Part 12

"Why I meve this matere, Is moost for the povere; For in hir liknesse oure Lord Ofte hath ben y-knowe. Witnesse in the Pask wyke Whan he yede to Emaüs; {216} Cleophas ne knew hym noght That he Crist were, 7030 For his povere apparaille, And pilgrymes wedes, Til he blessede and brak The breed that thei eten; So bi hise werkes thei wisten That he was Jhesus, Ac by clothyng thei knewe hym noght, Ne by carpynge of tunge. And al was in ensample To us synfulle here, 7040 That we sholde be lowe And loveliche of speche, And apparaille us noght over proudly, For pilgrymes are we alle.

"And in the apparaille of a povere man, And pilgrymes liknesse, Many tyme God hath ben met Among nedy peple, Ther nevere segge hym seigh In secte of the riche. 7050

"Seint Johan and othere seintes Were seyen in poore clothyng, And as povere pilgrymes Preyed mennes goodes.

"Jhesu Crist on a Jewes doghter lighte, Gentil womman though she were, Was a pure povere maide, And to a povere man y-wedded.

"Martha on Marie Maudeleyne An huge pleynt made, 7060 And to oure Saveour self Seide thise wordes: {217} _Domine, non est tibi curæ quod soror mea reliquit me solam ministrare._

"And hastily God answerde, And eitheres wille folwed, Bothe Marthaes and Maries, As Mathew bereth witnesse; Ac poverte God putte bifore, 7070 And preised that the bettre. _Maria optimam partem elegit, quæ non, etc._ =

"And alle the wise that evere were, By aught I kan aspye, Preiseden poverte for best lif, If pacience it folwed, And bothe bettre and blesseder By many fold than richesse. For though it be sour to suffre, 7080 Therafter cometh swete; As on a walnote withoute Is a bitter barke, And after that bitter bark, Be the shelle aweye, Is a kernel of confort Kynde to restore.

"So is after poverte or penaunce Paciently y-take; For it maketh a man to have mynde 7090 In God, and a gret wille To wepe and to wel bidde, Wherof wexeth mercy, Of which Crist is a kernelle To conforte the soule. And wel sikerer he slepeth, {218} 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. _Pauper ego ludo, dum tu dives meditaris._ =

"Al though Salomon seide, As folk seeth in the Bible, _Divitias nec paupertates, etc._ Wiser than Salomon was Bereth witnesse and taughte That parfit poverte was No possession to have, 7110 And lif moost likynge to God, As Luc bereth witnesse: _Si vis perfectus esse, vade et vende._

"And is to mene to men That on this moolde lyven, Who so wole be pure parfit Moot possession forsake, Or selle it, as seith the Book, And the silver dele To beggeris that goon and begge 7120 And bidden good for Goddes love. For failed nevere man mete That myghtful God serveth, As David seith in the Sauter To swiche that ben in wille To serve God goodliche, Ne greveth hym no penaunce: _Nihil inpossibile volenti._ Ne lakketh nevere liflode, Lynnen ne wollen. 7130 {219} _Inquirentes autem Dominum non minuentur omni bono._

"If preestes weren parifite, Thei wolde ne silver take For masses ne for matyns, Noght hir mete of usureres, Ne neither kirtel ne cote, Theigh thei for cold sholde deye, And thei hir devoir dide, As David seith in the Sauter: 7140 _Judica me, Deus, et decerne causam meam._ =

"_Spera-in-Deo_ speketh of preestes That have no spendyng silver, That if thei travaille truweliche And truste in God almyghty, Hem sholde lakke no liflode, Neyther lynnen ne wollen. And the title that ye take ordres by Telleth ye ben avaunced; 7150 Thanne nedeth yow noght to take silver For masses that ye syngen. For he that took yow youre title, Sholde take yow youre wages, Or the bisshop that blessed yow, If that ye ben worthi.

"For made nevere kyng no knyght, But he hadde catel to spende As bifel for a knyght, Or foond hym for his strengthe. 7160 It is a careful knyght, And of a caytif kynges makyng, That hath no lond ne lynage riche, Ne good loos of hise handes. {220}

"The same I segge, for sothe, By alle swiche preestes That han neither konnynge ne kyn, But a crowne one, And a title, a tale of noght, To his liflode at his meschief. 7170 He hath moore bileve, as I leve, To lacche through his croune Cure, than for konnyng, Or knowen for clene berynge. I have wonder for why And wherefore the bisshope Maketh swiche preestes, That lewed men bitrayen.

