FRAGMENT C.

Whan Love had told hem his entente,

The baronage to councel wente;

In many sentences they fille,

And dyversly they seide hir wille:

But aftir discord they accorded, 5815

And hir accord to Love recorded.

Sir,' seiden they, 'we been at oon,

By even accord of everichoon,

Out-take Richesse al-only,

That sworen hath ful hauteynly, 5820

That she the castel nil assaile,

Ne smyte a stroke in this bataile,

With dart, ne mace, spere, ne knyf,

For man that speketh or bereth the lyf,

And blameth your empryse, y-wis, 5825

And from our hoost departed is,

(At leeste wey, as in this plyte,)

So hath she this man in dispyte;

For she seith he ne loved hir never,

And therfor she wol hate him ever. 5830

For he wol gadre no tresore,

He hath hir wrath for evermore.

He agilte hir never in other caas,

Lo, here al hoolly his trespas!

She seith wel, that this other day 5835

He asked hir leve to goon the way

That is clepid To-moche-Yeving,

And spak ful faire in his praying;

But whan he prayde hir, pore was he,

Therfore she warned him the entree. 5840

Ne yit is he not thriven so

That he hath geten a peny or two,

That quitly is his owne in hold.

Thus hath Richesse us alle told;

And whan Richesse us this recorded, 5845

Withouten hir we been accorded.

'And we finde in our accordaunce,

That False-Semblant and Abstinaunce,

With alle the folk of hir bataile,

Shulle at the hinder gate assayle, 5850

That Wikkid-Tunge hath in keping,

With his Normans, fulle of langling.

And with hem Curtesie and Largesse,

That shulle shewe hir hardinesse

To the olde wyf that [kepeth] so harde 5855

Fair-Welcoming within her warde.

Than shal Delyte and Wel-Helinge

Fonde Shame adoun to bringe;

With al hir hoost, erly and late,

They shulle assailen [thilke] gate. 5860

Agaynes Drede shal Hardinesse

Assayle, and also Sikernesse,

With al the folk of hir leding,

That never wist what was fleing.

'Fraunchyse shal fighte, and eek Pitee, 5865

With Daunger ful of crueltee.

Thus is your hoost ordeyned wel;

Doun shal the castel every del,

If everiche do his entente,

So that Venus be presente, 5870

Your modir, ful of vassalage,

That can y-nough of such usage;

Withouten hir may no wight spede

This werk, neither for word ne dede.

Therfore is good ye for hir sende, 5875

For thurgh hir may this werk amende.'

_Amour._ 'Lordinges, my modir, the goddesse,

That is my lady, and my maistresse,

Nis not [at] al at my willing,

Ne doth not al my desyring. 5880

Yit can she som-tyme doon labour,

Whan that hir lust, in my socour,

[Al my nedis] for to acheve,

But now I thenke hir not to greve.

My modir is she, and of childhede 5885

I bothe worshipe hir, and eek drede;

For who that dredith sire ne dame

Shal it abye in body or name.

And, natheles, yit cunne we

Sende aftir hir, if nede be; 5890

And were she nigh, she comen wolde,

I trowe that no-thing might hir holde.

'My modir is of greet prowesse;

She hath tan many a forteresse,

That cost hath many a pound er this, 5895

Ther I nas not present, y-wis;

And yit men seide it was my dede;

But I come never in that stede;

Ne me ne lykith, so mote I thee,

Such toures take withoute me. 5900

For-why me thenketh that, in no wyse,

It may ben cleped but marchandise.

'Go bye a courser, blak or whyte,

And pay therfor; than art thou quyte.

The marchaunt oweth thee right nought, 5905

Ne thou him, whan thou [hast] it bought.

I wol not selling clepe yeving,

For selling axeth no guerdoning;

Here lyth no thank, ne no meryte,

That oon goth from that other al quyte. 5910

But this selling is not semblable;

For, whan his hors is in the stable,

He may it selle ageyn, pardee,

And winne on it, such hap may be;

Al may the man not lese, y-wis, 5915

For at the leest the skin is his.

Or elles, if it so bityde

That he wol kepe his hors to ryde,

Yit is he lord ay of his hors.

But thilke chaffare is wel wors, 5920

There Venus entremeteth nought;

For who-so such chaffare hath bought,

He shal not worchen so wysly,

That he ne shal lese al outerly

Bothe his money and his chaffare; 5925

But the seller of the ware

The prys and profit have shal.

Certeyn, the byer shal lese al;

For he ne can so dere it bye

To have lordship and ful maistrye, 5930

Ne have power to make letting

Neither for yift ne for preching,

That of his chaffare, maugre his,

Another shal have as moche, y-wis,

If he wol yeve as moche as he, 5935

Of what contrey so that he be;

Or for right nought, so happe may,

If he can flater hir to hir pay.

Ben than suche marchaunts wyse?

No, but fooles in every wyse, 5940

Whan they bye such thing wilfully,

Ther-as they lese her good [fully].

But natheles, this dar I saye,

My modir is not wont to paye,

For she is neither so fool ne nyce, 5945

To entremete hir of sich vyce.

But truste wel, he shal paye al,

That repente of his bargeyn shal,

Whan Poverte put him in distresse,

Al were he scoler to Richesse, 5950

That is for me in gret yerning,

Whan she assenteth to my willing.

'But, [by] my modir seint Venus,

And by hir fader Saturnus,

That hir engendrid by his lyf, 5955

But not upon his weddid wyf!

Yit wol I more unto you swere,

To make this thing the seurere;

Now by that feith, and that leautee

I owe to alle my brethren free, 5960

Of which ther nis wight under heven

That can her fadris names neven,

So dyvers and so many ther be

That with my modir have be privee!

Yit wolde I swere, for sikirnesse, 5965

The pole of helle to my witnesse,

Now drinke I not this yeer clarree,

If that I lye, or forsworn be!

(For of the goddes the usage is,

That who-so him forswereth amis, 5970

Shal that yeer drinke no clarree).

Now have I sworn y-nough, pardee;

If I forswere me, than am I lorn,

But I wol never be forsworn.

Sith Richesse hath me failed here, 5975

She shal abye that trespas dere,

At leeste wey, but [she] hir arme

With swerd, or sparth, or gisarme.

For certes, sith she loveth not me,

Fro thilke tyme that she may see 5980

The castel and the tour to-shake,

In sory tyme she shal awake.

If I may grype a riche man,

I shal so pulle him, if I can,

That he shal, in a fewe stoundes, 5985

Lese alle his markes and his poundes.

I shal him make his pens outslinge,

But-[if] they in his gerner springe;

Our maydens shal eek plukke him so,

That him shal neden fetheres mo, 5990

And make him selle his lond to spende,

But he the bet cunne him defende.

'Pore men han maad hir lord of me;

Although they not so mighty be,

That they may fede me in delyt, 5995

I wol not have hem in despyt.

No good man hateth hem, as I gesse,

For chinche and feloun is Richesse,

That so can chase hem and dispyse,

And hem defoule in sondry wyse. 6000

They loven ful bet, so god me spede,

Than doth the riche, chinchy grede,

And been, in good feith, more stable

And trewer, and more serviable;

And therfore it suffysith me 6005

Hir goode herte, and hir leautee.

They han on me set al hir thought,

And therfore I forgete hem nought.

I wolde hem bringe in greet noblesse,

If that I were god of Richesse, 6010

As I am god of Love, sothly,

Such routhe upon hir pleynt have I.

Therfore I must his socour be,

That peyneth him to serven me;

For if he deyde for love of this, 6015

Than semeth in me no love ther is.'

'Sir,' seide they, 'sooth is, every del,

That ye reherce, and we wot wel

Thilk oth to holde is resonable;

For it is good and covenable, 6020

That ye on riche men han sworn.

For, sir, this wot we wel biforn;

If riche men doon you homage,

That is as fooles doon outrage;

But ye shul not forsworen be, 6025

Ne let therfore to drinke clarree,

Or piment maked fresh and newe.

Ladyes shulle hem such pepir brewe,

If that they falle into hir laas,

That they for we mowe seyn "Allas!" 6030

Ladyes shuln ever so curteis be,

That they shal quyte your oth al free.

Ne seketh never other vicaire,

For they shal speke with hem so faire

That ye shal holde you payed ful wel, 6035

Though ye you medle never a del.

Lat ladies worche with hir thinges,

They shal hem telle so fele tydinges,

And moeve hem eke so many requestis

By flatery, that not honest is, 6040

And therto yeve hem such thankinges,

What with kissing, and with talkinges,

That certes, if they trowed be,

Shal never leve hem loud ne fee

That it nil as the moeble fare, 6045

Of which they first delivered are.

Now may ye telle us al your wille,

And we your hestes shal fulfille.

'But Fals-Semblant dar not, for drede

Of you, sir, medle him of this dede, 6050

For he seith that ye been his fo;

He not, if ye wol worche him wo.

Wherfore we pray you alle, beausire,

That ye forgive him now your ire,

And that he may dwelle, as your man, 6055

With Abstinence, his dere lemman;

This our accord and our wil now.'

'Parfay,' seide Love, 'I graunte it yow;

I wol wel holde him for my man;

Now lat him come:' and he forth ran. 6060

Fals-Semblant,' quod Love, 'in this wyse

I take thee here to my servyse,

That thou our freendis helpe alway,

And hindre hem neithir night ne day,

But do thy might hem to releve, 6065

And eek our enemies that thou greve.

Thyn be this might, I graunt it thee,

My king of harlotes shalt thou be;

We wol that thou have such honour.

Certeyn, thou art a fals traitour, 6070

And eek a theef; sith thou were born,

A thousand tyme thou art forsworn.

But, natheles, in our hering,

To putte our folk out of douting,

I bid thee teche hem, wostow how? 6075

By somme general signe now,

In what place thou shalt founden be,

If that men had mister of thee;

And how men shal thee best espye,

For thee to knowe is greet maistrye; 6080

Tel in what place is thyn haunting.'

_F. Sem._ 'Sir, I have fele dyvers woning,

That I kepe not rehersed be,

So that ye wolde respyten me.

For if that I telle you the sothe, 6085

I may have harm and shame bothe.

If that my felowes wisten it,

My tales shulden me be quit;

For certeyn, they wolde hate me,

If ever I knewe hir cruelte; 6090

For they wolde over-al holde hem stille

Of trouthe that is ageyn hir wille;

Suche tales kepen they not here.

I might eftsone bye it ful dere,

If I seide of hem any thing, 6095

That ought displeseth to hir hering.

For what word that hem prikke or byteth,

In that word noon of hem delyteth,

Al were it gospel, the evangyle,

That wolde reprove hem of hir gyle, 6100

For they are cruel and hauteyn.

And this thing wot I wel, certeyn,

If I speke ought to peire hir loos,

Your court shal not so wel be cloos,

That they ne shal wite it atte last. 6105

Of good men am I nought agast,

For they wol taken on hem nothing,

Whan that they knowe al my mening;

But he that wol it on him take,

He wol himself suspecious make, 6110

That he his lyf let covertly,

In Gyle and in Ipocrisy,

That me engendred and yaf fostring.'

'They made a ful good engendring,'

Quod Love, 'for who-so soothly telle, 6115

They engendred the devel of helle!

'But nedely, how-so-ever it be,'

Quod Love, 'I wol and charge thee,

To telle anoon thy woning-places,

Hering ech wight that in this place is: 6120

And what lyf that thou livest also,

Hyde it no lenger now; wherto?

Thou most discover al thy wurching,

How thou servest, and of what thing,

Though that thou shuldest for thy soth-sawe 6125

Ben al to-beten and to-drawe;

And yit art thou not wont, pardee.

But natheles, though thou beten be,

Thou shalt not be the first, that so

Hath for soth-sawe suffred wo.' 6130

_F. Sem._ 'Sir, sith that it may lyken you,

Though that I shulde be slayn right now,

I shal don your comaundement,

For therto have I gret talent.'

Withouten wordes mo, right than, 6135

Fals-Semblant his sermon bigan,

And seide hem thus in audience:--

Barouns, tak hede of my sentence!

That wight that list to have knowing

Of Fals-Semblant, ful of flatering, 6140

He must in worldly folk him seke,

And, certes, in the cloistres eke;

I wone no-where but in hem tweye;

But not lyk even, sooth to seye;

Shortly, I wol herberwe me 6145

There I hope best to hulstred be;

And certeynly, sikerest hyding

Is undirneth humblest clothing.

'Religious folk ben ful covert;

Seculer folk ben more appert. 6150

But natheles, I wol not blame

Religious folk, ne hem diffame,

In what habit that ever they go:

Religioun humble, and trewe also,

Wol I not blame, ne dispyse, 6155

But I nil love it, in no wyse.

I mene of fals religious,

That stoute ben, and malicious;

That wolen in an abit go,

And setten not hir herte therto. 6160

'Religious folk ben al pitous;

Thou shalt not seen oon dispitous.

They loven no pryde, ne no stryf,

But humbly they wol lede hir lyf;

With swich folk wol I never be. 6165

And if I dwelle, I feyne me

I may wel in her abit go;

But me were lever my nekke atwo,

Than lete a purpose that I take,

What covenaunt that ever I make. 6170

I dwelle with hem that proude be,

And fulle of wyles and subtelte;

That worship of this world coveyten,

And grete nedes cunne espleyten;

And goon and gadren greet pitaunces, 6175

And purchace hem the acqueyntaunces

Of men that mighty lyf may leden;

And feyne hem pore, and hem-self feden

With gode morcels delicious,

And drinken good wyn precious, 6180

And preche us povert and distresse,

And fisshen hem-self greet richesse

With wyly nettis that they caste:

It wol come foul out at the laste.

They ben fro clene religioun went; 6185

They make the world an argument

That hath a foul conclusioun.

"I have a robe of religioun,

Than am I al religious:"

This argument is al roignous; 6190

It is not worth a croked brere;

Habit ne maketh monk ne frere,

But clene lyf and devocioun

Maketh gode men of religioun.

Nathelesse, ther can noon answere, 6195

How high that ever his heed he shere

With rasour whetted never so kene,

That Gyle in braunches cut thrittene;

Ther can no wight distincte it so,

That he dar sey a word therto. 6200

'But what herberwe that ever I take,

Or what semblant that ever I make,

I mene but gyle, and folowe that;

For right no mo than Gibbe our cat

[Fro myce and rattes went his wyle], 6205

Ne entende I [not] but to begyle;

Ne no wight may, by my clothing,

Wite with what folk is my dwelling;

Ne by my wordis yet, pardee,

So softe and so plesaunt they be. 6210

Bihold the dedis that I do;

But thou be blind, thou oughtest so;

For, varie hir wordis fro hir dede,

They thenke on gyle, withouten drede,

What maner clothing that they were, 6215

Or what estat that ever they bere,

Lered or lewd, lord or lady,

Knight, squier, burgeis, or bayly.'

Right thus whyl Fals-Semblant sermoneth,

Eftsones Love him aresoneth, 6220

And brak his tale in the speking

As though he had him told lesing;

And seide: 'What, devel, is that I here?

What folk hast thou us nempned here?

May men finde religioun 6225

In worldly habitacioun?'

_F. Sem._ 'Ye, sir; it foloweth not that they

Shulde lede a wikked lyf, parfey,

Ne not therfore her soules lese,

That hem to worldly clothes chese; 6230

For, certis, it were gret pitee.

Men may in seculer clothes see

Florisshen holy religioun.

Ful many a seynt in feeld and toun,

With many a virgin glorious, 6235

Devout, and ful religious,

Had deyed, that comun clothe ay beren,

Yit seyntes never-the-les they weren.

I coude reken you many a ten;

Ye, wel nigh alle these holy wimmen, 6240

That men in chirchis herie and seke,

Bothe maydens, and these wyves eke,

That baren many a fair child here,

Wered alwey clothis seculere,

And in the same dyden they, 6245

That seyntes weren, and been alwey.

The eleven thousand maydens dere,

That beren in heven hir ciergis clere,

Of which men rede in chirche, and singe,

Were take in seculer clothing, 6250

Whan they resseyved martirdom,

And wonnen heven unto her hoom.

Good herte makith the gode thought;

The clothing yeveth ne reveth nought.

The gode thought and the worching, 6255

That maketh religioun flowring,

Ther lyth the good religioun

Aftir the right entencioun.

'Who-so toke a wethers skin,

And wrapped a gredy wolf therin, 6260

For he shulde go with lambis whyte,

Wenest thou not he wolde hem byte?

Yis! never-the-las, as he were wood,

He wolde hem wery, and drinke the blood;

And wel the rather hem disceyve, 6265

For, sith they coude not perceyve

His treget and his crueltee,

They wolde him folowe, al wolde he flee.

'If ther be wolves of sich hewe

Amonges these apostlis newe, 6270

Thou, holy chirche, thou mayst be wayled!

Sith that thy citee is assayled

Thourgh knightis of thyn owne table,

God wot thy lordship is doutable!

