I.

[Sidenote: [Fol. 57a.]] [Sidenote: Cleanness discloses fair forms.] Cla{n}nesse who-so kyndly cowþe co{m}ende, & rekken vp alle þe resou{n}ȝ þ{a}t ho by riȝt askeȝ, Fayre formeȝ myȝt he fy{n}de i{n} foreri{n}g his speche, & in þe co{n}traré, kark & co{m}brau{n}ce huge; 4 [Sidenote: God is angry with the unclean worshipper, and with false priests.] For wonder wroth is þe wyȝ þ{a}t wroȝt alle þi{n}g{es}, Wyth þe freke þat i{n} fylþe folȝes hy{m} aft{er}, As renkeȝ of relygiou{n} þat reden & sy{n}gen, & aprochen to hys presens, & presteȝ arn called; 8 Thay teen vnto his te{m}mple & teme{n} to hy{m} seluen, Reken w{i}t{h} reu{er}ence þay r[ec]hen his auter, Þay hondel þer his aune body & vsen hit boþe. [Sidenote: The pure worshipper receives great reward.] If þay in cla{n}nes be clos þay cleche gret mede, 12 Bot if þay conterfete crafte, & cortaysye wont, [Sidenote: The impure will bring upon them the anger of God, Who is pure and holy.] As be honest vtwyth, & i{n}-with alle fylþeȝ, Þen ar þay synful hemself & sulped altogeder, Boþe god & his gere, & hy{m} to greme cachen. 16 He is so clene in his co{ur}te, þe ky{n}g þ{a}t al weldeȝ, & honeste in his ho{us}-holde & hagherlych serued, With angeleȝ eno{ur}led in alle þat is clene, [Sidenote: It would be a marvel if God did not hate evil.] Boþe w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne & w{i}t{h}-outen, i{n} wedeȝ ful bryȝt. 20 Nif he nere scoym{us} & skyg & non scaþe louied, Hit were a meruayl to much, hit moȝt not falle; [Sidenote: Christ showed us that himself.] Kryst kydde hit hym self i{n} a carp oneȝ, Þer as he heuened aȝt happeȝ & hyȝt hem her medeȝ; 24 [Sidenote: St. Matthew records the discourse.] Me myneȝ on one amo{n}ge oþ{er}, as maþew recordeȝ, Þat þ{us} of clannesse vn-closeȝ a ful cler speche. [Sidenote: The clean of heart shall look on our Lord.] Þe haþel clene of his hert hapeneȝ ful fayre, For he schal loke on oure lorde w{i}t{h} a bone chere, 28 As so saytȝ, to þat syȝt seche schal he neu{er}, Þat any vncla{n}nesse hatȝ on, anwhere[1] abowte: For he þ{a}t flem{us} vch fylþe fer fro his hert, May not byde þat burne[2] þat hit his body neȝen; 32 For-þy hyȝ not to heuen i{n} hatereȝ to-torne, Ne i{n} þe harloteȝ hod & handeȝ vnwaschen; [Sidenote: What earthly noble, when seated at table above dukes, would like to see a lad badly attired approach the table with “rent cockers,” his coat torn and his toes out?] For what vrþly haþel þat hyȝ hono{ur} haldeȝ Wolde lyke, if a ladde com lyþ{er}ly attyred, 36 [Sidenote: [Fol. 57b.]] When he were sette solempnely i{n} a sete ryche, Abof dukes on dece, w{i}t{h} dayntys serued, Þen þe harlot w{i}t{h} haste helded to þe table W{i}t{h} rent cokreȝ at þe kne & his clutte trasches, 40 & his tabarde to-torne & his toteȝ oute; [Sidenote: For any one of these he would be turned out with a “big buffet,” and be forbidden to re-enter, and thus be ruined through his vile clothes.] Oþ{er} ani on of alle þyse he schulde be halden vtt{er}, With mony blame ful bygge, a boffet, p{er}au{n}t{er}, Hurled to þe halle dore & harde þ{er}-oute schowued, 44 & be forboden þat borȝe to bowe þider neu{er}, On payne of enprysonment & putty{n}g i{n} stokkeȝ; & þ{us} schal he be schent for his schrowde feble, Þaȝ neu{er} i{n} talle ne in tuch he trespas more. 48

[Headnote: THE PARABLE OF THE MARRIAGE FEAST.]

[Sidenote: The parable of the “Marriage of the King’s Son.”] & if vnwelcu{m} he were to a worþlych prynce Ȝet hy{m} is þe hyȝe ky{n}g harder i{n} her euen, As maþew meleȝ in his masse of þat man ryche, Þat made þe mukel mangerye to marie his here dere, 52 & sende his sonde þen to say þat þay samne schulde, & in comly quoyntis to com to his feste; [Sidenote: The king’s invitation.] “For my boles & my boreȝ arn bayted & slayne, & my fedde fouleȝ fatted w{i}t{h} sclaȝt, 56 My polyle þat is pe{n}ne-fed & partrykes boþe, Wyth scheldeȝ of wylde swyn, swaneȝ & croneȝ; Al is roþeled & rosted ryȝt to þe sete, Comeȝ cof to my corte, er hit colde worþe.” 60

[Headnote: THOSE INVITED TO THE FEAST REFUSE TO COME.]

