I shoep me in-to shrowdes as y a shep were
yn habite as an heremite vnholy of werkes
y wente forth in þe world wondres to here
and saw many sellies & selcouth thinges
ac on a may mornyng on maluerne hulles
Me bifel forto slepe for werines of-walked
and yn a launde as y lay lened y & slepte
and meruelouslich me mette · as y may ȝou telle
al þe welthe of this world & þe wo bothe
wyn[[ky]]ng as hit were , weturlich y say hit
Of truthe , & of treccherie , tresoun ,P & Gyle
al y say slepynge as shal ȝou telleT
Estward y biheld after þe sonneC
and y sayT a tour as y trowe truthe was þerinne
and say a dep dale deth as y leue
woned in þe wones & wicked spirites
of alle maner of men þe mene & þe pore
worchyng & wandring as this world askes
yn setyng & sowyng swonken ful soreC
And wonne þat þes wastoures wiþ glotonye destroyeth
yn continance of clothing in many kynne gi{s}ze
yn prayers & penaunces putten hem manyeC
yn hope to have a goed ende , & hevenriche blisse
As Ankeres & heremites þat holdon hem in her selles
Coueytyn not in CountiesT to kayron aboute
as hit semeth to oure sight þat suche men þriuon
and somme myrthes to make as mynstrals conne
Cwolen neuere swynke ne swete but swere gret othes
Fyndon out foul fantasies & foles hem maketh
and haueT wit at wille to worche if þey wolde
þat poul precheth of hem proue hit y myghte
Bidders & beggeres faste aboute wenteT
Faytedon for her fode & foughton at ale
yn glotony þo gomes gon þei to bedde
and rison with ribaudrie tho Roberdes knaues
Slep & also sleweth swenT such euere
To seke seynt Iames & seyntes of Rome
wenton forth on her way with many wys tales
and haddon leue to lye after al her lif tyme
heremytes on an heep with hoked staues
wenton to Walsingham & her wenches after
Gret lobyes & longe that loth wern to swynke
Clothedon yn copes to be knowe from othir
and made hem-self heremites her ese to haue
y fond þere of freres alle þe foure ordres
preching þe peple for profit of þe wombe
and glosed þe gospel as hem gode liked
Many of þes maistres of mendinaunt freres
her mone & her marchaundise maken to-giders
ac sithe charite hath be chapman & chef to shriue lordes
Many ferlies han falle in a fewe ȝeres
þe moste myschef on molde mounteth vp faste
¶ þere prechid a pardoner as he a prest were
and broughte forth a bulle with bisshopes seles
and said þat him-self myghte assoilon hem alle
Of falnesses / fal[s]nesses & fastinges of vowes ybroken
Lewed men leued him wel & liked his wordesC
and comon & kneled to kisson his billesT
andT bunched hem wiþ his bulles & blered her yes
and Raught with his Ragman Ringes & broches
thus ȝe gyue ȝoure gold glotownes to fille
and lenyth hit to loreles þat leccherie haunteþ
were þe bisshop y-blessid & worth bothe his eres
his seel sholde not be set in deseit of þe peple
þat þe pore peple in parisshes sholdon haue if þei ne were
Persounes & prestes pleyned to þe bisshop
þat her parishes wern pore sith þis pestilence tyme
and synge þere for symonye whil suluer is so swete
Bisshopes & bacheleres bothe maisters & doctoures
þat hauen cure vnder crist & crownedT in tokene
ben chargid with holy chirche charite to tulye
sumeC seruen þe kyng &his / & his suluer tellen
Of wardes & wardemotes wayues & strayues
and ben in stede of stywardes and sitton & demen
¶ Conscience kam & kuste hem & þe comvne herd hit
and saide ydolatrie ȝe soffren in sondry places manye
and boxes ben y-set forth yboundon wiþ yron
To vnder-take þe tol of vntrewe sacrifice
Cyn menyng of myracles myche wax hangeþ þere
