And thus I wente wide wher Walkyng myn one, By a wilde wildernesse, {155} And by a wodes side; Blisse of the briddes Broughte me a-slepe, And under a lynde upon a launde Lened I a stounde, To lythe the layes 5030 Tho lovely foweles made. Murthe of hire mouthes Made me ther to sleple; The marveillouseste metels Mette me thanne That ever dremed wight In world, as I wene. A muche man, as me thoughte, And lik to myselve, Cam and called me 5040 By my kynde name. "What artow?" quod I tho, "That thow my name knowest." "That thou woost wel," quod he, "And no wight bettre." "Woot I what thow art?" "Thought," seide he thanne; "I have sued thee this seven yeer, Seye thow me no rather." "Artow Thought," quod I thoo, 5050 "Thow koudest me wisse, Where that Do-wel dwelleth, And do me that to knowe." "Do-wel and Do-bet, And Do-best the thridde," quod he, "Arn thre fair vertues, And ben noght fer to fynde. Who so is trewe of his tunge, {156} And of his two handes, And thorugh his labour, or thorugh his land, 5060 His liflode wynneth, And is trusty of his tailende, Taketh but his owene, And his noght dronklewe ne dedeynous, Do-wel hym folweth. "Do-bet dooth right thus: Ac he dooth muche moore; He is as lowe as a lomb, And lovelich of speche, And helpeth alle men 5070 After that hem nedeth. The bagges and the bigirdles, He hath to-broke hem alle, That the erl Avarous Heeld and hise heires. And thus with Mammonaes moneie He hath maad hym frendes, And is ronne to religion, And hath rendred the Bible, And precheth to the peple 5080 Seint Poules wordes: _Libenter suffertis insipientes, cum sitis ipsi sapientes._ "And suffreth the unwise With yow for to libbe; And with glad wille dooth hem good, For so God yow hoteth. "Do-best is above bothe, And bereth a bisshopes crosse, Is hoked on that oon ende 5090 To halie men fro helle; A pik is on that potente, {157} To putte a-down the wikked That waiten any wikkednesse Do-wel to tene. And Do-wel and Do-bet Amonges hem han ordeyned, To crowne oon to be kyng To rulen hem bothe; That if Do-wel or Do-bet 5100 Dide ayein Do-best, Thanne shal the kyng come And casten hem in irens, And but if Do-best bede for hem, Thei to be ther for evere. "Thus Do-wel and Do-bet, And Do-best the thridde, Crouned oon to the kyng To kepen hem alle, And to rule the reme 5110 By hire thre wittes, And noon oother wise But as thei thre assented."