þat lordis & prelatis ben charged vp peyne of dampnacion to helpe hem & meyntene þis treuþe & prechouris of it. ¶ It is holden a werk of mercy to birie dede men after þe techynge of goddis lawe; þe fend techiþ worldly riche men, clerkis & religious, to make solempnyte whanne riche men ben dede wiþ dirige & messis & wax & rengynge & grete festis, but whanne pore men ben dede vnneþe wole ony man berie hem or seie derige or masse. Ȝit feyned religious wolen come to riche mennus dirige in grete multitude & stire hem to be biried in here chirche, & stryuen & fiȝtten for þe dede careyne for loue of offrynge & worldly honour, but pore men schullen not lie among hem þouȝ þei axen it neuere so faste for charite. & þus in stede of werkis of bodely mercy & charite is comen in ypocrisie of worldly name & coueitise & norischynge [page 181] of synne & sotil excusynge þer-of, & euyl is clepid good & good euyl.
Capitulum 2m.
Werkis of mercy ben worse turned vpsodoun. crist seiþ it is a souereyn werk of mercy & charite to teche vnlernyd men þe riȝtte weie to heuene, þat is þe gospel & goddis comaundementis; þe fend & his seyn it is grete charite to teche ȝonge men & oþere sotil craftis & nedeles & queynte sleiȝtis to disceyue schepische men of worldly goodis & make hem self riche & bostful & proude. & þe fend bi sotil menys of ypocrisie & symonye stireþ lordis & myȝtty men to make an ydiot & fool curatour of cristene soulis, þat neiþer may ne kan ne wole, for his opyn synne & worldly lif & ignoraunce of holy writt & necligence & worldly vanyte & drede of worldly shame & loos, teche hem goddis lawe, ne suffre oþere to teche hem frely & trewely wiþ-outen flaterynge for drede last his owene falsnesse be knowen; & ȝit þes cursed auaunsynge is clepid charite to helpe þus a pore man. But an ydiot & a lecherous wrecche schal be sett to kepe þe soulis for litel pris, & þe more lorel goo on haukynge & huntyng,
