'In love and in perfeccïoun,
Voyde of al devisïoun, [folio 289b]
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In parfit pes and vnyte
of high and lowe in their degre,
for love only of crist ihesu.
'And yef the morter, in his vertu,
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had abide in stabilnesse,
Withouten eny doublenesse,
Lich the first fundacïoun,
The werkë [[werk C., worke St.]] nad not falle a-doun,
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but stable stonde in his degre.
'and now, echon ha liberte,
at þeir lust, to slepe and wake;
and noon other hed [[heode St.]] ne take
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forto kepe their óbseruaunce:
and thus, for lak of gouernaunce,
Pes from hem, and vnyte,
Exilëd is, and charyte.
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'thát whilom gaff drynke and foode,
and vnto pore their lyvëloode,
oonly of mercy and pyte,
and, held hospitalyte;
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and, of euery manere age,
gaf to pore folk herbegage,
such as thei seyen, in distresse,
in myschif, and in Seknesse.'
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Pilgrim: [[St., om. C.]]
"Ma dame (and ye list take hede,)
Who hath nought, (it is no drede,)
may not parten his Almesse
to folk that Leven in distresse."
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Grace Dieu: [[St., om. C.]]
'Thow seyst soth, (as thynketh me,)
but wher thou leggest pouerte,
whilom thei had suffisaunce,
plente ynowh, and hábundaunce,
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whan thei worsheped in special [Stowe folio 367a]
The myghty kyng that gaf hem al [folio 290a]
suffisaunce in euery lond; [[land . . .hand St.]]
but now he hath withdrawe his hond [[land . . .hand St.]]
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