þe nyȝt in hillis, as þe gospel seiþ, and tauȝte mychel þe peple in desert and in þe wilde felde, and seide þat þe heiȝe temple schulde be distroied for þe synne of prestis þat weren þer-inne. And seyn þat lucifer and adam serueden not god in heuene ne paradis as þei schulden, but iob seruede wel god in þe donge hille and adam also in þe valey of wepynge, and so dide crist in þe hillis, and þe prophete danyel in þe deen of lyonys. and þouȝ men suffreden resonable cost of chirchis whi schulde þei suffre so grete cost of kechenes and ȝate housis and wast chambris for lordis and ladies and riche men, and a frere to haue a chambre for an erl or duk or a kyng whanne he is bounden to þe pouert of crist, siþ þis cost is geten bi beggen of pore men and disceit of riche mennus almes. ȝif þei visiten not pore men in prison for charite of god and sauynge of soulis, bute riche men in here prosperite to han part of here worldly goodis, hou don þei werkis of mercy? for sumtyme for enuye and hate ful trewe men ben sett in prison, and þanne it were most nede to conforte hem in bodi and soule aȝenst defaute of mete and drynk and cloþ and grucchynge aȝenst god or dispeir; but it is worse ȝif þei be ypocrisie and false beggynge reuen fro pore prisoneris þe almes þat þei schulden ellis haue.
¶ Ȝif þei visyten not pore men in here sikenesse but riche men wiþ preue massis and placeboes and dirige, þouȝ pore men ben neuere so deuout and han neuere so myche nede to ben amendid of here lif, hou seken þei þe helpe [helþe AA.] of soule? but only or principaly worldly muk or auauntage. where helpen þei sike men of bodely almes, þouȝ [page 13] þei hem self han neuere so muche wast of mete and drynk, but raþere in siche tyme þei gedren fro sike men al þat þei may.
¶ Ȝif þei ben faste aboute to haue riche men biried in here housis for wynnynge and offrynge and worldly meyntenaunce and forsaken pore men to be biried þere, þei ben false ypocritis, traueilynge in coueitise and pride and þefte, for þei drawen riche men fro her gostly fadris and here owne