al þe world woet wel hit myght not be trewe
and for hit profiteth ȝou in-to pursward þe prelates soffron
þat lewed men yn mysbyleue lyuon & dyon
y leue by oure lord for loueC of ȝoure coueitise
þat al þe world be þe wors as holy writ telleth
ynT hem þat fre were þorgh two false prestes
þey wern discounfit in bataile & loston archa domini
and for he say hemT synne & soffred hem do ylle
and chastised hem not þerof & noldon not rebuke hem
anoen as hit was told him þat þe childron of yraelLX
wern discounfit in bataile & archa domini lorn
Cand braek his necke on tweyen
and al was for venieance he beet not his childron
and for þei were prestes & men of holy chirche
God was wel þe wroþer & toek þe rathir venieance
{¶}For-þi y saye ȝou prestes & men of holy chirche
þat soffren men do sacrifice & worshipe mawmetes
God shal take veniaunce on alle such prestes
wel hardore & grettore on suche shrewed fadres
For ȝoure shrewed soffraunce & ȝour owne synne
ȝour masse & ȝour matynes & many of ȝour houres
arn don vndevoutlich drede hit is at þe laste
lest crist &his / & his constorie acorse of hem manye
¶ I perceyvede of þe powere þat peter hade to kepeN
to bynde & vnbynde · as the boke telleth
how he lefte yt wyth loue · as our lord heghte
amonges fowre vertues þe best of alle vertues
þat cardynalles beyn ycalled & closyng yattes
ther cryst is in kyngdom to clos & to schytt
& to opyn yt to them & hevyns blys scheweT
To haue þe power þat petur hadde ynpugne hem y nelle
For in loue & lettrure lith þe gret eleccion
and þen com kynd wit & knyghthoed to-gidores
Caste þat þe comvne sholde her comvnes fynde
Kynde wit & þe comvn contreued alle craftes
and for most profitable a plough gonne þey make
and with lele labour to lyue whil lif on londe {on londe} lasteþ
Then kynde wit to þe kyng & to þe comvn saide
Crist kepe þe kyng & þi kyngerich
and for thi rightful rulyng be rewardid in heuene
Conscience to clergie & to þe kyng saide
CSum Rex sum princeps neutrum fortasse deinceps
O qui iura regis christi specialia regis
Hoc vt agas melius iustus es esto pius
Nudum ius a te vestiri vult pietate
Qualia vis metere talia grana sere
Si seritur pietas de pietateP · metas
¶ Concience & þe kyng in to court wente
where houed an hundred with houues of selk
seriauntes hit semeden þat seruon at þe barre
pledon for pence and powndes the laweN
& nott for love of our lorde vnlows þer lyppe once
þou myght better meytt myst on maluerne hylles
þen gett a mome of þer mowth or money werC schewd
then ran þer a rowt of ratons as yt wer
& smalle mysse with them mo then a thowsand
Com to a cowncelle for ther comon profett
for a catt of a cowrt comen when hym lyketh
& ouerlepe them lyghtlye & cawght þem at wylle
& playd with them perlosslye & putt them þer he lyked
and pleide with hem perelously & put hem þere him liked
and yf we grocche of his game he wol greue vs alle
To his clees clawe vs · & in cloches vs halde
þat vs loþith þe lif ar he lete vs passe
Myght we with any wit his wille withsitte
we myghte be lordes a-loft & lyue as vs luste
a ratovn of gret reigunounLX most resounable of tunge
saide y haue seyn gret sires in citeT & in townes
bere byes of bright gold al a-boute her neckes
and colers of crafty werk bothe knyghtes & squiers
wer þere abelle / a belle on her bye by Iesu as me thinketh
Men myghte ywite wher þei wente & her way shonye
Bot wolde we make vs a belle al of bright suluer
and knytton hit on a coler for oure comvne profit
and hangon hit aboute þe cattes hals þenne here we mowe
