THanne Grace dieu, with good chere,
Ladde me doun to the revere;
And there we han a schippe I-ffonde.
With greetë bondis it was bounde;
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But the bondës sat not cloos;
The mostë parte off hem were loos;
The smalë osyers, here and ȝonder,
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To-brakë [[brake St., brak Tib.]] thanne, and [[and than St.]] wente asonder,
The hopës ábout the vessel,
Bycause they were not boundë wel;
Ȝit the hoopes (it is no nay)
Were stronge I-nowgh at good assay;
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Deffaute in hem was ffoundë noon;
But, ffor the osyers nygh echon
Were brokë ffyrste (as it is ffounde),
Wherffore the hoopys were vnbounde. [Tib folio 87a]
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¶ The Pylgryme:
"MAdame," quod I, "with-outë [[with out Tib., St.]] blame,
Off ȝoure schippe, telle me the name,
And who that scholde it wel gouerne;
ffor sothely, as I kan discerne,
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The gouérnour, is not wys,
(As me thynket [[thynkythe St.]] in myn avys,)
That lyste suffren (off ffolye)
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The boondës breke so reklesselye [Stowe folio 351b]
In myddës off the perelous see,
In whiche there is no surëte."
¶ Grace dieu answerith:
'THis schippe (as by discripcyoun)
I-callyd ys Relygyoun;
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Whiche is bounde with circumstauncis,
And ffret with dyuerse óbseruauncis.
And while that it is boundë wel,
It may perysche neueradel;
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But ȝongë ffolkës neclygent,
That entre this schippe off entent,
And, thorough ther mys-gouernauncis,
Kepë not the óbseruauncis
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That were made by ffolkis olde,
ffor to breke hem ben fful bolde:
