"Rightso bi persons and preestes, And prechours of holi chirche, That aren roote of the right feith To rule the peple. And ther the roote is roten, Reson woot the sothe, Shal nevere flour ne fruyt 9810 {301} Ne fair leef be greene. For-thi wolde ye, lettrede, leve The lecherie of clothyng; And be kynde, as bifel for clerkes, And curteise of Cristes goodes, Trewe of youre tonge, And of youre tail bothe, And hatien to here harlotrie; And noght to underfonge Tithes, but of trewe thyng, 9820 Y-tilied or chaffared; Lothe were lewed men, But thei youre loore folwede, And amendeden hem that mysdoon Moore for youre ensaumples, Than for to prechen and preven it noght, Ypocrisie it semeth; The which in Latyn Is likned to a dongehill That were bi-snewed with snow, 9830 And snakes withinne; Or to a wal that were whit-lymed, And were foul withinne; "Right so manye preestes, Prechours and prelates, Ye aren enblaunched with _bele paroles_, And with clothes also; Ac youre werkes and youre wordes ther under, Aren ful unloveliche. Johannes Crisostomus 9840 Of clerkes speketh and preestes; _Sicut de templo omne bonum progreditur, sic de templo omne malum procedit. Si sacerdotium {302} integrum fuerit, tota floret ecclesia: si autem corruptum fuerit, omnis fides marcida est. Si sacerdotium fuerit in peccatis, totus populus convertitur ad peccandum. Sicut 9850 cum videris arborem pallidam et marcidam, intelligis quod vitium habet in radice. Ita cum videris populum indisciplinatum et irreligiosum, sine dubio sacerdotium ejus non est sanum._ "If lewed men wiste What this Latyn meneth, And who was myn auctour, 9860 Muche wonder me thinketh, But if many a preest beere, For hir baselardes and hir broches, A peire of bedes in hir hand, And a book under hir arme. Sire Johan and sire Geffrey Hath a girdel of silver. A baselard or a ballok-knyf, With botons over gilte; Ac a porthors that sholde be his plow 9870 _Placebo_ to sigge, Hadde he nevere service to save silver therto. Seith it with ydel wille. "Allas! ye lewed men, Muche lese ye on preestes. Ac thing that wikkedly is wonne, And with false sleightes, Wolde nevere the wit of witty God {303} But wikkede men it hadde, The whiche arn preestes inparfite, 9880 And prechours after silver, Executours and sodenes, Somonours and hir lemmannes; That that with gile was geten, Ungraciousliche is despended; So harlotes and hores Arn holpe with swiche goodes, And Goddes folk, for defaute therof, For-faren and spillen.