The pricke of conscience (stimulus conscientiæ): a Northumbrian poem / by Richard Rolle de Hampole ; ed. Richard Morris.

Here bygynnes þe secunde part þat es of þe world.

Alle þe world so wyde and brade, Our Lord speciali for man made, And al other thynge, als clerkes can profe, Line 936 He made anly to mans by-hove. Sen he al þe world and alle thynge wroght Til mans by-hove, þan man aght noght Lufe nowther worldisshe thyng ne bodily, Line 940 Mare þan our Lord God almyghty,

Ne als mykel as God, þogh þat war les; And wha-so dos, unkynd he es; For God war worthy mare to be lufed Line 944 Þan any creature, and swa byhufed, Syn he es maker of althynge, And of alle creatures þe bygynnynge. Þis say [I] by men þat gyves þam mykel Line 948 Til þis world, þat es fals and fikel, And lufes alle thynge þat til it falles; Swilk men worldisshe men, men calles Þat þair luf mast on þe world settes, Line 952 And þat luf, þe luf of God lettes. Þarfor gude it es þat a man him kepe, Fra worldisshe luf and vany worshepe. For thurgh luf of þis world and vanité, Line 956 A man at þe last forbard may be, Of þe blisful world þar al ioy es, Whar þe lyfe of man sal be endles, Þat dos to God here þat hym falles, Line 960 Þat world þer clerkes 'world of world' calles. Whi [For-whi?] alle þe world þat God walde make For man, of whilk I byfor spake, Þat swa generaly here is tane, Line 964 May be undirstanden ma worldes þan ane; For a grete clerk says, þat hight Berthelmewe, Þat twa worldes er principaly to shewe, Þat þe elementes and al þe hevens Line 968 Contenes, als he þam in boke nevens, And alle þe creatures þat God wroght, Swa þat withouten þa worldes es noght. Þe tan es gastly, invisile and clene, Line 972 Þe tother es bodyly and may be sene. Þe gastly world, þat na man may se, Es heven, whar God syttes in trinité, And þe neghen ordres of angels, Line 976 And haly spirytes in þat world duelles,

And þider sal we com and þar lyf ay, If we þederward hald þe right way. Þat world was made for mans wonnyng Line 980 Omang angels in ioy and lykyng, Evermare þar-in for to duelle, As men may here þer clerkes telle. Now heir-on wille I na langer stand, Line 984 For after-ward commes þis matere til hand. Þe tother world þat men may se, In twa partes divised may be, Þe whilk alle bodily thyng may hald, Line 988 And ayther part may a world be cald, And bathe men may se and knawe; Bot þe tan es heghe, and þe tother lawe; Þe hegher reches fra þe mon even Line 992 Til þe heghest of þe sterned heven; Þat werld is ful bright and fayre, For þar es na corrupcion, bot cler ayre, And þe planettes and sternes shynand, Line 996 And sere signes and noght elles þar wonand. Þe lawer werld, þat lawest may falle, Contenes haly þe elementes alle, Þat on þe erthe and about þe erthe standes, Line 1000 Whar sere manere of men wonnes in sere landes. In þis werld es bothe wele and wa, Þat es ofte chaunged to and fra, Þat til som es softe and til sum harde, Line 1004 Als yhe may here or se aftirwarde. Þir worldes byfor als was Goddes wille, For man was made for certayn skille; Þe heghest world, þat passes alle thyng, Line 1008 Was made for mans endles wonnyng; For ilk man sal hafe þar a place To wone ay in ioy, þat here has grace. Þat world was made to our most avantage, Line 1012 For þar falles to be our right heritage. Þe tother world, þat is lawer, Whare þe sternes and planets er,

