[T]Her is no suche ich seide · þat som tyme ne borweth

     Oþer beggeþ oþer byddeþ · beo he riche oþer poure

     And ȝut oþer-while wroþ · whithouteLX eny synne

Ho-so is wroþ and wolde be awreke · holi wryt quaþ he proueþ

He passeþ chief charite hifLX holichurche beo trywe

Caritas omnia suffert .

Holywrit whitnesseþ · þer were suche eremites

Solitarie by hem-self · and in here selles lyueden

Whiþ-oute borwynge oþer beggynge · bote of god one

Excepte þat egidie an hynde oþer-while

To hus selle seilde cam · and suffrede to be melked

Elles fouweles fedden hem · in frythes þer þei woneden

Boþe antonye and erseny · and oþer mo fele

Paul primus{.} heremita hadde parroked hym-selue

That no man myghte se hym · for muche mos and leues

Foweles hym fedde · yf frere austyn be trywe

For he ordeynede þat ordre · other elles þei gabbyn

Paul after isLX prechynge · panyeres he made

And wan whithLX hus hondes · al þat hym neodyde

Peter fysshede for hus fode · and hus fere andreu

SomC thei solde and som thei sode · and so þei leueden boþe

Marie magdalene by mores leuede and dewes

Loue and leel by-leyue · heeld lyf and soule to-gedere

Maria egipciaca eet in þyrty wynter

Bote þre lytel loues · and loue was here souel

Ich can nat rekene hem ryght now · ne reherce here names

That lyueden þus for oure lordes loue · meny longe ȝeres

Whit-outeLX borwyng oþer beggyng** · oþer þe bok lyeþ

And woneden in wildernesse · a-mong wilde bestes

Ac dorst no best byten hem · by daye ne by nyghte

Bote myldeliche whan þei metten maden louh chire

And feyre by-fore þo men · fauhnede whithLX þe tayles

Ac bestes broughte hem no mete · bote onliche þe fouweles

In tokenynge þat trywe man · alle tymes sholde

Fynde honeste men in holy men · and oþer ryghtful peuple

For wolde neuere feith fulgoud / feith-ful goud / g[o]d · þat freres and monkes token

Lyflode of luþer wynnynges · in al here lif-tyme

As wyttnesseþ holy writt · what thobie seyde

To isLX wif whan he was blynde · herde a lambe blete

A wyf be war quaþ he · what ȝe haue here-ynne

Lord leyue quaþ þe lede · no stole þyng be here

Videte ne furtum sit . & alibi . melius est mori quam male uiuere .

This is no more to mene · bote men of holychurche

Sholde receyue ryght nauth · bot þat ryght wolde

And refu{c}se reuerences · and raueneres offrynges

Thenne wolde lordes and ladies · be loth for to a-gulte

And to take of here tenauns · more þan treuthe wolde

And marchauns merciable wolde be · and men of lawe boþe

Wolde religiouse refuse · raueneres almesse

Then grace sholde growe ȝut · and grene leued wexe

And charite þat child is now · sholde chaufen of hem-self

And confortye alle cristene · wold holychurche amende

Iob þe parfit patriark · þis prouerbe wrot and tauhte

To makye a man louye mesure · þat monkes beeþ and Freres

Nunquam dicit Iob rugiet onager cum habuerit herbam . aut mugiet bos cum

Yf lewede men knewe this latyn · a litel þei wolde auisen hem

Er thei amorteisede eny more · for monkes oþer for chanons

Alas lordes and ladies · lewede counsail haue we

Þat founded beþ to fulle · to feffe suche and fede

With þat ȝoure barnes and ȝoure blod · by goode lawe may cleyme

For god bad hus blesside · as þe book** techeþ honora patrem & matrem .

To helpe þy fader formest · by-fore freres and monkes

And er prestes oþer pardoneres · oþer eny peuple elles

Help þi kynne crist bit · for þer by-gynneþ charite

And afterwarde awhaiteLX · hoo haþ moost neede

And þer help yf þou hast · and þat halde ich charite

Loo laurence for hus largenesse · as holy lore telleþ

Þat hus mede and hus man-hede · for euere-more shal laste

Iusticia euis manet in eternum .

