And also I haue a wijf  huen & children

Þat wolden bemolen it many tyme  maugre my chekis

It haþ been laued in lenten  & out of lenten boþe

Wiþ þe sope of sekenesse  þat sekeþ wondir depe

And wiþ þe losse of catel  loþ for to a-gylte 

God or any good man  bi ouȝt þat I wiste

And was schryuen of þe preest  þat gaue me for my synnes

To penaunce pacience  & pore men to fede

Al for coueytise of my cristendom  in clennesse to kepe it

And kouþe I neuere bi crist  kepe it clene an oure

Þat I ne suylede it wiþ siȝt  or sum ydel speche

Or þoruȝ werk or word  or wille of myn herte

But I ne floboure it foule  fro morwenT til euen

And I schal kenne þee quod concience  of contricioun to make

Þat schal clawe þi cote  of al kyns synnesT

Do-wel schal wasschen it & wryngen it  þoruȝ a wise confessour

Do-bette schal beten it & bouken it  as briȝt as any scarlet

And engreynen it wiþ good wille  & goddis grace to amende þee

And siþen sende þee satisfaccioun  for to seweT after

Do-best schal neuere myst bymolen it  ne moþþe after biten it

Ne feend ne fals man  defoulen it in þi lyue

Schal no heraud ne harpour  haue a fayrer garnement

Þan haukyn þe actijf man  & þou do bi my techyng

Ne no mynystral be more worþ  amongys pore & riche

Þan haukyns wijf þe waferer  wiþ his actiua vita

And I schal purueye þee paast quod pacience  þouȝ no plow erie

And flour to fede folk wiþ  as best be for þi soule

Þouȝ neuere greyn growede  ne grape vp-on vyne

Alle þat lyuen & loken  lijflode . wolde I fynde

And þat ynow . schal noon fayle  of þing þat hem nedeþ

We schuldenT not be to bisy  abouten oure lijflodeT

Þanne lowȝT haukyn a litil  & liȝtli gan swere

Who-so leueþ ȝow bi oure lord  I leue not he be blessid

No quod pacience pacientli  & out of his poke hente 

Vitayles of grete vertues  for alle manere beestis

And seyde . lo heer lijflode ynow  if oure beleue be trewe

For lent neuere was lijf  but lijflode were schapen

Wher-of or wherfore  &T wher-by to libbe

First þe wylde worm  vndir wete erþe

Fisch to lyue in þe flood  & in þe fijr þe criket

Þe curlu bi kynde of þe eir  moost clennest flesch of briddis

And beestis bi grasse & greyn  & bi grene rotes

In menyng þat alle men  myȝten do þe same

Lyue þoruȝ lele bileue  & loue . as god witnesseþ

But I lokede . what lijflode it was  þat pacience so preysede

And þanne was it a pece of þe pater noster  fiat voluntas tua

Haue haukyn quod pacience  & ete þis whanne þee hungreþ

Or whanne þou clomsest for coold  or chillistT for drie

SchuldenT neuere gomesT þee greue  ne grete lordis wraþþe

Prisoun ne peyne  for pacientes vincunt

Bi so þat þou be sobre  of siȝt & of tunge

In etyng & in handelyng  & alle þi fyue wittis

Þarst þou neuere care for corn  ne lynnen cloþ ne wollen

Ne for drynk ne deþ drede  but deye as god likiþ

Or þoruȝ hungre or þoruȝ hete  at his wille be it

For if þou lyuest after his lore  þe schorter lijf þe better

For þoruȝ his breþ beestis wexen  & abrode ȝeden

Ergo þoruȝ his breþ  mowen men & beestis lyueT

As holy writ witnessiþ  whanne men seggen her graces

It is founden þat fourty wynter  folk lyueden wiþ-outen tiliyng

And out of þe flynt spronge þe flood  þat folk & beestis drunken

And in elies tyme  heuene was y-closed

Þat no reyn ne roon  þus redenT men in bokis

Þat many wyntres men lyueden  & no mete ne tiliden

Seuene slepen . as seyþ þe book  seuene hundrid wynter

And lyueden wiþ-outen lijflode  & at þe laste þei woken

