I.

[Sidenote: [Fol. 57a.]]

[Sidenote: Cleanness discloses fair forms.]

Cla{n}nesse who-so kyndly cowþe co{m}ende,

& rekken vp alle þe resou{n}ȝ þ{a}t ho by riȝt askeȝ,

Fayre formeȝ myȝt he fy{n}de i{n} foreri{n}g his speche,

& in þe co{n}traré, kark & co{m}brau{n}ce huge; 4

[Sidenote: God is angry with the unclean worshipper, and with

false priests.]

For wonder wroth is þe wyȝ þ{a}t wroȝt alle þi{n}g{es},

Wyth þe freke þat i{n} fylþe folȝes hy{m} aft{er},

As renkeȝ of relygiou{n} þat reden & sy{n}gen,

& aprochen to hys presens, & presteȝ arn called; 8

Thay teen vnto his te{m}mple & teme{n} to hy{m} seluen,

Reken w{i}t{h} reu{er}ence þay r[ec]hen his auter,

Þay hondel þer his aune body & vsen hit boþe.

[Sidenote: The pure worshipper receives great reward.]

If þay in cla{n}nes be clos þay cleche gret mede, 12

Bot if þay conterfete crafte, & cortaysye wont,

[Sidenote: The impure will bring upon them the anger of God, Who

is pure and holy.]

As be honest vtwyth, & i{n}-with alle fylþeȝ,

Þen ar þay synful hemself & sulped altogeder,

Boþe god & his gere, & hy{m} to greme cachen. 16

He is so clene in his co{ur}te, þe ky{n}g þ{a}t al weldeȝ,

& honeste in his ho{us}-holde & hagherlych serued,

With angeleȝ eno{ur}led in alle þat is clene,

[Sidenote: It would be a marvel if God did not hate evil.]

Boþe w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne & w{i}t{h}-outen, i{n} wedeȝ ful bryȝt. 20

Nif he nere scoym{us} & skyg & non scaþe louied,

Hit were a meruayl to much, hit moȝt not falle;

[Sidenote: Christ showed us that himself.]

Kryst kydde hit hym self i{n} a carp oneȝ,

Þer as he heuened aȝt happeȝ & hyȝt hem her medeȝ; 24

[Sidenote: St. Matthew records the discourse.]

Me myneȝ on one amo{n}ge oþ{er}, as maþew recordeȝ,

Þat þ{us} of clannesse vn-closeȝ a ful cler speche.

[Sidenote: The clean of heart shall look on our Lord.]

Þe haþel clene of his hert hapeneȝ ful fayre,

For he schal loke on oure lorde w{i}t{h} a bone chere, 28

As so saytȝ, to þat syȝt seche schal he neu{er},

Þat any vncla{n}nesse hatȝ on, anwhere[1] abowte:

For he þ{a}t flem{us} vch fylþe fer fro his hert,

May not byde þat burne[2] þat hit his body neȝen; 32

For-þy hyȝ not to heuen i{n} hatereȝ to-torne,

Ne i{n} þe harloteȝ hod & handeȝ vnwaschen;

[Sidenote: What earthly noble, when seated at table above dukes,

would like to see a lad badly attired approach the table with

“rent cockers,” his coat torn and his toes out?]

For what vrþly haþel þat hyȝ hono{ur} haldeȝ

Wolde lyke, if a ladde com lyþ{er}ly attyred, 36

[Sidenote: [Fol. 57b.]]

When he were sette solempnely i{n} a sete ryche,

Abof dukes on dece, w{i}t{h} dayntys serued,

Þen þe harlot w{i}t{h} haste helded to þe table

W{i}t{h} rent cokreȝ at þe kne & his clutte trasches, 40

& his tabarde to-torne & his toteȝ oute;

[Sidenote: For any one of these he would be turned out with a

“big buffet,” and be forbidden to re-enter, and thus be ruined

through his vile clothes.]

