Tyl þat y be-þowhte me / what þyng y dremede.
& what man he myghte be / of many a man y askede.
But þere was / was [neuere] wyght as y went / þat me wysshe cowthe.
Where þat leede lengede / neyþir lesse ne more.
Tyl it fel on a Fryday / with tweye Freris y mette.
¶ I prayede hem pur charite / er y passede furthere.
¶ Marye quod þo Menoures / a-mongys vs he dwellyþ.
& euere haþ as y hope / & euere shal here-after.
For sevene tymes / as seyþ þe book / slyȝdiþ þe ryghtful.
& who þat synneþ in doynge / he doþ evele me þynkiþ.
& dowel & doevele / mowe not dwelle to-gydre.
Ergo he is nowht alwey / at hoom a-mong ȝoure freres.
But he is ellis-wher / for to wisse þe peple.
¶ I shal seyȝe þe my sone / seyȝde þe to / þe frere þanne.
How sevene sythis þe sad man / synneþ on þe day-tyȝde.
Be a propre resoun / y shal þe redyly shewe.
Lete brynge a man in a boot / a-myddis þe brode watur.
Þe wynd / & þe watur / & the boot waggynge.
Makþ þe man many a tyme / to meve / & to stakere.
For stonde he neuere so stef / he stumbleþ & falleþ.
& ȝit is he saf & sownd / & so hym by-hoveþ.
Þe wynd wolde / on þe watur / þe boot ouer-terve.
& þanne were his lyf loost / þorhȝ lacchesse of hym-selue.
¶ Ryght þus fareþ it quod þe Frere / by folk on þis grownde
Þe watur y lykne to þis world / þat wanyeþ & wexiþ.
& þe goodis on þis grownde / be lykned þe grete wawis.
& as þe wynd & þe wedir / walkyn a-bowte.
Þe boot y lykne to oure bodijs / þat brotyl is of kyȝnde.
Þat þorgh þe feend . & oure flesh / & þe false world also.
Synneþ þe sade man / ech day sevene syȝþys.
¶ But dedly synne doþ he non / for Dowel hym helpiþ.
& þat is Charite þe Champioun / cheef a-geyn synne.
For he strengþ man / to stonde / & steriþ mannys wille.
Þat þeyhȝ þy body bowe / as þe boot in þe watir.
Euere ys þy sowle saf / but if þy-selue wille.
& doost dedly synne / þou drenchist þanne þy sowle.
He ȝaf þe / two ȝeresȝevis / to ȝeeme wel þy-selue.
& þo ben wit / & frewil / to euery wyght a porcioun
To man & to foulis / to fyschis & to beestis
But man haþ moost þereof / & moost he is to blame.
But he wyrche wel þer-with / as dowel hym techiþ.
¶ Ȝee y have no kyȝnde knowynge quod y to conseyve þy wordis.
But if y may lyve & looke / y shal goo leerne bettre.
¶ I be-kenne þe Cryst quod he / þat on þe croys dyȝede.
& y seyde / þe same lord / save þe fram myschaunce.
& graunte þe grace on þis grownde / good ende to make.
/ / [¶] & wente y wyȝde-where / walkynge by myn oone.
In a whilde wyȝldirnesse / by a wode-syȝde.
& vndir a lyȝnde on a lawnde / lay y a stounde.
& þe merthe of here mowthis / made me on sleepe.
& þe mervylokest metelis / mette y þat stownde.
Þat euere wyȝght / in þis world / as y wene dremede.
A mychil man he was / mychil lyȝk my-selue.
¶ What art þou quod y þo / þat þowhȝ my name knowist
¶ Thow wost wel quod he þo / & no whyȝt bettre.
I not neuere . who art þou thowht y am he seyde.
& have sewid þe þis sevene ȝeer / ne seyȝe þou me no rathere.
¶ Art þou þowht / quod y tho / canst þou me telle.
Dowel quod he . & dobet / & dobest þe thrydde
Are þre faire felowis / & dwelle not feer o twynne.
For who is trewe of his tunge / & of hise two hondis.
& meeke in his herte / & myȝlde of his speche.T
& þorghȝ þe labour of his hand / his lyfloode wynneþ.
