I haue folewed þee in feiþ  þis fyue & fourty wynter

And many tymes haue meued þee  to þenke on þin ende

And how fele ferneȝeris arn faren  & so fewe to come

And of þi wylde wantounesse  þoo þou ȝonge were

To amende it in þi mydel age  lest . myȝt þee fayle 

In þin olde elde  þat yuele can suffre 

Pouerte or penaunce  or preyeris bidde

Amende þee whyle þou myȝte  þou hast been warned ofte

Wiþ poustees of pestelences  wiþ pouerte & wiþ angres

And wiþ þeise bittir baleyses  god beteþ hise dere children

And dauid in þe sauter seiþ  of swiche þat louen Iesus

Al-þouȝ þou strike me wiþ þi staf  wiþ stikke oþerT ȝerde

It is but myrþe as for me  to amende my soule

And þou medelest þee wiþ maystries  & myȝtist go seye þi sauter

And bidde for hem þat ȝyuen þee breed  for þer been bokes T

To telle me . what do-wel is  do-bette & do-best boþe

And prechouris to preue what it is  of many a peyre freris

I seyȝ wel . he seyde me soþ  & sum-what me to excuse 

Seyde . catoun counfortede his sone  þat clerk þouȝ he were

To solacen hym sum-tyme  as I do whanne I make

And of holy men I herde quod I  how þei oþerwyle 

Pleyeden . þe parfiter  to be in many places

Ac if þer were any wyȝt  þat wolde me telle

What were do-wel & do-bette  & do-best at þe last

Wolde I neuere do werk  but wende to holy chyrche

And þere bidde my bedis  but whanne ich eete or sleepe

Poule in his pistle quod he  preueþ what is do-wel

Feiþ hope & charite  & alle been goode

And sauen men sundri tymes  ac noon so soone as charite

For he doþ wel wiþ-outen doute  þat dooþ as lewte techiþ

Þat is if þou be man maried  þi make þou louye

And lyue forþ as lawe wole  whyle ȝe lyuen heer

Riȝt so if þou be religious  renne þou neuere ferþer

To rome ne to rochemadour  but as þi rule techeþ

And holde þee vndir obedience  þat hye weye is to heuene

And if þou be mayden to marienT  & myȝte wel conteneT

Seke þou neuere seynt ferþer  for no soule helþe

For what made lucifer  to lese hisT hye heuene

Or salomon his sapience  or sampson his strenkþe

Iob þe Iue his ioye  dere it heT abouȝte

Aristotle & oþere moo  ypocras & virgile

Alexandre þat al wan  elengeli endedenT

Catel & kynde witt  was combraunce to hem alle

Felice hir fayrenesse  fel hir al to sclaundre

And rosamound riȝt so  rufulli bisette 

Þe bewtee of hir body  in badnesse sche dispendide

Of many swiche I myȝte rede  of men & of wommen

Þat wise wordis kun seye  & wirche þe contrarie

And riche renkes riȝt so  gaderen & sparen

And þoo men þat þei moost haten  mynystren it at þe laste

And for þei suffren & seen  so many nedy folkes

And louen hem not as god bit  lesen her soulis

And richesse riȝt so  but if þe rote be trewe

Ac grace {is} is a grasse þerof  þe greuaunce to abate

Ac grace ne growiþ not  but among þeT lowe

Pacience & pouerte  þe place is þere it groweþ

And in lele lyuynge men  & in lijf-holy

And þoruȝ þe gyfte of þe holy goost  as þe gospel telleþ

Clergye & kynde witt  comeþ of siȝt & techyng

As þe book bereþ witnesse  to barnes þat kun rede

Of quod scimus . comeþ clergie  & kunnyng of heuene

TOf quod vidimus comeþ kynde witt  of siȝt of dyuerse peple

And grace is a gyft of god  & of greet loue spryngeþ

Knewe neuere klerk how it komeþ forþ  þeT kynde witt þe weyes

Ac ȝit is clergie to commende  & kynde witt boþe

And nameli clergie for cristis loue  þat of clergie is rote

For Moyses witnesseþ þat god wroote  for to wisse þe peple

In þe olde lawe as þe lettre telleþ  þat was þe lawe of Iues

Þat what womman were in auoutrie taken  riche oþer pore

Wiþ stoones men schulden hir strike  & stonye hir to deþe