whethir he rit or rest or rometh to pleye
and yf vs lust forto layke þan loke we mowe
and appere in his presence while him plaie liketh
and if him we wrathe be war & his way roume
al þis route of ratownes to þis resoun þei assentid
ac þo þe belle was y-brought & on þe bye hanged
þere ne was oen of al þe route for al þe rewme of fraunce
þat dorste haue y-bounde þe belle a-bowte þe cattes necke
Ne haue hanged hit a-boute his hals al ynglond to wynne
and þai leton her labour y-lost & her long studie
¶ A mousC þat myche goed coude as me þo þowghte
Strok forth sternely & stoed bifore hem alle
þowgh we had kylde this cat ȝit sholde þere come anoþer
To cracche vs & alle our kynde þogh we crepe vnder benches
for-thi y counsele for oure commune profit lat þe cat yworthe
and be neuere so bold þe belle him to shewe
For y herde myn sire sayn seuen ȝeer ypassed
þere þe cat is but a kytown þe court is ful elynge
witnesse at holy writ who-so can rede
CVe terre vbi puer est Rex
y seye hit for me quod þe mous y se so myche after
shal neuere þe cat ne þe kitown by my counsel be greued
Ne carpon of her colers þat costede me neuere
and þogh hit costid me catelle be knowen y ne wolde
Bot soffre & say nought & so is þe beste
Til þat myschef amende hem þat many oneT chasteth
CFor many mannes malt we muys wolde destruye
and þe route of ratownes of reste men awake
Ne were þe cat of þe court & kytownsT touward
what þes metels by-meneth ȝe men þat ben murie
deme ȝe for y ne dar by dere god almyghty
¶ ȝit mette me more of mene & of riche
as barownes & burgeys and bonde men of thropes
al y say slepinge as ȝe shal here her-after
Bothe bakers & brewers bochers & oþere
websters & walkers & wynneres with hondes
as tailloures & Tanners & tuliers þe erthe
as dikers & delueres þat don her dedes ille
and driuen forth her daies with dieu vous saue dame Emme
Cokes & her knaues criedon hote pies hote
Gode gees & Gris ga we […]dyne ga we
Tauerners to hem tolde þe same
whit wyn of Oseye & w read wyne of gascoynN
Of þe reule & of þe Rochelle þe rost to defye
al þis y say sleping & seuyn sythes mor
heauen
Hell
this earthly
Tabern
akell
Tabern
akell
Ayenst Mynstrels
countrefetes
countrefetes
against
drinckings
and Roges
Beggers
drinckings
and Roges
Beggers
pylgrymes
& there
Queens
Queens
hermytes
N
N
& theire
Hores
Hores
& frearesN
nota
nota
þe pore
robbed
robbed
nota
Ayenst prelates
& prestes
& prestes
Samuel . primo . capitulo . quarto .
nota
for Idolatrye
God will take
vengeaunce · on
prestes · chiefly .
God will take
vengeaunce · on
prestes · chiefly .
nota
nota
Pers his [[dreme]]
of all we[[lthe]]
of all we[[lthe]]
Hierualem / Hieru[s]alem
Roma
Turkie
Middell earthe
plowghmen
laborers
laborers
court[..]s
and […]
and […]
cloysteres
and frieres
and frieres
/ licame
þe epicure
þe epicure
fidlers and other
Ryffraff
Ryffraff
can
/ bawdy pepell
begers maintened
by abbies and
nunries
by abbies and
nunries
Ayenst pardoners
& wicked men lewed pardons
bysshops
bisshopps Tellers
and officers in
þe exchecare
and officers in
þe exchecare
all offices in
the Clergie
the Clergie
nota
olde Helies punnishment
Omnium doctissimorum
suffragio dic[[un]]
tur hec de
lassiuisLX , & fat
tuis . aut in
eptis principi
bus non de
etate tenellis
quasi dicat vbi
rex puer[[ilis]]
estN
suffragio dic[[un]]
tur hec de
lassiuisLX , & fat
tuis . aut in
eptis principi
bus non de
etate tenellis
quasi dicat vbi
rex puer[[ilis]]
estN
the insaysiablines
of þe lawyersC
of þe lawyersC
{ evne nowe
at hande }
at hande }
þe light of þe truthe