And if men lyueden as mesure wolde  schulde neuere be defaute

Amongys cristen creaturis  if cristis wordT be trewe

Ac vnkyndenesse . caristia makeþ  amongys cristen peple

And ouerplente makiþ pride  amonge pore & riche

Ac mesure is so myche worþ  it may not be to dere

For þe mescheef &T meschaunce  among men of sodom

Wexe þoruȝ plente of payn  & of pure sleuþe

For þei mesureden not hemself  of þat þei eten & drunkenT

Diden dely / de[d]ly synne  þat þe deuel likede

So veniaunce fel vp-on hem  for her vile synnes

Þei sunken in-to helle  þe citees ichone

For-þi mesure we vs wel  & make oure feiþ oure scheltroun

And þoruȝ feiþ comeþ contricioun  concience woot itT wel

Which dryueþ awey dedli synne  & dooþ it to be venyal

And þouȝ a man myȝte not speke  contricioun myȝte hym saue

And brynge his soule to blisse  so þat feiþ heerT witnesse 

Þat whyles he lyuede he beleuede  þe lore of holy chirche

Ergo contricioun . feiþ & concience  is kyndeli . do-wel

And surgien   T for dedli synnes  whan schrift of mouþ fayledeT

Ac schrift of mouþe more worþi is  if man be inlich contrijt

For schrift of mouþe sleeþ synne  be it neuere so dedli

Par confessionem to a preest  peccata occiduntur

Þer contricioun dooþ . but dryueþ it doun  in-to a venyal synne

And dauid seiþ in þe sauter  & quorum tecta sunt peccata

Ac satisfaccioun sekeþ out þe rote  & boþe sleeþ & voydeþ

And as it neuere hadde be . to nouȝt  bryngeþ dedli synne

Þat it is neuere eft sene ne sore  but semeþ a wounde heled

Where woneþ charite quod haukyn  I wiste neuere in my lyue 

Man þat wiþ hym spake  as wyde as I haue passed

Þere parfiȝt truþe & pore herte is  & þanneT pacience of tunge

Þere is charite þe cheef chaumbrer  for god hym-selue

Wheþer paciente pouerte quod haukyn  be more plesaunt to oure driȝtenT

Þan richesse riȝtfulli wonnen  & resounablich spendid

Ȝhe . quis est ille quod pacience  quyk laudabimus eum

Þouȝ men reddenT of richesse  riȝt to þe werldis ende

I wiste neuere renke þat riche was  þat whanne he rekene schulde

Whanne he drowȝ to his deþ-day  þat he ne dredde hym sore

And þat at þe rekkenyng in arerage fel  raþer þan out of dette

Þere þe pore dar plede  & preue bi pure resoun

To haue a-lowaunce of his lord  bi þe lawe . he it cleymeþ 

Ioye þat neuere ioye hadde  of riȝtful Iuge he axeþ

And seiþ . lo briddis & beestis  þat no blisse ne kouþe

And wylde wormes in wodes  þoruȝ wyntres þou hem greuest

And makest hem welny meke  & mylde fordefaute / for defaute

And after þou sendest hem somer  þat is her souereyn ioye

And blisse to alle þat been  boþe wylde & tame

Þanne may beggers & {bidders}beestisT  after bote wayten

Þat al her lijf han lyued  in langour & in defaute

But god sente hem sum-tyme  sum manere ioye

Ouþer heer or ellis-where  kynde wolde it neuere

For to ouer-myche woo . was he wrouȝt  þat neuere was ioye schaped

Aungelis þat in helle now been  hadden ioye sum-tyme

And dyues in deyntees lyuede  & in douceC vie

Riȝt so resoun schewiþ  þat þoo men þat weren riche

And her makes also  lyueden her lijf in myrþe

Ac god is of a wonder wille  bi þat kynde witt schewiþ

To ȝyue many men his mercymonye  er he it haue deserued

Riȝt so fareþ god bi summe riche  ruþe me it þinkeþ

For þei han her hyre heer  & heuene as it were

And ekeT greet likyng to lyue  wiþ-oute labour of body

And whanne he deyeþ be disalowed  as dauid seiþ in þe sauter

And in an-oþer stede also . velut sompnum surgencium domine in ciuitate tuaT ad nichilum rediges

