And have him much in the mouth, and meane men in heart; Friars and faitours[57] have founden such questions To please with the proud men, sith the pestilence time, And preachen at St Paule's, for pure envy of clerks, That folk is not firmed in the faith, nor free of their goods, Nor sorry for their sinnes, so is pride waxen, In religion, and in all the realm, amongst rich and poor; That prayers have no power the pestilence to let, And yet the wretches of this world are none 'ware by other, Nor for dread of the death, withdraw not their pride, Nor be plenteous to the poor, as pure charity would, But in gains and in gluttony, forglote goods themself, And breaketh not to the beggar, as the book teacheth. And the more he winneth, and waxeth wealthy in riches, And lordeth in landes, the less good he dealeth. Tobie telleth ye not so, take heed, ye rich, How the bible book of him beareth witness; Whoso hath much, spend manly, so meaneth Tobit, And whoso little wieldeth, rule him thereafter; For we have no letter of our life, how long it shall endure. Suche lessons lordes shoulde love to hear, And how he might most meinie, manlich find; Not to fare as a fiddeler, or a friar to seek feasts, Homely at other men's houses, and haten their own. Elenge[58] is the hall every day in the week; There the lord nor the lady liketh not to sit, Now hath each rich a rule[59] to eaten by themself In a privy parlour, for poore men's sake, Or in a chamber with a chimney, and leave the chief hall That was made for meales men to eat in.'-- And when that Wit was 'ware what Dame Study told, He became so confuse he cunneth not look, And as dumb as death, and drew him arear, And for no carping I could after, nor kneeling to the earth I might get no grain of his greate wits, But all laughing he louted, and looked upon Study, In sign that I shoulde beseechen her of grace, And when I was 'ware of his will, to his wife I louted And said, 'Mercie, madam, your man shall I worth As long as I live both late and early, For to worken your will, the while my life endureth, With this that ye ken me kindly, to know to what is Dowell.' 'For thy meekness, man,' quoth she, 'and for thy mild speech, I shall ken thee to my cousin, that Clergy is hoten.[60] He hath wedded a wife within these six moneths, Is syb[61] to the seven arts, Scripture is her name; They two as I hope, after my teaching, Shall wishen thee Dowell, I dare undertake.' Then was I as fain as fowl of fair morrow, And gladder than the gleeman that gold hath to gift, And asked her the highway where that Clergy[62] dwelt. 'And tell me some token,' quoth I, 'for time is that I wend.' 'Ask the highway,' quoth she, 'hence to suffer Both well and woe, if that thou wilt learn; And ride forth by riches, and rest thou not therein, For if thou couplest ye therewith, to Clergy comest thou never,