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| In a somyr sesoun . whenne I souþ wente |
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| I schop me a schroude . as I a schep were ; |
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| In abyte as an ermyte . von holy of werkys |
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| Y wente wyde in þis worlde . wondrys to hure . |
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| 5 | But vpon a may morwe . on maluerne hyllys |
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| Me by fel a ferly . of fayrye me þouȝte ; |
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| I was wery for wandred . I wente me to reste |
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| Vnder a brod banke . by a burne syde . |
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| But as I lay and lenede . and loked on þe waterys |
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| 10 | I slombryd in a slepyng . I sweuenede so merye ; |
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| Ȝer gan I to mete . a merwelous swouene |
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| Ȝat I was in a wildernysse . I wyste neuere where . |
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| But as I behelde into þe este . vp to þe sunne |
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| I saw a tour in a coste . tryly ontyrid ; |
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| 15 | A dep dale by neþe . a doungon þerynne |
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| wiþ depe dykys and derke . dredful of syȝth . |
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| A fayr felde ful of folke . fonde I bytwene |
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| Of alle maner of men . þe mene and þe riche ; |
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| Worchynge and wandrynge . as þis wordle askys |
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| 20 | Somme putte hem to þe plow . and pleyde ful selde . |
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| In seed tyme of sowyng . swonkyn ful harde |
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| Ȝat þes wastourys now . wyt glotonye destroyen ; |
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| Some putte hem to pride . and paralyde hem þer after |
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| In countenance of cloþing . þey [***]yn dysgysed . |
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| 25 | To prayere and to penaunce . putte hem many |
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| ffor þe loue of oure lord . lyuede ful strayte ; |
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| In hope for to haue . heuene ryche blysse |
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| As ankerys and hermytys . þat lyuen in her cellys . |
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| And coueytyn nouȝth in þe countre . to caryen a boute |
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| 30 | for none lykerous lyflode . here lykamys to plese ; |
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| And somme chosen hem to chaffare, . þey cheuyd þe betre . |
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| as it ys sene to oure syȝth . þat suche men þryuen . |
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| And summe men myrthes to make . as menstralys cunne |
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| Gete gold wiþ her gle . synne les I trowe ; |
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| 35 | Ac iaperis and iangeleres . iudacys chyldryn |
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| gon fyndyn meny fantasyes . and foles hem makyn . |
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| And han wit at her wille . to worche what hem lykys |
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| Ȝat þat poule precheþ of hem . I dar not prouyn here ; |
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| Qui loquitur turpiloquium . ys lucyferes hyne |
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| 40 | beggeres and bydderes . faste a boute ȝede, . |
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| Til her belyes and her bagges . ware bred ful crammed |
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| þei flyteþ for her foode . and fyȝthen at þe ale; |
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| in glotenye god wot . go þei to bedde |
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| and rysen up wiþ rybaudye . as robertes knauys; |
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| 45 | Sclep and slowthe . sewyth hem euere |
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| pylgrymys and palmeres . plytyth hem to gedere ; |
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| For to seke seynt Jame . and sentes in rome |
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| and wente forþ in her way . wiþ manye wyse talys . |
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| And hadde leve to lye . al her lyf after |
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| 50 | hernytes on an hepe . wiþ hokede stauys ; |
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| wente to Walsyngham . and her wenches after. |
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| grete lobyes and longe . loth for to swynke . |
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| Cloþed hem in copys . to be knowe fro oþere; |
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| schopyn hem ermytes . here ese to haue ; |
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| 55 | [ ] on fele halue . fonden hem to done |
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| lederes þei be of louedayes . and wiþ þe lawe medle . |
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| I fonde þer þe freres . alle þe fower orderes |
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| prechynge þe peple . for profyt of here wombys ; |
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| glosede þe gospel . as hem goud lykede |
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| 60 | for couetyse of copys . construd yt as þei wolde . |
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| Many of þo maystres . mown cloþen hem at lykyng |
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| for her money and her marchaundyse . metyn to gederes ; |
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| Sythe charite haþ be chapman . & chef to shryue lordis |
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| ffele ferlis han falle . in a feweȝerus |
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| 65 | But holy cherche and þey . holdyn to gederys |
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| þe moste myschef of þis molde . mounteþ vp faste ; |
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| þere prechede a pardoner . a prest as þouȝ he were |
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| brouȝthe forþ bullys . wyth busschopys selys . |
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| And seyde hym self . myȝte a soyle hem alle |
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| 70 | of falsnesse of fastynge . of a vowes brokyn ; |
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| þe lewde men leued hym wel . and lykyd his speche, |
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| come knelyng vp . to kyssyn his bullys . |
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| He blessed hem wiþ his brevet . and blered here eyes |
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| rauȝthe hem wiþ his rageman . broches and rynges ; |
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| 75 | Ȝus ȝe ȝeuen ȝore gold . glotonys to helpyn |
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| And lenyn hit loselys . þat lecherye haunten . |
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| But were þe byschop y blessed . and worþ boþe his erys |
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| His selys schulde not be sent . to disseyue þe peple ; |
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| I trowe hit be not for þe byschop . þat þe boye precheþ |
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| 80 | but for þe pardoner and þe parichesprest . departyn þe syluer . |
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| þat þe pore scholde departyn . þat þei ne were |
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| parsonys and parrysprestes . playnen to her byschop ; |
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| þat her parryssenys ben pore . siþen þe pestelens tyme |
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| to haue a lycence and a leue . at londoun to dwelle . |
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| 85 | To synge for symonye . for sylver is swete |
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| þer houyd an houndred . in howys of sylke ; |
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| seriauntesþo semede . pletede at þe barre |
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| þei pleted for penys . and poundyt þe lawe . |
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| Ac non for þe loue of our lord . opnyd here lyppys |
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| 90 | þu myȝthist beter mete þe myst . on maluerne hyllys ; |
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| þan getyn a mum of her mowȝt . tyl monye be schewyd |
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| I saw þer byschops bolde . and bacheleres of dyuyn . |
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| By come clerkes of acount . þe kyng for to seruen |
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| I saw ther archedeknys and denys . þat dignyte hauyn ; |
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| 95 | to preche þe peple . and pore men to fede |
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| þey beþ lopyn to loundoun . þorw leue of here byschop . |
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| And beþ clerkes of þe kynges bench . þe cuntre to shynde. |
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| barounys & burgeysys . and bondeagys alse ; |
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| I saw in þat symple . as ȝe schul here herafter |
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| 100 | I saw þer bakesteres & brewesteres . bocheres & kokys . |
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| Wollene webesteres . and weuerys of lynene |
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| taylowres tauerneres . and tynkeres boþe, ; |
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| masounys, mynores and many oþer craftys |
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| ac dykeres and delueres . þat don here werk ylle . |
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| 105 | To dryue forþ þe longe day . wiþ deusadammeme |
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| cokys and her knawys . cryden "Hote pyes hote |
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| gode gees & grys . Go we dyne, go we!" |
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| tauerneres tolled hem . and tolde hem þe same . |
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| Wiþ "whyt wyn of oseye . and of gascoyne |
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| 110 | Of þe ryn and þe rochel . þat roost to defye ; |
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| þis I saw my self . and seuen syþes more . |