Allas þat richesse schal reue  & robbe mannes soule

From þe loue of oure lord  at his laste ende

Huen þat han her hyre a-fore  arn euere-more nedy

And selden dyeþ he out of dette  þat dyneþ er he deserue it

And til he haue doon his deuoyr  & his dayes iourne

For whanne a werkeman haþ wrouȝt  þanne mowen menT see þe soþe

What he were worþi for his werk  & what he haþ deserued

And not to fonge bifore  for drede of disalowyng

So I segge bi ȝow riche  it semeþ not þat ȝe schul 

Haue heuene in ȝoure heer beyng  & heuene her-after

Riȝt as a seruaunt takiþ his salerie bifore  & siþ wolde cleyme more

As he þat noon hadde  & haþ hyre at þe laste

It may not be . ȝe riche men  or Matheu on god lyeþ

Ac if ȝe riche menT haue ruþe  & rewarde wel þe pore

And lyuen as lawe techeþ  doon lewte to hem alle

Crist of his curtesye . schal  counforte ȝow at þe laste

And rewarde alle . double richesse  þat ruful hertes habben

And as an hyneT hadde  his hire . er he bigunne

And whanne he haþ doon his deuoyr wel  men doon hym oþer bounte

Ȝyuen hym a cote aboue his couenaunt  riȝt so crist ȝyueþ heuene

Boþe to riche & to not riche  þat rufullich libben

And alle þat doon her deuoir wel  han double hyre for her trauayle

Heer forȝyuenesse of her synnes  & heuene blisse after

Ac it nys but selden seen  as bi holi seyntis lyuesT

Þat god rewarded double reste  to any riche wye

For myche myrþe is among riche  as in mete & cloþing

And myche myrþe in may is  amonge wylde beestis

And so forþ whyle somer lasteþ  her solace dureþ

Ac beggers aboute mydsomer  breedles þei soupenT

And ȝit is wynter for hem wers  for wete-schod þei gangenT

A-first sore & a-fyngred  & fouliche rebuked

And a-rated of richeT  þat ruþe is to here

Now lord sende hem somer  & sum manere ioye

Heuene after her hennys goyng  þat heer han swich defaute

For alle myȝtist þou haue maad  noon mener þan oþer

And yliche witti & wise  if þi wille hadde liked

And haue ruþe of þeise riche men  þat rewarden not þi prisouneris

Of þe good þat þou hem gyuest  vnkyndeT been many

Ac god of þi goodnesse  gyue vsT grace to amende

For may no derþeT hem dere  drouȝþe ne wete

Ne neiþer hete ne hayle  haue þei her hele

Of þat þei wilnen & woldenT  wanteþ hem not heere

Ac pore peple þi prisouneris  lord in þe pitte of mescheef

Counforte þoo creaturis  þat myche care suffren

Þoruȝ derþe & drouȝþe  alle her dayes heere

Woo in wynter tymes for wantyng of cloþis

And in somer-tyme selden  soupen to þe fulle

Counforte þi careful  crist in þi riche

For how þou counfortist alle creaturis  clerkis beren witnesse

Þus in genere of gentrice  iesu crist seide

To robbers & to reueris  to riche & to pore

Þou tauȝtiste hem in þe trinite  toT take baptisme

And be clene þoruȝ þat cristynyng  of alle kyns synnes

And vs fel þoruȝ folye  to falle in synne after

Confessioun & knowlechyng  & crauynge þi mercy

Schulde amende vs as many siþes  as man wolde desire

Ac if þe pope wolde plede her-aȝeyn  & punysche vs in concience

He schulde take þe acquytaunce as quyk  & to þe quede schewe it

And putten of þe pouke  & preuen vs vndir borwe

Ac þe parchemyn of þis patent  of pouertee be . muste

And of pure pacience  and parfiȝt beleue

Of pompe & of pride  þe parchemyn decorreþ

And principali of alle peple  but þei be pore of herte

