[A]nd as ich wente by þe way when ich was þus awakede

   Heuy chired ich ȝeode · and elynge in heorte

   For ich ne wiste wher to ete ne in what place

And neyhede ny þe noon and with neode ich mette

Þat a-frontede me foule · and faitour me calde

Couþest þou nat he seide excuse þe · as dude þe kyng* and oþere

That þou toke to lyue by · to sustinaunce and cloþes

As by techinge and tellynge of spiritus temperancie .

And þat þou nome no more · þan neode þe tauhte

Neode haþ no lawe · ne neuere shal falle in dette

For þre þynges þat he takeþ hus lyf for to saue

That is mete whanne men hym wyrneþ for he no monye weldeþ

And wot þat non wol be hus borgh noþer haþ wed to legge

And he cacche in þat cas and come þer-to by sleithe

Soþliche he syneweþ nat þat so wynneþ hus fode

And þauh he come so to cloþ and can no betere cheuesaunce

Neode nymeþ hym a-non · vnder hus mayn-pryse

And ȝeueþ hym loust for to lape þe lawe of kynde wolde

Þat he dronke of eche a diche · er he deide for þerste

So neode at grete neode may nyme as for hus owene

With-oute consaile of conscience or cardinale uertues .

So þat he suwe and saue spiritus temperancie .

For is no vertue by-fore to spiritus temperancie .

Noþer spiritus iusticie . ne spiritus fortitudinis .

For spiritus fortitudinis forfeteþ ful ofte

He shal do more þan mesure meny tyme and ofte

And bote men ouere bittere · and som body to lyte

And greue men grettour þan good faith wolde

And spiritus iusticie shal Iugen wol he nul he

After þe kynges counsaile · and þe comune lyke

And spiritus prudencie in menye poynt shal fayle

Of þat he weneþ wolde falle yf isLX wit ne were

Wenynge is no wisedome ne wys ymaginacion

Homo proponit deus disponit god gouerneþ alle

Goode vertues next hym is neode for a-non he meokeþ

And is as louh as a lomb · for lackynge of þat hym neodeþ

For neode makeþ neody for neode louh herted

filosofres for-soken welthe · for þei wolde be neody

And wonede wel elyngliche · and wolden nat be riche

And god al hus grete ioie · gostliche he lefte

And cam and took man-kynde · and by-cam ful neody

He was so neody seith þe bok in meny sondry p{a}laces

Þat he seide in hus sorwe · on þe selue rode

Boþe fox and fowel may · fleo to hole and crepe

And þe fisshe haþ fynnes to flete with to reste

Þer neode haþ ynome me so · þat ich mot neode byde

And suffre sorwes soure · þat shal to ioye turne

For-þi beo nat a-baihsshed · to bydde and to beo neody

Sithe he þat wrouhte al þe worlde · was wilfulliche neody

Neuere non so neody ne non so poure deyede

When neode hadde vnder-nome me thus · anon ich feol a-sleope

And mette ful merueilousliche · þat in amannes / a mannes forme

{A}Antecrist P cam þenne · and al þe crop of treuthe

Turned tyte vp-so-doun · and ouer-tilt þe rote

And made fals to sprynge and sprede and spedde menne neodes

In eche contreie þer he cam he cutte awey treuthe

And gert gyle growe þer as he a god were

Freres folweden þat feonde · for ȝe ȝaue hem copes

And religiouse reuerencede hym and rongen here belles

Al þe couant þo cam · to wolcome þe tyraunt

And alle hise as wel as hym saue onliche fooles

The wiche fooles weren gladdere to deye

Þan lyue lengoure suþe leaute · was so rebuked

And a fals feon anticrist ouer alle folke regnede

That were mylde men and holye þat no meschief dradden

Defieden al falsnesse and folk þat hit vsede

And wat kyng comfortede hem knowynge here gyle

Thei corsede and here consail were hit clerk* oþer lewede

Anticrist thus sone hadde hundredes at hus baner

And pruyde bar þat baner boldeliche abouhte

With a lorde þat lyueþ after lykynge of hus body

And cam a-ȝeyns conscience þat keper was anLX gyour

Ouer kynde cristyne and cardinale uertues

Ich consaile quaþ conscience þo · comeþ with me ȝe fooles

In-to unite holichurche · and halde we ous þere

And crye we to kynde þat he come and defende

Ous fooles fro þe feondes lymes · for peers loue þe plouhman

And crye we on al þe comune þat þei come to unite .