If they enforce [hem] it to winne, 6275

That shulde defende it fro withinne,

Who might defence ayens hem make?

Withouten stroke it mot be take

Of trepeget or mangonel;

Without displaying of pensel. 6280

And if god nil don it socour,

But lat [hem] renne in this colour,

Thou moost thyn heestis laten be.

Than is ther nought, but yelde thee,

Or yeve hem tribute, doutelees, 6285

And holde it of hem to have pees:

But gretter harm bityde thee,

That they al maister of it be.

Wel conne they scorne thee withal;

By day stuffen they the wal, 6290

And al the night they mynen there.

Nay, thou most planten elleswhere

Thyn impes, if thou wolt fruyt have;

Abyd not there thy-self to save.

'But now pees! here I turne ageyn; 6295

I wol no more of this thing seyn,

If I may passen me herby;

I mighte maken you wery.

But I wol heten you alway

To helpe your freendis what I may, 6300

So they wollen my company;

For they be shent al-outerly

But-if so falle, that I be

Oft with hem, and they with me.

And eek my lemman mot they serve, 6305

Or they shul not my love deserve.

Forsothe, I am a fals traitour;

God iugged me for a theef trichour;

Forsworn I am, but wel nygh non

Wot of my gyle, til it be don. 6310

'Thourgh me hath many oon deth resseyved,

That my treget never aperceyved;

And yit resseyveth, and shal resseyve,

That my falsnesse never aperceyve:

But who-so doth, if he wys be, 6315

Him is right good be war of me.

But so sligh is the [deceyving

That to hard is the] aperceyving.

For Protheus, that coude him chaunge

In every shap, hoomly and straunge, 6320

Coude never sich gyle ne tresoun

As I; for I com never in toun

Ther-as I mighte knowen be,

Though men me bothe might here and see.

Ful wel I can my clothis chaunge, 6325

Take oon, and make another straunge.

Now am I knight, now chasteleyn;

Now prelat, and now chapeleyn;

Now prest, now clerk, and now forstere;

Now am I maister, now scolere; 6330

Now monk, now chanoun, now baily;

What-ever mister man am I.

Now am I prince, now am I page,

And can by herte every langage.

Som-tyme am I hoor and old; 6335

Now am I yong, [and] stout, and bold;

Now am I Robert, now Robyn;

Now frere Menour, now Iacobyn;

And with me folweth my loteby,

To don me solas and company, 6340

That hight dame Abstinence-Streyned,

In many a queynt array [y]-feyned.

Right as it cometh to hir lyking,

I fulfille al hir desiring.

Somtyme a wommans cloth take I; 6345

Now am I mayde, now lady.

Somtyme I am religious;

Now lyk an anker in an hous.

Somtyme am I prioresse,

And now a nonne, and now abbesse; 6350

And go thurgh alle regiouns,

Seking alle religiouns.

But to what ordre that I am sworn,

I take the strawe, and lete the corn;

To [blynde] folk [ther] I enhabite, 6355

I axe no-more but hir abite.

What wol ye more? in every wyse,

Right as me list, I me disgyse.

Wel can I bere me under weed;

Unlyk is my word to my deed. 6360

Thus make I in my trappis falle,

Thurgh my pryvileges, alle

That ben in Cristendom alyve.

I may assoile, and I may shryve,

That no prelat may lette me, 6365

Al folk, wher-ever they founde be:

I noot no prelat may don so,

But it the pope be, and no mo,

That made thilk establisshing.

Now is not this a propre thing? 6370

But, were my sleightis aperceyved,

[Ne shulde I more been receyved]

As I was wont; and wostow why?

For I dide hem a tregetry;

But therof yeve I litel tale, 6375

I have the silver and the male;

So have I preched and eek shriven,

So have I take, so have [me] yiven,

Thurgh hir foly, husbond and wyf,

That I lede right a Ioly lyf, 6380

Thurgh simplesse of the prelacye;

They know not al my tregetrye.

'But for as moche as man and wyf

Shuld shewe hir paroche-prest hir lyf

Ones a yeer, as seith the book, 6385

Er any wight his housel took,

Than have I pryvilegis large,

That may of moche thing discharge;

For he may seye right thus, pardee:--

"Sir Preest, in shrift I telle it thee, 6390

That he, to whom that I am shriven,

Hath me assoiled, and me yiven

Penaunce soothly, for my sinne,

Which that I fond me gilty inne;

Ne I ne have never entencioun 6395

To make double confessioun,

Ne reherce eft my shrift to thee;

O shrift is right y-nough to me.

This oughte thee suffyce wel,

Ne be not rebel never-a-del; 6400

For certis, though thou haddest it sworn,

I wot no prest ne prelat born

That may to shrift eft me constreyne.

And if they don, I wol me pleyne;

For I wot where to pleyne wel. 6405

Thou shall not streyne me a del,

Ne enforce me, ne [yit] me trouble,

To make my confessioun double.

Ne I have none affeccioun

To have double absolucioun. 6410

The firste is right y-nough to me;

This latter assoiling quyte I thee.

I am unbounde; what mayst thou finde

More of my sinnes me to unbinde?

For he, that might hath in his hond, 6415

Of alle my sinnes me unbond.

And if thou wolt me thus constreyne,

That me mot nedis on thee pleyne,

There shal no Iugge imperial,

Ne bisshop, ne official, 6420

Don Iugement on me; for I

Shal gon and pleyne me openly

Unto my shrift-fadir newe,

(That hight not Frere Wolf untrewe!)

And he shal chevise him for me, 6425

For I trowe he can hampre thee.

But, lord! he wolde be wrooth withalle,

If men him wolde Frere Wolf calle!

For he wolde have no pacience,

But don al cruel vengeaunce! 6430

He wolde his might don at the leest,

[Ne] no-thing spare for goddis heest.

And, god so wis be my socour,

But thou yeve me my Saviour

At Ester, whan it lyketh me, 6435

Withoute presing more on thee,

I wol forth, and to him goon,

And he shal housel me anoon,

For I am out of thy grucching;

I kepe not dele with thee nothing." 6440

Thus may he shryve him, that forsaketh

His paroche-prest, and to me taketh.

And if the prest wol him refuse,

I am ful redy him to accuse,

And him punisshe and hampre so, 6445

That he his chirche shal forgo.

'But who-so hath in his feling

The consequence of such shryving,

Shal seen that prest may never have might

To knowe the conscience aright 6450

Of him that is under his cure.

And this ageyns holy scripture,

That biddeth every herde honeste

Have verry knowing of his beste.

But pore folk that goon by strete, 6455

That have no gold, ne sommes grete,

Hem wolde I lete to her prelates,

Or lete hir prestis knowe hir states,

For to me right nought yeve they.'

_Amour._ 'And why is it?'

_F. Sem._ 'For they ne may. 6460

They ben so bare, I take no keep;

But I wol have the fatte sheep;--

Lat parish prestis have the lene,

I yeve not of hir harm a bene!

And if that prelats grucchen it, 6465

That oughten wroth be in hir wit,

To lese her fatte bestes so,

I shal yeve hem a stroke or two,

That they shal lesen with [the] force,

Ye, bothe hir mytre and hir croce. 6470

Thus Iape I hem, and have do longe,

My priveleges been so stronge.'

Fals-Semblant wolde have stinted here,

But Love ne made him no such chere

That he was wery of his sawe; 6475

But for to make him glad and fawe,

He seide:--'Tel on more specialy,

How that thou servest untrewly.

Tel forth, and shame thee never a del;

For as thyn abit shewith wel, 6480

Thou [semest] an holy heremyte.'

_F. Sem._ 'Soth is, but I am an ypocryte.'

_Amour._ 'Thou gost and prechest povertee?'

_F. Sem._ 'Ye, sir; but richesse hath poustee.'

_Amour._ 'Thou prechest abstinence also?' 6485

_F. Sem._ 'Sir, I wol fillen, so mote I go,

My paunche of gode mete and wyne,

As shulde a maister of divyne;

For how that I me pover feyne,

Yit alle pore folk I disdeyne. 6490

'I love bet the acqueyntaunce

Ten tymes, of the king of Fraunce,

Than of pore man of mylde mode,

Though that his soule be also gode.

For whan I see beggers quaking, 6495

Naked on mixens al stinking,

For hungre crye, and eek for care,

I entremete not of hir fare.

They been so pore, and ful of pyne,

They might not ones yeve me dyne, 6500

For they have no-thing but hir lyf;

What shulde he yeve that likketh his knyf?

It is but foly to entremete,

To seke in houndes nest fat mete.