& nowht drunkelewhȝ ne deygnous / dowel hym folweþ.
And dobet doþ ryght / but he doþ michil moore.
He is as lowhȝ as a lomb / & lowhly of speche.
& helpiþ alle men / & eseþ hem at neede.
Þat þe Erl / sire Averouse / held for hise eyȝres.
& with Mammones mone / he haþ maad freenschepis.
& ys runne in-to religious / to rendre þe byble.
& precheþ þe peple / seynt Powlys woordis.
Libenter suffertis incipientes . cum ipsi scitis sapientes.
He seyþ ȝee sholde gladly suffre þe vnwyse / with ȝow to lybbe.
& with glad wil don hem good / for god so ȝow hoteþ.
¶ But dobest beriþ a bisshopis croos / & is a-bove hem boþe.
It is hoked at þe ende / to halye men fram helle.
& in þat potente ys a pyȝk / to pytten doun þe wykkede.
& to rewle al þe rewhme / be reed of hem alle.T
& be non oþir-wyse / but as þey þre wille assente.
¶ For if þat dowel or dobet / dyden a-geyn dobest.
Þanne sholde þe kyng come / & comawnde hem to presoun.
¶ Þanne þankede y thowht þo / þat he so faire me tawhte.
For more kyȝnde knowynge / y coveyte of ȝow to leerne.
Where þat dowel & dobet & dobest / doon on þis molde.
Trewly but . witt kan wisshe þe quod thowt / where þat þey dwelle.
Ellis knowe y non þat can / þat now ys on lyve.
¶ Þo þowht & y / thre dayes we wentyn.
Disputynge on dowel / day after oþir.
& er þat we weryn war / with witt gunne we meetyn
He was long & leene / & lyȝk to non oþir.
Was no priȝde in his a-parayle / ne pouerte neythir.
But sad of his semblaund / & softe he was of chere.
I durste meve no matere / for to make hym Iangle.
But as y bad þowht þo / be meene be-twene.
To pytte furþ sum purpos / to prevyn hise wittis.
What was dowel fram dobet / & dobest fram hem bothe.
¶ Þanne þowht in þat tyme / seyde þese woordys.
Wheyþir he be man / or noon / y wolde fayn a-spyȝe.
& worchen as ȝee / [þ]e[y] þre wolde / þis were myn entente.
¶ Sire dowel dwelliþ quod witt / nowht a day henne.
In a Castel þat Keende made / of foure manere of þyngis.
Of Erthe & eyȝr it ys maad / & medlyd to-gydres.
With wynd & with watur / wyttyrly en-Ioyned.
Syre Keende haþ closed þer-in / craftly withalle.
Anima she hatte / but Envie hyre hateþ.
He is a prowd prikere of Fraunce / princeps huius mundi.
& þat knoweth Kynde wel / & kepeþ hire þe bettre.
& dobet ys hire Damysele / sire dowellis dowhtir.
She serueþ þat Lady leelly / boþe late & rathe.
& dobest ys above hem boþe / a Bisshopis peere.
& þat he byddis mote be doon / for he rewhliþ hem alle.
And Anima þat lady / ys lad by his leernynge.
¶ But þe Cunstable of þe Castel / þat kepeþ alle þe wacche.
Is a wyȝs knyght with-alle / sire Inwitt he hatte.
& haþ fyve faire sones / by his firste Lady.
& sire wyrche wel with þyn hond / a whyht man of strengþe.
Tyl Kynde come or sende / to kepen hire hym-selue.
¶ What kenne þyng ys Kynde quod y canst þou me telle.
Quod wit Kynde is a creatour / of alle kenne þyngys.
Fader & formere / of alle þynge on erthe.
He is grete god / þat by-gynnynge hadde neuere.
& lord of lyf & of lyth / of blysse & of peyȝne.
Angelys & alle þynge / ben at his wille.
& grene gres grew sone / on grownde al a-bowhte.
& trees weryn frawht with frut / fayre vpon erthe.
& al was maad þorgh his word / as his wille wolde.
/ / [¶] But he made Adam a man / lykkest hym-selue.
