Passus duodecimus
I am ymagynatyf quod he · Idel was I neuere
Þouȝe I sitte bi my-self · in sikenesse neT in helthe
I haue folwed þe in feithe · þis fyue and fourty wyntre
And many tymes haue moeued þe · to þinke on þine ende
And how fele fernȝeres are faren · and so fewe to come
And of þi wylde wantounesse · þo þow ȝonge were
To amende it in þi myddel age · lest miȝte þe faylledT
In þyne olde elde · þat yuel can suffre
Pouerte or penaunce · or preyeres bidde
Si non in prima vigilia · nec in secunda &c
Amende þe while þow myȝte · þow hast ben warned ofte
With poustees of pestilencesT [·] with pouerte and with angres
And with þise bitter baleyses · god beteth his dere childeren
Quem diligo castigo
T And dauid in þe sauter seith · of suche þat loueth Ihesus
Virga tua & baculus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt &c
Al-þough þow stryke me with þi staffe · with stikke or with ȝerde
It is but murth as for me [·] to amende my soule
And þow medlest þe with makyng[e]T · and myȝtest go sey þi sauter
And bidde for hem þat ȝiueth þe bred · for þere ar bokes ynowe
To telle men what dowel is · dobet and dobest bothe
And prechoures to preue what it is · of many a peyre freres
¶ I seigh wel he sayde me soth · andT somwhat me to excuse
SeidT catoun conforted his sone · þat clerke þough he were
To solacen hym sum-tyme · asT I do whan I make
Interpone tuis interdum gaudia curis · &c ·
T And of holy men I herdeT quod I · how þei otherwhile
Pleyden þe parfiter · to be in many placesT
AcT if þere were any wight · þat wolde me telle
What were dowel and dobet · and dobest atte laste
Wolde I neuere do werke · but wende to holicherche
And þere bydde my bedes · but whan ich eet or slepe
¶ Poule in his pistle quod he · preueth what is dowel
Fides spes caritas &T maior horum &c
Feith hope and charitee · andT alle ben good
And sauen men sundry tymes · ac none so sone as charite
For he doth wel with-oute doute · þat doth as lewte techeth
Þat is if þow be man maried · þi make þow louye
And lyue forth as lawe wole · whileT ȝe lyuen bothe
T Riȝt so if þow be Religious · renne þow neuere ferther
To Rome ne to Rochemadore · but as þi reule techeth
And holde þe vnder obedyence · þat heigh wey is to heuene
¶ And if þow be [mayde &]T to marye · and miȝte wel contynue
Seke þow neuere seynt forther · for no soule helthe
For what made Lucyfer · to lese þe heigh heuene
Or salamon his sapience · or sampson his strengthe
Iob þe Iewe his ioye · dere he it abouȝte
Arestotle and other mo · ypocras & virgyle
Alisaundre þat al wan · elengelich ended
T Catel and kynde witte · was combraunce to hem alle
Felyce hir fayrnesse · fel hir al to sklaundre
And Rosamounde riȝt so [·] reufully bysette
Þe bewte of hir body · in badnesse sheT dispended
Of many suche I mayT rede · of men and of wommen
Þat wyse wordes wolde shewe · and worche þe contra[r]ye
Sunt homines nequam bene de virtute loquentes
T And riche renkes riȝt so · gaderen and sparen
And þo men þat þei moste haten · mynistren it atte laste
And for þei suffren & se · so many nedy folkes
And loue hem nouȝt as owre lorde bytte · lesen her soules
Date & dabitur vobis &c ·
T [So catel and kynde witte · acombreth ful many
Wo is hym þat hem weldeth · butT he hem w[e]lT dispende
Scienti & non facienti variis flagellis vapulabitT
Sapience seith þe boke · swelleth a mannes soule
Sapiencia inflat &c]
¶ And ricchesse riȝt so · but if þe Rote be trewe