Let bere hem to the spitel anoon, 6505

But, for me, comfort gete they noon.

But a riche sike usurere

Wolde I visyte and drawe nere;

Him wol I comforte and rehete,

For I hope of his gold to gete. 6510

And if that wikked deth him have,

I wol go with him to his grave.

And if ther any reprove me,

Why that I lete the pore be,

Wostow how I [mot] ascape? 6515

I sey, and swerë him ful rape,

That riche men han more tecches

Of sinne, than han pore wrecches,

And han of counseil more mister;

And therfore I wol drawe hem ner. 6520

But as gret hurt, it may so be,

Hath soule in right gret poverte,

As soul in gret richesse, forsothe,

Al-be-it that they hurten bothe.

For richesse and mendicitees 6525

Ben cleped two extremitees;

The mene is cleped suffisaunce,

Ther lyth of vertu the aboundaunce.

For Salamon, ful wel I woot,

In his Parables us wroot, 6530

As it is knowe of many a wight,

In his [thrittethe] chapitre right:

"God, thou me kepe, for thy poustee,

Fro richesse and mendicitee;

For if a riche man him dresse 6535

To thenke to moche on [his] richesse,

His herte on that so fer is set,

That he his creatour foryet;

And him, that [begging] wol ay greve,

How shulde I by his word him leve? 6540

Unnethe that he nis a micher,

Forsworn, or elles [god is] lyer."

Thus seith Salamones sawes;

Ne we finde writen in no lawes,

And namely in our Cristen lay-- 6545

(Who seith "ye," I dar sey "nay")--

That Crist, ne his apostlis dere,

Whyl that they walkede in erthe here,

Were never seen her bred begging,

For they nolde beggen for nothing. 6550

And right thus were men wont to teche;

And in this wyse wolde it preche

The maistres of divinitee

Somtyme in Paris the citee.

'And if men wolde ther-geyn appose 6555

The naked text, and lete the glose,

It mighte sone assoiled be;

For men may wel the sothe see,

That, parde, they mighte axe a thing

Pleynly forth, without begging. 6560

For they weren goddis herdis dere,

And cure of soules hadden here,

They nolde no-thing begge hir fode;

For aftir Crist was don on rode,

With [hir] propre hondis they wrought, 6565

And with travel, and elles nought,

They wonnen al hir sustenaunce,

And liveden forth in hir penaunce,

And the remenaunt [yeve] awey

To other pore folk alwey. 6570

They neither bilden tour ne halle,

But [leye] in houses smale withalle.

A mighty man, that can and may,

Shulde with his honde and body alway

Winne him his food in laboring, 6575

If he ne have rent or sich a thing,

Although he be religious,

And god to serven curious.

Thus mote he don, or do trespas,

But-if it be in certeyn cas, 6580

That I can reherce, if mister be,

Right wel, whan the tyme I see.

'Seke the book of Seynt Austin,

Be it in paper or perchemin,

There-as he writ of these worchinges, 6585

Thou shalt seen that non excusinges

A parfit man ne shulde seke

By wordis, ne by dedis eke,

Although he be religious,

And god to serven curious, 6590

That he ne shal, so mote I go,

With propre hondis and body also,

Gete his food in laboring,

If he ne have propretee of thing.

Yit shulde he selle al his substaunce, 6595

And with his swink have sustenaunce,

If he be parfit in bountee.

Thus han tho bookes tolde me:

For he that wol gon ydilly,

And useth it ay besily 6600

To haunten other mennes table,

He is a trechour, ful of fable;

Ne he ne may, by gode resoun,

Excuse him by his orisoun.

For men bihoveth, in som gyse, 6605

Som-tyme [leven] goddes servyse

To gon and purchasen her nede.

Men mote eten, that is no drede,

And slepe, and eek do other thing;

So longe may they leve praying. 6610

So may they eek hir prayer blinne,

While that they werke, hir mete to winne.

Seynt Austin wol therto accorde,

In thilke book that I recorde.

Justinian eek, that made lawes, 6615

Hath thus forboden, by olde dawes,

"No man, up peyne to be deed,

Mighty of body, to begge his breed,

If he may swinke, it for to gete;

Men shulde him rather mayme or bete, 6620

Or doon of him apert Iustice,

Than suffren him in such malice."

They don not wel, so mote I go,

That taken such almesse so,

But if they have som privelege, 6625

That of the peyne hem wol allege.

But how that is, can I not see,

But-if the prince disseyved be;

Ne I ne wene not, sikerly,

That they may have it rightfully. 6630

But I wol not determyne

Of princes power, ne defyne,

Ne by my word comprende, y-wis,

If it so fer may strecche in this.

I wol not entremete a del; 6635

But I trowe that the book seith wel,

Who that taketh almesses, that be

Dewe to folk that men may see

Lame, feble, wery, and bare,

Pore, or in such maner care, 6640

(That conne winne hem nevermo,

For they have no power therto),

He eteth his owne dampning,

But-if he lye, that made al thing.

And if ye such a truaunt finde, 6645

Chastise him wel, if ye be kinde.

But they wolde hate you, percas,

And, if ye fillen in hir laas,

They wolde eftsones do you scathe,

If that they mighte, late or rathe; 6650

For they be not ful pacient,

That han the world thus foule blent.

And witeth wel, [wher] that god bad

The good man selle al that he had,

And folowe him, and to pore it yive, 6655

He wolde not therfore that he live

To serven him in mendience,

For it was never his sentence;

But he bad wirken whan that nede is,

And folwe him in goode dedis. 6660

Seynt Poule, that loved al holy chirche,

He bade thapostles for to wirche,

And winnen hir lyflode in that wyse,

And hem defended truaundyse,

And seide, "Wirketh with your honden;" 6665

Thus shulde the thing be undirstonden.

He nolde, y-wis, bidde hem begging,

Ne sellen gospel, ne preching,

Lest they berafte, with hir asking,

Folk of hir catel or of hir thing. 6670

For in this world is many a man

That yeveth his good, for he ne can

Werne it for shame, or elles he

Wolde of the asker delivered be;

And, for he him encombreth so, 6675

He yeveth him good to late him go:

But it can him no-thing profyte,

They lese the yift and the meryte.

The goode folk, that Poule to preched,

Profred him ofte, whan he hem teched, 6680

Som of hir good in charite;

But therof right no-thing took he;

But of his hondwerk wolde he gete

Clothes to wryen him, and his mete."

_Amour._ 'Tel me than how a man may liven, 6685

That al his good to pore hath yiven,

And wol but only bidde his bedis,

And never with honde laboure his nedis:

May he do so?'

_F. Sem._ 'Ye, sir.'

_Amour._ 'And how?'

_F. Sem._ 'Sir, I wol gladly telle yow:-- 6690

Seynt Austin seith, a man may be

In houses that han propretee,

As templers and hospitelers,

And as these chanouns regulers,

Or whyte monkes, or these blake-- 6695

(I wole no mo ensamplis make)--

And take therof his sustening,

For therinne lyth no begging;

But other-weyes not, y-wis,

[If] Austin gabbeth not of this. 6700

And yit ful many a monk laboureth,

That god in holy chirche honoureth;

For whan hir swinking is agoon,

They rede and singe in chirche anoon.

'And for ther hath ben greet discord, 6705

As many a wight may bere record,

Upon the estate of mendience,

I wol shortly, in your presence,

Telle how a man may begge at nede,

That hath not wherwith him to fede, 6710

Maugre his felones Iangelinges,

For sothfastnesse wol non hidinges;

And yit, percas, I may abey,

That I to yow sothly thus sey.

'Lo, here the caas especial: 6715

If a man be so bestial

That he of no craft hath science,

And nought desyreth ignorence,

Than may he go a-begging yerne,

Til he som maner craft can lerne, 6720

Thurgh which, withoute truaunding,

He may in trouthe have his living.

Or if he may don no labour,

For elde, or syknesse, or langour,

Or for his tendre age also, 6725

Than may he yit a-begging go.

'Or if he have, peraventure,

Thurgh usage of his noriture,

Lived over deliciously,

Than oughten good folk comunly 6730

Han of his mischeef som pitee,

And suffren him also, that he

May gon aboute and begge his breed,

That he be not for hungur deed.

Or if he have of craft cunning, 6735

And strengthe also, and desiring

To wirken, as he hadde what,

But he finde neither this ne that,

Than may he begge, til that he

Have geten his necessitee. 6740

'Or if his winning be so lyte,

That his labour wol not acquyte

Sufficiantly al his living,

Yit may he go his breed begging;

Fro dore to dore he may go trace, 6745

Til he the remenaunt may purchace.

