Passus quartus decimus
I Haue but oneT hatere quod haukyn · I am þe lasse to blame
Þough it be soiled and selde clene · I slepe þere-inne on niȝtes
And also I haue an houswyf · hewen and children
Vxorem duxy & ideo non possum venire
Þat wolen bymolen it many tymeT · maugre my chekes
¶ It hath ben laued in lente · and oute of lente bothe
With þe sope of sykenesse · þat seketh wonder depe
And with þe losse of catel · loth forto agulte
God or any gode man · bi auȝte þat I wisteT
And was shryuen of þe preste · þat gaue me for my synnes
To penaunce pacyence · and pore men to fede
Al for coueitise of my crystenedome · in clennesse to kepen it
¶ And couthe I neuereT by cryste · kepen it clene an houre
Þat I ne soiled it with syȝte · or sum ydel speche
Or þorugh werke or þorugh wordeT · or wille of myn herte
Þat I ne flober it foule · fro morwe tyl eue
¶ And I shal kenne þe quod conscience · of contricioun to make
Þat shal clawe þi cote · of alkynnes filthe
Cordis contricio &c
Dowel wasshenT it and wryngen it · þorw a wys confessour
Oris confessio &c
Dobet shal beten it and bouken it · as briȝte as any scarlet
And engreynen it with good wille · and goddes grace to amende þe
And sithen sende þe to satisfaccioun · for to so[nn]enT it after
Satisfaccio dobestT
Ne fende ne false man [·] defoulen it in þi lyue
Shal none heraude ne harpoure · haue a fairere garnement
Þan haukyn þe actyf man · and þow do by my techyng
Ne no mynstral be more worth · amonges pore & riche
Þan Haukynnes wyf þe wafrere · w[hic]h isT actiua vita
¶ And I shal purueye þe paste quod pacyence · þoughT no plow erie
And floure to fede folke with · as best be for þe soule
Þough neuere greyne growed · ne grape vppon vyne
AlleT þat lyueth and loketh · lyflode wolde I fynde
And þat ynough shal none faille · of þinge þat hem nedeth
We shulde nouȝt be to busy · abouten owre lyflode
Ne solliciti sitis &c [·] volucres celi deus pascit &c [·] pacientes vincunt &cT
¶ Þanne laughed haukyn a litel · and liȝtly gan swerye
Who-so leueth ȝowT by owre lorde · I leue nouȝte he be blissed
¶ No quod pacyence paciently · and out of his poke hente
Vitailles of grete vertues · for al manere bestes
And seyde lo here lyflode ynough · if owre byleue be trewe
For lente neuere was [þere]T lyf · but lyflode were shapen
Wher-of or wherfore · [and]T where-by to lybbe
¶ Firste þe wylde worme · vnder weet erthe
Fissch to lyue in þe flode · and in þe fyre þe crykat
Þe corlue by kynde of þe eyre · moste clennest flesch of bryddes
And bestes by grasse and by greyne · and by grene rotis
In menynge þat alle men · myȝteT þe same
Lyue þorw lele byleue and loue · as god witnesseth
Quodcumque pecieritisT in nomine meo &c & alibi
Non in solo pane viuit homo set in omni verbo quod procedit de ore dei
¶ But I loked what lyflode itT was · þat pacience so preysed
And þanne wasT a pece of þe pater noster · fiat voluntas tua
¶ Haue haukyn quod pacyence · and ete þis whan þe hungreth
Or whan þow clomsest for colde · or clyngest for dr[outh]eT
Prisone ne peyne · for pacientes vincunt
TBi so þat þow be sobre · of syȝte and of tonge
In etynge and in handlyng · and in alle þi fyue wittis
Darstow neuere care for corne · ne lynnen cloth ne wollen
Ne for drynke ne deth drede · but deye as god lyketh
Or þorw honger or þorw hete · at his wille be it
For if þow lyuest after his lore · þe sho[r]ter lyf þe betterT
Si quis amat cristum mundum non diligit istum
¶ For þorw his breth bestes wexenT · and abrode ȝeden
Dixit & facta sunt &c ·
Ergo þorw his breth mowen · men & bestes lyuen
