Passus secundus de dowelle
þat wit shal turne to wrecchidnes · for wil haþ his wille
Coueitise of eyes counfortid me aftir
Confesse þe to som frereT · he shal assoille þe þus sone
how-so þow euere wynne hit
For whil fortune is þi freend · frereT woln þe louye
and faste in here fraternite · & for þe biseche
To her priou / priou[r] prouyncial his pardoun to haue
and preye for þe pol by pol yf þou be pecunious
Pena pecuniaria non sufficit & cetera
By wissing of þis wenche y dide · her wordes wern soC swete
Til y forȝeet ȝouthe · and edeT in-to elde
and þenne was fortune my foo for al her fair bihest
and flithing fond y þe frere þat me confessid
and saide he myghte me not assoile but y suluer hadde
To restitue resounably · for al vnrightful wynnyng
Ough quod y þo & myn heued wagged
By my faith frere quod y · ȝe fare lik þe woware
þat wilneth not þe wedowe · but forto welde her godes
Right so by þe rode quod y rought ȝe neuere
where my body were beried by so ȝe hadde my godes
and þenne lough lealte for y loured on þe frere
Whi lourest quod leute · leue sire y saide
For þisT flatered me · þe while he foend me riche
and now y am pore & peny-lees · at litel pris he settiþ me
y wolde hit were no synne y saide · to seyn þat wer truþe
Þe sauter saith hit is no synne for such men þat ben true
To segge as þey seen & saue only prestes
CExistimasti inique quod ero similis tibi arguam te
& statuam contra faciem tuam
þei wole alegge also & by þe gospel preuon hit
Nolite iudicare quemquam
and wherof serueth lawe quod lewte · & no lif vndertoek
CNon oderis fratrem tuum secrete in corde . & cetera .
þing þat al þe world woet wherfore shuldest þow spare
To reherson hit al by retorik · to arate dedly synne
But be neuere more þe firste · þe defaut to blame
þough þou see say nought sumtyme þat ys truþe
Noþer for loue labbe hit out ne lacke hit not for enuye
CParum lauda vitupera parcius
he saith soth quod scripture þo · and skipte an hi & prechid
But þe matere þat she meued yf lewed men hit knew
þe lasse as y leue · louyen þey wolde
þe byleue of our lord þat lettured men techith
Of here teme & here tales · ytoek / y toek ful goed heed
he saide yn her sarmoun selcouthe wordes
and pluyght in pauci priuely & leet þe remenant go Rome
al for tene of here tixt trembled myn herte
and yn a wer gan y wexeT & with my-self to dispute
wher y weer chose or not chose on holy chirche y þoughte
þat vnderfeng me at þe font · for oen of godes chosene
For crist cleped vs alle to come yf we wolde
sarazines & sismatikes & so he dide þe iewes
and bad hem souke for synne saueLX at his breste
and drinke bote for bale · brouke hit who-so myghte
þenne may alle cristene come & clayme þere to entre
By þat bloed þat he boughte vs with & bapteme as he taughte
CQui credederit & baptizatus fuerit & cetera .
Rightfullich to reneye no resoun hit wolde
For may no cherl charture make ne his catelle sulle
with-outon leue of þe lord no lawe wol hit graunte
But he may renne yn arerage & rome from home
as arecheles / a recheles caitif othir reneyed as hit semeth
But resoun shal rikene with him & rebukon him at þeC laste
and conscience a-counte with him & cast him in arerages
and putten him aftir in prisoun · yn purgatory to brenne
and for his rechelesnes rewarde him þere right to þe day of doem
But yf contricioun & confessioun crie by his lyue
Mercy for his mysdedes with mouth & with herte
þat is soth saide scripture · may no synne lette
CMercy þat he ne may al amende · & mekenes here folowe
þey bothe as our bokes tellith · are aboue godes werkes
CMisericordia eius super omnia opera eius
CȜe baw for bokes quod oen · was broken owt of helle
y troianes a true knyght y take witnes of a pope
how y was deed & dampned to dwelle yn helle
For an vncristene creature seynt Gregory woet þe soþe
þat al þe cristendoem vnder crist ne myght me cracch þenne
But onlich loue & leute as yn my lawes demyng
Gregori wiste þis wel · & wilned to my soule
Sauacioun for þe soþnesse · he say in my werkes
and for he wilnede wepyng · þat y were ysaued
God of his goednes y-say his greet wille
and with-outon mo bedes-biddyng his bone was vnderfonge
loue with-oute leel byleue as my lawe rightful
saued me sazasyn / sa[r]asyn soule & body bothe
lo lordes what leute dide & leel doem y-vsed
and on troianes truthe to þenke alle tymes in ȝour lyue
and loue for oure lordes loue & do leute euermore
For lawe with-oute leute · ley þere abene / a bene
Or any science vnder sonne þe seuen ars & alle
Bot loue & leute hem lede ylostT al þe tyme
Of him þat trauaileth heron bot truthe be his lyuing
So loue & leute · hit ben our lordes bokes
and cristes owne clergie he cam from heuene to teche hit
and seint Iohan sithen saide hit is of his teching
CQui non diligit manet in morte
and namelich pore peple her preyeres may vs helpe
For god as þe gospel saith goth ay as þe pore
and as þe euangelie witnessith when we maken festes
CCum facitis conuiuia nolite vocare amicos
But calleth þe carfole þerto þe croked & þe pore
For vch a frend fedith othir and fondeth how best to quyte
Meles & manshipes vch arich / a rich man othir
ac for þe pore may not paye · y wol paye my-selue
þat louyeth & leneth hem largelich shal ich quyte
at caluarie of cristes bloed cristendoem gan springe
and blody breþeren we bicome þere of oen body ywonne
as quasi modo geniti gentil men vchone
No beggere ne boy among vs · bot yf hit synne make
CQui facit peccatum seruus est peccati & . cetera .
Of adames issue & Eue ay til god-man dyede
and aftir his resurreccion · redemptor was his name
and we his blodi breþeren · as wel beggeres as lordes
For-þi loueT as leue childron · lene hem þat nedith
and euery man helpe othir for hennes shuln we alle
To haue as we han serued · as holi chirch witnessith
CEt qui bona egerunt ibunt & cetera
For-thi lerne we to laweT of loue as oure lord taughte
and pore peple faile we not whil any peny vs lastith
For yn her liknes our lord · longeT hath be yknowe
witnesse in þe pask wouk · when he ȝede to Emaux
Cleophas ne knew him not þat he crist were
For his pore aparail & pilgrimes clothis
til þat he blessid her breed · and braek hit hem bitwene
so by þes werkes þei wiston þat he was Iesu
Cand al was ensaumpel sothly to vs synful here
and pacient as pilgrimes for pilgrimes arn wealle / we alle
yn þe aparail of a pilgrim · & in pore liknesse
holy seyntes him say · but neuere in secte of riche
and seint marie his moder as mathew bereth witnes
was a puyr pore maide · & to a pore man yweddid
Marthe on mari maudeleyn · an huge pleynt she made
and to oure sauyour selue saide þes wordes
Cdomine non est tibi cura quod soror & cetera .
and here aitheres wille hastilich god assoiled
and aitheres werkes & wille right wel allowed
But pouerte god putte bifore & preued for þe bettere
CMaria optimam partem elegit que non & cetera
and alle þe wise þat euere were by aught y can aspie
and bothe betture & blessedore by many fold þen riche
al-þough he be sour to soffre · þere cometh aswete / a swete aftir
as on a walnot with-oute · ys a bittur bark
and aftir þe beturT bark be þe shale aweye
ys a cornelle of counfort · kynde to restore
So aftir penaunce and pouerte pacientlich ytake
Maketh man to haue mynde yn god · & his mercy to craue
þe which ys þe cornel of counfort · for alle criston soules
and wel sikoror he slepith · þe segg þat is pore
and lasse drat by day · or yn derk to ben yrobbid
þen he þat is right rich resoun bereth witnes
CPauper ego ludo dum tu diues meditaris
holichirch witnessith who-so forsaketh
his fader or his frendes fremde othir sib
Or eny welthe yn this world his wif or his childron
For þe loue of oure lord · louethLX him to be pore
he shal haue an hundred fold of heuen-riche blisse
and lif lasting for euere bifore ou / ou[re] lord in heuene
CQuicumque reliquit patrem & matrem & cetera
Crist acordith eft herwith · clerkes wetith þe soþe
what god saide him-selue · to a segg þat he louede
yf þow likest to lyue quod god þe lif · þat is perfit
al þat þou hast here hastily go sulle hit
Ȝiue pore þe pens þerof purse þou none
and ȝiue hem forth to pore folk þat for my loue hit aske
For-sake al & sue me & so is þi beste
CSi vis perfectus esse vade & vende . & cetera .