Oþ{er} ani on of alle þyse he schulde be halden vtt{er},

With mony blame ful bygge, a boffet, p{er}au{n}t{er},

Hurled to þe halle dore & harde þ{er}-oute schowued, 44

& be forboden þat borȝe to bowe þider neu{er},

On payne of enprysonment & putty{n}g i{n} stokkeȝ;

& þ{us} schal he be schent for his schrowde feble,

Þaȝ neu{er} i{n} talle ne in tuch he trespas more. 48

[Headnote: THE PARABLE OF THE MARRIAGE FEAST.]

[Sidenote: The parable of the “Marriage of the King’s Son.”]

& if vnwelcu{m} he were to a worþlych prynce

Ȝet hy{m} is þe hyȝe ky{n}g harder i{n} her euen,

As maþew meleȝ in his masse of þat man ryche,

Þat made þe mukel mangerye to marie his here dere, 52

& sende his sonde þen to say þat þay samne schulde,

& in comly quoyntis to com to his feste;

[Sidenote: The king’s invitation.]

“For my boles & my boreȝ arn bayted & slayne,

& my fedde fouleȝ fatted w{i}t{h} sclaȝt, 56

My polyle þat is pe{n}ne-fed & partrykes boþe,

Wyth scheldeȝ of wylde swyn, swaneȝ & croneȝ;

Al is roþeled & rosted ryȝt to þe sete,

Comeȝ cof to my corte, er hit colde worþe.” 60

[Headnote: THOSE INVITED TO THE FEAST REFUSE TO COME.]

[Sidenote: Those invited begin to make excuses.]

When þay knewen his cal þ{a}t þider com schulde,

Alle ex-cused hem by þe skyly he scape by moȝt:

[Sidenote: One had bought an estate and must go to see it.]

On hade boȝt hym a borȝ he sayde by hys t{ra}wþe,

Now t[ur]ne I þeder als tyd, þe tou{n} to by-holde; 64

[Sidenote: Another had purchased some oxen and wished to see

them “pull in the plough.”]

An oþ{er} nayed also & nurned þis cawse:

I haf ȝerned & ȝat ȝokkeȝ of oxen,

& for my hyȝeȝ hem boȝt, to bowe haf I mest{er},

To see hem pulle in þe plow aproche me byhoueȝ; 68

[A third had married a wife and could not come.]

& I haf wedded a wyf, sower[3] hy{m} þe þryd,

Excuse me at þe co{ur}t, I may not com þere;

Þ{us} þay droȝ hem adreȝ w{i}t{h} dau{n}g{er} vchone,

Þat non passed to þe place[4] þaȝ he prayed were. 72

[Sidenote: [Fol. 58a.]]

[Sidenote: The Lord was greatly displeased, and commanded his

servants to invite the wayfaring, both men and women, the better

and the worse, that his palace might be full.]

The{n}ne þe ludych lorde lyked ful ille

& hade dedayn of þat dede, ful dryȝly he carpeȝ:

He saytȝ “now for her owne sorȝe þay for-saken habbeȝ,

More to wyte is her wrange, þen any wylle gentyl; 76

Þe{n}ne gotȝ forth my gomeȝ to þe grete streeteȝ,

& forsetteȝ on vche a syde þe cete aboute;

Þe wayferande frekeȝ, on fote & on hors,

Boþe burneȝ & burdeȝ, þe bett{er} & þe wers, 80

Laþeȝ hem alle luflyly to lenge at my fest,

& bry{n}geȝ hem blyþly to borȝe as barou{n}eȝ þay were,

So þat my palays plat-ful be pyȝt al aboute,

Þise oþ{er} wrecheȝ I-wysse worþy noȝt wern.” 84

[Sidenote: The servants brought in bachelors and squires.]

Þe{n} þay cayred & com þat þe cost waked,

Broȝten bachlereȝ hem wyth þat þay by bonkeȝ metten,

Swyereȝ þat swyftly swyed on blonkeȝ,

& also fele vpon fote, of fre & of bonde. 88

[Sidenote: When they came to the court they were well

entertained.]