As holywrit witnesseth · whan men segge her gracesT
Aperis tu manum tuam · & imples omne animal benediccione
¶ It is founden þat fourty wynter · folke lyued with-outen tulying
And oute of þe flynte spronge þe flode · þat folke & bestes dronke
And in Elyes tyme · heuene was yclosed
Þat many wynt[er]T men lyueden · and no mete ne tulyeden
[¶]T Seuene slepe as seith þe boke · seuene hundreth wynter
And lyueden with-oute lyflode · and atte laste þei woken
And if men lyued as mesure wolde · shulde neuere-moreT be defaute
Amonges cristene creatures · if crystes wordes ben trewe
Ac vnkyndnesse carestia maketh · amonges crystene peple
And ouer-plente maketh pruyde · amonges pore & riche
Ac mesure is so moche worth · it may nouȝte be to dere
For þe meschief and þe meschaunce · amonges men of sodome
Wex þorw plente of payn · & of pure sleuthe
Ociositas & habundancia panis peccatum turpissimum nutriuitT
For þei mesured nouȝt hem-self · of þat þei ete and dronke
Diden dedly synne [·] þat þe deuel lyked
So vengeaunce fel vpon hem · for her vyle synnes
Þei sonken in-to helle · þoT citees vchone
¶ For-þi mesure we vs wel · and make owre faithe owre scheltroun
And þorw faith cometh contricioun · conscience wote wel
Whiche dryueth awey dedly synne · and doth it to be venial
And þough a man myȝte nouȝte speke · contricioun myȝte hym saue
And brynge his soule to blisse · byT so þat feith bere witnesse
Þat whiles he lyued he bileued · in þe lore of holycherche
Ergo contricioun feith and conscience · is kyndelich dowel
And surgienes for dedly synnesT · whan shrifte of mouth failleth
¶ Ac shrifte of mouth more worthy is · if man be i[n]licheT contrit
For shrifte of mouth sleeth synne · be it neuere so dedly
Per confessionem to a prest · peccata occiduntur
Þere contricioun doth but dryueth it doun · in-to a venial synne
As dauid seith in þe sauter · et quorum tecta sunt peccata
Ac satisfaccioun seketh oute þe rote · and bothe sleeth and voideth
And as it neuere had ybe · to nouȝt bryngeth dedly synne
Þat it neuere eft is seen ne sore · but semeth a wounde yheled
¶ [Ȝe]T where woneth charite quod haukyn · I wiste neuere in my lyue
Man þat with hym spake · as wyde as I haue passed
¶T Þere parfit treuthe and pouere herte is · and pacience of tonge
Þere is charitee þe chief chaumbrereT [·] for god hym-selue
Þan ricchesse riȝtfulliche ywonne · and resonablelich yspendedT
¶ Ȝe quis est ille quod pacience · quik laudabimus eum
Þough men rede of richchesse · riȝt to þe worldes ende
I wist neuere renke þat riche was · þat whan he rekne sholde
Whan itT drow to his deth-day · þat he ne dred hym sore
And þatT atte rekenyng in arrerage fel · rather þan oute of dette
¶ There þe pore dar plede · and preue by pure resoun
To haue allowaunce of his lorde · by þe lawe he it cleymeth
Ioye þat neuere ioye hadde · of riȝtful iugge he axeth
And seith lo briddes and bestes · þat no blisse ne knoweth
And wilde wormes in wodes · þorw wyntres þow hem greuest
And makest hem welnyegh meke · and mylde for defaute
And after þow sendest hem somer · þat is her souereigne Ioye
And blisse to alle þat ben · bothe wilde and tame
Þanne may beggeres asT bestes · after bote waiten
Þat al her lyf han lyued · in langour and in defaute
But god sent hem some-tyme · some manere ioye
Other here or elles-where · kynde wolde it neuere
For to wrotherhele was he wrouȝte · þat neuere was ioyeT shaped
¶ Angeles þat in helle now ben · hadden ioye some-tyme
And diues in deyntees lyued · and in douce vye
