Kenne me bi sum craft  forT to knowe þe fals

¶ Loke vp-on þi left half  & lo where scheT standiþ

Boþe fals & fauel  & her feres many

I lokede on my left half  as þe lady me tauȝte

And was war of a womman  worþili I-cloþed

Purfilid wiþ pelure  þe fynest vp-on erþe

I-crownyd wiþ a crowne  þe kyng haþ noon better

Fetislich hir fyngres weren  fetridT wiþ gold wire

And þer-onne reede rubies  as reede as any glede

And dyamauntis of derrest price  & double manere saphers

Orientalis & ewages  envenymes to distroye

Hir robe was ful riche  of reede scarlet engreyned

Wiþ ribans of reed gold  & of riche stonys

Hire aray . me raueschede  swich richesse sawe I neuere

I hadde wondir . what sche was  & whos wijf sche were

What is þis womman quod I  so worþili atired

Þat is mede þe mayden quod sche  haþ noyed me ful ofte

And Ilackide my lemman  þat leute is hoten

And bilowen hir to lordis  þat lawes han to kepe

In þe popis paleys sche is  pryue as my-selue

But soþnesse wolde not so  for sche is a bastard

For fals was hir fadir  þat haddeT a fikel tunge

And neuere soþ seyde  siþ he come to erþe

And Mede is manered after hym  riȝt as kynde askeþ

I auȝte been heyer þan sche  I cam of a better

My fadir þe greet god is  & ground of alle graces

O god wiþ-outen gynnyng  & I his good douȝter

And haþ ȝyuen me mercy  to marie wiþ . me-selueT

And what man be mercyful  & lelli me loueþ

Schal be my lord & I his leef  in þe hye heuene

And what man takeþ mede  my lijfT dar I legge

Þat he schal lese for hir loue  a lappe of caritatis

How construeþ dauid þe kyng  of men þat taken mede

And men of þis moold  þat mayntenen truþe

And how ȝe schul saue ȝow-seluenT  þe sauter beriþ witnesse

And now worþ þis mede I-maried  al to a mansedLXT

To oon fals fikel tunge  a feendis biȝete

Fauel þoruȝ his faire speche  haþ þeise folk enchauntid

And al is liers ledyng  þat sche is þus Iweddid

To-morwe worþ ymaad  þe maydenes brydale

And þer myȝtist þou wite if þou wilt  whiche þei been alle

Þat longen to þat lordschipe  þe lesse & þe more

Knowe hem þere if þou canst  & kepe wel þi tungeT

And lacke hem not but late hem worþe  til leute be iustise

And haue power to punysche hem  þanne putte forþ þi resoun

Now I bikenne þee crist quod sche  & his clene modir

And late no conscience acombre þee  for coueytise of mede

¶ Þus lafte me þat ladi  liggyng a-slepe

And how Mede was ymaried  in metels me þouȝte

AndT al þe riche retenaunce  þat regneþ wiþ þe fals

Weren boden to þe bridale  on boþe two sydes

Of alle manere of men  þe mene & þe riche

To marie þis mayden  was many man assembled

As of knyȝtis & clerkis  & oþere comune peple

As sisours & sumpnours  scherreues & her clerkis

Bedellis & baylifs  & brokouris of chaffare

Forgoeris & vitayleris  & vocates of þe arches

I can not reckene þe route  þat ran aboute mede

Ac symonye & Cyuyle  & sisouris of courtis

Weren moost priue wiþ mede  of any men me þouȝte

Ac fauel was þe first  þat fette hir out of boureT

Whanne symonye & Cyuile  saw her boþer wille

Þei assentedenT for syluer  to seye as boþe woldenT

Þanne leepe lier forþ  & seyde . lo here a chartre

Þat gyle wiþ hise grete oþis  gaf hem to-gyderis

And preyede Cyuyle to see  & symonye to rede it

Þanne Symonye & Cyuyle  stonden forþ boþe

And vnfolden þe feffement  þat fals haþ I-makid

And þus bigynnen þeise gomes  to greden ful hye

Witeþ & witnesseþ  þat wonyeþ vp-on þis erþe

Þat Mede is maried  more for hir goodes

Þan for any vertu of fayrnesse  or forT any fre kynde

Falsnesse is fayn of hir  for he woot hir riche

And fauel wiþ his fikel felawT  feffeþ bi þis chartre

To be princesseT in pride  & pouerte to dispise

To bacbite & to boste  & bere fals witnesse

To scorne & to scoolde  & sclaundre to make

Vnbuxum . & boold  to breke þe ten heestes

¶ And þe eerldom of enuye  & wraþþe to-gyderes

Wiþ þe chastilet of Cheest  & chateryng out of resoun

Þe Countee of Coueytise  & alle þe coostes aboute

Þat is vsure & auarice  alle I hem graunte

In bargeyns & in brocages  wiþ al þe boruȝ of þeft

And al þe lordschip of lecherie  in lengþe & in breede

As in werkis & in wordis  & waytyngys wiþ yen

And in wedes & wisschyngys  & wiþ ydel þouȝtis

Þere as wille wolde T werkmanschip fayliþ

Glotenye he gaf hem eke  & grete oþes to-gyderes

And al day to drynke at dyuers tauernes .

