Passus tercius de dowelleC
among piloures yn pees yf pacience him folowe
Our prince Iesu pouerte chees & his apostles alle
and ay þe lengore þei lyuede þe lasse goed þei hadde
Tanquam nichil habentes & cetera
ȝit rat me þat Abraham & Iob wern wonder riche
and out of nombre þo men many mebles haddon
Abraham for his hadde mych tene
Ne for brightnes of her beute · here spouse to be biknowe
and for he soffred & saide not our lord sende tokene
þat þe kyndeT cried him mercy
and deliuered þe wye his wif wiþ mych welthe aftir
Ioeb þe gentil what ioye had he on erthe
and for he song in his sorowe Si bona accepimus a domino & cetera
derworthe & dere god do we so mala
al his sorow to solas þorgh hisT song turnede
and Iob bicam as a Iolyfman / Iolyf man and al his ioye newe
and broughtonT hem al aboue þat yn bale rotide
as grayn þat lith in þe ground · & þorgh grace at þe laste
springeþ & spredith so spredde þe fader abraham
and þe gentil iob her ioye hath noen ende
and leueth not lewed men · þat y lacke richesseC
þough y preyse pouerte þus · & preue hit by ensaumples
Bothe two ben gode be ȝe ful certeyn
and lyues þat our lord loueth · & large weyes to heuen
But þe pore pacient purgatorie passeth
rathir þen þe rich þough þei renne at ones
¶ For yf amarchaunt / a marchaunt & a messanger metton to-gidres
and sholdon wende oen wey · where boþe moston reste
and rikene bifore resoun & resounablyT acounte
what oen haþ · what oþer hath · & what þei hadde bothe
þe marchant mot nede be ylet lengur þen þe messangere
woln lette him as y leue þe lengthe of amyle / a myle
þere þe messanger doþ no more but wiþ his mowþ telliþ his arnde
and his lettur sheweth & ys anoen deliuered
and þough þei wente by þe way þo two to-gideres
þough þe messanger make his way · amyd þe fair whete
wol no wis man be wroth ne his wed take
CNecessitas non habet legem
Ne noen haiward ys hote his wed for to taken
But yf þe marchaunt make his way ouermenne / ouer menne corn
an þe haiward happe with him forto mete
oþer his hat or his hoed or elles his gloues
þe marchant moet forgo · or money of his pusse / purse
and ȝut be y-let as yleue / y leue for þe lawe asketh
Marchauntz for her marchaundise · in man / many places to tolle
and ȝut þough þei wendon away · as to wynchester faire
þe marchant with his marchaundise may not go so swithe
as þe messanger may ne with so myche ese
For þat oen bereth but abox / a box abreuet / a breuet þerinne
þere þe marchant lat a male · with many kynne þinges
and dredith to be deed þerfore & he yn derk mette
with robbers & reueres þat riche men dispoilen
þere þe messanger is ay mery · & his mouth ful of songes
and leueth for his letteres þat no wight wol him greue
But mightT þe marchant þorgh his money & othir ȝiftes
haue hors & hardy men þough he mette þeuus
wolde noen such assailon him · for such as him foloweþ
and as safly as þe messanger & as sone at his hostel come
Ȝe wite ȝe wise men what þis is to mene
¶ þe marchant is no more to mene bot men þat ben riche
arn alle acountable to crist & to þe kyng of heuene
þat holde mote þe hye way euere þe ten hestes
Boþe loue & lene · leel & vnleel
and haue ruthe & releue with his riches & powerT
alle manere men yn myschef y-falle
Fynde beggeres breed bakkes for þe colde
Tithon her goed trulich · atol / a tol as hit semeth
þat our lord loketh aftir · of vch alif / a lif þat wynneth
with-oute wiles or wronges or wymmen at þe stuyues
and ȝut more to maken pees and quyte menne dettes
and spele & spare to spene vpon þe nedful
as crist him-self comaundeth alle cristene peple
CAlter alterius onera portate
Beth not ybounde as be ȝe riche · to boþe two lawes
To lene ne to lerne ne lentones to faste
and oþer priue penaunses þe which þe prest woet wel
þat þe lawe ȝiueþ leue · such lowe folk to be excused
as none tiþes to tiþe ne to cloþe þe naked
Ne yn none enquestes to come ne contumax þogh he worche
haly day or holy euen his mete to deserue
For he loueth & bileueþ as þe lawe techith
CQui crediderit & baptizatus fuerit & . cetera .
