fol. 39r (cont.)fol. 39r
Passus decimus de visione vt supra . — —
ÞanneC had wit a wif  was calledT dame studie
Þat lene was of lere  and of lichee bothe .
Sche was wonderliche wroth  þat wit me þus tauȝte .
And alle starynge dame studie  sterneliche seyde .
Wel art þow wis quod sche to witt  any wisdomes to telle .
To flatereres or to foles  þat frentik ben of wittes .
And blamed hym and banned hym  and bad him be stille .
With swiche wise wordes  to wissen any sottes .
And seyde noli mittere man  magerie / ma[r]gerie perles .
Amonges hogges þat han  hawes at wille .
Þei doth but dreuele þer-on  draf were hem leuere .
Þan alle þe preciouse perre  þat in paradis wexeth .
I seye it be schucheLX quod sche  þat scheweth be here werkes .
Þat hem were leuere lond  and lordschipe here .T
Other ricchesse otherT rentes  and rest at here wille .
Þanne alle þe soth sawes  þat salomon seyde euere .
¶ Wisdom and witt now  is nauȝt worth a carse .
But if it be carded with couetise  as clotheres kemben wolle
Ho-so kan contreue deseites  and conspire wronges .
And leden forth a loueday  and letten þe trewthe .T
He þat suche craftes can  to conseil is cleped . —
fol. 39vfol. 39v
Þei lede lordes with lesynges  and belyeth treuthe . —
¶ Iob þe gentil  in his gestes witnesseth .
Þat wicked men þei welden  þe welth of þis worlde .
And þat þei ben lordes inT vch a londe  þat oute of lawe libbeth .
Quare impij viuunt bene est omnibus qui preuaricantur & inique agunt .
¶ Þe sauter seith þe same  by such þat don ille .
Ecce ipsi peccatores habundantes in seculo optinuerunt .T
Lo seith holy lettrure  whiche lordes beth þis schrewes
Þilk þat god most greuethT  lest gode þei deleth .
And most vnkende to þe comune  þat most catel weldeth .
Que perfecisti destruxerunt  iustus autem &cetera .
Harlotes for here harlotrie  may haue of her godes .
And iaperes and iogoloures  and iangeleres of gestes .
¶ Ac he þat hath holy writ  ay in his mouthe .
And can telle of tobye  and of þe twelue apostles .
Or prechen of þe penaunce  þat pilat wrouȝte .
To Ihesu þe gentil  þat iewes to-drowe . —
Litel is he loued  þat such a lesson scheweth .
Or daunted or drawe forth  I do it on god hym-selue .
¶ But þo þat feynen hem foles  and with faytynge libbeth  .
Aȝeyne þe lawe of oure lorde  and lyen on hem-selue .
Spitten and spewen  and speken foule wordes .
Drynken and dreuelen  and do men for to gape .
Likkene men and lyen on hem  þat leneth hem no ȝiftes
Þei conne namore minstracie  ne musike men to glade
Þanne munde þe mulenere  of multa fecit deus .
Ne were here vile harlotrie  haue god my trouthe .
Schuld neuere kynge ne knyȝte  ne canoun of seynt poules .
Ȝyue hem to here ȝeresȝyue  þe worthT of a grote .
¶ Ac murth and mynstracie  amonges men is nouthe .
Lecherie and losengerie  and loseles tales . —
fol. 40rfol. 40r
Glotonye and grete othes  þis murthT louyeth .
Ac ȝif ȝei / [þ]ei carpen of crist  þis clerkes and þes lewede .
At þe mete in here murthes  whan mynstrales ben stille .
Þanne tellen þei of þe trinyte  a tale other tweyne .
And bryngeth forth a balled resoun  and taken bernard to witnesse .
And putten forth a presumpcioun  to preue þe sothe .
Þus þei driuele at here dayes  þe deyte to knowe .
And gnawen god with þe gorge  whan here gutte is fulle .
¶ Ac þe careful may crie  and carpen at þe ȝate .
Bothe afyngred and a-þurst  and for chele quake .
Is non to nymen hym nere  his nuyeT amende .
