"Ich have muche merveille of yow, And so hath many another, Whi youre covent coveiteth To confesse and to burye, Rather than to baptize barnes That ben catecumelynges. {207} Baptizynge and buryinge 6730 Bothe beth ful nedefulle; Ac muche moore meritorie, Me thynketh it is to baptize. For a baptized man may, As thise maistres telleth, Thorugh contricion come To the heighe hevene. _Sola contritio, etc._ Ac barn withouten bapteme May noght so be saved. 6740 _Nisi quis renatus fuerit._ Loke ye, lettred men, Wheither I lye or do noght." And Lewté loked on me, And I loured after. "Wherfore lourestow?" quod Lewtee, And loked on me harde. "If I dorste," quod I, "amonges men This metels avowe!" "Yis, by Peter and by Poul!" quod he, 6750 And took hem bothe to witnesse. "_Non oderis fratres secrete in corde tuo, sed publice argue illos._" "They wole aleggen also," quod I, "And by the Gospel preven: _Nolite judicare quemquam._" "And wherof serveth lawe?" quod Lewtee, "If no lif undertoke it, Falsnesse ne faiterie, For som what the apostle seide, 6760 _Non oderis fratrem._ {208} And in the Sauter also Seith David the prophete, _Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis, etc._ = "It is _licitum_ for lewed men To sigge the sothe, If hem liketh and lest, Ech a lawe it graunteth; Excepte persons and preestes, 6770 And prelates of holy chirche, It falleth noght for that folk No tales to telle, Though the tale be trewe, And it touche synne. "Thyng that al the world woot, Wherfore sholdestow spare To reden it in retorik To a-rate dedly synne? Ac be nevere moore the firste 6780 Defaute to blame; Though thow se yvel, seye it noght first, Be sory it nere amended. No thyng that is pryvé, Publice thow it nevere; Neither for love preise it noght, Ne lakke it for envye. _Parum lauda, vitupera parcius._" "He seith sooth," quod Scripture tho, And skipte an heigh, and preched. 6790 Ac the matere that she meved, If lewed men it knewe, The lasse, as I leve, Lovyen it thei wolde. {209} This was hir teme and hir text, I took ful good hede; _Multi_ to a mangerie And to the mete were sompned; And whan the peple was plener comen, The porter unpynned the yate, 6800 And plukked in _Pauci_ pryveliche, And leet the remenaunt go rome.