"A chartre is chalangeable Bifore a chief justice; 7180 If fals Latyn be in the lettre, The lawe it impugneth, Or peynted parentrelynarie, Or percelles over-skipped; The gome that gloseth so chartres For a goky is holden.

"So is it a goky, by God! That in his gospel failleth, Or in masse or in matyns Maketh any defaut. 7190 _Qui offendit in uno, in omnibus est reus._ =

"And also in the Sauter Seith David to over-skipperis, _Psallite Deo nostro, psallite, quoniam rex terræ Deus Israel, psallite sapienter._

"The bisshop shal be blamed {221} Bifore God, as I leve, That crouneth swiche Goddes knyghtes 7200 That konneth noght _sapienter_ Synge, ne psalmes rede, Ne seye a masse of the day. And never neither is blame-lees The bisshope ne the chapeleyn; For hir either is endited, And that is, _ignorantia Non excusat episcopos Nec idiotes_ preestes.

"This lokynge on lewed preestes 7210 Hath doon me lepe from poverte, The which I preise ther pacience is Moore perfit than richesse."

Ac muche moore in metynge thus With me gan oon dispute; And slepynge I seigh al this. And sithen cam Kynde, And nempned me by my name, And bad me nymen hede, And thorugh the wondres of this world 7220 Wit for to take. And on a mountaigne that myddel-erthe Highte, as me thoughte, I was fet forth By ensamples to knowe Thorugh ech a creature and kynde My creatour to lovye.

I seigh the sonne and the see, And the sond after; And where that briddes and beestes 7230 {222} By hir makes yeden; Wilde wormes in wodes, And wonderful foweles With fleckede fetheres And of fele colours.

Man and his make I myghte bothe biholde; Poverte and plentee; Bothe pees and werre; Blisse and bale bothe 7240 I seigh al at ones; And how men token mede, And mercy refused.

Reson I seigh soothly Sewen alle beestes, In etynge, in drynkynge, And in engendrynge of kynde; 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. Ther ne was cow ne cow-kynde That conceyved hadde, That wolde belwe after boles, Ne boor after sowe; Bothe hors and houndes, 7260 And alle othere beestes, Medled noght with hir makes That with fole were.

Briddes I biheld {223} That in buskes made nestes, Hadde nevere wye wit To werche the leeste. I hadde wonder at whom And wher the pye lerned To legge the stikkes 7270 In whiche she leyeth and bredeth. Ther nys wrighte, as I wene, Sholde werche hir nestes to paye; If any mason made a molde therto, Muche wonder it were.

Ac yet me merveilled moore, How many othere briddes Hidden and hileden Hir egges ful derne In mareys and moores, 7280 For men sholde hem noght fynde; And hidden hir egges, Whan thei therfro wente, For fere of othere foweles, And for wilde beestes.

And some troden hir makes, And on trees bredden, And broughten forth hir briddes so Al above the grounde; And some briddes at the bile 7290 Thorugh brethyng conceyved; And some caukede; and took kepe How pecokkes bredden. Muche merveilled me What maister hem made, And who taughte hem on trees To tymbre so heighe, Ther neither burn ne beest {224} May hir briddes rechen.

And sithen I loked upon the see, 7300 And so forth upon the sterres; Manye selkouthes I seigh, Ben noght to seye nouthe.

I seigh floures in the fryth, And hir faire colours; And how among the grene gras Growed so manye hewes, And some soure and some swete, Selkouth me thoughte; 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. And thanne I rebukede Reson, and right 7320 Til hymselven I seyde: "I have wonder of thee," quod I, "That witty art holden, Why thow ne sewest man and his make, That no mysfeet hem folwe."

And Reson a-rated me, And seide, "Recche thee nevere; 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, {225} And a swift vengeance. Who suffrede moore than God?" quod he; "No gome, as I leeve. He myghte amende in a minute while Al that mys-standeth; Ac he suffreth for som mannes goode, And so it is oure bettre, The wise and the witty 7340 Wroot thus in the Bible: _De re quæ te non molestat, noli certare._

"For be a man fair or foul, = It falleth noght for to lakke The shap ne the shaft That God shoop hymselve; For al that he dide was wel y-do, As holy writ witnesseth: _Et vidit Deus cuncta quæ fecerat, et 7350 erant valde bona._

"And bad every creature In his kynde encreesse; Al to murthe with man, That moste wo tholie 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._"

Tho caughte I colour anoon, And comsed to ben ashamed, And awaked therwith. {226} Wo was me thanne, That I in metels ne myghte Moore have y-knowen. And thanne seide I to myself, 7370 And chidde that tyme, "Now I woot what Do-wel is," quod I, "By deere God! as me thynketh."

