Passus nonus
In a castel þat kynde made · of foure kynnes þinges
Of erthe and eyre is it made · medled togideres
With wynde and with water · witterly enioyned
Kynde hath closed þere-Inne · craftily with-alle
A lemman þat he loueth · like to hym-selue
Anima she hatte · ac enuye hir hateth
A proude pryker of Fraunce · prynceps huius mundi
And wolde winne hir awey · with wyles and he myȝte
¶ Ac kynde knoweth þis wel · and kepeth hir þe bettere
And hath do hir with sire dowel · is duke of þis marches
Dobet is hir damoisele · sire doweles douȝter
To serue þis lady lelly · bothe late and rathe
Dobest is aboue bothe · a bisschopes pere
Þat he bit mote be do · he reuleth hem alle
Anima þat lady · is ladde bi his lerynge
¶ Ac þe constable of þat castel · þat kepeth al þe wacche
Is a wys kniȝte with-al · sire Inwitte he hatte
And hath fyue feyre sones · bi his first wyf
Sire sewel and saywel · and herewel þe hende
Sire worche wel wyth þine hande · a wiȝte man of strengthe
And sire godfrey gowel · gret lordes for-sothe
Þise fyue ben sette · to saue þis lady anima
Tyl kynde come or sende to saue hir for euere
¶ What kynnes thyng is kynde quod I · canstow me telle
¶ Kynde quod witte is a creatour · of alle kynnes þinges
Fader and fourmour · of al þat euere was maked
And þat is þe gret god þat gynnynge had neuere
Lorde of lyf and of lyȝte · of lysse and of peyne
Angeles and al þing aren at his wille
Ac man is hym moste lyke · of marke and of schafte
For þorugh þe worde þat he spake · wexen forth bestes
Dixit & facta sunt
And Eue of his ribbe-bon · with-outen eny mene
For he was synguler hym-self · and seyde faciamus
As who seith more mote here-to · þan my worde one
My myȝte mote helpe · now with my speche
Riȝte as a lorde sholde make lettres · and hym lakked parchemyn
Þough he couth write neuere so wel · ȝif he had no penne
Þe lettre for al þe lordship · I leue were neuere ymaked
¶ And so it semeth · bi hym as þe bible telleth
Þere he seyde dixit · & facta sunt
He moste worche with his worde · and his witte shewe
And in þis manere was man made · þorugh myȝte of god almiȝti
With his worde and werkemanschip · and with lyf to laste
And þus god gaf hym a goost · of þe godhed of heuene
And of his grete grace graunted hym blisse
And þat is lyf þat ay shal last · to al lynage after
And þat is þe castel þat kynde made · caro it hatte
And is as moche to mene · as man with a soule
And þat he wrouȝt with werke · and with worde bothe
Þorugh myȝte of þe maieste · man was ymaked
¶ Inwit and alle wittes closed ben þer-inne
For loue of þe lady anima · þat lyf is ynempned
Ouer-al in mannes body · heLX walketh and wandreth
Ac in þe herte is hir home · and hir moste reste
Ac Inwitte is in þe hed · and to the herte he loketh
What anima is lief or loth · he lat hir at his wille
For after þe grace of god · þe grettest is Inwitte
¶ Moche wo worth þat man · þat mys-reuleth his Inwitte
And þat be glotouns globbares · her god is her wombe
Quorum deus venter est
For þei seruen sathan · her souleT shal he haue
Þat liueth synful lyf here · her soule is liche þe deuel
And alle þat lyuen good lyf · aren like godT almiȝti
Qui manet in caritate in deo manet &c
¶ Allas þat drynke shal for-do · þat god dere bouȝte
And doth god forsaken hem · þat he shope to his liknesse
Amen dico vobis nescio vos · & alibi et dimisi eos secundum desideria eorum
Shulde fynden hem þat hem fauted · and faderelees childrenC
And wydwes þat han nouȝte wher-with · to wynnen hem her fode
Madde men and maydenes · þat helplees were
Alle þise lakken Inwitte · and lore bihoueth
¶ Of þis matere I myȝte · make a longe tale
