Passus Xus / decimus
ThanneC hadde witte a wyf · was hote dame studye
Þat lene was of lere · and of liche bothe
She was wonderly wroth · þat witte me þus tauȝte
And al starynge dame studye · sternelich seyde
Wel artow wyse quod she to witte · any wysdomes to telle
To flatereres or to folis · þat frantyk ben of wittes
And blamed hym and banned hym · and badde hym be stylle
With suche wise wordes · to wissen any sottes
And seyde noli mittere man · margerye perlis
Amanges hogges þat han · hawes at wille
Þei don but dryuele þer-on draffe were hem leuere
Þan al þe precious perre · þat in paradys wexeth
I sey it bi suche quod she þat sheweth bi her werkes
Þat hem were leuer londe · and lordship on erthe
Or ricchesse or rentis · and reste at her wille
Þan alle þe sothe sawes · þat salamon seyde euere
¶ Wisdome and witte now is nouȝt worth a carseT
But if it be carded with coueytise · as clotheres kemben here wolle
Who-so can contreue deceytes · an conspire wronges
And lede forth a loue-day · to latte with treuthe
He þat suche craftes can · to conseille is clepid
Þei lede lordes with lesynges · and bilyeth treuthe
¶ Iob þe gentel in his geste{.}s witnesseth
Þat wikked men þei welden · þe welthe of þis worlde
And þat þei ben lordes of eche a londe · þat oute of lawe libbeth
Quare impij viuunt bene est omnibus qui preuaricantur & inique agunt
¶ Þe sauter seyth þe same · bi suche þat don ille
Ecce ipsiC peccatores habundantes in seculo optinuerunt diuicias
Lo seith holy letterrure whiche lordes beth þis shrewes
Þilke þat god moste gyueth · leste good þei deleth
And moste vnkynde to þe comune · þat moste catel weldeth
Que perfecisti destruxerunt · iustus autem &c ·
Harlotes for her harlotrye · may haue of her godis
And iaperes and iogeloures · and iangelers of gestes
¶ Ac he þat hath holy writte · ay in his mouth ·
And can telle of Tobye · and of þe twelue apostles
Or prechen of þe penaunce · þat pilat wrouȝt
To Ihesu þe gentil · þat Iewes to-drowe
Litel is he loued · þat suche a lessoun scheweth
Or daunted or drawe forth · I do it on god hym-self
¶ But þo þat feynen hem folis · and with faityng libbeth
Aȝein þe lawe of owre lorde · and lyen on hem-selue
Spitten and spewen · and speke foule wordes
Drynken and dryuelen · and do men for to gape
Lickne men and lye on hem · þat leneth hem no ȝiftes
Þei conne namore mynstralcye · ne musyke men to glade
Than Munde þe mylnere · of multa fecit deus
Ne were here vyle harlotrye · haue god my treuthe
Shulde neuere Kyng ne kniȝt · ne chanoun of seynt Poules
Ȝyue hem to her ȝeresȝiue · þe ȝifte of a grote
¶ Ac murthe and mynstralcye · amonges men is nouthe
Leccherye losengerye · and loseles tales
Glotonye and grete othes · þis murthe þei louieth
¶ Ac if þei carpen of cryst · þis clerkis and þis lewed
Atte mete in her murthes · whan mynstralles ben stille
C Þanne telleth þei of þe trinite · a tale other tweyne
And bringen forth a balled resoun · and taken Bernard to witnesse
And putten forth a presumpsioun · to preue þe sothe
C Þus þei dryuele at her deyse þe deite to knowe
And gnawen god with þe gorge · whan her gutte isT fulle
¶ Ac þe careful may crye · and carpen atte ȝate
Bothe afyngred and a-thurst · and for chele quake
Is none to nymen hym nere · his noye to amende
But heonLX on hym as an hounde · and hoten hym go þennes
Litel loueth he þat lorde · þat lent hym al þat blisse
Þat þus parteth with þe pore · a parcel whan hym nedeth
Ne were mercy in mene men · more þan in riche
Mendinantz meteles · miȝte go to bedde
