- 1] The King of heuen mid vs be
The fend of helle fram vs te,
To-dai and euir more!
To-dai me yiue gode beginninge,
The King of heuen to worthing,
And spekin of is lore.- 7] And that ye hit mote vnder-stonde—
The fend to mochil schame and schonde—
This predicacioune,
And that ye hit hold mote,
Bodi and soule to mochil bote,
And to saluacioune.- 13] Alle we beth meiis and mowe,
And of one foule erthe i-sowe,
Whoso hit wold vnderstond.
This world is wel nis bot wowe
This wrecche lif nis bot a throw,
Al dai hit is gond.- 19] Man, ne be thou neuer so riche,
Be-hold whom thou art iliche,
Whan thou ert al nakid.
Be-thench that thou salt i-worthe,
And for-roti to axin and erthe
Whar-of thou ert makid.- 25] Clansi the of thi misdede,
And lerne welle thi life to lede
The while thou art aliue.
To none frend thou nab trist,
Bot to one Jesus Criste,
To child no to wiue.- 31] Mi leue frendis, Ich you bi-seche,
Yung, old, pouer and riche,
Herknith to God is speche!
In the name of God and Seint Marie,
Youre sinful lif to amendie
To-dai Ich wol yow teche.- 37] And that He me let so wel to spek,
To-dai the deuil is staf to brek,
And with him so to fighte,
Ther-to par charite Ich you crie
A Pater Noster and Ave Marie
In the name of God al-mighte.- 43] That pees that is in God is huse
{MS fol 48v}
To-dai be a-mangis vse,
Throgh is holi grace;
That me yiue lif and gode ending,
And to you yiue gode lusting
In this silue place!- 49] God him-silf seiith in His Gospel:
'Mi leue frendis, Ich wol you tel,
Nimith to me gome!
O worde Ich you lie nelle,
Of heuen blis no pine of helle
No of riche dome,'- 55] 'And of the heuid sinnes seuene,
Whar-for men lesith heuene.
Ich wol you nemeni alle,
And har namis Ich wol you teche,
And hou hi wol men bi-peche
And make ham to falle.'- 61] First at Prute Ich wol be-gin,
For hit is heuid of all sinne.
Ich hit wol you do to wit—
In Holi Boke hit is iwrit—
65] Lucifer that was so brighte,
that fairist was of al wighte.
With-oute God in heuen nas
Non so fair als he was.
Nas neuer non so fule ifund
70] As he in helle lith ibund.
Nad he no more gilte
Whar-for he was of heuen ipilte.
A litil prude him was in com,
Ther-for God him hauith be-nome
75] Heuen blisse that euer sal last,
And in-to helle he is cast.
Ther he sal woni euer more,
And is prude abigge wel sore.
Alas! man, whi artou prute?
80] Whannin commith thi fair schrute,
Mid whate thou art ischrid aboute?
Noght of the, man, boute doute!
Thine owen schond thou werist an,
That helith thi fleis and thi bone.
85] Ich wol that thou iwit wel,
Hit nis bote a hori felle
That is thine owen right wede.
Be-thenche the, man, and hab drede!
Man and womman, vnderstond this:
90] Be-tak euch beste his—
That ert so fair mid bi-gon—
Linnin, wollin, glouis and schone,
That thou art in hit so prute,
Ne sal the leue neuer a cloute.
95] Ther-for, man, Ich the for-bede
Worldlich prude in hert and dede;
And lede thi lif bi Godis rede,
To loui God and hab drede,
That thou be God is sone,
100] And Him to queme at the Dome.- Coueitise is that other.
Herkne nov, leue brother!
Ther is mani man bi-peighte,
So the fend him hauith iteighte.
105] The man that is coueituse
Ne commith he neuer to God is huse
Suche ther beth al to fele,
That louith more this world is welle
{MS fol 22r}
Than God, that hath ham of erthe iwroghte,
110] And so swithe dere ham boghte.
He nel is catel spen in wast
Ac euer he hit witith fast.
He nold that aliue nere
None so riche as he were,
115] And euer, so he hauith more,
The faster he gaderith to store.
And euer he wol is lif so lede,
In mochel sorow and in drede.
Nel he neuer hab rest
120] Is mochil mukke to witi fast,
That ne mai in him slepe cum
Lest is muk be him be-nome.
Leuer him wer yiue of is blode
Than ani man of is gode.
125] Nel he of othir thing hede,
But is fule bodi fede
Mid his siluer and is gold,
Noght is soule that he schold.
Apan is muk he sit a-brode.
130] He that thus doth mid is gode,
He ne thenchith noght in is end—
That he sal of this world wend—
And vnderstonde noght he nelle
What he is no whoder he schel.
135] His catel he wenith witi wel,
Oc in is soule thenche he nelle.
With is siluer and is gold
He wenith euer is lif hold.
Whan he wenith liuie wel,
140] Mid deth adun fal he schel.
The deuil be-nimith him his breth,
Moch sorow than he him deth.
For is gode the fend him deriith,
And is soul to helle he feriith.
145] The deuil is his executur
Of is gold and is tresure,
That he so moch trist to.
Loke, nou, hou he is ago!
Ther-for, man, in alle wise,
150] Ich the for-bede couetise.
To world is wel nab thou no triste,
Hit went awei so doth the miste—
Her it is, and her hit nis—
Al-so farith the world is blis.
155] Ne be he neuer so riche,
Whan he lith a cold liche,
If he hauith an old clute
He mai be swithe prute,
Whar mid i-helid he sal be,
160] That no man nakid him ise,
Of what he gadred and is was.
Nis this rewth? Alas, alas!- The thrid sin so is onde,
That mochil nuthe is in lond—
165] And euir hi quemith the fend of helle—
In woch maner, Ich wol you tel.
Leue bretherin, herknith now,
And Ich wol you tel how!
World is wel fallith vnliche
170] And noght euch man ilich.
Sum ther beth that cun noght libbe,
Sum that hauith frendis sibbe,
{MS fol 22v}
And sum ther beth that swinkith sore,
Winne catel to hab more
175] Ham silf fair to susteni,
And euer more hi beth nedi.
And sum ther beth, leue brother,
That more hath than another,
And more loue of gode, man.
180] Another wol after than
Areri cuntake.[The MS text breaks off here]