And fynde fele witnesses · amonges þe foure doctours
And þat I lye nouȝt of þat I lere þe · luke bereth witnesse
¶ Godfader and godmoder · þat sen her godchildren
At myseise and at mischief · and mowe hem amende
Shal haue penaunce in purgatorie · but ȝif þei hem helpe
For more bilongeth to þe litel barne · ar he þe lawe knowe
Þan nempnyng of a name · and he neuere þe wiser
Shulde no crystene creature · crien atte ȝate
Ne faille payn ne potage · and prelates did as þei shulden
A Iuwe wolde nouȝte se a Iuwe · go iangelyng for defaute
For alle þe moebles on þis molde · and he amende it miȝte
¶ Allas þat a crestene creature · shal be vnkynde til an other
Sitthen Iuwes þat we iugge · Iudas felawes
Ayther of hem helpeth other · of þat þat hym nedeth
Whi nel we cristene · of cristes good be as kynde
As Iuwes þat ben owre lores-men · shame to vs alle
Þe comune for her vnkyndenesse · I drede me shul abye
¶ Bisschopes shul be blamed · for beggeres sake
He is worse þan Iudas · þat ȝiueth a iaper siluer
And biddeth þe begger go · for his broke clothes
Proditor est prelatus cum Iuda · qui patrimonium cristi minus distribuit // & alibi
Perniciosus dispensator est · qui res pauperum cristi inutiliter consumit
He doth nouȝt wel þat doth þus · ne drat nouȝt god almiȝty
Ne loueth nouȝt salamones sawes · þat sapience tauȝte
Inicium sapiencie timor domini ·
¶ Þat dredeth god he doth wel · þat dredeth hym for loue
And nouȝt for drede of veniaunce · doth þer-fore þe bettere
He doth best þat with-draweth hym · by day and bi nyȝte
To spille any speche or any space of tyme
Qui offendit in verboT in omnibus est reus
¶ Lesyng of tyme · treuthe wote þe sothe
Is moste yhated vpT erthe · of hem þat beth in heuene
And sitthe to spille speche · þat spyre is of grace
And goddes gleman · and a game of heuene
Wolde neuere þe faithful fader · his fithel were vntempred
Ne his gleman a gedelyng · a goer to tauernes
¶ To alle trew tidy men · þat trauaille desyren
Owre lorde loueth hem and lent · loude other stille
Grace to go to hem · and agon her lyflode
Inquirentes autem dominum non minuentur omni bono
¶ Trewe wedded libbing folk · in þis worlde is dowel
For þei mote worche & wynne · and þe worlde susteyne
For of her kynde þei come · þat confessoures ben nempned
Kynges and kniȝtes · kayseres and cherles
Maydenes and martires · out of o man come
Þe wyf was made þe weye · for to help worche
And þus was wedloke ywrouȝt · with a mene persone
First bi þe faderes wille · and þe frendes conseille
And sytthenes bi assent of hem-self · as þei two myȝte acorde
And thus was wedloke ywrouȝte · and god hym-self it made
In erthe þe heuene is · hym-self was þe witnesse
¶ Ac fals folke faithlees · theues and lieres
Wastoures and wrecches · out of wedloke I trowe
Conceyued ben in yuel tyme · as caym was on Eue
Of such synful shrewes · þe sauter maketh mynde
Concepit in dolore et peperit iniquitatem &c
And alle þat come of þat caym come to yuel endeT
For god sent to seem · and seyde bi an angel
Þyne issue in þyne issue · I wil þat þei be wedded
And nouȝt þi kynde with caymes · ycoupled ne yspoused
¶ Ȝet some aȝein þe sonde of owre saueoure of heuene
Caymes kynde & his kynde · coupled togideres
Tyl god wratthed for her werkis · and suche a worde seyde
Þat I maked man · now it me athynketh
Penitet me fecisse hominem
¶ And come to Noe anon · and bad hym nouȝt lette
Swithe go shape a shippe · of shides and of bordes
Þiself and þi sones three · and sithen ȝowre wyues
Buske ȝow to þat bote · and bideth ȝe þer-inne
Tyl fourty dayes be fulfilde · þat flode haue ywasshen
Clene awey þe cursed blode · þat caym hath ymaked