But hoen onLX hym as an hownde  and hoten hym go þennes .
Litel loueth he þat lorde  þat lent hym alle þat blisse  .
Þat þus parteth with þe pore  a parcel whan hym nedeth  .
Ne were mercye in mene men  more þan in riche .
Mendynantes meteles  myȝt go to bedde .
God is muche in þe gorgesT  of þes grete maystres .
Ac amonges mene men  his mercye and his werkes .
And so seith þe sauter  Ich haue I-seye it oft .
Ecce audiuimus eum in effrata  inuenimus eumT in campis silue .
Clerkes and other menT  carpen of god faste .
And haue hym muche in þe mouthe  ac mene men in herte .
¶ Freres and faytoures haue founde suche questions .
To plese with proude men  sitthen þe pestilence .T
And prechen at seynt poules  for pure enuye of clerkes .
Þat folke is nouȝt fermed in þe feith  ne free of here godes .
Ne sori for here synnes  so pruyde isT woxen . —
In religioun and in alle þe rewme  amonges riche and pore .
Þat preyeres haue no powereþis pestilencesT to lette .
For god is def now-a-dayes  and deyneth his heres to opneT
Þat gerles for here gyltes  he for-gryntLX hem alle .—
And ȝet þe wrecches of þis worlde  is non yware by other
Ne for drede of þe deth  with-drawe nauȝt here pruyde .
Ne beth plentyuous to þe pore  as pure charite wolde .
fol. 40vfol. 40v
¶ But in gaynesse and in glotonye  for-glotten here goed hem-selue .
And breketh nauȝt to þe beggere  as þe boek techeth  .
Frange esurienti panem tuum & cetera .
And þe more he wynneth and welt  welthes and richesses  .
Euere as heT lordeth in londes  þe lasse goed he deleth .
¶ Tobie techethT ȝow nauȝt so  taketh hede ȝe riche .
How þe boek bible  of hym bereth witnesse .
Si tibi sit copia  habundanter tribue  C
Si autem exiguum illud inpertireT libenter studeT .
Who-so hath muche  spene manlyche  so meneth tobie .
And ho-so litel weldeth  rewle hym þere-after .
For we haue no lettre of oure lif  how longe it sal dure .
Suche lessones lordes schulde  loue to here .
And how he miȝt most meyne  manliche fynde .
Nouȝt to fare as a fithelere  or asT a frere to seke festes .
Homliche at other mennus howses  and hatyen here owne .
Elynge is þe halle  vche daye in þe weke  .
Þere þe lorde ne þe lady  liketh nauȝt to sitte
Now hath vch riche a reule  to eten by hym-selue .
In a priuy parlour  for pore mennes sake .
Or in a chaumber byT a chymene  and leue þe chief halle .
Þat was made for meles  men to eten Inne .
And alle to spare to spille  þat speneT schal an-other .
¶ I haue herd hye men  etynge at þe table  .
Carpen as þei clerkes were  of crist and of his miȝtes .
And leyden fautes vpon þe fader  þat formed vs alle .
And carpen aȝeine clerkes  crabbed wordes .
Whi wold oure saueor suffre  such a worm in his blisse
Þat bygiled þe womman  and þe man after  .
Þorȝ which wiles and wordes  þei wenten to helle
And alle here seed for here synne  þe same deth suffrede .
¶ Here lieth ȝoure lore  þis lordes g{u}ynneth dispute .
Of þat ye clerkes vs kenneth  of crist by þe gospel .
fol. 41rfol. 41r
Filius non portabit iniquitatemT &cetera .
Whi schulde we þat now ben  for þe werkes of adam .
Roten and to-reueLX  reson walde it neuere .
Vnusquisque honus suum portabitT .
Suche motifs þei meue  þis maystres in here glorie
And maketh men in mysbyleue  þat muse muche on here wordes .
¶ Ymaginatif here-afterwarde  schal answerie to ȝoure porpos .
¶ Austyn to suche argueres  he telleth hem þis teme .
Non plus sapere quam oportet &cetera
Wilneth neuere to wite  whi þat god wolde  .
