þe Ersebisshop þat was þat tyme died he, [Sanetus Thomas factus est archiepis|copus Can|tuar.]
þe Erresdeken Thomas was sacred in his se.
Wele mayntend he holy kirk, & alle þe dignite,
With þe lawe to wirke mayntend þe ordine.
If any man mad pleynt of clerk for hastiuenesse, [Ecce con|troversia orta est in|ter regem & clerum.]
Or if þei were atteynt in oþer wikkednesse,
Thomas suffred nouht [L. clerke.] cleke to be alle sehent,
Ne to þe lay courte be brouht to tak þer jugement,
Bot tille holy kirke, of whom he bare þe merke,
& at þat lawe to wirke, if he were ordeynd clerke.
þe kyng for þat cheson wrathed with Thomas.
Here now þe reson, whi þat wreth first was.
CLERKES often tide misdo blithely, [Ecce de clero per totum.]
For deynoushede & pride, & for þer state is hy:
þei passe mesure & right, forto haf þer wille,
& whan þei ere in myght, wille þei kepe no skille.
For þei wille vnderfong a fulle gre emprise,
& susteyn it with wrong, with sleiht & quaintise.
þo þat felt þam greued, of þer wikked dedis,
To lordes, þat þei to cheued, pleyned þei most nedis.
þat suilk was not lees, it com to þe kynge's ere,
He comanded his pes to lered and lewed þat were.
& if a clerke men founde in his lond þat reft,
þorgh slauhter or wounde, or þorgh oþer theft,
Men suld schewe his guilte in þe courte of lay,
& þer be saued or splite, bot Thomas said him nay.
Thomas said þe kyng, þat othe suld he wele loke,
þat he suore at þe gynnyng, whan he þe coroune toke.