God ord[a]ynd anly for our byhufe, Line 1016 By þis skille, als I can prufe. Þe ayre fra þeþen, and þe heat of þe son Sustayns þe erthe here, þar we won, And nurisshes alle thyng þat fruyt gyves, Line 1020 And confortes best, and man, and alle þat lyves; And tempers our kynde and our complexioun, And settes þe tymes of yhere in seson, And gyfes us light here, whar we duelle, Line 1024 Elles war þis world myrk als helle; Yhit þe bodys of þe world in þair kynde, Shewes us for bisens to haf in mynde, How we suld serve God in our kynde here, Line 1028 Als þai do þar, on þair manere. Þe lawest world was alswa made for man, For þis skylle, als clerkes shew can; For þat man suld be þar-in wonnand, Line 1032 Goddes werkes to se and undirstand, And his commandmentes and his wille To knawe, and kepe, and to fulfille, And to be proved here in gastly batayls, Line 1036 Of gastly enmys þat man oft assayls; Swa þat þurgh gastly strenth and victori, He may be made in þis world worthy To haf þe coroun of blisse endeles Line 1040 In þe blisful world þat heghest es. Twa worldes here to-gyder may falle Þat men may erthely worldes calle. An es þis dale, whar we er wonnand, Line 1044 Another es man þar-in lyfand; Þis dale whar we won thurgh, clerkes caldes Þe mare world, and þe man þe les. Of þe les world wil I noght speke yhit, Line 1048 For aftirward I sal speke of it; Bot of þe mare world yhit wil I mare say, Ar I pas fra þis matir away; Þan wil I after shew, als falles, Line 1052 Skille why men a man world calles.

Þe mare world God wald law on erth sett, For it suld be til man suggette, For to serve man, and man noght it; Line 1056 And þus ordand God, for mans profit. Bot now þis world þat man lyfes in, Waxes swa lither and ful of syn, And of welthes þat are bot wayn, Line 1060 Þat many mas þe world þair soverayn, And gyves þam þar-to al þat þai may, And serves it bysily, nyght and day, And mas þam-selfe þe worldes tharlles. Line 1064 Þas men worldesshe men men calles, For about worldisshe thynges þai here travaile Ful bysily, þat at þe last sal fayle; Bot wald þai do half swilk bysines Line 1068 About goddes [gudes (MS. Harl. 4196).] of heven, þar al gude es, Þai suld haf alle þat gude es þare, Þat never sal faille, bot last ever mare. Þe world þat es here, es noght elles, Line 1072 Bot þe maners of men þat þar-in dwelles; For þis world men may noght ken, Bot by þe condicions of þe worldis men. For what mught men by þe world understand Line 1076 If na worldishmen war þar-in dwelland? Alle þas men þat þe world mast dauntes, Mast bisily þe world here hauntes; And þas þat þe world serves and loves, Line 1080 Serves þe devel, as þe buk proves; For þe world here, es þe devels servand, Þat brynges his servauntes til his hand; Þarfor God him prince of þe world calles, Line 1084 Þat es of worldismen þat to him falles; For-þi þis world es perillius to lufe, By many skilles, as clerkes prove. Þis worlde es fikel and desayvable, Line 1088 And fals and unsiker and unstabel. Many men þe world here fraistes, Bot he is noght wise þat þar-in traystes:

For þe world laghes on man and smyles, Line 1092 Bot at þe last it him bygyles; Þarfor I hald þat man noght witty Þat about þe world is over bysy; For a man may noght Goddes servand be, Line 1096 Bot he þe maners of þe world fle, Ne lofe God, bot [he] þe world despise, For þe godspel says on þis wyse: Nemo potest duobus dominis ser| Line 1100 vire, quia aut enim unum odio ha| bebit et alterum diliget, aut unum sustinebit et alterum contempnet. He says "na man may serve rightly Line 1104 Twa lordes to-gedir, þat er contrary, For outher he sal þe tane hate And þe tother luf aftir his state, Or he sal þe tane of þam mayntene, Line 1108 And þe tother despyse", þus es ofte sene. Þe world es Goddes enmy by skille, Þat contrarius es to Goddes wille; And swa er al þat þe world lufes, Line 1112 Als þe apostel says þus and profes: Qui vnlt esse amicus hujus mundi, inimicus dei constituitur. He says, "wha-so þe werldes frend wil be, Line 1116 Goddes enemy þan es he;" Þan suld we noght assent þar-to, Ne nathyng þat lykes til þe world do; For worldisshe men here God mysprays, Line 1120 Þarfor þe apostel yhit, þus says: Nolite diligere mundum, nec ea que sunt in mundo. "Lufes noght þe world here", says he, Line 1124 "Ne þat, þat yhe in world may se;" For al þat in world men tel can, Es outher yhernyng of þe flesshe of man, Or yhernyng of eghe, þat may luke, Line 1128 Or pride of lyfe, als says þe buke:

Omne quod est in mundo, aut est concupiscencia carnis, aut concupiscencia oculorum, aut Line 1132 superbia vite. "Yhernyng of flesshe es a thyng Þat falles til lust and flesshe lykyng; Yhernyng of eghe, als I can gese Line 1136 Falles to worldes rychese; Pride of lyf þat some in hert kepes, Falles to honours and worshepes; Lust and lykyng, þat es flesshely, Line 1140 Engendres þe syn of lychery; Worldes riches of grete pryse Engendres the syn of covatyse; Honours nuryshes, als men may se, Line 1144 Vayn glory, vauntyng and vanité. De Eremita qui quidem sequebatur [This quotation is absent from most of the MSS.] mundum a se fugientem, et postea fugiebat mundum tunc se sequentem; Line 1148 munde vale! tibi ve! fugiens me, dum sequerer te, Tu sequeris modo me, iam respuo despiciens te. Sen God made þe world, als says haly writ, Line 1152 To serve man, and noght man to serve it, Whar-to serves man þe world þan, And mas hym þe worldes bondman, When he may serve God and be fre, Line 1156 And oute of servage of þe world be? Bot wald a man ryght knaw and fele What þe world es, and byhald it wele, Hym suld noght lyst, als I understand, Line 1160 Make þe world na glade sembland, For lo! what says Barthelmew Þat spekes of þe world, als I wil shew: He says, "þe world es na thyng elles Line 1164 Bot an hard exil, in qwilk men duelles,"

And alswa a dym dulful dale, Þat es ful of sorow and bale, And a sted of mykel wrechednes, Line 1168 Of travail and angers, þat here ay es, Of payne, of syn and of foly, Of shens[h]epe and of velany, Of lettyng and of tarying, Line 1172 Of frawardnes and of strivyng, Of filthe and of corrupcion, Of violence and of oppression, Of gilry and of falshede, Line 1176 Of treson, discorde and of drede; In þe world, he says, noght elles we se Bot wrechednes and vanité, Pride and pompe and covatyse, Line 1180 And vayn sleghtes, and qwayntyse; Þe world, he says, tyl hym drawes [

'Thus þe world draweth in to his route,All men that to him wol allowte,And many greveth and fewe availethFor his lovyers he deceyveth and failith.' MS. Addit. 11305.

] And tilles, and lufes þam, þat him knawes; And many he nuyes and fon avayles. Line 1184 His lufers he desayves and fayles; His despisers he waytes ay, Als shadow to tak to his pray; Bot þa þat wille him folow, he ledes Line 1188 And þam scornes and taries in his nedes; Þe whilk a while he here socours, And þam heghes with ryches and honours. Bot he waytes to bygille þam at þe laste, Line 1192 And in to povert agayn þam cast; Whar-for worldes worshepe may be cald Noght elles but vanité, and swa I it hald. And worlisshe riches, how-swa þai come, Line 1196 I hald noght elles bot filth and fantome. Þe world has many with vanité filed, And with pride and pompe þam ofte bygyled,