God is moche in þe gorge · of þise grete maystres
Ac amonges mene men · his mercy and his werkis
And so seith þe sauter · I haue yseyeT it ofte
Ecce audiuimus eam in effrata · inuenimus eam in campis silue
Clerkes and other kynnes men · carpen of god faste
And haueT moche in þe mouthe · ac mene men in herte
¶ Freres and faitoures · han founde suche questiouns
To plese with proude men · sithen þe pestilence tyme
And prechen at seint poules · for pure enuye of clerkis
Þat folke is nouȝte fermed in þe feith · ne fre of her goodes
Ne sori for her synnes · so is pryde waxen
In religioun and in alle þe rewme · amonges riche & pore
Þat preyeres haue no power · þe pestilence to lette
And ȝette þe wrecches of þis worlde · is none ywar bi other
Ne for drede of þe deth · withdrawe nouȝt her pryde
Ne beth plentyuous to þe pore · as pure charite wolde
But in gaynesse and in glotonye · for-glotten her goode hem-selue
And breken nouȝte to þe beggar · as þe boke techeth
Frange esurienti panem tuum &c ·
And þe more he wynneth and welt · welthes & ricchesse
And lordeth in londes · þe lasse good he deleth
¶ Thobye telleth ȝow nouȝt so · take hede ȝe riche
How þe boke bible · of hym bereth witnesse
Si tibi sit copia habundanter tribue · si autem exiguum illud impertiri stude libenter
Who-so hath moche spene manliche · so meneth Thobie
And who-so litel weldeth · reule him þer-after
For we haue no lettre of owre lyf · how longe it shal dure
Suche lessounes lordes shulde · louie to here
And how he myȝte moste meyne manliche fynde
¶ Nouȝt to fare as a fitheler or a frere · forto seke festes
Homelich at other mennes houseT · and hatyen her owne
Elyng is þe halle : vche daye in þe wyke
Þere þe lorde ne þe lady liketh nouȝte to sytte
Now hath vche riche a reule · to eten bi hym-selue
In a pryue paloure / pa[r]loure · for pore mennes sake
Or in a chambre with a chymneye · and leue þe chief halle
Þat was made for meles · men to eten Inne
And al to spare to spille · þat spende shal an other
¶ I haue yherde hiegh men etyng atte table
Carpen as þei clerkes were · of cryste and of his miȝtes
And leyden fautes vppon þe fader · þat fourmed vs alle
And carpen aȝeine clerkes · crabbed wordes
Whi wolde owre saueoure suffre suche a worme in his blisse
Þat bigyled þe womman · and þe man after
Þorw whiche wyles and wordes · þei went to helle
And al her sede for here synne · þe same deth suffred
¶ Here lyeth ȝowre lore · þise lordes gynneth dispute
Of þat ȝe clerkes vs kenneth · of cryst by þe gospel
Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris &c ·
Whi shulde we þat now ben · for þe werkes of Adam
Roten and to-rende · resoun wolde it neuere
Vnusquisque portabit onus suum &c
Suche motyues þei moeue · þis maistres in her glorie
And maken men in mysbileue · þat muse moche on her wordes
¶ Ymaginatyf her-after-ward · shal answere to ȝowre purpos
¶ Augustyne to suche argueres · he telleth hemT þis teme
Non plus sapere quam oportet
Wilneth neuere to wite · whi þat god wolde
Suffre sathan his sede to bigyle
Ac bileue lelly · in þe lore of holicherche
And preye hym of pardoun · and penaunce in þi lyue
And for his moche mercye · to amende ȝow here
For alle þat wilneth to wyte · þe weyes of god almiȝty
I wolde his eye were in his ers · and his fynger after
Þat euere wilneth to wite · whi þat god wolde
Suffre sathan · his sede to bigile
Or iudas to þe iuwes · ihesu bytraye
Al was as þow woldeT · lorde yworschiped be þow
And al worth as þow wolte · what-so we dispute
¶ And þo þat vseth þis hauelounes · to blende mennes wittes
