“Now, master,” quoth the wife, “ere that I go,
What will ye dine? I will go thereabout.”
“Now, Damë,” quoth he, “je vous dis sans doute,
Had I not of a capon but the liver,
And of your whitë bread not but a shiver,2294
And after that a roasted piggë’s head,
(But I would that for me no beast were dead,)
Then had I with you homely suffisánce.
I am a man of little sustenánce.
My spirit hath its fost’ring in the Bible.
My body is aye so ready and penible2295
To wakë,2296 that my stomach is destroy’d.
I pray you, Dame, that ye be not annoy’d,
Though I so friendly you my counsel shew;
By God, I would have told it but to few.”
“Now, Sir,” quoth she, “but one word ere I go;
My child is dead within these weekës two,
Soon after that ye went out of this town.”
“His death saw I by revelatioún,”
Said this friar, “at home in our dortour.2297
I dare well say, that less than half an hour
After his death, I saw him borne to bliss
In minë vision, so God me wiss.2298
So did our sexton, and our fermerere,2299
That have been truë friars fifty year—
They may now, God be thanked of his love,
Makë their jubilee, and walk above.2300
And up I rose, and all our convent eke,
With many a tearë trilling on my cheek,
Withoutë noise or clattering of bells,
“Te Deum” was our song, and nothing else,
Save that to Christ I bade an orison,
Thanking him of my revelatión.
For, Sir and Damë, trustë me right well,
Our orisons be more effectuel,
And more we see of Christë’s secret things,
Than borel folk,2301 although that they be kings.
We live in povert’, and in abstinence,
And borel folk in riches and dispence
Of meat and drink, and in their foul delight.
We have this worldë’s lust2302 all in despight2303
Lazar and Dives lived diversely,
And diverse guerdon haddë they thereby.
Whoso will pray, he must fast and be clean,
And fat his soul, and keep his body lean.
We fare as saith th’ apostle; cloth2304 and food
Suffice us, although they be not full good.
The cleanness and the fasting of us freres
Maketh that Christ accepteth our prayéres.
Lo, Moses forty days and forty night
Fasted, ere that the high God full of might
Spake with him in the mountain of Sinái:
With empty womb of fasting many a day
Received he the lawë, that was writ
With Goddë’s finger; and Eli,2305 well ye wit,2306
In Mount Horeb, ere he had any speech
With highë God, that is our livës’ leech,2307
He fasted long, and was in contemplánce.
Aaron, that had the temple in governánce,
And eke the other priestës every one,
Into the temple when they shouldë gon
To prayë for the people, and do service,
They wouldë drinken in no manner wise
No drinkë, which that might them drunken make,
But there in abstinencë pray and wake,2308
Lest that they diëd: take heed what I say—
But2309 they be sober that for the people pray—
Ware that, I say—no more: for it sufficeth.
Our Lord Jesus, as Holy Writ deviseth,2310
Gave us example of fasting and prayéres:
Therefore we mendicants, we sely2311 freres,
Be wedded to povert’ and continence,
To charity, humbless, and abstinence,
To persecutión for righteousness,
To weeping, misericorde,2312 and to cleannéss.
And therefore may ye see that our prayéres
(I speak of us, we mendicants, we freres),
Be to the highë God more acceptable
Than yourës, with your feastës at your table.
From Paradise first, if I shall not lie,
Was man out chased for his gluttony,
And chaste was man in Paradise certáin.
But hark now, Thomas, what I shall thee sayn;
I have no text of it, as I suppose,
But I shall find it in a manner glose;2313
That speciálly our sweet Lord Jesus
Spake this of friars, when he saidë thus,
‘Blessed be they that poor in spirit be.’
And so forth all the gospel may ye see,
Whether it be liker our professión,
Or theirs that swimmen in possessión;
Fy on their pomp, and on their gluttony,
And on their lewëdness! I them defy.
Me thinketh they be like Jovinian,2314
Fat as a whale, and walking as a swan;
All vinolent as bottle in the spence;2315
Their prayer is of full great reverence;
When they for soulës say the Psalm of David,
Lo, ‘Buf’ they say, Cor meum eructavit.2316
Who follow Christë’s gospel and his lore2317
But we, that humble be, and chaste, and pore,2318
Workers of Goddë’s word, not auditoúrs?2319
Therefore right as a hawk upon a sours2320
Up springs into the air, right so prayéres
Of charitable and chaste busy freres
Makë their sours to Goddë’s earës two.
Thomas, Thomas, so may I ride or go,
And by that lord that callëd is Saint Ive,
N’ere thou our brother, shouldest thou not thrive;2321
In our chapíter pray we day and night
To Christ, that he thee sendë health and might,
Thy body for to wieldë hastily.”2322
“God wot,” quoth he, “nothing thereof feel I;
So help me Christ, as I in fewë years
Have spended upon divers manner freres2323
Full many a pound, yet fare I ne’er the bet;2324
Certain my good have I almost beset:2325
Farewell my gold, for it is all ago.”2326
The friar answér’d, “O Thomas, dost thou so?
What needest thou diversë friars to seech?2327
What needeth him that hath a perfect leech,
To seeken other leeches in the town?
Your inconstánce is your confusioún.
Hold ye then me, or ellës our convént,
To prayë for you insufficiént?
Thomas, that jape2328 it is not worth a mite;
Your malady is for we have too lite.2329
Ah, give that convent half a quarter oats;
And give that convent four and twenty groats;
And give that friar a penny, and let him go!
Nay, nay, Thomas, it may no thing be so.
What is a farthing worth parted on twelve?
Lo, each
