fol. 54r (cont.)fol. 54r
Passus xjus / x[i]jus / undecimus / [duo]decimus de visione vt supra — — —
I am ymaginatif quod he  Idel was I neuere .
Þouȝ I sit be my-selue  in seknesse ne in helthe .
I haue folewed þe in faith  þis fyue and forty wynter .
And many tymes haue meued þe  to þenke on þin ende .
And howe fele ferneres beT faren  and so fewe to comen .
And of þi wilde wantounesse  þo þow ȝonge were .
To amenden it in þi myddel age  lest miȝt þe faile .
fol. 54vfol. 54v
In þin olde eelde  þat euel can suffre .
Pouerte or penaunce  or preieres bidde .
Si non in prima vigilia nec in secunda . &cetera .
Amende þe ye / []T while þow miȝt  þow hast ben warned ofte .
With powstes of penaunceT  with pouerte & with angres .C
And with þis bittere baleyses  god beteth his dere children .
Quem diligo castigo  — T
Al-þouȝ þow strike me with þi staf  with stikke or with ȝerde .
It is but murth as for me  to amende my soule .
And þow medlest þe with makyngeT  and miȝtest go sey þi sauter .
And bidde for hem þat ȝiueth þe brede  for þere are bokes Inowe .
To telle men what dowel is  dobet and dobest bothe .
And prechoures to preue what it is  of many a peire freres .
¶ I seiȝ wel he seide me soth  acT somwhat me to excuse .
AndT seide catoun conforted his sone  þat clerk þouȝ he were
To solasen hym sum-tyme  andT I do whan ich make .
Interpone tuis interdum gaudia curis .
AndT holy men I here quod I  how þei otherwile .
Pleiden þe parfiter  to be in many a place .T
ȜifT þere were any witT  þat wolde me telle  .
What were dowel and do-bet  and dobest atte laste .
Wold I neuer do werke  but wende to holy cherche .
And þere bidde my bedes  but whan ich eet or slepe .
With poule in his pistlesT quod he  preueth what is dowel .
Fides . spes . caritasT maiorT &cetera .
Feith hope and charite  T alle ben goed .
And sauen men sundri tymes  ac non so sone as charite .
For he doth wel with-outen doute  þat doth as leute techeth .
Þat is if þow be man maried  þi make þow louye .
T Liue forth as lawe wole  þeT while ȝe lyue bothe .
Riȝt so if þow be religiouse  ren þow neuere ferther .
To rome ne to roche-madour  but as þi reule techeth .
And holde þe vnder obedience  þat heiȝ waye is to heuene .C
¶ And if {ȝ}þow be mayde & toT marie  and miȝt wel contynewe .
fol. 55rfol. 55r
Seke þow nere seynt forther  for no soule helthe .
For what made lucifer  to lese þe heiȝ heuene .
Or salomon his sapience  otherT sampson his strengthe .
Iob þe iewe his ioye  dere he it abouȝte .
Aristotel and other mo  Ipocras and virgil .
Alisandre þat alle wan  elengeliche ended .
Catel and kende wit  was combraunce to hem alle .
Felice hire fairenesse  fel hire alle to sclaundre .
And rosamound riȝt so  reufulliche besette .
Þe beaute of hire body  in badd vseT despended .
Of many suche men may IT rede  of men & of wommen
Þat wise wordes wolde schewe  and werchen þe contrarie
Sunt homines nequam bene de virtute loquentes .
And riche renkes riȝt so  gaderen and sparen .
And þo men þat þei moste haten  minstren it atte laste .
And for þei soffren and see  so many nedy folkes .
And loue hem nauȝt as oure lorde bit  lesen ȝoureT soules .
Date et dabitur vobis   .
So catel and kende wit  acombreth ful many .T
Wo is hym þat hem weldeth  but if he hem wilLX despende .
Scienti & non facienti varijs flagellis vapulabit .
Sapience seith þe bokeT  swelleth a mannes soule .
Sapiencia inflat . &cetera .
And richesse riȝt so  but if þe rote be trewe .
Ac grace is a graceT þereforeT  þo greuaunces to abate .
Ac grace ne greuethT nauȝt  but amonges lowe .
Of pacienceT and pouerte  þe place is þere it groweth .
And in lele lyuynge men  and in lif-holy .
And þurȝ gifteT of þe holy goste  as þe gospel telleth  .
Spiritus vbi wlt spirat . &cetera  .
Clergie and kende wit  cometh of siȝte and techynge  .
As þe boke bereth witnesse  to barnes þat can rede .
Quod scimus loquimur quod vidimus testamur .
Of quod scimus cometh clergie  a cunnynge of heuene .
And of quod vidimus cometh kende wit  of siȝte of diuerse poeple .
Ac grace is a gifte of god  & of grete loue springeth  .
fol. 55vfol. 55v
Knewe neuere clerke how it cometh forth  ne kend wit hisT weyes .
Nescit aliquis vnde venit aut quo vadit 
Ac ȝet is clergie to comende  and kende wit bothe  .
And nameliche clergie for cristes loue  þat of clergie is rote .
For moyses witnesseth þat god wrote  for to wise þe poeple  .
In þe olde lawe as þe lettre telleth  T was þe lawe of iewes .
Þat what womman were in deuoutrieT taken  were heLX riche or pore .
With stones men schulde hire striken  and stonen hire to dede .T
Ac crist of his curteisie  andT þoruȝ clergie hire saued .
For þoruȝ cristes carectusT  þe iewes knewe hem-seluen .
Gultier as afor god  and gretter in synne .
Þanne þe womman þat þere was  and wenten aweye for schame .
Þe clergie þat þere was  conforted þe womman  .
Holi chercheT knoweth þis  þat cristes writynge saued  .
So clergie is conforte  to creatures þat repenten .
And to mansed men  mischief at here ende .
¶ For godes body miȝte nouȝt be of brede  withoute clergie .
Þe whiche body is bothe  bote to þe riȝtful .
And deth and dampnacioun  to hem þat deyeth euele .
AcT cristes carette conforted  and bothe coupable schewed .
Þe womman þat iewes bouȝte / b[r]ouȝte  þat ihesus þouȝte to saue .
Nolite iudicare & non iudicabimini . &cetera .
Riȝt so godes body bretheren  but it be worthily taken .
DampnedT vs at þe day of dome  as dede þe caretteT þe iewes .
For-þi I conseile þe for cristes sake  clergie þat þow louye .
For kende wit is of his kyn  and neyȝ cosynes bothe  .
To oure lorde leue me  for-þi loue hem I rede .
For bothe beth as miroures  to amenden oure defautes .
And lederes for lewed men  and for letterred bothe .
For-thi lakke þow neuere logike lawe  ne his custumes .
Ne countreplede clerkes  I conseile þe for euere .
For as a man may nauȝt se  þat misseth his siȝtes .TP
Na more can no clerke  but if he cauȝte it furst þorȝ bokes .
Al-þouȝ men made bokes  god was þe mayster
And seynt spiriȝt þe saumplarie  & seyde what manT scholde write .
fol. 56rfol. 56r
And riȝt as siȝt serueth a man  to se þe heye strete .
Riȝt so lerethT letterure  lewed men to reson .
And as a blinde man in bataile  bereT wepne to fiȝte .
And hath no happe with his ax  his enemy to hitte .
Na more can a kende wedded manT  but clerkes hym teche .
Come for al his kende wit  to cristendom and be saued .
Whiche is þe coffre of cristes tresor  and clerkes ke{n}peP þe keyes .
To vnlouken it at her likynge  and to þe lewed poeple .
ForT mercy for her mysdedes  if men it wole aske .
Buxumliche & benigneliche  and bidden it asT grace .
Archa dei in þe holde lawe  leuites it kepten .
