þan waked I of my wynkyng . and wo was with-alle

þat I ne hadde sclepte sadder . and y-seye more .

Ere I hadden fare a furlong . fant{e}asye P me hadde

þat I ne myȝthe ferþer a fot . for defaute of slepyng .

I sat softely a-doun . and sayde my by-leue

and so I babled on my bedes . þei brouȝþe me on slepe .

Than saw I {a} C mekel more . þan I be-fore tolde

I saw þe feld ful of folke . þat I by-fore sayde 

and conciens with a cros . comC forþ to preche

he prechede þe peple . to haue pyte on hem-selue .

And prouede þe pestelence . was for pure synne

andT souþwest wynd . on saterysday at euen 

was a-pertly for pryde . and for no-þing ellys

pyryes and plomtreys . were put to þe erþe .

In exsaumpleP seyþ god ȝe schul do þe betere

beches and brode okes . were blowe to þe grounde 

and turned vp þe tayl . in toknyng of drede

þat dedly synne er domesday . schal for-do hem alle .

Of þis matere myȝthe I . mamele wel longe

ac I schal say as I seyde . so me god helpe 

how conciens with a cros . comsede to preche

and bad wastour go worche . what he best coude .

And wynne þat he had wasted . with som maner craft

he prayde to peronel . hure purfyl to leue 

and kepe hit in hure cofre . for catel at nede

thomas he tauȝþe to take . to take / . to take T two staues .

To fecche felys hom . fro wyuene pyne

he warnede watte . his wif was to blame 

þat hure hed was worþe a marke . and his hod not a grote

he chargeþ chapmen . to chaste here children .

Let no wynnyng for-weny hem . whyles þei beþ ȝonge

he prechede prelates . and prestes to-gedere 

þat þei preche þe peple . and proue hit hem-selue

and lyue as ȝe lere vs . for we wil loue ȝou þe betere .

And swyþe he radde religyus . here reule to kepe

last þe king and his counceyl . ȝour commounes a-peyre 

and stiward in ȝour stede . for ȝe be stywed betere

and þat seynt Iame . and seyntes at rome .

Sekyþ seynt truþe . for he may saue vs alle 

qui cum patre ⁊ / & filio . þat fayre C ȝou mote by-falle .

Than repentauns . rehersed his teme

and made wille to wepe . water with his eye .

Peronel proud herte . plat hure to þe erþe

and lay longe er sche loked . and lord mercy cryed 

and be-hyȝte to hym . þat vs alle made

sche schulde vnsewe hire serk . and sette þer an heyre .

To a-fauten hire fleys . þat fresch was to synne

schal nere hey herte me hente . but holde me lowe 

and suffreP to be nysseyd / [m]ysseyd . and so dude I neuere

but now I wil meke me . and mercy by-seke .

Of al þat I haue had . of enuye in myn herte

lecchour seyde allas . and on oure lady cryde 

to make mercy for his mysdede . by-tweþe god and hym

with þat he schulde satourdayes . vij / seuene ȝer after .

Drynke but wiþ þe goos . and dine but onys

enuye with heuy herte . asked after schryfte 

and carfully his compte . he gynnyþ to schewe

he was pale as a pelet . and paltyk semede .

He was cloþed in a caury-maury . I coude hit not discrie

a kyrtel and a curtepy . a knyf by his syde 

of a freres frog . were þe fore-sleuys

as a lyk þat hadde y-leye . longe in þe sunne .

So loked he with lene chekes . lowrynge foule

his body was bolned for wroth . þat he bot his lyppe 

and wrothlyche he wrong his fyste . to wreke hym he þouȝþe

with werkes and with wordes . when he sey his tyme .

Venym or verious . or vynegre I trowe

walwyþ in my wombe . and wa{y}xeþP I wene 

I myȝte not manyaday many a day . do as a man myȝthe

swych wynd in my wombe . wa{y}xyþP er I dyne .

I haue a nehebour ny me . IC noyed hym wel ofte

and blamed hym by-hynde his bak . to brynge hym in fame 

to a-peyre hym by my power . I pursued wel ofte

and by-lowe hym to lordes . to do hym lese syluere  .

And don his frendes to ben his fon . þurȝ my falce tonge

his grace and his gode happes . greued me wel fore / [s]oreP 

by-twen hym and his mayne . wratthe made ofte

boþe his lyme and his lyf . was lost þorw my tonge .

Whan I mette him in market . þat I most hated

I halsed hym as hendely . as I his frend ware 

he is douȝthier þan I . durste [I] durste non harme don him

ac haddyn I maystry or myȝth . I wolde mourþre him for euere .