What is dowel fro dobet · now def mote he worthe
Sitthe he wilneth to wyte · whiche þei ben bothe
But if he lyue in þe lyf · þat longeth to dowel
For I dar ben his bolde borgh · þat dobet wil he neuere
Þeigh dobest drawe on hym day after other
¶ And whan þat witte was ywar what dame studye tolde
He bicome so confus · he couth nouȝte loke
And as doumbe a / a[s] deth · and drowe hym arrere
C ¶ And for no carpyng I couth after · ne knelyng to þe grounde
I myȝte gete no greyne · of his grete wittis
But al laughyng he louted · and loked vppon studye
In signe þat I shulde · biseche hir of grace
¶ And whan I was war of his wille · to his wyf gan I loute
And seyde mercy madame ȝowre man shal I worthe
As longe as I lyue · bothe late & rathe
Forto worche ȝowre wille · þe while my lyf dureth
With þat ȝe kenne me kyndely · to knowe what is dowel
I shal kenne þe to my cosyn · þat clergye is hoten
He hath wedded a wyf · with-Inne þis syx monethes
Is sybbe to þe seuene artz · scripture is hir name
Þei two as I hope · after my techyng
Shullen wissen þe to dowel · I dar it vndertake
And gladder þan þe gleman · þat golde hath to ȝifte
And axed hir þe heighe weye · where þat clergye dwelte
And telle me some token quod I · for tyme is þat I wende
Bothe wel & wo · ȝif þat þow wolt lerne
And ryde forth by ricchesse · ac rest þow nauȝt þerinne
For if þow couplest þe þer-with · to clergye comestow neuere
¶ And also þe likerouse launde · þat leccherye hatte
Leue hymT on þi left halue · a large myle or more
Tyl þow come to a courte · kepe wel þi tonge
Fro lesynges and lither speche · and likerouse drynkes
Þanne shaltow se sobrete · and symplete of speche
Þat eche wiȝte be in wille · his witte þe to shewe
And þus shaltow come to clergye · þat can many þinges
¶ Saye hym þis signe · I sette hym to scole
And þat I grette wel his wyf · for I wrote hir many bokes
And sette hir to sapience · and to þe sauter glose
Logyke I lerned hir · and many other lawes
¶ Plato þe poete · I put hym fyrste to boke
Arestotle and other moo · to argue I tauȝte
Grammer for gerles · I garte first wryte
And bette hem with a baleis · but if þei wolde lerne
Of alkinnes craftes · I contreued toles
Of carpentrie of kerueres and compassed masouns
And lerned hem leuel and lyne · þough I loke dymme
¶ Ac theologie hath tened me · ten score tymes
The more I muse þereInne · þe mistier it semeth
And þe depper I deuyne · þe derker me it þinketh
It is no science for-sothe · forto sotyle Inne
A ful lethy þinge it were · ȝif þat loue nere
Ac for it let best by loue · I loue it þe bettre
For þere þat loue is leder · ne lacked neuere grace
Loke þow loue lelly · ȝif þe lyketh dowel
For dobet and dobest · ben of loues kynne
¶ In other science it seyth · I saye it in catoun
Qui similat verbis velT corde est fidus amicus
Tu quoque fac simile · sic ars deluditur arte
Who-so gloseth as gylours don · go me to þe same
And so shaltow false folke and faythlees bigyle
Þis is catounes kennyng · to clerkes þat he lereth
Ac theologye techeth nouȝt so · who-so taketh ȝeme
He kenneth vs þe contrarye aȝein catones wordes
For he bit vs be as bretheren · and bidde for owre enemys
And louen hem þat lyen on vs · and lene hem whan hem nedeth
And do good aȝeines yuel · god hym-self it hoteth
Dum tempus habemus operemur bonum ad omnes maxime autem ad domesticos fidei
¶ Poule preched þe peple þat parfitnesse loued
To do good for goddes loue · and gyuen men þat asked
And nameliche to suche · þat sueth owre bileue