Hadde neuere lewed man leue  to leggen honde on þat cheste .
But he were preste or prestes sone  patriark or prophete .
¶ Saul for he sacrifised  sorwe hym be-tydde .T
And his sones al-so  for þat synne myscheued .
And many mo other men  þat were no leuites  .
Þat with archa dei ȝedenin reuerence and in worchippe .
And leyden honde þer-on to liften it vp  and loren her lif after .
For-þi I conseil alle creatures  no clergie to dispise .
Ne sette schorte be here science  what-so þei don hem-selue .
Take we her wordes at worthe  for here witnesse be trewe .
And ne medle we nauȝt muche with hem  to meuen any wrathe .
Lest cheste chasen vsto choppe vche man other .
Nolite tangere christos meos  &cetera .
¶ For clergie is kynge and kepereT  vnder crist of heuene .
Was þer neuere no kniȝt  but clergie hym made .
Ac kende wit cometh  of al kynnes siȝtes .
Of brriddes / briddes & of bestes  of tastes of treuthe  & of deseytes .
¶ Liueres to-foren vs  vsede to make .T
Þe selcouþes þat þei seye  here sones for to teche .
And helden it an heiȝ science  here wittes to knowe .
Ac þoruȝ here science sothely  was neuere no soule saued .
fol. 56vfol. 56v
Ne bouȝteT be here bokes  to blisse ne to ioye .
For alle her kende knowynges  cam but of diuerse siȝtes 
Patriarkes and prophetes  repreuethT here science .
And seide here wordes ne here wisdomeTwas but a folie .
As to þe clergie of criste  counted it but a trefle .
Sapiencia huius mundi stulticia apud .T &cetera .T
¶ To pastoures and to poetes  appered anT angel .
And bad hem go to bthlem / b[e]thlem  godes burthe to honoure .
And syngenT a songe of solace  gloria in excelsis deo .
¶ Riche men rutte þo  and in here reste were .T
Þo it schon to schepherdesT  a schewer of blisse .
AndT clerkes knewe it wel  and comen with here presentes .
And deden here homage honourabely  to hym þat was almiȝti .C
Whi I haue tolde þe al þis  I toke ful gode hede .
How þow contrariedest clergie  with crabbed wordes .
How þat lewed men liȝtloker  þan lettred were Isaued .
Þan clerkes or kende witted men  of cristen poeple .
¶ And þow seydest soth of somme  ac se in whanere .T
Take to stronge men  and in temese caste hem .
And bothe naked as a nedele  her non sikerT þan other .
Þat on hath cunnynge and can  swymmen and driuen / diuen .
Þat other is lewed of þat labour  lerned neuere swymme .
Which trowest þow of þo to  in temese is in moste drede  .
He þat neuere dyued  ne nauȝt can of swymmynge .
Or þe swymmer þat is saf  be so hym-self like .
Þere his felawe flet forth  as þe flode liketh .
And is in drede to drenche  þat neuere dede swymme .T
¶ Riȝt so quod þe renke  reson it scheweth .
Þat he þat knoweth clergie  can sannoreLX arise .
Out of synne and heT be safe  þouȝ he senegeLX ofte .
If hym liketh and leste  þan any lewed lelly .
For if þe clerke be cunnynge  he knoweth what is synne .
And how contricion with-outen confession  conforteth þe soule .
fol. 57rfol. 57r
As þow seest in þe sauter  in psalme on or tweyne .C
How contricion is comended  for it caccheth a-weye synne .
Beati quorum remisse sunt iniquitates  & quorum tecta sunt peccata .T
And þis conforteth vch a clerke  and kennethT hym fram wanhope .
In which floed þe fende  fondeth a man hardest .
Þere þe lewed lith stille  and loketh after lente .
And hath no contricion ar he come to schrifte  and canT he litel telle .
And as his lores-man  lereth hym  byleueth and troweth .
