And the pope were purely pore, 1085 Nedy, and nothing ne had, He shuld be driven from dore to dore; The wicked of him nold not be drad. Of such an heed men wold be sad, And sinfully liven as hem +list; 1090 With strength, amendes +shuld be made, With wepen, wolves from sheep be +wist. If the pope and prelats wold So begge and bidde, bowe, and borowe, Holy churche shuld stand full cold, 1095 Hir servaunts sitte and soupë sorowe! And they were noughty, foule, and horowe, To worship god men woldë wlate; Bothe on even and on morowe Such harlotry men woldë hate. 1100 Therfore men of holy churche Shuld ben honest in all thing, Worshipfully goddes workes werche, So semeth it, to serve Christ hir king In honest and in clene clothing; 1105 With vessels of golde and clothes riche, To god honestly to make offring; To his lordship non is liche." The Pellican caste an houge cry, And sayd, "alas! why sayest thou so? 1110 Christ is our heed that sitteth on hy, Heddes ne ought we have no mo. We ben his membres both also, And +fader he taught us to cal him als; Maysters be called defended he tho; 1115 All other maysters ben wicked and fals, That taketh maystry in his name, Gostly, and for erthly good; Kinges and lordes shuld lordship han, And rule the people with myldë mode. 1120 Christ, for us that shedde his blood, Bad his preestes no maystership have, Ne carkë nat for cloth ne fode; From every mischef he will hem save. Hir riche clothing shal be rightwysnesse, 1125 Hir tresour, trewë lyf shal be; Charitè shal be hir richesse, Hir lordship shal be unitè; Hope in god, hir honestè; Hir vessell, clenë conscience; 1130 Pore in spirit, and humilitè, Shal be holy churches defence." "What," sayd the Griffon, "may thee greve That other folkes faren wele? What hast thou to donë with hir +leve? 1135 Thy falsheed ech man may fele. For thou canst no catell gete, But livest in londe, as a lorell, With glosing gettest thou thy mete; So fareth the devell that wonneth in hell. 1140 He wold that ech man ther shuld dwell, For he liveth in clene envy; So with the tales that thou doest tell Thou woldest other people distry, With your glose, and your heresy, 1145 For ye can live no better lyf, But clenë in hypocrisy, And bringest thee in wo and stryf. And therwith have [ye] not to done, For ye ne have[n] here no cure; 1150 Ye serve the divell, +not god ne man, And he shall payë you your hyre. For ye woll farë well at feestes, And warm [be] clothed for the colde, Therfore ye glose goddes hestes, 1155 And begyle the people, yonge and olde.