I was wery for-wandrid  and wente me to rest

Vndir a brood bank  bi a bornes syde

And as I lay & lenede  & lokede in þe watris

I slumbrede in a slepyng  it sweyuedeT so myrie

¶ Þanne gan I to meten  a merueylous sweuene

Þat I was in wildernesse  wiste I neuere where

As I behelde in-to þe est  on hyȝ to þe sunne

I sawȝ a toure on a toft  triedlicheT I-maked

A deep dale byneþe  a dongeoun þer-Inne

Wiþ depe dichis & derke  & dredeful of syȝt

A faire feeld ful of folk  fonde I þere bitwene

Of al manere of men  þe mene & þe riche

Worchynge & wandrynge  as þe world askiþ

Summe putte hem to þe plow  pleyede ful seelde

In settynge & souwynge  swonken ful harde

And wonnen þat wastouris  inT glotenye distroyen

¶ And summe putten hem to pride  apparayleden hem þer-after

In countenaunce of cloþing  coomen disgysed

In preyereT & in penaunce  putten hem many

Al for loue of oure lord  lyueden ful streyte

In hope for to haue  heuene-riche blisse

As ancres & heremytis  þat holden hem in her selles

And coueyten not in contre  to cayren aboute

For no likerous lijflode  her lickam to plese

¶ And summe chosen chaffare  þei cheuen þe better

As it semet to oure siȝt  þat swicheT þryuen

And summe myrþes to make  as mynystrales kunnen

And geten gold wiþ her gle  notT synles I leue

As iapers & iangeleris  Iudas children

ÞatT feynen hem fantasies  & foles hem maken

And han her witt at her wille  to wirche if þei schuldenT

Þat poul prechiþ of hem  I nyle not preue it heere

Qui turpiloquium loquitur  is lucifers knaue

¶ Bidderis & beggeris  faste aboute ȝiedenT

Wiþ her bely & her baggys  of breed ful I-crammyd

Faiteden for her fode  fauȝten atT ale

In glotenye . god it woot  goon þei to bedde

And rysen wiþ ribaudie  þeT roberdis knaues

Sleep & sory slouþe  suen hem euere

¶ Pilgrymys & palmeris  pliȝtedenT hem to-gyderes

To seke seynt Iames  & seyntis in Rome

Þey wenten forþ in her wey  wiþ many wise tales

And hadden leue for to lye  al her lijf after

I seyȝ summe þat seyden  þei hadden I-souȝt seyntis

To iche a tale þat þei toldenT  her tunge was temperid to lye

More þanT seye soþ  it semede . bi her speche

¶ Heremytis on an heep  wiþ hoked staues

Wenten to walsyngham  & her wenchis after

Grete lobyes & longe  þat loþ weren to swynke

Cloþeden hem in copis  to be knowen from oþere

And schopen hem heremytis  her ese to haue

¶ I fonde þere freris  alle þe foure ordres

Precheden þe peple  for profiȝt of hem-seluen

Gloseden þe gospel  as hem good likede

For coueytise of copes  construeden it . as þei woldenT

Many of þeise maystre freris  mowen cloþen hem at likyng

For her money & marchaundisesT  marchen to-gyderis

For siþ charite haþ ben chapman  & cheef to schryue lordis

Many ferlies han fallen  in a fewe ȝieris

But holi chirche & þei  holde bettre to-gyderis

Þe moost myscheef on erþeT  is mountynge vp welT faste

¶ Þere prechede a pardoner  as he a preest were

Brouȝte forþ a bulle  wiþ bischoppis seelis

And seyde þat hym-self myȝte  assoylen hem alle

Of falshed of fastyng  & of vowes Ibroken

¶ Lewede men leuedenT hym wel  & likeden hise wordis

Comen vp knelynge  to kissen hise bulles

He bunchede hem wiþ his breuet  & blerede her yen

And rauȝte wiþ his ragman  rynges & broches

Þus þei gyuen her gold  glotounes to kepe

And louenT siche loselis  þat leccherie haunten

Were þe bischop Iblessid  & worþ hise boþeT eres

His seel schulde not be sent  to disceyue þe peple

Ac it is not bi þe bischop  þat þe boye prechiþ

For þe parisch preest & þe pardoner  parten þe siluer

Þat þe pore porayleT of þe parisch  schulde haue . if þei ne were

¶ Persounes & parisch prestis  pleynedenT hem to þe bischop

Þat her parisches weren pore  siþ þe pestelence tyme

To haue a licence & leue  at london to dwelle

And syngen þere for symonye  for siluer is swete

¶ Bischoppis & bacheleris  boþe maystres & doctouris

Þat han cure vndir crist  & crownyng in tokene

And signe . þat þei schulden  schryuen her parischenes

Prechen & preye for hem  & þe pore fede

Liggen in london  in lenten and ellis

Summe seruen þe kyng  & his siluer tellen

In checker & in chauncerie  chalengen hise dettis

Of wardis ofT wardmotes  of weyues ofT streyues

¶ And summe seruen as seruauntis  lordis & ladyes

And in stede of stiwardis  sitten & demen

Her messe & her mateyns  & many of her ouris

Arn doon vn-deuoutliche  drede is at þe last

¶ Lest crist in consistorie  curseT ful many

I parceyuede of þe power  þat peter hadde to kepe

To bynde & to vnbynde  as þe book telliþ

How he . it selfT wiþ loue  as oure lord hyȝte

Amongys foure vertues  þe best of alle vertues

Þat cardynalis ben clepid  & closyng ȝatis

Þere crist is in kyngdam  to close & to schitte

And to opene it to hem  & heuene blis schewe

Ac of þe cardynalis at court  þat cauȝten of þat name

AcT power presumedenT in hem  a pope to make

To haue þat power þat petir hadde  Impugne itT I nylle

For in loue & lettrure  þe eleccioun bilongeþ

For-þi I can & IT can not  of court speke more

¶ Þanne cam þer a kyng  knyȝthod hym ladde

Myȝt of þe comunes  made hym to regne

And þanne kam kynde witt  & klerkis he made

For to counceyle þe kyng  & þe comune saue

¶ Þe kyng & knyȝthod  & clergye boþe

Casten þat þe comune  schuldenT hem-self fynde

¶ Þe comune contreuede  of kynde witt . craftes

And for profiȝt of al þe peple  plowmen ordeynedenT

To tilie & trauayle  as trewe lijf askeþ

Þe kyng & þe comune  & kynde witt . þe þridde

Schopen lawe & leute  iche man to knowe his owne

¶ Þanne lokede vp a lunatyk  a lene þing wiþ-al

And knelynge to þe kyng  clergiali he seyde

Crist kepe þee sir kyng  & {þe} þi kyng-riche

And lene þee toT lede þi lond  so leute þee louye

And for þi riȝtful rewlyng  be rewardid in heuene

And siþþen in þe eir on hyȝ  an aungel of heuene

Lowede to speke in latyn  for lewede men ne koudenT

Iangle ne Iugge  þat Iustifie hem schulde

But suffren & seruen  for-þi seyde þe aungel

¶ Þanne greuede hym a goliardeys  a glotoun of wordis

And to þe aungel on hyȝ  answerede after

¶ Þanne gan alle þe comunes  crie . in vers of latyn

To þe kyngys counceyl  construe . who-so wolde

¶ Wiþ þat ran þer a route  of ratounes at ones

And smale myce wiþ hem  moo þan a þousand

And comen to a counceyl  for her comune profiȝt

For a cat of a court  cam whanne hym likede

And ouerleepe hem lyȝtly  & lauȝte hem at his wille

And pleyede wiþ hem perelouslich  & possede hem aboute

For doute of dyuerse dedesT  we dorenT not wel loke

And if we grucchen of hys gamen  he wole greue vs alle

Cracche vs & clawe vs  & in hise cloches holde

Þat vs loþeþ þe lijf  or he lete vs passe

MyȝtenT we wiþ any witt  his wille wiþ-stonde

We myȝten be lordis a-loft  & lyuen at oure ese

¶ A Ratoun of renoun  moost renable of tunge

Seyde for a souereyn  help . to hym-seluenT

I haue seyn segges quod he  in þe cite of london

Beren byes ful bryȝt  abouten her neckis

