And meny tyme of þis meteles · muche þouhte ich hadde

Furst how fortune me failede · at my moste neede

And how elde manacede me · so longe myghte ich happe

Þat yf ich leuede longe · leue me by-hynde

And vanshie alle myne vertues · and myne faire lockes

And how þat freres folweden · folk þat was ryche

And peuple þat was poure · at litel prys setten

Ne corses of poure comune · in here churche-ȝerd moste ligge

Bote yf he quike by-quethe hem auht · oþer wolde helpe aquite here dettes

And owLX þis couetise ouer-cam · alle kynne sectes ·

As wel lerede as lewede · And lord as þe bonde

And how þat lewede men ben ladde · bote oure lord hem helpe

Thorw vnconnynge curatours · to incurable peynes

And how ymagynatif · in dremeles me tolde

Of kynde and of hus connynge · and what connynge he ȝaf to bestestes

How lou{.}ynge he was to eche lyf · a-londe and awatere

For alle he wisseþ and ȝeueþ wit · þat walkeþ oþer crepeþ

And ich meruailede in herte · how ymagynatif saide

Þat iustus by-fore Iesu in die iudicij .

Non saluabitur bote uix helpe

And wanne he hadde seide so · how sodeynlich he vanshede

And so ich mused vpon þis matere · þat me luste to slepe

Thenne cam conscience · and cleregie after

And beden me ryse and rome · for with reson sholde ich dyne

And ich a-ros and romed forth · with reson ich mette

We reuerencede reson · and romed forth softeliche

And mette with a mayster · a man ylike a frere

Conscience knew hym wel · and wolcomede hym fayre

Þei wosshen and wypeden · and wenten to þe dyner

Pacience as a poure þyng cam · and preide mete for charite

Ylike to peers plouhman as a palmere were

Crauede and criede for cristes loue of heuene

A meles mete for a poure man · oþer moneye yf þei hadden

Conscience knew hym wel · and welcomede hem alle

Þei wisshen and wipeden · and wenten and setten

Þe maister was made to sitte furst · as for þe most worþy

Reson stod and stihlede · as for stywarde of halle

Pacience and ich weren · yputt to be mettes

And seten by ous-selue · at asyd / a syd table

Cleregie calde after mete · and þenne cam scripture

And seruede hem þus sone · of sondrie metes menie

Of austyn and ambrosie of alle þe foure euangelies

Edentes et bibentes que apud illos sunt .

Ac of þees metes þis maister · myghte nat wel chewe

For-þy he eet mete of more cost · mortrewes and potages

Of þat þat men myswonne · þei maden hem wel at ese

Ac here sauce was ouere-soure · and vnsauerliche grounde

In a morter post mortem of meny bitere peynes

Bote yf þei synge for þo soules · and wepe salte teeres

Vos qui peccata hominum comeditis nisi pro eis lacrimas effuderitis . & cetera .

Ea que in deliciis comeditis in tormentis en emergitis .

Thenne reson radde · ryght a-non after

Þat conscience comaunde sholde · to do come scripture

And brynge bred for pacience · by-tynde apartie

And to me þat was hus mette þo · and oþer mete boþe

He sette asoure / a soure loof and seide · agite penitentiam

And sitthe drow ous drynke diu perseuerans

As longe quaþ he as þe lyf · and þe licame may dure

This is asemeliche / a semeliche seruice · seide pacience

Thenne cam contricion · þat hadde coked for hem alle

And brouhteP forþ a pitaunce · was prohac / pro hac orabit omnis sanctus in tempore oportuno .

Conscience confortede ous · boþe cleregie and scripture

And seiden cor contritum & humiliatum . deus non despicies .

Pacience was wel apaied · of þis propre seruyse

And mad murye with þis mete · ac ich mournede euere

For a doctor at þe heye deys · drank wyn faste

Ve uobis qui potentes estis ad bibendum uinum .

And eet meny sondry metes · mortrews and poddynges

Braun and blod of þe goos · bacon and colhoppes

Thenne seide ich to my-self · þat pacience hit hurde

Ȝut is nat þre daies don · þat þees doctor prechede

At seint paules by-for þe peuple · what penaunce þei suffreden

Alle þat coueitede to come · to heuene hye ioye ·

And how þat paul þe apostle · what penaunce he þolede

For oure lordes loue · as holy lett{u}rure telleþ In fame et frigore & cetera .

Ac me wondreþ in my witt · whi þat thei ne preche P

As paul þe apostel prechede · to þe peuple ofte

periculum in falsis fratribus

Holy writ bit men be-war · and wisliche hem kepe

That no fals frere · þorw flatrynge hem by-gyle

Ac me is loþ þow ich latyn knowe · to lacky eny secte

For alle we ben breythrene · þauh we be diuersliche cloþede

Ac ich wiste neuere freek* · þat frere is ycallyde

Of þe fyue mendynauns · and made eny sarmon

That took þis for here teme · and told hit with-oute glose

Thei prechen þat penaunce · is profitable for þe {..}soule

And what meschif & w{.}hat mal-ese · crist for man þolede

Ac thes doctor and diuinour · and decresestre of canon

And al-so agnedy / a gnedy gloton · with to grete chekes

Haþ no pite on vs poure · he parfourneþ vuele

Þat he prcheþ / precheþ he proueþ nat · to pacience ich tolde

And whisshede witerliche · with a wil ful egre

Þat in þe mawe of þat maister · alle þo metes were

Disches and dobeleres · wit alle þe deyntes after

Ich shal Iangly to þys Iordan · wit hus Iuste wombe

And a-pose hym with penaunce is · and Purgatorie on erthe ·

And whi he lyueþ nat as he lereþ · let be quaþ pacience

And seide þow shalt seo þus sone · whan he may na moreP

He shal haue a penaunce in hus paunche · and puffe at eche worde

Thenne shulleþ is gottes godelen · and by-gynne to galpe ·

Now he hath dronke so depe · he wol deuiny sone

And preouen hit by here apocalips · and by þe passion of seint aueray

Þat noþer bacon ne braun · blammanger ne mortreuus*

Ys noþer fissh ne flessh · bote fode for penauntes

And take wittnesse of þe trinite · and take is felawe to wittnesse

What he fond in aforel / a forel · of a freres lyuynge

And bote þe ferste {h}leef be lesynge · leyf me neuere after

And þenne is tyme to talke · and to apose this doctour

Of dowel and of dobet and yf dobet do eny penaunce

Ich sat stille as pacience wolde · and thus sone þis doctour

As rody as a rose · roddede hus chekes

Kowede and carpede · and conscience hym herde

And tolde of a trinite · and to-warde me he lokede

What is dowel sire doctour quaþ ich · is dobest eny penaunce

Dowel quaþ þis doctour · and he drank after

Do þy neyhebore non harme ne þe-selue noþer

Þanne dost þow wel and wisliche · ich dar hit wel a-vouwe

Certes sire þanne seide ich · hit semeþ nat here

In þat ȝe parteþ nat with ous poure · þat ȝe passeþ · dowel .

Noþer louyeþ as ȝe lereþ · as oure lorde wolde

Et uisitauit & fecit redemptionem plebis sue israel .

And ȝe fare þus with ȝoure sike freres · ferly me þynkeþ

Bote dowel endyty ȝow in die iudicii .

Thenne conscience ful curteisliche · a contenaunce he made

And preynte vpon pacience · to preye me be stille

And seide hym-self syre doctour · by so hit be ȝoure wil

What is dowel and dobet ȝe diuynours knoweþ

Ich haue seide seide þe seg* · y can seye no bettere

Bote do as doctours telleþ · for dowel ich hit holde

Þat traueileþ to teche oþere · for dobet ich hit holde

And he þat doþ as he techeþ · ich halde hit for a dobest

Qui facit et docuerit magnus uocabitur .

Now þow cleregie quaþ conscience · carpe what is dowel

Haue excused quaþ cleregie · by cryst bote in scole

Shal no such motif be meeuede · for me bote þere

For peers loue þe plouhman þat enpugnede ones

Alle kyne konnynges · and alle kyne craftes

Saue loue and leaute · and louhnesse of herte

And no tixt* takeþ · to preoue þis for trewe

Bote dilige deum & proximum and domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo & cetera .

And preoueþ by pure skyle inparfit alle þynges Nemo bonus .

Bote leel loue and treuthe · þat loþ is to be yfounde

Quaþ peers þe plouhman . pacientes uincunt .

By-for perpetuel pees · ich shal preouye þat ich seide

And a-vowe by-for god · and for-sake hit neuere

That disce doce diligere deum and thyn enemye

Hertely þou hym helpe · emforth þy myȝth

Cast out coles on hus hefde · of alle kynde speche

Fonde þorgh wit and with worde · hus loue for to wynne

And ȝif hym eft {...?...?...}and eft · euere at hus neede

Conforty hym with þy catel · and with þy kynde speche

And leye on hym þus with loue · tyl he lauhe on þe

And bote ȝe bowe for þis betynge · blynd mote ich worthe

And wanne he hadde worded þus · weste no man after

Where peers plouhman by-camLX · so priueliche he wente

And reson ran after ryght with hym ȝeode

Saue conscience & cleregie · ich couþe no mo aspye

And pacience propreliche spak · tho peers was thus passed

That loueþ lelly quaþ he · bote lytel þyng coueyteþ

Ich wolde and ich wil adde · wynnen al fraunce

With-oute brutyng of burnes oþer eny blod sheding*

Ich take wittnesse quaþ he · at holy writ apartie / a partie pacientes uincunt

For by hym þat me made · myȝte neuere pouerte

Miseise ne myschief · ne man with hus tonge

Tene þe eny tyme · and þow take pacience

And bere hit in þy bosom · a-bowte wer þou wendest

Shal neuere burne be abaisshed · þat hath þis a-boute

Neiþer hete ne hail · ne helle pouke hym greue

Neiþer fuyr noþer flod · ne be a-fered of enemye

Caritas expellit omnem timorem .

Ther nis wyght in þis wordle · þat wolde þe lette

To haue alle lonndes · at þy lykyng* · and þe here lord make

And Maister of alle here meeble · and of here moneye after

The kynge and alle þe comune · and cleregie to þe aloute / a loute

As for here lorde and ledere · and lyuen as þou techest

This is a dico quaþ þis doctor . a disours tale ·

Al þe witt of þis wordle · ne wyghtes mennes strengthe

Can nat parformen a pees · of þe pope · and of hus enemys

Profitable for boþe parties · and putte þe bord fram hym

And tok conscience and cleregie · to counsel as hit were

Ac ich took kepe how conscience · conueideP sone þis doctour

And sitthe he seide to cleregie · so þat ich hit herde ·

By cryst quaþ conscience · cleregie ich wol nat lye

Me were leuere by oure lorde · and ich lyuye sholde

Haue pacience parfitliche · þan half þy pack* of boukes

Lettrure and longe studie · letteþ ful menye

That thei knoweþ n{o}at quaþ conscience · what is kynde pacience

For-thi quaþ conscience · crist ich þe by-teche

whitLX pacience wol ich passe · parfitnesse to fynde

Thus thei wente forþ here way · with gret wil ich folewede

Thenne hadde pacience as pilgimespilg[r]imes hauen · in here poke vitailes

Sobrete and symple speche · and soþ-fast by-leyue

To comforty hym and conscience {....}· yf þei come in place

Ther vnkyndnesse and couetyse ys · hongry contreis boþe

And as þei wente by þe wey of dowel gan þei carpe

Thei mette with a mynstral · as me þo þouhte

Pacience a-posed hym · and preide he sholde telle

What craft þat he couþe · and cortesly he seide

Ich am a Mynstral quaþ þees man · my name is actiua uita .

