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177. A Series of Triads
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177. A Series of Triads

[_]

MS. Tanner 407 (Sum. Catal. No. 10234)

Ther ben iij poyntis of myscheff
Þat arun confusion to many man,
Weche þat werkyn þe soule gret gryff,
I schall hem telle ȝou as I can.

270

Pore men proude þat lytyl han,
Þat wolden beryt owte as riche men goo;
Ȝyf þei don foly and þan be tan
þei may wytyn hem-self her owyn woo.
A Ryche man thef is a-nodyr,
Þat of covetyse wyll not slake;
Ȝyf he with wrong be-gyle his brother
In blis þat he schall ben forsake—
be-forun god thefte it is take.
Al þat wit wrong he wynnyt soo;
but ȝif he A-mendys make
he may wytyn hym-self his owyn woo.
Olde man lechere is þe iijde,
for his complexion waxit colde;
It bryngit his soule peyne in-mydde,
And stynkit on god many a folde.
The iij thyngis þat I haue told
arun plesyng to þe fende, oure fo.
Hem to vsyn, hoso is bold,
may wytyn hym-self his owyn wo.
Many defautis god may fynde
In vs that schuldyn his seruantis be;
He schewyt vs loue and we on-kynde—
sertis þe more to blame are we.
Summe stare brode and may not se—
be many a clerk it faret so—
[Ther] þe dred of god wele not be,
þei may wytyn hem-self her owyn wo.
In iij poyntis, I dar wel say,
god schuld be wurchapyd ouer all thynge:
With ryghtwysnesse & mercy—þer be twaye—
þe iijde is clennesse in levynge.

271

To men of holy chyrche þat kepyng
it is her charge & to lordys also,
and whan þei don contrari goddis byddyng
þei may wytyn hem-self her ow[yn] w[o].
Wrong is set þer right schuld be,
mercy fro manhod is put A-way,
lecchery clennesse hat mad to fle,
loue dar not bydyn neyther nyght ne day.
Thus þe deuyl, I dar wel say,
wolde makyn oure frende oure ful fo.
Man, A-mende the whyl þu may,
or wyte þi-self þin owyn wo.
It is no wondyr thow þu be wo,
þi owyn wyl quan þu wolt sewe;
goddis byddyng þu wilt not do—
þu art fals and he is trewe,
Syn he sende þe alle thyng newe
and þu seruyst þe fende & gost hym fro,
but þu mende it schall þe rewe,
þu schalt wytyn þi-self þi owyn wo.
In iij degreis þe werd kepis:
with presthod, knyghthod, and labourere.
Þer ar but fewe þat nede don A-mys
þer-for a-byd þei schal ful dere.
Be good exampyl þe prestis schuld lere
to on-lernyd how þat þei schuldyn do
and, for þat wurde & werke acordit not in fere,
þei schul wytyn hem-self her owyn w[o].
Lordys also, boþe knytis & other,
many arun of consciens lyght;
þei schulde helpe þe pore syster and brodyr
for to streynye hem in her ryght.

272

Pride and coueytyse hat lost here myght,
grace, for lecherye, is kept hem fro;
Ȝyf þei be-heldyn her owyn syth,
þei may wytyn hem-self her owyn wo.
The labourere schuld trauayle for god and man
ryghtfully in word & dede,
In what degre þat he hath tan,
And resonabylly takyn his mede.
Wrongfully summe her lyfe lede—
A-mong ryche and pore it is foundyn so—
þe last ende is to drede,
þei schal wytyn hem-self her owyn wo.
Man, take hed what þu arte—
but wormys mete, þu wost wel þis;
Whan þat erthe hat taken hys parte,
heuyn or helle wyl haue his.
Ȝif þu do weel þu gost to blys,
yf þu do euyl to þi foo;
loue þi lord and thynk on this,
or wyte þi-self þin owyn wo.
Glorious god, for þi mercy
þi wretthe gostly þu slake!
to vs þat leuyn here ful falsly
on-to þi mercy euer vs take!
Now, ihū cryst, oure saueour,
fro vr foo vs defende;
In al oure nede be oure socour
or þat we schul hens wende,
And sende vs grace so to A-mende
þi blysse þat we may come to,
Here to haue so good an ende
þat we be not cause of oure owyn wo.
Amen.