And alle þat lakketh vs or lyeth vs · owre lorde techeth vs to louye
And nouȝt to greuen hem þat greueth vs · god hym-self for-badde it
Michi vindictam & ego retribuam
For-þi loke þow louye · as longe as þow durest
For is no science vnder sonne · so souereyne for þe soule
C ¶ Ac astronomye is an harde þynge · and yuel forto knowe
Geometrie and geomesye is ginful of speche
Who-so thenketh werche with þo two · thryueth ful late
For sorcerye is þe souereyne boke · þat to þe science longeth
¶ Ȝet ar þere fybicches in forceres · of fele mennes makyng
Experimentz of alkamye · þe poeple to deceyue
If þow þinke to dowel · dele þer-with neuere
Alle þise science I my-self · sotiled and ordeyned
And founded hem formest · folke to deceyueC
¶ Telle clergye þise tokenes · and scripture after
To conseille þe kyndely · to knowe what is dowel ·
¶ I seide graunt mercy madame · and mekeliche hir grette
And went wiȝtlich awey · with-oute more lettynge
And til I come to clergye · I couthe neuere stynte
And gret þe good man · as studye me tauȝte
And afterwardes þe wyf · and worshiped hem bothe
And tolde hem þe tokenes · þat me tauȝte were
Was neuere gome vppon þis grounde · sith god made þe worlde
Fairer vnder-fongen · ne frendeloker at ese
Þan my-self sothly · sone so he wist
Þat I was of wittis hous · and with his wyf dame studye
I seyde to hem sothely · þat sent was I þider
Dowel and dobet · and dobest to lerne
¶ It is a comune lyf quod clergye · on holycherche to bileue
With alle þe artikles of þe feithe · þat falleth to be knowe
And þat is to bileue lelly · bothe lered and lewed
On þe grete god · þat gynnyng had neuere
And on þe sothfaste sone · þat saued mankynde
Fro þe dedly deth · and þe deueles power
Þorwgh þe helpe of þe holy goste · þe whiche goste is of bothe
Three persones · ac nouȝt in plurel noumbre
For al is but on god · and eche is god hym-selue
Deus pater deus filius · deus spiritus sanctus
God þe fader god þe sone · god holigoste of bothe
Maker of mankynde · and of bestes bothe
And hym-self ordeyned · to sadde vs in bileue
Who was his autour · alle þe foure euangelistes
And cryst clepid hym-self so · þe ewangelistes bereth witnesse
Ego in patre & pater in me est & qui videt me · videt et patrem meum
C ¶ Alle þe clerkes vnder cryst · ne couthe þis assoille
C But þus it bilongeth to bileue · to lewed þat willen dowel
For had neuere freke fyne wytte · þe feyth to dispute
Ne man had no merite · myȝte it ben yproued
Fides non habet meritum vbi humana racio prebet experimentum
C ¶ Þanne is dobet to suffre · for þi soules helth
Al þat þe boke bit · by holycherche techyng
And þat is man bi þi miȝte · for mercies sake
Loke þow worche it in werke · þat þi worde sheweth
Suche as þow semest in syȝte · be in assay yfounde
Appare quod es vel {est} esto quod apparesC
And lat no-body be · bi þi beryng bygyled
But be suche in þi soule · as þow semest with-oute
¶ Þanne is dobest to be bolde · to blame þe gylty
Sithenes þow seest þi-self · as in soule clene
Ac blame þow neuere body · and þow be blame-worthy
Si culpare velis · culpabilis esse cauebis
Dogma tuum sordet · cum te tua culpa remordet
God in þe gospel · grymly repreueth
Alle þat lakken any lyf · and lakkes han hem-selue
Quid consideras festucam in oculo fratris tui trabem in oculo tuo &c
Why meuestow þi mode for a mote · in þi brotheres eye
Sithen a beem in þine owne · ablyndeth þi-selue
Eice primo trabem de oculo tuo &c
Whiche letteth þe to loke · lasse other more
¶ I rede eche a blynde bosarde · do bote to hym-selue
For abbotes and for prioures · and for alle manere prelates
As parsones and parissh prestes · þat preche shulde and teche
Alle manere men · to amenden · by here myȝte
This tixte was tolde ȝow · to ben war ar ȝe tauȝte
Þat ȝe were suche as ȝe seyde · to salue with othere
If it auailled nouȝt þe comune · it myȝte auaille ȝow-seluen ·
¶ Ac it semeth now sothly · to þe worldes syght
Þat goddes worde worcheth nauȝte · on lered ne on lewede
But in suche a manere · as Marke meneth in þe gospel
Dum cecus ducit cecum ambo in foueam cadunt
¶ Lewed men may likne ȝow þus · þat þe beem lithe in ȝowre eyghen
And þe festu is fallen · for ȝowre defaute
In alle manere men · þourgh mansed prestes
Þe bible bereth witnesse þat alle þe folke of israel
Byttere abouȝte þe gultes · of two badde prestes
C Offyn and Fynes · for her coueytise
Archa dei myshapped · and ely brake his nekke
And þanne mowe ȝe saufly seye · as dauid made þe sauter
Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis · arguam te & statuam contra faciem tuam ·
¶ And þanne shal borel clerkes ben abasched · to blame ȝow or to greue
And carpen nouȝte as þei carpen now · and calle ȝow doumbe houndes
Canes non valentes latrare
And drede to wratthe ȝow in any worde · ȝowre werkemanship to lette
And be prestiore at ȝowre prayere · þan for a pounde of nobles
And al for ȝowre holynesse · haue ȝe þis in herte
¶ In scole þere is scorne · but if a clerke wil lerne
And grete loue and lykynge · for eche of hem loueth other
Ac now is religioun a ryder · a rowmer bi stretes
A leder of louedayes · and a londe-bugger
A priker on a palfray · fro manere to maner
An heep of houndes at his ers · as he a lorde were
And but if his knaue knele · þat shal his cuppe brynge
He loureth on hym and axeth hym · who tauȝte hym curteisye
Litel had lordes to donn · to ȝyue londe fram her heires
To Religious þat haue no reuthe · þough it reyne on here auteres
¶ In many places þer hij persones ben · be hem-self at ese
Of þe pore haue þei no pite · and þat is her charite
Ac þei leten hem as lordes · her londe lith so brode
¶ Ac þere shal come a kyng · and confesse ȝow religiouses
And bete ȝow as þe bible telleth · for brekynge of ȝowre reule
And amende monyales · monkes and chanouns
And putten hem to her penaunce · ad pristinum statum ire
And Barounes with Erles beten hem · þorugh beatus virres techynge
Þat here barnes claymen · and blame ȝow foule
Hij in curribusT hij in equis ipsi obligati sunt &c
¶ And þanne Freres in here freitoure shal fynden a keye
Of costantynes coffres · in which is þe catel
Þat Gregories god-children · han yuel dispended
Haue a knokke of a kynge · and incurable þe wounde
¶ That þis worth soth seke ȝe · þat oft ouer-se þe bible
Quomodo cessauit exactor · quieuit tributum · contriuit dominus baculum impiorum
et virgam dominancium cedencium plaga insanabili &c
¶ Ac ar þat kynge come · cayme shal awakeC
AcT dowel shal dyngen hym adoune · and destruyen his myȝte
Þanne is dowel and dobet quod I · dominus and kniȝthode
¶ I nel nouȝt scorne quod scripture · but if scryueynes lye
kynghod ne knyȝthod · by nauȝt I can awayte
helpeth nouȝt to heueneward · one heres ende
Ne ricchesse riȝt nouȝt · ne reaute of lordes
¶ Poule preueth it inpossible · riche men haue heuene
Salamon seith also · þat syluer is worst to louye
Nichil iniquius quam amare peccuniam
And caton kenneth vs to coueiten it · nauȝt but as nede techeth
Dilige denarium set parce dilige formam
And patriarkes and prophetes · and poetes bothe
Wryten to wissen vs · to wilne no ricchesse
And preyseden pouerte with pacience · þe apostles bereth witnesse
Þat þei han heritage in heuene · and bi trewe riȝte
Þere riche men no riȝte may clayme · but of reuthe and grace
¶ Contra quod I bi cryste · þat can I repreue
And preue it bi Peter · and bi poule bothe
Þat is baptized beth sauf · be he riche or pore
¶ Þat is in extremis quod scripture · amonges saracenes and iewes
Þei mowen be saued so · and þat is owre byleue
Þat an vncristene in þat cas · may crysten an hethen
And for his lele byleue · whan he þe lyf tyneth
Haue þe heritage of heuene · as any man crystene
¶ Ac crysten men with-oute more · may nouȝt come to heuene
For þat cryst for cristenmen / cristen men · deyde and confermed þe lawe
Þat who-so wolde and wylneth · with cryste to aryse
Si cum cristo surrexistis &c ·
He shulde louye & leneT · and þe lawe fulfille
Þat is loue þi lorde god · leuest aboue alle
And after alle crystene creatures · in comune eche man other
And þus bilongeth to louye · þat leueth to be saued
And but we do þus in dede · ar þe daye of dome
Or delyte in wyn and wylde foule · and wote any in defaute
For euery cristene creature shulde be kynde til other
And sithen hethen to helpe · in hope of amendement
God hoteth bothe heigh and lowe þat no man hurte other
And seith slee nouȝt þat semblable is · to myne owen liknesse
But if I sende þe sum tokne · and seith non necaberisT
Is slee nouȝt but suffre · and al for þe beste
For I shal punysshen hem in purgatorie · or in þe putte of helle
Vche man for his mysdedes · but mercy it lette
¶ Þis is a longe lessoun quod I · and litel am I þe wyser
Where dowel is or dobet · derkelich ȝe shewen
Many tales ȝe tellen · þat theologye lerneth
And þat I man made was · and my name yentred
In þe legende of lyf · longe er I were
Or elles vnwriten for somme wikkednesse as holywrit wytnesseth
Nemo ascendit ad celum nisi qui de celo decendit
¶ I leue it wel quod I bi owre lorde and on no letterure bettere
For salamon þe sage · þat sapience tauȝte
God gaf hym grace of witte · and alle his godes after
He demed wel & wysely as holy writte telleth
Aristotle & he · who wissed men bettere
Maistres þat of goddis mercy · techen men and prechen
Of here wordes þei wissen vs · for wisest as in here tyme
And al holicherche · holdeth hem bothe ydampned
¶ And if I shulde worke bi here werkes to wynne me heuene
Þat for her werkes and witte · now wonyeth in pyne
Þanne wrouȝte I vnwysely · what-so-euere ȝe preche
¶ Ac of fele witty in feith · litel ferly I haue
Þough her goste be vngraciouse · god for to plese
For many men on þis molde · more sette here hertis
At here moste myschief · whan þei shal lyf lete
As salamon dede and such other · þat shewed gret wittes
Ac her werkes as holy wrytte seyth · was euere þe contrarye
For-þi wyse witted men · and wel ylettred clerkes
As þei seyen hem-self · selden done þer-after
Super cathedra moysy &c ·
¶ Ac I wene it worth of many · as was in Noes tyme
Þo he shope þat shippe · of shides and bordes
Was neuere wriȝte saued þat wrouȝt þer-on · ne oþer werkman elles
But briddes and bestes · and þe blissed Noe
And his wyf with his sones · and also here wyues
Of wriȝtes þat it wrouȝte was none of hem ysaued
¶ God leneT it fare nouȝt so bi folke · þat þe feith techen
Of holicherche þat heberwe / he[r]berwe is · and goddes hous to saue
And shelden vs fram shame þer-inne · as noes shippe did bestes
And men þat maden it · amydde þe flode adreynten
Þe culorum of þis clause · curatoures is to mene
Þat ben carpenteres holykirke to make · for crystes owne bestes
Homines & iumenta saluabis domine · &c ·
¶ On gode fridaye I fynde · a feloun was ysaued
Þat had lyued al his lyf with lesynges and with thefte
He was sonnere saued · þan seynt Iohan Baptiste
And or Adam or ysaye · or eny of þe prophetes
Þat hadde yleine with Lucyfer · many longe ȝeres
A robbere was yraunceouned · rather þan þei alle
With-outen any penaunce · of purgatorie to perpetuel blisse
¶ Þanne Marye Magdaleyne · what womman dede worse
Or who worse þan dauid · þat vries deth conspired
Or Poule þe apostle · þat no pitee hadde
Moche crystene kynde · to kylle to deth
And benT þise as souereynes · wyth seyntes in heuene
Þo þat wrouȝte wikkedlokest · in worlde þo þei were
¶ And þo þat wisely wordeden · and wryten many bokes
Of witte and of wisdome · with dampned soules wonye
Þat salamon seith I trowe be soth · and certeyne of vs alle
Sine iusti atque sapientes · & opera eorum in manu dei sunt &c
¶ Þere aren witty and wel libbyng ac her werkes ben yhudde
C In þe hondes of almiȝty god · and he wote þe sothe
Wher for loue a man worth allowed þere · and his lele werkes
And be allowed as he lyued so · for bi lyther · men knoweth þe gode
¶ And wherby woteT men whiche is whyte · if alle þinge blake were
And who were a gode man · but if þere were some shrewe
For-þi lyue we forth with lither men · I leue fewe ben gode
For qant oportet vyent en place · yl nyad que pati
And he þat may al amende · haue mercy on vs alle
For sothest worde þat euere god seyde · was þo he seyde nemo bonus
C ¶ Clergye þo of crystes mouth · commended was it litel
For he seyde to seynt Peter · and to suche as he louedC
Dum steteritis ante Reges et presides &c ·
Þough ȝe come bifor kynges · and clerkes of þe lawe
Beth nouȝte abasched · for I shal be in ȝoure mouthes
And ȝyue ȝow witte atT wille · and kunnynge to conclude
Hem alle þat aȝeines ȝow · of crystenedome disputen
¶ Dauyd maketh mencioun · {...?...}he spake amonges kynges
And miȝte no kynge ouercome hym · as bi kunnyng of speche
But witte ne wisdome · wan neuere þe maystrye
Whan man was at myschief · with-oute þe more grace
Was augustyn þe olde · and heighest of þe foure
Sayde þus in a sarmoun · I seigh it writen ones
Ecce ipsi idioti rapiunt celum · vbi nos sapientes in inferno mergimur ·
And is to mene to englissh men · more ne lasse
Aren none rather yrauysshed · fro þe riȝte byleue
Þan ar þis cunnynge clerkes · þat conne many bokes
¶ Ne none sonner saued · ne sadder of bileue
Þan plowmen and pastoures · & pore comune laboreres
Souteres and sheperdes · sucheT lewed iottes
Percen with a pater noster þe paleys of heuene
And passen purgatorie penaunceles · at her hennes-partyng
In-to þe blisse of paradys · for her pure byleue
Þat inparfitly here · knewe and eke lyued
¶ {...?...}Ȝee men knowe clerkes · þat han cursed þe tyme
Þat euere þei couth or knewe more · þa{.}n credo in deum patrem
And pryncipaly her pater noster · many a persone hath wisshed
¶ I se ensamples my-self · and so may many an other
Þat seruauntes þat seruen lordes · selden falle in arrerage
But þo þat kepen þe lordes catel · clerkes and reues
Riȝt so lewed men · & of litel knowyng
Selden falle þei so foule · and so fer in synne
As clerkes of holikirke · þat kepen crystes tresore
Þe which is mannes soule to saue · as god seith in þe gospel
ite vos in vineam meamC
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Passus xus de visione & ijus dowel
But þus it bilongeth to bileue
Caym shall awake
id est panni