That maketh religioun flowring,
Ther lyth the good religioun
Aftir the right entencioun.

'Who-so toke a wethers skin, And wrapped a gredy wolf therin,

6260 For he shulde go with lambis whyte, Wenest thou not he wolde hem

byte?

Yis! never-the-las, as he were wood,

He wolde hem wery, and drinke the blood;

And wel the rather hem disceyve, 6265

For, sith they coude not perceyve
His treget and his crueltee,
They wolde him folowe, al wolde he
flee.

'If ther be wolves of sich hewe Amonges these apostlis newe, 6270 Thou, holy chirche, thou mayst be wayled!

table,

Sith that thy citee is assayled
Thourgh knightis of thyn owne
6273
God wot thy lordship is doutable!
If they enforce [hem] it to winne,
That shulde defende it fro withinne,
Who might defence ayens hem
make?

Withouten stroke it mot be take
Of trepeget or mangonel;
Without displaying of pensel. 6280
And if god nil don it socour,
But lat [hem] renne in this colour,
Thou moost thyn heestis laten be.
Than is ther nought, but yelde thee,
Or yeve hem tribute, doutelees, 6285
And holde it of hem to have pees:

6245. G. dieden. 6247. Both xi.

6256. Both the religioun; om. 6271. G. biwailed (!). 6275,

Now am I knight, now chasteleyn;
Now prelat, and now chapeleyn;
Now prest, now clerk, and now
forstere;
6329
Now am I maister, now scolere;
Now monk, now chanoun, now baily;
What-ever mister man am I.
Now am I prince, now am I page,
And can by herte every langage.
Som-tyme am I hoor and old; 6335
Now am I yong, [and] stout, and
bold;

Now am I Robert, now Robyn;
Now frere Menour, now Iacobyn;
And with me folweth my loteby,
To don me solas and company, 6340
That hight dame Abstinence-
Streyned,

In many a queynt array [y]feyned.

Right as it cometh to hir lyking,
I fulfille al hir desiring.
Somtyme a wommans cloth take
6345

I;

never. 6316. G. warre; Th. ware.

Both myght. 6336. I supply and. 7366. 6342. I supply y-.

Right as me list, I me disgyse.
Wel can I bere me under weed;
Unlyk is my word to my deed. 6360
Thus make I in my trappis falle,
Thurgh my pryvileges, alle
That ben in Cristendom alyve.
I may assoile, and I may shryve,
That no prelat may lette me, 6365
Al folk, wher-ever they founde be:
I noot no prelat may don so,
But it the pope be, and no mo,
That made thilk establishing.
Now is not this a propre
thing?
6370
But, were my sleightis aperceyved,
[Ne shulde I more been re-

I wot no prest ne prelat born That may to shrift eft me constreyne.

And if they don, I wol me pleyne;
For I wot where to pleyne wel. 6405
Thou shalt not streyne me a del,
Ne enforce me, ne [yit] me
trouble,

To make my confessioun double.
Ne I have none affeccioun

To have double absolucioun. 6410
The firste is right y-nough to me;
This latter assoiling quyte I

thee.

bef. Penaunce.

6399. Both ought,

If men him wolde Frere Wolf calle! For he wolde have no pacience, But don al cruel vengeaunce! 6430 He wolde his might don at the leest,

[Ne] no-thing spare for goddis heest. And, god so wis be my socour, But thou yeve me my Saviour At Ester, whan it lyketh me, 6435 Withoute presing more on thee, I wol forth, and to him goon, And he shal housel me anoon, For I am out of thy grucching; I kepe not dele with thee nothing." 6440 Thus may he shryve him, that forsaketh

His paroche-prest, and to me taketh. And if the prest wol him refuse,

Hem wolde I lete to her prelates, Or lete hir prestis knowe hir states, For to me right nought yeve they.' Amour. 'And why is it?'

F. Sem. For they ne may. 6460 They ben so bare, I take no keep; But I wol have the fatte sheep ;Lat parish prestis have the lene, I yeve not of hir harm a bene! And if that prelats grucchen it, 6465 That oughten wroth be in hir wit, To lese her fatte bestes so,

I shal yeve hem a stroke or two, That they shal lesen with [the] force,

6453.

6426. Th. hamper. 6432. I G. heerde. 6454. G. beeste.

6465. G. grucche; Th. grutche. 6470. G. Yhe.

6500. Both me a dyne. 6522. Both Hath a soule.