University of Virginia Library

þane apone þe todir day
a phylosyphere of gret renowne,
þat cratone hecht, gert al be bon,
to schau þam in quhat-kine wyse
þire warldis guddis ar to dyspice,
and þat na man suld haf likyne
to haf riches or ony thinge.
for-þi twa breþir, þat ȝunge ware,
þare heritage sald rycht þare,
and with þe price bocht costly stanis,
and rycht þare brak þam al atanis,
as cratone þam þe sermon mad.
and sancte Iohne, þat þan erand had
ner by, and her[d] quhat wes done,
cratone he callit for-þi sone,
and scheu hym be skillis thre,
þat his lar suld condampynt be.
þane firste, thocht man sic lar vald luf,
ȝet god of hewine sic lare vald reprof.
þe todir, for sic lewynge
of vice is nocht clengit þe thinge;
þare-for, vane thinge Is It I-wis,
as þe medicine þat takine is,
quhare-thru þe seknes na remed
ma haf, bot hastis to þe dede.
þe thryd, for nedful dispysinge
Is quhene man his propre thynge
for goddis sak gyffis powre men,
as he to [þe] ȝunge man cane kene
In þe ewangel, sayand, þat he
ȝarnyt parfyt man for to be,
þat he suld sell [al] þat he had,
and gyf It pouere men but a-bad.
nocht-þane of riches þe haffynge
Is nocht Ill, bot þe Ill spendinge.
þan cratone sad: “gyf þi god be
suthfaste mayster, as þou sais me,
þat wald þat men mad sic varinge
as for almus to sel þare thinge,
ger þu ȝone gold and stanis be
refourmyt in þar firste degre,
In lovinge of þi goddis name,
þat I of men did for þe fame!”
sancte Iohne þan but ony mare
of gold and stanis, þat lay þare,
tuk vpe þe pecis small,
and gerte sovnd to-gyddir all,
[and] be his prayere þar fut-hate
reformyt þam to þe fyrste state.
þane cratone & þe ȝounge men twa
þat gold and stanis vpe can ta,
and sald to gyfe to powre men,
and criste and his law can kene.