Suffre sathan his seed to begile . —
Ac byleue lelly  in þe lore of holy cherche .
And preye hym of pardoun  and penance in þi lyue .
And for his muche mercy  to amende ȝow here .
¶ For alle þat wilneth to wite  þe weyes of god almiȝty .
I wold his eye were in his ers  and his fynger after  .
Þat euere wilneth to wite  whi þat god wolde .
Suffre sathan his seed to bygile .
Or Iudas þe IewT  ihesu betraie . —
¶ Alle was as he woldeT  lorde yworschiped be þow .
And alle worth as þow wolt  what-so we despute .
¶ And þo þat vseth þis hauelons  to blende mennes wittes  .
What is dowel fro dobet  now def mote he worthe .
Sitth he wilneth to wite  which þei ben alle .T
But if he lyue in þe lyueT þat longeth to dowel .
For I dare ben his boruȝhT  þat dobet wil be nere .
Þow dobest drawe on hym  day after other .
¶ And whanne þat wit was IwarehowT dame studie tolde
He bycom so confus  he couthe nauȝt loke  
And as doumbe as deth  and drowe hym arere .
fol. 41vfol. 41v
¶ And for no carpynge I couth after  ne knelinge to þe grounde .
I miȝt gete no greyne  of his grete wittes .
But alle lauȝynge he louted  and loked vpon stude  .
In sygne þat I schulde  be-seche hire of grace . —
¶ And whan I was ware of his wille  to his wif gan I loute .
And seyde mercy ma-dame  ȝoure man schal I worthe .
As longe as I lyue  bothe late and rathe .
AndT forto werche ȝoure wille  þe while my lyf dureth .
With þat ȝe kendely / [kenne me] kendelyT  to knowe what is dowel  .
¶ For þi mekenesse man quod sche  and for þi milde speche .
I schal kenne þe to my cosyn  þat clergiseT is hoten .
He hath wedded a wif  withInne þis six monethus .
Is sib to þe seuen ars  scripture is hire name .
Þei to as I hope  after my techinge .
Schullen wise þe to dowel  I dar welT vndertaken .
¶ Þanne was I as fayne  as foule of faire morwe .
And gladder þanne þe gleman  þat golde hath to ȝifte  .
And hasked hire þe heye wey  where þat clergie dwelte  .
And telle me somme tokne quod I  for tyme Is þat weT wende .
¶ Aske þe heye wey quod sche  hennes to suffre .
Both wel and wo  ȝif þat þow wilt lerne .
And ride forth bi richesse  ac rest þow nauȝt þere-Inne .
For ȝif þow couplest þe þere-with  to chercheT comest þow neuere .
¶ And also þe likerouse launde  þat lecherie is hoteT .
Leue hym on þin left half  a large mile or more .
Til þow come to a court  kepe wel þi tonge .C
¶ Fro lesynges and lither speche  and likerouse drinkes  .
Þane schaltow se sobrete  and symplete of berynge .T
Þat vch wyȝth ben in wille  his wit þe to schewe .
And þus schalt þow come to clergie  þat can many þinges  .
Sey hym þis signe  I sette hym to scole .
fol. 42rfol. 42r
And þat I grette wel his wif  for I wrote hire many bookes .
And sette hire to sapience  and to þe sauter glose .
Logike I lernede hire  and many other lawes .
And alle þe muysones in musikeT made hire to knowe .
¶ Plato þe poete I putte hym furst to booke .
Aristotele and otherT  to argue I tauȝte  .
Gramer for girles  I gart furst write .
And bet hym with a baleys  but if þei wolde lerne .
Of alle kynnes craftes  I contreuede toles .
Of carpentrie of kerueres  and compasede masones .
And lerned hem leuele and lyne  þouȝ I loke dymme  .
Ac theologye hath tened me  ten score tymes .
Þe more I muse þere-inne  þe mystier it semeth .
And þe deppere I dyuyne  þe derkere me it þinketh .
It is no sciens for-sothe  for to sauȝteleLX inne .
A ful lethi þinge it were  ȝif þat lof nere .