& Eve was maad of Adam-is ryb / with-outyn ony meene.
& for he was nowht synguler / he seyȝde faciamus.
As who seyȝþ more mote here-to / þan my word oone.
For my myght mote helpe / forþ with my speche.
Ryght as a lord shold make a lettre / & only lakkede parchemyn
Or þeyȝ he cowhde wryte neuere so wel / & he lakkede a penne
Þe Lettre for al his lordshepe / y leve sholde not be makyd
Ryght so it semeþ be god / as þe byble telleþ
He wroghte þus with his word / & with his wit gan shewe
& in þis manere man was maad / þorhȝ þre persones oone.
& god gaf hym a goost / of þe godhed of hevene.
& of his grete grace / he grawntyd hym blysse.
Þere is lyf þat euere shal laste / to alle his lynage after.
& is as mychel to mene / as man with a sowle.
Þorgh myght of þe Mageste / þus was man y-maked.
Inwit & alle wittys / y-closed ben þere-Inne.
But in þe herte . ys here hoom / & hereT moost reste.
¶ & Inwit ys in þe hevid / & to þe herte he lookeþ.
What anima is leef or looþ / he ledeþ hire at his wylle.
For after þe grace of grete god / Inwit neest folwiþ.
Mychil wo worþ þat wyght / þat Inwit may not rewle.
& þo been glotones & gloseris / þat god is in here wombe.
Qvorum deus venter est.
For swiche seruyn Sathan / & here sowlis he shal welde.
For þey levyn synful lyf / here sowle ys lyȝk þe powke.
& þo þat lyvyn good lyf / lyk after goddis techyng
¶ Allas þat drynk shal for-doon / þat god dere bowhte.
Ne wedewys þat have nout wherwith / to wynnyn here foode.
And madde men & maydenys / þat helpeles weryn.
For alle þese lakkyn Inwit / & loore hem by-hoveþ.
¶ But of þis matere y myghte / maken a long tale.
& fyȝnde fele wytnesse / of þe foure doctoures.
& þat y lyȝe nowht / seynt Luk beryþ witnesse.
Þat boþe godfadir . & godmodire / þat seen here god-childryn.
In myssese & myscheef / & may hem wel a-mende.
Þey shulle haue penaunce in purgatorye / but if þey hem helpe.
For more longiþ a lytyl barn / er he þe lawe knowe.
Þan nempne first his name / & he be neuere þe wysere.
¶ For þere sholde no cristene creature / cryȝen at þyn ȝate
A Iew wolde not seen a Iew / goo Ianglynge for defawhte.
For alle þe mone on þe moolde / & he a-mende it myghte.
Allas þanne þat a cristene man / sholde so ben vn-kyȝnde.
Sytthyn þe Iewis þat we for-Iuggen / to ben Iudas felawe.
/ / [¶] Why wille / [ny]lle we cristene of cristis good / ben also kyȝnde.
Þe ryche for here vnkyȝndnesse / shulle yt ful sore a-byȝe.
/ / [¶] Bisshopis shulle be blamed / for beggerys sake.
He / He [is] werse þanne Iudas / þat ȝeviþ a Iapere syluer.
& byddis þe beggere gon a-wey / for hise broke cloþis.
Proditor est prelatus cum Iuda qui patrimoniium / patrimonium cristi minus distribuit.T
/ / [¶] He doþ not wel þat doþ þus / he drediþ not god almyghty.
He lokyþ not Salomonys sawis / þat sapyence is named.
He seyþ Inicium sapience / sapienc[i]e timor domini.
But he doþ best þat withdraweth hym / by day / & by nyghte.
To spillyn ony speche / or ony space of tyme.
Qui offendit in vno verbo in omnibus reus est.
¶ Lesyngys & ydilnesse / trewþe whot þe soþe.
Is moost hatyd huttyrly / of hem heyȝe in hevene.
For þey semen goddis glemen / to gamen hem in heuene.
Wolde neuere þe feyþful fader / his fythele were vn-tempryd.
Ne his gleeman a galyng / ga[de]lyng / a goere to tauerne.
/ / [¶] For to alle trewe tydy men / þat travayle dysyre.
