II

Now in-myddeȝ þe mete þe mayster hym biþoȝt,
Þat he wolde se þe semblé þat samned was þere,
& re-hayte rekenly þe riche & þe poueren,
& cherisch hem alle with his cher, & chaufen her Ioye,
Þen he boweȝ fro his bour in to þe brode halle,
& to þe best on þe bench, & bede hym be myry,
Solased hem with semblaunt & syled fyrre;
Tron fro table to table & talkede ay myrþe,
Bot as he ferked ouer þe flor he fande with his yȝe,
Hit watȝ not for a haly day honestly arayed,
A þral þryȝt in þe þrong vnþryuandely cloþed,
Ne no festiual frok, bot fyled with werkkeȝ.
Þe gome watȝ vn-garnyst with god men to dele,
& gremed þer-with þe grete lord & greue hym he þoȝt;
“Say me, frende,” quod þe freke with a felle chere,
“Hov wan þou into þis won in wedeȝ so fowle?
Þe abyt þat þou hatȝ vpon, no haly day hit menskeȝ;
Þou burne for no brydale art busked in wedeȝ!
How watȝ þou hardy þis hous for þyn vnhap [to] neȝe,
In on so ratted a robe & rent at þe sydeȝ?
Þow art a gome vn-goderly in þat goun febele;
Þou praysed me & my place ful pouer & ful [g]nede,
Þat watȝ so prest to aproche my presens here-inne;
Hopeȝ þou I be a harlot þi erigant to prayse?”
Þat oþer burne watȝ abayst of his broþe wordeȝ,
& hurkeleȝ doun with his hede, þe vrþe he bi-holdeȝ;
He watȝ so scoumfit of his scylle, lest he skaþe hent,
Þat he ne wyst on worde what he warp schulde.
Þen þe lorde wonder loude laled & cryed,
& talkeȝ to his tormenttoureȝ: “takeȝ hym,” he biddeȝ,
“Byndeȝ byhynde, at his bak, boþe two his handeȝ,
& felle fettereȝ to his fete festeneȝ bylyue;
Stik hym stifly in stokeȝ, & stekeȝ hym þer-after
Depe in my doungoun þer doel euer dwelleȝ,
Greuing, & gretyng, & gryspyng harde
Of teþe tenfully to-geder, to teche hym be quoynt.”
Thus comparisuneȝ kryst þe kyndom of heueñ,
To þis frelych feste þat fele arn to called,
For alle arn laþed luflyly, þe luþer & þe better,
Þat euer wern fulȝed in font þat fest to haue.
Bot war þe wel, if þou wylt, þy wedeȝ ben clene,
& honest for þe haly day, lest þou harme lache,
For aproch þou to þat prynce of parage noble.
He hates helle no more þen hem þat ar sowle.
Wich arn þenne þy wedeȝ þou wrappeȝ þe inne,
Þat schal schewe hem so schene schrowde of þe best?
Hit arn þy werkeȝ wyterly, þat þou wroȝt haueȝ,
& lyued with þe lykyng þat lyȝe in þyn hert,
Þat þo be frely & fresch fonde in þy lyue,
& fetyse of a fayr forme, to fote & to honde,
& syþen alle þyn oþer lymeȝ lapped ful clene,
Þenne may þou se þy sauior & his sete ryche.
For fele fauteȝ may a freke forfete his blysse,
Þat he þe souerayn ne se þen, for slauþe one,
As for bobaunce & bost & bolnande priyde,
Þroly in-to þe deueleȝ þrote man þryngeȝ bylyue,
For couetyse, & colwarde & croked dedeȝ,
For mon-sworne, & men-sclaȝt, & to much drynk,
For þefte, & for þrepyng, vn-þonk may mon haue;
For roborrye, & riboudrye & resouneȝ vntrwe,
& dysheriete & depryue dowrie of wydoeȝ,
For marryng of maryageȝ & mayntnaunce of schreweȝ,
For traysoun, & trichcherye, & tyrauntyré boþe,
& for fals famacions & fayned laweȝ;
Man may mysse þe myrþe, þat much is to prayse,
For such vnþeweȝ as þise & þole much payne,
& in þe creatores cort com neuer more,
Ne neuer see hym with syȝt for such sour tourneȝ.