Passus xius / undecimus · de visione · & iiijus / quartus · de do-weel ·
Thanne scripture scornyd me · & a skyll tolde
and lackyd me yn latyn · & lygth by me sche sette
and seyde multi multa sciunt · & seipsos nesciunt ·
tho wepte y for wo · and wratthe of her speche
and yn wynkynge wratthe · wex y a-slepe ·
a merueyl{..}us metels · mette me þanne ·
that y was rauaschid rygth þere · & fortune me fette
and ynto longynge · alone sche me brougth ·
and yn a myrrour þat higth myddel erthe · sche made me to byholde
sytthyn sche seyde to me · here mygth þu se wondres
and knowe þat þu coueytest · & come þerto paraduenture ·
¶C Than had fortune folwynge here · two fayre damysels
concupiscencia carnis · men callyd þe elder mayde ·
and couetyse of eiȝen · y-callyd was þat other
pryde of parfit lyuynge · pursuyd hem bothe
¶ concupiscencia carnis · collyd me aboute the nekke
and seyde thu art ȝong{e} & ȝeep · & hast ȝeres ynowe ·
forto lyue longe · and ladyes to louye ·
and yn þys myrour þu mygth see · myght{..}es ful manye
that ledyn þee wylle to lykynge al thy lyf{e} tyme
the secunde seyde þe same · y schall sue þy wylle
tyl thu be a lord & haue londe · lete þe y nylle
þat y ne schall folowe þy {...?...?...}felaschipe · ȝif fortune it lyke ·
¶ He schall fynde me his frend{e} . quod fortune þerafter
þe freke that folwyd my wylle · faylyd neuere blysse
¶ Thanne was þer oon þat higth elde · þat heuy was of chere
man quod he ȝif y mete wyth the · be marye of heuene ·
thu schalt{e} fynde fortune þe fayle · at þy moste nede
and concupiscencia carnis · clene the fursake ·
bytterly schalt þu banne þanne · bothe dayes and nyhtes
couetyse of eiȝe þat euere thu her knewe
and pryde of parfyt lyuynge · to muche peryl the brynge
¶ Ȝit recche þu neuere quod recchelesnesse · stod forth yn raggyd clothys
folowe forth that fortune · wylle · þu hast wel fer to elde ·
a man may stoupe tymes ynowȝ · whan he schal tyne þe crowne ·
homo proponit quod a poete · and plato he higth ·
and deus disponit quod he · lat god don his wylle ·
ȝif trewthe woll wytnes it be wel don · fortune to folwe
concupiscencia carnis · ne couetyse of eiȝen ·
ne schall nougth greue the gretly · ne bygyle þe but thu wolt{e}
¶ Ȝe farwel phippe quod fawntelte · and forþ gan me drawe ·
tyl concupiscencia carnis · accorded alle my werkes ·
¶ Alas eiȝe quod elde · and holynesse bothe ·
þat wytt schal turne to wreccydnesse for wyl to haue his lykynge
¶ Couetyse of eiȝen · confortyd me anon aftur
and folwyd me fourty wynter · and a fyfte more ·
that of do-wel ne dobet · no deynte {n}me þougthe ·
y had no lykynge leue me ȝif thu lyst · of hem ougth to knowe ·
for couetyse of eiȝen · came ofter yn mynde ·
than dowel or dobet · amonge my dedys alle
¶ Couetyse of yȝen · conforted me ofte
and seyde haue thu no conscyence · how thu come to good
go confesse the to the frere · and schewe hym þy synnes ·
for whiles fortune is thy frend{e} frerys woln þe louye ·
and fecche the to her fraternite · and for the beseche ·
to her pryour prouyncyal · a pardoun forto haue ·
and preyen for the pol by pol · ȝif þu pecuniosus be ·
Set pena pecuniaria · non sufficit pro spiritualibus delictisP · & cetera
¶ By wyssynge of þys wenche y wrougth · her woordys were so swete ·
tyl y furȝat ȝougthe · and ran ynto elde
and þanne was fortune my foo · for al her fayr beheste
and pouerte pursuyd me · and putte me lowe ·
and þo fond y the frere · affer{ed}d and flyttynge bothe ·
aȝenst our furst forward · for y seyde y nolde ·
be buryed at her hous · but at my paresch chyrche
for y herde ones · how conscyence it tolde
þat þere a man were crystnyd · by kynde he schulde be buryed
or where he were parschen · rygth þere he schulde be grauyn ·
and for y seyde thus to frerys · afool / a fool þey me heldyn
and louedyn me þe lasse · for my lele speche
¶ Ac ȝit y cryed on my confessour · þat helde hym-self so konnynge
by my feiþ frere quod y · ȝe faryn lyke þese wowers
þat weddyn none wydewys · but to welde her goodys
rygth so by þe rode · rougth ȝe neuere ·
where my body were buryed · by so ȝe haddyn my syluer
y haue moche meruayl of ȝow · & so haþ many another
why ȝour couent coueyteþ · to confesse and to burye
rather than to baptyse barnys · that byn catecomlynges
baptysynge and buryynge and bothe full nedyfull
¶ Ac moche more meretorye · me thynkeþ is to baptise ·
for a baptysed man may · as þese maystres telleþ
thurgh contrycyon come · to þe hyȝe heuene
Sola contricio delet peccatum · T
ac a barn{e} wyth-oute bapteme · may nougth so be sauyd
Nisi quis renatus fuerit · & cetera
looke ȝe lettryd men · wher y lye or do nougth ·
¶ And lewte lokyd on me · and y louryd aftur
wherfor lourest thu quod lewte · and lokyd on me harde ·
ȝis by peter and by poule quod he · & tooke hem bothe to wytnesse ·
Non oderis Fratres secrete in corde tuo · sed publice argue illos · & cetera ·
¶ They woln a-legge also quod y · and by the gospel preuyn ·
Nolite iudicare quemquam · & cetera ·
¶ And wherof serueth lawe quod lewte · ȝif no lyf vndurtook yt ·
falsnesse ne faytrye · for sumwhat þe apostle seyde ·
Non oderis fratrem · and yn þe sauter also · seyþ dauid þe prophete ·
Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis · & cetera
¶ It is licitum for lewyd men · to synge the sothe ·
yf hem lykeþ and luste · echa / ech a lawe it graunteth ·
except persouns and preestys · and prelates of holy cherche
yt falleþ nougth for þat folk{e} no talys to telle
thouȝ þe tale were trewe · and it touche synne
¶ Thyng þat all þe world{e} wot{e} · wherfor schuldest thu spare
to redyn it yn retoryke · to arate dedly synne
ac be thu neuer þe furste þe defaute to blame ·
þowȝ þu see euyl seye it nougth furst · be sory it nere amendyd
no þyng{e} þat is priue · publysche it neuere
no neyþer for loue laud yt nougth · ne lacke it for enuye
Parum lauda · vitupera parcius · & cetera ·
¶ he seith sooþ quod scrypture tho · and scyppyd an hiȝe and prechid ·
ac þe mater þat sche meuyd · ȝif lewde men yt knewe ·
the lasse as y leue · louyn it they wolde · T
schall neuyr chalengynge · no chydynge · chastyse aman / a man so sone ·
as schame and schende hym · and schape hym to amende ·
for late a dronkyn daffe · yn a dyke falle ·
lat hym lygge loke nougth on hym · tyl hym lust to ryse ·
for þowȝ reson rebukyd hym þanne · it nere but pure synne ·
ac whan nede is nymeþ hym vp · for doute laste he sterue ·
and schame schrapeþ his cloþes and his schynes wascheþ
thanne wote the dronkyn daffe · wherfor he is to blame
¶ Ȝe seyn sooth quod y · y haue seen it ofte
þer smyt no thyng{e} so smerte · ne smelleþ so sowre
as schame þere he schewyth hym · for euery man hym schonyeth ·
why ȝe wysse me þus quod y · was for y rebukyd resoun ·
certys quod he þat is sooþ · and schoop hym forto walke
and aros vprygth wyþ þat · and folwyd hym aftur
and prayde hym for his curtasye · to telle me his name