Or if a man wolde undirtake

Any empryse for to make,

In the rescous of our lay,

And it defenden as he may, 6750

Be it with armes or lettrure,

Or other covenable cure,

If it be so he pore be,

Than may he begge, til that he

May finde in trouthe for to swinke, 6755

And gete him clothes, mete, and drinke.

Swinke he with hondis corporel,

And not with hondis espirituel.

'In al thise caas, and in semblables,

If that ther ben mo resonables, 6760

He may begge, as I telle you here,

And elles nought, in no manere;

As William Seynt Amour wolde preche,

And ofte wolde dispute and teche

Of this matere alle openly 6765

At Paris ful solempnely.

And al-so god my soule blesse,

As he had, in this stedfastnesse,

The accord of the universitee,

And of the puple, as semeth me. 6770

'No good man oughte it to refuse,

Ne oughte him therof to excuse,

Be wrooth or blythe who-so be;

For I wol speke, and telle it thee,

Al shulde I dye, and be put doun, 6775

As was seynt Poul, in derk prisoun;

Or be exiled in this caas

With wrong, as maister William was,

That my moder Ypocrisye

Banisshed for hir greet envye. 6780

'My moder flemed him, Seynt Amour:

This noble dide such labour

To susteyne ever the loyaltee,

That he to moche agilte me.

He made a book, and leet it wryte, 6785

Wherin his lyf he dide al wryte,

And wolde ich reneyed begging,

And lived by my traveyling,

If I ne had rent ne other good.

What? wened he that I were wood? 6790

For labour might me never plese,

I have more wil to been at ese;

And have wel lever, sooth to sey,

Bifore the puple patre and prey,

And wrye me in my foxerye 6795

Under a cope of papelardye.'

Quod Love, 'What devel is this I here?

What wordis tellest thou me here?'

_F. Sem._ 'What, sir?'

_Amour._ 'Falsnesse, that apert is;

Than dredist thou not god?'

_F. Sem._ 'No, certis: 6800

For selde in greet thing shal he spede

In this world, that god wol drede.

For folk that hem to vertu yiven,

And truly on her owne liven,

And hem in goodnesse ay contene, 6805

On hem is litel thrift y-sene;

Such folk drinken gret misese;

That lyf [ne] may me never plese.

But see what gold han usurers,

And silver eek in [hir] garners, 6810

Taylagiers, and these monyours,

Bailifs, bedels, provost, countours;

These liven wel nygh by ravyne;

The smale puple hem mote enclyne,

And they as wolves wol hem eten. 6815

Upon the pore folk they geten

Ful moche of that they spende or kepe;

Nis none of hem that he nil strepe,

And wryen him-self wel atte fulle;

Withoute scalding they hem pulle. 6820

The stronge the feble overgoth;

But I, that were my simple cloth,

Robbe bothe robbed and robbours,

And gyle gyled and gylours.

By my treget, I gadre and threste 6825

The greet tresour into my cheste,

That lyth with me so faste bounde.

Myn highe paleys do I founde,

And my delytes I fulfille

With wyne at feestes at my wille, 6830

And tables fulle of entremees;

I wol no lyf, but ese and pees,

And winne gold to spende also.

For whan the grete bagge is go,

It cometh right with my Iapes. 6835

Make I not wel tumble myn apes?

To winne is alwey myn entent;

My purchas is better than my rent;

For though I shulde beten be,

Over-al I entremete me; 6840

Withoute me may no wight dure.

I walke soules for to cure.

Of al the worlde cure have I

In brede and lengthe; boldely

I wol bothe preche and eek counceilen; 6845

With hondis wille I not traveilen,

For of the pope I have the bulle;

I ne holde not my wittes dulle.

I wol not stinten, in my lyve,

These emperouris for to shryve, 6850

Or kyngis, dukis, and lordis grete;

But pore folk al quyte I lete.

I love no such shryving, pardee,

But it for other cause be.

I rekke not of pore men, 6855

Hir astate is not worth an hen.

Where fyndest thou a swinker of labour

Have me unto his confessour?

But emperesses, and duchesses,

Thise quenes, and eek [thise] countesses, 6860

Thise abbesses, and eek Bigyns,

These grete ladyes palasyns,

These Ioly knightes, and baillyves,

Thise nonnes, and thise burgeis wyves,

That riche been, and eek plesing, 6865

And thise maidens welfaring,

Wher-so they clad or naked be,

Uncounceiled goth ther noon fro me.

And, for her soules savetee,

At lord and lady, and hir meynee, 6870

I axe, whan they hem to me shryve,

The propretee of al hir lyve,

And make hem trowe, bothe meest and leest,

Hir paroch-prest nis but a beest

Ayens me and my company, 6875

That shrewis been as greet as I;

For whiche I wol not hyde in hold

No privetee that me is told,

That I by word or signe, y-wis,

[Nil] make hem knowe what it is, 6880

And they wolen also tellen me;

They hele fro me no privitee.

And for to make yow hem perceyven,

That usen folk thus to disceyven,

I wol you seyn, withouten drede, 6885

What men may in the gospel rede

Of Seynt Mathew, the gospelere,

That seith, as I shal you sey here.

'Upon the chaire of Moyses--

Thus is it glosed, douteles: 6890

That is the olde testament,

For therby is the chaire ment--

Sitte Scribes and Pharisen;--

That is to seyn, the cursid men

Whiche that we ypocritis calle-- 6895

Doth that they preche, I rede you alle,

But doth not as they don a del,

That been not wery to seye wel,

But to do wel, no wille have they;

And they wolde binde on folk alwey, 6900

That ben to [be] begyled able,

Burdens that ben importable;

On folkes shuldres thinges they couchen

That they nil with her fingres touchen.'

_Amour._ 'And why wol they not touche it?'

_F. Sem._ 'Why? 6905

For hem ne list not, sikirly;

For sadde burdens that men taken

Make folkes shuldres aken.

And if they do ought that good be,

That is for folk it shulde see: 6910

Her burdens larger maken they,

And make hir hemmes wyde alwey,

And loven setes at the table,

The firste and most honourable;

And for to han the first chaieris 6915

In synagoges, to hem ful dere is;

And willen that folk hem loute and grete,

Whan that they passen thurgh the strete,

And wolen be cleped "Maister" also.

But they ne shulde not willen so; 6920

The gospel is ther-ageyns, I gesse:

That sheweth wel hir wikkidnesse.

'Another custom use we:--

Of hem that wol ayens us be,

We hate hem deedly everichoon, 6925

And we wol werrey hem, as oon.

Him that oon hatith, hate we alle,

And coniecte how to doon him falle.

And if we seen him winne honour,

Richesse or preys, thurgh his valour, 6930

Provende, rent, or dignitee,

Ful fast, y-wis, compassen we

By what ladder he is clomben so;

And for to maken him doun to go,

With traisoun we wole him defame, 6935

And doon him lese his gode name.

Thus from his ladder we him take,

And thus his freendis foes we make;

But word ne wite shal he noon,

Til alle his freendis been his foon. 6940

For if we dide it openly,

We might have blame redily;

For hadde he wist of our malyce,

He hadde him kept, but he were nyce.

'Another is this, that, if so falle 6945

That ther be oon among us alle

That doth a good turn, out of drede,

We seyn it is our alder dede.

Ye, sikerly, though he it feyned,

Or that him list, or that him deyned 6950

A man thurgh him avaunced be;

Therof alle parceners be we,

And tellen folk, wher-so we go,

That man thurgh us is sprongen so.

And for to have of men preysing, 6955

We purchace, thurgh our flatering,

Of riche men, of gret poustee,

Lettres, to witnesse our bountee;

So that man weneth, that may us see,

That alle vertu in us be. 6960

And alwey pore we us feyne;

But how so that we begge or pleyne,

We ben the folk, without lesing,

That al thing have without having.

Thus be we dred of the puple, y-wis. 6965

And gladly my purpos is this:--

I dele with no wight, but he

Have gold and tresour gret plentee;

Hir acqueyntaunce wel love I;

This is moche my desyr, shortly. 6970

I entremete me of brocages,

I make pees and mariages,

I am gladly executour,

And many tymes procuratour;

I am somtyme messager; 6975

That falleth not to my mister.

And many tymes I make enquestes;

For me that office not honest is;

To dele with other mennes thing,

That is to me a gret lyking. 6980

And if that ye have ought to do

In place that I repeire to,

I shal it speden thurgh my wit,

As sone as ye have told me it.