A womman as we fynden  was gylti of þat dede

Ac crist of his curtesye  þoruȝ clergie hir sauede

For þoruȝ carectis þat crist wrouȝte  þe Iues knewen hem-selue

Gyltier as a-fore god  & in gretterT synne 

Þan þe womman þat þere was  & wente awey for schame

Þe clergie þat þere was  counfortede þe womman

Holy kirke knowiþ þis  þat cristis writyng sauede

So clergie is counfort  to creaturis þat repenten

And to mansede men  mescheef at her ende

For goddis body myȝte not be  of breed . wiþ-out clergie

Þe which body is boþe  bote to þe riȝtful

And deþ & dampnacioun  to hem þat dyen yuele

As cristes carectes counfortedenT  & boþe coupable schewedenT

Þe womman þat þe Iues brouȝtenT  þat Iesus þouȝte to saue

Riȝt so goddis body breþeren  but it be worþili taken

Dampneþ vs at þe day of doom  as þe carectes diden þe Iues

For-þi I counceyle þee for cristis sake  clergie to louye

For kynde witt is of his kyn  & nyȝ cosyns boþe 

To oure lord leue me  for-þi loue hem I rede

For boþe been as myrouris  to amende oure defautes

And leders for lewede men  & for lettered boþe

For-þi . lakke þou neuere logyk  lawe ne his customes

Ne counterplede clerkis  I counceyle þee for euere

For as a man may not see  þat mysseþ hise yen

No more can aT clerk but if he caccheT it  first þoruȝ bokis

Al-þouȝ men maden bokes  god was þe mayster

And seynt spirit his saumplarie  & seyde . what manT schulde write

And riȝt as siȝt serueþ a man  to see þe hye strete

Riȝt so lediþ lettrure  lewide men to resoun

And as a blynde man in batayle  bereþ wepene to fyȝte

And haþ noon hap wiþ his ax  hise enemyesT to hitte

No more can a kynde-wittid man  but if clerkis hym teche 

Come . for al his kynde witt  to cristendom and be saued

Which is þe cofre of cristis tresore  & clerkis kepen þe keyes

To vnloken it at her lykyng  & to þe lewede peple 

Ȝeue mercy . for her mysdedis  if men it wole aske 

Buxumlich & benynglich  & bidden it of grace

Archa dei in þe olde lawe  leuytes it kepten

Hadde neuere lewed man leue  to legge hoond on þe cheste

But he were preest or preestes sone  patriark or prophete

For clergie is keper  vndir crist of heuene

Was þer neuere no knyȝt  but clergie hym made

Ac kynde witt comeþ  of alle kyns siȝtis

Of briddisT of beestis of taastes  of truþe & of deceytis

Lyuyers to-forn vs  vseden to marke

Þe selcouþe þat þei seyȝen  her sones for to teche

And helde it an hye science  her wittes to knowe

Ac þoruȝ her science soþeli  was neuere soule saued

Ne brouȝt bi her bokes  to blisse ne to ioye

For al her kynde knowyng come  but of dyuerse siȝtis

Patriarkes & prophetes  repreueden her science

And seyden her wordis ne her wisdomes  nas but a folye

As to þe clergie of crist  counted but a trifule

For þe hye holy goost  heuene schal to-cleue 

And loue schal lepe out after  in-to hisT lowe erþe

And clennesse schal cacchen it  & clerkis schul it fynde

He spekeþ þere . of riche men nouȝt  ne of riȝt witty

Ne of lordis þat werenT lewede men  but of þe hyest lettred oute

Ne in no beggers cote  was þat barne born

But in a burgeyces place  of bedlem þe beste

To pastouris & to poietesT  apperede þe aungel

And bade hem go to bedlem  goddis birþe to honoure

And sungen a song of solace  gloria in excel{c}sis deo

Clerkis knewen it wel  & comen wiþ her presentes

And diden her homage honourabli  to hym þat was almyȝti

And goddis sone þat sittiþ in heuene  & schal saue vs alleT

Why I haue told þee al þis  I toke ful good heed

How þou contrariest clergie  wiþ crabbede wordis

How þat lewede men liȝtliker  þan lettred weren saued

