And dele þer-wiþ bot as a gest,
And leue hit not in no degre.
Line 4
Hit is but trouble & tempest,
ffals fantasye & vanite;
In þat þraldom who so is I-þrest
Him mot eschewe al charite.
Line 8
Þat day þat eueri mon schal se
His dedes schewed & his entent,
What maner mon so þat he be,
But he sey soth, he schal be schent.
Line 12
(2)
Seyth now dauid in his sawe
In þe sauter book openly,
Þat whoso to þe worldus lust drawe,
In his lyf is leef to lye
Line 16
Þat he ne leueþ not on godus lawe,
But forsakeþ hit wylfully.
And, for him stont of god no awe,
In bremful bale he schal hit by,
Line 20
When concience his werk schal wrye;
And as he doþ, he dom schal hente:
Whit-outen restores or remedye,
But he sey soth, he schal be schente.
Line 24
(3)
A lesyng is with-outen doute
Wel worse þen sommen taken hede,
ffor, haue þe tonge onus told hit oute,
Abrod þen schal hit sprynge & sprede,
Line 28
And renne ful ryf in eueri route;
And be hit onus so blowen on brede,
Þey men wolden aftur knele & loute;
Men may not stoppe hit with no mede.
Line 32
Such lesyngus þen I rede ȝe drede,
Lest ȝe in bittur bales ben brent.
ffor þer nis non so styf on stede,
But he sey soth, he schal be schent.
Line 36
(4)
Þou miht als chep robbe a mon
As with a lesyng lese his name.