Ther to abyde and bykere aȝeyns beliales children

Kynde huyrde þo conscience and cam out of þe planetes

And sente forþ hus fereours · feuers and fluxes

Couhes and cardiacles claumpes and toþ-aches

Reumes and Radegoundes and roynouse scabbes

Bules and bocches and brennyng aguwes

Frenesyes and foule vueles these foragers of kynde

Hadden prykede and preyede polles of people

Largeliche alegion / a legion · lees þe lyf sone

Ther was harow and help · her comeþ kynde .

With deþ þat is dredful to vn-do ous alle

The lord þat lyuede after loust þo a-loud criede

After comfort a knyght to come and bere hus baner

Alarme Alarme quaþ þat lorde · eche lyf kepe hus owene

Thenne mette þes men er mynstrales myghte pipe

And er heraudes of armes hadden discriuede lordes

Elde þe hore · was in þe vaunt-warde

And bar a baner by-fore deþ by right he hit claymede

Kynde cam after hym · with menye kynne sores

As pockes and pestilences and muche people shente

So kynde thorgh corupcions · culde ful menye

Deþ cam dremend after and al to douste paihste

Kynges and knyghtes caysers and popes

Lered ne lewide · he lefte no man stande

That he hitte euene sterede neuere after

Many a lofly lady and here lemmanes knyghtes

Sounede and swelte for sorwe of dyþes dyntes

Conscience of hus cortesie · þo kynde he by-souhte

To cessen and suffren · and seo wher þei wolde

Leue pruyde pryueliche · and beo parfit cristene

And kynde cessede tho to seon þe peuple amende

Fortune gan flaterie þenne · thaym fewe þat were a-lyue

And by-hyght hym long lyf · and lecherie he sente

Amonges alle manere men · wedded and vnweddede

And gaderede a gret ost · al a-geyn conscience

Thees lecherie leyden on · with lauhynge chire

And with pryuey speche · and peyntede wordes

And armede hym with ydelnesse and in hy beryng**

He bar a bowe in hus honde and manye brode arwes

Where fetherede with faire by-{.}heste and meny afals / a fals treuthe

WhitLX vntydy tales he teonede ful ofte

Conscience and hus companye · of holychurche þe techers

Thenne cam couetise and caste how he myghte

Ouercome conscience and cardinale uertues .

And armed hym in auarice · and hungriliche lyuede

Hus wepne was al wiles to wynne and to huyden

WhithLX glosynges and with gabbynges · he gyleþP þe peuple

Symonye hym sywede · to assaille conscience .

And pressede on þe pope · and prelates þei maden

To holde with {A}AunticristP · here temperalite to saue

And cam to kynges consail · as a kene baroun ·

And knockede conscience In court by-fore hem alle

And gerte goode faith to flee · and fals to a-byde

And baldeliche bar adoun with meny a bryght noble

Muche of þe wit and wisdom · of westmynster halle

He iogged til a iustice · and ioustede in hus ere

And ouertulte al hus treuthe with tak this on amendement

And to þe arches in haste he hyede a-non after

And turnede cyuyle in-to symonye · and sitth he tok þe official

And for a menyuer mantel · he made leel matrimonye

Departe er deþ come and adeuors / a deuors shupte

Alas quaþ conscience and cride wolde crist of hus grace .

That couetise were cristyne þat is so kene to fyghte

And bold and byddynge · þy while hus bagge lasteþ

And þanne lohw loude lyf and let dagge hus cloþes

And armyd hym in haste in harlotes wordes

And held holynesse a Iape and hendynesse awastour / a wastour

And let leaute achierl / a chierl · and lyere a freo man

Conscience and consail · he countede folye

Thus relyede lyf · for a litel fortune

And prykeþ forth with pruyde preyseþ he no vertue

Ne careþ nouht hou kynde slouh · and shal come atte laste

And culle alle erthyly creatures saue conscience one

Lyf tho leep asyde · and lauhte hym a lemman

Hele and ich quaþ he and hihnesse of herte

Shal do þe nat drede neiþer deþ ne elde

And for-ȝute ȝouthe and ȝyue nauht of synne

This likede lyf and fortune hus lemman

And geten in here glorie a gadeling* atte laste

On þat muche wo wrouhte sleuthe was hus name

Sleuthe wax wonder ȝerne and sone was of age

And wedded on wanhope · a wenche of þe stywes

Heore syre was a sysour · þat neuere swor treuthe

On Robert two-tounged · ateynt at eche enqueste

Thes sleutheP was sleyh of werre · and aslynge / a slynge made

And þrewe drede of dispayr · a doseyne myle a-boute

For care conscience cryede vp-on elde

And bad hym fonde to fighte and afere wanhope

And elde hente good hope · and hastiliche shrof hym

And wayueþ away wanhope · and with lyf he fighteþ

And lif fleyht for fere to syke after helpe

And by-souhte hym of socour and of here salue hadde

And gaf hym gold goud won þat gladede here hertes

And þei gauyn hym a-gayn · aglasene / a glasene houe

Lyf leyuede þat leche-craft lette sholde elde

And to dryue away deþ with dayes drogges

Elde auntred hym on lyf and atte laste he hitte

A fisician with a forrede hod þat he fel in a palsye

And þer deiede þat doctour er thre dayes after

Now ich seo saide lyf þat surgerye ne phisike

May nat amyte / a myte a-vaille · to medlen a-ȝens elde

And in hope of hus hele · good heorte he hente

And rod so to reuel · aryche / a ryche place and a murye

The companye of comfort men clipid hit som tyme

And elde hastede after hym and ouer my hefde ȝeode

And made me ballide by-fore and bar on þe croune

So harde he ȝeode ouer myn hefde hit wol be syne euere

Syre vuel ytauhte elde quaþ ich vnhende go with þe

Suþþe wanne was þe hey-wey ouer menne hefdes

Haddest þou be hende quaþ ich þow woldest haue askede leue

Ȝe leue lordeyn quaþ he and leyde on me with age

And hitte me vnder þe ere vnnyþe may ich huyre

He boffatede me a-boute þe mouhthe and beet out my wang-teþ

And gyuede me with goutes ich may nat go at large

And of þe wo þat ich was yn my wif hadde reuthe

And wisshede wel whiterlyche þat ich were in heuene

For þe lyme she louede me fore · and leep was to feele

And anyghȝtes nameliche when we naked were

Ich ne myghte in none manere · maken hit at heore wille

So elde and he hit hadde · afeyntede and for-beete

And as ich sat in þis sorwe · sauh how kynde passede

And deþ drow neyghynge me · for drede gan ich quaken

And criede carfully to kynde of kare me brynge

Lo hou elde þe hore haþ me byseye

Awreke me yf ȝoure wil beo for ich wolde be hennes

Yf þow wolt beo awreke · wende in-to unite .

And held þe þare euere til ich sende for þe

And loke þou conne som craft · er þou come þennes

Consaileþ meP kynde quaþ ich · what crafte be best to leere

Lerne to loue quaþ kynde and lef alle oþer þynges

Hou shal ich come to catel so · to cloþe me and to feode

And þow loue leelliche · lacke shal þe neuere

Wede ne wordliche mete while þy lyf lasteþ

And ich þorgh consail of kynde comsede to rome

Thorgh contricion and confession · til ich cam to unite .

