Incipit Passus Septimus
Þat leene was of leere / & of lycame boþe.
Wel art þou wyȝs quod she / ony wisdom to telle.
To flatereris & folis / þat feble are of wittys.
& blamed hym bustously / & bad hym be stylle.
With swiche wise wordis / to wissyn ony sottys.
& seyȝde man / noli mittere / Margerye perlys.
By-fore hoggis þat hetyn hawis / at hoom at here wille.
Þey don but dravele þere-on / draf were hem bettre.
Þan al þe precious perre / þat in paradyȝs wexeþ.
I sey it / be swiche quod she / þat shewe be here werkys.
Þan alle þe soþe sawis / þat salomon seyde euere.
For now wit & wisdom / ys not worþ a kerse
But it be Cardyd with coueytise / as kytte kembeþ wolle.
Who can contrive deseytys / & conspyren wrongys.
¶ Ioob þat ys so Ientyl / in his Iestys tellyþ.
Þat wikkede men welden / welthys on moolde.
& þey þat ben lordis of leedis / as owtlawys þei lybbe.
& þynke not who it oweþ / þat þei wasten heere.
Quare ergo Impij viuunt sulleuati sunt diuicijs.T
¶ The sawter seyþ þe same / be swiche þat doon Ille.
Ecce ipsi peccatores habundantes in seculoT
Loo seyþ holy lettrure / wiche lordis be þese shrewis.
& most vnkynde to þe comoun be / hem moost catel sendiþ
Qve perfecisti destruxerunt . Iustus autem.
¶ Harlotis for here harlotryȝe / shulle have here goodis
As Iaperis & Iogeloures / & Iangleres of Iestys.
¶ But he þat haþ holy wryt / ay in his mowthe.
& can tellyn of Tobye / & of þe xije apostlys.
Or prechen of þe penaunce / þat Pilat to crist wrouhte.
Or of Ientil Iesu / þat Iewis dyde on roode.
He is lytyl lovid now / þat swich a lessoun sheweth.
¶ But þo þat feyne hem foolys / & with faytynge lybbe.
A-geyn þe lawe of oure lord / & lyȝe on hem-selue.
/ / [¶] Þey spyttyn & spewen / & speke foule wordis.
& drynkyn / & dravelyn / & do men to gape.
Þey lykne men / & lyȝen / þat leene hem no ȝiftys
Þey kunne no more menstralsy / ne musyk men to glade
Ne were here vile harlotriȝe / have god my trewþe.
But merthe with Menstralsy / a-mongis men nowt ys.
But Leccherye be leyȝd / in loselys talys.
& glotenyȝe & grete oþis / þat ys good merthe.
¶ But if þey carpyn of crist / þese clerkis to lewede.
At mete in Merthis / whan menstralis be stille.
Þan talke / talke [þei] of þe trynnyte / a tale or tweyne.
& brynge a ballyd resoun forþ / & take bernard wittnesse.
& pitte forþ a qwestioun / & preve it for-soþe.
Þus þey dravele / at þe deyȝs / þe dyte to knowe.
& gnawe god with here gorge / whan here guttys be fulle.
¶ But þe kareful may criȝen / & mys-karyȝe at þe ȝate.
Boþe for hunger & þurst / & for chele qwake.
Þere ys non to nempne hym neer / his noyȝ to a-mende.
But hoen on hym / as an hound / & hote hym go his gate.
Lityl loveþ he þat lord / þat lente hym al þat blysse.
Þat departeþ not with þe pore / a parcel whan hem nediþ.
Ne were Mercy with mene men / more þan in ryche.
Manye mendynauntis meteles / myȝhte gon to bedde.
But a-mongis mene men / his mercy is / & hise werkys.
& so seyþ seyþ / seyþ / þe sawter book / y have seyn it ofte.
Ecce audiuimus eum in effrata inuenimus eumT in campis silue.
& have hym myche in here mowþ / but mene men in herte.
But freris þo faytoures / have founde faire questionis.
& prechen at poulis cros / for pure envyȝe of clerkis.
Þat folk is / is [not] fermed in þe feyþ / ne free of here goodis.
Þat prayeris have no powher / þese pestylencys to lette.
Þe gystys for here giltys / he for-griynt hem alle.
& ȝit no wrecche in þis world / is war be oþir.