And þat is after person or parisch preste  and par-auenter bothe .T
Vnkunnynge to lere lewed men  as luk bereth witnesse .
Dum cecus ducit cecum  &cetera .T
¶ Wel may þe barne blisse  þat hym sette to scole .T
Þat lyuynge after lettrure  saued hym lif and soule .
Dominus pars hereditatis mee  is a mery verseit .
Þat hath take fro tyburne  twenty stronge theues .
Þere lewed theues ben lolled vp  loke how þei ben saued  .
Þe thef þat hadde grace of god  a gode friday as þu speke .C
Was for he ȝelde hym recreantT to crist  & vpon a crosT knowlechedT gulty .T
Þat buxumliche biddeth it  and ben in wille to amenden hem .
¶ Ac þouȝ þat thef hadde heuene  he hadde non heiȝC blisse .
As Seint Iohan and other seintes  þat asseruedT hadde bettere  .
Riȝt as som man ȝeue meP mete  and sette me amydde þe flore .
Ich haue mete more þan I-now  ac nauȝt so muche worchipe
As þo þat sitten at þe side table  or with þe souereynes of þe halle .
But sitte as a beggere bordeles  by my-self on þe grounde .
So it fareth be þat feloun  þat a god friday was saued  
He sitt noither with IohanneT Symond ne Iude .
Ne with maidenes ne with martires  neT confessoures ne widewes .
But be hym-self as a soleine  and serued on þe erthe .
For he þat is ones a thef  is euermore in daunger .
And as lawe liketh  to lyue or to deyeC .
{And reddite vnicuique iuxta opera sua}
De peccato propiciato noli esse sine metu .
And forto seruen a seynt  and suche a thef to-gyderes .
It were nother reson ne riȝt  to rewardeT bothe I-liche .
fol. 57vfol. 57v
And riȝt as troianus þe trewe kniȝt  tilde nauȝt depe in helle
Þat oure lorde ne hadde hym liȝtliche oute  so leue I þe be in heuene .T
For he is in þe lowest of heuene  if oure be-leue be trewe .
And wollosliche / wol losliche he lolleth þere  be þe lawe of holy cherche .
AndT redditeT vnicuique iuxta opera sua .
Ac whi þat on thef vponT þe cros  creaunt hym ȝelde .
Rather þan þat other thef  þouȝ þow woldest apose  .
Alle þe clerkes vnder criste  ne couthe skileT telle .T
Quare placuit quia voluit .
¶ And so I seye be þe  þat sekest after þe whies .
And aresonedest resoun  a rebukynge as it were .
And willest of briddes and of bestes  & of here bredynge to knowe .
Whi somme be low and somme a-lofte  þi likynge it were .
And of þe floures in þe frith  and of here faire hewes .
Where-of þei cacche here colourT  so clere and so briȝte .
And of stonesT and of þe sterres  þow studiest as I leue .
How ever best other bridde  hath so breme wittes .
¶ Clergie ne kende wit  ne knewe neuere þe cause .
Ac kende knoweth þe cause hym-selue  no creature elles .
He is þe pyeT patroen  and putLG it in here ere  .
Þat þere þe thorne is thikkest  þereT to buylde and brede  .
And kende kenned þe pecok  to cauken in suche a kende  .
And kendeT kenned Adam  to knowen his priue membres .
And tauȝte hym and eue  to helyen hem with leues  .
¶ Lewed men many tymes  maistres þei apposen .
Whi adam ne huled nauȝt furst  his mouth þat ete þe appel .
Rather þan his lik{k}ham alowe  lewed asken þus clerkes  .
¶ Kende knoweth whi he dede so  ac no clerke elles .
Ac of briddes and of bestes  men be olde tyme .
Ensaumples toke and termes  as telleth þis poetes .
And þat þe fairest foule  foulest engendreth .
And febelest foule of fliȝt is  þat fleth or swymmeth .
fol. 58rfol. 58r
And þat is þe pecok and þe po-hen proude  riche men þei betokeneth .
