Ich haue yfolwede þe in faiþ · mo þan fourty wynter

And wissede þe ful ofte · what dowel was to mene

And counsalede þe for cristes sake · no creature to by-gyle

Noþer to lye noþer to lacke · ne lere þat is defendid

Ne to spille speche · as to speke an ydel

And no tyme to tene · ne trywe þyng* to teenen

Lowe þe to lyue forth · in þe lawe of holychurche

Þenne dost þow wel · with-oute drede · ho can dobett no for{e}se

Clerkes þat connen al ich hope · þei conne do bettere

Ac hit suffuseþ to be saued · and to be suche as ich tauhte

Ac for to louye and lene · an lyue wel and by-leyue

Ys y-calid caritas kynde loue in english

And þat is dobet yf eny such be · ablessed / a blessed man þat helpeþ

And pees be and pacience · and poure with-oute defaute

Beacius est dare quam petere .

Ac catel and kynde witt · encombreþ ful menye

Woo is hym þat hem weldeþ bote he hym wel dispeyne

Scientes & non facientes uarijs flagellis uapulabunt .

Ac comunliche connynge · and vnkynde rychesse

As lorels to be lordes · and lewede men techeres

And holy churche horen help · auerous and coueytous

Droweþ vp dowel and distruyeþ · dobest

Ac grace is a gras þerfore · to don hem est growe

Ac grace groweþ nat · til god wol gynne reyne

And wokie þorwe good werkes · wikkede hertes

Ac er suche a will wol wexe · god hym-self worcheþ

And send forþ seint espirit · to don loue sprynge

Spiritus ubi uult spirat et cetera .

So grace with-oute grace · of god and of goode werkes

May nat bee bee þow siker · þauh we bidde euere

Cleregie comeþ bote of siht · and kynde witt of sterres

As to be bore oþer bygete · in suche constellacion ·

That wit wexeþ þer-of · and oþere wordes boþe

Vultus huius seculi sunt subiecti uultibus celestibus .

So grace is agyfte / a gyfte of god · and kynde witt a chaunce

And cleregye and connyng* · of kynde wittes techynge

And ȝut is cleregie to comende · fore cristes loue more

Þan eny connynge of kynde witt · bote cleregie hit re{e}wele

For moyses wittnesseþ þat god wrot · in stoon with hus fynger

Lawe of loue oure lorde wrot · longe er crist were

And crist cam and confermede · and holychurche made

And in sond a sygne wrot · and seide to þe Iewes

That seeþ hym-self synneles · cesse nat ich hote

To stryke with stoon oþer with staf · this strompett to deþe

Qui uestrum sine peccato est . & cetera .

For-thi ich consaily alle cristene · cleregie to honoure

For as a man may nat seo · þat mysseþ hus eyen

No more can no clerkes · bote hit be of bookes

And thauh men maden bokes · god was here maister

And seynte spirit þe saumplarie · and seide what men sholde wryte

And ryght as syht serueþ · a man to see þe hye strete

Ryght so lereþ lettrure · lewede men to reson

And as a blynde man in · batayle bereþ wepne to fyghte

And haþ non hap wiþ hus axe · hus enemy to hitte

No more can a kynde witted man · bote clerkes hym teche

Come for alle hus kynde wyttes · þorwe cristendom to be sauede

The wiche is cofre of cristes tresour · and clerkes kepen þe keyes

To vnlouke hit at here lykynge · þe lewede and lerede to helpe

To ȝeue mercy for mysdedes · yf men wolde hit aske

Buxumliche and benyngneliche · and bydden hit of grace

Archa dei in þe olde lawe leuites hit kepten

Hadde neuere lewede man leue · to legge honde in þat cheste

Bote hit were preestes · oþer preestes sone · patriarck oþer prophete

Saul for he sacrifisede · sorwe hym by-tydde

And hus sones for hus synnes sorwe þey hadden

For-þy ich consaille alle creatures · no clerk* to dispise

Ne sette short by here science · what-so þei don hem-selue

Take we here wordes a worth · for here wittnesses ben trywe

And medle we nat moche with hem · to meeuen eny wratthe

Leste cheste chaufe ous so · and choppe ech man oþere

And do we as dauid techeþ · for doute of godes veniaunce

Nolite tangere cristos meos . & cetera .

For cleregie is cristes vikery · to conforte and to curen

Boþe lered and lewed were lost · yf cleregie ne were

Kynde wittede men han · a cleregie by hem-selue

Of cloudes and of custumes · þei contreuede meny þynges

And markede hit in here manere · and mused þer-on to knowe

And of þe selcouþe þat þei seyen · here sones þerof þei tauhte

Þei helden hit for an hey science · here soteltes to knowe

Ac þorw here science soþliche · was neuere soule ysaued

Ne brouht þorwe here bokes · to blisse ne to ioye

For al here kynde knowyng* ne cam bote of diuerse sightes

Of briddes and bestes · of blisse and of sorwe

Patriarkes and prophetes · reprouede here science

And seide here wordes and here wysdomes · ne was bote al folye

As to þe cleregie of cryst · þei countede hit bote a trufle

Sapiencia huius mundi stulticia est apud deum .

For þe hye holygost · shal heuene to-cleue

And loue shal leepe out after in-to þis lowe erthe

And clannesse shal cacchen hit · and clerkes shullen his fynde

Pastores loquebantur adinuicem / ad inuicem et cetera .

Hit spekeþ of riche men ryght nouht · ne of riche lordes

Bote of clennesse and of clerkes · and kepers of bestes

Ibant magi ab oriente  et cetera .

Yf eny frere were founde þere · ich ȝeue fyue shyllinges

Noþer in cote noþer in caytyf hous · was crist y-bore

Bote in a burgeises hous · þe beste of alle þe toune

To pastours and to poetes · aperede þe angel

And bad hem go to bedlehem · godes burþe to honoure

And syngen a song of solas Gloria in excelsis deo .

Riche men routten þo · and in here reste were

Þo hit shon to þe shepehurdes · a shewere of blisse

Clerkes knewen þe comete · and comen with here presentes

And dude here homage honorably · to hym þat was al-myghty

Whi ich haue ytold þe al þis · ich took ful good hede

How þow contrariedest cleregie · with crabbede wordes

Þat is how lewede men and luþere · lyghlokere were sauede

Þan connynge clerkes · of kynde vnderstondyng*

And þow seidest soþ of somme · ac ich seye in what manere

Take to stronge men · and in temese cast hem

And boþe naked as anelde / a nelde / nedle · here noþer heuyour þan oþer

That on hat connyng* and can swummen / sw[i]mmen and d{.}yuen

Þat oþer is lewede of þat labour · and lernede neuere swymme

Which is trowest þow of þo to · in temese most in drede

He þat can nat swymme ich seyde · hit semeþ to alle wittes

Ryght so quaþ þat renke · reson hit sheweþ

That he þat knoweþ · cleregie · can sonnere a-ryse

Out of synne and be saf · þow he synegy ofte

If hym lykeþ and lust · þan eny lewede sothliche

For yf þe clerk be connynge · and knoweþ what is synne

And hou contricion with-oute confession · conforteþ þe soule

As we seen in þe sauter · in psalmes on oþer tweye

How contricion is comended · for hit chacheþ · a-wey synne

Beati quorum remisse sunt iniquitates . & cetera .

And þat comforteþ ech clerk* · and koeuereþ fro wanhope

In whiche flood þe feend · fondeþ man hardest

Þer þe lewede lyeth stille · and lokeþ after lente

And haþ no contricion · ar he come to shryfte

And þan can he lytel telle · of on oþer of oþer

Bote as hus loresman lereþ hym · he by-leyueþ and troweþ

And þat is after person oþer pareshe preest · and paraunter boþe beþ lewede

For to lere lewede men · as luc bereþ wittnesse

Si cecus ducit cecum ambo in foueam cadent .

For muche woo was hym marked · þat wade shal with þe lewede

Wel may þe barn blesse · þat hym to book* sette

That lyuynge after lettrure · sauede hem lyf and soule

Dominus pars hereditatis mee . ys a murye versett

Hit haþ ytake fro tyborne · twenty stronge þeeues

Þer lewede þeeues ben lollid vp · loke how þei been sauede

Þe þeef þat hadde grace of god · a goode fryday as þow toldest

Was for he ȝuld hem creaunt to crist · and hus grace askede

And god is ay gracious · to alle þat gredeþ to hym

He wol no wickede man be lost · bote yf he wol hym-self

Nolo mortem peccatoris sued ut magis conuertatur & uiuat .

And þauh þe þeef hadde heuene · he hadde non hye blisse

As seynt Iohan and oþer seyntes · þat han a-seruede bettere

Ryght as som man ȝyueþ me mete · and sett me a-mydde þe floor

Ich haue mete more þan ynowe · ac nat with so muche worshup ·

As þo þat sytten att þe syd table · oþer with þe souereynes in halle

Bote as a beggere bordles · by my-self vpon þe grounde

So hit ferde by þe felon · þat a goode fryday was sauede

He sat noþer with seynt Iohan with symon ne with Iude

Ne with maydenes ne with Martris · ne with mylde wydewes

Bote as a soleyn by hym-self · and seruede vp-on þe grounde

For he þat ys ones a þeef · is euere more in daunger

And as þe lawe lykeþ · to lyue oþer to deye

De peccato propiciato noli esse sine metu

And for to seruen a seynt · and suche a þeef to-gederes

Hit were no reson ne ryght · to rewarde boþe liche

Ryȝt as traianus þe trywe knyght tulde nat deep in helle

That oure lord ne hadde hym lyghtliche out so leyueþ of þe þeef in heueoneP

For he ys in þe lowest heuene · yf oure byleyue beo trywe

And wel losliche lolleþ þere · as by þe lawe of holychurche

Et reddit unicuique secundum opera sua .

Ac whi þat þeef vp-on þe croys · creaunt hym ȝelde

Raþer þan þat oþer · þauh þow woldest apose

Alle þe clerkes vnder cryst · ne couþe þys asoile

Quare placuit quia uoluit . et cetera .

And so ich seye by þe · þat sekest after weyes

How creatures and kynde witt · and clerkes comen to bokes

And how þe floures in þe fritth · comeþ to feyre hewes

Was neuere creature vnder cryst · þat knew wel þe bygynnynge

Bote kynde þat contreeuede hit furst · of cortesie wil

He tauhte þe tortle to trede · þe pocok* to cauke

And Adam and eue · and oþer bestes alle

A cantel of kynde witt · here kynde to saue

Of good and of wikke · kynde was þe ferste

He seih hit and suffrede hit · and seide hit bee sholde

Quia ipse dixit & facta sunt ipse mandauit & creata sunt .

Ac whi he wolde þat wikkede were · ich wene and ich leyue

Was neuere man vpon molde · þat myghte hit aspye

Ac longe lybbynge men · lyknede mennes lyuynge

To bryddes and to bestes · as here bookes telleþ

Þat þe fayrest fowel · foulest engendreþ

And feblest fowel of flicht is · þat flucht oþer swymneþT

That is þe pookoc and þe popeiay · with here proude federes

By-tokneþ {...?...}ryght riche men · þat regnen here on erþe

For porsewe a pocok* · oþer a pohen to cacche

And haue hem in haste · at þyn owene wil

For þei may nat fleo feer · ne ful hye noþer

For here feþeres þat faire ben · to fle feer hem leotteþP

Hus leedene is vnloueliche · and lothliche hus caroigne

Ac for hus peyntede feþeres · þe pocok* his honourede

More þan for hus faire flesch* · oþer for hus murye note

Ryght so men reuerenceþ more þe ryche · for hus muche meeble

Þan for þe kyn þat he cam of · oþer fore hus kynde wittes

Thus þe poete preiseþ · þe pocok fore hus federes

And þe riche fore hus rentes · oþere rychesse in hus sheepe

Þe larke þat is a lasse fowel · is loueloker of lydene

And swettur of sauour · and swyfter of wynge

To lowe lyuynge men · þe larke is resembled

And to leelle and to lyf-holy · þat louen alle treuþe

Þus porfirie and plato and poetes menye

Lykneþ in here logik* · þe leeste fowel oute

And weþer hij be saf oþer nat saf · þe soþe wot nat clergie

No of sortes ne of salamon no scripture can telle

Weþer þei be in helle oþer in heuene · oþere aristotile þe wise

Ac god is so good ich hope · sitthe he gaf hem wittes

To wissen ous weyes þer-with · þat wenen to be sauede

And þe bettere for here bookes · to bidden we been holde

Þat god for hus grace · gyf here saules reste

For lettred men were but lewede men ȝut · ne were þe lore of þo clerkes

Alle þeese clerkes quaþ ich þo · þat on crist by-leyuen

Seggen in here sarmons · þat noþer sarrasyns ne Iewes

With-oute baptisme as by here bokes · beeþ nat ysaued

Contra quaþ ymaginatyf þo · and comsed to loure

And seide · uix saluabitur iustus . in die iudicij .

Ergo saluabitur quaþ he · and seide ne more la...[tyn]

Traianus was a triwe knyght · and took* neuere crystendome

And he is saf seith þe bok* · and is soule in heuene

Ther is follyng* of font · and follyng* of blod shedynge

And þorw fuyr is follyng* · and al is ferm by-leyue

Aduenit ignis diuinus non comburens sed illuminans .

Ac treuthe þat trespassede neuere · ne transuersede aȝens þe lawe

Bote leyuede as lawe tauhte · and leyue þer be no bettere

And yf þer were he wolde · and in suche a wil deyeþ

Wolde neuere trewe god · bote trewe treuthe were a-lowede ·

And were hit worth oþer nat worth · þe by-leyue is gret of treuthe

And hope hongeþ ay þer-on · to haue þat treuþe deserueþ

Quia super pauca fidelis fuisti supra multa te constituam .

And þat is loue and large huyre · yf þe lord be trewe

And cortesie more þan couenant was · what so clerkes carpen

For alworth / al worth as god wole · and þer-with he vanshede