He gaf godes men goodes · and nat to grete lordes

And fedde þat a-fyngred where · and in defaute lyueden

Ich der nat carpe of clerkes now þat cristes tresoure kepen

TatLX poure peuple by pure ryght · here part thei myghten aske

Of þat holichurche of þe olde lawe cleymeþ

Preestes on aparail and on purnele spenen

Men may lykne letterid men · to a luhssheborgh* oþer werse

And to a badde peny · whitLX a good preynte

For of muche moneye · þe metal is right nauht

Ȝut is þe prente pure trewe · anLX parfitliche graue

And so it fareth by false cristine here follouht is triwe

Cristendome of holychurche · þe kynges ma{r}ske of heuene

Ac þe metal þat is mannes saule of meny of þes techeres

Is alayed whitLX lecherie · and oþer lustes of synne

That god coueiteþ nat þat coygne · þat crist hym-self preentede

And for synne of soule · for-sakeþ hus owene coygne

Thus are þe lithere lyknede · to luhssheborueP sterlinges

That faire by-fore folke · prechen and techen

And worchen nat as þei fynden wryten · and wissen þe peuple

For what þorw werre and wrake and wycked hyfdesLX

May no preiour pees make · in no place hit semeþ

Lewede men hauen no by-leyue · so letterid men erren

Neiþer þe see ne þe sande · ne þe seed ȝeldeþ

As þei woned were · in wham is defaute

Nat in god þat he nys goud · and þe grounde boþe

And þe see and þe seed · the sonne and þe mone

Don her deuer day and nyȝth · and yf we duden also ·

Ther sholde be plente and pees perpetuel · for euereP

Wonderwyse shupmen now · and oþer witty peuple

HanP no by-leyue to þe lyft · ne to þe lood-sterres

Astronomyens al day in here art faillen

That whilen warned men by-fore · what shoulde by-ffalle after

Shupmen and shephurdes · by the seuen sterres

Wisten while and tolden · whenne hit shoulde reynen

Tyliers þat tyleden þe erthe · tolden here maystres

By þe seed þat þey sewe · what þey shoulde notye

And what lyue by and leue · þe londe whas so trewe

Now failleth þis folke · boþe sowers and shupmen

Noþer þei knoweþ ne conneþ · o cours by a noþer

Astronomyens al-so · aren at ere whittesLX ende

Of þat was calculed of þe clymat · the contrarye þey fyndeth

Grammere þat grounde is of alle · by-gyleþ now children

For þer is nouthe non · who-so nymeþ hete

That can uerfie / uer[si]fie fayre · oþer formeliche endite

Ne þat can construen kyndeliche · þat poetes maden

Gowe now to eny degre · and bote gyle be halde amayster / a mayster

And aflaterer / a flaterer for hus huhsshereLX · and ferliche me þynkeþ

Doctours of decree · and of dyuyn maystres

That shoulde þe seuene ars conne · and a-soile ad quodlibet .