And þere to iangle & to iape  & iugge her euene-Cristen

And in fastyng-dayes to frete  er ful tyme were

And þanne to sitte & toT soupe  til sleep hem assayle

And breden as boruȝ swyne  & bedden hem esyli

Til sleuþe & sleelp / sleep  sliken hise sydes

And þanne wanhope to a-wake hym so  wiþ no wille to amende

For he leueþ . heT be lost  þis is her last ende

¶ And þei to haue & to holde  & her eires after

A dwellyng wiþ þe deuel  & dampned be for euere

Wiþ al þe purtenaunce of purgatorie  in-to þe pyne inT helle

Ȝeldynge for þis þing  at oon ȝeres endeC

Her soulis to sathan  to suffre wiþ hym peynes

And wiþ hym to wonye in woo  whyle god is in heuene

¶ In witnesse of which þing  wrong was þe first

And pers þe pardouner of paulynys doctryne

Bette þe bedel  of bokyngham-schyre

Reynold þe reue  of Ruteland sokene

Munde þe myluer  & many moo oþere

¶ In þe date of þe deuel  þis dede I assele

Bi syȝt of sir symonye  & Cyuelis leeue

¶ Þanne tenede hym theologie  whanne he þis tale herde

And seyde to Cyuyle  now sorwe mote þow haue

Sich weddynges to worche  to wraþþe wiþ truþe

AcT er þis weddyng be wrouȝt  woo þee be-tyde

For Mede is MulirieT  of amendis engendrid

And god grauntede to gyue  Mede to truþe

And þow hast gyuen hir to a gylour  now god gyue þee sorwe

Þi text telliþ þee not so  truþe woot þe soþe

For dignus est eperarius / [o]perarius  his hyre to haue

And þow hast fest hir to fals  fy on þi lawe

For al . bi lesyngys þow lyuest  & lecherouse werkis

Symonye & þi-self  schenden holi chirche

Þe notaries & ȝe  noyen þe peple

Ȝe schul abiggen it boþe  bi god þat me made

Wel ȝe witen wernardis  but if ȝoure witt fayle

Þat fals is feiþlees  & fikel in hise werkis

And was a bastard I-born  of belsabubbes kyn

And MedeT Mulere  a mayden of goode

And myȝte kysse þe kynge  for cosyn & sche wolde

For-þi worcheþ bi wisdam  & bi wittiT also

And ledeþ hir to london  þere lawe is I-schewid

If any lawe wole loke  þei ligge to-gyderes

And þouȝ iustises iugen hir  to be ioyned wiþ fals

Ȝit beþ war of weddyng  for witty is truþe

And concience is of his counceyl  & knowiþ ȝow ichone

And if he fynde ȝow in defaute  & wiþ þe fals holde

It schal bisitte ȝoure soulis  ful soure at þe last

Her-to assentiþ Cyuyle  ac symonye ne wolde

Til he hadde siluer for his seruyse  & also þe notaries

Þanne fette fauel forþ  floreyns I-nowe

And bade Gyle go gyue  gold al aboute

And nameli to þe notaries  þat hem nooneC fayle

And feffe false witnesse  wiþ floreyns I-nowe

For þei may Mede amaystrye  & maken at my wille

Þoo þis gold was gyue  greet was þe þankyng

To fals & to fauel  for her faire ȝiftes

And comen to counforte  from care þe fals

And seyden . certis sire  ceece schal we neuere

Til Mede be weddid þiT wijf  þoruȝ wittis of vs alle

For we han Mede amaystryed  wiþ oure myrie speche

Þat sche graunteþ to goon  wiþ a good wille

To london to loke  if þat þe lawe wolde

Iugge ȝow ioyntli  in Ioye for euere

Þanne was falnesse / fal[s]nesse fayn  & fauel as bliþe

And leeten sumpne alle segges  in schires aboute

And bade hem alle be boun  beggers & oþere

To wende wiþ hem to westmynystre  to witnesse þis dede

Ac þanne caredenT þei for caples  to carien hem þider

And fauel fette forþ þanne  foolis ynowe

And sette Mede vp-on a schirreue  schod al newe

And fals sateT on a sisour  þat softelich trottede

And fauel on a flaterer  fetislich atired

