"Kynde knoweth whi he dide so, Ac no clerk ellis, 7900 Ac of briddes and of beestes Men by olde tyme Ensamples token and termes, As telleth the poetes; And that the faireste fowel Foulest engendreth, And feblest fowel of flight is That fleeth or swymmeth; And that the pecok and the pehen Proude riche men bitokneth; 7910 For the pecok, and men pursue hym, May noght flee heighe, For the trailynge of his tail Overtaken is he soone, And his flessh is foul flessh, And his feet bothe, And un-lovelich of ledene, And looth for to here. "Right so the riche, If he his richesse kepe, 7920 And deleth it noght til his deeth-day, The tail of alle sorwe Right so as the pennes of the pecok Peyneth hym in his flight. So is possession peyne Of pens and of nobles, To alle hem that it holdeth, Til hir tail be plukked. "And though the riche repente thanne And bi-rewe the tyme 7930 {243} That evere he gadered so grete, And gaf therof so litel; Though he crye to Crist thanne With kene wil, I leve, His ledene be in oure Lordes ere Like a pies chiteryng. And whan his caroyne shal come In cave to be buryed, I leve it flawme ful foule The fold al aboute, 7940 And alle the othere ther it lith Envenymeth thorugh his attre. "By the po feet is understande, As I have lerned in Avynet, Executours false frendes That fulfille noght his wille That was writen and thei witnesse To werche right as it wolde. Thus the poete preveth that the pecok For hise fetheres is reverenced, 7950 Right so is the riche By reson of hise goodes. "The larke, that is a lasse fowel, Is moore lovelich of ledene, And wel a wey of wynge Swifter than the pecok, And of flessh by fele fold Fatter and swetter; To lowe libbynge men The larke is resembled. 7960 "Aristotle the grete clerk Swiche tales he telleth. Thus he likneth in his logik The leeste fowel oute, {244} And wheither he be saaf or noght saaf The sothe woot no clergie, Ne of Sortes ne of Salomon No scripture kan telle. Ac God is so good, I hope, That siththe he gaf hem wittes 7970 To wissen us weyes therwith That wissen us to be saved, And the bettre for hir bokes To bidden we ben holden, That God for his grace Gyve hir soules reste. For lettred men were lewed men yet, Ne were loore of hir bokes." "Alle thise clerkes," quod I tho, "That in Crist leven, 7980 Seyen in hir sermons That neither Sarsens ne Jewes Ne no creature of Cristes liknesse Withouten cristendom worth saved."