Elles is al on ydel  al þat euere we writen

Pater- noster & penaunce  & pilgrimage to rome

But oure spences & spendyng  sprynge of a trewe wille

Ellis is al oure labour lost  lo how men writen

In fenestres at þe freris  if fals be þe foundement

For-þi cristen schuldeT in comune riche  noon coueyte for hym-selue

For seuene synnes þer been  assaylen þeeT euere

Þe feend folewiþ hem alle  & fondeþ hem to helpe

Ac wiþ richesse þat ribaude  raþest men bigylyþ

For þere þat richesse regnet  reuerence folewiþ

And þat is plesaunt to pride  in pore & in riche

And þe riche is reuerenced  bi resoun of his richesse

Þere þe pore is put bihynde  & paraunter can more

Of witt & of wisdam  þat fer awey is better

Þan richesse or realte  & raþer herd in heuene

For þe riche haþ myche to rekkene  & riȝt softe walkeþ

Þe hye weye to heuene-ward  oftenT richesse letteþ

Þere þe pore preseþ biforn þe riche  with a pak at his rigge

Batauntliche as beggers doon  & boldliche he craueþ

For his pouerte & pacience  a perpetual blisse

And pride in richesse regneþ  raþer þan in pouerte

Arst in þe mayster þan inT man  sum mansioun he haþ

Ac in pouerte þere pacience is  pride haþ no myȝte

Ne noon of þe seuene synnes  sitte ne mowen þere longe

Ne haue power in pouerte  if pacience it folewe

For þe pore is ay prest  to plese þe riche

And buxum at his biddyng  for hise broken looues

And buxumnesse & boost  arn euere-more at werre

And eiþer hateþ oþer  in al manere werkis

If wraþþe wrastele wiþ þe pore  he haþ þe wers ende

For if þei boþe pleyne  þe pore is but feble

And if he chide or chatre  hym cheueþ þe wers

And if coueytise cacche þe pore  þei mowen not come to-gyderes

And bi þe nekke nameli  her noon may hente oþer

For men knowenT þat coueytise  is of a kene wille

And haþ hondes & armes  of a longe lengþe

And pouerte is butT petit þing  appereþ not to his nauele

And louelich layk was neuere  bitwene þe longe & þe schorte

And þouȝ auarice wolde angre þe pore  he haþ but litil myȝt

For pouerte haþ but pokis  to putten in . hise goodes

Þere auarice haþ almaries  & iren-bounden cofres

And wheþer be liȝter to breke  lesse boost it makeþ

A beggers bagge  þan an iren-bounden cofre

Leccherie loueþ hym not  for he ȝyueþ but litil syluer

Ne doþ hym not dyne delicatli  ne drynke wiyn ofte

A straw for þe stuwes  it stode not I trowe

HaddenT þei no þing butT pore men  her housis stoden vnhiledTC

And þouȝ sleuþe sue pouerte  & serue not god to paye

Mischeef is his mayster  & makeþ hym to þenke 

Þat god is his grettest helpe  & noo goom ellis

And his seruaunt as he seiþ  & of his sute boþe

And wheþer he be or be not  he bereþ þe signe of pouerte

And in þat secte . oure saueour  sauede al man-kynde

For-þi al pouerte þat pacient is  may cleymen & asken 

After her endyng heer  heuene-riche blisse

Michel hardier may he axen  þat heer myȝte haue his wille

In lond & in lordschip  & likyng of body

And for goddis loue leueþ al  & lyueþ as a begger

And as a mayde for mannys loue  hir modir forsakiþ

AndT fadir & alle hir frendis  & folewiþ hir make

Myche is swich a maydenT to loue  of hym þat swich oon takiþ

More þan a mayden is þat is  maried þoruȝ brocage

And bi assent of sundry parties  & syluer to bote