Whan I come to þe cherche . and knele by-fore þe rode

to praye for þe peple . as þe prest me techys 

afterT þanne I crye on my kneys . oure lady T {s}gyfP hem sorwe

þat bare a-way my bolle . and my brode schete .

Fro þe auter myn eye . I turne and by-helde / by-h[o]ldeT

how hayne haþ a newe cote . I wyssche hit were myn owe 

and al þe wele T þat he haþ . greueþ me wel sore

of his lesyng I smyle . and þer-of lauȝeth myn herte .

And of his wynnyng I wepe . and weyle þe tyme

I deme men þer þei do ille . and ȝut I do werse 

I wolde þat ech wyȝth . were my knaue

and who-so haþ more þan I . þat angreþ myn herte .

Thus I lyue loueles . lyk a lyþer dogge

þat al my brest bolneþ . for byter of my galle 

may no sugre ne swete þing . swete hit an vnche

ne non diapendion . dryue hit fro myn herte .

Ȝif schryft shulde . hit were gret wonder

ȝis redly quod repentauns . and redde hym to gode 

sorwe for synne . saueþ wel manye

I am sory quod enuye . I am but selde oþer .

And þat makeþ me so mad . for I ne may me wenge

þan come couetyse . I can hym not discrye 

so angrey and so holwe . sire heruy hym loked

he was byter-browed . and eke baberlypped . T

with two blered eyen . as a leþer pursT

lolled his chekes in a tore tabard . of xij / twelue wynter age 

but ȝif a lous coude lepe . I may hit not trowe T

þat he ne schulde slyde þer-on . so was hit bare .

I haue y-loued couetyse quod he . al my lyf tyme T

and knowe hit here be-fore crist . and his swete moder

for sum-tyme serwed I . symme at þe noke

and was his prentys y-plyȝþ . his profyt to loke .

Furst I lerned to lye . a lef oþer tweyne

wyckedly to wynne . was my furste lessoun 

to wynchestre and to wy . I wente to þe feyre

to many maner marchaundie . as my mayster me het .

Ne hadde þe grace of gile . go a-mong my ware

hit hadde be vn-solde þis vij / seuene ȝer . so me god helpe 

þan drow I me a-monge draperis . my donet to lere

to drowe þe leser a-long . þe lengere hit semeþ .

A-mong þe ryche rayes . I rendred a lessoun

broched hem with a pak-nedle . and playted hem to-gedere 

put hem in a pressour . and pynned hem þer-inneT

my wyf was a wynnestre . and wollen cloþ made .

And spak to þe spynnestre . to spynne hit so softe T

þe pound þat he weyes by . weyeþ a quarter more 

þan ony almesdede . whem / whe[n] I weyed truþe

I bouȝthe hure barly . sche brew hit to sale .

Peny-ale and pigwhey . sche pured to-gederes

for laboureres for loþ folk . þat lyueþ by hem -selue 

þe beste in my bed chaumber . lay by þe walles

and who-so boused þer-of . bouȝth hit þer-after .

A galoun for a grote . god wot no lesse

When hit come in coppe ale . þat craft my wyf vsed 

rose þe regrater . was hure ryȝthe name

sche haldeþ ostrye . þis xj / elleuene wynter 

And I swere now soþly . þat synne schal I lete

ne neuere weye wyckedely . ne no chaffare make 

but wende to walsyngham . and my wif after

and bydde þe rode of bromeholme . brynge me out of dette .

and carieþ hym to churche-ward . his synne to schewe 

and betoun þe brewestre . þer bad hym goud morwe

and she axede of him . whederward he wolde .

To holy chyrche quod he . for to here masse

and sytthe I wil be shreue . and synne no more 

I haue goud ale gossyb quodP she . glotoun wilt þou a-saye

hast þou quod he . ony hote spyces .

Ȝe glotoun gossyb . god wot wel hote

I haue pepyr and pienye . and a pounde of garlyk 

and a ferþingworþ of fynkele sed . for faftyng / fa[s]tyngP dayes

þanne goþ {.}glotounC in . and grete oþes after .

Sysse þe sowestre . sat on þe benche

watte þe wafrere . and his wif boþe 

symme þe tynkere . and two of his knaues

hycke þe hakeney-man . and hobbe þe melnere .

Clares of kockesP lane . and þe clerk of þe cherche

dawe þe dykere . and a doseyn othere 

a ribaud a ratoner . a rakere of chepe

a ropere a redyng-king . and rose þe dyschere T .

