of erþe of eyre T hit is made . medled to-gederes

with wynd and with water . enioyned wittily .

Kynde haþ closed þer-in . craftilyP with-alle

a lemman þat he loueþ . lyk to him-selue 

Anima hit hatteþ . to here haþ enuye

a proud prykere of fraunce . Princeps huius mundi .

And wolde wynne hure a-way . with wyles ȝif he myȝthe

and kinde knoweþ þis wel . {...?...}and kepiþ hure þe betere C

and do hure to sire do-wel . duk of þe marches

do-bet is hure damesele . sire dowelis douȝter .

And serueþ þis lady lely . bothe late and raþe

þus dowel and do-bet . and do-best þe thridde 

ben maystres of þis mare . þis mayden to kepe

þe counstable of þe castel . þat kepyþ hem alle .

ys a wys knyȝt with-alles / eP . sire inwit he hatteþ

and and [haþ] fyue fayre sones . by his furste wyue 

sire see-wel and seywel . and here-wel þe ende

sire wyrch wel with þyn hond . and with man of strengþe .

Sire godfrey dowel . grete lordes alle

þese syxe beþ y-set . to saue þe castel 

to kepe T þis wymman .T wise men ben charged

til kynde come or sente . and kepe here him-selue .

what calle ȝe þat castel quod I . þat kynde haþ y-maked

and of what kennys þing . conne ȝe me telle 

kynde quod he is ceatour c[r]eatour . of alle kynnes bestes

fader and formere . þe furste of alle þinges .

And þat he is grete god . þat gynnyng hadde neuere

þe lord of lyf and of lyt and of peyne 

aungelys and al þing . arn at his wille

and man is him most lyk . of mark and of shappe .

For thur thur[ȝ] þe word þat he warp . waxe forþ bestes

and al at his wille . was wrouȝt with a speche 

Dixit ⁊ / & facta sunt . ⁊ / & cetera .

saue man þat he made . ymage to him-seluen

ȝaf him of his godhede . and graunted him blysse .

Lyf þat ay shal laste . and al his lynage after

þat is þe castel of kynde made . caro hit hatteþ 

as moche to mene . as man with þe souleT

þurȝ myȝth of þe mageste . man was y-maked .

Faciamus hominem ad ymaginem nostram .

In-wit and alle wittes . enclosed ben þer-inne

for loue of þat lady . þat lyf is y-nempned  

þat is Anima . þat ouer al þe body wandreþ

ac in þe herte is hure hom . heyest of alle .

He is lyf and ledere . and lemman of heuene

in-wit is þe help . þat .anima. desyret 

after þe grace of god . inwit is þe grettest .

in-wit in þe hed . is an help . to þe soule .

For þurȝ his cunnyng is kept . Caro ⁊ / & anima .

in reule and in resoun . but reccheles hit make 

he eggeþ eye syȝt . and hering to gode

of speche and of going . he is by-gynnere .

In mannys brayn he is most . and myȝthiest to knowe

þer is his boure bremest . but hot blod hit make 

for whan blod is bremere þan brayn . þan is þe wit bounden

and ek wantoun and wilde . with-outen ony resoun .

In fauntes and folys . in hem fayleþ in-wit

and ek in sottes þou myȝt se . þat sytten at þe ale 

þei helden ale in here hed . til inwit be drenchid

and ben brayned as bestes . so here blod waxit .

Than haþ þe pouke power . sire princeps huius mundi

ouer swiche maner men . myȝt is myȝtis in here soulys 

and in fauntes and folys . þe fend haþ no wit

for no werk þat þei werchyn . wikked or ellys .

But þe fader and þe frendes . for fauntes shul be blamedT

and þei be pore and catelles . and kep{n}yn kep[e]nP hem from ylle 

þan is holy cherche a-wenge . to helpe hem saue

F{o}roP fol{e}yes and fynden hem . til þei ben wisere .

Ac ech wit wi[ȝ]t in þis word wor[l]d . þat haþ understondyng

is chef soueren ouer him-self . his soule to ȝeme 

and chefueschyn for ony charg . whan childhod passeþ

saue him-self fro synne . for so him byhoueth .

