Passus terciodecimus
And I awaked þere-with · witles nerehande
And as a freke þat f[e]reT were · forth gan I walke
In manere of a mendynaunt · manyT ȝere after
And of þis metyng many tymeT · moche þouȝt I hadde
First how fortune me failled · at my moste nede
And how þat elde manaced me · myȝt we euere meten
¶T And how þat freris folwed · folke þat was riche
And folke þat was pore · at litel prys þei sette
And no corps in her kirkeȝerde · ne in her kyrke was buryed
But quikke he biquethe hem auȝte · or shulde helpe quyte her dettes
And how þisT coueitise ouercome · clerkes and prestes
And how þat lewed men ben ladde · but owre lorde hem helpe
Þorugh vnkonnyng curatoures · to incurable peynes
T ¶ And how þat ymagynatyf · in dremeles me tolde
Of kynde and of his connyng · and how curteise he is to bestes
And how louynge he is to bestes · on londe and on water
Leneth he no lyf · lasse ne more
Þe creatures þat crepen · of kynde ben engendred
And sitthen how ymagynatif seyde [·] vix iustusT saluabitur
And whan he had seyde so · how sodeynelich he passed
¶ I lay down longe in þis þouȝte · and atte laste I slepte
And as cryste wolde þere come conscience · to conforte me þat tyme
And bad me come to his courte · with clergye sholde I dyne
¶T And for conscience of clergye spake · I come wel þe rather
And þere I say a maistre · what man he was I neste
Þat lowe louted · and loueliche to scripture
¶ Conscience knewe hym wel · and welcomed hym faire
Þei wesshen and wypeden · and wenten to þe dyner
TAc pacience in þe paleis [·] stode in pilgrymes clothes
And preyde mete forT charite · for a pore heremyte
¶ Conscience called hym in · and curteisliche seide
Welcome wy[e]T go and wasshe · þow shalt sitte sone
¶ Þis maister was made sitte · as for þe moste worthy
And þanne clergye and conscience · and pacience cam after
¶ Pacience and I [·] were put to be m[ett]esT
And seten by owre-selue [·] at a syde borde
¶ Conscience called after mete · and þanne cam scripture
And serued hemT þus sone · of sondry metes manye
Of austyn of ambrose · of alleT þe foure euangelistes
Edentes & bibentes · que apud eos sunt
Ac þis maister ne his man · no manere flessh eten
Ac þei eteT mete of more coste · mortrewes and potages
Of þat men mys-wonne · þei made hem wel at ese
Ac her sauce was ouer soure · & vnsauourely grounde
In a morter post mortem · of many bitter peyne
Vos qui peccata hominum comeditis nisi pro eis lacrimas & oraciones effunderitis · ea que in delicijs comeditis · in tormentis euometis
[¶]T Conscience ful curteisly þo · comaunded scripture
Bifor pacience bred to brynge · and me þat was his m[ett]eT
He sette a soure lof to-for vs · and seyde agite penitenciam
And sith he drough vs drynke · diaT perseuerans
As longe quod [he] as ly[f]T · and lycame may dure
Here is propre seruice quod pacience · þer fareth no prynce bettere
EtT quorum tecta sunt peccata [·] in a dissh
Of derne shrifte dixi [·] and confitebor tibi
Brynge pacience some pitaunce · pryueliche quod conscience
¶ And þanne had pacience a pitaunce [·] pro hac orabitT omnis sanctus in tempore oportuno
And conscience conforted vs · and carped vs mery tales
Cor contritum & humiliatum deus non despicies
¶T Pacience was proude [·] of þat propre seruice
And made hym muirth with his meteT · ac I morned euere
For þis doctoure on þeT heigh dese · dranke wyn so faste
Ve vobis qui potentes estis ad bibendum vinum
[And]T he eet many sondry metes · mortrewes and puddynges
Wombe cloutes and wylde braune · & egges y-fryed with grece