Þarfor an haly man, als yhe may here, Line 1200 Spekes to þe world on þis manere: O munde immmunde, utinam esses ita immundus, ut me non tangeres, aut ita mundus, ut me non coinquinares! Line 1204 Þis es on Inglishe þus to bymene: "O þou world", he says, "unclene, Whyn mught þou swa unclen be, ['Whyne moght þou swa unclene be.' MS. Harl. 4196.] Þat suld never mare neghe me, Line 1208 Or be swa clene and noght vile, Þat þou suld never mare me file." Þe world here who-so wille Un-to four thinges may liken by skille. ['Unto four thinges may lykend be, bi skyll.' MS. Harl. 4196.] Line 1212 First þe world may lykend be, Mast properly, unto þe se; For þe se, aftir þe tydes certayn, Ebbes and flowes, and falles agayn, Line 1216 And waxes ful ken, thurgh stormes þat blawes, And castes up and doun many gret wawes; Swa castes þe world, thurgh favour, A man to riches and honour. Line 1220 And fra þat agayn he castes hym doun Til povert and to tribulacioun. And þa er þe grete stormes kene And þe wawes, þat in þe world er sene. Line 1224 Yhit may þe world here þat wyde es, Be likend to a wildernes, Þat ful of wild bestes es sene, [

'The whilk is ful of bestes unmylde,The whilke wol a man strangly and destrye.' MS. Addit 11305.

] Als lyons, libardes and wolwes kene, Line 1228 Þat wald worow men bylyve, And rogg þam in sonder and ryve; Swa þe world es ful of mysdoers And of tyrauntes þat men ofte ders, Line 1232

Line 1232 Þe whilk er bisy, nyght and day, To nuye men in alle þat þai may. Þe world alswa may lykend be Til a forest, in a wilde cuntré, Line 1236 Þat es ful of thefs and outlawes, Þat, commonly, til forestes drawes, Þat hald pases, and robbes and reves Men of þat þai have, and noght þam leves; Line 1240 Swa es þe world here þar we duelle, Ful of thefs, þat er devels of helle; Þat ay us waytes, and er bysy To robbe us of our gudes gastly. Line 1244 Þe world may yhit, als yhe sal here, Be lykend, on þe fierth manere, To a feld ful of batailles Of enemys, þat ilk day men assayles. Line 1248 For-why here we er on many wyse Alle umset with sere enmys, And, speciali, with enmys thre, Agaynes wham us byhoves armed be: Line 1252 Þa er þe world, þe fende, our flesshe, Þat, to assayle us here, er ay freshe; And þar-for byhoves us, day and nyght, Whilles we lif here, agayn þam fight. Line 1256 Þe world, als clerkes understandes, Agayn us fightes with twa handes, With þe right hand and þe left; þere twa May be taken, bathe wele and wa; Line 1260 Þe right hand es welthe, als I halde, And þe lefte hand es angre calde; For þe worlde assayles sum men awhile, With þe right hand þam to bygile; Line 1264 Þat es welth, als I sayde before, Of worldly riches and tresore; And assayles men, nyght and day, With þe left hand þam to flay; Line 1268 Þat es with angre and tribulacion, And povert, and persecucion,

Þe whilk þer clerkes þe left hand calles Of þe world, þat ofte sythes falles. Line 1272 Bot with þe world comes dam fortone, Þat ayther hand may chaung sone; For sho turnes about ay hir whele, Up and doune, als many may fele; Line 1276 When sho hir whele lates obout ga, Sho turnes sum doune fra wele to wa, And, eft agaynward, fra wa to wele; [

'And efte sone from wo in-to much blisseSo þat hir whele hath never lysse. MS. Addit 11305.

] Þus turnes sho obout oft hir whele, Line 1280 Þe whilk þir clerkes noght elles calles, Bot happe or chaunce, þat sodanli falles, And þat men haldes here noght elles, Bot welthe and angre in whilk men dwelles. Line 1284 Þarfor worldly happe es ay in dout, Whilles dam fortune turnes hir whele about. Angre men dredes and walde it fle, And in welthe men wald ay be; Line 1288 Bot parfit men, þat þair lif right ledes, Welthe of þe worlde ay flese and dredes; For welthe drawes a man fra þe right way Þat ledes til þe blisse þat lastes ay, Line 1292 Us aght to drede worldly welthe þan For Saynt Ierom says, þe haly man: Quanto in virtutibus crescimus, tanto amplius timere debea| Line 1296 mus, ne de sublimiori corruamus. "Þe mare", he says, "þat we wax upright In welthe, and in worldly myght, Þe mare we suld have drede in thoght, Line 1300 Þat we fra þe hegher fal noght;" Tyl þis acordes þe wordes of Senek, Þat says þus, als yhe here me spek: Tunc tibi salubria consilia advoca, Line 1304 cum tibi alludit prosperitas mundi.