And her makes also · lyued her lyf in murthe
¶ Ac god is of a wonder wille · by þat kynde witte sheweth
To ȝiue many men his mercymonye · ar he it haue deserued
Riȝt so fareth god by some riche · reuthe me it þinketh
For þei han her hyre here · anT heuene as it were
And isT gret lykyng to lyue · with-oute laboure of body
And whan he deyeth ben disalowed · as dauid seith in þe sauter
Dormierunt & nichil inuenerunt
And in an other stede also · velud sompnum surgencium domine in ciuitate tua & adT nichilum rediges
Allas þat ricchesse shal reue · and robbe mannes soule
Fram þe loue of owre lorde · at his laste ende
¶ Hewen þat han her hyre aforeT · aren euermore nedy
And til he haue done his deuor · and his dayes iourne
For whan a werkman hath wrouȝte · þanne may men se þe sothe
What he were worthi for his werke · and what he hath deserued
And nouȝt to fonge bifore · for drede of disalowynge
¶ So I segge by ȝow riche · it semeth nouȝtT þat ȝe shulle
Riȝt as a seruaunt taketh his salarye bifore · & sitth wolde clayme moreT
As he þat none hadde · and hath huyreT atte laste
It may nouȝt be ȝe riche men · or matheu on god lyeth
De delicijs ad delicias · deficile est transireT
And lyuen as lawe techeth · done leute to alleT
Criste of his curteysie · shal conforte ȝow atte laste
And rewarde alle dowble ricchesse · þat reuful hertes habbeth
And as an hyne þat hadde · his hyre ar he bygonne
And whan he hath done his deuor wel · men doth hym other bounte
Ȝyueth hym a cote aboue his couenaunte · riȝte so cryst ȝiueth heuene
Bothe to riche and to nouȝte riche · þat rewfullichT lybbeth
And alle þat done her deuor wel · han dowble hyre for her trauaille
Here forȝyuenesse of her synnes · and heuene blisse after
Þat god rewarded double reste · to any riche wye
For moche murthe is amonges riche · as in mete and clothyng
And moche murthe in Maye is · amonges wilde bestes
And so forth whil somer lasteth · her solace dureth
And ȝit is wynter for hem worse · for wete-shodde þei gange
Afyrst sore and afyngred · and foule yrebuked
And arated of riche men · þat reuthe is to here
Now lorde sende hem somer · and some manere ioye
Heuene after her hennes-goynge · þat here han suche defaute
For alle myȝtest þow haue made · none mener þan other
And yliche witty & wyse · if þe welT hadde lyked
Of þe good þat þow hem gyuest · ingrati ben manye
Ac god of þi goodnesse · gyue hem grace to amende
For may no derth ben hem dere · drouth ne weet
Ne noyther hete ne haille · haue þei here hele
Of þat þei wilne and wolde · wanteth hem nouȝt here
¶ Ac pore peple þi prisoneres · lordeT in þe put of myschief
Conforte þo creatures · þat moche care suffren
Þorw derth þorw drouth · alle her dayes here
Wo in wynter tymesT · for wantyng of clothes
And in somer tyme selde · soupen to þe fulle
Conforte þi careful [·] cryst in þi rycheT
For how þow confortest alle creatures · clerkes bereth witnesse
Conuertimini ad me & salui eritis
¶ Þus in genere of his genitriceT · Ihesu cryst seyde
To robberes and to reueres · to riche and to pore
[To hores to harlotes . to alle maner poeple]T
Þow tauȝtest hem in þe Trinitee · to take baptesme
And be clene þorw þat crystennynge · of alle kynnes [synnes]T
AndT vs fel þorw folye · to falle in synne after
Confessioun and kne[w]lechyngT [·] & crauyng þi mercy
Shulde amende vs as many sithes · as man wolde desire
HeT shulde take þe acquitance as quik · and to þe qued schewe it
Pateat &c per passionem domini
And putten of so þe pouke · and preuen vs vnder borwe
