That hath done sin horríble, so that he
Dare not for shame of it y-shriven3519 be;
Or any woman, be she young or old,
That hath y-made her husband cokëwold,3520
Such folk shall have no power nor no grace
To offer to my relics in this place.
And whoso findeth him out of such blame,
He will come up and offer in God’s name;
And I assoil him by the authority
Which that by bull y-granted was to me.”
By this gaud3521 have I wonnë year by year
A hundred marks, since I was pardonére.
I standë like a clerk in my pulpit,
And when the lewëd3522 people down is set,
I preachë so as ye have heard before,
And tellë them a hundred japës3523 more.
Then pain I me to stretchë forth my neck,
And east and west upon the people I beck,
As doth a dovë, sitting on a bern;3524
My handës and my tonguë go so yern,3525
That it is joy to see my business.
Of avarice and of such cursedness3526
Is all my preaching, for to make them free
To give their pence, and namely3527 unto me.
For mine intent is not but for to win,
And nothing for correctión of sin.
I reckë never, when that they be buried,
Though that their soulës go a blackburied.3528
For certes many a predicatión
Cometh oft-time of evil intentión;3529
Some for pleasánce of folk, and flattery,
To be advanced by hypocrisy;
And some for vainglory, and some for hate.
For, when I dare not otherwise debate,
Then will I sting him with my tonguë smart3530
In preaching, so that he shall not astart3531
To be defamed falsely, if that he
Hath trespass’d3532 to my brethren or to me.
For, though I tellë not his proper name,
Men shall well knowë that it is the same
By signës, and by other circumstánces.
Thus quite I3533 folk that do us displeasánces:
Thus spit I out my venom, under hue
Of holiness, to seem holy and true.
But, shortly mine intent I will devise,
I preach of nothing but of covetise.
Therefore my theme is yet, and ever was—
Radix malorum est cupiditas.
Thus can I preach against the samë vice
Which that I use, and that is avarice.
But though myself be guilty in that sin,
Yet can I maken other folk to twin3534
From avarice, and sorë them repent.
But that is not my principal intent;
I preachë nothing but for covetise.
Of this mattére it ought enough suffice.
Then tell I them examples many a one,
Of oldë stories longë timë gone;
For lewëd3535 people lovë talës old;
Such thingës can they well report and hold.
What? trowë ye, that whilës I may preach
And winnë gold and silver for3536 I teach,
That I will live in povert’ wilfully?
Nay, nay, I thought it never truëly.
For I will preach and beg in sundry lands;
I will not do no labour with mine hands,
Nor makë baskets for to live thereby,
Because I will not beggen idlely.
I will none of the apostles counterfeit;3537
I will have money, wool, and cheese, and wheat,
All3538 were it given of the poorest page,
Or of the poorest widow in a villáge:
All3539 should her children stervë3540 for famíne.
Nay, I will drink the liquor of the vine,
And have a jolly wench in every town.
But hearken, lordings, in conclusioún;
Your liking is, that I shall tell a tale
Now I have drunk a draught of corny ale,
By God, I hope I shall you tell a thing
That shall by reason be to your likíng;
For though myself be a full vicious man,
A moral tale yet I you tellë can,
Which I am wont to preachë, for to win.
Now hold your peace, my tale I will begin.
In Flanders whilom was a company
Of youngë folkës, that hauntéd follý,
As riot, hazard, stewës, and tavérns;
Where as with lutës, harpës, and gitérns,3541
They dance and play at dice both day and night,
And eat also, and drink over their might;
Through which they do the devil sacrifice
Within the devil’s temple, in cursed wise,
By superfluity abomináble.
Their oathës be so great and so damnáble,
That it is grisly3542 for to hear them swear.
Our blissful Lordë’s body they to-tear;3543
Them thought the Jewës rent him not enough;
And each of them at other’s sinnë lough.3544
And right anon in comë tombesteres3545
Fetis3546 and small, and youngë fruitesteres.3547
Singers with harpës, baudës,3548 waferers,3549
Which be the very devil’s officers,
To kindle and blow the fire of lechery,
That is annexed unto gluttony.
The Holy Writ take I to my witnéss,
That luxury is in wine and drunkenness.3550
Lo, how that drunken Lot unkindëly3551
Lay by his daughters two unwittingly,
So drunk he was he knew not what he wrought.
Heródes, who so well the stories sought,3552
When he of wine replete was at his feast,
Right at his owen table gave his hest3553
To slay the Baptist John full guiltëless.
Seneca saith a good word, doubtëless:
He saith he can no differencë find
Betwixt a man that is out of his mind,
And a man whichë that is drunkelew:3554
But that woodnéss,3555 y-fallen in a shrew,3556
Persevereth longer than drunkenness.
O gluttony, full of all cursedness;
O cause first of our confusión,
Original of our damnatión,
Till Christ had bought us with his blood again!
Lookë, how dearë, shortly for to sayn,
Abought3557 was first this cursed villainy:
Corrupt was all this world for gluttony.
Adam our father, and his wife also,
From Paradise, to labour and to woe,
Were driven for that vice, it is no dread.3558
For while that Adam fasted, as I read,
He was in Paradise; and when that he
Ate of the fruit defended3559 of the tree,
Anon he was cast out to woe and pain.
O gluttony! well ought us on thee plain.
Oh! wist a man how many maladies
Follow of éxcess and of gluttonies,
He wouldë