And summe colers of crafty werk  vncoupled þei wenden

Boþe in wareyn & in wast  where hem leue likiþ

And oþer-whyle . þei arn ellis-where  as I here telle

Were þer a belle on her byesT  bi iesu as me þinkeþ

Men myȝten wite where þei wentenT  & awey renne

And riȝt so quod þeT ratoun  resoun me schewiþ

To bigge a belle of brasse  or of bryȝt siluer

And knytte on a koler  for oure comune profiȝt

And hange it vp-on þe cattis hals  þanne . here we mowenC

Where he rit or restiþ  or renneþ to pleye

And if hym liste for to layke  þanne loke we mowen

And peren in his presence  þer-while hym pleye likiþ

And if hym wraþþeþ be ywar  & his weye schonye

¶ Al þis route of ratounes  to þis resoun assentedenT

Ac þoo þe belle was I-bouȝt  & on þe bye hangyd

Þer ne was ratoun in al þe route  for al þe rewme of fraunce

Þat durste haue bounde þe belle  aboute þe cattis necke

Ne hangen it aboute þe cattis hals  al Englond to wynneC

And helden hem vnhardi  & her counceyl feble

And leeten her labour lost  & her longe studie

¶ A mous þat myche good  couþe . as me þouȝte

Stroke forþ sterneli  & stode bi-forn hem alle

And to þeT ratounes  rehercede þeise wordis

Þouȝ we killedenT þe cat  ȝet schulde þer come an-oþer

To cracche vs and al oure kynde  þouȝ we cropen vnder benchis

For-þi I counceyle al þe comune  to latte þe cat worthe

And be we neuere so bold  þe belle hym to schewe

For I herde my sire seyn  is seuene ȝer ypassed

Þere þe cat is a kitoun  þe court is ful elenge

Þat witnessiþ holi writ  who-so wole it rede

For may no renke þere rest haue  for ratouns bi nyȝt

Þe whyle he cacchiþ conynges  he coueitiþ not oure careyne

But fet hym wiþ venysoun  defame we hym neuere

For better is a litil losse  þan a longe sorwe

Þe mase amongys vs alle  þouȝ we mysse a schrewe

For many mennys malt  we myce wolden distroye

And also þe route of ratouns  rende mennys cloþis

Nere þat cat of þat court  þat can ȝow ouer-lepe

For haddenT ȝe rattis ȝoure wille  ȝe couþenT not reule ȝow-selue

I seye for me quod þe mous  I se so mykil after

Schal neuere þe cat ne þe kitoun  bi my counceyl be greuyd

Ne carpyng of þis coler  þat costede me neuere

And þouȝ it hadde cost me catel  biknowe it . I nolde

But suffre . as hym-self wolde  to do as hym likiþ

Couplid & vncouplid  to cacche . what þei mowen

For-þi . iche a wyse wyȝt  I warne . wite wel his owne

¶ What þeiseT metels bemenettT  ȝe men þat ben myrie

Dyuyne ȝe . for I ne dar  bi dere god in heuene

¶ Ȝet houedenT þere an hundred in howues of silk

Sergeauntis it semeden  þat serueden at þe barre

Plededen for penyes  & poundis . þe lawe

And not for loue of oure lord  vnlose her lippis ones

Þow myȝtist better . mete þe myst  on malueren hillis

Þan gete a mumme of her mouþe  but money be schewid

¶ Barouns & burgeys  and bonde-men also

I seyȝ in þis assemble  as ȝe schul here after

Baxters & brewsters  and bocheris manye

Wollen websteris  and weueris of lynnen

Taylouris & tynkeris  & tolleris in markettis

Masouns & mynouris  & many oþere craftis

Of alle kyn libbynge laboreris  lopen forþ summe

As dykers & deluers . þat doon her dedis ille C

And dryuen forþ þe longe day . wiþ dieu vous saue dame Emme

Cookes & her knaues  cryeden hote pyes hote

Goode gees & grys  go we dyne go we

Tauerners vn-til hem  tolden þe same

Whyte wiyn of Oseye  & rede wiyn of Gascoigne

Of þe Ryne & ofT Rochel  þe roost to deffye

Al þis sawe I slepynge  & seuene syþes more .