I

Clannesse who-so kyndly cowþe comende,
& rekken vp alle þe resounȝ þat ho by riȝt askeȝ,
Fayre formeȝ myȝt he fynde in forering his speche,
& in þe contraré, kark & combraunce huge;
For wonder wroth is þe wyȝ þat wroȝt alle þinges,
Wyth þe freke þat in fylþe folȝes hym after,
As renkeȝ of relygioun þat reden & syngen,
& aprochen to hys presens, & presteȝ arn called;
Thay teen vnto his temmple & temen to hym seluen,
Reken with reuerence þay r[ec]hen his auter,
Þay hondel þer his aune body & vsen hit boþe.
If þay in clannes be clos þay cleche gret mede,
Bot if þay conterfete crafte, & cortaysye wont,
As be honest vtwyth, & in-with alle fylþeȝ,
Þen ar þay synful hemself & sulped altogeder,
Boþe god & his gere, & hym to greme cachen.
He is so clene in his courte, þe kyng þat al weldeȝ,
& honeste in his hous-holde & hagherlych serued,
With angeleȝ enourled in alle þat is clene,
Boþe with-inne & with-outen, in wedeȝ ful bryȝt.
Nif he nere scoymus & skyg & non scaþe louied,
Hit were a meruayl to much, hit moȝt not falle;
Kryst kydde hit hym self in a carp oneȝ,
Þer as he heuened aȝt happeȝ & hyȝt hem her medeȝ;
Me myneȝ on one amonge oþer, as maþew recordeȝ,
Þat þus of clannesse vn-closeȝ a ful cler speche.
Þe haþel clene of his hert hapeneȝ ful fayre,
For he schal loke on oure lorde with a bone chere,
As so saytȝ, to þat syȝt seche schal he neuer,
Þat any vnclannesse hatȝ on, anwhere abowte:
For he þat flemus vch fylþe fer fro his hert,
May not byde þat burne þat hit his body neȝen;
For-þy hyȝ not to heuen in hatereȝ to-torne,
Ne in þe harloteȝ hod & handeȝ vnwaschen;
For what vrþly haþel þat hyȝ honour haldeȝ
Wolde lyke, if a ladde com lyþerly attyred,
When he were sette solempnely in a sete ryche,
Abof dukes on dece, with dayntys serued,
Þen þe harlot with haste helded to þe table
With rent cokreȝ at þe kne & his clutte trasches,
& his tabarde to-torne & his toteȝ oute;
Oþer ani on of alle þyse he schulde be halden vtter,
With mony blame ful bygge, a boffet, peraunter,
Hurled to þe halle dore & harde þer-oute schowued,
& be forboden þat borȝe to bowe þider neuer,
On payne of enprysonment & puttyng in stokkeȝ;
& þus schal he be schent for his schrowde feble,
Þaȝ neuer in talle ne in tuch he trespas more.
& if vnwelcum he were to a worþlych prynce
Ȝet hym is þe hyȝe kyng harder in her euen,
As maþew meleȝ in his masse of þat man ryche,
Þat made þe mukel mangerye to marie his here dere,
& sende his sonde þen to say þat þay samne schulde,
& in comly quoyntis to com to his feste;
“For my boles & my boreȝ arn bayted & slayne,
& my fedde fouleȝ fatted with sclaȝt,
My polyle þat is penne-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.”
When þay knewen his cal þat þider com schulde,
Alle ex-cused hem by þe skyly he scape by moȝt:
On hade boȝt hym a borȝ he sayde by hys trawþe,
Now t[ur]ne I þeder als tyd, þe toun to by-holde;
An oþer nayed also & nurned þis cawse:
I haf ȝerned & ȝat ȝokkeȝ of oxen,
& for my hyȝeȝ hem boȝt, to bowe haf I mester,
To see hem pulle in þe plow aproche me byhoueȝ;
& I haf wedded a wyf, sower hym þe þryd,
Excuse me at þe court, I may not com þere;
Þus þay droȝ hem adreȝ with daunger vchone,
Þat non passed to þe place þaȝ he prayed were.
Thenne 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;
Þenne 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 better & þe wers,
Laþeȝ hem alle luflyly to lenge at my fest,
& bryngeȝ hem blyþly to borȝe as barouneȝ þay were,
So þat my palays plat-ful be pyȝt al aboute,
Þise oþer wrecheȝ I-wysse worþy noȝt wern.”
Þen 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.
When þay com to þe courte keppte wern þay fayre,
Styȝtled with þe stewarde, stad in þe halle,
Ful manerly with marchal mad forto sitte,
As he watȝ dere of de-gre dressed his seete.
Þenne seggeȝ to þe souerayn sayden þer-after,
“Lo! lorde with your leue at your lege heste,
& at þi banne we haf broȝt, as þou beden habbeȝ,
Mony renischche renkeȝ & ȝet is roum more.”
Sayde þe lorde to þo ledeȝ, “layteȝ ȝet ferre,
Ferre out in þe felde, & fecheȝ mo gesteȝ,
Wayteȝ gorsteȝ & greueȝ, if ani gomeȝ lyggeȝ,
What-kyn folk so þer fare, fecheȝ hem hider,
Be þay fers, be þay feble for-loteȝ none,
Be þay hol, be þay halt, be þay onyȝed,
& þaȝ þay ben boþe blynde & balterande cruppeleȝ,
Þat my hous may holly by halkes by fylled;
For certeȝ þyse ilk renkeȝ þat me renayed habbe
& de-nounced me, noȝt now at þis tyme,
Schul neuer sitte in my sale my soper to fele,
Ne suppe on sope of my seve, þaȝ þay swelt schulde.”
Thenne þe sergaunteȝ, at þat sawe, swengen þer-oute,
& diden þe dede þat [is] demed, as he deuised hade,
& with peple of alle plyteȝ þe palays þay fyllen;
Hit weren not alle on wyueȝ suneȝ, wonen with on fader;
Wheþer þay wern worþy, oþer wers, wel wern þay stowed,
Ay þe best byfore & bryȝtest atyred,
Þe derrest at þe hyȝe dese þat dubbed wer fayrest;
& syþen on lenþe bilooghe ledeȝ inogh,
& ay a segge soerly semed by her wedeȝ;
So with marschal at her mete mensked þay were,
Clene men in compaynye for-knowen wern lyte,
& ȝet þe symplest in þat sale watȝ serued to þe fulle,
Boþe with menske, & with mete & mynstrasy noble,
& alle þe laykeȝ þat a lorde aȝt in londe schewe.
& þay bigonne to be glad þat god drink haden,
& vch mon with his mach made hym at ese.