_Cons._ Fear not; say on, heartily! _Envy._ Sir, my right name is Charity. Sometime beloved I was with the spiritualty; But now covetise and simony doth them so avance That good institution is turned to other ordinance; And _bonum exemplum_ is put to such hindrance That here I dare not appear. _Cons._ Simony is not now in the spiritualty: _Bonus pastor ovium_ thereto will see; Therefore methink this is a lie: In holy church simony cannot abide. _Envy._ He goeth in a cloak, he cannot be espied; And coveteous so craftily doth provide That _bonus pastor ovium_ is blind, and will not see. _Cons._ This that ye speak is upon Envy; Therefore, I think ye be not Charity, For Charity alway will say the best. _Envy._ Amongst them can I have no rest. _Cons._ How do ye with the temporalty? _Envy._ There is pride, sloth, and lechery, Which putteth me from that place. _Cons._ Then be ye with the commonalty? _Envy._ They despise me utterly. One of them love not another; The sister cannot love the brother; Ne the child the father, ne mother: C1,_r._ There I dare not show my face. _Cons._ This is to me a strange case: What hear ye by Conscience? _Envy._ Spiritual and temporal set against him, marvellously; Merchants, men of law, and artificers of every degree; They will hang him and they him espy. Such exclamation goeth through this realm, round. _Cons._ Why what fault have they found With him, so to do? _Envy._ His wit is nought, they say; also, Every man putteth his will thereto, To banish him for ever. _Cons._ I know well it is not as ye say; For I am Conscience, the high judge of the law. _Envy._ Be ye Conscience? alas! that ever I this day saw! If ye be taken, ye shall be hanged and draw; For they have utterly put you down, And set Covetise in your room, Subtilty the scribe, his own cousin, And Falsehood the Sumner, for the Court's promotion. _Cons._ I marvel wherefore this was done. _Envy._ When riches came before you, that much will pay-- There he had lived in sin many a day-- Ye should for money let him go quit away, And put him to no shame. Let poverty do penance for a little offence: He is not able to promote you of twenty pence. Then should ye have kept your residence, And gotten yourself a good name. _Cons._ Who so doeth they are to blame In misordering them in such wise. [_Envy._] Y-wys, cousin! I show you as now is the guise; For by covetise much people doth uprise, C1,_v._ Which is against both you and me. _Cons._ Charity, I pray you show what remedy In this matter, for me, may be found.