

For he þat most seith and seide · of þe sothfast trinite .

Was austyn þe olde · þat euere man wiste

He saide thus in hus sarmon · for ensample of grete clerkes

Ecce ipsi idioti rapiunt celum ubi nos sapientes in inferno mergimur

This is to mene no more · to men þat ben lewede

Aren none raþere raueshed · fro þe ryghte by-leyue

Cominliche þan clerkes · most knowynge and connynge

And none sonnere ysaued ne saddere in þe by-leyue

Than plouhmen and pastours · and poure comune peuple

And lewede leele laborers · and land tylynge peuple

Persen with a pater noster paradys oþer heuene

Passinge purgatorie penaunceles · for here parfit by-leyue

Breuis oratio penetrat celum .

Selde falleþ þe seruant so deepe in arrirages

As doþ þe reyue oþer þe conterroller · þat rekene mot and a-counte

Of al þat þei hauen hadd · of hym þat is here maister

Ac þees lewede laborers · of lytel vnderstondynge

Selde fallen so foule · and so deepe in synne

As clerkes of holy churche · þat kepen sholde and saue

Lewede men in good by-leyue · and lene hem at here neede

Homo proponit quaþ þe poete þo · and plato he hihte

Et deus disponit quaþ he · let god do hus wille

Al þat treuthe atacheþ · and testifieþ for goode

Thauh thei folwe þat fortune wole · no folie ich hit holde

And concupiscencia carnis shal þe nat greue

Gretliche ne by-gyly þe · bote yf þy-self wolle

Ȝe farewel fyppe quaþ fauntelet and forth gan me drawe

Til concupiscentia carnis a-corded to alle my werkes

Of dowel ne of dobet no deynte me þouhte

Clergie and hus consail · ich countede ful lytel