And þer was conscience constable crystine to saue

He was bysegide soþliche with seuene · grete geauntes

That with {a}aunticrist helden harde aȝeyns conscience

Sleuthe with hus slynge · an hard sauht he made

Proude preostes cam with hym · passend an hundred

In paltokes and pikede shoes and pissares longe knyues

Thei come aȝeyns conscience with couetise þei helden

By þe marie quaþ a mansede preest · was of þe marche of yrelonde

Ich counte conscience no more · by so ich cacche seluer

Then ich do to drynke · adrawt / a drawt of good ale

And so seide syxty of þe same countreo

And shotten aȝeyns hym with shot mony shef oþes

And brode hokede harwesLX · godes herte and hus nailes

And hadde almost vnite · and holychurche a-doune

Conscience cride helpe · cleregie oþer ich falle

Thorgh imparfit preestes · and prelates of holychurche

Freres herde hym crie · and comen hym to helpe

Ac for thei couthe nat wel here crafte conscience for-soke hem

Neode Neyhede þo ner to conscience he tolde

Þat þei came for couetise to haue cure of soules

And for thei aren poure paraunter · for patrimonye hem failleþ

Thei wolle flaterie to fare wel · to folke þat ben riche

And sitthen þei chosen chile and caytif pouerte

Let hem chewe as þei chosen · and charge hem with no cure

For lommere he lyeþ · þat liflode mote begge

Than he þat laboreþ for lyflode · and leneþ hit beggeres

And sitthen freres for-soke · þe felicite of erthe

Lat hem be as beggers · oþer lyue by aungeles fode

Conscience of þis consail tho · comsede for to lauhe

And cortesly confortid hem · and cald yn alle freres

And seide sires sothly · wel-come be ȝe alle

To unite and to holichurche · ac o þing** ich ȝow preye

Holdeþ ȝow in unite and haueþ non enuye

To lerede ne to lewide · bote lyueþ after ȝoure reule

And ich wol beo ȝoure borw · ȝe shulleþ haue brede and cloþes

And oþer necessaries ynowh · ȝou shal no þyng lakke

With þat ȝe leue logyk** and lernyeþ for to louye

For loue lefte þei lordshupes · boþe londe and scole

Frere fraunceis and domynyk** · for loue to be holy

And yf he coueiteþ cure kynde wol ȝow telle

That in mesure god made alle manere þynges

And sette hit at sertayn · and at a syker numbre

And nempnede hem names · and nombrede þe sterres

Qui numerat multitudinem stellarum .

Kynges and knyghtes · þat kepen and defenden

Hauen officers vnder hem and ech of hem a certayn

And yf þei wage men to werre · thei wryten hem in numbre

Wol no treserour take hem wages trauayle þei neuere so sore

Bote hij beon nempned in þe numbre · of hem þat ben ywaged

Alle oþere in bataille beeþ yolde brybours

Pilours and pyke-herneys in eche parshe a-corsede

Monekes and monyales and alle men of religion

Here ordre and here ruele wol · to haue a certayn numbre

Of lered and lewede þe lawe wole and askeþ

A certayn for a certayn · saue onliche of freres

For-thi quaþ conscience by crist kynde wit me telleþ

Hit is wickede to wage ȝou · ȝe wexit oute of numbre

Heuene haueþ euene numbre · and helle is with-oute numbre

For-thi ich wolde whiterly · þat ȝe were in registre

And ȝoure numbre vnder notarie sygne and noþer more ne lasse

Enuye herde þis · and het freres go to scole

And lerne logik and lawe and eke contemplacion

And preche men of plato · and prouen hit by seneca

That alle þyng vnder heuene · ouhte to beo in comune

He lyeþ as ich leyue · þat to þe lewede so precheþ

For god made to men a lawe · and moyses hit tauhte

Non concupisces rem proximi tui .

And vuel is this yholde in parshes of yngelonde

For persones and parshe preestes · þat sholde þe peuple shryue

And thei beon curatours cald · to knowe and to hele

Alle þat been here parshenes · penaunces enioyneþ

And beo ashamede in here shryft* ac shame makeþ hem wende

And fleo to freres · as fals folke to westmynstre

Þat borweþ and bereþ hit thuder · and thenne byddeþ frendes

Ȝeorne of for-ȝeuenesse oþer lenger ȝeres leue

Ac wile he is in westmynstre · he wol be by-fore

And maken hym myrie with oþer menne goodes

And so hit fareþ by muche folke þat to freres hem shryueþ

As asissours and excecutours þei shal ȝeue þe freres

A prarcel / parcel to preye for hem · and maken hem murþe

With þe remenant of þe good þat oþer men by-swonke

And suffre þe dede in dette to þe day of dome

Enuye here-fore hatyde conscience .

And freres to philosophie · he fond hem to scole

The wile couetise and vnkyndenesse · assaillede conscience .

In vnite holichurche conscience held hym

And made pees portor · to pynne þe ȝates

Alle tale-tellours and titereres in ydel

Ypocrise and thei and hard swat thei ȝeuen

Ypocrise atte þe ȝate harde gan fighte

And wondede wel wickedly · meny awys / a wys techere

That with conscience acordede and cardinale uertues .

Conscience calde a leche þat couthe wel shryue

To salue þo þat sik were and þorgh synne ywonded

Shruft shupte sharpe salue and made men do penaunce

For here mysdedes that thei wrouht hadde

And þat peers pardoun were ypaied Redde quod debes .