Þanne seide I to my-self so ·T pacience it herde
It is nouȝt foure dayes þat þis freke · bifor þe den of poulesT
Preched of penaunces · þat poule þe apostle suffred
In fame & frigore · and flappes of scourges
Ter cesus sum & a iudeis quinquies quadragenas &c ·
Þat poule in his pistel · to al þe peple tolde
Periculum estT in falsis fratribus
Holywrit bit men be war · I wil nouȝt write it here
OnT englisch an auenture · it sholde be reherced to ofte
And greue þere-with þat good men benT · ac gramarienes shul rede
Vnusquisque a fratre se custodiat [·]T quia vt dicitur periculum est in falsis fratribus
Taken it for herT teme · and telle it with-outen glosynge
ÞeiT prechen þat penaunce is · profitable to þe soule
And what myschief and malese · cryst for man tholed
Ac þis goddes gloton quod I · with his gret chekes
Hath no pyte on vs pore · he perforneth yuel
And wisshed witterly · with wille ful egre
Were moltoun led in his maw · and Mahoun amyddes
I shal iangle to þis Iurdan · with his iustT-wombe
To telle me what penaunce is · of which he preched ratherT
Pacience parceyued what I thouȝt · and [preynte]T on me to be stille
And seyde þow shalt se þus sone · whan he may no more
He shal haue a penaunce in his paunche · and puffe at ech a worde
And þanne shullen his guttis godeleT · and he shal galpen after
For now he hath dronken so depe · he wil deuyne sone
And preuen it by herT pocalips · and passioun of seynt Auereys
Þat neither bacoun ne braune · blanmangereT ne mortrewes
Is noither fisshe no flesshe · but fode for penaunte[s]T
And þanne shal he testifye of a trinitee · and take his felawe to witnesse
What he fonde in a freyel · after a freres lyuyng
And but if þe fyrst lyneT be lesyng · leue me neuere after
And þanne is tyme to takeT · and to appose þis doctoure
Of dowel and ofT dobet · and if dobest be any penaunce
¶ And I sete stille as pacience seyde · and þus sone þis doctour
As rody as a rose · rubbedT his chekes
Coughed and carped · and conscience hym herde
And tolde hym of a trinite · and toward vs he loked
¶ What is dowel sire doctour quod I · is do[best]T any penaunce
¶ Dowel quod þis doctour · and [dranke after]T
Do non yuel to þine euenecrystene · nouȝt by þi powere
¶ By þis day sire doctour quod I [·] þanne be ȝe nouȝt in dowel
For ȝe han harmed vs two · in þat ȝe eten þe puddyng
Mortrewes and other mete · and we no mussel hade
AndT ȝe fare so in ȝowre fermorie · ferly me þinketh
But chest be þere charite shulde be · & ȝongeT childern dorste pleyne
I wolde permute my penaunce with ȝowre · for I am in poynte to dowel
And preynte vpon pacience · to preie me toT be stille
And seyde hym-self sire doctour · and it be ȝowre wille
What is dowel and dobet · ȝe deuynours knoweth
And dobet is he þat techeth · and trauailleth to teche other
And dobest doth hym-self so · as he seith & precheth
Qui facit et docuerit magnus vocabitur in regno celorum
¶ Now þow clergye quod conscience [·] carpest what is dowel
I haue seueneT sones he seyde · seruen in a castel
Þere þe lorde of lyf wonyeth · to leren hymT what is dowel
¶ Til I se þo seuene · and my-self acorden
I am vnhardy quod he · to any wyȝt toT preue it
For one pieres þe ploughman [·] hath inpugned vs alle
And sette alle sciences at a soppe · saue loue one
And no tixte ne taketh [·] to meyntene his causeT
But dilige deum · and domine quis habitabit &c
And seith þat dowel and dobet [·] aren two infinites
Whiche infinites with a feith [·] fynden oute dobest
