At þe mydnyȝt, as þey woke alle,
Line 8060
Come fendës fele, with loþely brous,
And fylden allë ful þe hous,
Þey toke þe body and þe bere
wyþ lothly cry, þat alle myȝt here;
Line 8064
And bare hyt furþe þat none wyst whore,
with-outen ende for euermore.
here sones hyt seyd, and hoped wel,
Þat body and soule was lore eche deyl.
Line 8068
Þe ȝongest sone þat was a scolere,
He preched þys yn stedys here; [sere.]
Þurgh Ingland, yn euery cuntre,
he tolde þys tale of grete pyte,
Line 8072
Oueral as he went a-boute,
(He spared noþer for shame ne doute)
Aȝens wymmen þat prestës take,
For hys ownë modyr sake;
Line 8076
For to dampne and stroye þat synne,
Þat no womman falle þer-ynne.
Ȝe wommen, þenkeþ on þys tale,
And takeþ hyt for no troteuale!
Line 8080
Goddes veniaunce was hyt, and hys Ire,
To amende vs alle for loue of hyre.
Yn a prouerbe, telle men þys,
"He wyys ys, þat ware ys," [[6-syll. line]]
Line 8084
And wysdom es, [ys.] and feyre maystrye,
To chastyse vs wyþ ouþres folye.
Of prestës kan y sey no þyng,—
So seyd y at þe bygynnyng,—
Line 8088
Noþer of clerkys neuer a deyl,
Þéy wote [wete.] what ys ylle and weyl;
But þus haue y herde for certeyn,
Yn þe worlde ys none so gode skryueyne—
Þogh he were wyser þan Salamon
Line 8093
And bettyr langaged þat [þan.] was Mercyon