Ac grace is a grasse þer-[fore]T · þo greuaunces to abate
Ac grace ne groweth nouȝte · but amonges lowe
PacienceT and pouerte · þe place is þere it groweth
And in lele lyuynge men · and in lyf-holy
And þorugh þeT gyfte of þe holygoste · as þe gospel telleth
Spiritus vbi vult spirat &c
Clergye and kynde witte · comth of siȝte and techynge
As þe boke bereth witnesse · to buirnes þat can rede
Quod scimus loquimur quod vidimus testamur
Of quod scimus cometh clergye · [a]T connynge of heuene
And of quod vidimus cometh kynde witte [·] of siȝte of dyue[r]se peple
Ac grace is a gyfte of god · and of gret loue spryngeth
Knewe neuere clerke how it cometh forth · ne kynde witte [his]T weyes
Nescit aliquis vnde venit · aut quo vadit &c
Ac ȝit is clergye to comende · and kynde witte bothe
And namely clergye for crystes loue · þat of clergye is rote
For Moyses witnesseth þat god wrote · for to wisse þe peple
In þe olde lawe as þe lettre telleth · þat wasT þe lawe of iewes
Þat what woman were in auoutrieT taken · were sheT riche or pore
With stones men shulde hir stryke · and stone hir to deth
T A womman as we fynden · was gulty of þat dede
Ac cryste of his curteisye · þorw clergye hir saued
For þorw [crystes] carectusT · þe iewes knewe hem-seluen
Gultier as afor god · and gretter in synne
Þan þe woman þat þere was · and wenten awey for schame
Þe clergye þat þere was · conforted þe womman
Holykirke knoweth þis · þat crystes writyng sauedT
So clergye is conforte · to creatures þat repenten
And to mansed men · myschief at her ende
¶ For goddes body myȝte nouȝte be of bred · with-outen clergye
Þe which body is bothe · bote to þe riȝtful
And deth and dampnacioun · to hem þat dyeth yuel
AsT crystes carecte conforted [·] and bothe coupable shewed
Þe womman þat þe iewes brouȝte · þat Ihesus þouȝte to saue
Nolite iudicare et non iudicabimini &c
Riȝt so goddes body bretheren · but it be worthily taken
Dampneth vs atte daye of dome · as [dede] þe carect[e]T þe iewes
For-þi I conseille þe for cristes sake · clergye þat þow louye
For kynde witte is of his kyn · and neighe cosynes bothe
To owre lorde leue me · for-þi loue hem I rede
For bothe ben as miroures · to amenden owre defautes
And lederes for lewed men · and for lettred bothe
T For-þi lakke þow neuere logyke · lawe ne his custumes
Ne countreplede clerkes · I conseille þe for eure
For as a man may nouȝt se · þat mysseth his eyghenT
Namore can no klerke · but if he cauȝt it first þorugh bokes
Al-þough men made bokes · god was þe maistre
And seynt spirit þe saumplarye · and seide what menT sholde write
And riȝt as syȝte serueth a man · to se þe heighe strete
Riȝt so le[r]ethT letterure · lewed men to resoun
And as a blynde man in bataille · bereth wepne to fiȝte
And hath none happ with his axe · his enemye to hitte
Namore kan a kynde-wittedT man · but clerkes hym teche
Come for al his kynde witte · to crystendome and be saued
Whiche is þe coffre of crystes tresore · and clerkes kepe þe keyes
To vnlouken it at her lykynge · and to þe lewed peple
ȜyueT mercy for her mysdedes · if men it wole aske
Buxomelich & benygneliche · and bidden it of grace
Archa dei in þe olde lawe · leuites it kepten
Hadde neuere lewed man leue · to leggen honde on þatT chest
But he were preste or prestes sone · patriarke or prophete
T [¶ Saul for he sacrifisedT · sorwe hym bitydde
And his sones also · for þat synne myscheued
And many mo other men · þat were no leuites