And as I caste up myne eighen, Oon loked on me and asked Of me, what thynge it were: "Y-wis, sire," I seide, "To se muche and suffre moore, Certes," quod I, "is Do-wel."

"Haddestow suffred," he seide, 7380 "Slepynge tho thow were, Thow sholdest have knowen that Clergie kan, And contreved moore thorugh reson. For Reson wolde have reherced thee Right as Clergie seide. Ac for thyn entre-metynge, Here artow forsake. _Philosophus esses, si tacuisses._

"Adam, whiles he spak noght, Hadde paradis at wille; 7390 Ac whan he mamelede aboute mete, And entre-metede to knowe The wisedom and the wit of God, He was put fram blisse.

"And right so ferde Reson bi thee; Thow with thi rude speche Lakkedest and losedest thyng That longed the noght to doone. Tho hadde he no likyng For to lere the moore. 7400 {227}

"Pryde now and presumpcion Peraventure wol thee appele, That Clergie thi compaignye Kepeth noght to suwe. Shal nevere chalangynge ne chidynge Chaste a man so soone, As shal shame, and shenden hym, And shape hym to amende. For lat a dronken daffe In a dyk falle, 7410 Lat hym ligge, loke noght on hym, Til hym liste aryse. For though Reson rebuked hym thanne, It were but pure synne. Ac whan nede nymeth hym up For doute lest he sterve, And shame shrapeth hise clothes, And hise shynes wassheth. Thanne woot the dronken daffe Wherfore he is to blame." 7420

"Ye siggen sooth," quod I; "Ich have y-seyen it ofte, Ther smyt no thyng so smerte, Ne smelleth so soure, As shame, there he sheweth hym; For every man hym shonyeth. Why ye wisse me thus," quod I, "Was for I rebuked Reson."

"Certes," quod he, "that is sooth;" And shoop hym for to walken. 7430 And I aroos up right with that, And folwed hym after, And preyde hym of his curteisie To telle me his name. 7434

* * * * *

{228}

_Passus Duodecimus, etc._

"Iam Ymaginatif," quod he, 7435 "Ydel was I nevere, Though I sitte by myself, In siknesse nor in helthe. I have folwed thee, in feith! Thise fyve and fourty wynter, 7440 And manye tymes have meved thee To thynke on thyn ende, And how fele fernyeres are faren, And so fewe to come; And of thi wilde wantownesse Tho thow yong were, To amende it in thi middel age, Lest myght the failled In thyn olde elde, That yvele kan suffre 7450 Poverte or penaunce, Or preyeres to bidde. _Si non in prima vigilia, nec in secunda, etc._ =

"Amende thee, while thow myght; Thow hast ben warned ofte With poustees of pestilences, With poverte and with angres; {229} And with thise bittre baleises God beteth his deere children. 7460 _Quem diligo, castigo._

"And David in the Sauter seith Of swiche that loveth Jhesus: _Virga tua et baculus tuus ipsa me consolati sunt._ =

"Al though thow strike me with thi staf, With stikke or with yerde, It is but murthe as for me, To amende my soule. And thow medlest thee with makynges, 7470 And myghtest go seye thi Sauter, And bidde for hem that gyveth thee breed, For ther are bokes y-knowe To telle men what Do-wel is, Do-bet and Do-best bothe, And prechours to preven what it is Of many a peire freres."

I seigh wel he seide me sooth; And som what me to excuse, Seide Caton conforted me his sone, 7480 That clerk though he were, To solacen hym som tyme, As I do whan I make: _Interpone tuis interdum gaudia curis._

"And of holy men I herde, quod I," = "How thei outher while Pleyden the parfiter, To ben in manye places, Ac if ther were any wight 7490 That wolde me telle What were Do-wel and Do-bet {230} And Do-best at the laste, Wolde I nevere do werk, But wende to holi chirche, And ther bidde my bedes, But whan ich ete or slepe."

"Poul in his pistle," quod he, "Preveth what is Do-wel: _Fides, spes, caritas, et major horum, etc._ = Feith, hope, and charité; 7502 And alle ben goode, And saven men sondry tymes; Ac noon so soone as charité. For he dooth wel withouten doute, That dooth as lewté techeth; That is, if thow be man maryed, Thi make thow lovye, And lyve forth as lawe wole, 7510 While ye lyven bothe.