Which shal saue mannes soule · þus seith piers þe ploughman
¶ I can nouȝt her-on quod conscience · ac I knowe wel pieres
He wil nouȝt aȝein holy writ speken · I dar wel vndertake
Þanne passe we ouer til piers come · and preue þis in dede
Pacience hath be in many place · and par-auntre cnowethT
Þat no clerke neT can · as cryst bereth witnesse
Pacientes vincunt &c
A[t]T ȝowre preyere quod pacyence þo · so no man displese hym
Disce quod he doce · dilige inimicos
Disce and dowel · doce & dobet
Dilige and dobest · þus tauȝte me ones
A lemman þat I loued · loue was hir name
With wordes and with werkes quod she · and wille of þyne herte
Þow loue lelly þi soule [·] al þi lyf-tyme
And so þow lere þeT to louye · for þe lordes loue of heuene
Þine enemye in al wyse · euene-forth with þi-selue
Cast coles on his hed · [of]T al kynde speche
Bothe with werkes and with wordes [·] fonde his loue to wynne
And lay on hym þus with loue · til he laghe on þe
And but he bowe for þis betyng [·] blynde mote he worthe
¶ Ac for to fare þus with þi frende · foly it were
Kynde loue coueiteth nouȝte · no catel but speche
With half a laumpe lyne in latyne · ex vi transicionis
¶ I bere þere-inne aboute · fast ybounde dowel
In a signe of þe saterday · þat sette firste þe kalendare
And al þe witte of þe wednesday · of þe nexte wyke after
Þe myddel of þe mone [·] is þe miȝteT of bothe
And here-with am I welcome · þere I haue it with me
For bi hym þat me made · miȝte neuere pouerte
Miseise ne myschief [·] ne man with his tonge
Colde ne care [·] ne compaignye of theues
Ne noither hete ne haille · ne non helle pouke
Ne noither fuire ne flode · ne fere of þine enemy
Tene þe eny tyme · and þow take it with þe
Caritas nichil timet
T [And eke haue god my soule · and þow wilt it craue
Þere nys neither emperour ne emperesse · erl kynge ne baroun
Pope ne patriarch [·] þat pure reson ne shal make
ÞeT maister of alle þo men · þorugh miȝt of þis redeles
Nouȝt þorugh wicche-crafte but þorugh wit · & þow wilt þi-selue
Do kynge and quene · and alle þe comune after
Ȝyue þe alle þat þei may ȝiue · as þe forT best ȝemere
And as þou demest wil þei do · alle here dayes after
Pacientes vincunt &c ·]
[¶]T It is but a dido quod þis doctour · a dysoures tale
Al þe witt of þis worlde · andT wiȝte mennes strengthe
Can nouȝt confourmen a pees · bytwene þe pope and his enemys
Ne bitwene two cristene kynges · can no wiȝte pees make
Profitable to ayther peple · and put þe table fro hym
And toke clergye and conscience · to conseille as it were
Þat pacience þoT moste passe · for pilgrimes kunne wel lye
¶ Ac conscience carped loude [·] and curteislich seide
Frendes fareth wel · and faire spake to clergye
For I wil go with þis gome · if god wil ȝiueT me grace
And be pilgryme with pacience · til I haue proued more
¶ What quod clergye to conscience · ar ȝe coueitouse nouthe
After ȝeresȝyues or ȝiftes · or ȝernen to rede redeles
I shal brynge ȝow a bible · a boke of þe olde lawe
And lere ȝow if ȝow lykeT · þe leest poynte to knowe
Þat pacience þe pilgryme · parfitly knewe neuere
¶ Nay bi cryste quod conscience to clergye [·] god þe forȝelde
For al þat pacience me profreth · proude am I litel
Ac þe wille of þe wye · and þe wille folkeT here
Hath moeued my mode · to mourne for my synnes
Þe good wille of aT wiȝte · was neure bouȝte to þe fulle
For þere nysT no tresore þerto · to a trewe wille
¶ Haued nouȝt [Marie]T Magdeleigne more · for a boxe of salue
Þan zacheus for he seide · dimidium bonorum meorum do pauperibus
