And al for thei wroghte wedlokes
Ayein Goddes wille.

For-thi have thei maugré of hir ma-
That marie so hir children. [riages
For some, as I se now,
Sooth for to telle,

For coveitise of catel
Un-kyndely ben wedded;
As careful concepcion
Cometh of swiche mariages,
As bi-fel of the folk

That I bifore of tolde.

5494

Therfore goode sholde wedde goode, Though thei no good hadde; 'I am via et veritas,' seith Crist, 'I may avaunce yow alle.' "It is an uncomly couple, By Crist as me thynketh, To yeven a yong wenche To an old feble,

Or wedden any wodewe
For welthe of hir goodes,

That nevere shal barn bere

But if it be in hir armes.

5505

Many a peire, sithen the pestilence,

Han plight hem togideres,

The fruyt that brynge forth
Arn foule wordes,

In jelousie joye-lees,

And janglynge on bedde,

Have thei no children but cheeste,

And clappyng hem bitwene.

And though thei do hem to Dun

But if the devel helpe, [mowe,

To folwen after the flicche,

Fecche thei it nevere;

5517

And but thei bothe be for-swore, That bacon thei tyne.

"For-thi I counseille alle cristene Coveite noght be wedded

For coveitise of catel,

Ne of kyn-rede riche;
Ac maidenes and maydenes
Macche yow togideres,
Wodewes and wideweres
Wercheth the same;

For no londes, but for love,

Loke ye be wedded,

5528

And thanne gete ye the grace of God,
And good y-nough to lyve with.
"And every maner seculer
That may noght continue,
Wisely goo wedde,

And ware hym fro synne;
For lecherie in likynge
Is lyme-yerd of belle.
Whiles thow art yong,
And thi wepene kene,
Wreke thee with wyvyng,
If thow wolt ben excused.
Dum sis vir fortis,

Ne des tua robora scortis;
Scribitur in portis,

Meretrix est janua mortis.

5539

"Whan ye han wyved, beth war

And wercheth in tyme;

Noght as Adam and Eve,

Whan Caym was engendred. 5550

For in un-tyme, trewely,

Bitwene man and womman,

5551

Ne sholde no bourde or bedde be;
But if thei bothe were clene

Bothe of lif and of soule,
And in perfit charité,

That ilke derne dede do
No man ne sholde.

And if thei leden thus hir lif,
It liketh God almyghty;
For he made wedlok first,
And hymself it seide:

5562

Bonum est ut unusquisque uxorem suam habeat, propter fornica

tionem.

[geten

"And thei that other gates ben

For gedelynges arn holden,

As fals folk fondlynges,

Faitours and lieres,

Ungracious to gete good

Or love of the peple,

Wandren and wasten
What thei cacche mowe,

Ayeins Do-wel thei doon yvel,
And the devel serve;

And after hir deeth day
Shul dwelle with the same,
But God gyve hem grace here
Hemself to amende.

"Do-wel my frend is,

To doon as lawe techeth;

To love thi frend and thi foo,

Leve me, that is Do-bet;

Το

gyven and to yemen

5573

5584

Bothe yonge and olde,
To helen and to helpen,
Is Do-best of alle.

5585

"And Do-wel is to drede God, And Do-bet to suffre,

And so cometh Do-best of bothe,
And bryngeth adoun the mody,
And that is wikked wille
That many a werk shendeth,
And dryveth awey Do-wel
Thorugh dedliche synnes."

5595

Passus Decimus de Visione, et Secundus de Do-wel.

TH

HANNE hadde Wit a wif, 5596
Was hote dame Studie,

That lene was of lere,

And of liche bothe;

That Wit me thus taughte;

She was wonderly wroth

And al starynge dame Studie

Sterneliche loked.

[Wit,

"Wel artow wis," quod she to

"Any wisdomes to telle

To flatereres or to fooles,

That frenetike ben of wittes." 5607

And blamed hym and banned hym, And bad hym be stille,

With swiche wise wordes

To wissen any sottes.

And seide," Noli mittere, man,

Margery perles

Among hogges, that han

Hawes at wille;

Thei doon but dryvele theron,
Draf were hem levere

Than al the precious perree
That in paradis wexeth.

5619