Come doun from a castel  & callede me fayre

And seyde sone slepist þou  seest þou þis peple

How bisy þei been  aboute þe mase

Þe moost partie of þis peple  þat passen on þis erþe

Haue þei worschip in þis world  þei wilnen no better

Of oþer heuene þan here  holden þei no tale

¶ I was a-feerd of hir face  þouȝ sche fayr were

And seyde mercy ma-dame  what is þis to mene

Þe tour vp þe toft quod sche  truþe is þer-inne

And wolde þat ȝe wrouten  as his word techiþ

For heT fadir of feiþ  formede ȝow alle

Boþe wiþ felle & wiþ face  & ȝaf ȝow fyve wittis

For to worschipe hym þer-wiþ  þe whyle ȝe been here

And þer-fore . he hyȝte þe erþe  to helpe ȝow ichone

Of wollen . of lynnen  of lyflode at nede

In mesurable maner  to make ȝow at ese

And comaundede of his curteisie  in comune . þre þingys

Arn noon nedeful but þoo T nempne hem I þinke

And reckene hem bi resoun  reherce ȝe hem after

Þat oon . is vesture  from chele þee to saue

And mete at meele  for myseise of þi-selue

And drynk whanne þou dryest  ac do not out of resoun

Þat þou worþe þe werse  whanne þou worche schuldest

¶ For loth in his lijf-dayes  for likyng of drynk

Dide bi hise douȝtres  þat þe deuel likede

Delitede hym in drink  as þe deuel wolde

And leccherie hym lauȝte  & lay bi hem boþeT

Þoruȝ wiyn & þoruȝ wommen  þere was loth acombred

And þere he gate in glotenye  gyrles þat weren cherles

For-þi drede delitable drynk  & þou schalt do þe better

Mesure is medicyne  þouȝ þou myche ȝerne

It is not al good for þe goost  þat þe gutte askeþ

Ne lijflode to þi likham  þat leef is to þiT soule

Leeue þou notT þi likham  for a lyer hym techeþ

Þat is aT wrecchid world  wolde þee bitraye

For þe feend & þi flesch  folewen þee to-gydere

Þis & þat seeþ þi soule  & seiþT in þin herte

And for þou schuldest been I-war  I wisse þee þe bettreT

¶ Ma-dame mercy quod I  me likeþ wel ȝoure wordes

Ac þe money of þis moold  þat men so fast holden

Telle me to whom ma-dame  þat tresore appendeþ

¶ Go to þe gospel quod sche  þat god seyde hym-seluen

ToT þe peple þatT hym apposede  wiþ a peny in þe temple

Wheþer þei schulden þer-wiþ  worschipe þe kyng Cesar

And god askede of hem  of whom spake þe lettre

And þe ymage Ilike  þat þer-inneC stondiþ

Cesaris . þei seyden  we seen hym wel ichone

Reddite cesari . quod god  þat cesari bifalleþ

Et que sunt dei . deo  or ellis ȝe doon   yueleT

For riȝtful resoun  schulde rule ȝow alle

And kynde witt be wardeyn  ȝoure welþe to kepe

And tutour of ȝoure tresore  & take it ȝow at nede

AndT housbondrie & þeiT  holden to-gydere

¶ Þanne I fraynede hir faire  for hym þat hir made

Þat dongeoun in þe dale  þat dredeful is of syȝt

What may it be to mene  ma-dame . I ȝow biseche

¶ Þat is þe castel of care  who-so comeþ þer-inneC

May banne . þat he born was  to body &T to soule

Þer-inne wonyeþ a wyȝt  þat . wrong . is I-hote

Fadir of falshed  and foundede it hym-selue

Adam and Eue  he eggede to ille

Counceylede Caym  to killen his broþer

Iudas he iapede  wiþ Iuwen syluer

And siþen on an eller  hangede hym{selue} after

He is letter of loue  & lyeþ hem alle

Þat tristen on his tresore  bitrayeþ he sunnest

¶ Þanne hadde I wonder in my witt  what womman it were

Þat swyche wyse wordis  of holi writ schewede

And askede hir inT þe hye name  er sche þennys ȝede

What sche were wittirli  þat wissede me so faire

¶ Holi chirche I am quod sche  þou ouȝtest me to knowe

I vnderfonge þee first  & þeeT feiþ tauȝte

And þouT brouȝtest me borwes  my biddyng to fulfille

And to loue me leelli  þe while þi lijf dureþ

¶ Þanne I courbede on my knees  & cryede hir of grace

And preyede hir pitousli  preye for my synnes

And also . kenne me kyndeli  on crist to beleeue

Þat I myȝte worche his wille  þat wrouȝte me to man

Teche me to no tresore  but telle me þis ilke

How I may saue my soule  þat seynt art yholden

¶ Whanne alle tresores been I-tryedT  truþe is þe best

I do it on deus caritas  to deme þe soþe

It is as derworþe a drurye  as dere god hym-seluen

Who-so is trewe of his tunge  & telliþ noon oþer

AndT þe werkis þer-wiþ  & wilneþ no man ille

He is a god bi þe gospel  on ground & on loft

And Ilike to oure lord  bi seynt lukes wordis

Þe clerkis þat knowen þis  schulden kenne it aboute

For cristen & vncristen  cleymen it ichooun

¶ Kyngys & knyȝtis  schulden kepen it bi resoun

Riden & rappen adoun  in rewmes aboute

And take transgressouris  & tyen hem fast

Til truþe hadde I-termyned  her trespasse to þe eende

And þat is þeC professioun apertli  þat appendiþ to knyȝtis

And not to fasten a fryday  in fyue score wynter

But holden wiþ hym & wiþ hir  þat wolden al truþe

And neuere leue hem for loue  ne for lacchyng of syluer

For dauid in his dayes  dubbede knyȝtis

And dide hem swere on her swerd  to serue truþe euere

And who-so passede þeT poynt  isTapostata in þe ordre

But crist kyngen kyng  knyȝtede ten

Cherubyn & Seraphyn  swyche seuene & an-oþer

And ȝaf hem myȝt in his mageste  þe myrier hem þouȝte

And ouer hise mene meyne  made hem archaungelis

Tauȝte hem bi þe trinite  truþe to knowe

To be buxum at his biddyng  he bade hem nouȝt ellis

¶ Lucifer wiþ legiounes  lernede it in heuene

But for he brake buxumnesse  his blis gan he tyne

And fel fro þat felawschipe  in a feendis liknesse

In-to a depe derk helle  to dwelle þere for euere

And moo þouȝsandis wiþ hym  þan man couþe noumbre

Loopen out wiþ lucifer  in loþeliche forme

For þei leeueden vp-on hym  þat lyede in þis manere

And alle þat hopeden it myȝte be so  noon heuene myȝte hem holde

But fellen out in feendis liknesse  nyne dayes to-gydere

Til god of his goodnesse  gan stable & stynte

And garte þe heuene to stekye  & stonden in quiete

Whanne þeise wickide wenten out  wonderwyse þei fellen

Summe in þe erþeT . summe in þe eyre  & summe in helle depe

Ac lucifer lowest  liyþ of hem alle

For pride þat he puttedeT out  his peyne haþ noon eende

And alle þat worchen wiþ wrong  wenden þei schulle

After her deþ-dayT  & dwelle wiþ þat schrewe

Ac þoo þat worchen wel  as holi writ telleþ

And eenden as I erstT seyde  in truþe þat is best

Mowen be siker þat her soule  schal wende to heuene

Þere truþe is in trinite  & troneþ hem alle

For-þi . I seye as I seyde eer  bi siȝt of þeise textisT

Lereþ it þeiseT lewede men  for lettred men it knowen

Þat truþe is tresore  þe triest on erþe

¶ Ȝit haue I no kynde knowyng quod I  ȝit mote ȝe kenne me better

Bi what craft in my coors  it comseþ & whereC

¶ Þou doted daffe quod sche  dulle arn þi wittis

To litel lateyn þou lernedest  leode in þi ȝouþe

¶ It is a kynde knowyng quod {sche}heT  þat kenneþ in þin herte

For to louye þi lord  leuere þan þi-seluen