And þe pore widwe [·] for a peire of mytes
Þan alle þo that offreden · in-to gazafilacium
¶ Þus curteislich conscience · congeyde fyrstT þe Frere
And sithen softliche he seyde · in clergyes ere
Me were leuer by owre lorde · and I lyue shulde
Haue pacience parfitlich · þan half þi pakke of bokes
¶ Clergye toT conscience · no congeye wolde take
But seide ful sobreliche · þow shalt se þe tyme
Whan þow art wery for-walked · wilne me to consaille
¶ Þat is soth seydeT conscience · so me god helpe
If pacience be owre partyng felawe · and pryue with vs bothe
There nys wo in þis worlde · þat we ne shulde amende
And confourmen Kynges to pees · andT al-kynnes londes ·
Sarasenes and surre · and so forth alle þe iewes
Turne in-to þe trewe feith · and in-til one byleue
¶ Þat is soth quod clergye · I se what þow menest
I shal dwelle as I do · my deuore to shewen
And confermenT fauntekynes · and other folke ylered
Tyl pacience haue preued þe · and parfite þe maked
¶ Conscience þo with pacience passed · pilgrymes as it were
Þanne had pacience as pylgrymes han · in his poke vittailles
Sobrete and symple speche · and sothfaste byleue
To conforte hym and conscience · if þey come in place
Þere vnkyndenesse and coueytise is · hungrye contrees bothe
Þei mette with a mynstral · as me þo þouȝte
Pacience apposed hym fyrste · and preyed hymT he sholde hem telle
To conscience what crafte he couthe · an to what contree he wolde
¶ I am a mynstral quod þat man · my name is actiua vita
Alle ydel ich hatye · for of actyf is my name
A wafrere wil ȝe wite · and serue many lordes
And fewe robes I fonge · or furred gounes
Couthe I lye [and]T do men laughe · þanne lacchen I shulde
Other mantel or money [·] amonges lordes mynstralles
Ac for I can noither tabre ne trompe · ne telle none gestes
Farten ne fythelen [·] at festes ne harpen
Iape ne ioglyT · ne gentlych pype
Ne noyther sailly ne saute · ne synge with þe gyterne
I haue none gode gyftes · of þise grete lordes
For no bred þat I bryngeT forth · saue a beneson on þe sonday
Whan þe prest preyeth þe peple · her pater noster to bidde
For peres þe plowman · and þat hym profite wayten
And þat am IT actyf · þat ydelnesse hatye
For alle trewe trauaillours · and tilieres of þe erthe
Fro mychelmesse to mychelmesse · I fynde hem with wafresT
¶ Beggeres and bidderes · of my bred crauen
Faitoures and freres · and folke with brode crounes
I fynde payne for þe pope · and prouendre for his palfrey
And I hadde neuere of hym · haue god my treuthe
Noither prouendre ne parsonage · ȝut of the popis ȝifte
Saue a pardoun with a peys of led · and two pollis amyddeT
Hadde icheT a clerke þat couthe write · I wolde caste hym a bille
Þat he sent me vnder his seel · a salue for þe pestilence
AndT þat his blessyng & his bulles · bocches miȝte destroye
In nomine meo demonia eici[e]ntT & super egros manus imponent & bene habebunt
And þanne wolde I be prest to [þe]T peple · paste for to make
And buxome and busy [·] aboute bred and drynke
For hym and for alle his · fonde I þat his pardoun
Miȝte lechen a man · as I bileue it shulde
For sith he hath þe powere · þat peter hym-self hadde
He hath þe potte with þe salue · sothly as me þinketh
Argentum & aurum non est michi quod autem habeo tibiT do in nomine domini surge & ambula
¶ Ac if miȝte of miracle hym faille · it is for men ben nouȝt worthy
To haue þeT grace of god · & no gylte of þe pope
ForT may no blyssyng done vs bote · but if we wil amende
Ne mannes masse make pees · amonges cristene peple
