ȜE wel worþe pouerte / for he may walke vnrobbed
A-mong pylours in pees / if pacience him folwe
Oure prince Ihesu . pouerte ches / and his aposteles alle
And ay þe lengur þei lyuedoun / þe lasse good þei hadde
Tanquam nichil habentes & cetera .
Ȝut men rat þat abraham and Iob were wonder riche /
And out of nombre þo men / meny meobles hadden .
Abraham for al his good / hadde muche teone
In gret pouerte was he put / a prynce as hit were
By-nom him his hosewyf / and heold here him-selue
And Abraham nat hardy / ones to letten hym
Ne for bryhtnesse of here beaute / heore spouce to be by-knowe
¶ And for he suffrede and seyde nouht / oure lord sent tokne
Þat þe kynge cryde / to Abraham mercy
And delyuered hym his wyf / with muche welþe after
¶ And as so Iob þe gentul / what ioye hadde he on eorthe
How bittere he hit bouhte / as þe bok telleþ
¶ Ac For he song in his sorow / si bona accipimus a domino / {n.}
dereworþe deore god / do we so mala /
Al his sorow to solas / þrouh þat songe turned
And Iob by-cam a iolyf man / and al his ioye newe
¶ Lo hou pacience in here pouerte / theos patriarches releued
And brouȝt hem al a-boue / þat in bale rotede
As greyn þat liþe in þe greot / and throw grace at þe laste
Spryngeþ vp and spredeþ / so spedde þe fadur Abraham
And al-so þe gentul Iob . / here ioye nath non ende
¶ Ac leoueþ nat ȝe leawede men / þat y lakke richesse
Þauh y preyse pouerte þus / and preued hit by ensaumples
Worþiour as by holy wryt / and wyse philosofres /
Boþe two beon goode / beo ȝeo fol certayn
And lyues þat oure lord loueþ / and large weyes to heuene
¶ Ac þe poure pacient / purgatorie passeþ
Rather þenne þe riche / þauh þei renne at ones
¶ And scholden wende o way / wher boþe mosten reste
And rekene by-fore resoun / a resonable a-counte
What on haþ wat oþer haþ / and what þei hadde boþe
Þe marchaunt most neode by let / lengur þan þe messagere
¶ For þe parcelles of his pauper / and oþer pryue dettes
Wol let hym as y leoue / þe lengþe of a myle
¶ Þe messagere doþ na more / but with his mouþe telleþ
His lettre and his erende scheweþ / and is a-non delyuered .
¶ And þauh þei wende by þe weye / þo two to-gederes
Þauh þe messager make his weye / a-mydde þe whete
Wol no wysmon wroþ beo / ne his wed take
/ necessitas non habet legem /C
Is non hayward y hote / his wed for to take
¶ Ac ȝif þe marchaunt make his weye / ouur menne corne
And þe haywarde happe / with hym for to mete /
Or his hat or his hod / or elles his gloues
Þe marchaunt mot for-go / or money of his porce
¶ And ȝut be let as y leoue / for þe lawe askeþ
Marchauns for here marchaundyse / in mony places to tullon .
¶ Ȝut þauh þei wendoun on way / as to wynchestre fayre
Þe marchaunt with his marchaundise / may not go so swyþe
As þe messager may / ne with so muchel ese
¶ For þat on bereþ bot a box / a breuet þer-Inne
Þer þe marchaunt ledeþ a male / wiþ mony kynne þynges
And dredeþ to beo ded þer-fore / and he in deorke mete
Wiþ robbers and reueres / þat riche men dispoilon
¶ Þer þe messager is as murye / his mouhþe fol of songes
And leoueþ for his lettres / þat no whit wol hym greue .
¶ Ac ȝut myht þe marchaunt / þrow money and oþer ȝiftes
Haue hors and hardy men / thauh he mette þeoues /
Wolde non suche assaillon hym / for hem þat hym folowyþ
As safly passe as þe messager / and as sone at his hostel .
