"_Spera-in-Deo_ speketh of preestes That have no spendyng silver, That if thei travaille truweliche And truste in God almyghty, Hem sholde lakke no liflode, Neyther lynnen ne wollen. And the title that ye take ordres by Telleth ye ben avaunced; 7150 Thanne nedeth yow noght to take silver For masses that ye syngen. For he that took yow youre title, Sholde take yow youre wages, Or the bisshop that blessed yow, If that ye ben worthi. "For made nevere kyng no knyght, But he hadde catel to spende As bifel for a knyght, Or foond hym for his strengthe. 7160 It is a careful knyght, And of a caytif kynges makyng, That hath no lond ne lynage riche, Ne good loos of hise handes. {220} "The same I segge, for sothe, By alle swiche preestes That han neither konnynge ne kyn, But a crowne one, And a title, a tale of noght, To his liflode at his meschief. 7170 He hath moore bileve, as I leve, To lacche through his croune Cure, than for konnyng, Or knowen for clene berynge. I have wonder for why And wherefore the bisshope Maketh swiche preestes, That lewed men bitrayen. "A chartre is chalangeable Bifore a chief justice; 7180 If fals Latyn be in the lettre, The lawe it impugneth, Or peynted parentrelynarie, Or percelles over-skipped; The gome that gloseth so chartres For a goky is holden. "So is it a goky, by God! That in his gospel failleth, Or in masse or in matyns Maketh any defaut. 7190 _Qui offendit in uno, in omnibus est reus._ = "And also in the Sauter Seith David to over-skipperis, _Psallite Deo nostro, psallite, quoniam rex terræ Deus Israel, psallite sapienter._ "The bisshop shal be blamed {221} Bifore God, as I leve, That crouneth swiche Goddes knyghtes 7200 That konneth noght _sapienter_ Synge, ne psalmes rede, Ne seye a masse of the day. And never neither is blame-lees The bisshope ne the chapeleyn; For hir either is endited, And that is, _ignorantia Non excusat episcopos Nec idiotes_ preestes. "This lokynge on lewed preestes 7210 Hath doon me lepe from poverte, The which I preise ther pacience is Moore perfit than richesse." Ac muche moore in metynge thus With me gan oon dispute; And slepynge I seigh al this. And sithen cam Kynde, And nempned me by my name, And bad me nymen hede, And thorugh the wondres of this world 7220 Wit for to take. And on a mountaigne that myddel-erthe Highte, as me thoughte, I was fet forth By ensamples to knowe Thorugh ech a creature and kynde My creatour to lovye.