And seide recheles{l}nesse recche þe neuere

By so þow riche were · haue þowe no conscience

How þat þow come to good · confesse þe to som frere

He shal a-soile þe thus sone · how þow euere wynne hit

For while fortune is þy frend · freres wollen þe louye

And fastne þe in here fraternite and for þe by-seche

To here priour prouincial · hus pardon to haue

And praye for þe pol by pol · yf þow be pecuniusP

Pena pecuniaria non sufficit . et cetera

By wissynge of þis wenche ich dude · hure wordes were so swete

Til ich for-ȝat ȝouthe · and ȝorne in-to elde

Thenne was fortune my foo · for al here fayre by-heste

And pouerte pursuwede me · and putte me to be lowe

And flittynge fond ich þe frere · þat me confessede

And seide he myghte me nat asoile · bote ich suluer hadde

To restitue resonabliche · for al vnryghtful wynnynge

Owh how quaþ ich þo · and myn hefd waggede

By my faith frere quaþ ich · ȝe fare lik þe wouwere

That wilneþ þe wydewe · bote for to wedde here goodes

Ryght so by þe rode quaþ ich · rouhte þe neuere

Wher my body yburied were · by so ȝe hadde my goodes

Thanne lowh leaute for ich lourede on þe frere

Whi lourest þow quaþ leaute luue syre ich seide

For thees frere flaterede me · while he fond me riche

Now ich am poure and penyles · at litel prys he set me

Ich wolde hit were no synne ich seide · to seye þat were treuthe

The sauter seith hit is no synne · for suche men as ben trewe

For to seggen as thei seen · and saue onliche prestes

Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis arguam te & statuam contra faciem tuam .

Thei wollen a-leggen also · and by þe godspel preouen hit

Nolite iudicare quemquam .

Wer-of serueþ lawe quaþ leaute and no lyf vnder-toke

Falsnesse ne faiterie · for som-what þe apostel seide

Non oderis fratrem tuum secrete in corde .

Thyng þat al þe worlde wot · where-fore sholdest þow spare

To rehercen hit by retoryk* · to a-rate dedliche synne ·

Ac be þow neuer þe furste · the defaute to blame

Thauh þow see sey nat · som tyme þat is treuthe

Thyng** þat wolde be pryue · publisshe þow hit neuere

Noþer for loue labbe hit out · ne lacke hit for non enuye

Parum lauda . uitupera parcius

He seith soth quaþ scripture · and skypte an hy and prechede

Ac þe þe / [þe] matere þat he meeuede · yf lewede men hit knewe

Þe lasse as ich leyue · louye þei wolde

The by-leyue of oureP lorde · þat lettrede men techen

Of here teme and of here tales · ich took ful good hede

He seide in here sarmon · selcouthe wordes

Multi to amangerie / a mangerie · and to þe mete were sompned

And wan þe peuple was plener come · the porter vnpynnede þe gate

And plyghte in pauci pryueliche · and leet þe remenant go rome

Al for teene of here tixt · tremblede myn herte

And in aweer / a weer gan ich wexe · and with my-selue to dispute

Weþer ich were chose oþer nat chose · on holychurche ich þouhte

That vnderfong** me atte fount · for on of godes chosene

For crist clepide ous alle · come yf we wolde

Sarrasyns and scismaticyns · and so he dude þe Iewes

And bad hem souken of hus brest · sauete for synne

And drynke bote for bale · brouke hit ho-so myghte

O uos omnes sicientes uenite ad aquas .

Thenne may alle cristine · and cleyme þer-to entre

By þat blod þat he boughte ous with · and baptisme as he tauhte

Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit & cetera .

For thauh a crystine man coueytede · hus crystendome to reneye

Ryghtfulliche to ren{.}eye · no reson hit wolde

For may no cheerl a chartre make · ne hus catel selle

With-ouhte leue of þe lorde · no lawe wolde hit graunte

Ac he may renne in arrirage · and rome fro home

As a recheles caitif · oþer reneyed as hit semeþ

Ac reson shal rekene with hym · and rebuke hym atte laste

And conscience a-counte with hym · and caste hym arerages

And putte hym þenne in prison · in purgatorie to brenne

Rewardynge hym þer for hus rechelesnesse · ryght to þe day of dome

Bote contricion and confession · crie by hus lyue

Mercy for hus mysdedes · with mouthe and with herte

That is þe sothe seide scripture · may no synne lette

Mercy þat hue nel al amende · yf meeknesse here folwe

Thei beþe as oure bookes telleþ · aren a-boue godes werkes

Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius .

Ȝe baw for bookes quaþ on · was broken out of helle ·

Ich troianus a trywe knyght · ich take witnesse of pope

How ich was ded and dampned · to dwellen in helle

For an vncristene creature · seynt gregorie wot þe soþe

That al þe cristendome vnder crist · ne myghte cacche me þennes

Bote onliche loue and leaute as in my lawes demynge

Gregore wiste þis wel · and wilnede to my soule

Sauacion for þe sothnesse · þat he seih in myn werkes

And for he wilnede wepynge · þat ich were saued

God of hus goodnesse · seih hus grete wil

With-oute moo bedes-byddyng* hus bone was vnder-fonge

And ich ysaued as ȝe may see · with-oute syngynge of masse

Loue with leel by-leyue · and my lawe ryghtful

Sauede me sarrasyn · soule and body boþe

Lo lordes what leaute dude · and leel dom yused

Wel auhte ȝe lordes þat lawes kepen · þis lesson to haue in mynde

And on troianus treuthe to þenke · alle tymes of ȝoure lyue

And louye for ȝoure lordes loue · and do leaute euere-more

For lawe with-oute leaute · leye þer a bene

Oþer eny science vnder sonne · þe seuene ars and alle

Bote loue and leaute hym lede · y-lost is al þe tyme

Of hem þat traueleþ þer-on · bote treuthe be hus lyuynge

Lo loue and leaute · been oure lordes bookes

And cristes owen cleregie · he cam fro heuene to teche hit

And sitthe seynt Iohan seide hit is of hus techynge

Qui non diligit manet in morte .

And nameliche poure peuple · here preiours may ous helpen

For god as þe godspel · seith goth ay as in þe poure

And as þe euangelist wytnesseþ · whan we maken festes

We sholde nat clypie knyghtes þer-to · ne no kyne ryche

Cum facitis conuiuium nolite uocare amicos . & cetera

Ac calleþ þe carful þer-to · þe crokede and þe poure

For eche frend fedeþ oþer · and fondeþ how he may quite

Meles and manshupes · eche a riche man oþer

Ac for þe poure may nat paye · ich wol paye my-self

Þat louyeþ and leneþ hem · largeliche shal ich quite

At caluarie of cristes blod · cristendome gan sprynge

And blod broþerne by-cam we þer · of on body wonne

As quasi modo geniti gentel-men echone

No beggere ne boye a-mong* ous is · bote yf synne hit make

Qui facit peccatum seruus est peccati

In þe olde lawe as lettre telleþ · mennesones / menne sones me cald ous

And Adames ysshue and eue · ay til god man deide

And after hus resurection redemptor was hus name .

And we hus blody breþren · as wel beggers as lordes

For-thy loue as leue children · and lene hem þat nudeþ

And euery man help oþer · for hennes shulleþ we alle

To haue as we han deserued · as holychurche wittnesseþ

Et qui bona egerunt ibunt in uitam eternam .

For-thi lerne we lawe of loue · as oure lord tauhte

The poure peuple faile nat · whil eny peny ous lasteþ

For in here liknesse oure lorde · lome hath be knowe

Witnesse in þe paske woke · wen he ȝeode to emaus .

Cleophas ne knew hym nat · þat he crist were

For hus poure aparail · and pilgrimes cloþes

Til þat he blessede here bred · and brak hit by-twyne hem

So by hus werkes thei wiste · þat he was iesus

Ac by hus cloþing** þei knewe hym nat · so caitifliche he ȝede

Al was ensample sothliche · to ous synful here

We sholde be lowe and loueliche · and leel ech man to oþer

And pacient as pilgrimes · for pilgrimes arn we alle

In þe parail of a pilgrim · and in a poure licknesse

Holy seyntes hym seih · ac neuere in secte of riche

And seynte marie hus moder matheu bereth wittnesse

Was a pure poure mayde · and to a poure man ywedded

Martha on marie magdalene an huge pleynte made

Domine non est tibi cure quod soror mea reliquit me sola ministrare .

And here aiþere wil · hasteliche god a-soilede

And aiþeres werkes and wil · ryght wel he alowede

Ac god putte pouerte by-fore · and preouede hit for þe bettere

Maria optimam partem elegit que non auferetur ab ea .

And alle þe wise þat euere were · by ouht ich can aspie

Preisede pouerte for best · yf pacience hit folwe

And boþe bettere and blessedere · by meny folde þan richesse

Thauh hit be sour to suffrie · þer comeþ a swete after

As in a walnote · with-oute ys a byter bark*

And after þat biter barke · be þe shale a-weye

Ys a curnel of comfort* · kynde to restorie ·

So after pouerte and penaunce · pacientliche take

Makeþ man haue mynde in god · and hus mercy craue

The wiche is curnel of comfort · for alle cristene saules

And wel sykerour he slepeþ · þe seg þat is poure

And lasse drat by daye · oþer in deerk** to be robbed

Than he þat is right ryche · reson bereþ wittnesse

Pauper ego ludo dum tu diues meditaris .

Holichurche wittnesseþ · ho-so for-sakeþ

Hus fader oþer hus frendes · fremde oþere sibbe

Other eny welthe in this worlde · hus wyf oþer hus children

For þe loue of oure lorde · loweþ hym to be poure

He shal haue an hundredfolde · of heuene-ryche blisse

And lif lastyng** for euere · by-fore oure lorde in heuene

Quicumque relinquet patrem & matrem & cetera .