"Right so if thow be religious, Ren thow nevere ferther To Rome ne to Rochemador, But as thi rule techeth; And hold thee under obedience, That heigh wey is to hevene.

"And if thow be maiden to marye, And myght wel continue, Seke thow nevere seint ferther 7520 For no soule helthe. For what made Lucifer To lese the heighe hevene? Or Salomon his sapience, Or Sampson his strengthe? Job the Jew his joye {231} Ful deere a-boughte; Aristotle and othere mo, Ypocras and Virgile; Alisaundre, that al wan, 7530 Elengliche ended. Catel and kynde wit Was combraunce to hem alle.

"Felice hir fairnesse Fel hire al to sclaundre; And Rosamounde right so, Reufulliche to bileve, The beauté of hir body In baddenesse she despended. Of manye swiche I may rede, 7540 Of men and of wommen, That wise wordes wolde shewe, And werche the contrarie. _Sunt homines nequam bene de virtute loquentes._ =

"And riche renkes right so Gaderen and sparen, And tho men that thei moost haten Mynistren it at the laste. And for thei suffren and see 7550 So manye nedy folkes, And love hem noght as oure Lord bit, Thei lesen hir soules. _Date et dabitur vobis._

"And richesse right so, But if the roote be trewe. Ac grace is a gras therof Tho grevaunces to abate. Ac grace ne groweth noght But amonges lowe; 7560 {232} Pacience and poverte The place highte ther it groweth, And in lele lyvynge men, And in lif holy, And thorugh the gifte of the Holy Goost, As the Gospel telleth. _Spiritus ubi vult spirat._

"Clergie and kynde wit Cometh of sighte and techyng; As the book bereth witnesse 7570 To burnes that kan rede. _Quod scimus loquimur, quod vidimus testamur._ =

"Of _quod scimus_ cometh clergie And konnynge of hevene; And of _quod vidimus_ cometh kynde wit, Of sighte of diverse peple. Ac grace is a gifte of God, And of greet love spryngeth; Knew nevere clerk how it cometh forth, 7580 Ne kynde wit the weyes. _Nescit aliquis unde venit, aut quo vadit, etc._ =

"Ac yet is clergie to comende, And kynde wit bothe; And namely clergie, for Cristes love That of clergie is roote. For Moyses witnesseth that God wroot For to wisse the peple In the olde lawe, as the lettre telleth, 7590 That was the lawe of Jewes, That what womman were in avoutrye taken, Were she riche or poore, With stones men sholde hir strike, {233} And stone hire to dethe.

"A womman, as I fynde, Was gilty of that dede. Ac Crist of his curteisie Thorugh clergie hir saved; And thorugh caractes that Crist wroot, 7600 The Jewes knewe hemselve Giltier as a-fore God, And gretter in synne, Than the womman that there was, And wenten awey for shame.

"The clergie that there was, Conforted the womman. Holy kirke knoweth this, That Cristes writyng saved hire. So clergie is confort 7610 To creatures that repenten, And to mansede men Meschief at hire ende.

"For Goddes body myghte noght ben Of breed, withouten clergie; The which body is bothe Boote to the rightfulle, And deeth and dampnacion To hem that deyeth yvele, As Cristes caracte confortede, 7620 And bothe coupable shewed, The womman that the Jewes broughte, That Jhesus thoughte to save. _Nolite judicare, et non judicabimini._ Right so Goddes body, bretheren, But if it be worthili taken, Dampneth us at the day of dome, {234} As the caractes dide the Jewes.

"For-thi I counseille thee, for Cristes sake, Clergie that thow lovye. 7630 For kynde wit is of his kyn, And neighe cosynes bothe To oure Lord, leve me; For-thi love hem, I rede. For bothe ben as mirours To amenden oure defautes, And lederes for lewed men And for lettred bothe.

"For-thi lakke thow nevere logik, Lawe ne hise custumes; 7640 Ne countreplede clerkes, I counseille thee for evere. For as a man may noght see, That mysseth hise eighen; Na-moore kan no clerk, But if he caughte it first thorugh bokes. Al though men made bokes, God was the maister, And seint spirit the samplarie, And seide what men sholde write. 7650

"Right so ledeth lettrure Lewed men to reson; And as a blynd man in bataille Bereth wepne to fighte, And hath noon hap with his ax His enemy to hitte, Na-moore kan a kynde witted man, But clerkes hym teche, Come for al his kynde wit To cristendom, and be saved. 7660 {235} Which is the cofre of Cristes tresor, And clerkes kepe the keyes To unloken it at hir likyng, And to the lewed peple Gyve mercy for hire mysdedes, If men it wolde aske Buxomliche and benigneliche, And bidden it of Grace.

