Antichrist these serven all; I pray thee, who may say [me] nay? With Antichrist such [folk] shull fall, 815 They folowen him in dede and fay; They servin him in riche array, To servë Christ such falsly fayn; Why, at the dredful domes day, Shull they not folowe him to payn? 820 That knowen hem-self, that they don ill Ayenst Christes commaundëment, And amende hem never ne will, But serve Sathan by one assent. Who sayth [the] sothe, he shal be shent, 825 Or speketh ayenst hir fals living; Who-so well liveth shal be brent, For such ben gretter than the king! Pope, bishoppes, and cardinals, Chanons, persons, and vicaire, 830 In goddes service, I trow, ben fals, That sacramentës sellen here. And ben as proude as Lucifere; Ech man loke whether that I ly! Who-so speketh ayenst hir powére, 835 It shall be holden heresy. Loke how many orders take Only of Christ, for his servyce, That the worldes goodes forsake? Who-so taketh orders +on other wyse, 840 I trow, that they shall sore agryse! For all the glose that they conne, All sewen not this [same] assyse; In yvell tyme they thus bigonne. Loke how many among hem all 845 Holden not this hyë way! With Antichrist they shullen fall, For they wolden god betray. God amende hem, that best may! For many men they maken shende; 850 They weten well, the sothe I say, Bút the divell hath foule hem blend. Some [up]on hir churches dwell, Apparailled porely, proude of port; The seven sacraments they don sell, 855 In cattel-cacching is hir comfort. Of ech mattér they wollen mell, And don hem wrong is hir disport; To afray the people they ben fell, And holde hem lower then doth the lord. 860 For the tythinge of a ducke, Or of an apple, or an ay, They make men swere upon a boke; Thus they foulen Christes fay. Such beren yvell heven-kay, 865 They mowen assoyl, they mowë shryve; With mennes wyves strongly play, With trewë tillers sturte and stryve At the wrestling, and at the wake; And chefe chauntours at the nale; 870 Market-beters, and medling make, Hoppen and houten with heve and hale. At fayrë freshe, and at wynë stale, Dyne and drinke, and make debat; The seven sacraments set at sale; 875 How kepe such the kayes of heven-gat? Mennes wyves they wollen holde; And though that they ben right sory, To speke they shull not be so bolde For sompning to the consistory; 880 And make hem say [with] mouth "I ly," Though they it sawë with hir y; His lemman holden openly, No man so hardy to axë why!