Senek on þis maner says: "When welthe of þe worlde with þe plays, Sek þan gude consayl wyth-alle." Line 1308 For welthe mas men in perils falle, Þan es worldes welthe to drede þarfor, Als says þe grete clerk, Saynt Gregor: Si omnis fortuna timenda est, ma| Line 1312 gis tamen prospera quam adversa. Saint Gregor says on þis manere: "If ilka chaunce be to drede here, Yhit es happe of welthe to drede mare Line 1316 Þan chaunce of angre," þat smertes sare. For angres mans lyf clenses, and proves, And welthes his lif trobles and droves, And þe saul of man may lightly spille; Line 1320 For welthes, þat men has here at wille, Semes tokenyng of endeles pyn. For lo! what says here Saynt Austyn: Sanitas continua et rerum habundan| Line 1324 cia, sunt eterne dampnacionis indicia. He says, "continuel hele here And plenté of worldly gudes sere, Er taknes, als in boke writen es, Line 1328 Of þe dampnacion þat es endles." And to þis [Þes. MS. Harl. 4196.] wordes, þat sum men myspays, Acordes Saynt Gregor, þat þus says: Continuus successus temporalium, fu| Line 1332 ture dampnacionis est indicium. He says, "continuel happy commyng Of worldly gudes, es a takenyng Of þe dampnacion þat sal be," Line 1336 At þe last day, with-outen pité. Bot þe world prayses nan, bot þa anly Þat til alle worldes welthes er happy, And on worldly thynges settes þair hert, Line 1340 And flese ay þe state of povert;

Swilk men purchaces and gaders fast, And fares als þis lyfe suld ay last; Til þam þe world es favorabel Line 1344 In alle þat þam thynk profitabel. Þe world þam lofes, and þai luf it, And for þai folow þe worldes wit, And mykel can of worldes qwayntys, Line 1348 Þe world þam haldes gude men and wys, Til þam commes gudes here many-falde To þair dampnacion, als I talde. For-why til heven may na man come, Line 1352 Þat folowes þe worlde and worldes wysdome, Þe quilk, als says wyse men and witty, Onence God es bot foly. Sapiencia huius mundi est Line 1356 stultitia apud Deum. Many men þe world here fraystes, Bot he es noght wyse þat þar-in traistes; For it ledes a man with wrenkes and wyles, Line 1360 And at the last it hym bygyles; Bot he may be called witty and wyse, Þat þe world can fle and dispise, And hates þe maners þat it loffes, Line 1364 And thynkes ay whyder hym byhoves; And on þis lyfe here traystes noght, Bot on þe tother settes his thoght. For na syker duellyng fynde we here, Line 1368 Als þe apostel says on þis manere: Non habemus manentem civitatem, sed futurum inquirimus. "Na syker wonnyng-sted here haf we, Line 1372 Bot we seke ane, þat sal ay be." For als gestes we here soiourne Awhile, til we sal hethen tourne; Þat may fal soner þan som wenes, Line 1376 For we duelle here als aliens, To travail, here in þe way, our lyms, Til our countré-warde, als pilgryms.