¶ For ar I haue bred of mele · ofte mote I swete
And ar þe comune haue corne ynough · many a colde mornyng
So ar my wafres ben ywrouȝt · moche wo I tholye
¶ Alle Londoun I leue · liketh wel my wafres
And lowren whan þei lakken itT · it is nouȝt longe ypassed
Þere was a carful comune · whan no carte come to toune
With [bake]T bred fro stretforth · þo gan beggeres wepe
And werkmen were agaste a litel · þis wil be þouȝte longe
In þe date of owre dryȝte · in a drye apprile
A þousande and thre hondreth · tweis [twenty]T & ten
My wafres þere were gesen · whan chichestre was Maire
¶ I toke godeT kepe by cryst · and conscience bothe
Of haukyn þe actyf man · and how he was yclothed
He hadde a cote of crystendome · as holykirke bileueth
Ac it was moled in many places · with many sondri plottes
Of pruyde here a plotte and þere a plotte [·]T of vnboxome speche
Of scornyng and of scoffyng · and of vnskilful berynge
As in aparaille and in porte · proude amonges þe peple
Otherwyse þan he hath · with herte orT syȝte shewynge
Hym wil[n]yngeT þat alle men wende · he were þat he is nouȝte
For-why he bosteth and braggeth · with many bolde othes
And in-obedient to ben vndernome · of any lyf lyuyng
And so syngulere by hym-self · as to syȝte of þe poepleT
Was none suche as hym-self · ne none so po[p]e-holyT
Yhabited as an hermyte · an ordre by hym-selue
Religioun sanz reule · and resonable obedience
Lakkyng lettred men · and lewed men bothe
In lykyng of lele lyf · and a lyer in soule
With Inwit and withT outwitt · ymagenen and studye
As best for his body be · to haue a b[ol]deT name
And entermeten hym ouer al · þer he hath nouȝt to done
Wilnyng þat men wende · his witte were þe best
T [Or for his crafty kunnynge · or of clerkes þe wisest
Or strengest on stede · or styuest vnderT gerdel
And louelokest to loken on · and lelest of werkes
And non so holy as he · ne of lif clennere
Or fairest of feytures · of forme and of shafte
And most sotyl of songe · other sleyest of hondes
And large to lene · loosT þere-by to cacche]
And if he gyueth ouȝte poreT gomes · telle what he deleth
Pore of possessioun [·] in purse and in coffreT
And as a lyon onT to loke · and lordeliche of speche
¶ Baldest of beggeres [·] a bostour þat nouȝt hath
In towne and in tauernes · tales to telle
And segge þinge þat he neuere seigh · and for soth sweren it
Of dedes þat he neuere dyd · demen and bosten
And of werkes þat he wel dyd · witnesse and seggen
Lo if ȝe leue me nouȝt · or þat I lye wenen
Axeth at hym or at hym · and he ȝow can telle
What I suffred and seighe · and some-tymes hadde
And what I couth and knewe · and what kynne I come of
Al he wolde þat men wiste [·] of werkes and ofT wordes
Which myȝte plese þe peple · and praysen hym-seluen
Si hominibus placerem cristi seruus non essem
Et alibi nemo potest duobus dominis seruire
¶ Bi criste quod conscience þo · þi best cote haukyn
Hath many moles and spottes · it moste ben ywassh
¶ Ȝe who-so toke hede quod haukyn · byhynde and bifore
What on bakke and what onT body half · & by þe two sydes
Men sholde fynde many frounces · and many foule plottes
[¶]T And he torned hym as tyte · and þanne toke I hede
It was fouler by felefolde · þan it firste semed
It was bidropped with wratthe · and wikked wille
With enuye and yuel speche [·] entysyng to fyȝte
Al þat he wist wykked · by any wiȝte tellen it
And blame men bihynde her bakke · and bydden hem meschaunce
And þat he wist bi wille · tellen it watteT
And þat watte wiste · wille wiste it after