So that ye serve me to pay, 6985

My servyse shal be your alway.

But who-so wol chastyse me,

Anoon my love lost hath he;

For I love no man in no gyse,

That wol me repreve or chastyse; 6990

But I wolde al folk undirtake,

And of no wight no teching take;

For I, that other folk chastye,

Wol not be taught fro my folye.

'I love noon hermitage more; 6995

Alle desertes, and holtes hore,

And grete wodes everichoon,

I lete hem to the Baptist Iohan.

I quethe him quyte, and him relesse

Of Egipt al the wildirnesse; 7000

To fer were alle my mansiouns

Fro alle citees and goode tounes.

My paleis and myn hous make I

There men may renne in openly,

And sey that I the world forsake. 7005

But al amidde I bilde and make

My hous, and swimme and pley therinne

Bet than a fish doth with his finne.

'Of Antecristes men am I,

Of whiche that Crist seith openly, 7010

They have abit of holinesse,

And liven in such wikkednesse.

Outward, lambren semen we,

Fulle of goodnesse and of pitee,

And inward we, withouten fable, 7015

Ben gredy wolves ravisable.

We enviroune bothe londe and see;

With al the world werreyen we;

We wol ordeyne of alle thing,

Of folkes good, and her living. 7020

'If ther be castel or citee

Wherin that any bougerons be,

Although that they of Milayne were,

For ther-of ben they blamed there:

Or if a wight, out of mesure, 7025

Wolde lene his gold, and take usure,

For that he is so coveitous:

Or if he be to leccherous,

Or [thefe, or] haunte simonye;

Or provost, ful of trecherye, 7030

Or prelat, living Iolily,

Or prest that halt his quene him by;

Or olde hores hostilers,

Or other bawdes or bordillers,

Or elles blamed of any vyce, 7035

Of whiche men shulden doon Iustyce:

By alle the seyntes that we pray,

But they defende hem with lamprey,

With luce, with elis, with samons,

With tendre gees, and with capons, 7040

With tartes, or with cheses fat,

With deynte flawnes, brode and flat,

With caleweys, or with pullaille,

With coninges, or with fyn vitaille,

That we, undir our clothes wyde, 7045

Maken thurgh our golet glyde:

Or but he wol do come in haste

Roo-venisoun, [y]-bake in paste:

Whether so that he loure or groine,

He shal have of a corde a loigne, 7050

With whiche men shal him binde and lede,

To brenne him for his sinful dede,

That men shulle here him crye and rore

A myle-wey aboute, and more.

Or elles he shal in prisoun dye, 7055

But-if he wol [our] frendship bye,

Or smerten that that he hath do,

More than his gilt amounteth to.

But, and he couthe thurgh his sleight

Do maken up a tour of height, 7060

Nought roughte I whether of stone or tree,

Or erthe, or turves though it be,

Though it were of no vounde stone,

Wrought with squyre and scantilone,

So that the tour were stuffed wel 7065

With alle richesse temporel;

And thanne, that he wolde updresse

Engyns, bothe more and lesse,

To caste at us, by every syde--

To bere his goode name wyde-- 7070

Such sleightes [as] I shal yow nevene,

Barelles of wyne, by sixe or sevene,

Or gold in sakkes gret plente,

He shulde sone delivered be.

And if he have noon sich pitaunces, 7075

Late him study in equipolences,

And lete lyes and fallaces,

If that he wolde deserve our graces;

Or we shal bere him such witnesse

Of sinne, and of his wrecchidnesse, 7080

And doon his loos so wyde renne,

That al quik we shulde him brenne,

Or elles yeve him suche penaunce,

That is wel wors than the pitaunce.

'For thou shalt never, for nothing, 7085

Con knowen aright by her clothing

The traitours fulle of trecherye,

But thou her werkis can aspye.

And ne hadde the good keping be

Whylom of the universitee, 7090

That kepeth the key of Cristendome,

[They] had been turmented, alle and some.

Suche been the stinking [fals] prophetis;

Nis non of hem, that good prophete is;

For they, thurgh wikked entencioun, 7095

The yeer of the incarnacioun

A thousand and two hundred yeer,

Fyve and fifty, ferther ne ner,

Broughten a book, with sory grace,

To yeven ensample in comune place, 7100

That seide thus, though it were fable:--

"This is the Gospel Perdurable,

That fro the Holy Goost is sent."

Wel were it worth to ben [y]-brent.

Entitled was in such manere 7105

This book, of which I telle here.

Ther nas no wight in al Parys,

Biforn Our Lady, at parvys,

That [he] ne mighte bye the book,

To copy, if him talent took. 7110

Ther might he see, by greet tresoun,

Ful many fais comparisoun:--

"As moche as, thurgh his grete might,

Be it of hete, or of light,

The sunne sourmounteth the mone, 7115

That troubler is, and chaungeth sone,

And the note-kernel the shelle--

(I scorne nat that I yow telle)--

Right so, withouten any gyle,

Sourmounteth this noble Evangyle 7120

The word of any evangelist."

And to her title they token Christ;

And many such comparisoun,

Of which I make no mencioun,

Might men in that boke finde, 7125

Who-so coude of hem have minde.

'The universitee, that tho was aslepe,

Gan for to braide, and taken kepe;

And at the noys the heed up-caste,

Ne never sithen slepte it faste, 7130

But up it sterte, and armes took

Ayens this fals horrible book,

Al redy bateil for to make,

And to the Iuge the book to take.

But they that broughten the book there 7135

Hente it anoon awey, for fere;

They nolde shewe it more a del,

But thenne it kepte, and kepen wil,

Til such a tyme that they may see

That they so stronge woxen be, 7140

That no wight may hem wel withstonde;

For by that book they durst not stonde.

Away they gonne it for to bere,

For they ne durste not answere

By exposicioun ne glose 7145

To that that clerkis wole appose

Ayens the cursednesse, y-wis,

That in that boke writen is.

Now wot I not, ne I can not see

What maner ende that there shal be 7150

Of al this [boke] that they hyde;

But yit algate they shal abyde

Til that they may it bet defende;

This trowe I best, wol be hir ende.

'Thus Antecrist abyden we, 7155

For we ben alle of his meynee;

And what man that wol not be so,

Right sone he shal his lyf forgo.

We wol a puple on him areyse,

And thurgh our gyle doon him seise, 7160

And him on sharpe speris ryve,

Or other-weyes bringe him fro lyve,

But-if that he wol folowe, y-wis,

That in our boke writen is.

Thus moche wol our book signifye, 7165

That whyl [that] Peter hath maistrye,

May never lohan shewe wel his might.

'Now have I you declared right

The mening of the bark and rinde

That makith the entenciouns blinde. 7170

But now at erst I wol biginne

To expowne you the pith withinne:--

[And first, by Peter, as I wene,

The Pope himself we wolden mene]

And [eek] the seculers comprehende, 7175

That Cristes lawe wol defende,

And shulde it kepen and mayntenen

Ayeines hem that al sustenen,

And falsly to the puple techen.

[And] Iohan bitokeneth hem [that] prechen, 7180

That ther nis lawe covenable

But thilke Gospel Perdurable,

That fro the Holy Gost was sent

To turne folk that been miswent.

The strengthe of Iohan they undirstonde 7185

The grace in which, they seye, they stonde,

That doth the sinful folk converte,

And hem to Iesus Crist reverte.

'Ful many another horriblete

May men in that boke see, 7190

That ben comaunded, douteles,

Ayens the lawe of Rome expres;

And alle with Antecrist they holden,

As men may in the book biholden.

And than comaunden they to sleen 7195

Alle tho that with Peter been;

But they shal nevere have that might,

And, god toforn, for stryf to fight,

That they ne shal y-nough [men] finde

That Peters lawe shal have in minde, 7200

And ever holde, and so mayntene,

That at the last it shal be sene

That they shal alle come therto,

For ought that they can speke or do.

And thilke lawe shal not stonde, 7205

That they by Iohan have undirstonde;

But, maugre hem, it shal adoun,

And been brought to confusioun.

But I wol stinte of this matere,

For it is wonder long to here; 7210

But hadde that ilke book endured,

Of better estate I were ensured;

And freendis have I yit, pardee,

That han me set in greet degree.

'Of all this world is emperour 7215

Gyle my fader, the trechour,

And emperesse my moder is,

Maugre the Holy Gost, y-wis.

Our mighty linage and our route

Regneth in every regne aboute; 7220

And wel is worth we [maistres] be,

For al this world governe we,

And can the folk so wel disceyve,

That noon our gyle can perceyve;

And though they doon, they dar not saye; 7225

The sothe dar no wight biwreye.