Ac þe perchemyn of þis patent · of pouerte be moste
And of pure pacience · and parfit bileue
TOf pompe and of pruyde · þe parchemyn decorreth
And principaliche of alle peple · but þei be pore of herte
Ellis is al an ydel · al þat euere we writen
Elles is al owre laboure loste · lo how men writeth
In fenestres atte freres · if fals be þe foundement
For-þi crystene sholde ben in comune riche · none coueitouse for hym-selue
¶ For seuene synnes þatT þere ben · assaillen vs euere
Þe fende folweth hem alle · and fondeth hem to helpe
Ac wiþ ricchesse þ[o] ribaude[s]T · rathest men bigyleth
For þere þat richesse regneth · reuerence[s]T folweth
And þat is plesaunte to pryde · in pore and in riche
AndT þe riche is reuerenced · by resoun of his richchesse
Þere þe pore is put bihynde [·] and par-auenture can more
Of witte and of wysdom · þat fer [w]eyT is better
Þan ricchesse or reaute · and rather yherde in heuene
For þe riche hath moche to rekene · and riȝte softeT walketh
Ita possibileT diuiti &c
Opera enim illorum sequntur illos
Batauntliche as beggeres done · and baldeliche he craueth
For his pouerte and hisT pacience · a perpetuel blisse
Beati pauperes · quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum
¶ AndT pryde in ricchesse regneth · rather þan in pouerte
Ac in pouerte þere pacyence is · pryde hath no myȝte
Ne none of þe seuene synnes · sitten ne mowe þere longe
Ne haue powere in pouerte · if pacyence it folwe
For þe pore is ay prest · to plese þe riche
And buxome at his byddyng · for his broke loues
And buxomenesse and boste · aren euer-more at werre
And ayther hateth other · in alle manere werkes
TIf wratthe wrastel with þe pore · he hath þe worse ende
For if þey bothe pleyne · þe pore is but fieble
And if he chyde or chatre · hym chieueth þe worse
T [For lowelich he loketh · and loueliche is his speche
Þat mete or money · of other men mote asken
TAnd if glotonye greue pouerte · he gadereth þe lasse
For his rentes wolT nauȝte reche · no riche metes to bugge
And þouȝ his glotonye be to gode ale · he goth to cold beddynge
And his heued vnhiled · vnesily ywrye
For whan he streyneth hym to strecche · þe strawe is his shetesT
So for his glotonye and his grete sleuthe · he hath a greuous penaunce
Þat is welawo whan he waketh · and wepeth for colde
And sum-tyme for his synnes · so he is neuere merye
Withoute mornynge amonge · and mischiefT to bote]
And by þe nekke namely · her none may hente other
For men knoweth wel þat coueitise · is of a kene wille
And hath hondes and armes · of a longe lengthe
And pouerte nis but a petit þinge · appereth nouȝt to his naule
And louely layke was it neuere · bitwene þe longe and þe shorte
And þough auarice wolde angre þe pore · he hath but litel myȝte
For pouerte hath but pokes · to putten in his godis
Þere auarice hath almaries · and yren-bounde coffres
And whether be liȝter to breke · lasse boste itT maketh
A beggeres bagge · þan an yren-bounde coffre
¶ Lecherye loueth hym nouȝt · for he ȝeueth but lytel syluer
Ne doth hym nouȝte dyne delycatly · ne drynke wyn oft
T A strawe for þe stuwes · it stode nouȝt I trowe
¶ And þough sleuthe suwe pouerte · and serue nouȝt god to paye
Mischief is his maister · and maketh hym to thynke
Þat god is hisT grettest helpe · and no gome elles
And [he is]T seruaunt as he seith · and of his sute bothe
And whereT he be or be nouȝte · he bereth þe signe of pouerte
And in þat secte owre saueoure · saued al mankynde
After her endynge here · heuene-riche blisse
¶ Moche hardier may he axen · þat here myȝte haue his wille