Ne for drede of þe deþ / with-draweth hem fram priȝde.
Ne plentevousere to þe pore / as pure charite wolde.
But in gaynesse & glotenye / þei for-glutte hem-selue.
& breke no breed to þe beggere / as þe book hem techiþ.
Frange esurienti panem tuum
& þe more he wynnyþ / & welt / of welthis & rycchesse.
¶ But Thobye techiþ not so / takþ hede ȝee ryche.
Hou þe byble book / of hym beriþ wytnesse.
Si tibi sit copia habundanter tribue.
Si autem exiguum illud impertire libenter stude.
¶ Who-so haþ myche good / spende it manly seyþ thobye.
& who þat lytil weldiþ / rewle hym þere-after.
For we have no lettre / of oure lyf / hou longe þat we dure.
Swyche lovely lessonys / lordis sholde here.
& how he myghte most meyghne manly / [/] manly fyȝnde.
Nout to faren as a fythelere / for to fyȝnde festis.
& ben hoomly at here hows / & hatyn his owe.
Ful elenge is þe halle / ech day of þe wyke.
Þere þe lord ne þe lady / ne lykiþ not in to sytte.
Nou haþ ech renke / a rewle / to etyn by hym-selue.
In a prive parlour / for pore mennys sake.
Or in a Chambre / with chymne / & leve his cheef halle.
Þat was maad for men / melys to etyn Inne.
& al to sparen þe powndes / þat spendyn shal a-noþir.
¶ I have herd ryȝt hyȝe men / etynge at þe table.
Carpid as þey clerkis were / of crist & hise myghtis.
Why wolde our saviour suffre / swich a worm in blysse.
Þat by-gilede þe womman / & þe man after.
Þorghȝ wiche wilis & wordis / þei wentyn boþe to helle.
& alle here seed / for here synne / þe same deþ suffreden.
For þe clerkys þus vus kennyþ / of cristes owne gospel.
Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris . nec pater iniquitatem filij.T
Why sholde / þat nou be / for þe werkis of Adam.
Vnusquisque . onus suum portabitT
& make men in mysbeleve / þat mewsen on here wordis.
¶ Ymagenatyf her-afterwarde / shal answere to ȝour purpos.
Seynt Austyn to swiche argueres / he telliþ hem þis teme.
Non plus sapere quam oportet sapere.
¶ Wilneþ neuere to wete / why þat god wolde.
Suffre sory sathan / his seed to by-gyle.
But be-leveþ leelly / in holy chirche loore.
& praye god / of pardoun / & do penaunce in þi lyve.
Þat of his mychil mercy / he a-mende ȝou heere.
¶ For alle þo / þat wilneþ to wete / þe weyȝes of hevene.
Þat euere wilneþ to wete / why þat god wolde.
Suffre sory sathan / his seed to be-gyle.
Er Iudas þe Iewh / Iesu to be-traye.
& al worþ as he wille / what-euere we dispute.
What is dowel fram dobet . now deef mote þei woxe.
Sytthe þei wilne to wete / wiche þey ben alle.
Þey Dobest drawe / on hym / day after oþir.
He be-cam so confus / he cowhde vneþes loke.
& wex as deef / as dore-nail / & drow hym on syȝde.
& for no carpynge y cowhde / ne knelynge on grounde.
I myghte no / [gete] no greyn / of hise grete wittys.
But al lawynge he lowtede / & lokede on dame stodye
In sygne / þat y sholde / be-sekne hire / of grace.
& whan y was war of his wille / to his wif gan y lowte.
& seyde Mercy Madame / ȝoure man shal y worthe.
As longe as y lyve / boþe late & rathe.
So ȝee kenne me kendely / to knowe what ys Dowel.
¶ For þy meeknesse man quod she / & for þy myȝlde speche.
I shal kenne þe to myn cosyn / þat klergye is named.
He haþ weddid a wif / with-Inne þis sixe wykis.
& þey two / as y hope / & þou do after my techynge.
Þey wil wisshe þe to Dowel / I dar it vndirtake.
¶ Þan was y fayn / as foul on fair morwe.
& asked hire þe hyȝe wey / were Clergye dwellyde.
Tel me quod y sum tokne / for tyme ys þat y wende.
Boþe in wele & in woo / if þat þou wilt leerne.
& rayke forþ þoru rycchesse / but reste not þer-Inne.
Leve it on þi left half / a large myle or more.
Þan shalt þou kome to a court / keep wel þyn tunge.
Fram loselys / & lythir speche / & lykerouse drynkis.
& euery wyȝt be in wille / his wit þe / to shewe.
¶ & þus shalt þou kome / kome [to] Clergyȝe / þat can manye þyngis.
& telle hym þis tokne / how y sette hym to skole.
& also grete wel his wif / þat y wroot hire bookys.
& sette hire Sapiense / [to] Sapiense / & to þe sawter glose.
& Logyȝk y lerned hire / & þe lawys manye.
& alle þe Musones in Musyk / y made hire to knowe.
¶ Plato þat poete / y pitte hym fyrst to booke.
& gramere for gerlys / y gart first wrytyn.
& beet hem with a baleyȝs / but þei wolde leerne.
& to alle kenne craftys / y countrefetide toolys.
Of Capenteris / Ca[r]penteris & kerverys / & cumpases to Masonis.
I lerned hem to levele be lyne / þey y looke dymme.
¶ But Theologye þat teneþ me / ten skore tymes.
Þe More y mvse þere-Inne / þe Mystyere it semeþ.
A ful lethy þyng it were / if þat love ne were.
But for it is . led be love / y love it þe bettre.
For þere þat love is ledere / ne lakkede neuere grace.
& Dobet & Dobest / þey ben of lovis kynne.
Qvi similat verbisT
Tu quoque fac simile / sic ars deluditur arte.
Who-so gloseþ / as gyloures doon / goo fram here sawis
& so shalt þou fals folk / & feyþles by-gyle.
Þis is Catonys kennynge / to clergonys þat leerne.
But Theologye techiþ not so / who þat takþ heede.
He kenneþ vs þe contrarie / a-geyn Catonys wordis.
For he biddis vs be bretheryn / & bydde for oure enemyȝs.
& doon good / a-geyn evil / god hym-selue so hootiþ.
Dum tempus estT operemur bonum ad omnes / maxime autem ad domesticos fidei
Poul prechede þe peple / þat parfyȝtnesse lovede.
To doon good / for goddis love / & gyve hem þat aske it.
For-þy loke þou love as longe / as þou lengyst heere.
¶ But Astronomye is hard þyng / & evil for to knowe.
Geometriȝe & Geomesye / is gynful of spechis.
Who þynkiþ wirche with þo two / he thryviþ ful late.
For sorceryȝe is þe souereyn sekt / þat to þo sciencis longiþ.
¶ Ȝit are þere fybycchis / of fele folkys makynge.
Experimentis & Alkenemyȝe / þe peple to disseyve.
If þou þynke to dowel / deyle þou þer-with neuere.
& alle þese sciencis y my-selue / y-sotilde & ordeynede
& fond hem formest / folk to disseyve.
Now telle Clergye þese toknys / & to scripture after.
Tyl y com to Clergye / cowhde y neuere stynte.
& grete þe goode man / as þe Ientil ladyT me tawhte.
& afterwarde his wif / y worchepede hem boþe.
& tolde hem þe toknes / þat me tawht wore.
Was neuere gome vpon grounde / syþ god þis world made.
Faire / Fair[er]e vndir-fongyn / ne frenlokere at esea tese.
As was my-selue soþly / as soone as he wiste.
Þat y / y [was of] wittys hous / & with his wif dame stodye.
Þanne y seyȝde hem soþly / þat y was sent þidir
For Dowel / & Dobet / & Dobest to leerne.
¶ It is comoun quod Clergye / on holy chirche beleve.
With alle þe artyklis / of þe feiþ / þat falle to be knowe.
Þou must beleve leelly / boþe lewede men & lered.
& on þe soþfast sone / þat savede mankyȝnde.
Fram þe dedly deeþ / & þe develis powher.
Þoruh þe helpe of þe holy gost / þe wiche is of boþe.
& þey ben þre persones / but not in plurel numbre.
For al is but o god / & ech is god / by his one.
Deus pater / deus filius / deus spiritus sanctus.
Non tres dij sed vnus est deus.T
God is þe fadir / god is þe sone / god ys þe holy goost.