Þan clerkis or kynde-wittid men  of cristen peple

And þou seydist soþ of sum  ac se ȝit in what manere

Take two stronge men  & in tamise hem casteT

And boþe nakide as a nedele  arnT noon sikerer þan oþer

Þat oon haþ kunnyng  & kan swymme & dyue

Þat þer is lewed of þat labour  lernede neuere to symme / s[w]ymme

Which trowist þou of þeT two  in temise is in moost drede

He þat neuere ne dyvede  ne nouȝt can of swymmyng

Or þe swymmer þat is saaf  bi so . hym-self lyke

Þere his felaw flet forþ  as þe flood likeþ

And is in drede to drenche  þat neuere dide swymme

Þat swymme can not I seyde  It semeþ to my wittis

Riȝt so quod þe renke  resoun it schewiþ

Þat he þat knowiþ clergie  can sonner arise 

Out of synne & be saaf  þouȝ he synne ofte

If hym likeþ & liste  þan any lewed lely

For if þe clerk be kunnyng  he knowiþ what is synne

And how contricioun wiþ-out confessioun  counfortiþ þe soule

And þou seest in þi sauter  in salmes oon or tweyne

How contricioun is commendid  for it caccheþ awey synne

And þis counfortiþ iche a clerk  & keuereþ hym fro wanhope

In which flood þe feend  fondeþ a man hardest

Þere þe lewed lijþ stille  & lokeþ after lenten

And haþ no contricioun er he come to schrift  & þanne can he litil telle

And as his loresman lereþ hym  bileueþ & trowiþ

And þat is after persoun or parischpreest  & parauenture he T

Vnkunnynge te / t[o]T lere lewede men  as luke bereþ witnesse

Woo was hym marked þat  wade mote wiþ þe lewede

Wel may þe barn blesse  þat hym to book sette

Þat lyuynge after lettrure  sauede hym lijf and soule

Dominus pars hereditatis mee & cetera  is a myrie verset

Þat haþ taken fro tybourne  twenty stronge þeues

Þere lewed þeues been lolled vp  loke how þei been saued

Þe þeef þat hadde grace of god  on good fryday as ȝeT spekenT

Was . for he ȝalte hym creaunt to crist  onT crosse & knewe hym gylti

And grace axede of god  & he is euere redy

Þat buxumli bidden it & been  in wille to amenden hem

And þouȝ þat þeef hadde heuene  he hadde noon hye blisseC

As seynt Ion & oþere seyntis  þat deserued haddenT better

Riȝt as summe men ȝyuen me mete  & setten me amydde þe flore

Ich haue mete more þan ynow  ac not so myche worschip 

As þoo þat sitten at þe table  or wiþ souereyns of þe halle

But sitte as beggers bordles  bi my-self on þe ground

So it fareþ bi þat feloun  þat on good friday was saued

He sittiþ neiþer bi seyn / seyn[t] Ion  symond ne Iude

Ne wiþ maydenes ne martires  confessoures ne wydewes

But bi hymself as a soleyn  & serued on þe erþe

For he þat is ones a þeef  is euere-more in daunger

And as lawe likeþ  to lyue or to dye

And for to serue a seynt  & swich a þeef to-gyderes

It were neiþer resoun ne riȝt  to rewarde hem boþe yliche

And riȝt as troianus þe trewe knyȝt  tilteT not depe in helleC

Þat oure lord ne hadde hym liȝtlich out . so leue I  þe þeef be in heuene

For he is in þe lowest heuene  if oure beleue be trewe

And wel loselich he lolleþ þere  bi þe lawe of holy chirche

And why . þat oo þeef on þe crosse  creaunt hym ȝelte 

Raþer þan þat oþer þeef  þouȝ þou wolde appose

Alle þe clerkis vndir crist  ne couþe þe skyle assoyle

And so I seye bi þee  þat sekest after þe whyes

And aresoundest resoun  a rebukyng as it were

And of þe floures in þe friþ  & of her fayre hues

Wher-of þei cacchen her colouris  so clere & so bryȝt

And willest . of briddis & beestis  & of her bredyng knowe

Why summe been a-lowe & summe a-loft  þi likyng it were

And of þe stones & of þe sterres  þou studiest as I leue

How-euere beeste or brid  haþ so breme wittis

