Or they yef the bishops why, Or they mot ben in his servyce, And holden forth hir harlotry; Such prelats ben of feble empryse. 960 Of goddes grame such men agryse, For such mattérs that taken mede; How they excuse hem, and in what wyse, Me thinketh, they ought greetly drede. They sayn, that it to no man longeth 965 To reprove +hem, though they erre; But falsely goddes good they fongeth, And therwith maynteyn wo and werre. Hir dedes shuld be as bright as sterre, Hir living, lewed mannes light; 970 They say, the popë may not erre, Nede must that passë mannes might. Though a prest ly with his lemman al night, And tellen his felowe, and he him, He goth to massë anon-right, 975 And sayeth, he singeth out of sinne! His bryde abydeth him at his inne, And dighteth his dyner the mene whyle; He singeth his masse for he wolde winne, And so he weneth god begyle! 980 Hem thinketh long till they be met; And that they usen forth all the yere; Among the folk when he is set, He holdeth no man half his pere; Of the bishop he hath powére 985 To soyle men, or els they ben lore; His absolucion may make +hem skere; And wo is the soul that he singeth for!" The Griffon began for to threte, And sayd, "of monkes canst thou ought?" 990 The Pellican sayd, "they ben full grete, And in this world moch wo hath wrought. Saynt Benet, that hir order brought, Ne made hem never on such manere; I trowe, it cam never in his thought 995 That they shulde use so greet powér[e]; That a man shulde a monk lord cal, Ne serve on kneës, as a king. He is as proud as prince in pall In mete, and drink, and [in] all thing; 1000 Some weren myter and ring, With double worsted well y-dight, With royall mete and riche drink, And rydeth on courser as a knight. With hauke[s] and with houndes eke, 1005 With broches or ouches on his hode, Some say no masse in all a weke, Of deyntees is hir moste fode. With lordshippes and with bondmen This is a royall religioun; 1010 Saynt Benet made never none of hem To have lordship of man ne town. Now they ben queynte and curious, With fyn cloth cladde, and served clene, Proude, angry, and envyous, 1015 Malyce is mochë that they mene. In cacching crafty and covetous, Lordly liven in greet lyking; This living is not religious According to Benet in his living. 1020