Ac for it leet best by loue  I loue it þe bettere .
For þat þereT loue is ledere  ne lakkede neuere grace .
LoueT þow loue lelly  if þow thenkeT do wel .
For dobet and dobest  ben of loues kynne .
¶ In other science it seyth  I seye it in catoun .
Qui similatT verbis vel inT corde est fidus amicus .
Tu quoque fac simile  sic ars diluditur arte .
Ho-so gloseth as giloures doun go me to þe same .
And so schalstow fals folke  and faythles bygyle .
Þis is catones kennyng  to clerkes þat he lereth .
Ac theologie techeth nauȝt so  ho-so taketh gome .LX
He kenneth vs þe contrarie  aȝeyne catones wordes  .
For he bit vs be as bretheren  and bidde for oure enemys  .
And louen hem þat liȝenT vs  and lene hem whan hem nedeth .
And do goed aȝeynes euel  god hym-self it hoteth .
Dum tempus estT operemur bonumT maxime autem ad domesticos fidei .
¶ Poule preched þe poeple  þat parfitnesse louede .
fol. 42vfol. 42v
To do goed for godesloue / godes loue  and gyue men þat asketh .
And namelich to suche  þat schewethT oure byleue .
¶ And alle þat lakkethT or lyeth vs  oure lorde techeth vs to louye  .
And nauȝt to greuen hem þat greueth vs  god hym-self for-bad it .
Michi vindictam et ego retribuam 
For-þi loke þow louie  as longe as þow dureste .
For is no science vnder sonne  so souereyne for þe soule .
¶ Ac astronomye is hardT þinge  and euel for to knowe .
Geometrie and geomesye  is gynful of speche .
Ho-so þenketh werch with þo to  þriueth ful late :
For sorcerye is þe souereyne boke  þat to þo scienceT longeth  .
¶ Ȝeet ar þere fibiches in forceres  of fele mennes makynge .
Experimens of alconomie  þe poeple to deseyue .
If þow þenke to dowel  dele þere-with neuere .
Alle þis sciences I my-selue  soteyled and ordeyned .
And by-fondT hem formest  folke to deseyue .
¶ Telle clergie þise toknes  and toT scripture after .
To conseile þe kendely  for to knowe dowel .T
¶ I seyde graunt mercy madame  and mekelich hire grette .
And went miȝteliche my weyT  with-oute more lettynge .
AndT I come to clergie  I couthe neuere stynte .
I grette þe gode man  as þe gode wifT me tauȝte .
And after-wardes þe wif  and worchiped hem bothe .
And tolde hem þeP tokenes  þat me tauȝte were .
Was neuer gome vpoun þis grounde  synnesT god made þe worlde .
Fairer vnderfonge  ne frendloker at ese .
Þanne me-self sothliche  sone so he wiste .
Þat I was of wittes hows  and with his wif dame studie  .
I seyde to hem sothly  þat sent I wasT þider .
Dowel and dobet  and dobest to lerne .
¶ It is a comune lif quod clergie  on holy cherche to byleue .
fol. 43rfol. 43r
With alle þe articles of þe feith  þat falleth to be knowe .
And þat is to byleue lelly  bothe lered and lewede .
On þe grete god  þat gynnynge hadde neuere .
And on þe sothfast sone  þat saued man-kende .
Fro þe dedly deth  and þe deueles power .
Þoruȝ þe helpe of þe holy goste  þe which goste is of bothe .
Thre propreT persones  and nauȝt in plurele noumbre .
For alle is but on god  and eche is god hym-selue .
Deus pater deus filius  deus spiritus sanctus .
God þe fader god þe sone  god holy gost of bothe .
Makere of mankende  and of bestes bothe .
¶ Austyne þe olde  here-of heT made bokes .
And hym-self ordeyned  to sadde vs in bileue .
HoLX was his autour  alle þe foure euaungelistes .
And crist cleped hym-self so  þe euaungeliezT bereth witnesse .
Ego in patre et pater in meT  et qui me vidit . patrem Mevm vidit &cetera .TC
¶ Alle þe clerkes vnder criste  ne coude þis assoile  .