But he in Cristis wrath him ledeth,

That more than Crist my bretheren dredeth.

He nis no ful good champioun,

That dredith such similacioun; 7230

Nor that for peyne wole refusen

Us to correcten and accusen.

He wol not entremete by right,

Ne have god in his eye-sight,

And therfore god shal him punyce; 7235

But me ne rekketh of no vyce,

Sithen men us loven comunably,

And holden us for so worthy,

That we may folk repreve echoon,

And we nil have repref of noon. 7240

Whom shulden folk worshipen so

But us, that stinten never mo

To patren whyl that folk us see,

Though it not so bihinde hem be?

'And where is more wood folye, 7245

Than to enhaunce chivalrye,

And love noble men and gay,

That Ioly clothis weren alway?

If they be sich folk as they semen,

So clene, as men her clothis demen, 7250

And that her wordis folowe her dede,

It is gret pite, out of drede,

For they wol be noon ypocritis!

Of hem, me thinketh [it] gret spiteis;

I can not love hem on no syde. 7255

But Beggers with these hodes wyde,

With sleighe and pale faces lene,

And greye clothis not ful clene,

But fretted ful of tatarwagges,

And highe shoes, knopped with dagges, 7260

That frouncen lyke a quaile-pype,

Or botes riveling as a gype;

To such folk as I you devyse

Shuld princes and these lordes wyse

Take alle her londes and her thinges, 7265

Bothe werre and pees, in governinges;

To such folk shulde a prince him yive,

That wolde his lyf in honour live.

And if they be not as they seme,

That serven thus the world to queme, 7270

There wolde I dwelle, to disceyve

The folk, for they shal not perceyve.

'But I ne speke in no such wyse,

That men shulde humble abit dispyse,

So that no pryde ther-under be. 7275

No man shulde hate, as thinketh me,

The pore man in sich clothing.

But god ne preiseth him no-thing,

That seith he hath the world forsake,

And hath to worldly glorie him take, 7280

And wol of siche delyces use;

Who may that Begger wel excuse?

That papelard, that him yeldeth so,

And wol to worldly ese go,

And seith that he the world hath left, 7285

And gredily it grypeth eft,

He is the hound, shame is to seyn,

That to his casting goth ageyn.

'But unto you dar I not lye:

But mighte I felen or aspye, 7290

That ye perceyved it no-thing,

Ye shulden have a stark lesing

Right in your hond thus, to biginne,

I nolde it lette for no sinne.'

The god lough at the wonder tho, 7295

And every wight gan laughe also,

And seide:--'Lo here a man aright

For to be trusty to every wight!'

'Fals Semblant,' quod Love, 'sey to me,

Sith I thus have avaunced thee, 7300

That in my court is thy dwelling,

And of ribaudes shall be my king,

Wolt thou wel holden my forwardis?'

_F. Sem._ 'Ye, sir, from hennes forewardis;

Hadde never your fader herebiforn 7305

Servaunt so trewe, sith he was born.'

_Amour._ 'That is ayeines al nature.'

_F. Sem._ 'Sir, put you in that aventure;

For though ye borowes take of me,

The sikerer shal ye never be 7310

For ostages, ne sikirnesse,

Or chartres, for to bere witnesse.

I take your-self to record here,

That men ne may, in no manere,

Teren the wolf out of his hyde, 7315

Til he be [flayn], bak and syde,

Though men him bete and al defyle;

What? wene ye that I wole bigyle?

For I am clothed mekely,

Ther-under is al my trechery; 7320

Myn herte chaungeth never the mo

For noon abit, in which I go.

Though I have chere of simplenesse,

I am not weary of shrewednesse.

My lemman, Streyned-Abstinence, 7325

Hath mister of my purveaunce;

She hadde ful longe ago be deed,

Nere my councel and my reed;

Lete hir allone, and you and me.'

And Love answerde, 'I truste thee 7330

Withoute borowe, for I wol noon.'

And Fals-Semblant, the theef, anoon,

Right in that ilke same place,

That hadde of tresoun al his face

Right blak withinne, and whyt withoute, 7335

Thanketh him, gan on his knees loute.

Than was ther nought, but 'Every man

Now to assaut, that sailen can,'

Quod Love, 'and that ful hardily.'

Than armed they hem communly 7340

Of sich armour as to hem fel.

Whan they were armed, fers and fel,

They wente hem forth, alle in a route,

And set the castel al aboute;

They wil nought away, for no drede, 7345

Til it so be that they ben dede,

Or til they have the castel take.

And foure batels they gan make,

And parted hem in foure anoon,

And toke her way, and forth they goon, 7350

The foure gates for to assaile,

Of whiche the kepers wol not faile;

For they ben neither syke ne dede,

But hardy folk, and stronge in dede.

Now wole I seyn the countenaunce 7355

Of Fals-Semblant, and Abstinaunce,

That ben to Wikkid-Tonge went.

But first they helde her parlement,

Whether it to done were

To maken hem be knowen there, 7360

Or elles walken forth disgysed.

But at the laste they devysed,

That they wold goon in tapinage,

As it were in a pilgrimage,

Lyk good and holy folk unfeyned. 7365

And Dame Abstinence-Streyned

Took on a robe of camelyne,

And gan hir graithe as a Begyne.

A large coverchief of threde

She wrapped al aboute hir hede, 7370

But she forgat not hir sautere;

A peire of bedis eek she here

Upon a lace, al of whyt threde,

On which that she hir bedes bede;

But she ne boughte hem never a del, 7375

For they were geven her, I wot wel,

God wot, of a ful holy frere,

That seide he was hir fader dere,

To whom she hadde ofter went

Than any frere of his covent. 7380

And he visyted hir also,

And many a sermoun seide hir to;

He nolde lette, for man on lyve,

That he ne wolde hir ofte shryve.

And with so gret devocion 7385

They maden her confession,

That they had ofte, for the nones,

Two hedes in one hood at ones.

Of fair shape I devyse her thee,

But pale of face somtyme was she; 7390

That false traitouresse untrewe

Was lyk that salowe hors of hewe,

That in the Apocalips is shewed,

That signifyeth tho folk beshrewed,

That been al ful of trecherye, 7395

And pale, thurgh hypocrisye;

For on that hors no colour is,

But only deed and pale, y-wis.

Of suche a colour enlangoured

Was Abstinence, y-wis, coloured; 7400

Of her estat she her repented,

As her visage represented.

She had a burdoun al of Thefte,

That Gyle had yeve her of his yefte;

And a scrippe of Fainte Distresse, 7405

That ful was of elengenesse,

And forth she walked sobrely:

And False-Semblant saynt, _ie vous die_,

[Had], as it were for such mistere,

Don on the cope of a frere, 7410

With chere simple, and ful pitous;

His looking was not disdeinous,

Ne proud, but meke and ful pesible.

About his nekke he bar a bible,

And squierly forth gan he gon; 7415

And, for to reste his limmes upon,

He had of Treson a potente;

As he were feble, his way he wente.

But in his sleve he gan to thringe

A rasour sharp, and wel bytinge, 7420

That was forged in a forge,

Which that men clepen Coupegorge.

So longe forth hir way they nomen,

Til they to Wicked-Tonge comen,

That at his gate was sitting, 7425

And saw folk in the way passing.

The pilgrimes saw he faste by,

That beren hem ful mekely,

And humblely they with him mette.

Dame Abstinence first him grette, 7430

And sith him False-Semblant salued,

And he hem; but he not remued,

For he ne dredde hem not a-del.

For when he saw hir faces wel,

Alway in herte him thoughte so, 7435

He shulde knowe hem bothe two;

For wel he knew Dame Abstinaunce

But he ne knew not Constreynaunce.

He knew nat that she was constrayned,

Ne of her theves lyfe feyned, 7440

But wende she com of wil al free;

But she com in another degree;

And if of good wil she began,

That wil was failed her [as] than.

And Fals-Semblant had he seyn als, 7445

But he knew nat that he was fals.

Yet fals was he, but his falsnesse

Ne coude he not espye, nor gesse;

For semblant was so slye wrought,

That falsnesse he ne espyed nought. 7450

But haddest thou knowen him beforn,

Thou woldest on a boke have sworn,

Whan thou him saugh in thilke aray

That he, that whylom was so gay,

And of the daunce Ioly Robin, 7455

Was tho become a Iacobin.

