& howe fellLX fe{n}venyeres / fe[r]n[e]yeres ere faren & so fewe to come

& off thy wylde wantonnesse tho þou yong were

to amend þe In þi mydle age lest myght þe fayle

In þin old elde þat y{u}vell can suffer

po{u}verte or pennance or preyers bydde

sP si non In prima vigilia nec In secunda ://

amend þe whyle þou myghteste þou hast be warned offte

wyth poostes off pestelences wyth po{u}verte & wyth angres

& wyth thes bytter baleyzes god beytethe hys dere chyldren

quem diligo castigo ·//

for dauyd In the sa{u}vter sayethe off s{u}oyche as lo{u}ve Iesus.

virga tua et baculus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt .//

allthoghe þou stryke me wyth þi staffe . wyth stycke or wyth yarde

ytt ys but m{u}vrthe as for me to amend my so{u}vle

and þou medelest þe wyth mastryes & myght go say P the sa{u}vter

& byd for þem þat gy{u}vethe þe bred for there are bokes Inowe

to tell men whatt dowell ys dobetter & dobest bothe

& preychars to pro{u}ve whatt yt ys / off manye peyre freres

I syghe well he sayde me sothe & somewhatt me to exc{u}vse

sayd caton comforted hys sonne clerke thoghe he were

to solace hym some-tyme as I doo when I make

Interpone tuis Interdum gaudia curis ·//

& off holy men I herde howe þei other-whyle

pleyden þe perfytter to beene In manye places

butt yff þer were any wyght þat wold me tell

[what were dowell and dobetter and dobest at þe last]