Þat with archa dei ȝedenT · in reuerence and in worship
And leyden honde þer-on to liften it vp · and loren her lif afterT
For-þi I conseille alle creatures · no clergie toT dispise
Ne sette shorteT be here science · what-so þei don hem-selue
Take weT her wordes at worthe · forT here witnesseT be trewe
And medleT we nauȝt muche with hem · to meuen any wrathe
Lest cheste chasenT vs · to choppe vche man other
Nolite tangere christos meos &c]
¶ For clergye is kepereT [·] vnder cryst of heuene
Was þere neuere no knyȝte · but clergye hym made
Ac kynde witte cometh [·] of alkynnes siȝtes
Of bryddes and of bestes · of tastes of treuthe and of deceytes
¶ Lyueres to-forn vs · vseden to markeT
Þe selkouthes þat þei seighen · her sones for to teche
And helden it an heighe science · her wittes to knowe
Ac þorugh her science sothely · was neuere no soule ysaued
Ne brouȝteT by her bokes · to blisse ne to ioye
For alle her kynde knowynges · comeT but of dyuerse sightes
T Patriarkes and prophetes · repreuedT her science
And seiden her wordes ne her wisdomesT · [w]asT but a folye
As to þe clergye of cryst · counted it but a trufle
Sapiencia huius mundi · stulticiaT apud deum
T For þe heihe holigoste · heuene shal to-cleue
And loue shal lepe out after · in-to þis lowe erthe
And clennesse shal cacchen it · and clerkes shullen it fynde
Pastores loquebantur ad inuicem
¶ He speketh þere of riche men riȝt nouȝt · ne of riȝt witty
Ne of lordes þat were lewed men · but of þe hexte lettred oute
Ibant magi ab oriente &c
¶ If any frere were founde þere · Ich ȝif þe fyue shillynges
Ne in none beggares cote · was þat barne borne
But in a burgeys place · of bethlem þe best
Set non eratT locus in diuersorio [·] & pauper non habet diuersorium
¶ To pastours and to poetes [·] appiered þatT aungel
And bad hem go to bethlem · goddis burth to honoure
And songeT a songe of solas · gloria in excelsis deo
T [¶ Riche men rutte þo · andT in here reste were
Þo it shon so to shepherdesT · a shewer of blisse]
T ClerkesT knewe it wel · and comen with here presentz
And deden her homage honourabelyT · to hym þat was almyȝtyT
Why I haue toldeT al þis · I toke ful gode hede
How þow contraryedest clergye · with crabbed wordes
How þat lewed men liȝtloker · þan lettred were saued
Þan clerkes or kynde-witted men · of crystene peple
¶ And þow seidest soth of somme · ac se in what manereT
Take two stronge men · and in themese caste hem
And bothe naked as a nedle · her none sykerT þan other
Þat one hath connynge and can [·] swymmen and dyuen
Þat other is lewed of þat laboure · lerned neuere swymmeT
Which trowestow of þo two · in themese is in moste drede
He þat neuere neT dyued · ne nouȝt can of swymmynge
Or þe swymmere þat is sauf · bi so hym-self lyke
Þere his felaw flet forth · as þe flode lyketh
And is in drede to drenche · þat neuere dede swymme
T ¶ Þat swymme can nouȝt I seide · it semeth to my wittes
¶ Riȝt so quod þe Renke [·] resoun it sheweth
Þat he þat knoweth clergye [·] can sonner aryse
Out of synne and beT sauf · þough he synne ofte
If hym lyketh and lest · þan any lewed lelly
For if þe clerke be konnynge · he knoweth what is synne
And how contricioun with-oute confessioun · conforteth þe soule
As þow seest in þe sauter · in psalmeT one or tweyne
How contricioun is commended · for it caccheth awey synne
Beati quorum remisse sunt iniquitates & quorum tecta sunt &cT ·
And þis conforteth vch a clerke · and keuerethT hym fram wanhope