More for coueytise of good  þan kynde loue of boþe

So it fareþ bi iche a persoone  þat possessioun forsakeþ

And puttiþ hym to be pacient  & pouerte weddeþ

Þe which is sibbe to god hym-self  & so to hise seyntis

Haue god my truþe quod haukyn  ȝe preysen fast pouerte

What is pouerte wiþ pacienceT  propreli to mene

I can not construe þis quod haukyn  ȝe musten seye it on englisch

In englisch quod pacience . it is wel hard  wel to expoune

Ac sumdel I schal seyen it  bi so þow vnderstonde

Pouerte is þe first poynt  þat pride moost hateþ

Þanne is it good bi good skile  al þat agasteþ pride

Riȝt as contricioun is counfortable þing  concience itT woot wel

And a sorwe of hym-self  & solace to þe soule

So pouerte propreliche  penaunce & ioye 

Is to þe body  pure perpetuelT helþe

And contricioun counfort  & cura animarum þe secounde

Selde sitte pouerte  þe soþe to declare

Or as iustise to iugge men  enioyned is no pore

Ne to be a meyr abouen men  ne mynystre vndir kyngT

Selden is any pore put  to punysche any peple

Ergo pouerte & pore men  perfornen þe comaundement

Nolite iudicare quemquam þe þridde

Selden is any pore . riche  but of riȝtful heritage

WynneþT not wiþ weyȝtis false  ne vnselid mesures

Ne borweþ of hise neiȝboris  but þat he may wel paye

Þe ferþe is a fortune  þat florischeþ þe soule

Wiþ sobrete from alle synnesT  & also ȝit more

It affaytiþ þe flesch  from folies ful manye

A collateral counfort  cristis owne ȝifte

Þe fifte is moder of helþe  a freend in alle fondyngys

And for þe lewede euere a leche  a lemman of al clennesse

Þe sixte is a paþþe of pees  ȝhe þoruȝ þe pace of aultoun 

Pouerte myȝte passe  wiþ-oute perele of robbyng

For þere þat pouerte passeþ  pees foleweþ after

And euere þe lasseT he bereþ  þe hardier he is of herte

For-þi seiþ seneca  paupertas est absque solli{ci}tudine semitaT

And an hardy man of herte  among an heep of þeues

Þe seuente is welle of wisdom  & fewe wordis schewiþ

For lordis alowen hym litil  or listenen to his resoun

He tempereþ þe tunge to truþe-ward  & noo tresore coueytiþ

Þe eyȝtiþ is alele / a lele labour  & loþ to take more 

Þan he may wel deserue  in somer or in wynter

And if he chaffare . he chargiþ no losse  mowe he charite wynne

Þe nyneþe is swete forT þe soule  no sugre swetter

For pacience is payn  for pouerte hym-{selfe}selue

And sobrete swete drynke  & good leche in sekenesse

Þus lerede me a lettered man  for oure lordis loue

Seynt austyn a blissid lijf  wiþ-outen bisynesse

For body & soule absque sollicitudine felicitas

Now god þat al good gyueþ  graunte his soule reste

Þat þus first wrote to wissen men  what pouerte was to mene

Allas quod haukyn þe actijf man þoo  þat after my cristendoom

I ne hadde be deed & doluen  for do-welis sake

So hard it is quod haukyn . to lyue & to do synne

Synne sueþ vs euere quod he  & sory gan waxe

And wepte water wiþ hise yen  & weylede þe tyme

Þat euere he dide dede  þat dere god displesede

SwowedeT & sobbede  & sykede ful ofte

Þat euere he hadde londe or {larde}lordT  lesse oþer more

Or maystrie ouer any man  moo þan of hym-selue

I werere / were not worþi quod haukyn  to were any cloþis

Ne neiþer schirte ne schoone  saue for schame one

To couere my careyn quod he  & cryede fast mercy

And wepte & weylede  & þer-wiþ I a-wakede