Me by-fel a ferly . of fayrye me thouȝthe 

I was wery for-wandred . I wente me to reste

Vnder a brod banke . by a burne syde .

But as I lay and lenede . and loked on the waterysC

I slombryd in aslepyng / a slepyng . I sweuenede so merye 

Þer gan I to mete . anerwelous / a [m]erwelous swo / eueneT

that I was in a wildernysse . I wyste neuere where .

But C as I behelde in-to þe este . vp to the sunne

I saw a tour in a coste T . tryly ontyrid 

A dep dale by-nethe . a doungon þer-ynne

With depe dykys and derke . dredful of syȝth .

A fayr felde ful of folke . fonde I bytwene

Of alle maner of men . the mene and þe richeC 

Worchynge and wandrynge . as þis wordle askys

Somme putte hem to plow . and pleyde ful selde .

In seed tyme of sowyng . swonkynC ful harde

Þat þes wastorys now . wytC glotonye destroyen 

Some putte hem to pride . and paralyde hem þer-afterC

In countenance of cloþing . þey comynC dysgysedC  .

To prayere and to penaunce . putte hem manyC

For þe loue of oure lord . lyuede ful strayte C 

In hope for to haue . heuene-rycheC blysse

As ankerys and hermytes . þat lyuen in her cellys .

And coueytyn nouȝth in þe countre . to caryen a-bouteC

for none lykerousC lyflode . here lykamys to plese 

Some chosen hem to chaffare . þeyC cheuyd þe betere

as hit ys sene in oure syȝth . þat suche men þryuen.

And summe men myrthes to make . as menstralys cunne

gete gold with her gle . synne-les I trowe 

ac iaperis and iangeleres . iudacys chyldryn

gon fyndyn meny fantasyes . and foles hem makyn .

And han wit at her wille . to worche what hem lykys

þat þat poule precheþ of hem . I dar not prouyn here 

Qui loquitur turpiloquium . ys lucyferes hyne

beggeres and bydderes . faste a-boute ȝede .

Til her belyes and her bagges . ware bred-ful crammed

þei flyteþ for her fode . and fyȝthen at þe ale 

in glotenye god wot . go þei to bedde

and rysen vp with rybaudye . as robertes knauys .

Sclep and slowthe . sewyth hem euere

pylgrymys and palmeres . plytyth hem to-gedere 

to seke seynt Iame . and seyntes in rome

and wente forþ in her way . with manye wyse talys .

And hadde leue to lye . al her lyf after

hernytes / her[m]ytes on an hepe . with hokede stauys 

wente to walsyngham . and her wenches after

grete lobyes and longe . loth for to swynke .

Cloþed hem in copys . to be knowe fro oþere

schopyn hem ermytes . here ese to haue 

          on fele halue . fonden hem to doneT

lederes þei be of louedayes . and with þe lawe medle .

I fonde þer þe freres . alle þe fower orderes

prechynge þe peple . for profyt of here wombys 

glosede þe gospel . as hem goud lykede

for couetyse of copys . construdyt / construd yt C as þei wolde .

Many of þo maystres . mown cloþen hem at lykyng

for her money and her marchaundyse . metyn to-gederis 

sythe charite haþ be chapman . ⁊̃ / & chef to schryue lordis

Fele ferlyis han falle . in a fewe ȝerus .

But holy cherche and þey . holdyn to-gederys

þe moste myschef of þis molde . mounteþ vp faste 

þer prechede a pardoner . a prest as þouȝ he were

brouȝthe forþ bullys . wyth busschopys selys .

And seyde hym-self . myȝte a-soyle hem alle

of falsnesse of fastynge . of a-vowes brokyn 

þe lewdemen / lewde men leued hym wel . and lykyd his speche

come knelyng vp . to kyssyn his bullys .

He blessed hem with his breuet . and blered here eyes

rauȝthe hem with his rageman . broches and rynges 

þus ȝe ȝeuen ȝore gold . glotonys to helpynC

and lenyn hit to loselys . þat lecherye haunten .

But were þe byschop y-blessed . and worþ boþe his erys

his selys schulde not be sent . to disseyue þe peple 

I trowe hit be not for þe byschop . þat þe boye precheþ

but for þe pardoner and þe parichesprest / pariches prest C . departyn þe syluer .C

That þe pore scholde departyn . ȝif þat þei ne were

parsonys and parrysprestes / parrys prestes . playnen to her byschop 

þat her parryssenys C ben pore . syþen þe pestelens tyme

to haue a lycence and a leue . at londoun to dwelle .

To synge for symonye . for syluer is swete

þer houyd an houndred . in howys of sylke 

seriauntes þo semede . pletede at þe barre

þei pleted for penys . and poundyt þe lawe .

Ac non for þe loue of our lord . opnyd here lyppys

þou myȝthist beter mete þe myst . on maluerne hyllys 

þan getyn a mum of her mowȝt / mow[tȝ] . tyl monye be schewyd

I saw þer byschopys bolde . and bacheleres of dyuyn .

By-come clerkes of a-count . þe kyng for to seruyn

I saw þer archedeknys and denys . þat dignyte hauyn 

to preche þe peple . and pore men to fede

þey beþ lopyn to loundoun . þorw leue of here byschop .

And beþ clerkes of þe kynges bench . þe cuntre to schynde

barounys ⁊̃ / & burgeysys . and bondeagys P alse 

I saw in þat symple . as ȝe schul here herafter

I sawT þer bakesteres ⁊ / & brewesteres . bocheres ⁊ / & kokys .

Wollene webesteres . and weuerys of lynene

taylowres tauerneres . and tynkeres boþe 

masounys mynores and many oþer craftys

ac dykeres and delueres . þat don here werk ylle .

To dryue forþ þe longe day . with deusa LX dammeme / damme eme

cokys and her knawys . cryden hote pyes hote 

gode gees ⁊ / & grys . go we dyne go we

tauerneres tolled hem . and tolde hem þe same .

Wyth whyt wyn of oseye . and of gascoyneC

Of þe ryn and þe rochel . þat roost to defye 

þis saw I my-self . and seuen syþes more .