William Langland

“ Wheither we love the lordes here
Bifore the Lord of blisse;
And exciteth us by the Euvangelie
That whan we maken festes,
We sholde noght clepe oure kyn therto,
Ne none kynnes riche.
Cum facitis convivia, nolite invitare amicos. ”

“ Why I suffre or noght suffre,
Thiself hast noght to doone.
Amende thow it, if thow myght, 7330
For my tyme is to abide.
Suffraunce is a soverayn vertue,
And a swift vengeance.
Who suffrede moore than God?" quod he ”

“ But al for love of oure Lord,
And the bet to love the peple,
For seint Johan seide it,
And sothe arn hise wordes.
Qui non diligit, manet in morte.
⁠Who so loveth noght, leve me,
He lyveth in deep deyinge ”

“ Bothe riche and povere.
⁠"For-thi love we as leve bretheren,
And ech man laughe of oother;
And of that ech man may forbere
Amende there it nedeth;
And every man helpe oother,
For hennes shul we alle. ”

“ Of hir kynde and hir colour 7310
To carpe it were to longe.
⁠Ac that moost meved me
And my mood chaunged,
That Reson rewarded
And ruled alle beestes,
Save man and his make;
Many tyme and ofte
No reson hem folwede. ”

“ Of which Crist is a kernelle
To conforte the soule.
And wel sikerer he slepeth,
The man that is povere,
And lasse he dredeth deeth,
And in derke to ben y-robbed,
Than he that is right riche, 7100
Reson bereth witnesse. ”

“ And after cours of concepcion,
Noon took kepe of oother
As whan thei hadde ryde in rotey tyme, 7250
Anoon right therafter
Males drowen hem to males
A-morwenynges by hemselve,
And in evenynges also
The males ben fro femelles. ”

“ In fondynge of the flessh,
And of the fend bothe.
For man was maad of swich a matere,
He may noght wel a-sterte
That ne som tyme hym bitit 7360
To folwen his kynde.
Caton a-cordeth therwith,
Nemo sine crimine vivit. ”