wold I neuer do worke but wende to holy churche

and there byddeP my beades but when I eyte or slepe

pa{u}vle In hys epystle quod he pro{u}vethe watt ys dowell

spes fides charitas & maior horum & cetera //

faythe hope & charyte and all beene goode

& sa{u}ve men sondrye tymes but non so sone as charyte

for he dothe well wyth-oute do{u}vte þat doethe as leallte teychethe

that ys yff þou be man maryed þi make þou lo{u}ve

& ly{u}ve forthe as lawe wyll whyle ye ly{u}ven here

ryght so & þou be relygyo{u}vse renne þou neuer forther

to rome ne to rochemadoure but as þi r{u}vle teychethe

& hold þe vndre obedyence that hyghe way ys to hey{u}ven

or salomon hys sapyence or sampson hys strenght

Iob þe Iewe hys Ioy dere ytt a-bo{u}vghte

arystotell & other mo ypocras & wyrgyll

alysandre þat all wanne elenglyche endede

catell & kynde wytte was combrace / combra[n]ce to theym all

Felyce hyr feyrnes fell hyr all to sklandre

& rosamound ryght so rewfully besette

the bea{u}vte off hyr bodye In badnes she dyspendyd

off manye s{u}oyche I myght rede bothe off men & off wymen

that wyse wordes can say & worche þe contrarye

sunt homines nequam de virtute bene loquentes . //

& ryche ren{{n}v}kesP ryght so gardyden & sparden

& tho men þat þei most haten mynystren att þe lestLX

& for þei sufferen & se so manye nedye folkes

& lo{u}ven þem noght as god by{t}d lesen theyre so{u}vles

date et dabitur vobis et cetera ·//

& ryches ryght so but yff þe roote be trewe

but grace ys a gresse þeroff þe gre{u}vance to abate

but grace ne growethe noght but amongest lowe

pacyence & pouerte þe place ys whereLG ytt growethe

& In leall ly{u}vyng men & In lyfe holye

& thrughe þe gyffte off þe holyegoste / holye goste as þe gosspell tellethe

spiritus vbi vult spirat et cetera

claregye & kynd wytt comethe off syght & teychyng

as þe boke beyrethe wyttnes to b{u}vrnes þat can rede

quod scimusP loquimur quod videmus testamur. //

off quod scimus comethe connyng & clargye off hey{u}ven

& off quod vid{e}imusT commethe kynd wytt & syght of dyuers poeple

& grace ys a gyffte off god & off greate lo{u}ve spryngethe

knewe neuer clerke howe ytt comethe forthe ne kynd wytt þe wayesC

nescit aliquis vnde venit audLG quo vadit & cetera //

& yett ys clargye to commend & kynd wytt bothe

& namely clarg{e}ye for crystes lo{u}ve þat off clargye ys roote

for moyses wytnessethe þat god wrote for to wysse the poeple

In þe olde lawe as þe lettre tellethe was þe lawe off þe I{u}ves

þat what woman were In awowtre taken ryche other po{u}vre

wyth stones men sh{u}old hyr stryke & stonon hyr to dethe

a woman as we fynden was gyltyffe off þat dede

but cryste off hy{r}sP co{u}vrtesy thrughe clargye hyr sa{u}ved

For thrugh carectes þat cryste wroght þe Iewes knewe þem-sel{u}ve

more gyltye as before god & gretter In synne

þen þe woman þat þer was & went a-way for shame

þe clargye þat there was comforted the woman

holye kyrke knowethe þis þat crystes wrytyng sa{u}ved

so claregye ys comforte to creat{u}vres þat repenten

& to mansed men myscheffe att theyre ende

for goddes bodye myght noght be off bred wyth-o{u}vte clargye

the wyche bodye ys bothe boote to the ryghtffull

& dethe & dampnatyon to theym þat dye y{u}vell

as crystes carectes conforted & bothe c{u}vlpable shewed

the woman þat þe Iewes broght þat Iesus thoght to sa{u}ve

nolite Iudicare et non Iudicabimini · & cetera.//

ryght so goddes bodye but ytt be worthylye taken

dampnethe vs att þe day off dome as þe carectes dyd þe Iewes

forthy I co{u}vnseyle þe for crystes sake clargey to lo{u}ve

for kynd wytt ys off hys kynne & nyghe cos{u}vns bothe

to our lorde le{u}ve me / lo{u}ve þem forthy I redde

for bothe be as myrro{u}vrs to amend our defa{u}vtes

& leyders for lewde men & for lettered bothe

forthy lack þou neuer logyk law ne thes costomes

ne contrepleyde clerkes I co{u}vnseyle þe for e{u}ver

for as a man may noght see þat myssethe hys eyne

no more can a clarke but he caght ytt thrugh bokes

all-thogh men made bokes god was þe master

& seynt spyryte hys samplarye & sayde whatt men sh{u}olde wryte

& ryght as syght ser{u}vethe a man to see þe hye streete

ryght so leydethe lett{u}vre lewde men to reason

& as a blynd man In batell beyrethe weypen to fyght

& hathe no happe wyth hys axe hys enmye to hytte

no more can a kynd wytted man but clerkes hym teyche

come for all hys kynd wytte to cr{e}ystendome & be sa{u}ved

whyche ys þe coffre off crystes treaso{u}vr & clerkes kepe þe kayes

to vnlocken ytt at{o}tP t{l}heyr {poeple}lykyngeP & to þe lewde poeple

gyffe mercye for þer myssdedes yff men ytt wole aske

boxomeleche & benynglyche and bydden ytt off grace

archa dei / In þe old lawe le{u}vytes ytt kepten

had neuer lewde man le{u}ve to ley hand on þe cheyste

but he were preste or prestes sonne / patriarke /or prophete

for claregy ys keper vndre cryste off hey{u}ven