Clergie ne kynde witt  ne knewe neuere þe cause

Ac kynde knowiþ þe cause hym-self  & no creature ellis

ÞatC þere þe þorn is þikkest  to bylden & brede

And kynde kenneþ þe pocok  to kauken in swich a kynde

And kennede adam to knowe  hise pryue membris

And tauȝte hym & eue  to hilen hem wiþ leeues

Lewede men many tymes  maystres apposen

Why adam hilede not first  his mouþ þat eete þe appel

Raþer þan his likham a-low  lewede axen þus clerkis

Kynde knoweþ why . he dide so  & no clerk ellis

Ac of briddes & of beestis  men bi olde tyme

Ensaumples token & termes  as tellen þe poetes

And þat þe fayrest foul  foulest engendriþ

And feblest foul of fliȝt {}is  þat flyeþ or swymmeþ

And þat is þe pocok &T pohenne  proude riche men þei betoknen

For þe pocok . & men pursuen hym  may not flye hye

For þe traylyng of his tayl  ouer-taken is he soone

And his flesch is foule flesch  & hise feet boþe

And vnlouelich onT ledne  & layþ for to here

Riȝt so þe riche  if he his richesse kepe

And deleþ it not til his deþ-day  þe tayl of al sorwe

Riȝt as þe pennys of þe pocok  peyneþ hym in his fliȝt

So is possessioun peyne  of pens & of nobles 

To alle hem þat it holden  til her tayl be plukked

And þouȝ þe riche repente hymT þanne  & birewe þe tyme 

Þat euere he gaderede so grete  & gaf þerof so litil

Þouȝ he crie to crist þanne  wiþ kene wille . I leue

His leden is in oure lordis ere  ylicheT a pies

And whanne his careyn schal come  in caue to be biried

I leue it flawme ful foule  þe folde al aboute

And al þe erþeT þere it lijþ  enuenemyþ þoruȝ his attir

Bi þe poo feet is vnderstonden  as I lernede in auynet 

Exsecutours false frendis  þat fulfillen not his wille 

Þat was writen . & þei witnesse  to wirche as it wolde

Þus þe poete preueþ þe pocok  for hise feþeris is reuerencid

Riȝt so is þe riche  bi resoun of hise goodes

Þe lark þat is a lasse foul  is more louelich of leddene

And wel awey of weenge  swifter þan þe pocok

And of flesch bi fele folde  fatter & swetter

To lowe libbynge men  þe lark is resembled

Aristotle þe greet clerk  swiche tales telleþ

Þus he lykneþ in his logyk  þe leeste foul oute

And wher he be saaf or not  þe soþe woot þeT clergie

Ne of sortes ne salomon  no scripture can telle

Ac god is so good I hope  þat siþ he gaf hem wittis 

To wissen vs weyes þer-wiþ  þat wissen vs to be sauedC

And þe better for her bokes  to bidden we been holden

Þat god of his grace  gyue her soulis reste

For lettred men weren lewede ȝit  ner lore of her bokes

Alle þeise clerkis quod I þoo  þat on crist leuen

Seggen in her sermouns  þat no sarasens ne Iues

Ne no creature of cristes liknesse  wiþ-outen cristendom worþ saued

Contra quod ymagynatijf þoo  & comsede for to loure

And seyde saluabitur vix iustus  in die iudicij .

Ergo saluabitur quod he  & seyde no more latynC

Troianus was a trewe knyȝt  & toke neuere cristendom

And he isT as seiþ þe book  & his soule in heuene

For þer is fullyng inT founte  & fullyng in blood schedyng

And þoruȝ fijr is fullyng  & þat is ferme beleue

Ac truþe þat trespassede neuere  ne trauersede aȝens his lawe

But lyueþ as his lawe techeþ  & leueþ þer be no betterC

And if þer were he wolde amende  & in swich wille deyeþ

Ne wolde neuere trewe god  but truþe were alowed

And were it worþ or not  þe beleue is greet of truþe

And an hope hangynge þer-Inne  to haue mede for his truþe

Þe glose graunteþ vp-on þat vers  a greet mede to truþe

And witt & wisdam quod þat wye  was sum-tyme tresore 

To kepe wiþ a comune  no catel was holden better

And myche myrþe & manhood  & riȝt wiþ þat he vanyschede