In which flode þe fende · fondeth a man hardest
Þere þe lewed lith stille · and loketh after lente
And hath no contricioun ar he come to shryfte · & þanneT can he litel telle
AndT as his lores-man leres hym · bileueth & troweth
And þat is after person or parisch prest · and parauenture [bothe]T
Vnconnynge to lere lewed men · as luk bereth witnesse
Dum cecus ducit cecum &c ·
¶ Wo was hym marked · þat wade mote with þe lewedT
Wel may þe barne blisse · þat hym to boke setteT
Þat lyuynge after letterure [·] saued hym lyf and soule
Dominus pars hereditatis mee [·] is a meri verset
Þat has take fro tybourne · twenti stronge þeues
Þere lewed theues ben lolled vp · loke how þei be saued
Þe thef þat had grace of god · on gode fryday as þow spekeT
Was for he ȝelte hym creauntT to cryst on þe crosseT · & knewleched hym gulty
T And grace axed of god · and he is euer redy
Þat boxomeliche biddeth it · and ben in wille to amenden hem
TAc þough þat þef had heuene · he hadde none heigh blisse
As seynt Iohan and other seyntes · þat asseruedT hadde bettere
Riȝt as sum man ȝeue me mete · and sette me amydde þe flore
Ich haue mete more þan ynough · ac nouȝt so moche worship
As þo þat seten atte syde table · or with þe souereignes of þe halle
But sitte as a begger bordelees · bi my-self on þe grounde
So it fareth bi þat feloun · þat a gode fryday was saued
He sitte neither with SeyntT Iohan · SymondeT ne Iude
Ne wyth maydenes ne with martires [·] [ne]T confessoures ne wydwes
But by hym-self as a soleyne · and serued on þeT erthe
For he þat is ones a thef · is euermore in daungere
And as lawe lyketh · to lyue or to deye
De peccato propiciato noli esse sine metu
And forto seruen a seynt · and such a thef togyderes
It were noyther resoun ne riȝt · to rewarde botheT aliche
T And riȝt as troianus þe trewe knyȝt · tildeT nouȝt depe in helle
Þat owre lorde ne had hym liȝtlich oute · so leue I þe thefT be in heuene
For he is in þe lowest of heueneT · if owre bileue be trewe
And wel loselycheT he lolleth þere · by þe lawe of holycherche
Quia redditT vnicuique iuxta opera sua &c
¶ A[c]T why þat one thef onT þe crosse · creaunt hym ȝelt
Rather þan þat other thef · þough þow wolde appose
Alle þe clerkes vnder cryst · ne couthe þe skil assoilleT
Quare placuit quia voluit
[¶]T And so I sey by þe · þat sekest after þe whyes
And aresonedest resoun · a rebukyng as it were
T [And willest of briddes and ofT bestes · and of hire bredyng toT knowe
Why somme be alowe and somme alofte · þi lykyng it were
And of þe floures in þe fryth · and of her feire hewes
Where-of þei cacche her colouresT · so clere and so briȝte]
And of þe stones and of þe sterres · þow studyest as I leue
How euere beste or brydde · hath so breme wittes
¶ Clergye ne kynde witte [·] ne knewe neuere þe cause
Ac kynde knoweth þe cause hym-selue · no creature elles
He is þe pyes patroun · and putteth it in hire ere
Þat þere þe þorne is thikkest · [þere]T to buylden and brede
And kynde kennedT þe pecok · to cauken in swich a kynde
And [kynde]T kenned Adam · to knowe his pryue membres
And tauȝte hym and Eue · to hylien hem with leues
¶ Lewed men many tymes · maistres þei apposen
Why Adam neT hiled nouȝt firste · his mouth þat eet þe apple
Rather þan his lykam alow · lewed axen þus clerkes
Kynde knoweth whi he dede so · ac no clerke elles
Ac of briddes and of bestes · men by olde tyme
Ensamples token and termes · as telleth þis poetes
