Purity, a Middle English poem, ed. with introduction, notes, and glossary by Robert J. Menner.

II. THE PUNISHMENT OF THE MAN IN FOUL CLOTHES

Now inmyddez þe mete þe mayster hym biþoȝt, Þat he wolde se þe semble þat samned was þere, And rehayte rekenly þe riche and þe poveren, [MS. povener, i. e. scribe put curl for -er over wrong letter; cf. Gaw. 124, sylvener for sylveren.] And cherisch hem alle wyth his cher, and chaufen her joye. Line 128 Þen he bowez fro his bour into þe brode halle, And to þe best on þe bench, and bede hym be myry, Solased hem wyth semblaunt and syled fyrre,

Tron fro table to table and talkede ay myrþe. Line 132

Bot as he ferked over þe flor, he fande wyth his yȝe— Hit watz not for a halyday honestly arayed— A þral þryȝt in þe þrong unþryvandely cloþed, Ne no festival frok, bot fyled with werkkez; Line 136 Þe gome watz ungarnyst wyth god men to dele. And gremed þerwyth þe grete lord, and greve hym he þoȝt. 'Say me, frende,' quod þe freke wyth a felle chere, 'Hou wan þou into þis won in wedez so fowle? Line 140 Þe abyt þat þou hatz upon, no halyday hit menskez; Þou, burne, for no brydale art busked in wedez! How watz þou hardy þis hous for þyn unhap [to] neȝe, [to supplied by M.] In on so ratted a robe and rent at þe sydez? Line 144 Þow art a gome ungoderly in þat goun febele; [folio 63a] Þou praysed me and my place ful pover and ful [g]nede, [MS. nede; M. [g]nede.] Þat watz so prest to aproche my presens hereinne. Hopez þou I be a harlot þi erigaut to prayse?' [M. erigant.] Line 148 Þat oþer burne watz abayst of his broþe wordez, And hurkelez doun with his hede, þe urþe he biholdez; He watz so scoumfit of his scylle, lest he skaþe hent, Þat he ne wyst on worde what he warp schulde. Line 152 Þen þe lorde wonder loude laled and cryed, And talkez to his tormenttorez: 'Takez hym,' he biddez, 'Byndez byhynde, at his bak, boþe two his handez, And felle fetterez to his fete festenez bylyve; Line 156 Stik hym stifly in stokez, and stekez hym þerafter Depe in my doungoun þer doel ever dwellez, Greving and gretyng and gryspyng harde

Of teþe tenfully togeder, to teche hym be quoynt.' Line 160

Thus comparisunez Kryst þe kyndom of heven [MS., M. heven.] To þis frelych feste þat fele arn to called; For alle arn laþed luflyly, þe luþer and þe better, Þat ever wern fulȝed in font þat fest to have. Line 164 Bot war þe wel, if þou wylt, þy wedez ben clene, And honest for þe halyday, lest þou harme lache, For aproch þou to þat Prynce of parage noble— He hates helle no more þen hem þat ar sowle. [MS., M. sowle; M. note fowle(?); Fi. soudly.] Line 168 Wich arn þenne þy wedez þou wrappez þe inne, Þat schal schewe hem so schene schrowde of þe best? Hit arn þy werkez, wyterly, þat þou wroȝt havez, And lyved wyth þe lykyng þat lyȝe in þyn hert, Line 172 Þat þo be frely and fresch fonde in þy lyve, And fetyse of a fayr forme, to fote and to honde, And syþen alle þyn oþer lymez lapped ful clene; Þenne may þou se þy Savior and his sete ryche, Line 176

For fele fautez may a freke forfete his blysse, Þat he þe Soverayn ne se—þen for slauþe one, As for bobaunce and bost, and bolnande pryde, [MS., M. priyde, but this is merely the scribe's error in adding y after he had already made the abbreviation.] Þroly into þe develez þrote man þryngez bylyve; Line 180 For covetyse, and colwarde and croked dedez, For mon-sworne, and men-sclaȝt, and to much drynk, [folio 63b] For þefte, and for þrepyng, unþonk may mon have; For roborrye, and riboudrye, and resounez untrwe, Line 184 And dysheriete and depryve dowrie of wydoez, For marryng of maryagez, and mayntnaunce of schrewez, For traysoun and trichcherye, and tyrauntyre boþe, [M. suggests loþe(?) for boþe.] And for fals famacions and fayned lawez— Line 188 Man may mysse þe myrþe þat much is to prayse

For such unþewez as þise, and þole much payne, And in þe Creatores cort com never more, Ne never see hym with syȝt for such sour tornez. Line 192