Passus quartus de dowel vbi prius
þough y sete by my-selue such is mygrace / my grace
y haue folowed þe in faith more þen fourty wyntur
Noþer to lie ne to lacke · ne lere that ys defendid
Ne to spille no speche · as forto speke on ydel
Ne no tyme to tyne ne trewe þing tene
Lowe the & lyue forth yn þe lawe of holi chirch
and þenne dost þou wel wiþ-oute drede who can dobet no fors
Clerkes þat conne al · y hope þey can do betture
But hit suffiseth to be saued · & be such as y taughte
But forto louye & to lene · & lyue wel & bileue
ys ycald karitas kynde loue in english
and þat is dobet yf any such be · a blessid man þat helpith
þat pes be & pacience · & pore out of defaut
CBeacius est dare quam petere
But catelle & kynde wit acombreth ful manye
Cwo ys him þat hem weldith but he hem wel dispene
But comunlich conyng · & vnkynde richesseC
as lorels to be lordes & lewed men techeres
and holy churche hores help · auerous & coueytous
druyeth vp dowel & destrueth dobest
But grace ys a gras þerfore · to don hem eft growe
But grace groweth not til goed wille by-gynne reyne
and woke þorgh gode werkes · wicked hertes
But ar such awille / a wille waxe · worcheth god him-selue
and sente forth þe seint espirit · to do loue springe
CSpiritus vbi vult spirat
So grace with-outon grace of god · & also gode werkes
May not be · be þow sikor · þough we bidde euere
as to be bore or be-gete yn such a constellacion
þat wit wexeth þerof & othir wordes bothe
CVultus huius seculi sunt subiecti vultibus celestibus
and clergie aconnynge / a connynge · of kynde wittes teching
and ȝut is clergie to comende · for cristes loue more
þen any connyng of kynde wit · but clergie hit rule
lawe of oure lord wroet · longe ar crist were
and crist cam & confermed · & holi kirke made
and yn a soendT a signe wroet & saide to þe iewes
þat seeth him-selue synne-lees · sese not yhote / y hote
To strike with stikeT or wiþ staf þis strumpet to dethe
CQuis vestrum sine peccato est . cetera . & cetera .
For-þi ycounsele / y counsele vch a creature clergie to honoure
For as a man may not see þat mysseth his yes
No more can no clerk · bot yf hit come of bokesT
and saide what men sholdon write
¶ and right as sight serueth aman / a man · to see þe hie strete
Right so lereth lettrure · lewed men to resoun
and as a blind in bataile bereth wepene to fighte
and hath noen happe with his ax his enemy to hitte
No more kan akynde / a kynde witted man bot clerkes him teche
Come for al his kynde wit · þorgh cristendoem to be saued
þe which is þe cofur of cristes tresour · & clerkes kepeþ þe keyes
To vnloke hit at her likyng · þe lered & lewed to helpe
To ȝiue mercy for mysdedes · yf men wole hit aske
Buxumly & benyngly · & biddon hit of grace
CArca dei in þe olde lawe · leuytes hit kepte
hadde neuere lewed man leue · to lay hond on þe chest
But hit were prestes or prestes sones patriark or prophete
Saul for he sacrifised sorow him bitidde
and his sones for his sinnes · sorow hem bitidde
and alle lewed þat leydon hond þeron · loron lif aftir
Take we her wordes toT worth · for her witnesses be trewe
and medele we not myche with hem · to meuen any wraþe
last chest chauf vs two · & chope vch man othir
and do we as dauid techith · for doute of godes veniance
CNolite tangere Christos meos & cetera .
For clergie ys cristes vicarie · to conforte & to cure
Bothe lered & lewed wer lost yf clergie ne were
kynde witted men · han a clergie by hem-selue
Of cloudes & of custumes · þey contreued many þinges
and marked hit in her manere & mused þeron to knowe
For þei heldon hit for an hi science · her sotiltees to knowe
ac þorgh her science soþly was neuere soule ysaued
Ne brought by here bokes · to blisse ne to ioye
For al her kynde knowyng · cam but of diuers sightes
Of briddes & of bestes of blisse & of sorowe
Patriarkes & prophetes repreued her science
and saide her wordes ne her wisdomes was bot a folie
as to þe clergie of crist þei countid hit but truful
Csapiencia huius mundi stulticia est apud deum
and loue shal lepe out aftir · yn-to þis low erthe
and clennes shal cacch hit · & clerkes sholon hit fynde
CPastores loquebantur ad inuicem & cetera .
hit speketh þere of rich men right nought · ne of rich lordes
Bot of clennes of clerkes & keperes of bestus
CIbunt magi ab oriente & cetera .
yf any frere wer founde þere y ȝiue þe fiue shelinges
Ne in no cote ne caitif hous þe leste of þe toune
To pastoures & to poetes · appered þe angel
and bad hem go to bedlem godis birthe to honoure
and songe asong / a song of solas · gloria in excelsis deo
Rich men rutte þo · & in her reste were
þo hit shoen to þe shephurdes · a shewere of blisse
Clerkes knew þe comete & comen with her presentes
and didon her homage honourably · to him þat was almighty
whi y haue told þe al this · ytoek / y toek ful goed hede
how þou contrariedest clergie with crabbede wordes
þat ys how þat lewed men & lithere · lightloker wern y-saued
þen connyng clerkes of kynde vnderstondyng
Tak two stronge men · & in temese cast hemC
& boþe naked as a nedel · noen heuegore þen oþer
þat oen hath connyng & can swymme & dyuen
Þat othir is lewed as of þat labour & lerned neuere to swymme
which trowest of þo two · in temese is in moest drede
he þat can not swymme y saide · hit semeþ to alle wittes
Right so quod þat renk resoun hit sheweth
þat he þat knoweth clergie can sonnere arise
owt of synne & be saef · þough he synne ofte
yf him liketh & lust þen any lewed sothly
For yf þe clerk be connyng · & knoweþ what is synne
and how contricioun with confessioun counforteth þe soule
as we seen in þe sauter in psalmes oen or tweyne
how contricioun is comendid for hit cacchiþ awey synne
CBeati quorum remisse sunt iniquitates & cetera .
and þat counfortith vch a clerk & kenneth fro wanhope
yn which floed þe fend · fondeth man hardist
þere þe lewed lith stille & loketh aftir lewte
and hath no contricioun ar he come to shrifteT
and þenne can he litel telle · bot as his lores-man him lereth
Bileueth & troweth & þat is aftir his person
Othir his parish prest & peraunter bothe lewed
To lere lewed men · as luk bereth witnes
CDum Cecus ducit Cecum & . cetera .
For mich wo was him marked · þat wade shal with þe lewed
wel may þe barn blesse · þat him to boek sette
þat lyuynge after lettrure · saued him lif & soule
hit haþ take from tiborne twenty stronge þeues
þere lewed þeues ben lolled vp loke how þey ben saued
þe þef þat hadde grace of god · a goed friday as þou toldest
was for he ȝeld him creaunt to crist & his grace askede
and god ys ay gracious to alle þat gredith to him
and wole no wicked man be lost · bot yf he wole him-selue
CNolo mortem peccatoris & cetera .