[Sidenote: Those invited begin to make excuses.] When þay knewen his cal þ{a}t þider com schulde, Alle ex-cused hem by þe skyly he scape by moȝt: [Sidenote: One had bought an estate and must go to see it.] On hade boȝt hym a borȝ he sayde by hys t{ra}wþe, Now t[ur]ne I þeder als tyd, þe tou{n} to by-holde; 64 [Sidenote: Another had purchased some oxen and wished to see them “pull in the plough.”] An oþ{er} nayed also & nurned þis cawse: I haf ȝerned & ȝat ȝokkeȝ of oxen, & for my hyȝeȝ hem boȝt, to bowe haf I mest{er}, To see hem pulle in þe plow aproche me byhoueȝ; 68 [A third had married a wife and could not come.] & I haf wedded a wyf, sower[3] hy{m} þe þryd, Excuse me at þe co{ur}t, I may not com þere; Þ{us} þay droȝ hem adreȝ w{i}t{h} dau{n}g{er} vchone, Þat non passed to þe place[4] þaȝ he prayed were. 72 [Sidenote: [Fol. 58a.]] [Sidenote: The Lord was greatly displeased, and commanded his servants to invite the wayfaring, both men and women, the better and the worse, that his palace might be full.] The{n}ne þe ludych lorde lyked ful ille & hade dedayn of þat dede, ful dryȝly he carpeȝ: He saytȝ “now for her owne sorȝe þay for-saken habbeȝ, More to wyte is her wrange, þen any wylle gentyl; 76 Þe{n}ne gotȝ forth my gomeȝ to þe grete streeteȝ, & forsetteȝ on vche a syde þe cete aboute; Þe wayferande frekeȝ, on fote & on hors, Boþe burneȝ & burdeȝ, þe bett{er} & þe wers, 80 Laþeȝ hem alle luflyly to lenge at my fest, & bry{n}geȝ hem blyþly to borȝe as barou{n}eȝ þay were, So þat my palays plat-ful be pyȝt al aboute, Þise oþ{er} wrecheȝ I-wysse worþy noȝt wern.” 84 [Sidenote: The servants brought in bachelors and squires.] Þe{n} þay cayred & com þat þe cost waked, Broȝten bachlereȝ hem wyth þat þay by bonkeȝ metten, Swyereȝ þat swyftly swyed on blonkeȝ, & also fele vpon fote, of fre & of bonde. 88 [Sidenote: When they came to the court they were well entertained.] When þay com to þe co{ur}te keppte wern þay fayre, Styȝtled w{i}t{h} þe stewarde, stad i{n} þe halle, Ful man{er}ly w{i}t{h} marchal mad forto sitte, As he watȝ dere of de-gre dressed his seete. 92 [Sidenote: The servants tell their lord that they have done his behest, and there is still room for more guests.] Þe{n}ne seggeȝ to þe souerayn sayden þer-aft{er}, “Lo! lorde w{i}t{h} yo{ur} leue at yo{ur} lege heste, & at þi ba{n}ne we haf broȝt, as þ{o}u beden habbeȝ, Mony renischche renkeȝ & ȝet is rou{m} more.” 96

[Headnote: THE HALT AND THE BLIND ARE INVITED.]

[Sidenote: The Lord commands them to go out into the fields, and bring in the halt, blind, and “one-eyed.”] Sayde þe lorde to þo ledeȝ, “layteȝ ȝet ferre, Ferre out i{n} þe felde, & fecheȝ mo gesteȝ, Wayteȝ gorsteȝ & greueȝ, if ani gomeȝ lyggeȝ, What-kyn folk so þer fare, fecheȝ hem hider, 100 Be þay fers, be þay feble for-loteȝ[5] none, Be þay hol, be þay halt, be þay onyȝed, & þaȝ þay ben boþe blynde & balt{er}ande cruppeleȝ, [Sidenote: For those who denied shall not taste “one sup” to save them from death.] Þat my ho{us} may holly by halkes by fylled; 104 For certeȝ þyse ilk renkeȝ þat me renayed habbe & de-nou{n}ced me, noȝt now at þis tyme, Schul neu{er} sitte in my sale my sop{er} to fele, Ne suppe on sope of my seve, þaȝ[6] þay swelt schulde.” 108 [Sidenote: [Fol. 58b.]] [Sidenote: The palace soon became full of “people of all plights.”] The{n}ne þe sergau{n}teȝ, at þat sawe, swengen þ{er}-oute, & diden þe dede þat [is] demed, as he deuised hade, & w{i}t{h} peple of alle plyteȝ þe palays þay fyllen; [Sidenote: They were not all one wife’s sons, nor had they all one father.] Hit weren not alle on wyueȝ su{n}eȝ, wonen w{i}t{h} on fader; 112 Wheþ{er} þay wern worþy, oþ{er} wers, wel wern þay stowed, [Sidenote: The “brightest attired” had the best place.] Ay þe best byfore & bryȝtest atyred, Þe derrest at þe hyȝe dese þat dubbed wer fayrest; [Sidenote: Below sat those with “poor weeds.”] & syþen on lenþe biloogh{e} ledeȝ inogh, 116 & ay a segge soerly[7] semed by her wedeȝ; So with marschal at her mete mensked þay were, Clene men i{n} compaynye for-knowen wern lyte, [Sidenote: All are well entertained “with meat and minstrelsy.”] & ȝet þe symplest in þ{a}t sale watȝ serued to þe fulle, 120 Boþe with menske, & w{i}t{h} mete & mynstrasy noble, & alle þe laykeȝ þat a lorde aȝt i{n} londe schewe. [Sidenote: Each with his “mate” made him at ease.] & þay bigo{n}ne to be glad þat god dri{n}k haden, & vch mon w{i}t{h} his mach made hy{m} at ese. 124

[Sidenote 1: _aywhere_ (?).] [Sidenote 2: Looks like _burre_ in MS.] [Sidenote 3: _swer_ (?).] [Sidenote 4: MS. _plate_.] [Sidenote 5: _forleteȝ_ (?).] [Sidenote 6: MS. þaȝ þaȝ.] [Sidenote 7: _soberly_ (?).]

[Headnote: THE MAN WITHOUT A WEDDING GARMENT.]