When þay com to þe co{ur}te keppte wern þay fayre,

Styȝtled w{i}t{h} þe stewarde, stad i{n} þe halle,

Ful man{er}ly w{i}t{h} marchal mad forto sitte,

As he watȝ dere of de-gre dressed his seete. 92

[Sidenote: The servants tell their lord that they have done his

behest, and there is still room for more guests.]

Þe{n}ne seggeȝ to þe souerayn sayden þer-aft{er},

“Lo! lorde w{i}t{h} yo{ur} leue at yo{ur} lege heste,

& at þi ba{n}ne we haf broȝt, as þ{o}u beden habbeȝ,

Mony renischche renkeȝ & ȝet is rou{m} more.” 96

[Headnote: THE HALT AND THE BLIND ARE INVITED.]

[Sidenote: The Lord commands them to go out into the fields, and

bring in the halt, blind, and “one-eyed.”]

Sayde þe lorde to þo ledeȝ, “layteȝ ȝet ferre,

Ferre out i{n} þe felde, & fecheȝ mo gesteȝ,

Wayteȝ gorsteȝ & greueȝ, if ani gomeȝ lyggeȝ,

What-kyn folk so þer fare, fecheȝ hem hider, 100

Be þay fers, be þay feble for-loteȝ[5] none,

Be þay hol, be þay halt, be þay onyȝed,

& þaȝ þay ben boþe blynde & balt{er}ande cruppeleȝ,

[Sidenote: For those who denied shall not taste “one sup” to

save them from death.]

Þat my ho{us} may holly by halkes by fylled; 104

For certeȝ þyse ilk renkeȝ þat me renayed habbe

& de-nou{n}ced me, noȝt now at þis tyme,

Schul neu{er} sitte in my sale my sop{er} to fele,

Ne suppe on sope of my seve, þaȝ[6] þay swelt schulde.” 108

[Sidenote: [Fol. 58b.]]

[Sidenote: The palace soon became full of “people of all

plights.”]

The{n}ne þe sergau{n}teȝ, at þat sawe, swengen þ{er}-oute,

& diden þe dede þat [is] demed, as he deuised hade,

& w{i}t{h} peple of alle plyteȝ þe palays þay fyllen;

[Sidenote: They were not all one wife’s sons, nor had they all

one father.]

Hit weren not alle on wyueȝ su{n}eȝ, wonen w{i}t{h} on fader; 112

Wheþ{er} þay wern worþy, oþ{er} wers, wel wern þay stowed,

[Sidenote: The “brightest attired” had the best place.]

Ay þe best byfore & bryȝtest atyred,

Þe derrest at þe hyȝe dese þat dubbed wer fayrest;

[Sidenote: Below sat those with “poor weeds.”]

& syþen on lenþe biloogh{e} ledeȝ inogh, 116

& ay a segge soerly[7] semed by her wedeȝ;

So with marschal at her mete mensked þay were,

Clene men i{n} compaynye for-knowen wern lyte,

[Sidenote: All are well entertained “with meat and minstrelsy.”]

& ȝet þe symplest in þ{a}t sale watȝ serued to þe fulle, 120

Boþe with menske, & w{i}t{h} mete & mynstrasy noble,

& alle þe laykeȝ þat a lorde aȝt i{n} londe schewe.

[Sidenote: Each with his “mate” made him at ease.]

& þay bigo{n}ne to be glad þat god dri{n}k haden,

& vch mon w{i}t{h} his mach made hy{m} at ese. 124

[Sidenote 1: _aywhere_ (?).]

[Sidenote 2: Looks like _burre_ in MS.]

[Sidenote 3: _swer_ (?).]

[Sidenote 4: MS. _plate_.]

[Sidenote 5: _forleteȝ_ (?).]

[Sidenote 6: MS. þaȝ þaȝ.]

[Sidenote 7: _soberly_ (?).]

[Headnote: THE MAN WITHOUT A WEDDING GARMENT.]