"Þis word is mekil agen þese clerkis

Þt schuld kenne lewid folk good werkis,

And gader hem to goddis hord

Wiþ rightful lyf and goddis word.

Hem auhte þinke if þei wer wise

How þei schul stonde at goddis assise,

And gelden acountes of all hir wit

How þei in þe world han spent it.

Lord what schul þese persouns say

Whan þei schul come on domys day

To gelde of al hir lyf acounte

And what hir rentis may amounte,

Þat þei of lewid men take her

Hir soulis hele hem to ler,

And diden not so but lyued in lust

Of flesch, þt makiþ þe soule rust.

For riche persouns louen mor now

Flesch-liking mor þan þe soule prow [i.e. profit];

þei wene to sewe cristis trace [i.e. follow His track]

Wiþ hunting and wt þe deer chace;

Þei fedin hir flesch wiþ good mete

Þt lewid folk hem tilen and gete;

Þei lyuen on lewid folkis traueyle

And nouht to hem þei auayle.

For ther þei schuld wt sarmoun tille

Þe lewid folkis herte and wille

To right longing of heuene-riche bewhile,

Wiþ wikkid example þei hem begile:

For wikkid example þei hem geue

In wikkednes alway for to leue.

For þer þei schuld hem meknes schewe

Þei schewe hem pride and vnthewe,

And ther þei schulde teche hem dele

And parte wt god of hir catele,

Ther teche þei hem wiþ couetise

To spar hir good in euyl wise.

For we seen so these persouns spar

Þt þei suffre pore men mysfar;

We see hem fayr grehoundis fede

And suffren þe pore to deyen for nede,

And euyl example þus þei gyue

To hir pareschyns euyle to lyue.

For me þinkeþ it is no ferly [i.e. wonder]

Þouh lewid folk lyue in foly,

Whan þei seen prestis and persouns

Mistake agen god as felouns.

Goddis felouns I hem calle

Þt makiþ man in synne falle,

Wiþ example of euyl lyf

Þt is now in þis world ful ryf.

Þerfor I rede persouns and prestis

Þt þei ber god on hir brestis,

And þenk how al hir mete and drink

Comiþ of her pareschyns swink,

And teche þei hem how þat þei

Schul toward heuene take þe wei,

And after holde hem wel þerinne

And kepe hem fro dedli synne.

For wel is hem þt wiþ preching

Mai tele [i.e. allure] soulis to heuene king."

"But crist of þt man seyth wites [i.e. reproaches]

Þat in sarmoun not delytes.

For many folis heren a sarmoun

Wiþ outen ony deuocioun;

Þt is in Englisch loue-longing,

Þt auhte of mannes herte spring

Toward þe blisse þt lastiþ ay,

And not toward þe worldis play.

But sum men sitten at sarmoun

Þt wer better ben atte toun;

On worldis wele þink þei so mekil

Þt is deceyuabil fals and fekil,

Þat sarmoun sauoureth hem nouht

So is hir herte menyng (?) in þouht.

And sum other seli gomes

Þt for to her sarmoun comes,

And goddis word so litil kepiþ

Þt at þe preching manye slepiþ:

At goddis word þei ben sleping

And at þe tauerne hous waking:

At lyche-wake [i.e. corpse-watching] and sinful plawes,

Þei ben waking til þe day dawes,

But whan þei come sarmoun to her

Þei ben so heuy and so swer,

Þt hir heuedis þei may not hold vp

But hongen it in þe fendis cup."

"Of þis mater coude I sey mar,

But God wod þt I ne dar,

For beter is skilful pes to holde

Þan in speche ben to bolde."

"Get wone ful many iewis thore, [i.e. in captivity]

And so schul þei don euer more,

Til ageyn domes day,

Þan schul þei þens out-stray,

And ouer al þer þei go

Cristen folk schul þei slo;

And þei schul receyue antecrist

And wene þt he be ihū crist;

And sone after comiþ domes day,

As we in prophecye her say."