was þer neuer no knyght but claregye hym made

butt kynd wytt comethe off alkynnes syghtes

off bryddes & off bestes off tastes off trewthe & of deceytes

ly{u}vyers before vs vseden the marke

the selco{u}vthes þat þei see þer sonnes toT teyche

and helde an hyghe scyence theyr wyttes to knowe

as thrugh theyr scyence sothely was neuer so{le}wle sa{u}ved

ne broght by þer bokes to blysse ne to Ioy

for all theyre kynd knowyng cometheLG but off dyuers syghtes

patryarkes & prophetes repro{u}ved theyre scyence

& seyden þer wordes ne þer wyssdomes were not but a folye

& as to þe clargy off cryste ys co{u}vnted but a tryf{u}vll

sapientia huius mundi stulticia est apud deum et cetera //

for þe hyghe holygoste / holy goste hey{u}ven shall to-cle{u}ve

and lo{u}ve shall leype oute after In-to þis lowe yerthe

and cleynnesses shall cacchen ytt & clerkes shall yt fynd

pastores loquebantur ad Inuicem et cetera //

he speykethe þer off ryche men noght ne off ryght wyttye

ne off lordes þat were lewdemen / lewde men but hyeste lettered oute

Ibant magi ab oriente et cetera //

yff any frere were fond there I gy{u}ve þe fy{u}ve fyngers

ne In no beggers cote was þat barne borne

but In a burgeys place off bethelem the best

set non erat locus In diuersorio & pauper non habet diuersorium. //

to pasto{u}vrs & to poeetes appered the angell

& bad theym go to bethelem goddes byrthe to hono{u}vre

& song a song off sola{s}ce / gloria in excelsis deo .//

clerkes knewen ytt well & came wyth theyr presentes

& dyd theyr homage honerably to hym þat was almyghtye

T& goddys sonne þat syttethe yn hey{u}ven & shall sa{u}ve vs all

whye I haue tolde þe all þis I toke full good hede

howe þou contraryest clare{l}gy wyth crabbed wordes

how þat lewde men lyghlyer LXþen lettered were sa{u}ved

then clerkes or kynd wytted men off crysten poeple

& þou seydest sothe off some but se ytt yn whatt manerere / manereP

take two strong men & In temse cast them

bothe naked as a nelde non sykerer then other

þe on hathe connyng & can s{m}wymmyn & dy{u}ven

þe other ys lewde off þat labour & lerned neuer to swymme

wyche trowesthowe off þes two In temse ys yn most drede

he þat neuer dy{u}ved ne noght can off swymmynge

or þe swymmere þat ys sa{u}ve so hym-sel{u}ve lyke

therysP hys felow fletethe forthe as þe flo{u}vde lykethe

& ys In drede to drenche þat neuer dyd swymme

þat swymme can noght ytt semethe to my wyttes

ryght so quod þe re{n}vke / re[n]ke reason ytt showethe

that he þat knowethe claregy can soner aryse

oute off synne & be sa{u}ve thoghe he synne offte

yff hym lykethe & lyst þen any lewde leally

for yff a clerke be connyng he knowethe what ys synne

and how contrycyon wyth-owte confessyon confortethe þe so{u}vle

þou seest yn þe sa{u}vter In psalmes on or twey

how contrycyon ys commendyd ytt cacchethe away synne

beati quorum remisse sunt Iniquitates et quorum et cetera //

& þis confortethe eche clerke & couerethe hym fro whanhope

In wyche floode þe fende fondethe a man hardest

there þe lewde lyen styll & loken after lenten

& hathe no contrycyon er he go to shryfte þen can he lytle tell

& as hys loores man lernethe hym bele{u}vethe & trowethe

& þat ys after persone or perysshe preeste & pera{u}venture

vnconnyng to leere lewde men as luke beyrethe wyttnes

dum cecus ducit cecum et cetera ·//

wo was hym marked þat wade m{ot}vste wyth the lewde

well may þe berne blysse þat hym to boke sette

þat ly{u}vyng P after letterure sa{u}ved hym ly{u}ve & so{u}vle

dominus pars hereditatis mee & cetera ys a myry versett

that hathe taken fro tyburne xxti / twenti strong the{u}ves

ther lewde the{u}ves ben {saued} lolled vp loke how þei be sa{u}ved

the theffe þat had grace off god on good fryday as þou spake

was for he yolde hym creante to cryste on þe cros & knew hym gylty

& grace axed off god & he ys e{u}ver redye

þat boxomely byddethe ytt & In wyll to amend hym

and thogh þat theffe had hey{u}ven he had no hygh blysse

as seynt Ihon & other seyntes þat deser{u}ved ytt better

ryght as some men gy{u}ve me meyte & sytt me amydde þe floore

Iche haue meyte more þen Inoghe but not so moche worshyppe

as tho þat sytten at þe table wyth soueregnes yn the hall

but sytt as beggers bredles by my-sel{u}ve on the grownde

so ytt farethe by þat felon þat on goodfryday / good fryday was sa{u}ved

he syttethe not by seynt Ihon nether symon ne I{u}vde

ne wyth meydens ne martyres confesso{u}vrs ne wydowes

by hym-selfe as a soleyn and ser{u}ved on the yerthe

for he þat ys on{es}ce a theffe ys euer-more In da{u}vngere

and as lawe lykethe to ly{u}ve or to dye

de peccato propiciato noli esse sine metu & cetera //

and for to ser{u}ve a seynte & s{u}oyche a theffe to-gedders

ytt were nether reason ne ryght to reward þem bothe ylyche

and as troianus þe trewe knyght tylde not depe In hell

but our lorde had hym lyghtlyche oute so le{u}ve I þe theffe yn hey{u}venC

