Seint Poules wordes: _Libenter suffertis insipientes, cum sitis ipsi sapientes_: 'And suffreth the unwise' . with you for to libbe And with glad will dooth hem good . and so God you hoteth. Do-best is above bothe, . and bereth a bisshopes crosse, Is hoked on that oon ende . to halie men fro helle; A pik is on that potente,[53] . to putte a-down the wikked That waiten any wikkednesse . Do-wel to tene.[54] And Do-wel and Do-bet . amonges hem han ordeyned, To crowne oon to be kyng . to rulen hem bothe; That if Do-wel or Do-bet . dide ayein Do-best, Thanne shal the kyng come . and casten hem in irens, And but if Do-best bede[55] for hem, . thei to be there for evere. Thus Do-wel and Do-bet, . and Do-best the thridde, Crouned oon to the kyng . to kepen hem alle, And to rule the reme . by hire thre wittes, And noon oother wise, . but as thei thre assented." I thonked Thoght tho, . that he me thus taughte. "Ac yet savoreth me noght thi seying. . I coveit to lerne How Do-wel, Do-bet, and Do-best . doon among the peple." "But Wit konne wisse thee," quod Thoght, . "Where tho thre dwelle, Ellis woot I noon that kan . that now is alyve." Thoght and I thus . thre daies we yeden,[56] Disputyng upon Do-wel . day after oother; And er we were war, . with Wit gonne we mete.[57] He was long and lene, . lik to noon other; Was no pride on his apparaille . ne poverte neither; Sad of his semblaunt, . and of softe chere, I dorste meve no matere . to maken hym to jangle, But as I bad Thoght thoo . be mene bitwene, And pute forth som purpos . to preven his wittes, What was Do-wel fro Do-bet, . and Do-best from hem bothe. Thanne Thoght in that tyme . seide these wordes: "Where Do-wel, Do-bet, . and Do-best ben in londe, Here is Wil wolde wite, . if Wit koude teche him; And whether he be man or woman . this man fayn wolde aspie, And werchen[58] as thei thre wolde, . thus is his entente" [Footnote 23: questioned.] [Footnote 24: could tell me.] [Footnote 25: Where this man dwelt.] [Footnote 26: mean or gentle.] [Footnote 27: of the Minorite order.] [Footnote 28: I saluted them courteously.] [Footnote 29: and poor men's cots.] [Footnote 30: times.] [Footnote 31: example.] [Footnote 32: through his own negligence.] [Footnote 33: weak, unstable.] [Footnote 34: But.] [Footnote 35: sloth.] [Footnote 36: a year's-gift.] [Footnote 37: to rule, guide, govern.] [Footnote 38: mother-wit.] [Footnote 39: I commit thee to Christ.] [Footnote 40: to become.] [Footnote 41: by myself.] [Footnote 42: The charm of the birds.] [Footnote 43: under a linden-tree on a plain.] [Footnote 44: a short time.] [Footnote 45: a most wonderful dream.] [Footnote 46: I dreamed.] [Footnote 47: followed.] [Footnote 48: sawest.] [Footnote 49: sooner.] [Footnote 50: gains his livelihood.] [Footnote 51: drunken.] [Footnote 52: disdainful.] [Footnote 53: club staff.] [Footnote 54: to injure.]