'ffirstë, thosyérys smale,
Telle off hem but lytel tale,
Line 22052
Caste hem byhynden at her bak,
Where-thorwgh the schippe goth al to wrak:
Breke the smalë circumstauncis,
And ffare-wel the greete óbseruauncis!
Line 22056
ffor, ȝeue the smale comaundëmentis
Be not kepte in ther ententis, [Tib folio 87b]
The greetë (in conclusyoun)
Gon vn-to destruccyoun.
Line 22060
The smalë (bothe in colde and heete,)
Be wardeynës off the greete;
And ȝeue the smalë sothely ffayle,
Aryght this schippe ne may not sayle.
Line 22064
Breke the smalë here and ȝonder,
And the greete muste goon assonder.
Thus the schippe off religyoun
Gothe offte to distruccyoun.
Line 22068
So, woldë god, ther lyvynge
Were lykë now ther gynnynge,
The schippë scholde the better preve,
Ageyne al tempeste hym [[them St.]] -silffe releve:
Line 22072
It were almesse, by the roode.
'Ȝit I hoopë som are gode,
Swyche as to holynesse entende;
And who doth not, god hym amende!
Line 22076
God ȝeue hem gracë so to dresse
The maste [[The mast St., He must Tib.]] vpward, by holynesse,
And that they may, to her avayle,
By gracë, so to crossë sayle,
Line 22080
That in the wynde be no debat
To make ther passage ffortunat;
That redely they may, and blyue,
At the hauene vp taryve,
Line 22084
Where Ioye and blysse (who kan disserne)
Is endelesly, and lyffe enterne.
¶ Now cheese ffreely, affter my lawe,
To whichë castel thow wolt drawe; [Stowe folio 352a]
Line 22088
And in my schippe, they ben echon
Bylte fful ffayre, off lyme and stoon.