Peers prentys þe plouhman alle peuple to comfortye

What manere mynstralcie · my dere frend quaþ conscience

Hast þow vsed oþer hauntede · al þy lyf-tyme

Mynstralcie can ich nat muche · bote make men murye

As a waffrer with waffres · and wolcome godes guftes

Of my labour þei lauhe þe lasse and þe more

The poure and þe riche y pless and payn fynde

And fewe robis ich fonge · oþer forrede gounes

Wolde ich lye and do men lauhe · þenne lacchen ich sholde

Mantels oþer monye · a-mong* lordes Minstrales

Ich can nat tabre ne trompe · ne telle faire gestes

Farten ne fiþelyn · at festes ne harpen

Iapen ne Iogelyn · ne gentelliche pipe

Noþer sailen ne sautrien · ne singe with þe giterne

Ich haue none goude gyftes · of these grete lordes

For no bred þat ich by-trauaily · to brynge by-fore lordes

Ne were hit þat þe parshe · prayeþ for me on sonedays

Ich am sory þat ich sewe oþer sette · bote for my-self one

Ac þe prest and oþer peuple · prayeþ for peers plouhman .

And for me actyf hus man · þat ydelnesse hate

For lordes and lorelles · luthere and goude

Fro myhel-masse to myhel-masse ich fynde mete and drynke

Ich fynde payn for þe pope · and praye hym ich wolde

Þat pestilences to pees · and to parfit loue turne

For founde ich þat hus blessing* and hus bulle myghte

Letten þis luþer eir and lechin þe syke ·

As þe bookes bereþ wittnesse · þat he bere myghte

In hus mouth mercy · and amende vs alle

Super egros manus imponent & bene se habebunt ·

Thenne wolde ich bee busy · and buxum to helpe

Eche kynne creature · þat on cryst by-leyueþ

For-sutthe he haþ þe power · þat seynt peter hadde

He haþ pureliche þe pot · with þe same salue

Argentum & aurum non est michi . quod autem habeo hoc tibi do & cetera .

Ac yf myghte of miracle hym faile · hit is for men beeþ nat worthi

For to haue þe grace of good · and no gult in þe pope

For may no blessynge do vs bote · bote yf we wol amende

Ne mannes preier make pees · among cristine peuple

Til prude be · pureliche for-do · and þat þorw payn defaute

Ex habundantia panis et uini turpissimum peccatum aduenit .

Pure plente of payn · þe peuple of sodomye

And reste and riche metes · rybaudes hem made

Pees quaþ pacience · ich praye þe syre actyf

For þauh neuere payn ne plouh · ne potage were

Prude wolde putte hym-self forþ · þauh no plouþ erye

Hit am ich þat fynde alle folke · and fram hunger saue

Thorgh þe heye helpe of hym · þat me hyder sente

And seide lo here lyf-lode ynowe · yf oure by-leyue be trewe

For lent was þer neuere lyf · bote lyflode were yshape

Wher-of oþere werfore · and wher-with to lyuen ·

The worme þat woneþ vnder erthe · and in water Fisshes

The crykett by kynde of fur · and corlew by þe wynde

Bestes by gras and by greþen / gre[y]en · and by grene rotes

In menynge þat alle men · myghte þe same

Lyuen þorgh leell by-leyue as oure lord wittnesseþ

Quodcumque pecieritis patrem im nomine meo dabitur enim uobis . & alibi .

Non in solo pane uiuit homo sed de omni uerbo quod procedit de ore dei .