But þus it longeth to bileue  to lewede þat willen dowel .
For hadde neuere freke fyne wit  þe feyth to despute .
Ne man hadde no mercyT  myȝtte it be proued .
Fides non habet meritum  vbi humana racio . &cetera .T
¶ Þanne is do-bet to suffre  for þi souleT helthe .
Alle þat þe boke bitt  by holy cherche techynge .
And þat is man bi þi myȝt  for mercyes sake .
Loke þow werche it in werke  þat þisT worde scheweth .
Suche as þow semest in siȝte  be in assay I-founde .
Appare quod es autT esto quod appares  .
And late no-body be  by þi berynge beT bygiled .
But be suche in þi sole  as þow semest withouten .
¶ Þanne is dobest to be bolde  to blame þe gulty .
Sethenes þow sest þi-selue  as in soule clene .
Ac blame þow neuer body  and þow be blame-worthi .
Si culpare velis  culpabilis esse cauebis . —
fol. 43vfol. 43v
Dogma tuum sordet cum te tua culpa remordet
God in þe gospel  griml{.}yche repreueth .
Alle þat lakketh eny lif  and lakkes han hem-selue .
Quid consideras festucam in oculo fratris tui trabem in oculo tuo non vides .T
Whi meues þow þi mode for a mote  in þi brotherT eyȝe .
Siþþe a bem in þin owen  a-blendeth þi-selue .
Eice primo trabem de oculo tuo . &cetera .
WittT letteth þe to loke  lasse other more .
¶ I rede ech ablynde / a blynde bosard  do bote to hym-selue .
For abbotes and for prioures  and for alle maner prelates .
As persones and parisch prestes  þat preche schulleT and teche .
Alle maner men  to amende be hire miȝte .
Þis tixt was I-told ȝow  to ben war ar ȝe tauȝte .
Þat ȝe were suche as ȝe seyde  to salue with othere .
For godes worde wolde nouȝte be boste / [l]oste  for þat worcheth euere .
If it auailed nauȝt þe comune  it miȝt auaile ȝoure-seluen .
¶ Ac it semeth noT sothliche  toT worldes siȝte .
Þat goddes wordesT worcheth nauȝth  on lered ne on lewed  .
But in swich a maner as mark  meneth in þe gospelle .
Dum secus / [c]ecus ducit secum / [c]ecumLG  ambo in fouiam cadunt .
¶ Lewed men may likne ȝow þus  þat þe bem lyth in ȝoure eyȝes .
And þe festu is fallen  for ȝoure defaute .
In alle maner men  þoruȝ mansede prestes .
Þe bible bereth witnesse  þat alle þe folke of israel  .
Byttere abouȝte þe gultes  of to badde prestes .
Offyn and fynes  for here coueytise .
Archa dei meskapudLX  and ely brak his ne{..}kke .
¶ For-þi ȝe corectoures claweth here-on  and corecteth furst ȝow-seluen .
And þanne mow ȝe manlicheT segge  as dauid made þe sauter .
Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis  arguam te & statuam contra faciem tuam  .
¶ And þanne schullen burel clerkes  be abasched to blame ȝow .T
And carpen nauȝt as þei carpen now  and calle ȝow dowmbe houndes .
fol. 44rfol. 44r
Canes non valentes latrare  
And drede to wrathe ȝow in eny worde  ȝoure werkmanschipe to lette .
And be presteore at ȝoure preyeresT  þan for a pounde of nobles .
And alle for ȝoure holynesse  haue ȝe þis in herte .
¶ Amonges riȝtful religiouse  þis reule schulde be holde .T
Gregorie þe grete clerke  and þe goed pope .
Of religioun þe reule  reherseth in his morales .
And seyth it in ensaumple  for þei schulde do þere-after .
Whenne fissches failen þe flode  or þe fresche water .
Þei deyen for drouthe  whanne þei drie ligge .
Riȝt so quod Grigori  religioun rolleth . —
Sterueth and stynketh  and steleth lordes almesses .