Somme likede nat þis leche and lettres þei senten

Yf eny surgeyn were in þe sege · þat softere couþe plastre

Sire lyf to lyue in lecherie lay þere and gronede

For fastynge of a friday he ferde as he wolde deye

Ther is a surgen in þe sege þat softe can handle

And more of fisik by feer and fairer he plastreþ

On frere flaterere is fisician and surgien

Quaþ contricion to conscience do hym come to unite .

For her is meny man hurt · þorgh ypocrisye

We haue no neode quaþ conscience · ich wote no bettere leche

Than person oþer parshe prest penytancer oþer busshup

Saue péérs the plouhman þat hath powere ouere alle

And indulgence may do bote yf dette Lette

Ich may wel suffry quaþ conscience sutthe ȝe disyren

That frere flatere be fet and fysyke ȝou syke

The frere here-of herde · and hyede faste

To a lorde for a lettere Leue to haue to curen

As {b}he a curatour were · and cam with hus letteres

Baldely to þe bushope · and hus breef hadde

In countreyes þer he cam confessions to hure

And cam ther conscience was · and knockede atte ȝate

péés vnpynnede þe dore · þat was portour of vnite

And in hast he hesshede · what hus wil were

In faith quaþ þis frere · for profit and for helthe

Carpe ich wolde with contricion and þer-fore cam ich hyder

He is syke seide péés and so aren meny oþere

Ypocrisye haþ hurt hem · ful hard is yf ȝe keuere

Ich am a surgen seide þe frere · and saules can ich make

Conscience knoweþ me wel · and what ich can done

Ich preye the quaþ péés tho · er þow passe forþere

What hattest þou ich praye · hele nat þy name

Certes seide isLX felawe · syre penetrans domos .

Ȝe go þi gate quaþ pees by god for al þy fysike

Bote þow conne eny craft · þou comest nat here-ynne

Ich knew such on ones nat eyhte wynter passede

Cam yn thus ycopede at a court þere ich dwellede

He was my lordes leche · and my ladies boþe

And atte þe laste þis lymytour · þo my lordP whasLX oute

He saluede so oure wommen til somme where with childe

Hende speche het pees þo · opene þe ȝates

And lat yn þe frere and hus felawe · and make hem faire chyre

He may seo and huyre here · so may by-falle

That lyf þorgh hus lore · shal leue couetise

And to beo a-drad of deþ · and wiþ-drawe hym fro pruyde

And a-corde with conscience and cusse here aiþer oþere

Thus þorgh hende speche · entrede þe frere

And cam to conscience and corteisliche hym grette

Thou ert wolcome quaþ conscience canst þou hele syke

Here is contricion quaþ conscience My cosyn ywondede

Conforte hym quaþ conscience and take kepe to hus sores

The plastres of þe person · and þe pouderes beoþ to sore

And lat hem lygge ouer-lange · and loþ is to chaungen

fro lente to lente he let hus plastres byde

That is ouerlonge quaþ þis lymatour ich leyue ich shal amende hit

He goþ gropeþ contricion anLX gaf hym aplastre / a plastre

Of a pryue payement · and ich shal preye for ȝowe

And for hem þat ȝe aren holden to · al my lyf-tyme

And make ȝou my lady · in masse and in matynes

As freres of oure fraternite · for a litel seluer

Thus he goþ and gadereþ · and gloseþ þer he shryueþ

Til contricion hadde clene for-ȝute · to crie and wepe and wake

For hus wickede werkes · as he was wonede by-fore

For comfort of hus confessour contricion he lefte

That is þe souereyne salue · for alle kynne synnes

Anon sleuthe seih þat · and so dude pruyde

And comen with a kene wil conscience to assaille

Conscience criede eft · cleregie come help me

And bad contricion to come · to helpe þe ȝate

He lith adreynched saide pees and so doþ meny oþere

The frere with hus fisik þis folke haþ enchauntede

And doþ men drynke dwale · þat men dredeþ no synne

By crist quaþ conscience tho ich wol by-come a pilgryme

And wenden as wide · as þe wordle regneþ

To seke peers þe plouhman þat pruyde myghte destruye

And þe freres hadden afyndynge / a fyndyngeN þat for neode flateren

And counterpleideþ me conscience nowe kynde me a-venge

And sende me hap and hele · til ich haue peers plouhman .

And sitthe he gradde after grace til ich gan a-wake