In londeT and in lordship · and likynge of bodye
And for goddis loue leueth al · an lyueth as a beggere
And as a mayde for [a]T mannes loue · her moder forsaketh
Hir fader and alle her frendes · and folweth hir make
More þan a mayden is · þat is maried þorw brokage
As bi assent of sondry partyes · and syluer to bote
More for coueitise of good · þan kynde loue of bothe
¶ So it fareth bi eche a persone · þat possessioun forsaketh
And put hym to be pacient · and pouerte weddeth
¶ Haue god my trouthe quod Haukyn · ȝe preyse faste pouerteT
What is pouerte pacienceT quod he · proprely to mene
Remocio curarum · possessio sine calumpnia · donum dei · sanitatisT mater
Absque solicitudineT semita · sapiencie temperatrix · negocium sine dampno
Incerta fortuna · absque solicitudine felicitas ·
Ac somdel I shal seyne it · by so þow vnderstonde
Pouerte is þe first poynte · þat pryde moste hateth
Thanne is it good by good skil · al þat agasteth pryde
Riȝte as contricioun is confortable þinge · conscience wote wel
And a sorwe of hym-self · and a solace to þe sowle
So pouerte propreliche [·] penaunce and ioye
Is to þe body [·] pure spiritual helthe
Ergo paupertas est odibile bonum
¶ Selde sitte pouerte · þe sothe to declare
Selden is anyT pore yput · to punysshen any peple
Remocio curarum
Ergo pouerte and pore men · parfornen þe comaundement
Nolite iudicare quemquam þe þriddeT
Wynneth he nauȝt with weghtesT fals · ne with vnseled mesures
Ne borweth of his neghbores · but þat he may wel paye
Possessio sine calumpnia ·
¶ Þe fierthe [it]T is a fortune · þat florissheth þe soule
Wyth sobrete fram al synne · and also ȝit more
It affaiteth þe flesshe · fram folyes ful manye
A collateral conforte · crystes owne ȝifte
Donum dei
¶ Þe sexte [it]T is a path of pees · ȝe þorw þe pas of altoun
Pouerte myȝte passe · with-oute peril of robbyng
For þere þat pouerte passeth · pees folweth after
And euere þe lasse þat he bereth · þe hardyer heT is of herte
For-þi seith seneca · paupertas est absque solicitudineT semita
And an hardy man of herte · amonge an hepe of þeues
CantabitT paupertas coram latrone viator
¶ Þe seueneth [it]T is welle of wisdome · and fewe wordes sheweth
For lordes alloweth hym litel · or lysteneth to his reson
He tempreth þe tonge to treuthe-ward · [þat]T no tresore coueiteth
T Sapiencie temperatrix
Þan he may wel deserue · in somer or in wynter
And if [he]T chaffareth he chargeth no losse · mowe he charite wynne
Negocium sine dampno
¶ The nyneth [it]T is swete to þe soule · no sugre is swettere
For pacyence is payn · for pouerte hym-selue
And sobrete swete drynke · and good leche in sykenesse
Seynt austyn a blissed lyf · with-outen bysynesseT
For body and for soule · absque solicitudine felicitas
Now god þat al good gyueth · graunt his soule reste
Þat þusT fyrst wrote to wyssen men · what pouerte was to mene
¶ Allas quod haukyn þe actyf man þoT · þat after my crystendome
I ne hadde ben ded and doluen · for doweles sake
So harde it is quod haukyn · to lyue and to do synne
Synne suwethT vs euere quod he · and sori gan wexe
And wepte water with his eyghen · and weyled þe tyme
Þat euere he dede dede · þat dere god displesed
Swowed and sobbed · and syked ful ofte
Þat euere he hadde londe or lordship · lasse other more
Or maystrye ouer any man · mo þan of hym-self
I were nouȝt worthy wote god quod haukyn · to were any clothes
Ne noyther sherte ne shone · saue for shame one
To keure my caroigne quod he · and cryde mercye faste
And wepte and weyled · and þere-with I awaked