for he ys In þe lowest hey{u}ven yff our byle{u}ve be trewe

& well lowselyche he lollethe þer by law off holye churche

omnia reddit vnicuique Iuxta operaP sua & cetera //

& why þat on theffe on the cros creauntP hym yelded

rather then þe other theffe thogh þou wold apposse

all þe clarkes vndre cryste ne co{u}vld þe skylle assoyle

quare placuit quia voluit et cetera //

and so I say by þe þat sekest after þe whyes

and reasonedest reason a rebukyng as ytt were

& off þe flo{u}vres yn þe frythe & off þierP feyre hewes

whereoff þei cacche theyr colo{u}vrs so fayre & so bryght

& wyllest of bryddes & bestes & off þeir bredyng knowe

whye some be a-lowe & some be a-lofte þi lykyng yt were

& off þe stones & sterres / thow studyest as I wene

how euery beaste or byrde hathe so breeme wyttes

clargye ne kynd wytt knewe neuer the ca{u}vse

but kynd knowethe ytt hym-sel{u}ve & no creature elles

he ys þe pyes patrone & puttethe In hys yere

that þer þe thorne ys thyckest to bylden & breede

& kynd kennethe þe peycocke to kauken In s{u}oyche a kynde

& kenned adam to knowe hys pry{u}vye membres

and taght hym & e{u}ve to hyllen þem wyth ley{u}ves

lewde men manye tymes masters apposen

why adam hylled not furste hys mo{u}vthe or þat {h}eteT þe apple

rather then hys lykhame a-lowe / lewde axen th{u}vs clerkes

kynd knowethe whye he dyd so & no clerke elles

but off bryddes & off beastes men off olde tyme

ensamples token & termes as tellen thees poettes

& that the fayrest sothelyP þe fowlest Ingenderethe

& febelest fowle off flyght ys þat flyethe or swymmethe

that ys the peycock & þe powen pro{u}vde ryche men þei betokene

for peycock yff men pursewe hym may noght flye hyghe

for tra{u}vylyng off hys teyle o{u}ver-taken ys he sone

& hys flesshe ys fowle flesshe & hys feete bothe

& vnlo{u}velyche off leden / & laythe for to here

ryght so the ryche yff he hys ryches kepe

& deale ytt noght tyll hys dethe day hys tayle off all sorowe

ryght as þe pennes off þe peycock peined hym In hys flyght

so ys possessyon peyne off peynn{e}s or off nobles

to all þem þat holden to þeir taylles be pl{u}vcked

& thogh þe ryche repent þen & rewe the tyme

þat euer he gadered so greate & ga{u}ve þeroff so lytle

thogh he crye to cryste wyth kene wyll I lee{u}ve

ys leden ys In our lordys {y}ereC lyke a peyseT

& when hys caryonP shall come In ca{u}ve to be buryed

I le{u}ve yt fla{u}vmbe full fowle all abowte

& all other þer he lyethe en{u}venymethe thrugh hys acter / a[t]ter

by þe poo feete ys vndrestand as I lerned In auynette

exec{u}vtors false frendes þat fullfylnot / fullfyl not hys wyll

that was wryten & þer wyttnes to worche as yt wolde

þisLX þe poett pro{u}vethe þat þe peycock for hys feythers ys re{u}verensed C

ryght so ys þe ryche by þe reasonP off hys goodes

the larke þat ys a lasse fowle ys more lo{u}velyche off leden

& well away off w{e}yngeP swyfter þen the peycocke

and off flesshe by fellLX folde fatter & swetter

to lowe ly{u}vyng men þe larke ys resembeled

alyzandre þe greate clere / cler[k]e s{u}oyche tales tellethe

th{u}vs he lykenethe {h}yn hys logyk þe leeste soghellT o{u}vte

& whedre he be sa{u}ve or noght þe sothe whoote þe clargye

ne off sortes ne salomon no scrypture can tell

but god ys so good I hope þat sythen he ga{u}ve þem wyttes

to wyssen vs wayes wyth þat wysen vs to be sa{u}ved

& þe better for theyr bokes to bydde we be holden

that god for hys grace gy{u}ve theyr so{u}vles rest

for lettered men were lewde yet nereP loore off þeir bokes

all þes clarkes quod I tho that on crysteP lee{u}ven

syggen yn þer sermones þat no sarezenes ne Iewes

ne no creature of crystes lyknes wythoute crystendome worthe sa{u}ved

contra quod Imagynaty{u}ve & comsed to lo{u}vre

and seyde saluabitur vir Iustus in die Iudicij

ergo saluabitur quod he & sayd no more laten

troianus was a trew knyght & toke neuer crystendome

& he ys sa{u}ve so sayethe the booke & hys so{u}vle In hey{u}ven

for þer ys fullyng off fonte and fullyng In bloodshedyng / blood shedyng

& thrugh f{u}yreP ys fullyng and þat ys ferme byle{u}ve

aduenit ignis diuinus non comburens set illuminans & cetera //

but trewthe þat tresspassed neuer ne tra{u}versed ageynst hys lawe

and ly{u}vethe as hys lawe teychethe & le{u}vet{.}h þer be non bettre

and yff þer were he wolde amend & In s{u}oche wyll dyethe

ne wolde neuer trewe god but trewthe were alowed

and were ytt worthe or noght byle{u}ve ys greate of trewthe

and an hope hangyng þer-yn to ha{u}ve mede for hys trewthe

quia deus dicit quasi vitam eternam suis hoc est fidelibus

et alibi si ambulauero In medio vmbre mortis et cetera //

the glosse gra{u}vntethe vs on þat vers a greate medeP to trewthe

& wytt & wyssdome quod þat vyȝeLX was some-tyme treysorye

to kepe wythe a comen no catell holden better

& moche m{u}vrthe & manhoode & ryght wyth þat he wanesshed