'To shewyn pleynly ther confessïoun;
ffor goode prestys (who so taketh hed)
In ther kepyng haven greyn and bred,
Line 13912
Bred off lyff, sed ek off scyence,
And goostly ffoode ek off elloquence,
Hys sogetys fructuously [[ffructuously St., ffrustuously C.]] to ffeede
With doctrine whan that they ha nede.
Line 13916
'The thrydde Corde ys ycallyd 'Shame,'
Causynge A man, he dar nat attame
To tellyn out hys ffautys, nor expresse,
Only for dred and ffor shamfastnesse.
Line 13920
'The ffourthe corde callyd 'Papyllardie,'
Wych ys a maner off ypocrysie;
Wolde ben holden mor hooly than he ys,
Dar nat telle (whan he hath don amys)
Line 13924
Hys grete ffautys in confessioun [Stowe folio 245b]
Lyst hys curat kauth [[kaughte St.]] oppynyoun
Ageyns hym, ffor hys gret offence;
Vnder colour off feyned Innocence,
Line 13928
Kepeth cloos, and doth the trouthë spare,
Tyl he ffalle in the dewellys snare,
ffor shamfastnesse in confessioun.
'The ffyffte corde ys 'Desperacioun':
Thys the Corde, pleynly, and the laas,
Wyth wych whilom hangyd was Iudas
Whan he hadde traysshed cryst ihesu;
Wych corde ys ffer ffrom all vertu,
Line 13936
Off vyces werst (shortly for to telle);
ffor he that ys hangeman off helle,
With the corde off desperacioun
Hangeth all (in conclusioun)
Line 13940
ffolk endurat [[Indurat St.]] in ther entente,
That dysespeyre, and wyl nat repente,
Neuer in thys world whyl they ben alyve.
'And with thys cordys, that be in noumbre ffyve,
I shal don al my besy peyne,
Line 13945
Yiff that I may, thy throte to restreyne,
Hale the fforth, and no lenger dwelle [folio 212a]
By the way wych ledeth vn-to helle.'
Line 13948
[The Pilgrim]:
