SIr dowell dwellythe quod wytt noght a day hence
In a castell þat kynde made off fo{u}vr kynnes thynges
off yerthe & eyre ys ytt made meydeled to-gedders
wyth wynd & wyth watre wytterlye enIoygnede
kynd hathe closed þerynne craftylye wyth-all
a lemman þat he lo{u}vethe lyke to hym-sel{u}ve
anima she hatte but en{u}vye hyr hatethe
a pro{u}vde prycker off france princeps huius mundi //
& wold wynne hyr a-way wyth wyles yff he myght
but kynd knowethe hyr well & kepethe hyr þe bettre
& hathe done hyr wyth syr dowell d{u}vke off thes merches
dobetter ys hys damosell syr dowelles doghter
to ser{u}ve hyr ladye leally bothe late & rathe
dobest ys a-bo{u}ve bothe a bysshopes pere
that he byddethe m{o}vste be done he re{u}vlethe þem all
anima þat ladye ys ladde by hys lernyng
but þe constable off that castell þat kepethe all þe wacche
ys a wysse knyght wyth-all syr In-wytt he hatte
& hathe fy{u}ve fayre sones by hys fyrste wyffe
syr se well & sey well & here well the hende
syr worche well wyth thye hande a wyght man off strenght
& syr godfray go well / greyte lordys for-sothe
tyll kynd come or send to sa{u}ven hyr for euer
what thyng ys kynd quod I canste þou me tell
kynd quod wytt ys a crato{u}vr / cr[e]atour {all}off all kynnes thynges
fader & formo{u}vr off all / þat euer were maked
and that ys þe greyte god / þat gynnyng had neuer
lord off lyfe & off lyght / off blysse & off payne
for thr{u}vgh þe worde þat he spake wexen forthe bestes
dixit et facta sunt {//}et cetera //
and made man lykest to hym-sel{u}ve one
and e{u}ve off hys rybbe boone wythe-owten any meane
as wo sey more moste þerto then my worde oone
my myght myght helpe now wyth my speche
ryght as lord sh{u}olde make letters & hym lacked perchement
thogh he co{u}vld wryte neuer so well yff he had no penne
þe letter for all þe lordshyppe I le{u}ve / were neuer maked
so ytt semethe by hym as þe boke tellethe
there he seyethe dixit et facta sunt et ceteraT //
he most worche wyth hys worde & hys wytt shewe
& In þis maner was man made t{r}hr{u}vgh myght off god almyghtye
wyth hys worde & workemanshyppe & wyth lyffe to laste
& þus god gaffe hym a goste off þe godheyde off hey{u}ven
& off hys greate grace gra{u}vnted hym blysse
& þat ys lyffe þat euer shall laste to all lynages after
& þat {b} ys the castell þat kynde made caro ytt hyghte
and {a} ys as moche to meane as man wythe a so{u}vle
& þat he wroght wyth werke & wyth worde bothe
thr{u}vgh myght off þe magestee man was maked
Inwytt & all wyttes closed be therynne
for lo{u}ve off þe ladye anima þat lyffe ys y-neue{n}ved / y-neue[n]ed
ouer all In mannes bodye he walkethe & wanderethe
but In þe herte ys hyr home / & hyr most rest
but Inwytt ys yn þe heyde / & to þe herte he lokethe
whatt anima ys le{u}ve or lothe he lett hyr at hys wylle
for after þe grace off god þe greatest ys Inwytte
moche wo worthe þat man þat mysr{u}vlethe hys Inwytt
and þat be glotons globbers theyr god ys theyre wombe
quorum deus venter est et cetera //
for þei ser{u}ven sathan theyre so{u}vles shall he ha{u}ve
that ly{u}ven synfull lyffe here theyre so{u}vle ys lyke þe de{u}velle
and all þat ly{u}ven good lyffe are lyke to god almyghty
qui manet In caritate In deo manet et cetera //
alas þat drynke shall forde / ford[o] þat god dere a-bo{u}oghte
and doythe god forsaken theym þat he shope to hys lykenes
amen dico vobis nescio vos et alibi
et dimisi eos secundum disederia & ceteraC
Foles þat fa{u}vten Inwytt I fynd þat holy ch{u}vrche
sholde fynden theym þat theym fa{u}vtethe & faderles chyldren
& wydowes þat ha{u}ve noght wheron to wynnen þeir foode
madde men & meydens þat helples were
Off þis mattyer I myghte make a longe tale
& þat I lye not (off þat I leere þe) l{u}vke beyryth wyttnes
godfadre & godmodre þat sene theyr god-chyldrene
& myssease & mysscheffe & mowe þem amende
shall ha{u}ve pen{n}vance / pen[n]ance In p{u}vrgatorye but þei þem helpe
For more longer to þe lytull barne er he þe lawe knowe
þen neue{n}vyng / neue[n]yng off a name & he neuer þe wyser
sh{u}olde no crystyen creat{u}vre cryen att þe gate
ne fayle payne & potage / & prelates dyd as þei sh{u}olde
a Iewe wold noght seen a Iewe go Iangle for defa{u}vte
for all þe movebleys In þis worlde & he amend ytt myght
alas þat a crystyen creato{u}vre shalbe / shal be vnkynd to an-other
sythen Iewes þat we I{u}vggen I{u}vdas felowes
eyther off theym helpethe other off þat þat theym nedythe
wye nyll we crystyen off crystes goode be as kynde
as Iewes þat beene our loores men shame to vs all
bysshopes shalbe / shal be blamed for beggers saake
he ys wors þen I{u}vdas that gy{u}vethe Iapers {beggers} syl{u}ver
& byd þe beggers go for hys brooke clothes
proditor est prelatus cum Iuda qui patrimonium cristi
minus distribuit: et alibi : perniciosus dispensator
est qui res pauperum Invtiliter consummitC
he doythe not well þat doyethe þus & ne dredethe not god almyghty
ne lo{u}vethe nat salomones sawes that sapyence taght
Inicium sapientie timor domini //
thow doest best yff þou wythdrawe by day & by nyght
to spyll any speche or any space off tyme
qui offendit In vno In omnibus est reus : //
lesyng off tyme trewthe wootethe þe sothe
ys most hated on yerthe off theym þat be In hey{u}ven
& sythe to spyll speche þat spyre ys off grace
and godes gleeman & a game off hey{u}ven
wold neuer þe faythfull fadre / hys fythyll were vntempered
now ys gleeman a geydelyng & a goer to tauernes
to all trewe tydymen that tra{u}vell desyren
our lorde lo{u}vethe theym & lent lo{u}vde other styll
grace to go to theym / & agon theyr l{e}y{u}velode
Inquirentes autem deum non minientur / min[u]entur omni bono .//
trew wedded ly{u}vyng folke In thys worlde ys dowell
for þei mote worche & wynne & þe worlde s{u}vsteyne
for off theyr kynde they cam / þat confesso{u}vr be neue{n}ved / neue[n]ed
kynges & knyghtes kaysers & ch{u}vrles
meydens & mart{o}ers owte off a man came
þe wyffe was made þe way for to helpe to worche
& þus was wedlocke wroght wythe a meane persone
Fyrst by þe faders wyll & þe freendes counseyle
& sythe by assente off theym-selfe as þei two myght acorde
& þus was wedlocke wroght god hym-selffe ytt made
but fal{s}ce folke faytheles the{u}ves & lyers
wasters & wrecches owte off wedlocke I trowe
concey{u}ved be In e{u}vell tyme as chayme was on e{u}ve
off s{u}oyche synfull shrewes þe sa{u}vter makethe mynde
concepit In dolore et peperit Iniquitatem ://
& all þat came off þat kayme cam to euell ende
for god send to seem & seyd by an angell
thyn yss{u}ve In thyn yss{u}ve I wyll þat þei be wedded
& nat þi kynd wyth kaymes co{u}vpled ne spo{u}vsed
yet some ageyne þe sond off o{u}vr sa{u}vyo{u}vr off hey{u}ven
kaymes kynd & hys kynd co{u}vpled to-gedders
tyll god wratthed wyth þeir workes & s{u}oyche a worde sayde
that I maked man nowe me ytt forthynkethe
penetet me fecisse hominem & cetera.//
& cam to noye a-non & badde hym noght lett
swythe go shape a shyp off shydes & off boordes
thye-selfe & þi thre sones & sythen yo{u}vr wy{u}ves
