as ȝif þei weren angelis of heuene, to colour here falsenesse & blynde þe peple þerby. ¶ In marchauntis regneþ gile in ful grete plente, for þei sweren falsly be alle grete membris of crist & bi alle myȝtty god in trinyte þat here chaffere cost so moche & is so trewe & profitable, to bigile þe peple & to teche ȝonge prentis þis cursed craft, & preisen hym most þat most bigileþ þe peple, & hiden here vsure & colouren it bi sotil cautelis of þe fend þat fewe men may proue þis vsure & amende hem þer-of bi-fore þe day of dom. ¶ In seruauntis regneþ gile, for þei traueilen faste awhile in presence of here maister, & in absence ben ydel & iapen & don litel good, & sweren faste þat þei may not labore treweliere & bisiliere þan þei don. & ȝit generaly in clerkis regneþ most gile, for þei disceyuen men bi here veyn preieris & pardons & indulgencis, for þei knowen not þe goodnesse of here preieris ne abilnesse of men þat þei preien fore, but þei owen to drede sore þat þei stiren god to vengaunce for here owene wickid lif; & þer comeþ no pardon but of god for good lyuynge & endynge in charite, & þis schal not be bouȝt [page 199] ne solde as prelatis chafferen þes dayes; for who is in most charite is beste herde of god, be he schepeherde or lewid man, or in þe chirche or in þe feld; & who kepiþ wel þe hestis of god schal haue pardon & þe blisse of heuene, & noon oþere for creature vnder god. & þus gile regneþ in many statis & personys þat oure lond may drede sore a conquest, But ȝif synne & gile be chasid out & treuþe & charite meyntened soone.
but nowe be lordis wel war þat þei don mercy & charite & good conscience to her seruauntis, for ellis þei schulle gete no mercy ne loue of god, for wrong oppressynge of pore men axiþ vengaunce of god, as doþ wrong mansleynge; & loke lordis þat þei reule wel seruauntis & tenauntis, þat þei drede god & his wraþþe þe more, & flee synnys & lyue vertuously & in treuþe anemtis god & man; for lordis owen to ȝeue holy ensaumple of lif to seruauntis & sugetis, & ponysche hem for here wickid lif anemtis god more þan for falsnesse of dispit
