'By tytle of posteryte.'
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The pylgrym:
"Ma damë, (lyk as ye shal fynde,)
I am a-stonyd in my mynde
Off your wordys ful gretly,
Wych ne sue nat kyndely.
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ffor fyrst, as ye han told to me
That I mostë wasshë [[moste wasshed St., most . . C.]] be,
To casten out myn vnclennesse,—
The wychë [[whiche St., wych C.]] fylth, as ye expresse
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And namen yt in especyal
'Spot or synne orygynal,'
Wych ys only, by your sentence,
No-thyng but wantyng or absence
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Off ryhtwysnesse—thus sey ye;
And in good feyth, as semeth me,
Wasshyng no thyng may a-vaylle
To do a-way thyng that doth faylle;
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Yt wer bet cordyng to reson [folio 20a]
To make restytucyon."
Grace dieu answerde:
'Certys, yt ys soth that ye seye.
But to o thyng take hede, I praye:
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Who that haveth not the bewte
Wych he shold han of duete,
Voyde of fylth then ys he nouht;
The wych, yif yt be truly souht,
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May be of felth a be-gynnyng,
Gret cause also, & gret norysshyng.
As by exaumple thus I pose:
'Yiff a man ffayllede a noose
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Wych he outh [[oughte St.]] haue of Resoun,
Yt wer, to myn oppynyoun,
A gret defaute (I the ensure,)
Off bewte; & a gret ordure
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Ther must sue, yt ys no nay:
And yiff the noose wer kut a-way,
The bewte of a manhys [[mannys St.]] face
Yt wolde gretly yt dyfface. [[alle dyfface St.]]
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Semblably, in especyal,