Þoo hadden notaries noon  anoyed þei werenC

For symonye & Cyuyle  schulden on her feet gange

Ac þanne swore symonye  and Cyuyle boþe

Þat sumpnouris schuldenT be sadelid  & serue hem ichoon

And late appareyle þeise prouysouris  in palfreys wyse

Sire symonye hym-seluen  schal sitte vp-on her bakkis

Denes & sudenes  drawe ȝow to-gyderes

Erchedekenes & officialis  & alle ȝoure Registreris

Late sadele hem wiþ syluer  oure synne to suffre

As auoutrie & deuorces  & derne vsure

To bere bischoppis aboute  a-brood in visytyngeC

Paulynes preues  for pleyntis in þe consistorie

Schul serue my-seluenT  þat Cyuyle is nempned

And Cartesadele oure Comyssarie  oure cart schal he lede

And fecchen vs vitaylis  at fornicatores

And makeþ of lyer a longe cart  to lede alle þeise oþere

As freris & fautourisT  þat on her feet rennen

And þus fals & fauel  fareþ forþ to-gyderes

And Mede in þe myddis  & alle þeise oþere after

I haue no toom to telle  þe tayl þat hem folewiþ

Of many manere man  þat on þis molde libbeþ

Ac gyle was forgoer  & guyede hem alle

¶ Soþenesse sawȝ hym wel  & seyde but a litil

And prikede his palfrey  & passede hem alle

And come to þe kyngys court  & concience it tolde

And concience to þe kyng  carpede it after

¶ Now bi crist quod þe kyng  & I cacche myȝte

Fals or Fauel  or any of hise feres

I wolde be wroken of þoo wrecchis  þat worchen so ille

And do hem hange bi þe hals  & alle þat hem mayntenen

Schal neuere man on molde  maynprise þe leeste

But riȝt as þe lawe wole loke  late falle on hem alle

And comaundede a cunstable  þat come at þe first

To atache þoo tirauntis  for any þing I hote

And fetereþ fast falsnesse  for any kyns ȝiftes

And gyrdeþ of . gyles hed  & late hym goo no ferþer

And if ȝe lacche lyer  late hym not ascapen

Er he be put on þe pilerie  for any preyer I hote

And bryngeþ Mede to me  maugrey hem alle

Drede at þe dore stode  & þe doom herde

And how þe kyng comaundede  cunstables & sergeauntis

Falsnesse & his felawschip  to feteren & to bynden

Þanne drede wente wyȝtlich  & warnede þe fals

And bade hym flee for feer  & hise felawis alle

Falsnesse for feer þanne  fley to þe freris

And gyle dooþ hym to goo  agast for to dye

Ac marchauntis metten hym wiþT  & maden hym abide

And bischetten hym in her schop  to schewen her ware

And apparayledenT hym as a prentise  þe peple to serue

Liȝtlich lyer  leepe awey þanne

Lorkynge þoruȝ lanes  to-lugged of many

He was nouȝwher welcome  for hise many talis

Ouer-al I-howted  & I-hote . trusse

Til pardouneres hadden pite  & pulleden hym in-to house

Þe / Þe[i] wesschen hym & wipeden hym  & wounden hym in cloutes

And sente hym wiþ seeles  on sundayes to chircheT

And gaf pardoun for pens  poundmele aboute

Þanne loureden leches  & lettres þei senten

Þat he schulde wonye wiþ hem  watris to lokenT

Spiceers spoken wiþ hym  to spien her ware

For he kouþe of her craft  & knewe many {gomes}gommesT

Ac mynystralis & messageers  metten wiþ hym ones

And helden hym an half ȝeer  & elleuene dayes

Freris wiþ faire speche  fetten hym þennes

And for knowyng of komers  kopede hym as a frere

Ac he haþ leeue to lepe out  as ofte as hym likeþ

And is welcome whanne he wole  & woneþ wiþ hem ofte

Alle fledden for feer  & flowhen in-to hirnes

Saue Mede þe Mayden  no moo dursten abide

Ac truli to telle  sche tremblede for drede

And eke wepte & wronge  whanne sche was attached