"Martha on Marie Maudeleyne An huge pleynt made, 7060 And to oure Saveour self Seide thise wordes: {217} _Domine, non est tibi curæ quod soror mea reliquit me solam ministrare._ "And hastily God answerde, And eitheres wille folwed, Bothe Marthaes and Maries, As Mathew bereth witnesse; Ac poverte God putte bifore, 7070 And preised that the bettre. _Maria optimam partem elegit, quæ non, etc._ = "And alle the wise that evere were, By aught I kan aspye, Preiseden poverte for best lif, If pacience it folwed, And bothe bettre and blesseder By many fold than richesse. For though it be sour to suffre, 7080 Therafter cometh swete; As on a walnote withoute Is a bitter barke, And after that bitter bark, Be the shelle aweye, Is a kernel of confort Kynde to restore. "So is after poverte or penaunce Paciently y-take; For it maketh a man to have mynde 7090 In God, and a gret wille To wepe and to wel bidde, Wherof wexeth mercy, Of which Crist is a kernelle To conforte the soule. And wel sikerer he slepeth, {218} The man that is povere, And lasse he dredeth deeth, And in derke to ben y-robbed, Than he that is right riche, 7100 Reson bereth witnesse. _Pauper ego ludo, dum tu dives meditaris._ = "Al though Salomon seide, As folk seeth in the Bible, _Divitias nec paupertates, etc._ Wiser than Salomon was Bereth witnesse and taughte That parfit poverte was No possession to have, 7110 And lif moost likynge to God, As Luc bereth witnesse: _Si vis perfectus esse, vade et vende._ "And is to mene to men That on this moolde lyven, Who so wole be pure parfit Moot possession forsake, Or selle it, as seith the Book, And the silver dele To beggeris that goon and begge 7120 And bidden good for Goddes love. For failed nevere man mete That myghtful God serveth, As David seith in the Sauter To swiche that ben in wille To serve God goodliche, Ne greveth hym no penaunce: _Nihil inpossibile volenti._ Ne lakketh nevere liflode, Lynnen ne wollen. 7130 {219} _Inquirentes autem Dominum non minuentur omni bono._ "If preestes weren parifite, Thei wolde ne silver take For masses ne for matyns, Noght hir mete of usureres, Ne neither kirtel ne cote, Theigh thei for cold sholde deye, And thei hir devoir dide, As David seith in the Sauter: 7140 _Judica me, Deus, et decerne causam meam._ =