Makere of Mankende / & of al þe Mounde boþe.
& ordeynede hym-selue / to sadde vs in beleve.
How crist seyde hym-selue so / þe wangelye beriþ witnesse.
¶ Alle þe Clerkis vndir crist / ne cun þis a-soyle.
But it longeth to be-leve / to lewede þat wille Dowel.
For hadde neuere ȝit freke wit / þe feyþ to dispute.
Fides non habet meritum
Vbi humana racio prebet experimentum.
¶ Þanne is Dobet to suffre / for þy sowle helthe.
Al þat þe book biddis þe / by holy chirche techyng
& þat is mychil by goddis myȝht / for mercyes sake
Apare quod es autT esto quod apares.
& lete no-body be þyn berynge / here be by-gylyd.
But be þou swich in þy sowle / as þou semest with-owte.
& þanne is Dobest bold / to blame þe gelty.
Sytthe þou seest þy-selue / in þyn soule klene.
But blame þou neuere a-noþir / If þou be blame-worthy.
Si culpare velis / culpabilis te esse cauebis.
Dogma tuum sordet cum te tua culpa remordet.
God in þe gospel / grevously repreviþ.
Þo þat lakken ony lyf / & lakkys have hem-selue.
Quid consideras festucam in oculo fratris tui trabem autem in oculo tuo non vides.
Why mevis þou þy mood for a mote / in þy broþir yȝe.
Whan a beem is in þyn / þat ablendiþ þy-selue.
Eice primum trabem de oculo tuo.
¶ I consayle ech blynd bosard / do boote to hym-selue.
& parsonys & parshe prestis / sholde preche & teche.
Alle manere of men / be hem / myghte a-mende.
Þis tixt was y-told ȝow / Be war er ȝee teche.
Þat ȝee were swych as ȝee teche / to salue wel oþire.
For goddis woord / wolde not be lost / for yt worchiþ euere.
If it a-vayle þe comoune not / it may a-vaile ȝour-selue.
Þat goddis / goddis [word] worchiþ owt / [no]t / on lernede ne on lewede.
But in swich maner / as mark / meviþ in þe gospel.
Dum cecus ducit cecum ambo in foueam cadunt.
¶ A lewed man may lyȝkne ȝou / þe beem lyȝþ in ȝoure yȝes.
& þe festewe is fallyn / for ȝoure owe defawte.
/ / [¶] Looke Offyn & Fynees / for here coueytyse.
For Archa dei mys-happede / hely brak his nekke.
Ȝe correctoures claweth here-on / but correcte first ȝour-selue.
& þanne may ȝe soþly seyȝ / as dauid seiþ in þe sawhter.
Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis . arguam te & statuam contra faciem tuam.
& drede to wratthe ȝou / ȝoure Manshepe to lette.
& be prestere at ȝoure prayere / þan for a pound of noblis.
& al for ȝoure holynesse / have ȝee þis in herte.
/ / [¶] Seynt Gregory þe grete clerk / & þe goode pope.
Of Relygyonys rewle / he reersiþ in hise bookis.
¶ Whan fysshis faile þe flood / & þe fressh water.
Þey dyȝen for drowhte / whan þei dreyȝe lyȝe.
Ryght so quod Gregory / religioun trollyþ.
It steruyþ & stynkþ / & stelyþ lordis almesse
Þat owt of Couent & cloistre / coueytyn to lybbe.
For if hevene be in erthe / & ese to þe soule.
It ys in cloystre / or in skole / be fele skylys y fyȝnde.
For in Cloistre comeþ no man / to fyȝhte / ne to chyȝde.
& love & lykynge ys þere gret / for ech man loveþ oþir.
But now / now [is] relygyoun a rydere / a rennere be stretys.
A ledere of Lovedayes / & a lond byggere.
A prikere on palfreys / fram maner to maner.
With an heep of houndis at his hers / as he a lord were
& but if his knave knele / þat shal his cuppe brynge.
He lowryþ loþly on hym / & lythirly hym thretyþ.
To relygious þat have no rewþe / þei it regne on þe awter.
In places þere þey parsonys be / be hem-selue at esea tese.
But þere shal comen a kyng / & constreyne þe relygious.
& beete ȝow as þe book seyþ / for brekynge of ȝoure rewle.
& a-mendyn Monyalis / & Munkys & Chanonys.
& pytte hem to here penaunce / ad pristinum statum ire.
& Baronys shulle betyn hem / þorghȝ Beatus vir techyng.
& seyn here barnys cleyme of ȝow / & blame ȝou foule.
Hij in curribus & hij inequis / in equis . ipsi obligati sunt & ceciderunt.T
/ / [¶] & þanne Freris in here Freytour / shulle fyȝnden a keyȝe.
Of Constancius coffres / In wiche ys þe catel.
Have a knok of a kyng / & Incurable þe wounde.
Þat þis is soþ / seeke ȝee / þat ofte haue seen þe byble.
Quomodo cessauit exactor quieuit tributum . Contriuit dominus baculum impiorum & virgam dominancium . cedencium plaga insanabili.
But erst er þat kyng come / Caym shal a-wake.
I wil not skorne quod scripture / but skryvenys / lyȝen.
Kynghod & knyghthod / be not in þese dayes.T
/ / [¶] Poul previþ it inpossible / þat ryche men haven hevene.
C Nichil iniquius quam amare peccuniam.
Catoun kenneþ vs to coueyte it nowht / but in gret nede.
Dilige denarium sed parce diligere formam
¶ Þese Patriachis / Patria[r]chis & prophetis / & oþere poetis manye.
Þey wrytyn to wissen vs / to wilne to no rycchesse.
Þey preyse wel pouerte / þe apostlys bere witnesse.
Þat þey have herytage of hevene/ by ryȝt & be trewþe.
/ / [¶] Contra quod y be crist þat clause can y repreve.
& preve it be Peter / & Poul boþe.
Þey þat been baptyzed be saaf / be þey ryche or pore.
¶ Þat is in extremys quod scripture / of sarsynes & Iewis.
Þey may be savid so / & þat is oure be-leve.
& for his leel by-leve / whan he his lyf tyneþ.
Shal have þe herytage of hevene / as ony man y-cristned.
/ / [¶] But to cristne a man / with-outyn more / he may not wynne hevene.
For crist for cristene men dyede / & confermede þe lawe.
& after alle cristenne creaturis / in comoun ech a-lyche.
& þus it longiþ to love crist / þat be-leven to be savid.
/ / [¶] & þus but we doon in dede / er þe day of dyȝeng
It shal syttyn vs ful sour / þe syluer þat we kepyn
For euery cristene creature / sholde be kyȝnde to oþir.
& sytthe heþene to helpe / in hope of a-mendement.
But y sende þe sum tokne / god seyþ Non mechaberis.
God seiþ y slee / slee not / but suffre / & al is for þe beste.
For y punshe in purgatorie / or in þe pit of helle.
Ech man for hise mysdedis / but my mercy / it lette.
¶ This is a long lessoun quod y & lytyl y am þe wisere.
Where Dowel is / or Dobet / derkely ȝe me shewe.
Þat y man maad was / & myn name is entryd.
In þe legende of lyf / longe / er y bore were.
Nemo ascendit ad celum nisi qui descendit de celo.
/ / [¶] For i be-leve on oure lord / & on no lettrure bettre.
For salomon þe sage / þat sapience tawhte.
Good / God gaf hym grace of wit / & of alle goodis after.
He demede wel & wyȝsly / as holy writ tellyþ.
Boþe Arystotle & he / who wisshede men bettre.
& nou Maistris þoru goddis mercy / teche men & preche.
Of here wordis þey wisshe vs / for wisest in here tyme.
& al holy cherche / holde hem dampned boþe.
¶ If y sholde wirche be here werkis / to wynne me hevene.
Þan wrouht y vnwyȝsly / what-so-euere ȝee preche.
But of here wittis in fayþ / lytil ferly y have.
Þowh here goost be vn-gracious / god for to plese.
At here moost myscheef / whan lyf þei shulle lete.
But here werkis / as seyþ þe book / was euere þe contrarye.
For-þy wise wittyd men / & wel lettride clerkis.
/ / [¶] But y wene it worþ of manye / as was in Noes tyme.
Þo þat he shoop his shyp / of shyȝdis / & of boordys.
Was no wryghte savid after / ne non oþir werkman.
& Noe & his wif / weryn þe ship with-Inne.
& here sones / & here wyvis / weryn alle to-gydre.
But of wryghtis / þat it wrouhte / was non y-savid.
Of holy chirche / þat herborw is / & goddis hous to save.
He shelde vs fram shame þere-Inne / as þe ship dide beestis.
& alle þe men þat made it / a-myddis þe flood weryn drenklyd.
/ / [¶] Þe Conclusioun of þis clause / of curaturis is þe menyng.
Werke ȝee / as ȝee seen wrete / o lest ȝe worþ y-drenklid.
Þat hadde lyvid al his lyf / with lesyngis & þefte.
& for he be-knew it on þe crois / & to crist shrof hym.
He was sunnere savid / þan seyn Iohan þe Baptist.
Þat leyȝen lowe with lucyfer / manye longe ȝeeres.
Þat robbere was y-ransomed / rathere þan þey alle.
With-outyn penaunce in purgatorie / to perpetuel blysse.
¶ & also Marie Maudelyn / what womman dide worse.
Or þan dyde dauid . þat vries deþ conspired.
Or Poul þe apostle / þat no pyte hadde.T
& ben nou as sovereynes / with seyntis in hevene.
& þo þat wyȝsly wordede / & wrete manye bookis.
Sunt iusti atque sapientes . & opera eorum in manu dei sunt.
¶ Summe be witty & wel lyvynge / but here werkis be hedde.
In þe hondis of god / for he whot al the sothe.
Wher he worþ a-lowid / for love of hise werkys.
Or ellis for his evil wil / þoruh envye of his herte.
For who were a good man / but þere weryn summe wikke.
For-þy lyve we furþ with lythir men / y leve fewe be goode.
For quantz oporet / opor[t]et vinT en place . yl ne ad que pati.
& he þat may al a-mende / have mercy on vs alle.
For þe sothest word þat god euere spak / was Nemo bonus.
Clergye þo of cristis mowþ / comendid was þan lyte.
Dum steteritis ante reges & presides nolite cogitare.
¶ Þeyhȝ ȝee kome by-fore kyngis / & clerkis of þe lawe.
Beþ not a-basht / for y shal be / buxum in ȝoure mowthis.
Alle hem / þat a-geyn ȝow / goddis lawe dispute.
Dauid makþ mencioun / where he spekþ of kyngis.
Þere myghte no kyng ouer-come hym / by conynge of speche.
Wan man was / at myschef / with goddis grace plentyvous.
Was seynt Austyȝn / þe olde / & heyȝest of þe foure.
He seyþ þus in a sermoun / y seyȝ it wretyn ones.
Ecce ipsi ydiote rapiunt celum ubi nos sapientes in inferno mergimur.
¶ Þis is to meene to meene / [englyshȝ] men / neyþir more ne lasse.
Þere are noone sunnere ravisshid / fram þe ryght be-leve.
Ne none sunnere y-savid / ne sadere / of by-leve.
Þanne trewe plowhmen ben / & poore comoun peple.
As sowteres & shepperdys / & swiche lewede Ioppis.
Swiche persen with here pater noster / þe paleyȝs of hevene.
& þey passyn þoru purgatorie / at here lyvis departyng.
In-to þe pleyn paradyȝs / þoruhȝ here pure by-leve.
Þo þat in parfyȝt lyf here / & in clennesse lyvede.
¶ Men knowe summe Clerkis / þat þey haue cursed þe tyme.
Þat euere þey knewe more / þan credo in deum patrem.
¶ I see ensamplis my-selue / & so may many a-noþir.
Þat men þat seruyn Lordis / fallyn selden in reragys.
Selde falle so foule / & so feer in synne.
As Clerkis of holy kyrke / þat kepyn cristis tresor.
Þe wiche is mannys soule / as seiþ goddis gospel.
Ite vos in vineam meam & quod iustum fuerit . dabitur vobis.T
¶ Þanne scripture skornede me / & a skele me tolde.
For me lakkede latyn / lyght by me heT sette.
& seyde multi multa sciunt . & seipsos nesciunt.
Þo for sorwe y wepte / & was wrothȝ of hire speche.
Of alle þe dremes þat y drempte / so daungerous þei were.
& turned me on þe oþir syde / for to take myn eese.
Explicit Passus Septimus de Dowel.