cleane a-way þe co{u}vrsed bloode þat kame hath maked
beystes þat now be shall banne the tyme
all shall dye for hys dedes by dales & by hylles
& þe fowles þat flyen forthe wyth other beestes
excepte onlyche off yche kynd a co{u}vple
ther boght þe barne þe belsyre gyltes
& all for þeir fornefadres þei farden the wor{s}ce
þe gospell ys þer-agayne In on degre I fynde
filius non portabit Iniquitatem patris et pater non & cetera. //
but I fynd yff þe fadre be fal{s}ce & a shrewe
þat somedeale þe sone shall ha{u}ve the syres tacches
ympe off a eller & yff thyne app{u}vll be swete
moche mer{u}veyle me thynkethe & more off a shrewe
that bryngethe forthe any barne but he be the same
and ha{u}ve a sa{u}vo{u}vr after þe syre seylde seest þou other
nunquam colligimus de spinis vuas nec de tribulis ficus .//
& þus thr{u}vgh c{u}vrsed kayem cam care vp-on yerthe
& all for they wroght wedlocke ageynst goddes wyll
for some as I see nowe sothe for to tell
for co{u}vetyse off catell vnkyndly be weddyd
as befell to þe folke as I before off tolde
for good shulde wed goode thogh they no goode had
I am via et veritas seyeth cryste I may a{u}vaunce all
ytt ys an vncomely co{u}vple by cryste as me thynkethe
to gy{u}ven a yonge wenche to an old feble
or wedden any wydowe for weltheP off hyr goodes
that neuer shall barne beyre but ytt be In armes
many a pa{ir}yre sythe þe pestylence ha{u}ve plyght þem to-geddres
þe fr{u}vte þat they bryng forthe are fo{u}vle wordes
In Ielosye Ioyesles / Ioyeles Iangelyng In bedde
ha{u}ve þei no chyldren but chest & choppyng theym betwene
& thogh they do theym to donmowe but þe de{u}vell helpe
to folowen after þe flycche / fecche they ytt neuer
& but þei bothe be forsworne that bakon they tyne
forthy I co{u}vnseyle all crystyen co{u}veyte not be wedded
for co{u}vetyse off catell ne off kyndred ryche
but meydens & meydens mache you to-geddres
wydowes & wydoers worchethe the same
and þen gett ye þe grace off god & good ynoghe to ly{u}ve wyth
and euery maner seculer that may not contynewe
wysely go wedde & warre þe fro synne
for leychery In lokyng ys a lymeyarde off hell
wyle þou art yong & thye weypen kene
wreke þe wyth wyvyng yff þou wylt beene exc{u}vsed
cum sis vir fortis ne des tua robera scortis
scribitur in portis meretrix est Ianua mortisC
when ye ha{u}ve wyved beware & worche In tyme
noght as adam & e{u}ve when kayem was Ingendred
for In vntyme trewly betwene man & woman
ne sh{u}old no bo{u}vrde In bed be but yff þei bothe were cleane
bothe off lyfe & off so{u}vle & In perfytt charyte
þat ylke derne dede do no man ne sholde
for he made wedlocke f{u}vrste & hym-sel{u}ve ytt seyde
bonum est vt vnuus / vnusquisqueP vxorem suam habeat propter fornicationem
& þei that other-gates be getten for gedelynges beene holden
as fal{s}ce folke / fondlynges fayto{u}vrs & lyers
vngracyo{u}vse to gett good or lo{u}ve off the poeple
wandren & wast what þei cacche mowe
ageynst dowell þei do {elu} e{u}vell & þe de{u}vell ser{u}ve
& after þer deyd day shall dwell wyth the same
but god gy{u}ve þem grace here theym-sel{u}ve to amend
dowell my frend ys to done as the lawe teychethe
to lo{u}ve þi frende & thy foo le{u}ve me þat ys do-better
to gy{u}ven & to ȝemen bothe yong & olde
to healen & to helpen ys dobest off all
& so semeythe doo-best off bothe & bryngethe downe þe modye
& þat ys wycked wyll that manye worke shendythe
& dry{u}vethe a-way dowell thr{u}vgh deydly synne
explicit secundus passus de
dowell
D