endewid as thei ben, namelich in the rewme of Ynglond, me thinkith this, that y schal now seie, schulde miche [miche is interlineated by a later hand.] move hem. The treuthe is, that the tenementis and alle the possessiouns with her purte|nauncis, which the clergie (religiose or not religiose) holden and hauen, is better meintened and susteyned and reparid and kept fro falling into nouȝt and into wildirnes, than if tho same tenementis and posses|siouns with her purtenauncis weren in the hondis of grete lordis or of knyȝtis or of squyeris; as experience it [it is interlineated by a later hand.] wel schewith, namelich in the rewme of Ynglond, for othere rewmes y haue not seen; and also resoun confermeth the same, sithen what is rewlid and carid for of manye to gidere muste be better reulid than it which is reulid and carid fore oonli of oon.
Ferthermore the tenauntis, occupiyng tho tenementis and possessiouns with purtenauncis vndir the clergie, ben esilier tretid, lasse disesid, and not greeued bi extorcioun, as thei schulden be, if thei helden the same tenementis and possessiouns of temporal lordis or of knyȝtis and squyers, as also experience weel schewith.
And thanne ferther the clergie, namelich religiose, [the religiose, MS. (first hand).] beren not into her graues with hem the rentis whiche thei so endewid receyuen of her possessiouns, neither thei spenden therof more than with ese and withoute curiose and coostiose faar gooth into her bodies, and than wher with thei ben poorli ynouȝ clothid and couered for al the labour which thei maken bi nyȝtis and bi daies in preiyng and preising and in keping the wey of her religioun: and the ouerplus being herto and to the costis of her reparaciouns is spend upon worthi gentil men leerned in lawe for mente|naunces
