Tanquam nichil habentes & omnia possidentes .

Ȝut men þat of abraam and Iob were wonder ryche

And out of numbre þo men · menye meobles hadden

Abráám for al hus good · hadde muche teene

In gret pouerte was yput · apryns / a pryns as hit were

By-nom hym ysLX housewif · and heeld here hym-self

And abráám nat hardy · ones to letten hym

Ne for brightnesse of here beaute · here spouse to be by-knowe

And for he suffrede and seide nouht · oure lord sente tokne

That þe kynge cride to abráám mercy

And deliuerede hym hus wif · with muche welthe after

And also Iob þe gentel · what ioye hadde he on erthe

How bittere he hit bouhte as þe book telleþ

And for he songe in hus sorwe si bona accipimus a domino .

Dere-worthe dere god · do we so mala .

Al hus sorwe to solas · þorgh þat songe turnede

And Iob by-cam a iolif man · and al hus ioye newe

Lo how pacience in here pouerte · thees patriarkes releuede

And broughte hem al a-boue · þat in bale rotede

As greyn þat lyth in þe greot · and þorgh grace atte laste

Spryngeþ vp and spredeþ · so spedde þe fader abráám

And also þe gentel Iob here ioye hath non ende

Ac leueþ nouht ȝe lewede men · þat ich lacke richesse

Thauh ich preise pouerte þus · and preoue hit by ensamples

Worthiour as by holy writ · and wise philosopheres

Bothe two butLX goode · be ȝe ful certayn

And lyues þat oure lord loueþ · and large weyes to heuene

Ac þe poure pacient purgatorye passeþ

Raþere þan þe ryche · þauh thei renne at ones

For yf amarchaunt / a marchaunt and a messager · metten to-gederes

And scholde wenden o way · where boþe most [r]est ·T

[A]nd rekene by-fore resoun · [a] resonable acountes ·

What one haþ  what a-[n]oþer haþ  and what hy hadde boþe ·

For þe parcels of hus paper · and oþer pryuey dettes

Wol lette hym as ich leyue · the lengthe of a myle

The messager doþ na more · bote hus mouth telleþ

Hus lettere and hus ernde sheweþ · and is a-non delyuered

And thauh þei wende by þe wey tho two to-gederes

Thauh þe messager make hus wey · a-myde þe whete

Wole no wys man wroth be · ne hus wed take

Ys non haiwarde yhote · hus wed for to take

Necessitas non habet legem .

Ac yf þe marchaunt make hus wey · ouere menne cornne

And þe haywarde happe · with hym for to mete

Oþer hus hatt oþer hus hed · oþere elles hus gloues

The marchaunt mot for-go · oþer moneye of hus porse

And ȝut be lett as ich leyue · for þe lawe askeþ

Marchauns for here marchaundise · in meny place to tullen

Ȝut þauh þei wenden on way · as to wynchestre fayre

The marchaunt with hus marchaundise · may nat go so swithe

As þo messager may · ne with so mochel ese

For þat on bereþ bote a boxe · a breuet þer-ynne

Ther þe marchaunt ledeþ a male · with meny kynne þynges

And dredeþ to be ded þere-fore · and he in derke mete

Wiþ robbours and with reuers · þat riche men dispoilen

Ther þe messager is ay murye · hus mouthe ful of songes

And leyueþ for hus letteres · þat no wight wol hym g{.}reue

Ac ȝut myghte þe merchaunt · þorgh monye and oþer ȝeftes

Haue hors and hardy men · þauh he mette þeoues

Wolde non suche a-sailen hym · for hem þat hym folweth

As safliche passe as þe messager · and as sone at hus hostil

Ȝe wyten wel ȝe wyse men · what this is to mene

The marchaunt is no more to mene · bote men þat ben ryche

Aren a-countable to crist · and to þe kyng** of heuene

That holden mote þe heye weye · euene ten hestes

Boþe louye and leue · þe leelle and þe vnleelle

And haue reuthe and releue · with hus grete richesse

By hus power alle manere men · in meschief yfalle

Fynde beggers bred · backes for þe colde

Tythen here goodes tryweliche · a tol as hit semeþ

That oure lord lokeþ after · of ech a lyf þat wynneþ

With-oute wiles oþer wrong** · oþer wommen atte stuwes

And ȝut more to make pees · and quyte menne dettes

Boþe spele and spare · to spene vpon þe needful

As crist self comaundeþ · to alle cristene peuple

Alter alterius onera portate .

The messagers aren þe mendinans · þat lyueþ by menne almesse

Beþ nat ybounde as beeþ þe riche · to bothe þe two lawes

To lene ne to lere · ne lentenes to faste

And oþere pryuey penaunces · þe wiche þe preest wot {.}wel

That þe lawe ȝeueþ leue · suche lowe folke to be excused

As none tythes to tythen · ne cloþe þe nakede

Ne in enquestes to come · ne contumax þauh he worche

Haly-day oþer holy eue · hus mete to deserue

For yf he loueþ and by-leyueþ · as þe lawe techeþ

Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit & cetera .

