29.

Hafter mete the haf* a pyne
That greveth hem ful sore:
He wil drawe at a drawzt

A gode quart other more
Of gode ale and strong

Wel i-browent of the beste,

And sone therafter he wol fond

For to cach reste,

3if he may.

Thus thei pyneth her bodyes
Bothe ny3t and day!

30. Now beth ther other relygious,
Menours and Jacobyn,

Carmes, and other freres
I-found of seynt Austyn,

That wol preche more

For a buschel of whete

Than brynge a sowle fro helle

Out of grete hete

Carmelite friars. See Halliwell's Dictionary, p. 232.

Thou shalt into the fraytrye*

And be made glad,

And I schal stond without

As a man that wer mad

In sorowe,

And get schal myn erynd be undo
For tot hyt be on the morow.

32. 3if a ryche man be seke

And evel hym hath nome,

Than wol the frere
Al day theder come.

zif hit is a pore man
And lyth in myche care,

Mych mysawntre‡ on that on

That wol com thar

And that may eche man know
That can any god.

34. So ych mut broke* myn hed Under myn hatte,

The frer wol do dirige

If the cors be fatte:

Be the fayth ic schal to God,

If the cors be lene,

He walketh abowt the cloystre

And halt his fet clene

In hows:

How mowe thei forsake

That thei ne be covetows.

35. An other religion ther is Of the Hospital,

They ben lords and sires

In contrey over al;

Ther is non of hem all

That ne awt to ben a-drad

Whan thei bethenken

How the Templers have i-sped

For pride:

Forsothe catel† cometh and goth

As wederist don in lyde.§

*As sure as I wear?

Clouds.

+ Property. § March.

36.

37.

Official and denys

That chapitres schuld holde,
The schuld chaste men fro syne
And thei make hem bolde.
Make a present to the official

Ther* thu thenkest to dwelle,

Thu schalt have leve a twelf-moneth

To serve the devel of hell

To qweme.

Forsoth, have thei the selvre,
Of synne take thei no zeme.

3if a man have a wyf

And he love her nowt,

Bryng hyr to the constery†
Ther trewth schuld be wrowt,

Bring twei fals wytnes with hym
And hymself the thrydde,
And he schal be deperted,+

As fair as he wold bydde,

3if he have selver

Among the clerks to sende,
He may have hir to hys wyf

To hys lifs ende

With onskyll:*

Thei that so fair with falsenes dele,†

Gods cors on her bill.‡

39. 3ut ther is another craft
That towcheth to clergye,-
That beth thes fisisiens§
That helpeth men to dye.
He wol wag his uryn
In a vessel of glass,

And swer by seynt Ion

That he is seker than he was,

Bill of divorcement? or rather, mouth and face; cf. stanza 43,

"Gods cors on hys cheke," and stanza 69, “Fals in the bille.”

§ See noted.