Þarfor þe prophet says til God thus, Line 1380 Als þis vers in þe psauter shewes us: Ne sileas, quoniam advena ego sum apud te et peregrinus, sicut omnes patres mei. "Be noght stille Loverd" says he, Line 1384 "For I am a commelyng towarde þe, And pilgrym, als alle my faders was." Þus may al say þat in þis world sal pas, Þat es to say, be noght swa stille, Line 1388 Þat þow ne make me here knaw þi wille; And swilk comfort to my saul shew swythe, Þat mught make it in þe glade and blythe: And say thos to it: "I am thy hele, Line 1392 For þou ert my pilgrim lele." Þis world es þe way and passage, Þurgh whilk lyes our pilgrimage; By þis way byhoves us al gang, Line 1396 Bot be we war we ga noght wrang. For in þis world liggis twa ways, Als men may fynd þat þam assays; Þe tane es way of the dede calde, Line 1400 Þe tother es way of lyfe to halde, Þe way of dede semes large and eesy, And þat may lede us over-lightly, Until þe grysly land of mirknes, Line 1404 Þar sorow and pyn ever-mare es. Þe way of lyfe semes narow and harde Þat ledes us til our contré-warde Þat es þe kyngdom of heven bright, Line 1408 Whare we sal won ay in Goddes sight And Goddes awen sons þan be calde, If we þe way of lyfe here halde. Þe life of þis world es ful unstable, Line 1412 And ful variand and chaungeable Als es sene in contrarius manere, By the tymes and vedirs and sesons here. For þe world and worldis life to-gider, Line 1416 Chaunges and turnes ofte híder and þider,

And in a state duelles ful short while, Unnethes, þe space of a myle. And for-þi þat þe worlde is swa unstable, Line 1420 Alle þat men sese þar-in es chaungeable; For God ordayns here, als es his wille, Sere variaunce, for certayn skille, Of þe tyms and wedirs and sesons, Line 1424 In taken of þe worldes condicions, Þat swa unstable er and variande, Þat ful short while may in a state stande. For God wille men se, thurgh swilk takens sere, Line 1428 How unstable þis world es here, Swa þat men suld mare drede and be abayste, Over mykel in þe world here to trayste. Ofte chaunges þe tymes here, als men wele wate, Line 1432 Als thus, now es arly, now es late, Now es day, now es nyght, Now es myrk, now es light, And þe wedirs chaunges and þe sesons, Line 1436 Þus aftir þe worldes condicions; For now es cald, now es hete, Now es dry, and now es wete. For now es snaw, hail or rayn, Line 1440 And now es fair wedir agayn; Now es þe wedir bright and shynand, And now waxes it alle douiland; [

MS. Harl. 4196 reads domland.—MS. Lands. 348 has the following reading:

'Now is wedir bryght and schinondeNow is dym droubelonde.'

] Now se we þe lyfte clere and faire, Line 1444 Now gadirs mystes and cloudes in þe ayre. Alle þer variance to understande May be takens of þis world swa variande; And yhit er þar other ma takens sere Line 1448 Of þe unstablenes of þis life here. For now es mirthe, now es murnyng, Now es laghter and now es gretyng;

Now er men wele, now er men wa, Line 1452 Now es a man frende, now es he faa; Now es a man light, now es [he] hevy, Now es he blithe, now es he drery; Now haf we ioy, now haf we pyn, Line 1456 Now we wyn, now we tyn; Now er we ryche, now er we pur, Now haf we or litel, now pas we mesur; Now er we bigg, now er we bare, ['Now es he riche and now es he bare.' MS. Addit 11305.] Line 1460 Now er we hale, now seke and sare; Now haf we rest and now travail, Now we fande our force, now we fail; Now er we smert, now er we slawe, Line 1464 Now er we heghe, now er we lawe; Now haf we ynogh, now haf we noght, Now er we aboven, and now doun broght; Now haf we pees, now haf we were, Line 1468 Now eese us a thyng, now fele we it dere; Now lofe we, now hate, now saghtel, now strife. Þer er þe maners here of þis lyfe, Þe whilk er takens of [þe] unstabelnes Line 1472 Of þis worldis lyfe, þat chaungeable es. Bot als þis lyfe es ay passand, Swa es þe worlde, ilk day, apayrand; For þe world til þe endewarde fast drawes, Line 1476 Als clerkes by many takens knawes. Þarfor þe world, þat clerkes sees þus helde, Es als mykel to say als þe wer elde. [

'Þis world þat we seo þus heldeIs not but þis worldes elde.' MS. Addit 11305.

