Wold holi cherch pilt is miȝte
And law of lond pilt him to,
Þan schold [scholde] coueitise and vnriȝte
Vte of lond ben ydo.
Holi cherch schold hold is riȝt
For no eie no for no loue,
Þat hi ne schold schow har miȝt
For lordingen boste þat beþ aboue.
To entredite and amonsi [folio 45]
Al þai, whate hi euir be,
Þat lafful men doþ robbi,
Whate in lond, what in see,
And þos hoblurs namelich
Þat husbond benimeþ eri of grund —
Men ne schold ham biri in non chirch,
Bot cast ham vte as a hund.
Þos king is ministris beþ ischend,
To riȝt and law þat ssold tak hede
And al þe lond fort amend —
Of þos þeuis hi takeþ mede.
Be þe lafful man to deþ ibroȝt
And is [his] catel awei ynom,
Of his deþ ne telliþ hi noȝt,
Bot of har prei hi hab som.
Hab hi þe siluer and þe mede
And þe catel vnderfo.
Of feloni hi ne takeþ hede,
Al þilk trepas is ago.
Of þos a uorbisen ich herd telle;
Þe lion is king of alle [all] beeste
And — herkniþ al to mi spelle —
In his lond he did an heste.
Þe lyon lete cri, as hit was do, [folio 45b]
For he hird lome to telle,
And eke him was itold al so
Þat þe wolf didde noȝt [noȝte] welle.
