Anonymous

“ With †Dives such shall have hir doom
That sayn that they be Christes frendes,
And do nothing as they shuld doon; 535
All such ben falser than ben fendes.
On the people they ley such bendes,
As god is in erthe, they han offend ”

“ This living is not religious
According to Benet in his living. 1020
They ben clerkes, hir courtes they oversee,
Hir pore tenaunts fully they flyte;
The hyer that a man amerced be,
The gladlyer they woll it wryte. ”

“ To speke they shull not be so bolde
For sompning to the consistory; 880
And make hem say [with] mouth "I ly,"
Though they it sawë with hir y;
His lemman holden openly,
No man so hardy to axë why! ”

“ Cutted clothes to sewe hir hewe,
With longë pykes on hir shoon; 930
Our goddes gospell is not trewe,
Eyther they serven the divell or noon!
Now ben prestes pokes so wyde,
Men must enlarge the vestëment ”

“ Such willers wit is nat worth a neld. 780
They ben so roted in richesse,
That Christes povert is foryete,
Served with so many messe,
Hem thinketh that manna is no mete.
All is good that they mow get, 785
They wenë to live evermore ”

“ Here endeth the first part of this tale, and herafter
⁠foloweth the seconde part.
⁠PART II.
To accorde with this wordë "fal"
No more English can I find;
Shewe another now I shall,
For I have moche to say behind, 480
How preestes han the people pynd,
As curteys Christ hath me [y-] kend,
And put this matter in my mind
To make this maner men amend.
Shortly to shende hem, and shewe now 485
How wrongfully they worche and walke ”

“ To save or dampne they mowë chose,
Betwene hem now [ther] is gret stryf. 240
Many a man is killed with knyf,
To wete which of hem have lordship shall;
For such, Christ suffred woundes fyve;
For all such falshed will foul fall. ”

“ Ayenst. 1230. shulde. 1232. pouerte. 1235. dystrye. 1238. leaue; preache. 1239. speake agaynst. 1240. falsely teache. 1245. sayde. 1248. falshede.
1253. badde. 1254. seruauntes. 1255. amende. 1259. nothynge; estate. 1260. dysease. 1261. leaue. 1262. porte. 1263. cursynge shulde. 1264. brynge. 1266. nothynge; done. 1268. howe soone. 1269. wode. 1271. swore; bloode. 1274. reasons; the. 1275. fleshe. 1276. shalte. 1277. flewe; waye. 1278. wepe. 1279. saye. 1280. shepe. 1281. herde. 1282. worde. 1283. wrytte.
1286. trauayle; any man wolde (om. man) . 1287. solde. ”

“ Supply els. 804. false.
808. her lorde. 811. falsely; worde. 812. her. 814. the; supply me. 815. suche; supply folk. 818. suche falsely fayne. 819. dredeful. 820. payne. 821. selfe; done. 825. Supply the. 826. her false. ”

“ Suche hathe nowe. 497. varry. 498. wende. 500. pytie; amende. 501. lyfe. 503. sufferaunce; stryfe. 505. wysedome. 506. tende. 507. measure. 508. maye amende. 509. lyfe. 514. comprehende. 515. maynteyne. 516. amende. 517. delyghtes. 518. stronge. 519. vsen. 520. Agaynste pytie punishementes. 522. Her; worse dispende. ”