] Twa erthely worldes til þis life falles, Line 1480 Als es sayd by-for, þat clerkes calles Þe mare world of erthe, and þe les; Ful chaungeable ayther world es. Þe mare world es þis world brade, Line 1484 And þe les es man, for wham it es made,

And als the mare world es round sette, Swa es þe les world man round for to mette, For in þe brede of man es contende, Line 1488 Als lang space fra þe lang fynger ende Ofþe right hande, with armes out spredande, Til þe same fynger ende of þe left hande, Als fra þe haterel oboven þe croun, Line 1492 Es sene tyl þe sole of þe fot doun. Þan if a man [h]is armes out sprede Na mar es þe lengthe, þan þe brede; Swa may men mette a man with-oute, [

And so may a man be yemed without.Right as a compas is. rownd aboute. MS. Addit 11305.

] Line 1496 Als a compas round aboute. Þos has þe les world þat man es, Shap of þe mare world and liknes; Bathe þer worldes, I dar wele say, Line 1500 Sal fail atte þe last and passe away; For ay þe mare elde þat þai bere, Þe mare þai appair and er feblere, Als men sees þat til þam tas tent, Line 1504 And þarfor says þus Innocent: Senuit iam mundus, uterque macrocosmus [et] major mundus, et microcosmus et minor mun| dus, et quanto prolixius utriusque senectus producitur, Line 1508 tanto dexterius utriusque natura turbatur He says þus, als in Latyn es talde, "Ayther worlde now waxes alde, And þe langer þat þair tym es soght, Line 1512 And þe elde of ayther of þam forth broght, Þe mare in malys and febelnes Þe kynd of ayther trobled es." Of bathe þer worldes gret outrage we se Line 1516 In pompe and pride and vanité, In selcouthe maners and sere degyse Þat now es used of many wyse, In worldis havyng and beryng, Line 1520 In vayn apparail and in weryng,

Þas tas over mykel vayn costage, And tornes al until outrage. For swilk degises and suilk maners, Line 1524 Als yhong men now hauntes and lers And ilk day es comonly sen, Byfor þis tyme ne has noght ben; For þat somtyme men held velany Line 1528 Now yhung men haldes curtasy; And þat som tyme was curtasy cald, Now wille yhong men velany hald. Now many men se ofte chaungyng Line 1532 Of sere maners of gys of clethyng; For now wers men short and now syde, Now uses men narow and now wyde; Som has þair clethyng hyngand als stoles, Line 1536 Som gas tatird als tatird foles; Some gase wrynchand to and fra, And some gas hypand als a ka; Þus uses yhong men all new gett, Line 1540 And þe world þai all awkeward sett, Thurgh swylk uncomly pomp and pryde, Þat þai schew wheþer þai gang or ryde; Swa mykell pryde, als now es, I wene, Line 1544 Was never bifore þis tyme sene, Of swilk comes þir gyses þat we se. Bot I dred þat þai may takens be Of gret hasty myscheves to understand Line 1548 Þat tyll þe world er nere command. Þarfore in þair gyses þai sall fall, Ffor þare-wyth þai wreth God þat sese all; And his wreth at þe last sall with þam mete, Line 1552 Wharfore þus says David þe prophete: Et irritaverunt eum in advencionibus suis, et multiplicata est in eis ruina, "And þai styrd God tyll wreth", sais he, Line 1556 In þair new fyndynges of vanité, And in þam is fallyng many-fald," And þat es thurgh pryde þat I of tald;