telleþ þe lord atale / a tale as a true messangere
knowlechith him cristene & of holy church byleue
þere ys no lawe as y leue wol lette him þe gate
þere god ys gateward him-self & vch a goem knoweth
yn þat he wilneth & wolde vch a wight as him-selue
For þe wil ys as mych worth · of a wrecch beggere
as al þat þe riche may rayme & rightfully dele
and as myche mede for a myte þer he offrith
as þe riche man for al his mone & more as by þe gospel
CAmen dico vobis quia hec vidua paupercula & cetera .
so pore & pacient perfitest lif ys of alle
For spera in deo speketh of prestes
þat haen noen spending suluerT
þat yf þei trauaile truliche & triste yn god almyghty
¶ þe title ȝe take ȝour ordres by telleþ ȝe be auaunsedC
and nedith not to nyme suluer for masses þat ȝe singe
For he þat toek ȝou atitle / a title · shold take ȝou wages
or þe bisshop þat blessid ȝou · and enbaumed ȝour fingres
For made neuere kyng no knyght but he hadde catelle to spene
as biful for a knyght · or fond him for his strengþe
For hit ys a carful knyght · & of kaitif kynges makyng
þatT hath noþer lond ne linage rich · ne goed loes of his handes
þat han nothir connyng ne kyn but a crowne one
and atitle / a title a tale of nought · to his liflode as hit were
þorgh her lithir lyuyng & lewed vnderstondyng
yf fals latyn be yn þat lettre þe lawe hit inpugneth
Or peyntid parenterliniarie · parsels ouer-skipped
þe goem þat glosith so charteres for agoky / a goky is holdon
So hit is agoky / a goky by god þat in þe gospel faileth
Or in masse or in matynes maketh eny defaut
CQui offendit in vno in omibus / om[n]ibus est reus
For ouerskipperes also in þe sauter saith david
CPsallite deo nostro psallite quoniam Rex terre deus psallite sapienter
The bisshop shal be blamed bifore god as y leue
þat crouneth such for godes knyghtes þat conne sapienter
ForC ignorancia non excusat as y haue herd in bokes
¶ þus rechelesnes in arage / a rage aresouned clergie
and scripture scorned þat many skiles shewed
Til þat kynde cam clergie to kepe
CAnd in þe mirrour of myddelerthe made him eft to loke
To knowe bi vch a creature kynde to louye
And y bowed my body · by-held al aboute
and say þe sonne & þe see · & þe sond aftir
and wher þat briddes & bestes by her make þo ȝedon
wilde wormes in wodes & wonderful foules
wiþ fleckid fetheres · and of fele coloures
Man & his make y might see bothe
Pouerte & plente boþe pees & werre
Blisse & bale bothe y say at ones
Cand how þat men mede toek & mercy refused
Resoun y say sothly sewe alle bestes
yn etyng yn drinkyng · yn engendrure of kynde
aftir cours of concepcion · noen toek of othir
as when þei hadde rotied anoen þei reste aftir
Males drowgh hem to males a morowenyng by hem-selue
and femels to femels ferdde & drowe
þat wolde beleweT aftir bole ne bor aftir sowe
þere ne was no kynne kynde þat conceyued hadde
þat ne lees þe likyng of lust of flesh as hit were
For out of resoun þei ride & rechelesly token on
as in derne dedes bothe drinkyng & elles
hadde neuere wye wit to worche þe leste
¶ y hadde wonder at whom & where þe pie
lernede to legge stickes · þat leyn on hire nest
þere is no wright as y wene shold worche her nest to paye
yf any masoun made a molde þerto mych wonder me þinkeþ
and ȝut me merueyled more mony of þe briddes
hidden & hilede here egges dernely
for no foul sholde hit fynde but his fere & him-selue
and somme tredon ytoek / y toek keep & on trees bredde
and brought forth her briddes · al aboue þe ground
yn mareis & in mores · yn myres & in watres
dompinges diuede dere god ysaide / y saide
where hadde þis wilde such wit & at what scole
and how þe pocok cauked þerof toek y keep
how vncurteislich þat cok his kynde forth strened
and ferliede of his fairnes & of his foul ledene
and siþe y lokid on þe see & so forth on sterres
Many selcoutes y say · arn not to segge nouthe
Ne what on floures on feeld · and of her fair coloures
and how out of greut & of gras grew so many hewes
and somme soure & somme swete selcouth me þoughte
of here kynde & here colour · to carpe hit were to longe
andT þat moest meued me & my moed chaunged
Cwas þat y say resoun sewen alle bestes