¶ Ȝe witon wel ȝee wyse men / what þis is to mene /
Þe marchaunt is no more to mene / bot men þat beon riche
Aren a-countable to cryst / and to þe kyng of heuene
Þat holdon mot þe hye weye / euene ten hestes
boþe louye and lene / þe lele and vnlele .
¶ And haue reuthe and releue / with his grete richesse
By his power al maner men / in meschief y-falle .
Fynde beggares bred / bakkes for þe colde
Tyþen heore godes trewliche / a tol as hit semeþ /
Þat oure lord lokeþ aftur / of eche a lyf þa{.}t wynneþ
Wit-oute whiles or wronge / or wymmen at þe stuwes .
¶ And ȝut more to make pes / and quite menne dettes
Boþe spele and spare / to spene vpon þe neodful
As crist self comaundeþ / to al cristone people
Alter alterius onera portate .
¶ Þe messager aren þe mendinauns / þat lyuen by menne almes
Beoþ not y-bounde as beoþ þe riche / to boþe two þe lawes
To lene and to lere / ne lentenes to faste
And other pryue penaunces / þe wuche þe preost wot wel
Þat þe lawe ȝeueþ leue / suche lohwe folc beo excused .
¶ As none tyþes to tyþen ne cloþe ne nakede
Ne in enquestes to come / ne contumax þauh he worche
Halyday or holy eue / his mete to deserue
For yf he loueþ and by-leoueþ / as þe lawe techeþ
Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit & cetera .
Telleþ þe lord a tale / as a trewe messagere
And schewet by seal and sith by lettre / wiþ wat lord he dwelleþ
Knewlecheþ hym cristone / and as holy churche by-leoueþ
Þer nis no lawe as y leue / wol lette hym þe gate
Þer god is gateward hym-selue / and eche a gome knoweþ .
Þe porter of pure reuthe / may par{.....}forme þe lawe
In þat he wilneþ and wolde / eche whit as hym-selue .
¶ For þe wil as muche worþe / of a wrecche beggare
As þat þe riche may reyme / and rihtfolliche dele .
¶ And as muche mede / for a myte þat he offreþ /
As þe riche man for al his moneye / and more as by þe gospel .
Amen dico vobis quia hec vidua paupercula & cetera
So þat poure pacient is / parfitest lyf of alle
¶ And alle parfite preostes / to pouerte scholden drawe
For spera in deo spekeþ of preostes / þat han no spendynge seluur
Þat if þei trauaile trewliche / and tristen in god al-myhti
Hem scholde neuere lac lyuelode / noþer lynnen ne wollen
¶ Þe tytle þat ȝe takeþ ȝoure ordres by / telleþ ȝe beoþ auaunced
And neodeþ nat to nyme no suluer / for masses þat ȝe syngen .
¶ For he þat tok ȝow tytele / scholde take ȝow wages
Or þe bysschop þat blessed ȝow / and enbaumed ȝoure fyngres
¶ For made neuere kyng knyht / but he had catel to spene
As by-fel for a knyht / and of a caitif kynges makyngeT
Þat hath no lond ne lynage riche / ne good los of his hondes
¶ Þe same y seye for sothe / by suche þat beon preostes
Þat han noþur kynnynge ne kyn / but a crone one
And a tytle a tale of nouht / to his lyflode as hit were
¶ Vuele beon þei suffred / suche þat schendon masses
Þrouh here luthure lyuynge / and lewede vndurstondynge
¶ A chartre is chalengable / by-fore a chief iustice
If fals latyn beon in þat lettre / þe lawe hit inpugneþ
Or peyntede paraunter lynarie / parceles ouur-sc{h}kipped
Þe gome þat so gloseþ chartres / a goky he is holden
¶ So is he a goky by god / þat in þe gospel faylleþ
In masse or in matyns / makeþ eny defaute
Qui offendit in vno in omnibus est reus /
¶ And ouurskypperes al-so / in þe sauter saith dauid
Psallite deo nostro psallite quoniam rex terre deus . sallite sapienter .