Hast þow ay quaþ actyf suche mete with þe

Ȝe quaþ pacience and hente · out of hus poke

A pice of þe pater noster and profrede to vs alle

And ich lustnede and lokede · what lyflode hit were

Þanne was hit fiat uoluntas tua þat sholde fynde vs alle

C Haue actyf quaþ pacience · and eet this when þe hungreþ

Oþer wenne þow clomsest for colde · oþer clyngest for drouthe

And shal neuere gyues þe greue · ne grete lordes wratthe

Pryson ne oþer payne · for pacientes uincunt .

By so þow be sobre of syght · and of tounge boþe

In ondyng* in handlyng* · in alle þy fyue wittes

That þow care for no corn · for cloþ ne for drynke

Ne deþ drede ne deuel deye as god lykeþ

Where þorw hunger oþer þorw hete · at hus wil be hit

For yf þow lyuest after hus lore · þe shorter lyf þe betere

Si quis amat christum mundum non diligit istum ·

Þorgh hus breþ bestes woxen · and a-brode ȝeden dixit & facta sunt .

Ergo þorw hus bestes lyuen boþe men and Fisshes //

As wytnesseþ holy wryte · when we seyn oure graces //

Aperis tu manum tuam & imples omne animal buenedictione .

Hit is founde þat fourty wynter · þat folke leueden and nouht tylede

And out of flent sprange flod · þat folke and bestes dronken

And in elyes tyme · heuene wa{.}s yclosed

That no reyne reynede · þus redeþ men in bookes

That menye wynter men lyueden · and of no mete telden

Seuene slupen a seith þe book · more þan syxty wynter ·

Leueden with-outen lyflode · and at þe laste a-wakeden

And yf men lyueden as mesur* wolde · sholde neuer* be defaute

Among crysten creatures · yf crystes worde be trywe

Dabo tibi secundum peticionem tuam .

What is parfyt pacience · quaþ Actiua uita .

Meeknesse and Mylde speche · and men of on wil

Þe wiche wil loue ledeþ · to oure lordes place ·

And þat is charite chaumpion · ch{e}ief of alle vertues

And þat is poure pacient · alle perilis to suffre ·

Where pouerte and pacience · plese more god al-myghty

Than do ryghtful richesse · and resonabl{e}yT to spende

Ȝe quis est ille quaþ pacience · quyk laudabimus eum .

Thauh men rede of riche · rygh / rygh[t] to þe wordles ende

And whan he drouh hym to þe deþ · þat he ne dradde hym sarrer

Than eny poure pacient · and þat preoue ich by reyson

Hit are bote fewe folke of thees riche · þat ne falleþ in arirage

Thar þe poure der plede · and prooue by pure reysoune

To haue a lowannce ofP hus lorde · by lawe he cleymeþ ioye

That neuere ioye hadde · of ryght Iuge he {l}askeþ

And seith lo briddes and bestes · þat no blisse knoweþ

And wilde wormes in wodes · þorgh wynter þow hem greuest

And makest hem wel ner meek · and mylde for defaute

After þan þow seyndest hem somer* · þat is hem souereyn ioye

And blisse to alle been · boþe wilde and tame

Then may beggers and bestes · after blysse asken

Þat al here lif hauen lyuede · in langour and defaute

Bote god sende hem tyme · of som maner ioye

Oþer heer oþer elles-where · elles-where hit reuthe

For to wroþer hele was he wrouȝth · þat neuere was ioye yshape ·

Angeles þat in helle now been · hadden som tyme ioye

And diues in his deyntes lyuynge · and in · douce uye .

And now he buyeþ hit ful Bitere he his a begger* of helle

Many man hath hus ioye here · for alle here wel-dedes

And lordes an ladyes ben callid · for leodes þat þay haue

And slepiþ as hit semeþ · and somere euere hem foleweþ

Wan deþ a-wakeþ hem of here wele · þat where here so ryche

Þan harenLX hit pure poure þynges · in purgatorie oþer in helle

Dauid in þe sauter of shuche makeþ mynde

And seith dormierunt  & nichil iuenerunt omnes uiri diuiciarum .

Et alibi . velut sompnium surgencium & cetera .