For þe pecok and men pursuen hym  neT may nouȝt fle heye .
For þe trailynge of his taile  ouertaken is he sone .
And his flesche is foule flesch  and his fete bothe .
And vnloueliche of ledene  and laithe for to here .
¶ Riȝt so þe riche  if he his ricchesse kepeth .T
And deleth it nauȝt til his deth day  þe taile of alle sorwe .
Riȝt as þe pennes of þe pecok  payned hym in his fliȝte .
So is posession payne  of pans and of nobles .
To alle hem þat it holdeth  til here taile be plokked  .
And þouȝ þe riche repente þanne  and be-rewe þe tyme .
Þat euere he gadered so grete  and gaf þere-of so litel .
Þouȝ he crie to criste þanne  with kene wille I leue  .
His ledene be in oure lordes ere  lyl / ly[k] apyes / a pyes .
And whanne his caroyne schal come  in caue to be buried  .
I leue it flaume ful foule  þe folde al aboute .
And alle þe othere þere it lith  enuenymedT þoruȝ his atter .
By þe po feet is vnderstondedT  as I haue lerned in auynet .
Executores fals frendes  þat fulfille nauȝt his wille .
Þat was writen and þei witnessesT  to werche riȝt as heT wolde .
Þus þe poet preueth  þat þe pecok for his federes is reuerenced .
Riȝt so is þe riche  be reson of his godes .
¶ Þe larke þat is a lasse foule  is more loueliche of ledene .
And wel a-way of wenge  swifter þen þeC pecok .
And of flesche be fele folde  fattere and swettere .
To lowe libynge men  þe larke is resembled .
ForT aristotel þe grete clerk  suche tales he telleth .
Þus he likeneth in his glosingeT  þe lest foule oute .
And where he be saf or nouȝt saf  þe sothe wote no clergie .
Ne of sortes ne of salomon  no scripture can telle .
Ac god is so god I hope  þat sitth he gaf hem wittes .
To wissen vs weyes þere-with  þat wissen vs to be saued .
And þe bettere for here bokes  to bidden we ben holden .
Þat god for his grace  gyue here souleT reste .
fol. 58vfol. 58v
For lettred men were lewed men ȝut  ne were lore of þeT bokes .C
¶ Alle þise clerkes quod I þo  þat on criste leuen  .
Seggen in here sarmons  þat nother sarasynes ne iewes  .
Ne no creature of cristes liknesse  with-oute cristendom worth saued .
Contra quod I / quod ymaginatif þo  and cumsed for to loure .
And seyde saluabitur vix iustus in die iudicij  .C
Ergo saluabitur quod he  and seyde namore latyn .
Troianus was a trewe kniȝt  and toke neuere cristendome .
And he sauf so seyth þe boke  and his soule in heuene  .
AcT þere is fullynge of fonte  and fullynge in blode schedynge .
And þoruȝ fuir is fullynge  and þat is ferme byleue .
Aduenit ignis diuinus non comburens sed illuminans .
¶ Ac treutheT trespased neuere  ne transuersed aȝen his lawe .
But lyued as his lawe tauȝteT  and leueth þere be no bettere .
And if þere were he walde amende  and in suche wille deyeth .
Ne wolde neuere trewe god  but treweT treuthe were alowed .
And were it worth or worth nauȝte  þe byleue is grete of treuthe .
And an hope hangynge þere-in  to haue a mede for his treuthe .
For deus dicitur quasi dans vitam eternam suis . hoc est fidelibus .
Et alibi si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis . &cetera .
¶ Þe glose graunteth vpon þat verse  a grete mede to trewe / trew[þ]e .
And witC and wisdom quod þat weyeT  was sum-tyme tresor .
To kepe with a comune  no catel was holde betere .
And muche murthe and manhede  & riȝt mydT þat he vanesched .
passus xjus
growith
nota
As þow seest in þe sauterC
nota  /
j ius
j ijus