"If thow wolt be wroken, Wend into Unitee, And hold thee there evere, Til I sende for thee; And loke thow konne som craft, Er thow come thennes." "Counseille me, Kynde," quod I, "What craft is best to lerne." "Lerne to love," quod Kynde, 14340 "And leef of alle othere." "How shal I come to catel so, To clothe me and to feede?" "And thow love lelly," quod he, "Lakke shal thee nevere Mete ne worldly weede, While thi lif lasteth." And there by conseil of Kynde I comsed to rome Thorugh Contricion and Confession, 14350 Til I cam to Unitee. And there was Conscience conestable Cristene to save, And bisegede soothly With sevene grete geauntz {438} That with Antechrist helden Harde ayein Conscience. Sleuthe with his slynge An hard assaut he made. Proude preestes coome with hym 14360 Mo than a thousand, In paltokes and pyked shoes, And pisseris longe knyves, Coomen ayein Conscience, With Coveitise thei helden. "By Marie!" quod a mansed preest Of the Marche of Walys, "I counte na-moore Conscience, By so I cacche silver, Than I do to drynke 14370 A draughte of good ale." And so seiden sixty Of the same contree; And shotten ayein with shot Many a sheef of othes, And brode hoked arwes, Goddes herte and hise nayles; And hadden almoost Unitee, And holynesse a-down. Conscience cryede, "Helpe, Clergie! 14380 Or ellis I falle, Thorugh inparfite preestes And prelates of holy chirche." Freres herden hym crye, And comen hym to helpe; Ac for thei kouthe noght wel hir craft, Conscience forsook hem. Nede neghede tho neer, And Conscience he tolde {439} That thei come for coveitise 14390 To have cure of soules; "And for thei are povere, peraventure, For patrymoyne thei faille, They wol flatere and fare wel With folk that ben riche. And sithen thei chosen chele And cheitiftee poverte, Lat hem chewe as thei chose, And charge hem with no cure. For lomere he lyeth, 14400 That liflode moot begge, Than he that laboureth for liflode, And leneth it beggeris. And sithen freres forsoke The felicité of erthe, Lat hem be as beggeris, Or lyve by aungeles foode."