"Ancres and heremytes, And monkes and freres, Peeren to the apostles Thorugh hire parfit lyvynge; Wolde nevere the feithful fader That hise ministres sholde Of tirauntz that teneth trewe men 10460 Taken any almesse, But doon as Antony dide, Dominyk and Fraunceys, Beneit and Bernard The whiche hem first taughte To lyve by litel, and in lowe houses, By lele mennes almesse. Grace sholde growe and be grene Thorugh hir goode lyvynge; And folkes sholden fare, 10470 That ben in diverse siknesse, The bettre for hir biddynges In body and in soule. Hir preieres and hir penaunces To pees sholde brynge Alle that ben at debaat, And bedemen were trewe. _Petite et accipietis, etc._ Salt saveth the catel, Siggen thise wives. 10480 _Vos estis sal terræ, etc._ The hevedes of holy chirche, And thei holy were, Crist calleth hem salt For cristene soules. _Et si sal evanuerit in quo salietur, etc._ {321} "For fressh flessh outher fissh, Whan it salt failleth, It is unsavory for sothe, Y-soden or y-bake; 10490 So is mannes soule, soothly, That seeth no goode ensamples Of hem of holi chirche, That the heighe wey sholde teche, And be gide, and go bifore, As a good banyer; And hardie hem that bihynde ben, And gyve hem good evidence. "Ellevene holy men Al the world tornede 10500 Into lele bileve; The lightloker me thinketh Sholde all maner men, We han so manye maistres, Preestes and prechours, And a pope above, That Goddes salt sholde be To save mannes soule. "Al was hethynesse som tyme Engelond and Walis, 10510 Til Gregory garte clerkes To go here and preche; Austyn at Caunterbury Cristnede the kyng, And thorugh miracles, as men now rede, Al that marche he tornede To Crist and to cristendom, And cros to honoure; And follede folk faste, And the feith taughte, 10520 {322} Moore thorugh miracles Than thorugh muche prechyng, As wel thorugh hise werkes As with hise holy wordes, And seide hem what fullynge And feith was to mene. "Clooth that cometh fro the wevyng Is noght comly to were, Til it be fulled under foot Or in fullyng stokkes, 10530 Wasshen wel with water, And with taseles cracched, Y-touked and y-teynted, And under taillours hande; Right so it fareth by a barn, That born is of a wombe, Til it be cristned in Cristes name, And confermed of the bisshope, It is hethene as to hevene-ward. And help-lees to the soule. 10540 Hethen is to mene after heeth And untiled erthe, As in wilde wildernesse Wexeth wilde beestes, Rude and unresonable, Rennynge withouten cropiers.