Þis may be said, als þe boke proves Line 1560 Be þam þat new gyses controves. Ffor þai do swa þe worlde to plese, Ffor pryde mare þan for þair eese. And þa, þat with swylk gyses God greves, Line 1564 Sall fall in many grevos myscheves; And for þai will noght be led with skyll, God lates þam awhile have þair will; Bot at þe last on þam will sende Line 1568 Veng[e]aunce, bot if þai þam here amende: Þan most þai bifore schew som taken, Þat God has þam left and forsaken; And þat may be knawen bi sere gyse. Line 1572 Þarfor says David in þis wyse: Et dimisi eos secundum desideria cordis eorum, ibunt in advencionibus suis. Þe prophet David here spekes þus, Line 1576 In Godes name, als þes verses shewes us. "I left þam", he says, "out of covert, After þe yhernynges of þair hert, In þair fyndynges sall þai ga." Line 1580 Þis may be said be all þa Þat God suffers folow vanytese, After þair lykyng þat þai chese; Þe whilk tyll þe world mase þam gay, Line 1584 And turnes þam al fra God oway, Þai sall at þe last fro hethen wende In þair syn, tyll pyne with-outen ende, Bot þai swylk vanytese forsake Line 1588 And amendes here be tyme make; Yhit has þe world, als men sese and heres, Ma other contrarius maneres; For now es vertow turned to vyce, Line 1592 And play and bourd untyll malice; Now es devocyon, on som syde, Turned tyll pomp and to pryde; Now es wysdom halden foly Line 1596 And turned intyll trechery.

And foly is halden [now] wysdome, With proud men and unbowsome. Now es luff turned tyll lychery, Line 1600 And ryghtwisnes tyll tyrauntry; Þus es þis world turned up þat es doune, Tyll many mans dampnacyoune, Þe wilk folowes þe worlde swa fraward; Line 1604 And þarfore þai mon fele payne ful hard, After þis lyfe þat þai here lede, And þat aght þam gretly to drede. Bot it semes þat swilk men er wode, Line 1608 For þai hald gud thing evell and evell gude; Wa sall þam be, als we here clerkes tell, Fforwhi Crist says in þe gosspell: Ve vobis qui dicitis malum bonum, Line 1612 et bonum malum! He says: "wa till yhow þat says with will Þat ille es gud and gud es ill;" Þat es to say þam sall be wa Line 1616 Þat here mysturnes þair lyfe swa. Þus es þe world, and þe lyfe þare-in, Fful of vanyté and of syn. Bot som men lufes þis lyfe swa mykell Line 1620 And þe world þat is swa fykell, Þat þai wald never part þar-fra, Bot lyfe here ay, if it moght be swa; For þai luf swa þis worldes vanyté Line 1624 Þat þai wald never other lyfe suld be. Þai will noght knaw þe peryls all Of þis lyfe, ne what after sall fall; Bot for þai life here in delices sere Line 1628 Þai think no hevene es bot here, Bot at þe last, when þair lyfe sall stynt, Þan sall all ioy be fra þam tynt. Bot wald a man understand wele Line 1632 What þis world es and what he sall fele, When he sall wend fra þis world oway, Him suld noght lyst, nouther nyght ne day,

Myrthe here ne blythe chere make, Line 1636 Bot all þe welthes of þis world forsake, And lyf in penaunce and in povert, Ffor þe dred þat he suld hafe in hert, If he wald knaw and trow how hard Line 1640 Him bihoved suffer afterward; Bot ogayne þat dred yhit moght he, Thurgh hope of hert, conforted be, If he think wele of heven bryght, Line 1644 Whare he sall won if he here lyf ryght, Þus may ilk man do and thynk, In whase hert grace of God may synk. And he þat will noght thynk of this Line 1648 And yhernes to have nane other blys, Bot þis wreched lyfe þat him thynk gude, He es outher clomsed, [For clomsed. Harl. MS. 6923 reads: glomsede. MSS. Lands. 348, Ad|dit 22283 read cursed for clomsede.] or wode; Or it es a signe of suspecyon Line 1652 Þat he es in way of dampnacyon. Here have I shewed on sere manere Þe condicyons of þis world here, And of þe worldes unstabilnes, Line 1656 And of þe maners þat in þe world es; And now will I pass, forther-mare To þe thred part and se what es þare; Ffor þat part now will I begyn Line 1660 To shew yhow maters þat er within, Þat specialy spekes, as I sall rede Of þe ded, and whi it es to drede.