Þat oute of couent and cloystre  coueyten to libbe .
For if heuene be on þis erthe  and ese to any soule .
It is in cloistere or in scole  be many skilles I fynde
For in cloistre cometh man / cometh [no] man  to chide ne to fiȝte .
But alle is buxumnesse þere and bokes  to rede and to lerne .
¶ In scole þere is skile  and scorne but ȝif he lerne .T
And grete loue and likynge  for vch of hem loueth other .
Ac now is religioun a ridere  a romere by stretes .
A ledere of louedays  andT londe buggere .
A prikere on a palfray  fram maner to maner .
An hepe of houndes at his ers  as he a lorde were .
And but if his knaue knele  þat schal his cuppe bringe .
He loureth on hym and axeth hym  ho tauȝte hym curteisie
Litel hadden lordes to done  to ȝiue lond fram here heires .
To religiouse þat han no reuthe  þouȝ it reyne on here auterres .
¶ In many places þere hij persones ben  be hem-self at ese .
Of þe pouere haue þei no pite  & þat is hire pureT charite .
Ac þei leten hem as lordes  here londe lith so brode .
¶ Ac þere schal come a kynge  & confesse ȝow religiousses .
And bete ȝow as þe bible telleth  for brekyng of ȝoure reule .
fol. 44vfol. 44v
And amende moniales  monkes and chanouns  .
And putten hem to here penaunce  ad pristinum statum ire .
And barones with erles  bitenT hem  þoruȝ beatus virres techinge .
Þat here barnes claymen  and blame ȝow foule .
Hij in curribus et hij in equisC  ipsi obligati sunt &cetera .
¶ And þanne freres in here freyture  schal fynden a keye .
Of costantynes cofferes  in which is þe catel .
Þat gregories godeT childerne  han euel despended .
¶ And þanne schal þe abbot of abyndoun .T
And alle his vssue for euere .
Haue a knok of a kynge  and incurable þe wounde .
¶ Þat þis worth soth seke ȝee  þat ofte ouer-seen þe bible .
Quomodo cessauit exactor quieuit tributum  .
Contriuit dominus baculum impiorum & virgam dominancium  .
Cedencium plaga insabili / insa[na]bili .
¶ Ac ar þat kynge come  caym schal awake  .
Ac dowel schal dyngen hym adoun  & destruyen his miȝte .
Þanne is dowel and dobet quod I  dominus and kniȝt-hode .
¶ I nel nauȝt scorne quod scripture  but if scriueynes lye .
Kynghod ne kniȝthode  by nauȝt I can awayte .
Helpeth nauȝte to heuene-warde  on heres ende .
Ne richesse riȝt nauȝt  ne realte of lordes  .
¶ Poule preueth it inpossible  riche men haue heuene .
Salomon seyth al-so  þat siluer is worste to louie .
Nichil iniquius quam amare pecuniam .
And catoun kenneth vs to coueyten it  noȝt but at pure nede .T
Dilige denarium  sed parce dilige formam .
And patriarches and prophetes  and poetes bothe .
Writen to wissen vs  to wilne no richesse .
And preyseden pouerte with pacience  þe apostles bereth witnesse .
Þat þei han heritage in heuene  & bi trewe riȝte  .
fol. 45rfol. 45r
Þere riche manT no riȝte may clayme  but of {riȝt} reuth and grace .
Contra quod I be crist  þat can I repreue .
And preuen it by peter  and by poule bothe .
Þat is baptized beth sauf  be heC riche or pore .
¶ Þat is in extremis quod scripture  amonges sarasines & Iewes .
Þei mowen be saued so  and þat is oure byleue .
Þat onT vncristene in þat cas  may cristene an hethen .
And for his lele byleue  whan he þe lif tyneth .
Haue þe heritage of heuene  as any man cristene .
¶ Ac cristen men with-outen more  may nouȝte come to heuene .
For þat crist for cristene men deyede  & confermed þe lawe .
Þat ho-so walde and wilneth  with crist to arise .
Si cum christo surrexistis &cetera .
He schulde louye and lene  and þe lawe fulfille .