¶ Bestes þat now ben · shulle banne þe tyme
Þat euere þat cursed caym · come on þis erthe
Alle shal deye for his dedes · bi dales and bi hulles
Excepte oneliche of eche kynde a couple
Þat in þi shyngled shippe · shul ben ysaued
Here abouȝt þe barne · þe belsyres gultes
And alle for her forfadres · þei ferden þe worse
Þe gospel is here-ageine · in o degre I fynde
Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris & pater non portabit iniquitatem filij &c ·T
¶ Ac I fynde if þe fader be false and a shrewe
Þat somdel þe sone · shal haue þe sires tacches
¶ Impe on an ellerne · and if þine apple be swete
Mochel merueile me þynketh · & more of a schrewe
Þat bryngeth forth any barne · but if he be þe same
And haue a sauoure after þe sire · selde seestow other
Numquam colligitur de spinis vuas · nec de tribulis fycus
And þus þourw cursed caym · cam care vppon erthe
And al for þei wrouȝt wedlokes · aȝein goddis wille
For some as I se now · soth forto telle
For coueitise of catel vnkyndeliche ben wedded
As careful concepcioun cometh of suche mariages
As bifel of þe folke · þat I bifore of tolde
I am via & veritas seith cryst · I may auaunce alle
To ȝyuen a ȝonge wenche · to an olde feble
Or wedden any widwe · for welth of hir goodis
Þat neuere shal barne bere · but if it be in armes
Many a peire sithen þe pestilence · han pliȝt homLG togideres
Þe fruit þat þei brynge forth · aren foule wordes
In ialousye ioyeles · and ianglyng on bedde
Haue þei no children but cheste · anT choppyng hem bitwene
¶ And þough þei don hem to donmowe · but if þe deuel help
To folwen after þe flicche · fecche þei it neuere
And but þei bothe be forsworne · þat bacoun þei tyne
¶ For-þi I conseille alle crystene · coueite nouȝt be wedded
For coueitise of catel · ne of kynrede riche
Ac maydenes and maydenes · macche ȝow togideres
Widwes and widwers · worcheth þe same
For no londes but for loue · loke ȝe be wedded
And þanne gete ȝe þe grace of god · and good ynogh to lyue with
¶ And euery maner seculer þat may nouȝt continue
Wysly go wedde · and war hym fro synne
For leccherye in likyng · is lymeȝerde of helle
Whiles þow art ȝonge · and þi wepne kene
Wreke þe with wyuynge · ȝif þow wilLG ben excused
Dum sis vir fortis · ne des tua robora scortis
Scribitur in portis · meretrix est ianua mortis
¶ Whan ȝe haue wyued bewar · and worcheth in tyme
Nouȝt as Adam & Eue · whan caym was engendred
For in vntyme trewli · bitwene man & womman
Ne shulde no bourde on bedde be · but if þei bothe were clene
Bothe of lyf & and of soule · and in parfyte charitee
Þat ilke derne dede do · noman ne sholde
And if þei leden þus her lyf · it likedT god almiȝti
For he made wedloke firste · and him-self it seide
Bonum est vt vnusquisque vxorem suam habeat propter fornicacionem
¶ And þei þat oþergatis ben geten · for gedelynges ben holden
As false folke fondelynges · faitoures and lyars
Vngracious to gete goode · or loue of þe poeple
Wandren and wasten · what þei cacche mowe
Aȝeines dowel þei don yuel · and þe deuel serue
And after her deth-day · shulle dwelle with þe same
But god gyue hem grace here · hem-self to amende
¶ Dowel my frende is · to don as lawe techeth
To loue þi frende and þi foo · leue me þat is dobet
To ȝiuen and to ȝemen · bothe ȝonge and olde
To helen and to helpen · is dobest of alle
¶ And dowel is to drede god · and dobet to suffre
And so cometh dobest of bothe · and bryngeth adoun þe mody
And þat is wikked wille · þat many werke shendeth
And dryueth away dowel · þorugh dedliche synnes
X
how bishops
shoulen besten
their gudes
shoulen besten
their gudes
+
+
nota
nota
nota
nota
id est adam
id est boni
id est bonas