Bote þei faille in fylosophye · and filosophers lyueden

Lord leyue þat þese preestes · leelly seyn here masses

That thei ouerhuppe nat for hast · as ich hope thei do nat

That hit suffuse / suff[i]se for oure sauacion · sothfast by-leyue

As clerkus in corpus christi feste · syngen and reden

That sola fides sufficit to saue whithLX lewede peuple

Ac yf preestes don here deuer wel · wheLX shullen do þe bettere

For saresyns mowe be saued so · yf þei so by-leyuede

In þe lengthynge of here lyf · to leyue on holychurche

What is holychurche frend quaþ ich charite he seyde

Lyf and loue and leaute · in o by-leyue aLX lawe

And loue a knotte of leaute · and of leel by-leyue

Alle-kynne cristene · clynynge on o wyl

Whith-outeLX gyle and gabbynge · gyue and selle and leue

Loue lawe whith-outeLX leaute · lowable was it neuere

God lereþ no lyf to loue · whith-outeLX leel cause

Iewes gentiles and sarrasines · Iugen hem-selue

That leeliche þei by-leyuen and ȝut here lawe dyuersen

And on god þat al by-gan · whithLX goode herte þei honoureþ

Ac oure lorde loueþ no loue · bote lawe be þe cause

For lechours louen aȝen þe lawe · and at þe laste beeþ dampned

And theeues leaute haten · and at þe laste beeþ hanged

And leelle men louen as lawe techeþ · and loue þer-of aryseþ

The wich is hefd of charite and hele of mannes soule

Dilige deum propter deum . id propter ueritatem est . Et inimicum

Loue god for he is good · and grounde of alle treuthe

Loue þyn enemy entyerly · godes heste to ful-fille

Loue þy frend þat folweþ þy wil · þat is þe faire soule

For whanne alle frendes faillen · and fleen a-wey in deiynge

Thenne suweþ þe þy soule · to sorwe oþer to ioye

And ay hopeþ eft to be whitLX here bodye atte laste

In murthe oþer in mornynge and neuere eft to departe

And þat is charite my leue childe to be cher ouer thi soule

Contrarie hure nauht as in conscience · yf þou wolt come to heuene

Were sarrasyns ich seide · seo nat what is charite

Hit may be þat sarrasyns · hauen a suche manere charite

Louye as by lawe of kynde · oure lord god al-myghty

Hit is a kynde þyng** a creature · hus creatour to honoure

For þer is no man þat mynde hath · þat ne meokeþ hym and by-secheþ

To þat lord þat hym lyf lente and lyflode hym seyndeþ

Ac meny manere men þer beoþ · as sarrasyns and Iewes

Louyeþ nat þat lorde a-ryght · as by þe legende sanctorum .

And lyuen out of leel by-leyue · for thei leyue in a mene

A man þat hihte makamede · For messye thei hym healdeP

And after hus lerynge thei lyuen · and by lawe of kynde

And when kynde hath hus cours · and no contrarye fyndeth

Þenne is lawe lost · and lewete vnknowyn

Beaute saunz bounte blessed was hit neuere

Ne kynde saunz cortesie In no contreye preysed

Men fyndeþ þat makamede · was a man ycrystned

And a cardinal of court · agret / a gret clerk whit-alle

A{.}nd porsuede to haue be pope · pryns of holychurche

And for he whas lyke alouhsheborgh / a louhsheborgh · ich leyue oure lord hym lette

For-thi southte he in-to surrye and sotile hou he myghte

Beo maister ouer alle þo men · and on þis manere wroughte

He endauntede a douue · day and nyght here fedde

In aiþer of hus eris · pryueliche he hadde

Corn þat þe coluer eet · when he cam in places

And in what place he prechede · and þe peuple tauhte

Thenne sholde þe coluere come · to þe clerkes ere

Menynge as after hus mete · thus makamede here enchauntede

And when þe coluer kam þus · þenne knewele þe peuple ·

For makamede to men swor · hit was a messager of heuene

And sothly god self · in suche a coluere lyknesse

Tolde hym and tauhte hym · hou to teche þe peuple

Thus makamede in m{u}ysbyleyue · man and womman brouhte

And in hus lore thei leyuen ȝut · as wel lered as lewede

And sutthe oure sauyour · suffrede suche a fals crystine

Deceyue so sarrasyns · sothly me thynkeþ

Holy men as ich hope · thorw help of þe holy gost

Sholde conuerten hem to crist · and cristendom take

Alas þat men so longe · on makamede by-leyuen

So meny preestes to prechie · as þe peuple makeþ

Of Nazareth of Nynyue of Neptalym of damaske .

That thei ne wendeþ þe wey · as holy writ biddit

Ite in uniuersum mundum sutthe ȝe wilneþ þe name

To be prelates and preche · þe passion of Ihesus .

And as hyn / hy[m]-self seyde · so lyue and deye

Bonus pastor animam suam ponit pro ouibus suis .