Þat is loue god þi lorde  leuest aboue alle .T
And after alle cristene creatures  in comun vch man other
And þus bilongeth to louie  þat leueth to be saued .
And but we do þus in dede  ar þe day of dome .
It schal be-sitten vs ful soure  þe siluer þat we kepen .
And oure backes þat mote-etenT ben  & seen beggeres go naked .
Or deliȝt in wyn & inT wildefoule  & wote any in defaute .
¶ For euery cristene creature  schuld be kende til other .
And sitthen hethen to helpe  in hope of amendement
God hoteth both heye and lowe  þat no man hurt other
And seith sle nauȝt þat semblable is  to myn owne liknesse
But if I sende þe sume tokene  & seith non mecaberis .
Is sle nauȝt but suffre  and alle for þe beste .
For Michi vindictam & ego retribuam  .T
For I schal punischenT in purgatorie  or in þe put of helle .
Vch man for his misdedes  but mercy it lette .
¶ Þis is a longe lessoun quod I  and litel am I þe wiser .
Where dowel is or do-bet  derkliche ȝe schewen .
fol. 45vfol. 45v
Many tales ȝe tellen  þat teologie lerneth .
And þat I man made was  and my name I-entrede .
In þe legen{t}de of lif  longe er I were .
Or elles vn-writen for sum wikkednesse . as holy writ tellethT .
Nemo ascendit ad celum nisi qui de celo descendit .
And IT leue it welT be oure lorde  & on no letterure bettere .
For salomon þe sage  þat sapience tauȝte .
God gaf hym grace of witt  and alle godesT after .
To reule þe reume and riche to make T
He demed wel and wiselich  as holy writt telleth .
Aristotel and he  who wissed men bettere  .
Maistres þat of goddes mercy  techen men and prechen .
Of here wordes þei wissen vs  for wisest inT here tyme .
And alle holy cherche  holdeth hem bothe ydampned .
¶ And if I schulde werke by here werkes  to wynnen me heuene .
Þat for here werkes and hereT witt  now wonyeth in pyne .
Þanne wrouȝt I vnwisly  what-so-euere ȝe preche  .
¶ Ac of fele witty in fayth  litel ferly I haue .
Þow here goste be vngracious  god for to plese .
For many man on þis molde  more sett here herte .T
In goed þan In god  for-þi hem grace faileth .
At here most meschief  whan þei schul lyf lete .
As salomon and other dedeT  þat schewed grete wittes .
Ac here werkes as holy writt / writt [seith]T  was euere þe contrarie .
For-þi wise witted men  neT wel I-lettred clerkes .
As þei seyn hem-selue  selden doun þere-after .
Super cathedram moysi . &cetera .C
¶ Ac I wene I / I[t] worth of many  as was in noes tyme .
Þo he schope þat schippe  of schides and of bordesT
Was neuere wriȝt saued þat wrouȝt þere-on  ne oþere werkman elles
But brides and bestes  and þe blessed noe .
And his wif with his sones  and also here wyues .
Of wriȝtes þat it wouȝte / w[r]ouȝte  was noen of hem saued .
fol. 46rfol. 46r
¶ God lene it fare nouȝt so by folke  þat þe feith techen .
Of holy cherche þat herborw is  and goddes hous to saue
And schilde vs fram schame þere-inne  as noes schipe dede bestes .
And men þat maden it  a-mydde þe floed a-dreynten .
¶ Þe culorum of þis clause  in curatouresT is to mene .
Þat ben carpenteres  holy cherche to make . for cristes oune bestes .
Homines et iumenta saluabis domine . &cetera
At domes-day þe deluye worth  of deth and feer at ones .T
For-þi I conseil ȝow clerkes  of holy cherche þe wriȝtes .
Wercheth ȝe werkes as ȝe seen I-write  lest ȝe worth nauȝt þerinne
For aT goed friday I fynde  a feloun was I-saued .
Þat hadde I-lyued alle his lif  with lesynges and with þefte .
And for he beknewe on þe crosse  and to crist schrof hym  .