Oure lord loveþ hem & lent lowhde oyþer stylle.
Grace to goon hem to to getyn here lyf-loode.
Inquirentes autem dominum non inuenientur / [m]inuentur omni bono.
¶ Trewe weddid lyvyngge folk / in þis world is dowel.
For þey motyn wirche to wynne / & þe world sosteyne.
& bothe kynggys & knyghtys / & kayseres & Clerkys.
& Maydenys & Martyres / out of man kemen.
& womman was maad a weyȝ / for to helpe wirche.
& wastoures & wrecchis / out of wedloke y trowe.
Are conceyvid in evil tyme / as Cayn was of Eve.
Of swiche synful shrewis / þe sawhter seyþ þis sawe.
Concepit dolorem & peperit iniquitatem.
& alle þat kemen of Cayn / kemen to evil ende.
Þyn Issew with þyn Issew / y wille þat þey be weddid.
& nowht þyn kyȝnde with Cayn / neyþir cowpled ne spoused.
¶ But summe ȝit / a-geyn þe sonde / of oure saviouris heeste.
Tyl god þey wratthid with here werk / & þis word he seyde.
Þat y on moolde maked man / now it me for-þynkyþ.
Penitet me hominem fecisse.
/ / [¶] & þanne god cam to Noe / & bad hym nowht lettyn.
He seide goo shape þe a ship / of shyȝdys & of boordys.
Þy-selue & þyn sones þre / & sytthen ȝoure wyvys.
Buske ȝow / into þat boot / & a-byȝdeþ þere-Inne.
Al cleene þe cursed blood / þat Cayn haþ y-maked.
¶ Beestis þat now been / shulle banne þe tyme.
& þe foulis þat fleen / shulle forþ . with þo beestys.
Þan dere a-bowhte þe barn / his beel-sires gyltes.
Þat after for here fore-fadres / þey ferdyn þe werse.
But þe gospel ys þere-ageyn / in þis degre y fyȝnde.
Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris . nec paterT iniquitatem filij.
/ / [¶] But y fyȝnde if þe fadir / be fals / or a shrewe.
Þat sumdel þe sone shal have / of his syres tacchys.
Myche merveyle me þynkþ / & ȝit moore of a shrewe.
Þat bryngþ forþ ony barn / but he be þe same.
& savoure after þe syre / seelde seest þou oþir.
Numquam coligunt de spinis vuas . nec de tribulis ficus.
& þus þorghȝ cursede Cayn / Com care first on erthe.
& al for þey wroghtyn wedlokys / a-geyn goddis wille.
/ / [¶] & on þe same maner now / men maryen here chyldryn.
For summe men as y see / soþ for to telle.
For coveytyse of Catel / vn-kendely ben weddyd.
Þat neuere shal barn bere / but in two armys.
Many a peyre syþe þe pestelence / have plyȝt hem to-gydres.
But for þe caryage is karkful / þey dore non fecche.
But lyven þus in Ianglyng / þoru þe develys loore.
¶ For-þy y conseile alle men / ȝee coveyte not be weddyd.
For coueytyse of Catel / ne of kenrede ryche.
But Maydenys with Maydenys / marye ȝow to-gydre
& wydewerys with wydwis / werche ȝee / þe same.
For no lond / but for love / loke ȝee ne wedde.
Boþe in lyf & in sowle / & also in parfyȝt charyte.
Þat ilke derne dede / sholde non man don ellis.
& nou if men ledde þus here lyf / It wolde lyke almyȝty.
For he made wedloke first / & þus hym-selue seyde.
Bonum est vt vnusquisque vxorem suam habeat.T
And þey þat oþir-gatis be getyn / for gadelyngis be holde.
& false folk & foundelyngis / & faytoures / & lyerys.
& vn-gracious to getyn good / or love / of þe peple.
But þey wandren / & wastyn / what þey wynne mowe.
A-geyn Dowel þey do evele / & þe deuyl serve.
& after here deþ-day / þei shul dwelle with here Mayster.
& þan comeþ Dobest of boþe / & bryngþ a-doun þe Mody.
& dryveþ a-wey dowel / oonly þoru dedly synne.
Explicit Passus Sextus