And made of frendes foes · þorugh a false tonge
Or with myȝte of mouthe [·] or þorugh mannes strengthe
Auenge[d]T me fele tymes · other frete my-selue
Wyth-inne as a shepster shere · I shrewedT men & cursed
Cuius maledictione os plenum est & amaritudine sub lingua eius labor & dolor
& alibi filij hominum dentes eorum arma & sagitte & lingua eorum gladius acutus
For tales þat I telle · no man trusteth to me
And whan I may nouȝt haue þe maistrye · [swich]T malencolye I take
Þat I cacche þe crompe · þe cardiacle some-tyme
Or an ague in suche an angre · and some-tyme a feure
Þat taketh me al a twelf-moneth · tyl þat I dispyse
Lechecrafte orT owre lorde · and leue on a wicche
And segge þat no clerke ne can · ne cryste as I leue
To þe souter of southwerke · or of shordyche dame emme
And segge þat no goddes worde · gaf me neuere bote
But þorw a charme had I chaunce · & my chief hele
¶ I wayted wisloker · and þanne was itT soiled
For vche a mayde þat he mette · he made hir a signe
Semynge to synne-ward · and some-tyme he gan tasteT
Aboute þe mouth or bynethe · bygynneth to grope
Tyl eytheres wille waxeth kene · and to þe werke ȝeden
As welT fastyng-days & frydayes · and forboden nyȝtes
And as [lef]T in lente as oute of lente · alle tymes ylyche
Suche werkes with hem · wasT neuere oute of sesoun
Tyl þei myȝte namore · and þanne had merye tales
And how þat lechoures louyen · lauȝen an iapen
And of herT harlotrye and horedome · in her elde tellen
¶ Thanne pacience parceyued [·] of poyntes hisT cote
Was colmy þorw coueityse · and v[n]kynde desyrynge
More to good þan to god · þe gome his loue caste
And ymagyned how · he it myȝte haue
With false mesures and mette · and with false witnesse
Lened for loue of þe wedde · and loth to do treuthe
And awaited þorwgh whi[ttes] [·] wey[es]T to bigile
And menged his marchaundyse · and made a gode moustre
Þe worste with-in was · a gret witte I lete hit
And if my neighbore had anT hyne · or any beste elles
More profitable þan myne · many sleightes I made
How I myȝte haue it · al my witte I caste
And but I itT had by other waye · atte laste I stale it
Or pryuiliche his purse shoke · vnpiked his lokkes
Or by nyȝt or by day · aboute was ich euere
Þorwgh gyle to gadren [·] þe good þat ich haue
¶ Ȝif I ȝede to þe plow · I pynched so narwe
Þat a fote londe or a forwe · fecchen I wolde
Of my nexte neighbore · nymen of his ertheT
ToT seise to me with her sykel · þat I ne sewe neure
¶ And who-so borweth of me · abouteT þe tyme
With presentes priueliche · or payed somme certeyne
So walde he or nouȝt wolde heT · wynnen I wolde
And bothe to kyth and to kyn · vnkynde of þat ich hadde
¶ And who-so cheped my chaffare · chiden I wolde
But he profredT to paye · a peny or tweyne
More þan it was worth · and ȝet wolde I swere
Þat it coste meT moche more · swore manye othes
¶ In halydayes at holicherche · whan ich herde masse
Hadde [I]T neuere wille wot god · witterly to biseche
Mercye for my mysdedes · þat I ne morned more
For losse of gode leue me · þan for lykamesT giltes
As if I had dedly synne done · I dred nouȝt þat so sore
As when I lened and leued it lost · or longe ar it were payed
So if I kydde any kyndenesse · myn euen-cristene to helpe
Vpon a cruel coueityse · my [conscience]T gan hange
And if I sent ouer-see · my seruauntz to Bruges
Or in-to Pruslonde my prentys · my profit to wayten
To marchaunden with monoye · and maken her eschaungesT
Miȝte neuere me conforte · in þe mene-tymeT