Telleþ þe lord a tale · as a triwe messager

And sheweþ by seel and sitthe by lettere · with wat lord he dwelleþ

Kneweleche hym cristene · and of holy churche by-leyue

Ther is no lawe as ich leyue · wol lette hym þe gate

Ther god is gatwarde hym-self · and eche a gome knoweth

The porter of pure reuthe · may parforme þe lawe

In þat he wilneþ and wolde · ech wight as hem-self

For þe wil is as muche worth · of awrecche / a wrecche beggere

As al þat þe ryche may reyme · and ryghtfulliche dele

And as much mede · for a myte þat he offreþ

As þe riche man for al isLX moneye · and more as by þe godspel

Amen dico uobis quia hec uidua paupercula & cetera .

So þat poure pacient · is parfitest lif of alle

And alle parfite preestes · to pouerte sholde drawe

For spera in deo spekeþ of prestes · þat han no spendyng** seluer

That yf þay trauaile treweliche · and tristen in god almyghty

Hem sholde neuere lackye lyflode · noþer lynne ne wollene

The titile þat ȝe takeþ ȝoure ordres by · telleþ ȝe beþ amanced / auanced

And needeþ nat to nyme seluer · for masses þat ȝe syngen

For he þat tok ȝow titile · sholde take ȝow wages

Oþer þe bisshop þat blessed ȝow · and enbaumede ȝoure fyngeres

For made neuere kyng** knyght · bote he hadde catel to spene

As by-feel for a knyght · oþer fond hym for hus strengþe

For hit is a carful knyght · and of a caitif kynges makynge

That hath no londe ne lynage riche · ne good loos of hus hondes

The same ich seye for-soþe · by suche þat ben preestes

Þat han noþer konnynge ne kyn · bote a corone one

And a titile a tale of nouht · to hus liflode as hit were

Vuele ben þei suffred · suche þat shynden masses

Thorgh here luþer lyuynge · and lewede vnderstondyng**

A chartre is chalangable · by-fore a chief Iustice

Yf fals latyn be in þeT letteres · þe lawe hit enpugneþ

Oþer peynted par-entrelignarie · parcels ouer-skipped

The gome þat so gloseþ chartres · a goky he is yholden

So is he a goky by god · þat in þe godspel failleþ

In masse oþer in matynes · makeþ eny defaute

Qui offendit in uno in omnibus est reus .