No dedli synne to do  deye þouȝ þou schuldest

Þis I trowe be truþe  who can teche þee betteT

Loke þou suffre hym to seye  & siþen lere it after

For þus witnessiþ his word  worche þou þer-after

For truþe telleþ þat loue  is triacle inT heuene

May no synne be on hym sene  þat vseþ þat spice

And alle hise werkis he wrouȝte  wiþ loue as hym liste

And lernede it Moyses forT leuest þing  & moost likeT inT heuene

And also þe plente of pees  moost precious of vertues

For heuene myȝte not holde it  it was so heuy of hym-selue

Til it hadde of þe erþe  eten his fille

¶ And whanne it hadde of þe folde  flesch & blodeT

Was neuere leef vp-on lynde  liȝter þer-after

And portatyf & persaunt  as þe poynt of a nedel

Þat myȝte noon armure it lette  ne noon hye wallis

For-þi . is loue leder  of þe lordis folk of heuene

And a mene as þe meyr is  bitwixe þe kyng & þe comouns

Riȝt so is loue a leder  & þe lawe schapiþ

Vp-on man for hise mysdedis  þe mercyment he taxiþ

And for to knowe it kyndeli  it comseþ bi myȝt

And in þe herte . þer is þe hed  & þe hye welle

For in kynde knowyng in herte  þere a myȝt bigynneþ

And þat falliþ to þe fadir  þat formede vs alle

Lokede on vs wiþ loue  & leete his sone deye

Mekeli for oure mysdedis  to amende vs alle

And ȝit wolde he hem no woo  þat wrouȝten hym þat peyne

But mekelich biT mouþe  mercy he bisouȝte

To haue pite on þat peple  þat peynede hym to deþ

Here myȝtist þou se ensaumples  in hym-seluenT one

Þat he was myȝtful & meke  & mercy gan graunte

To hem þat hongen hym on hyȝ  & his herte þirled

For-þi I rede ȝow riche  haue reuþe of þe pore

Þouȝ ȝe been myȝtful to mote  beþ meke in ȝoure werkis

For þe same mesures þat ȝe meten  amys oþer ellis

Ȝe schul be weyen þerwiþ  whanne ȝe wenden hennys

For þouȝ ȝe be trewe of ȝoure tunge  & trulich wynnen

And as chaast as a chiyld  þat in chirche wepiþ

But if ȝe loue lellich  & lene þe pore

Swich good as god ȝow sente  goodelich parteþ 

Ȝe ne han no more meryte  in masse ne in oures

Þan malkyn of hir maydenhood  þat no man desireþ

For Iames þe gentil  iuggede in hise bokis

Þat feiþ wiþ-outen þe feite  is riȝt no-þing worþi

And as deed as a dore-tre  but if þe dedis folewenT

For-þi . chastite wiþ-outen charite  worþ cheyned in helle

It is as lewed as a laumpe  þat no liȝt is Inne

Many chapeleyns arn chaast  ac charite is a-weye

Arn no men auerouser þan þei  whanne þei been auaunced

Vnkynde to her kyn  & to alle cristen

Chewen her charite  & chiden after more

Swich chastite wiþ-outen charite  worþ cheyned in helle

¶ Many curatouris kepen hem  clene of her bodies

Þei been acombred wiþ coueytise  þei cun not do it from hem

So harde haþ auarice  yhasped hem to-gyderis

And þat is inT truþe of þe trinite  but treccherie of helle

And lernyng to lewede men  þe latter for to deele

For-þi . þeise wordis  ben writen in þe gospel

Date & dabitur vobis  for I deele ȝow alle

And þat is þe lokke of loue  & lateþ out my grace

To counforte þe careful  acombrid wiþ synne

Loue is leche of liyf  & next oure lord seluenT

And also þe greiþ gate  þat goþ in-to heuene

For-þi I seye as I seyde erstT.  bi þe treweT textis

Whanne alle tresores been ytried  truþe is þe best

Now haue I told þee what truþe is  þat no tresore is better

I may no lenger lenge þee wiþ  now loke þee oure lord