"Whiche ben the braunches That bryngen a man to sleuthe? He that moorneth noght for hise mysdedes, 8830 Ne maketh no sorwe, And penaunce that the preest enjoyneth Perfourneth yvele, Dooth noon almesse, Dred hym of no synne, Lyveth ayein the bileve, And no lawe holdeth, Ech day is holy day with hym, Or an heigh ferye; And, if he aught wole here, 8840 It is an harlotes tonge. Whan men carpen of Crist, Or of clennesse of soules, He wexeth wroth and wol noght here But wordes of murthe; Penaunce of povere men, And the passion of seintes, He hateth to here therof, And alle that it telleth. Thise ben the braunches, beth war, 8850 That bryngen a man to wanhope. "Ye lordes and ladies, And legates of holy chirche, That fedeth fooles sages, Flatereris and lieris, And han likynge to lithen hem {271} To do yow to laughe, _Væ vobis qui ridetis, etc._ And gyveth hem mete and mede, And povere men refuse; 8860 In youre deeth deyinge, I drede me ful soore Lest tho thre manner men To muche sorwe yow brynge. _Consentientes et agentes pari poena punientur._ = "Patriarkes and prophetes, And prechours of Goddes wordes, Saven thorugh hir sermons Mannes soule fro helle. 8870 Right so flatereris and fooles Arn the fendes disciples To entice men thorugh hir tales To synne and to harlotrie. Ac clerkes, that knowen holy writ, Sholde kenne lordes What David seith of swiche men, As the Sauter telleth. _Non habitabit in medio domus meæ, qui facit superbiam, et qui 8880 loquitur iniqua._ "Sholde noon harlot have audience In halle nor in chambre, Ther wise men were, Witnesseth Goddes wordes, Ne no mys-proud man Amonges lordes ben allowed. "Ac flaterers and fooles Thorugh hir foule wordes Leden tho that loven hem 8890 {272} To Luciferis feste, With _Turpiloquio_, a lady of sorwe, And Luciferis fithele." Thus Haukyn the actif man Hadde y-soiled his cote, Til Conscience acouped hym therof In a curteis manere, Why he ne hadde whasshen it, Or wiped it with a brusshe. 8899 * * * * * PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO. EDINBURGH AND LONDON. * * * * * Notes [1] See the "Apocalypsis Goliæ" and other pieces in the poems of Walter Mapes; the Order of Fair Ease in the Political Songs, and the Poems of Rutebeuf; and, in English, the remarkable "Poem on the Evil Times of Edward II." in the appendix to the Political Songs. The Poem entitled the Order of Fair Ease bears some resemblance to the _Abbaye de Theleme_ of Rabelais.