But þough þat þef hadde heuene he hadde noen hi blisse
as seynt Iohan & oþer seyntes þat han asserued betture
Right as summan / sum man ȝiueth me mete & set me amyd þe flore
y haue mete more þen ynow · but not with mych worshipe
as þo þat sitton at þe sid table · or with þe souereyns yn halle
But as abeggere / a beggere bordles by my-selue on þe ground
so hit ferde by þe feloun · þat a goed friday was saued
he sit neyþer with seint Iohan · ne wiþ symond ne Iude
Ne with maydones ne with martires · ne with mylde wedowes
But as a soleyn by him selue · y-serued vpon þe ground
For he þat is ones a thef · ys euermore in daunger
and as þe lawe liketh to lyue othir to dye
CDe peccato propiciato noli esse sine metu
hit were no resoun ne right to rewarde boþe ylich
and rig[[ht as troi]]anes þe trewe knyght telde not depe yn helle
For he is in þe lowest of heuen yf our beleue be true
and wel loesly he lolleth þere as bi þe lawe of holi church
CEt reddet vnicuique iuxta opera sua
But whi þat oen þef on þe cros creant him ȝelde
Rathir þen þat othir · þough þow woldest appose
alle þe clerkes vnder crist · ne couthe þis assoille
CQuare placuit quia voluit & cetera
and so y saye bi þe þat sekest aftir þe whies
how creatures han kynde wit · & how clerkes come to bokesC
and how þe floures in þe frith cometh to faire hewes
was neuere creature vnder crist þat knew wel þe biginnyng
But kynde þat contreued hit first of his curteys wille
he taughte þe turtel to trede · þe pocok to cauke
and Adam & Eue & alle othir bestes
A cantel of kynde wit · her kynde to saue
Of goed & of wicke kynde was þe firste
Sey hit & soffred hit · & saide hit be sholde
CDixit & facta sunt
But whi he wolde þat wicke were · ywene / y wene & y leue
was neuer man vpon molde · þat might hit aspie
But longe lyuynge men likned men lyuyng
To briddes & to bestes as her bokes tellith
þat þe fairest foul foulest engendrith
Bitokeneth right riche men þat regnon her on erthe
For pursue a pocok or a pohen to cacche
and haue hem yn hast at þin owne wille
For þei may not fle fer · ne ful hie nothir
For her feþeres þat faire ben to fle fer hem lettith
his ledene ys vnlouelich & lothlich his caroyne
But for his peyntid pennes þe pocok ys honoured
More þenT his faire flesh or for his murye note
Right so me reuerenseth more · þe riche for his mebles
þen for any kyn he come of · or for his kynde wittes
þus þe poete preyseth þe pocok for his feþeres
and þe riche man for his rentes or for richesse in his shoppe
and swettore of sauour & swiftore of wenge
To lowe lyuinge men · þe larke ys resembled
and to lele & lifholy · þat louen alle truthe
þus porfirie & plato & poetes manye
lykneþ in her logik · þe leste foul owten
and wher he be saf or not saef · þe soeþ woet no clergie
Ne of sortes ne of salamon no scripture kan telle
wher þat þei ben yn helle or yn heuen · or aristotel þe wise
But god ys so goed yhope / y hope þat sithe he gaf wittes
To wisson vs weyes þerwith · þat wenon to be saued
and þe bettere for her bokes to biddon we ben yholde
þat god for his grace gyue her soules reste
alle þes clerkes quod y tho þat on crist leuen
sayn in her sarmons · þat noþer sarazines ne iewes
with-oute baptem as by her bokes · beth not ysaued
CContra quod ymaginatif þo · & comsed to loure
and saide vix saluabitur iustus in die iudicij
Troianes was a trewe knyght · & toek neuere cristendoem
and he is saef saith þe boek · & his soule in heuene
and þorgh fuyr ys fullyng · & al is ferme bileue
CAduenit ignis diuinus non comburens sed illuminens & cetera
But trewe þat trespased neuere ne transuersed aȝenes his lawe
and yf þer were he wolde · & yn such a wille dyeth
Ne wolde neuere true god bot trewe truthe wer alowed
and wher hit be or be notT þe bileue ys gret of truthe
and hope hangeth ay þeron to haue þat truþe deserueþ
CQuia super pauca fuisti fidelis & cetera .
and þat is loue & large huire · yf þe lord be true
and a cortesie more þen couenaunt was · what so clerkesC carpe
For al worth as god wole · & þerwith he vanyshed
The Way to
Doo Well .
Doo Well .
nota
Lerninge to be
reverensed . /
reverensed . /
Ayenst Astronomers
of the theefe þat .
was saved on good
frydaye · a rare
opynyon . /
was saved on good
frydaye · a rare
opynyon . /
nota
nota
A pretye & right
semelye comparason
betwene the rich
man & þe · peacok .
semelye comparason
betwene the rich
man & þe · peacok .
the pore man &
the Larke . /
the Larke . /
nota
Covetos averice and
vnkynde Riches dryve
away doo well . /
vnkynde Riches dryve
away doo well . /
Wytte of sterres ·
Grace . Wytte
and Lerninge . /
and Lerninge . /
A Comparason
betwixt the lerned &
vnlerned .
betwixt the lerned &
vnlerned .
a litle taste of poprie .
the answer to
them that aske
why . and . how . /
them that aske
why . and . how . /
Troianes
thre kyndes of
Cristyninge .
Cristyninge .
the true truth
deserveth C
deserveth C