Hit is reuthe to rede · hou ryght holy men lyueden

How thei defouleden here fleessh · for-soken here owen wil

Feer fro kuth and fro kyn · vuel cloþed ȝeoden

Baddeliche beddyd · no book bote here conscience

Noþer richesse bote þe rode · to reioyesen hem Inne

Absit uos gloriari nisi in cruce domini nostri iesu christi .

And þo was pees and plente · a-mong poure and riche

And now is reuthe to rede · hou þe rede noble

Ys yreuerenced by-fore þe rode · and receyuyd for þe worthier

To a-mende and to make · as whitLX men of holichurche

Than cryst oþer croys þat ouercam · deþ and dedly synne

And now is werre and wo · and ho-so whi askeþ

For couetyse after a croys · þe croune stant in golde

Boþe riche and religiouse that rode þei honouren

Þat in grotes is ygraue · and in gold nobles

For couetyse of þat croys · clerkes of holychurche

Sullen ouerturne as templers duden þe tyme aprocheþ faste

Mynne ȝe nat lettered men hou þo men honourede

More tresour and treuthe · ich dar nat telle þe southe

How þo corsede crystine catel and richesse worshepeden

Reyson and Riȝtfuldome / Riȝtful dome · þe relious / reli[gi]ous damnede

Right so ȝe clerkus ȝoure couetise er come ouht longe

Shal dampne dos ecclesie and depose ȝow for ȝoure pruyde

Deposuit potentes de sede .

Hyf knyȝtht-hod and kynde whitLX and þe comune and conscience

To-geders louen leelliche · leyueþ hit wel bisshopes

ToT lordshup of londes · leese ȝe shulle for euere

And lyuen as leuitici dude · and as oure lord ȝou techeþ

Per primicias . et decimas .

Whenne constantyn of hus cortesye holychurche dowedeN

WhithLX londes and leedes · lordshepes and rentes

An Angel men hurde an hih · at rome crye

Dos ecclesie this day · haþ ydronke venym

And tho þat han petris power · aren poysoned alle

A medecine moste þer-to · þat myghte amende þe prelates

That sholden preye for þe pees · and possession hem letteþ

Takeþ here londes ȝ / ȝ[e] lordes and leet hem lyue by dymes

Yf ȝe kynges coueyten in cristene pees to lyuen

For yf posession be poyson and inparfyȝt hem make

The heuedes of holychurche · and tho þat ben vnder hem

Hit were charite to deschargen hem · for holychurches sake

And purge hem of þe oolde poyson ere more perel falle

For were preest-hod more parfyȝt · þat is þe pope formest

That whiþ moneye menteyneþ men to werren vp-on cristine

Aȝens þe lore of oure lorde · as seynt luk wytnesseþ michi uindictam .

Hus prayers whithLX hus pacience to pees sholde brynge

Alle londes to loue · and þat in a lytel tyme

The pope with alle preestes pax uobis sholde make

And take hede hou makamede þorwe a mylde doue

He hald al surrye as hym-self wolde · and sarasyns in quyete

Nouht þorw manslauht and strengthe · Makamede hadde þe mastrie

Bote þorw pacience and pryuy gyle · he was prynce ouer hem alle

In suche manere me þynkeþ · moste þe pope

Prelatis and preestes prayen · and by-seche

Deuowtliche day and nyȝt · and whiþ-drawe hem fro synne

And crye to crist þat he wolde · hus coluere seynde

The wiche is þe holygost þat out of heuene descendede

To make a perpetuel pees by-twyne þe prynce of heuene

And alle manere men · þat on þis molde lybbeþ

Yf preest-hod were perfiȝt and preyede thus · the peuple sholde amende

That now contrarien cristes lawes · and cristendom despisen

For sutthe þat þes sarasyns · scribes and þes Iewes

Hauen a lippe of oure by-leyue · þe lightloker me þynkeþ

Thei sholde turne þat trauayle wolde · and of þe trinite techen hem

For alle paynymes preyen · and parfitliche by-leyuen

In þe grete heye god · and hus grace asken

And maken here mone to makamede · here message to shewe

Thus in aLX faith lyueþ þat folke · and in a false mene

And þat is reuthe for þe ryght men þat in þe reame wonyeþ

And bereþ name of Neptalym of Nynyue and of damaske .

