[Sidenote: [The 8^the Met{ur}.]]
++Allas whiche folie {and} whiche ignorau{n}ce myslediþ wandryng
wrecches fro þe paþe of verrey good. ¶ Certis ȝe ne seken no golde in
grene trees. ne ȝe ne gadren [nat] p{re}cious stones in þe vines. ne ȝe
ne hiden nat ȝoure gynnes in heyȝe mou{n}taignes to kachen fisshe of
whiche ȝe may maken ryche festes. and yif ȝow lykeþ to hunte to roos. ȝe
ne gon nat to þe foordes of þe water þat hyȝt tyrene. {and} ouer þis men
knowen wel þe crikes {and} þe cau{er}nes of þe see yhidd in þe floodes.
{and} knowen eke whiche water is most plentiuo{us} of white perles.
{and} knowen whiche water habundeþ most of rede purpre. þat is to seyen
of a maner shelfisshe w{i}t{h} whiche men dien purpre. {and} knowen
whiche strondes habounden most of tendre fisshes or of sharpe fisshes
þat hyȝten echynnys. but folk suffren hem self to ben so blynde þat hem
ne recchiþ nat to knowe where þilk[e] goodes ben yhidd whiche þat þei
coueiten but ploungen hem in erþe {and} seken þere þilke goode þ{a}t
so{ur}mou{n}teþ þe heuene þat bereþ þe sterres. ¶ what p{re}yere may I
make þat be digne to þe nice þouȝtis of men. but I p{re}ye þat þei
coueite{n} rycches {and} hono{ur}s so þat whan þei han geten þo false
goodes wiþ greet trauayle þat þerby þei mowe knowen þe verray goodes.