Þe bysschop schal beo blamed / by-fore god as y leue
Þat croneþ suche clerkes / as for godes knyhtes
Þat conneþ nat sapienter / noþur synge ne rede
¶ Ac nother nys al blameles / ne bysschop þe chapeleyn .
For ignorancia non excusat / as y haue herd in bokes
¶ Thus rechelesnesse in a rage / a-resonede clergye
And scornede scripture / þat monye skyles schewede
Tyl þat kynde cam / clerigie to helpon
And in þe myrrour of myddul-ert / made hym eft loke
To knowe by eche creatour / kynde to louye
¶ And bowed my body / by-holdyng al a-boute
And seyh þe sonne and þe see / and þe sande aftur
Wher þat bryddes and bestes / by here make ȝeodon /
¶ Wylde wormes in wodes / and wonderfol foules .
With flekkede feþeres / and of fele colours
¶ Man and his make / y myhte se bothe
¶ Pouerte and plente / boþe pees and werre
¶ Blisse and bitter bale / boþe y seyh at ones
¶ And how þat men mede token / and mercy refusedenN
¶ Reson y seyh sothly / suwen al bestes
In etynge in drynkynge / in engendryng of kynde
After cours of concepcion / non tok kep of other
As wan þei hadde ruteyed / a-non þei resten aftur
¶ Maules drowen hem to maules / on morownynges by hem-selue
And femeles to femeles / herdyed and drowe
¶ Þer ne was cow ne kowekynde / þat conceyued hadde
Þat beer aftur bole / ne bor aftur sowe
¶ Ther was ne kyne kynde / þat conceyued hadde
Þat ne les þe lykinge of loust / of fleisch as hit were
Saue man and his make / and þer-of me wondrede
¶ For ouȝt of reson þei ryde / and rechelesliche token on
As in durne dedes / boþe drynkyng and elles
¶ Bryddes y by-heolde / in bosches maden nestes
Hadde neuere wye wit / to worche þe leste
¶ I hadde wondur at wham / and wher þat þe pye
Leornede legge stykkes / þat leyen in here neste
Þer is no whrit as y wene / scholde worche here nest to paye
Ȝif eny mason þer-two / makede a molde
With al here wyse castes / wondur me þenkeþ
¶ And ȝut y merueilede more / mony of þo bryddes
Huddon and heledoun / durneliche here egges
For no foul scholde hem fynde / but his fere and hym-selue
¶ And some treden y toke kepe / and on trees breddon
And brouht forþ here bryddes / al a-boue þe grounde
¶ In mareys and in Mures / in mores & in wateres
dompynges dyuedoun / deore god y sayde
Wher hadden suche wilde such wit / and at what scole
And whan þe pecok caukede / þer-of toke y kepe
How vncorteisly þe cok / his kynde forþ strewede
And ferly hadde of his fairnesse / and of his foul leodene
¶ And seþe y lokede on þe see / and so forþe on þe sterres
Mony selcouþe y seyh / aren not to segge nouþe
Ne what on floures in feeldes / and of here faire colours
How out of greot and of grace / grew so mony hewes
Some soure and some swete / selcouþe me thoute
Of here kynde and of here colours / to carpen hit were to longe
¶ Ac þat þat meouede me / and my mod chaunget
Was þat y seih resoun / suwen al bestes
Saue man and mankynde / mony tymes me þouhte
Reoson rewled hem nat / nouther riche ne poure
¶ Þenne y a-resonede resoun / and riht tyl hym seyde
Y haue wondur in my wit / so wis as thow ert holde
Wher-fore and why / so wyde as thou regnest
Þat þow ne reulest rather / renkes þenne oþur bestes
¶ For y seo noen so ofte surfeton / sothly so man-kynde
In mete out of mesure / and mony tymes in drynke
In wommen in wedes / and in wordes boþe
Thei ouur-don hit day and nyht / and so doþ non other