Ȝut counseleth crist in comvne vs alle
Who-so coueytith to come to my kyne-riche
he mot forsakon him-selue · his suster & his brothir
and al þat þe world wolde & my wille folowe
CNisi renunciaueritis omnia que possidetis & cetera
Mo prouerbes y myghte haue of many holy seyntes
To testifie for truthe þe tale þat yshewe / y shewe
and poetes to preuon hit porfiri & plato
aristotel Eneyde Elleuen hundred
CTulius tolomeus · y can not telle her names
preueth pacient pouerte · prince of alle vertues
and by þe grain þat groweth · god vs alle techith
Mescheues on molde mekelich to soffron
CNisi granum frumenti cadens in terram mortuum fuerit & cetera
But yf þe seed þat sowon ys in slo sterue
sholde neuere whete wexe bot whete furst deyede
and othir sedes also · yn þe same wise
þat ben ylaid on low erthe · ylore as hit were
and þorgh þe grace of god · & grayn deed on erthe
at þe laste launseth vp · wher-by we lyuen alle
and þe sedes þat ben sowen & mown soffre wyntres
arn tidiore & toworeLX to mannes bihoste
þen sedes þat sowe ben & mowe not with forstes
Ne wyndes ne wedores · as yn wyntur tymes
as linseed leek seed · and lenton sedes alle
arn not so worthi as whete ne so wel mowe
yn þe feld with þe forst · & hit frese longe
CRight so sothly þat soffre may penaunses
worth allowed of our lord · at her last ende
and for here paciense be ypreised · as for a puyr martir
Or for a confessour ykud · þat countith not arussh / a russh
Feer ne Famyne · ne fals mennes tonges
Bot as anhosebonde / an hosebonde hopeth · aftir an hard wyntur
yf god gyueth him þe lif to haue a goed heruest
so preueth þes prophetes þat pacientlich soffreth
Mescheues & myshappes & many tribulacions
Bytokeneþ truly in tyme comyng aftir
Mirthe for his mournyng & þat myche plente
For crist saide so to seyntes þat for his sake þoledon
pouerte & penaunce & perfeccioun of body
þen angels yn her angur on this wise hem grette
CTristicia vestra vertetur in gaudium
ȝour sorowe in-to solas · shal turne at þe laste
and out of wo yn-to wele · ȝour wordT shal chaunge
how god as þe gospelle tellith gyueth foel to name
and þat his goest shal go · & his goed bileue
and asketh him who shal hit haue
þe catelle þat he kepeth so yn cofres & yn bernes
and art so loth to leue þat lete shalt þow nedes
CO stulte ista nocte anima tua egredietur tezaurizat & cetera .
an vnredy reue þi residue shal spene
þat many mothe was maister inne in a myte while
vpholders on þe hul · shal haue hit to selle
Lo lordes lo & ladies taketh hede
hit lasteþ not longe · þat likour swete
as pesecodes pere-Iunetes plumbes & cheries
þat lightlich launseth vp · litel while dureth
and þat rathist ripeth · rotith moest sonnest
On fat lond ful of donge foulest wedes groueth
Right so sothly such þat ben bisshopes
Erles & archedekenes · & othir riche clerkes
þat chaffaren as chapmen & chide bot þei wynne
and han þe world at her wille · oþer-wise to lyuene
Right as wedes wexon · yn wose & yn donge
So of richesse vp richesse · arisen alle vices
andT lond ouerleid with marl & with donge
whete þat þeronne wexeth worth liggeLX or hit ripe
Right so soþly forto segge truthe
Ouer-plente pruyde norisheth þere pouerte hit destruyeth
For how euere hit be ywonne but yf hit be wel dispendid
wordlyLX wele ys wicked thing · to hem þat hit kepeth
For yf he be fer þerfro ful ofte hath he drede
þat fals folk fecche a-way felounlich his godes
and ȝut more hit maketh men many tymes & ofte
To synne & to souchLX sotiltees of gile
For coueitise of þat catelle to kille him þat hit kepeth
and so ys man ymorthered · for his money & his godes
and þo þat dide þat dede ydampned þerfore aftir
and he for his hard holdyng yn helle perauntur
So coueytise of catelle · was combraunce to hem alle
Lo how pens purchaseth fair places & grete
Þat rote ys robberesT · þe richesse with-ynne
nota of denyal
of fayth . /
of fayth . /
mercye above
all godes workes .
all godes workes .
Troianes
Lend to the nedy
To be lowe true
& loving ech to other
& loving ech to other
patyent povertie
prynce of vertues .
prynce of vertues .
A Comparason of
wheate .
wheate .
+
nota
nota
The Mischeves that
much riches bringes
much riches bringes
nota
Secrettes
to be kept .
to be kept .
feastes ought
to be made to
the pore & not
to the Riche
to be made to
the pore & not
to the Riche
patyent povertie
is greter blessing
then Rychesse .
is greter blessing
then Rychesse .
he
sonne ripp sonn
Rotten
Rotten