And vp-holderes . erly by þe morwe

ȝeuyn glotoun with glad chere . goud ale to drynke 

clement þe cobelere cast of his cloke

and at þe newe feyre . nempneþ hit to selle .

hicke þe osteler . hitte his hode after

and bette þe bocher . to be on his syde .

þer were chapmen y-chose . þe chaffare to preise

and ho-so hadde þe hode . schuld haue a-mendes of þe cloke .

Thei resyn vp in rape . and rownede to-gederes

and preysede þe peneworþes . a-pertly by hem-selue 

þer were oþes on an hep . þei cunne not ȝut Iuge T

ne by here conciens . a-corden to-gederes .

Til robyn þe ropere . was rad vp to ryse

and nempnyd for a nounpere . þat no debat ware 

hicke þe ostler . þan hadde þe cloke

in couenaunt þat clement . þe cuppe schulde fille .

And haue hickes hod þe osteler . and holde him y-serued

and ho-so repented raþes raþe[r]T . sholde rise a-fore 

and grete sire glotoun . with a galoun of ale

þer was lauȝyng and lowring . and let go þe coppe .

Bargeynes and beueryches . be-gunne to ryse

and setyn so til euesong . and sunge sum-whyle 

til glotun hadde y-golped . a galoun of ale

he pissed a potel . in a pater-noster whyle .

And blew þe rounde rowet . at þe riggebonys ende .

þat alle þat herde þat hornC . held here nose after 

and wisshed it had be waxed . with a wisp of fersen

he hadde no strengþe to stonde . ere he his staf hadde .

And þanne gan he go P T sum-tyme . o-syde P and sum-tyme o-rere

as ho-so layde lynes . to lacche wilde foules 

when he drow to þe dore . þan dymmed his eyen

he stumbled T on þe þresfold . and fel to þe erþe .

That with al þe wo of þe word . his wif and his douȝter

beryn him to his bed . and brouȝþe him þer-inne 

and after al þat surfet . an axces he hadde

þat he slep saturday and sunday . til sunne ȝede to reste  .

Thanne waked he of his wynkyng . and wyped his eyen

þe furste word þat he spak . what where is þe bolle .

his wif blamed him þanne . of wickednesse of synne

þan was þe shrewe a-shamed . and schrapedP his erys .

And gan to gretyn grymly . and gret dol made

for his lethyr lyf . þat he lyued hadde 

an vowed to faste . for hunger or for þhersteT

shal neuere fysch on fryday . defye in my mawe .

Er abstinence myn awnte . haue y-gif me leue

and ȝut haue I hated hure . al my lif tyme 

til vigilate wile . fecche water to his eyne .

And flapte hit on his face . and faste on him cried

and sayde war for wanhope . wil þe betraye 

I am sory for my synne . sey to þi-self þanne

and bet þi-self on þi brest . and byd him of grace .T

Than sat slouþe vp . and shryued him faste

and made a-vow to veri god . for his foule slouþe 

shal no sunday be þis .vij / seuene ȝer . but syknesse hit make

þat I ne shal do me er day . to þe parysch cherche .

And here masse and matines . as I a monke were

shal non ale after mete . holden me þennys 

til I haue euesong herd . I be-hote þe rode

and ȝut wol I ȝelde a-ȝen . ȝif I so moche haue .

Al þat I wickedly by-wan . syn I wit hadde

and þei my lyflode fayle . lette ȝut T I nelle 

þat euery man shal haue his . er I hennys wende

and with þe residue and remenaunt . by þe rode of chestre .

I wil seke truþe . or I se rome

roberd þe robbere . on reddite lokede 

and for þer was not wher-with . he wepd wel sore

and ȝit synful shrewe . sayde to him-selue .

Crist þat on caluery . on þe cros deyde

þo dismas my broþer . by-souȝth him of grace 

and þou haddest mercy on þat man . for memento sake

þi wil wirche vp-on me . as I haue wel deserued .

To haue helle for euere . ȝif þat hope ne were

to rewe on þis roberd . þat red non ne haueþ 

ne neuer wenyþ to wynne . with craft þat he knoweþ

but for þi moche mercy . mitygacioun I be-seke .

Dampne me not at domysday . for þat I dede so ylle

ac what by-fel of þis feloun . I can not fayre shewe 

wel I wot he wepte faste . water with his eyne

and knowliched his gilt . to crist ȝit eft-sone .

That penitencia his pik . shulde pulche newe

and lep with him ouer lond . al his lif tyme 

for he hadde leye by latro . luciferes {.....}aunteC

a þousand men and mo . þo thrunge to-gederes .

Wepyng and weyling . for here wyckede dedis

cried vp-ward to crist . and to his clene moder

to haue grace to seke truþe . so god leue þat ȝe mote