Noither messe ne matynes · ne none manere siȝtes
Ne neuere penaunce perfourned · ne pater noster seyde
Þat my mynde ne was more · on my gode in a doute
Þan in þe grace of god · and his grete helpes
Vbi thesaurus tuus · ibi & cor tuum
And foule beflobered it · as with fals speche
As þere no nede ne was · godes name an ydel
Swore þere-by swithe ofte · and al byswatte his cote
And more mete ete and dronke · þen kynde miȝt defie
And cauȝte sekenesse sum-tyme · for my [surfai]tesT ofte
And þanne I dradde to deye · in dedlich synne
Þat in-to wanhope he w[or]theT · and wende nauȝt to be saued
Þe whiche is sleuthe so slow · þat may no sleightes helpe it
Ne no mercy amenden · þe man þat so deyeth]
¶ [Ac]T which ben þe braunches · þat bryngeth a man to sleuth
His womanT morneth nouȝte for his mysdedes · ne maketh no sorwe
AcT penaunce þat þe prest enioigneth · perfourneth yuel
Doth none almes-dede · dret hym of no synne
Lyueth aȝein þe bileue · and no lawe holdeth
Vch day is haliday with hym · or an heigh ferye
And if he auȝte wole here · it is an harlotes tonge
He wexeth wroth & wil nouȝte here · but wordes of myrthe
Penaunce andT pore men · and þe passioun of seyntes
He hateth to here þere-of · and alle þat it telleth
Þise ben þe braunches beth war · þat bryngeth a man to wanhope
Ȝe lordes and ladyes · and legates of holicherche
Þat fedeth fol[e]-sagesT · flatereres and lyeres
And han likynge to lythen hem · to do ȝow toT lawghe
Ve vobis qui ridetis &c
And ȝiueth hem mete and Mede · and pore men refuse
In ȝowre deth-deyinge · I drede me soreT
Lest þo thre maner men · to moche sorwe ȝow brynge
Consencientes & agentes pari pena punienturT
TPatriarkes & prophetes · and prechoures of goddes wordes
Sauen þorw her sarmounT · mannes soule fram helle
Riȝt so flateresT and foles · aren þe fendes disciples
To entice men þorw her tales [·] to synne and harlotrye
Ac clerkes þat knowen holywryt · shulde kenne lordes
What dauid seith of suche men · as þe sauter telleth
Non habitabit in medio domus mee · qui facit superbiam quiT loquitur iniqua
Shulde none harlote haue audience · in halle ne in chambresT
Þere wise men were · witnesseth goddes wordes
Ne no mysproude man · amonges lordes ben allowed
T [¶ Clerkes and kniȝtes · welcometh kynges mynstralles
And for loue of [her]T lorde · litheth hem at festes
Muche more me thinketh · riche men shulde
Haue beggeres byfore hem · þe whiche ben goddes mynstralles
As he seyth hym-self · seynt Iohan bereth witnesse
Qui vos spernit me spernit
For-thi I rede ȝow riche · atT reueles whan ȝe maketh
For to solace ȝoure soules · suche minstralles to haue
Þe pore for a fol-sage · syttynge at þeT table
And a lered man to lere þe · what oure lorde suffred
For to saue þi soule · fram sathan þin enemy
And fithel þe with-out flaterynge · of gode friday þe storyeT
And a blynd man for a bourdeoure · or a bedrede womman
To crie a largesse by-for oure lorde · ȝoure gode loos to shewe
Þise thre maner mynstralles · maketh a man to laughe
And in his deth-deyinge · þei don hym grete conforte
Þat bi his lyue lythedT hem · and loued hem to here
Þise solaseth þe soule · til hym-selue be falle
In a welhopeT · amonges worthi seyntes]
[Þere]T flateres and foles [·] þorw her foule wordes
Leden þo þat loue[d]T hem · to luciferes feste
With turpiloquio a lay of sorwe · and luciferes fithele
Thus haukyn þe actyf man · hadde ysoiled his cote
Til conscience acouped hym þere-of · in a curteise manere
Whi he ne hadde wasshen it · or wyped it with a brusshe