For werche he wel oþer wrong . þe wit is his owen

þan is do-wel a duk . and distroyeþ vices 

and saueþ þe soule . þat synne haþ no myȝth

to route ne to reste . to rote in þin herte .

And þat is drede of god . dowel hit makeþ

and is gynnyng of goudnesseC . god for to dowte 

Salomon hit seyde . for a soth tale

Inicium sapiencie timor domini . ⁊ / & ceteraT

for doute men doþ þe bet . for drede is such a mayster .

That he makeþ men mylde . and mek of her speche

and alle skynnys skoleres . in scole to lere 

þan is do-bet to be war . for betyng of þe ȝerdes

and þer seyþ þe sauter . þe psalme þou myȝt rede .

Virga tua ⁊ / & baculus tuus . ⁊ / & cetera

Ac ȝif clene conciens acorde . and þi-self do wel

wille þou neuere in þis word . why for to don betere 

for intencio iudicatT hominem  .

with counseyl of conciens . a-cordyng with holy cherche

loke þou wisse þi wit . and þi werkes after .

for ȝif þou comsest a-gayn conciens . þou combrest þi-seluenC

and so witnesseþ godes word . and holy cherche after

qui agit contra concienciam . ed . adus . de . ⁊ / & cetera T

ac ȝif þou werche by godes word . I warne þe þeP beste

what-so men wondryn of þe . wratthe þe neuere .

catoun conceylytȝ so . tak kepe of þis þing

Cum recte uiuas . ne cures uerba malorum .

but suffre and sit stille . ne seke þou no ferþer .

And be glad of þat grace . þat god haþ þe sente

for ȝif þou comsest to clymbe . and coueytest hyere 

þou myȝt lese þi lownesse . for a lytel pride

I haue herd when lewed men . haue lered here children

þat seldo seld[e] men se þe marbel mosy . þat ofte men tredyn

And ryȝt so by renneres . þat rennyth a-boute .

from religioun to religioun . rechelys þei ben euere

ne men þat cunne alle craftes . as clerkes and oþer

trist tri[f]tP or T thedam with þo . is selden y-seye .

Qui circuit omne genus ⁊ / & cetera

Poul þe apostel . in his pistel wrot hit

in exaumple þat swiche . shulde not renne abowte 

and for wisdom is writen . and witnessed in cherche

In eadem uocacione . qua vocati estis .

Ȝif þou be manP maried . monk oþer chanoun

hold þe stabele and stedfast . and strengþe þi soule

to be blessed for þi beringe . ȝe beggere þei þou were

loke þou grocche not on god . þeiȝC he ȝeue þe litel

Be payd with þe porcyoun . pouere oþer richeT

for þus in sufferauns se þou myȝt . how soueraynes a-rise .

and so lerned vs luk . þat lyȝede neuere

qui se humiliat exaltabitur  .

And þus of dred ⁊̃ / & of oure dede . dobet a-risetȝ

whych is þe frut and þe flour . fostred of boþe

riȝth as a rose þat red is and swete . out of a ragged roteT

and as a row brere þat spryngeþ ⁊ / & spredeþ . þat spiceres desiren

Or as whete out of wed . waxeþ out of þe erþe

so dobest out of dobet . and dowel gynnytȝ springe

a-mong men of þis molde . þat meke ben and kynde

For loue of her lounesse . oure lord ȝyft hem grace .

Such werk to werche . þat he his wit payed

formest and ferst . to folk þat ben wedded

and lyuen as here lawes wiln . hit lykeþ god almyȝthi

þat þorw wedlak þe word stant . who-so wil hit knowe

Thei ben þe reychest of rewmes . and þe rote of dowel

for of here kyn þei comyn . þat confessoures ben nemled

boþe maydenys and nunnes . monkes and ankeres .

king and knyȝthes . and alle kennys clerkes

Barounes and burgeys . and bonde-men of tovnes T

and falce folk and feyþles . theuys and lyeres

ben conseyued in cursed time . as kaym was of eue

after adam and eue . eten þe appel .