For when þe holy kynge of heuene sende hus sone to eerthe

Meny myracles he wrouhte man for to turne

In ensample þat men sholde seo by sad reyson

That men myghte nat be sauede · bote þorw mercy and grace

And þorw penaunce an{n}d passioun and parfyȝt by-leyue

And by-cam a man of a mayde and metropolitanus .

And baptisede anLX busshoppede · whitLX þe blode of hus herte

Alle þat wilnede oþer wolde · whitLX inwhiȝtLX by-leue hit

Meny seint sitthe suffrede deþ al-soo

For to enferme þe faithe fulwyde / ful wyde-where deyden

In Inde and in alisaundre in Ermanye in spayne .

And f{..}ro mysbyleue meny man turnede

In sauacion of mannys saule seynt thomas of cauntelbury

Among vnkynde cristine in holychurche was sleye

And alle holychurche honourede for þat deyinge

He is aforbusne / a forbusne to alle busshopes · and abryȝthe / a bryȝthe myrour

And souereyneliche to alle suche þat of surrye bereþ name

And nat in engelounde to huppe abowte · anLX halewen menne auters

And crepe in a-monge creatours · and confesson a-ȝen þe lawe

Nolite mittere falcem in alienam messem .

Meny man for crystes loue · was martred a-mong romaynes

Er cristendome wher knowe þer · oþer eny croys honourede

Eueriche busshope by þe lawe · sholde buxumliche weynde

And pacientliche þorgh hus prouynce · and to hus peple hym shewe

Feden hem and folwen hem · and fere hem fro synne

In baculi forma . sit presul hec tibi norma .

Fer trahe punge gregem . seruando per omnia legem .

And enchaunte hem to charite · on holychurche to be-leyue

For as þe kynde is of aknyȝth / a knyȝth oþer for a kynge to be take

Among here enemys in morteils bateles

To be culled and ouercome þe comune to defende

So is þe kynde of creatour for cristes loue to preche

And deye for hus dere children to distrye dedlysynne / dedly synne

bonus pastor .

And nameliche þer as lewede lyuen and no lawe knowen

Ac we crystine comeþ þe lawe · and hauen of oure tounge

Busshopes and bookes · the byleyue to teche

Iuwes lyuen in þe lawe · þat oure lord tauhte

Moyses to be maister · þer-of til messie come

And in þat lawe þei leyue · and leten · hit for the beste

And ȝut knowe þei crist · þat cristendome tauhte

And for a {.....}parfyt prophete · þat muche peuple sauede

And of selcouþe sores · sauede men ful ofte

By þe meracles þat he made messie he semede

Tho he lyfte vp lazar þat leyde was in graue ·

Quatriduanus cold · quik** dude hym walke

Iuwes seyden þat hit seyn · whitLX sorcerie he wrouhte

And fondeden hou to struyen hem · and strueden hem-selue

And here power thourh hus pacience · to pure nought brouhten

And thei seien soþliche · and so doþ þe sarrasyns

That Iesus was bote a Iegelour a Iaper a-monge þe comune

And a sophistre of sorcerie · and pseudo propheta .

And hus lore was lesynge · and lacken hit alle

And hopen þat he be to comynge · þat shal hem releueN

Moyses oþer makamede · here maistres deuineþ

And haueþ suspecion to be saf · boþe sarrasyns and Iewes

Thorwe moyses and makamede · and myghte of god þat mad al

Now sytthe þat theese sarrasyns anLX al-so þe Iewes

ConneP þe ferste clause of oure by-leyue Credo in deum patrem .

Prelates and preestes · sholde preoue yf thei myghte

Lere hem lytulhum and lytulum · and in iesum christum filium eius .

Til þei couþe speke and spele · and in spiritumm sanctum .

Recorden hit and rendren hit wyth remissionem peccatorum .

Carnis resurectionem & uitam eternam . amen .