saue man & mankynde many tymes me þoughte
Resoun ruled hem not nothir riche ne pore
þenne y aresouned resoun · & right til him yseide / y seide
y haue wonder in my wit so wis as þou art holden
wherfore & whi as wide as þou regnest
þat þow ne ruledest rathir renkes · þen othir bestes
y see noen so ofton surfeton · soþlyC so mankynde
Cyn mete out of mesure · and many tymes in drinke
yn wymmen yn wedes & in wordes bothe
þei ouerdon hit day & nyght · & so doth not oþer bestes
þei rule hem al by resoun · and renkes ful fewe
whi he ne loueth þi lore & liueth as þou techist
¶ and resoun aresouned me & saide recche þe neuere
whi y soffre or not soffre · certes he saide
Vch a segg for him-self salamon vs techeth
CDe re que te non molestat noli certare
who soffreth more þen god quod he · no goem as y leue
he myghte amende in a myte while · al þat amys standeþ
and he soffreth en ensaumple · þat we sholde soffren alle
ys no vertu so fair ne of value ne profit
so ys soffraunce souerenly · so hit be for godes loue
and witnessith wise & wisseth þe frensh
CBele vertue est suffraunce male dire est petit vengeaunce
Bien dire & bien suffrer fait lui suffrable a bien venir
¶ For-þi quod resoun y rede þou rule þi tonge euere
and ar þow lacke any lif loke who is to preise
For is no creature vnder crist þat kan him-selue make
and if creatures cristene couthe make hem-selue
Vch a lede wolde be lacles leue þou noen othir
Man was maed of such matere he may not wel asterte
þat somtyme him bitit to folowen his kynde
Catoun acordeth þerwith Nemo sine crimine viuit
Þo caught y a colour anoen & comsed to ben a-shamed
and a-waked þerwith wo was me þenne
þat y ne hadde met more so mury as yslepte / y slepte
and saide anoen to my-selue sleping hadde ygrace / y grace
To wite what do wel ys · but waking neuere
and þenne was þere a wight what he was y ne wiste
what is do wel quod þat wight ywis sire y saide
To se mych & soffre al certes ys dowel
For resoun wold haue rehersed þe · right as clergie saide
But for þin entermeting here art þow forsake
CPhilosophus esses si tacuisses & alibi Locutum
me aliquando penituit tacuisse nunquam
Adam þe whiles he spak not · hadde paradis at wille
and whan he mameled aboute mete & mused forto knowe
þe wisdom & þe wit of god · he was put out of blisse
Right so ferde resoun by þe for þi rued speche
and for þou woldest wite · whi resounes priueyte
Pruyde or presumpsioun · of þi perfit lyuyng
Resoun refused þe · & wold not reste with þe
Ne clergie of his conyng kepeth þe not shewe
For shal neuere or shame come a shrewe wel chasteT
For lat a dronke daffe yn a dik falle
Lat him ligge lok not himT · til him lust to rise
For þough resoun rebuke him þenne recchith he neuere
Ne of clergie ne of kynd wit counteth he not arushe / a rushe
To blame him or to bete him þenne yne / y ne halde hit but synne
But when nede nymeth him vp · anoen he is ashamed
and þenne woet he wherfore & whi he is to blame
ȝe say soth by my soule quod y y haue seyn hit ofte
as shame þere he sheweth him · vch man shoneth his company
whi ȝe wordon to me thus was for y aresouned resoun
ȝe certes quod he þat is soþ · & shop him to walke
and yf his wille were he wolde his name telle
Abraham .
nota
nota
Ayenst bishops .
A vysion of þe
Creatures in þe
Elememtes / Eleme[n]tes . in þe
seea . & on þe Earth
Creatures in þe
Elememtes / Eleme[n]tes . in þe
seea . & on þe Earth
nota
Males to males ·
nota
Reson always
ruleth in beast
but not in Man
ruleth in beast
but not in Man
for Man surfeteth
in Meate , drynke
in Women aparel
and in Wordes .
in Meate , drynke
in Women aparel
and in Wordes .
nota
Suffraunce .
nota
Shame .
Iob .
patyence and
povertie springeth
povertie springeth
Marchaunte &
Messenger
Messenger
the mede is as much
to the pore for a
Myte as to the
riche for all his
Money . /
to the pore for a
Myte as to the
riche for all his
Money . /
the pore & patient
Life is perfectest .
Life is perfectest .
ayenst byshops
and prestes .
and prestes .
Man & his make
out of reason . C
out of reason . C
CDoo Well seeth much
and suffreth .
and suffreth .
nota
Ayenst prestes .