And what man he myȝte be  of many man I axede

Was neuere wiȝt as I wente  þat me wisse kouþeT

Til it be-fel on a fryday  two freris I mette

Maystris of þe menouris  men of greet witte

I haylesede hem heendeli  as I hadde lerned

And preyede hem pur charite  er þei passeden ferþer

If þei knewen any cuntre  or coostes as þei wentenT

Where þat . do-wel . dwelliþ  doþ me to witen

For þei been men of þis moold  þat moost wijlde walken

And knowen cuntrees & courtis  & many kyns places

Boþe princes paleycis  & pore mennys cotes

And do-wel & do-yuele  where þei dwellen boþe

Amongys vs quod þe menouris  þat man is dwellynge

And euere haþ as I hope  & euere schal her-after

Contra quod I as a clerk  & comsede to dispute

And seyde hem soþeli  sepcies in die cadit iustus

Seuene siþes seiþ þe book  synneþ þe riȝtful

And who-so synneþ he seydeT  doþ yuele as me þinkeþT

Ergo he is not alwey  amongys ȝow freris

He is oþer-whyle ellis-where  to wisse þe peple

I schal seye þee my sone  seyde þe frere þanne

How seuene siþes þe sadman  on a day synneþ

Bi aforbisen / a forbisen quod þe frere  I schal þe fayre schewe

Latte brynge a man in a boot  a-myd þe brode water

Þe wijnd & þe water  & þe boot waggynge

Makeþ a man many tyme  to falle & to stumbleT

For stonde he neuere so stiffe  he stumbleþ if he meueþ

Ac ȝit is he saaf & sound  & so hym bihoueþ

For if he ne arise þe raþer  & rauȝte to þe stere

Þe wijnd wolde wiþ þe water  þe boot ouerþrowe

And þanne were his lijf lost  þoruȝ laccheyse of hym-seluen

And þus it falliþ quod þe frere  bi folk heer on erþe

Þe water is likned to þe werld  þat wanyeþ & waxeþ

Þe goodes of þis ground arn lijk  to þe grete wawes

Þat as wyndes & wederes  walken aboute

Þe boot is likned to oure body  þat brotel is of kynde

Þat þoruȝ þe feend & þe flesch  & þe frele werld

Synneþ þe sadman  a day seuene siþes

Ac dedli synne doþ he not  for do-wel hym kepeþ

And þat is charite þe champioun  cheef help aȝens synne

For he strengþedeT man to stonde  & steriþ mannys soule

And þouȝ þi body bowe  as boot doþ in þe water

Ay is þi soule saaf  but if þi-self wole 

Do a dedli synne  & drenche þi soule

God wole suffre wel þi slouþe  if þi-self likeþ

For he ȝaf þee to ȝersȝyue  to ȝeme wel þiselue

And þat is witt & fre wille  to euery wiȝt a porcioun

To fleynge foules to fischis  & also to beestis

Ac man haþ moost þerof  & moost is to blame

But if he wirche wel þerwiþ  as do-wel hym techeþ

I haue no kynde knowyng quod I  to conceyue alle ȝoure wordis

Ac if I may lyue & loke  I schal go lerne better

I bikenne þee crist  þat on þe crosse dyede

And I seyde . þe same  saue ȝow fro meschaunce

And gyue ȝow grace on þis ground  goode men to worþe

And þus I wente wyde-where  walkynge myn oone

Bi a wylde wildernesse  & bi a wode-syde

Blis of þe bryddis  brouȝte me a-slepe

And vndir a lynde vp-on a launde  lenede I a stounde

To lyþe þe layes  þoo loueli foules maden

Mirþe of her mouþes  made me þere to slepe

Þe meruelousest meteles  mette IT me þanne

Þat euere dremede wiȝt  in werld as I wene

A myche man as me þouȝte  & lijk to me-selue

Come & callede me  bi my kynde name

What art þou quod I þoo  þat þou my name knowist

Þat þou wost wel quod he  & no manT better

Woot I what þou art  þouȝt . seyde he þanne

I haue sued þee þis seuene ȝer  seyȝ þou me no raþer

Art þou þouȝt . quod I þoo  þou koudest me wisse

Where þat do-wel dwelliþ  & do me þat to knowe

Do-wel & do-bette & do-best T þridde quod he

Arn þre fayre vertues  & been not feer to fynde

Who-so is trewe of his tunge  & of hise two handis

And þoruȝ his labour or hise londes  his lijflode wynneþ

And is tristi ofT taylyng  takiþ but his owne

And is not drunklew ne dedeynous  do-wel hym folewiþ

Do-bette doþ riȝt þus  & he doþ mych more

He is as lowe as a lombe  & louelich of speche

And helpiþ alle men  after þat hem nediþ

Þe baggys & þe bigyrdeles  he haþ to-broke hem alle

Þat þe erle auarous  helde . & hise eyris

And þus wiþ mammonaes money  he haþ maad hym freendis

And is runne to religioun  & haþ rendrid þe bible

And prechede to þe peple seynt poulis wordis

And suffrenT þe vnwyse  wiþ ȝow for to libbe

And wiþ glad wille doon hem good  for so god ȝow hotiþ

Do-best is aboue hemT boþe  & bereþ a bischoppis croos

Is hoked on þat oon eende  to hale men fro helle

A pyke is on þe potent  to pilteT adoun þe wikkide

Þat wayten any wikkidnesse  do-wel to tene

And do-wel & do-bette  amongys hem ordeynedenT

To crowne oon to be kyng  to rulen hem boþe

Þat if do-wel or do-bette  doþT aȝens do-best

Þanne schal þe kyng come  & casten hem in Irnes

And but if do-best bidde for hem  þei be þere for euere

Þus do-wel & do-bette  & do-best þe þridde

CrownedenT oon to be kyng  to kepen hem alle

And to rule þiT rewme  bi her þre wittis

And noon oþer-wyse but as þei þre assentedenT

I þankede þouȝt þoo  þat he me þus tauȝte

Ac ȝit saueriþ me not þi seggyng  I coueyte to lerne

How do-wel . do-bette & do-best  doon amongys þe peple

But witt kun wisse þee quod þouȝt  where þoo þre dwellen

Ellis woot I noon þat can  þat now is a-lyue

Þouȝt & I þus  þre dayes ȝeden

Disputynge vp-on do-wel  day after oþer

And er we weren ywarT  wiþ witt gonne IT mete

He was longe & lene  liche to noon oþer

Was no pride on his apparayle  ne pouerte neyþer

Sad of his semblaunt  & of softe chere

I durste meue no matere  to make hym to iangle

But as I bade þouȝt þoo  be mene bitwene

And putte forþ sum purpos  to prouen hise wittis

What was do-wel fro do-bette  & do-best fram hem boþe

Þanne þouȝt in þat tyme  seyde þeise wordis

Where do-wel . do-bette . & do-best  been in londe

Heer is wille wolde wite  if witt kouþe teche hym

And wheþer he be man or womman  þis man wolde asspye

And worche as þei þre woldenT  þis is his entent