And ouer-skippers al-so · in þe sauter seith dauid

Psallite deo nostro psallite qui rex terre deus . spallite sapienterT

The bisshop shal be blamed · by-fore god as ich leyue

Þat coroneþ suche clerkes · as for godes knyghtes

Þat conneþ nat sapienter noþer synge ne rede

Ac neyþer is al blameles · þe bisshop ne þe chapeleyn

For ignorantia non excusat as ich haue herd in bookes

Thus rechelessnesse in a rage · a-resonede clergie

And scornede scripture · þat meny skyles shewede

Til þat kynde cam · clergie to helpen

And in þe myrour of mydel-erde · made hym eft to loke

To knowe by ech creature · kynde to louye

And ich bowede my body · by-holdinge al a-boute

And seih þe sonne and þe see · and þe sand after

Wher þat briddes and bestes · by here makes ȝeeden

Wilde wormes in wodes · and wonderful foules

With fleckede fetthers · and of fele colours

Man and hus make · ich myghte see boþe

Pouerte and plente · bothe pees and werre

Blisse and biter bale · bothe ich seih at ones

And how þat men mede token · and mercy refuseden

Reson ich sauh sotthliche · suwen alle bestes

In etynge and drynkyng** · in gendrynge of kynde

After cours of concepcion · non tok kepe of oþer

As when þei hadde ruteyed · a-non þei resten after

Maules drowen hem to maules · on morwenynge by hem-self

And femeles to femeles · herdeyed anLX drowLX

Ther ne was kow ne kow-kynde · þat conceyuede hadde

That beere after bole · ne bor after sowe

Ther was no kynde kynde · þat conceyued hadde

That ne lees þe lykynge of loust · of flesch* as hit were

Saue man and hus make · and þer-of me wondrede

For out of reson þei ryde · and rechelesliche token on

As in durne dedes · bethe drynkynge and elles

Briddes ich by-heelde · in bosshes maden neestes

Hadde neuere weye wit to worche þe leste

Ich hadde wonder wher · and at wham þat þe pye ·

Lornede legge styckes · þat leyen in here neestes

Ther is no wryght as ich wene · sholde worche here nest to paye

Yf eny mason þer-to · makede a molde

With alle here wyse castes · wonder me þynkeþ

And ȝut ich meruaillede more · menye of þo bryddes

Hudden and heleden · durneliche here egges

For no foul sholde hem fynde · bote hus fere and hym-self

And somme treden ich tok kepe · and on trees bredden

And brouhten forth here bryddes · al aboue þe grounde

In mareis and in mores · in myres and in wateres

Dompynges dyuyden · deere god ich sayde

Wher hadden þees wilde suche witt · and at what scole

And wan þe pocok caukede · þer-of ich took kepe

How vn-corteisliche þe cok · hud / hus kynde forth strende

And ferliche hadde of hus fairnesse · and of hus foule leedene

And siþþe ich loked on þe see · and so forþ on þe sterres

Meny selcouth ic seih · aren nouht to seggen nouthe

Ne what on floures in feldes · and of hure faire coloures

How out of greot and of gras · grewe so meny huwes

Somme soure and somme swete · selcouhþ me þouhte

Of here kynde and of here colours · to carpen hit were to longe

Ac þat þat meuede me · and my mod chaungede

Was þat ich seih reson · suwen alle bestes

Saue man and mankynde · meny tymes me þouhte

Reson rewelede hem nat · noþer riche ne poure

Then ich aresonede reson · and right til hym ich seide

Ich haue wonder in my witt · so wis as þow herte holde

Wher-for and why · so wide as þow regnest

Þat þow ne ruelest raþer · renkes þan oþer beestes

For ich see noone so ofte forfeten · soþliche so man-kynde

In mete out of mesure · and meny tymes in drynke

In wommen in wedes · and in wordes boþe

Thei ouerdon {...?...}hit day and nyght · and so doþ noon oþere

Bestes ruwelen hem al by reson · and renkes ful fewe

And þer-fore meruaileþ me · for man as in mankynde

HisLX most yliche þe · in witt and in werkes

Whi he ne loueþ þy lore · and lyueþ as þow techest

And reson aresonede me · and seide recche þe neuere

Whi ich suffre oþer nat suffre · certes ich seide

Ech a seg for hym-self . salamon ous techeþ

De re que te non molestat noli certare .

Ho suffreþ more þan god quaþ he · no gome as ich leyue

He myghte a-mende in amynt / a mynt-while · al þat amys stondes

Ac he suffreþ in ensaumple þat we sholde alle suffren

Ys no vertue so feyr · of value ne of profit

As ys suffrance souereynliche · so hit be for godes loue

And so wittneseþ þe wyse · and wysseþ þe frenshe

Bele uertue est suffraunce · mal dire est petite ueniaunce .

Bien dire e bien suffrer · fait ly suffrable a bien uener .

For-þi quaþ reson ich rede the · ruwele þi tonge euere

And er þow lakke eny lyf · loke ho is to preise

For is no creature vnder cryst · þat can hym-selue make

And yf cristene creatures · couthen make hem-selue

Eche lede wolde be lacles · leyf þow non oþere

Man was mad of suche matere · he may nat wel a-sterte

That som-tymes hym tit · to folwen hus kynde

Caton a-cordeþ her-with . nemo sine crimine uiuit .

Tho cauhte ich colour a-non · and comsed to be ashamed

And awaked þer-wiþ · wo was me þenne

That ich ne hadde ymet more · so murye as ich slepte

And sayde a-non to my-self · slepynge ich hadde grace

To wite what dowel      ys · ac wakynge neuere

And þenne was þer a whiȝt · what he was ich nuste

What ys dowel quaþ þat whiȝt · y-wys syre ich seyde

To seo muche and suffren al · certes syre ys dowel .

Haddest þow suffrede he seide · slepyng* þo þow were

Þow sholdest haue knowe þat cleregye can · and more conceyued þorwe reson

For reson wolde haue reherced to þe · ryght as cleregie seide

Ac for þyn entermetyng* · her ertþow for-sake

Philosophus fuisses si tacuisses . et alibi .

Locutum me aliquando penituit . tacuisse nunquam .

Adam whiles he spak nat · hadde paradys att wille

Ac wanne he mamelede a-boute mete · and musede for to knowe

The wisdome and þe witt of god · he was putte out of blisse

Ryght so ferde reson by þe · for þi rude speche

And for þow woldest wyte why · of resones pryuete

For pruyde and presompcion · of þy parfit lyuynge

Reson refusede þe · and wolde nat reste with the

Ne cleregie of hus connynge · ke{þ}peþ þe nat shewe

For shal neuere er shame come · a shrewe wel be chasted

For let a dronken daffe in a diche falle

Leet hym lygge lok nat in hym · til hym luste aryse

And þauh reson rebuky hym · þenne reccheþ he neuere

Of clergie ne of kynde witt · counteþ he nat arusshe / a russhe

To blame hym oþer to bete hym þenne · ich halde hit bote synne

Ac when neede nymeþ hym vp · a-non he ys a-shamede

And þenne wot he wher-fore · and whi he is to blame

Ȝe seggeþ soþ by my soule quaþ ich · ich haue seyen hit ofte

Her smyt no þynge so smerteP · ne smelleþ so foule

As shame þer he sheweþ hym · ech man shoneþ hus companye

Whi ȝe worden to me þus · was for ich aresonede reson

Ȝe certes quaþ he þat is soþ · and shop hym to walke

And ich a-roos ryght vp with þat · and reuerencede hym fayre

And yf hus wil were · he wolde hus name telle ·