¶ Bestes rewlen hem al by resoun / and renkes fol fewe
And þer-fore merueyleþ me / for man as in makynge
Is most liche to þe / of wit and of werkes
Whi he ne louyeþ þi lore / and lyueþ as thou techest
¶ And reson a-resonede me / and seyde reche þe neuure
Why y suffre or nat suffre / certes y seyde
Ech a sege for him-selue / salamon vs techeþ
de Re que te non molestat nolite certare /
Ho soffreþ more þenne god quaþ he / no gome as y leoue
He myhte amende in amyntwhile / a myntwhile / al þat amys stondes
Ac he soffreþ in ensaumple / þat we scholde al suffren
¶ Is no vertue so fayr / of value ne of profit
As is suffraunce souereynliche / so hit beo for godes loue
And so witnesseþ þe wyse / and wysseþ þe freynsche
Bele vertu est suffraunce / mal dire est petit veniaunceC
Bien dire & bien suffrire / fait ly suffrable a bien venir
¶ For-þi quaþ reson y rede þe / ruwele þi tonge euere
And er thow lakke eny lyf / loke ho is to preyse
¶ For is no creature vndur crist / þat can hym-self make
And if cristone creatours / couthen make hem-selue
Eche led wolde beo laclese / leof þou non oþur
¶ Man was made of suche matere / he may not wel asterte /
Þat som tymes hym tyt / to folwon his kynde
Catoun a-cordeþ herwyth / Nemo sine crimine viuit
¶ Þo cauhte y colour a-non / and comsed to beo a-schamed
And a-wakede þer-wiþ / wo was me þenne
Þat y ne had met more / so murye as y slepte
And seyde a-non to my-selue / slepyng y had grace
To wyte wat dowel is / ac wakynge neuere
¶ And þenne was þer a whit / what he was y nuste
What is dowel quaþ þat whit / y wis sire y seyde /
To see muche and suffren al / certes is sire dowel .
¶ Haddest þow suffred he seyde / sclepyng þo þow were
Þow scholdest haue knowe þat clergie can / & more coueyted þrouh resoun
For Reson wolde haue rehersed to þe /C riht as clergie seyde .
Ac for þin enturmetyng / here art þow for-sake
Philosophus fuisses si tacuisses . & alibi . Locutum me aliquando penituit tacuisse
nunquam .
¶ Adam whiles he spac nat / hadde paradys at wille
Ac whan he mameled a-boute mete / and musede for to knowe
Þe wysdom and þe wit of god / he was putte out of blisse
¶ Riht so ferd reson by þe / for þi rude speche
And for þou woldest wite why / of resones pryueite
¶ For pruyde and presumpcioun / of þi parfit lyuynge /
Reson refusede þe / and wold not reste with þe
Ne clergie of his connynge / kepeþ þe nat swewe
For schal neuere er schame come / a schrewe wel beo chasted
¶ For let a dronken daffe / in a dyche falle
Leet him ligge loke nat on hym / tyl him a-luste a-ryse
¶ For þauh reson rebuke hym þenne / reccheþ he neuere
Of clergye ne of kyndewit / counteþ he nat a russche
To blame hym or to bete hym þenne / y halde hit but synne
¶ Ac when neode nymeþ hym vp / a-non he is asschamed
And þenne wot he wer-fore / and why he is to blame
¶ Ȝe seggeþ soth by my saule quod y / y haue seyn hit ofte
Þer smyt no þing so smerte / ne smelleþ so foule
As schame þer he sheweþ hym / ech man shoneþ his compaignie
Why ȝeo wordon to me thus / was for y aresonede reson .
¶ Ȝee certes þat is soth quaþ {y}he / and schop hym to walke
And y ros vpriht wiþ þat / and reuerencede hym faire
And if his wil were / he wolde his name telle
Hic explicit passus quartus /
Nota land
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