He was sonnere I-saued  þan seint Iohan þe baptist .
And ar adam or Isaye  or eny of þe prophetes .
Þat hadde I-lyen with lucifer  many longe ȝeres .
¶ A robbere was I-rawnsoned  rather þen þei alle .
With-outen eny penance of purgatorie  to perpetuel blisse .
¶ Þanne marie maudeleyne  what womman dedde worse
Or ho worse dedeT þan dauid  þat vries deth conspired .
Or poule þe apostle  þat no pite hadde .T
AndT ben this as souereynes  with seyntes in heuene .
Þo þat wrouȝt wikkedlokest  in werlde þo þei were .
¶ And þo þat wisly wordedden  and writen many bokes .
Of witt and of wisdome  with dampned soules wonye .
Þat salomon seith I trowe be soth  and certeyn of vs alle .
Sunt iusti atque sapientes  & opera eorum in manu dei sunt .
Þere aren witty and wel libbinge  ac here werkes ben y-hudde .
In þe hondes of almiȝti god  and he wote þe sothe
Where for loue a man worth alowed þere  and his lele werkes
Or elles for his euel wille  and enuye of herte .
And be alowed forT he lyued so  for by lyther . men knoweth þe gode  .
fol. 46vfol. 46v
¶ And where-by woteT men  which is whit  if alle þinge blak were .
OrT who were a goed man  but if þere were sum schrewe .
For-þi lyue we forth with lither men  I leue fewe ben gode .
For quantz oportet vyn en place  il ny ad qeLG pati .
And he þat may alle amende  haue mercy on vs alle .
For sothest worde þat euer god seyde  was þo he seyde nemo bonus .
¶ Clergie þo of cristes mouthe  comended was it litel  .
For he seyde to seynt petere  and to swich as he louede .
Dum steteritis ante reges & presides . &cetera .
Þouȝ ȝe come by-for kynges  and clerkes of þe lawe .
Beth nauȝt abasched for I schal  be in ȝoure mouthes .
And ȝiue ȝow wit atT willeT cunnynge to concluden .
Hem alle þat aȝeynes ȝow  T cristendom desputen .
¶ Dauid maketh mencion  he spak amonges kynges .
AlT miȝte no kynge ouer-com hym  as by cunnynge of speche .
But wit ne wisdom  wan neuere þe maystrie  .
Whan man was at mischief  with-oute þe more grace .
¶ Þe douȝtiorokestLX doctoure  and dyuinour of þe trinite .C
Was austyn þe olde  and heyest of hemT foure  .
Seyde þus in a sarmon  I seiȝ it writen ones .
Ecci / Ecc[e] ipsi Idioti rapiunt celum .
Vbi nos sapientes in inferno mergimur .
And is to mene to englisch men  more noT lesse .
Aren none rather I-rauesched  fro þe riȝt byleue .
Þan aren þis cunnynge clerkes  þat knoweT many bokes .
Ne none sonner I-saued  ne saddere of bileue .
Þanne plowmen and pastours  and pouer comune laborers .
Souteres and schepherdes  suche lewed iottes .
Persen with a pater noster  þe paleys of heuene .
And passen purgatorie penaunceles  at here hennes partynge .
In-to þe blisse of paradis  for here puyre bileue .
Þat inparfitly  kneweT andT lyuede .
¶ Ȝe men knowe clerkesT cursen þe tyme .
fol. 47rfol. 47r
Þat euere þei coude or knewe more  þan credo in deum patrem .
And principali þeT paternoster  many a persone hath I-wisched .
¶ I se ensaumples my-self  and so may many an-other .
Þat seruauntes þat seruen lordes  selde falle in rerageT .
But þo þat kepen lordesT catel  clerkes and reues .
Riȝt so lewed men  and of litel kunnynge .
Selden falleth so foule  and so ferre in synne .
As clerkes of holy cherche  þat kepen cristes tresor  .C
Þe which is mannes soule to saue  as god seith in þe gospel .
Ite vos in vineam meam . &cetera  .
☞
heare I beganne
passus xus
filius non portabit
gij
giij
giiijus
david