Aȝen þe heste of him . þat he he[m] of nouȝt made .

an aungel in haste . het hem to wende .

in-to þe wrecchede word . to wone and to libbe

in tene and in trauayle . in-to here lyues ende

In þat cursede constellacyoun . þei knewe to-gederes

and brouȝthe forþ a barn . þat muche bale wrouȝthe

kaym þei him calde . in cursed tyme engendred

and so seyþ þe sauter . se hit whan þe lykyþ .

Concepit dolorem ⁊ / & peperit iniquitatem  .

Alle þat come of þat kaym . crist hated hem after

and manye milyonys mo . of men and of wymman

and of seth and his suster . swiþe forþ come

for þei maried hem with cursed . to men of kaymes kynne

For al þat come of þat kaym . a-cursed

for-þi he sente hem to seye . and seyde him by an aungel

to kepe his kynrede fro kaym . þat þei cople not to-gedere

and syþe seth and his soster . were spoused to kaymes kyn

A-gayn godes heste . gerles þei getyn

{...?...} and god was wroþC with here werkes . and sayde þese wordes

Penitet me fecisse eos .i. homines  .

and is as moche to mene . amonge vs alle

þat I man maked . now hit me for-þenkeþ

And cam to Noe a-non . and bad him not lette

swyþe to shapyn a ship . of shides and of bordes

him-self and his sones þre . and syþen here wyues

buskede to þat bot . and byde þer-ynne .

Til fourty dayes were fulfyld . þat flode haue y-wassche

clene a-way þe cursed blod . þat caym haþ y-maked

bestes þat now ben . shal banne þe tyme

þat euere cursede kaym . com to þis erþe .

Alle shul deye for his dedys . be downes and hilles

boþe fysshes and foules . forþ with þe bestes

out-take viij eiȝte soules . and eche beste a couple

þat in þe sengle ship . shul be y-saued

Ellys shul alle deye . and to helle wende

þus þhurȝ T cursed caym . come care vp-on alle

and al for seth and his children . spoused here eyþer oþer

a-ȝen þe lawe of oure lord . leyȝen to-gederes

And were maried at myschef . as men do now here children

for some as I se now . soth for to telle

for couetyse of catel . vn-kyndely be maried

a carful concepcioun comeþ . of swich a weddyng

As fele of þis folk . as I before shewyd

hit is an vn-comly couple . by crist as y wene

to ȝeue a ȝong wenche . to an olde feble

or wedde ony wedue . for ony wele of godesT

In Ielosye ioyeles . and Ianglyng a-bedde

many a peyre syn þe pestilens . han plyȝþ hem to-gedere

þe frut þat þei brynge forþ . arn many foule wordes

þei haue no children but cho / est . and choppys be-twythen

Thei hiden hem to donmowe . but ȝif þe deuel helpe

to folwe after þe flesche . fecche þei hit neuere

but ȝif þei boþe be forswon forswo[r]n . þat bakoun þei tyne

for-þi I counsel alle cristen . þei coueyte not to be wedded

For couetise of catel . or for kynrede riche

but maydenys and maydenys . ȝow to same takyn

wedueres and wedues . werche ȝe al-so

þanne glade ȝe god . þat alle godes sendeþ .

For in my tyme treuly . by-twen man and w{o}ymman C

shuld no bedburd be . but þey were boþe clene

of lyf and of loue . and of lawe also

þat derne dede do . no man ne shulde

Ac by-twen sengle and sengle . swich lawe haþ y-graunted

þat euery man haue a make . in mariage of wedlok .

and wirche on his wif . and on no wymman ellys

þat oþer-gates beþ y-goten . gadelynges ben holdyn

And þo ben false folk . and false eyres al-so T

fundelynges and lyeres T vngracious . to gete loue or eny goud ellys

but wandryn as wolues . and waste ȝif þei mowe

a-ȝen do-wel þei don eyuel P . and þe deuel plese

And after here deþ-day . shul duelle with þe same

but ȝif god ȝif hem grace . here to a-mende

þan is do-wel to dredyn . and dobet to suffren

and so comeþ a-boute . and bryngeþ doun mody

and is wicked wil . þat manye werkes shendeþ