And þat þe fairest foule · foulest engendreth
And feblest foule of flyght is · þat fleegheth or swymmeth
And þat isT þe pekok & þe pohenne proude ·T riche men þeiT bitokneth
For þe pekok and men pursue hym · mayT nouȝte fleighe heighe
For þe traillyng of his taille · ouertaken is he sone
And his flesshe is foule flesshe · and his feet bothe
And vnlouelich of ledene · and laith for to here
¶ Riȝt so þe riche [·] if he his ricchesse kepe
And deleth it nouȝt tyl his deth-day · þe tailleT of al sorwe
Riȝt as þe pennes of þe pecok · paynedT hym in his fliȝte
So is possessioun payne · of pens and of nobles
To alle hem þat it holdeth · til her taille be plukked
And þough þe riche repente þanne · and birewe þe tyme
Þat euere he gadered so grete · and gaf þere-of so litel
Þough he crye to cryst þanne · with kene wille I leue
His ledne be in owre lordes ere · lyke a pyesT
And whan his caroigne shal come · in caue to be buryed
I leue it flaumbe ful foule · þe folde al aboute
And alle þe other þer it lyth · enuenymedT þorgh his attere
By þe p[o]feetT is vnderstonde · as I haue lerned in auynet
E[x]ecutoures fals frendes · þat fulfille nouȝt his wille
Þat was writen and þei witnesseT · to worche riȝt as itT wolde
Þus þe poete preues ·T þat þe pecok for his fetheres is reuerenced
Riȝt so is þe riche · bi resoun of his godis
¶ Þe larke þat is a lasse foule · is more louelich of ledne
And wel awey of wenge [·] swifter þan þe pecok
And of flesch by fele-folde · fatter and swetter
To lowe-lybbyng men · þe larke is resembled
¶ ArestotleT þe grete clerke [·] suche tales he telleth
TThus he lykneth in his logykT · þe leste foule oute
And where he be sauf or nouȝt saufT · þe sothe wote no clergye
Ne of sortes ne of salamon · no scripture can telle
Ac god is so good I hope · þat sitth he gaf hem wittis
To wissen vs weyes þere-with · þat wissenT vs to be saued
And þe better for her bokes · to bidden we ben holden
Þat god for his grace [·] gyue her soulesT reste
For lettred men were lewed menT ȝut · ne were lore of herT bokes
¶ Alle þise clerkes quod I þo · þat on cryst leuen
Seggen in her sarmones · þat noyther sarasenes ne iewes
Ne no creature of cristes lyknesse · with-outen crystendome worth saued
Contra quod ymagynatyf þo · and comsed for to loure
And seyde saluabitur vix iustus in die iudicij
T Ergo saluabitur quod he · and seyde namore latyne
Troianus was a trewe knyȝte · and toke neuere cristendome
And he isT sauf so seith þe boke · and his soule in heuene
[Ac]T þere is fullyng of fonte · and fullyng in blode shedyng
And þorugh fuire is fullyng · and þat is ferme bileue
Aduenit ignis diuinus non comburens sed illuminans &c ·
¶ Ac trewth þat trespassed neuere · ne transuersedT aȝeines his lawe
But lyue[d] as his lawe t[auȝte]T · and leueth þere be no bettere
And if þere were he wolde amende · and in suche wille deyeth
Ne wolde neuere trewe god · but [trewe]T treuth were allowed
And where it worth or worth nouȝtT · þe bileue is grete of treuth
And an hope hangyng þer-inne · to haue aT Mede for his treuth
For deus dicitur quasi dans vitam eternam · suis hoc est fidelibus
Et alibi si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis
Þe glose graunteth vpon þat vers · a gret mede to treuthe
And witt and wisdome quod þat wye · was somme-tyme tresore
To kepe with a comune · no katel was holde bettere
And moche murth and manhod · and riȝt withT þat he vanesched