Alle þat þey takë now to frest,
Þérof shál God take a quest.
Þe quest ys take and draght on hym;
Accord þe wyþ þy lorde, betym.
Line 5508
[Of Simony.]
To coueytyse longeþ symonye,
Þe whych haunteþ almost al clergye.
Symonye ys, as men telle,
when ȝyftys of holy cherche men selle.
Line 5512
Ȝyf þou oþer ȝaue or sent
Of holy cherche to haue vaunsement,
Or any ȝaf hyt for þe loue of þe,
Line 5515
And þou art nat wurþy vaunsed to be,
þan art þou come, þurgh þat queyntyse, [folio 37a:2]
To symonye and coueytyse.
Ȝyf þou þan [þan þou.] þat auaunsement holde,
Þou art a wulfe of Goddys folde;
Line 5520
A wulf, y sey, take þou gode kepe,
For þou shalt answere for þe [þo.] shepe.
A clerk þat hys orders takeþ [takþ H, O.]
For ȝyft or present þat he makeþ, [makþ.]
Line 5524
He ys nat wurþy hem to haue,
Hym were bettyr to be a knaue,
And so were hem þat so hem selles
For ȝyftys, and for no godenes elles.
Line 5528
Þese holy men þat hauë ben,
And holy wryt haue red and sen,
Sey, þat swych ȝyftys are lore,
And, now ys noun ware before.
Line 5532
For swych men selle þe holy [hely.] gast
To hem þat he loueþ last.
Coueytous men and lechours,
Of holy cherche þey haue onours:
Line 5536
Þys mow men se alle [eury.] day with ye;
Cursed be syr symonye!