"_Archa Dei_ in the olde lawe Levytes it kepten; 7670 Hadde nevere lewed man leve To leggen hond on that cheste, But he were preest or preestes sone, Patriark or prophete. For clergie is kepere Under Crist of hevene. Was ther nevere no knyght, But clergie hym made. Ac kynde wit cometh Of alle kynnes syghtes, 7680 Of briddes and of beestes, Of tastes of truthe and of deceites.

"Lyveris to-forn us Useden to marke For selkouthes that thei seighen, Hir sones for to teche; And helden it an heigh science Hir wittes to knowe. Ac thorugh hir science soothly Was nevere no soule y-saved, 7690 Ne broght by hir bokes To blisse ne to joye; For alle hir kynde knowynges Come but of diverse sightes. {236}

"Patriarkes and prophetes Repreveden hir science, And seiden hir wordes and hir wisdomes Nas but a folye; And to the clergie of Crist Counted it but a trufle. 7700 _Sapientia hujus mundi stultitia est apud Deum._ =

"For the heighe Holy Goost Hevene shal to-cleve, And love shall lepen out after Into the lowe erthe; And clennesse shal cacchen it, And clerkes shullen it fynde. _Pastores loquebantur ad invicem._

"He speketh there of riche men right noght, 7710 Ne of right witty, Ne of lordes that were lewed men, But of the hyeste lettred oute. _Ibant magi ab oriente._

"If any frere were founde there, I gyve thee fyve shillynges; Ne in none burgeises cote Was that barn born; But in a burgeises place Of Bethlem the beste. 7720 _Sed non erat ei locus in diversorio, et pauper non habet diversorium._

"To pastours and to poetes Appered the aungel, And bad hem go to Bethlem Goddes burthe to honoure; And songe a song of solas, _Gloria in excelsis Deo!_ {237}

"Clerkes knewen it wel, And comen with hir presentz, 7730 And diden homage honurably To hym that was almyghty.

"Why I have tolde al this, I took ful good hede How thow contrariedest Clergie With crabbede wordes, How that lewde men lightloker Than lettrede were saved, Than clerkes or kynde witted men Of cristene peple; 7740 And thow seidest sooth of somme, Ac se in what manere.

"Tak two stronge men, And in Themese cast hem, And bothe naked as a nedle, Her noon sikerer than oother; That oon hath konnynge and kan Swymmen and dyven; That oother is lewed of that labour, That lerned nevere swymme; 7750 Which trowestow of tho two That is in moost drede? He that nevere ne dyved, Ne noght kan of swymmyng? Or the swymmere that is saaf By so hymself like, Ther his felawe fleteth forth As the flood liketh, And is in drede to drenche, That nevere dide swymme?" 7760

"That swymme kan noght," I seide, "It semeth to my wittes." {238}

"Right so," quod the renk. "Reson it sheweth, That he that knoweth clergie Kan sonner arise Out of synne, and be saaf, Though he synne ofte, If hym liketh and lest, Than any lewed leelly. 7770 For if the clerk be konnynge, He knoweth what is synne, And how contricion withoute confession Conforteth the soule; As thow seest in the Sauter, In Salmes oon or tweyne, How contricion is comended, For it cacheth awey synne. _Beati quorum remissæ sunt iniquitates, et quorum tecta sunt, etc._ 7780

"And this conforteth ech a clerk, And covereth hym fro wanhope. In which flood the fend Fondeth a man hardest. Ther the lewed lith stille, And loketh after lente, And hath no contricion er he come to shrifte, And thanne kan he litel telle, But as his lores-man lereth hym Bileveth and troweth; 7790 And that is after person or parissh preest, The whiche ben peraventure Unkonnynge to lere lewed men, As Luc bereth witnesse: _Dum cæcus ducit cæcum, etc._

"Wo was hym marked {239} That wade moot with the lewed! Wel may the barn blesse that man That hym to book sette, That lyvynge after lettrure 7800 Saveth hym lif and soule. _Dominus pars hereditatis meæ_, Is a murye verset, That hath take fro Tybourne Twenty stronge theves; Ther lewed theves ben lolled up, Loke how thei be saved.