Crist a-cordeþ eft her-with · clerkes whiten þe sothe

What god hym-self saide · to a seg** þat he louede

Yf þe lykeþ quaþ god to lyue · þe lif þat is parfit

Al þat þow hast here · hasteliche go sulle hit

Ȝeue poure peuple þe pans · ther-of porse þow none

Ac ȝeue hem forth to poure folke · þat for my loue hit askeþ

For-sake al and suwe me · and so is thi beste

Si uis perfectus esse  uade & uende omnia & cetera .

Thus consaileþ crist in comun ous alle

Ho-so coueyteþ to come · to my kynriche

He mot for-sake hym-self · hus suster and hus broþer

And al þat þe worlde wolde · and my wil folwen

Nisi renunciaueritis omnia que possidetis & cetera .

Meny prouerbis ich myghte haue · of meny holy seyntes

To testefie for treuthe · þe tale þat ich shewe

And poetes to preouen hit porfirie and plato

Aristotile . ouidius and · elleuene hundred

Tullius . tholomeus ich can nat telle here names

Preouen pacient pouerte · pryns of alle vertues

And by greyn þat groweth · god ous alle techeþ

Nisi granum frumenti cadens in terra & mortuum fuerit ipsum solum manet .

Bote yf þat sed þat sowen is · in þe sloh sterue

Shal neuere spir springen vp · ne spik on straw curne

Sholde neuere wete wexe · bote wete fyrste deyde

And oþer sedes al-so · in þe same wyse

That ben leide on louh eerthe · ylore as hit were ·

And þorw þe grete grace of god · of greyn ded in erthe

Atte þe laste launceþ vp · wer-by lyuen alle

Ac seedes þat been sowen · and mowe suffre wyntres

Aren tydyour and tower · to mannes by-hofthe

Than seedes þat sowen beeþ · and mowe nouht with forste

With wyndes ne with wederes · as in wynter tyme

As lynne-seed and lik-seed · and lente-seedes alle

Aren nouht so worthy as whete . ne so wel mowen

In þe feld with þe forst · and hit freese longe

Ryght so for-soþe · þat suffre may penaunces

Worth alowed of oure lorde at here laste ende

And for here penaunce he preysed · as for puyre matir

Oþer for a confessour ykud · that counteþ nat a ruysshe

Fere ne famyne · ne false menne tonges

Bote as an hosebonde hopeþ · after an hard wynter

Yf god gyueþ hym þe lif · to haue a good heruest

So preoueþ thees prophetes · þat pacientliche suffreþ

Myscheifs and myshappes · and menye tribulacions

By-tokneþ ful triweliche · in tyme comynge after

Murthe for hus mornynge · and þat muche plente

For crist seide to hus seyntes · þat for hus sake þoleden

Pouerte penaunces · persecucion of body

Angeles in here angre · on this wise hem grette

Tristicia uestra uertetur in gaudium .

Ȝoure sorwe in to solas · shal turne atte laste

And out of wo in-to wele · ȝoure wyrdes shul chaunge

Ac so redeþ of riche · þe reuers he may fynde

How god as þe godspel telleþ · gyueþ hem foul towname / tow nameLX

And þat hus gost shal go · and hus good by-leue

And askeþ hym after · ho shal hit haue

The catel þat he kepeþ so · in coffres and in bernes

And ert so loth to leue · þat leue shalt needes

O stulte ista nocte anima tua egrediatur . thesaurizat & ignorat .

An vnredy reue · þi residue shal spene

That menye mothte was ynne in amynte / a mynte-while

Vp-holderes on þe hul · shullen haueChit to selle

Lo lo lordes lo · and ladies takeþ hede

Hit lasteþ nat longe · þat is lycour swete

As pees-coddes andCpere Ionettes · plomes and chiries

Þat lyghtliche launceþ vp · litel wile dureþ

And þat þat raþest rypeþ · roteþ most sannest

On fat londe and ful of donge · foulest wedes groweth

Right so for-sothe · suche þat ben bysshopes

Erles and archedekenes · and oþer ryche clerkes

That chaffaren as chapmen · and chiden bote þei wynne

And hauen þe worlde at here wil · oþer-wyse to lyue

Right as weodes wexen · in wose and in donge

So of rychesse vp-on richesse · arist alle vices

Lo lond ouere-layde · with marle and with donge

Whete þat wexeth þer-on · worth lygge ar hit repe

Right so for-soþe · for to sygge treuthe

Ouer-plente pryde norssheþ · þer pouerte destrueþ hit

For how hit euere be ywonne · bote hit be wel dispended

Worliche wele is wicked þynge to hym þat hit kepeþ

For yf he be feer þer-fro · ful ofte hath he drede

That fals folke fecche a-way · felonliche hus goodes

And ȝut more hit makeþ men · meny tyme and ofte

To synegen and to souchen · soteltees of gyle

For couetyse of þat catel · to culle hem þat hit kepeþ

And so is meny man ymorþred · for hus money and goodes

And tho þat duden þe dede · ydampned þer-fore after

And he for hus harde heldynge · in helle par-aunter

So couetise of catel · was combraunce to hem alle

Lo how pans purchasede · faire places and drede

Þat rote is robbers · þe richesse with-ynne