But sothely, what so men him calle,

Freres Prechours been good men alle;

Hir order wickedly they beren,

Suche minstrelles if [that] they weren. 7460

So been Augustins and Cordileres,

And Carmes, and eek Sakked Freres,

And alle freres, shodde and bare,

(Though some of hem ben grete and square)

Ful holy men, as I hem deme; 7465

Everich of hem wolde good man seme.

But shalt thou never of apparence

Seen conclude good consequence

In none argument, y-wis,

If existence al failed is. 7470

For men may finde alway sophyme

The consequence to envenyme,

Who-so that hath the subteltee

The double sentence for to see.

Whan the pilgrymes commen were 7475

To Wicked-Tonge, that dwelled there,

Hir harneis nigh hem was algate;

By Wicked-Tonge adoun they sate,

That bad hem ner him for to come,

And of tydinges telle him some, 7480

And sayde hem:--'What cas maketh yow

To come into this place now?'

Sir,' seyde Strained-Abstinaunce,

We, for to drye our penaunce,

With hertes pitous and devoute, 7485

Are commen, as pilgrimes gon aboute;

Wel nigh on fote alway we go;

Ful dusty been our heles two;

And thus bothe we ben sent

Thurghout this world that is miswent, 7490

To yeve ensample, and preche also.

To fisshen sinful men we go,

For other fisshing ne fisshe we.

And, sir, for that charitee,

As we be wont, herberwe we crave, 7495

Your lyf to amende; Crist it save!

And, so it shulde you nat displese,

We wolden, if it were your ese,

A short sermoun unto you seyn.'

And Wikked-Tonge answerde ageyn, 7500

The hous,' quod he, 'such as ye see,

Shal nat be warned you for me,

Sey what you list, and I wol here.'

Graunt mercy, swete sire dere!'

Quod alderfirst Dame Abstinence, 7505

And thus began she hir sentence:

_Const. Abstinence._ 'Sir, the first vertue, certeyn,

The gretest, and most sovereyn

That may be founde in any man,

For having, or for wit he can, 7510

That is, his tonge to refreyne;

Therto ought every wight him peyne.

For it is better stille be

Than for to speken harm, pardee!

And he that herkeneth it gladly, 7515

He is no good man, sikerly.

And, sir, aboven al other sinne,

In that art thou most gilty inne.

Thou spake a Iape not long ago,

(And, sir, that was right yvel do) 7520

Of a yong man that here repaired,

And never yet this place apaired.

Thou seydest he awaited nothing

But to disceyve Fair-Welcoming.

Ye seyde nothing sooth of that; 7525

But, sir, ye lye; I tell you plat;

He ne cometh no more, ne goth, pardee!

I trow ye shal him never see.

Fair-Welcoming in prison is,

That ofte hath pleyed with you, er this, 7530

The fairest games that he coude,

Withoute filthe, stille or loude;

Now dar [he] nat [him]self solace.

Ye han also the man do chace,

That he dar neither come ne go. 7535

What meveth you to hate him so

But properly your wikked thought,

That many a fals lesing hath thought?

That meveth your foole eloquence,

That iangleth ever in audience, 7540

And on the folk areyseth blame,

And doth hem dishonour and shame,

For thing that may have no preving,

But lyklinesse, and contriving.

For I dar seyn, that Reson demeth, 7545

It is not al sooth thing that semeth,

And it is sinne to controve

Thing that is [for] to reprove;

This wot ye wel; and, sir, therefore

Ye arn to blame [wel] the more. 7550

And, nathelesse, he rekketh lyte;

He yeveth nat now thereof a myte;

For if he thoughte harm, parfay,

He wolde come and gon al day;

He coude him-selfe nat abstene. 7555

Now cometh he nat, and that is sene,

For he ne taketh of it no cure,

But-if it be through aventure,

And lasse than other folk, algate.

And thou here watchest at the gate, 7560

With spere in thyne arest alway;

There muse, musard, al the day.

Thou wakest night and day for thought;

Y-wis, thy traveyl is for nought.

And Ielousye, withouten faile, 7565

Shal never quyte thee thy travaile.

And scathe is, that Fair-Welcoming,

Withouten any trespassing,

Shal wrongfully in prison be,

Ther wepeth and languissheth he. 7570

And though thou never yet, y-wis,

Agiltest man no more but this,

(Take not a-greef) it were worthy

To putte thee out of this baily,

And afterward in prison lye, 7575

And fettre thee til that thou dye;

For thou shalt for this sinne dwelle

Right in the devils ers of helle,

But-if that thou repente thee.'

'Ma fay, thou lyest falsly!' quod he. 7580

What? welcome with mischaunce now!

Have I therfore herbered you

To seye me shame, and eek reprove?

With sory happe, to your bihove,

Am I to-day your herbergere! 7585

Go, herber you elleswhere than here,

That han a lyer called me!

Two tregetours art thou and he,

That in myn hous do me this shame,

And for my soth-sawe ye me blame. 7590

Is this the sermoun that ye make?

To alle the develles I me take,

Or elles, god, thou me confounde!

But er men diden this castel founde,

It passeth not ten dayes or twelve, 7595

But it was told right to my-selve,

And as they seide, right so tolde I,

He kiste the Rose privily!

Thus seide I now, and have seid yore;

I not wher he dide any more. 7600

Why shulde men sey me such a thing,

If it hadde been gabbing?

Right so seide I, and wol seye yit;

I trowe, I lyed not of it;

And with my bemes I wol blowe 7605

To alle neighboris a-rowe,

How he hath bothe comen and gon.'

Tho spak Fals-Semblant right anon,

Al is not gospel, out of doute,

That men seyn in the toune aboute; 7610

Ley no deef ere to my speking;

I swere yow, sir, it is gabbing!

I trowe ye wot wel certeynly,

That no man loveth him tenderly

That seith him harm, if he wot it, 7615

Al be he never so pore of wit.

And sooth is also sikerly,

(This knowe ye, sir, as wel as I),

That lovers gladly wol visyten

The places ther hir loves habyten. 7620

This man you loveth and eek honoureth;

This man to serve you laboureth;

And clepeth you his freend so dere,

And this man maketh you good chere,

And every-wher that [he] you meteth, 7625

He you saleweth, and he you greteth.

He preseth not so ofte, that ye

Ought of his come encombred be;

Ther presen other folk on yow

Ful ofter than [that] he doth now. 7630

And if his herte him streyned so

Unto the Rose for to go,

Ye shulde him seen so ofte nede,

That ye shulde take him with the dede.

He coude his coming not forbere, 7635

Though ye him thrilled with a spere;

It nere not thanne as it is now.

But trusteth wel, I swere it yow,

That it is clene out of his thought.

Sir, certes, he ne thenketh it nought; 7640

No more ne doth Fair-Welcoming,

That sore abyeth al this thing.

And if they were of oon assent,

Ful sone were the Rose hent;

The maugre youres wolde be. 7645

And sir, of o thing herkeneth me:--

Sith ye this man, that loveth yow,

Han seid such harm and shame now,

Witeth wel, if he gessed it,

Ye may wel demen in your wit, 7650

He nolde no-thing love you so,

Ne callen you his freend also,

But night and day he [wolde] wake,

The castel to destroye and take,

If it were sooth as ye devyse; 7655

Or som man in som maner wyse

Might it warne him everydel,

Or by him-self perceyven wel;

For sith he might not come and gon

As he was whylom wont to don, 7660

He might it sone wite and see;

But now al other-wyse [doth] he.

Than have [ye], sir, al-outerly

Deserved helle, and Iolyly

The deth of helle douteles, 7665

That thrallen folk so gilteles.'

Fals-Semblant proveth so this thing

That he can noon answering,

And seeth alwey such apparaunce,

That nygh he fel in repentaunce, 7670

And seide him:--'Sir, it may wel be.

Semblant, a good man semen ye;

And, Abstinence, ful wyse ye seme;

Of o talent you bothe I deme.

What counceil wole ye to me yeven?' 7675

_F. Sem._ 'Right here anoon thou shalt be shriven,

And sey thy sinne withoute more;

Of this shall thou repente sore;

For I am preest, and have poustee

To shryve folk of most dignitee 7680

That been, as wyde as world may dure.

Of al this world I have the cure,

And that had never yit persoun,

No vicarie of no maner toun.

And, god wot, I have of thee 7685

A thousand tymes more pitee

Than hath thy preest parochial,

Though he thy freend be special.

I have avauntage, in o wyse,

That your prelates ben not so wyse 7690

Ne half so lettred as am I.

I am licenced boldely

In divinitee to rede,

And to confessen, out of drede.

If ye wol you now confesse, 7695

And leve your sinnes more and lesse,

Without abood, knele doun anon,

And you shal have absolucion.' 7698