University of Virginia Library

Afftur schaltou wite redili
Wȝuche ben seuen werkes of Merci.
Þe furste is, ȝiue þe hungri mete;
Þat oþur, drinke þe þrusti to gete;
Þe þridde, cloþe þe naked bi tymes;
Þe ffeorþe, to herborwe pilgrymes;
Þe ffyfþe, prisons to visyte swete;
Þe Sixte is, cumforte þe seke;
Þe seueþe, in certeyn place we rede,
Þat is to helpe burie þe dede.—

Þen maistou sey in tour and toun:
“I þat am in Religioun,
I naue no pouwer to ȝiue no mete,
Ne drinke ne herborwe to hem gete,
Ne cloþing to hem haue I non,
To visite prisones may I not gon:
I am in oþur monnes pouwer;
Þerfore me were beter seculer,
Þat I mihte do trewely
Alle þeose dedes of Mercy.”

Þenk not þus, I rede þe,
Leste þou her-Inne deseyued be.
Betere hit is to þe in eueri toun
To haue pite and compassioun
In þyn herte in alle weyse
Of hem þat þou seost in Meseyse,
Þen þou heddest al þe world wiþ þe
Hit forth to dele for charite.
Ȝif þi-self, as I sei nou,
And more þen al þe world ȝiuestou
ffor þei þat suffre in alle wyse
Chele, hungur, defaute and Miseise,
Ihesu seiþ wher-so he go
And him-self he clepeþ þo;

Þus he seiþ in his gospel—
Hose wol hit seche, may fynde hit wel:
“What to þe leste of myne don be,
Ȝe hit don al to me.”
Wheþer weor beter or more sen
To Iuge or elles Iugged to ben?
Þerfore to pore make þe liche,
ffor þe pore schul Iugge þe riche;
As vr lord seiþ feire and wel
In his owne goode gospel:
“Ȝe þat alle þynges haue to proue,
Leueþ hem for me and for my loue,
And at þe grete day of dome,
Whon I schal sitten in my trone—
ffor þere þo men schul me se
In þe Seete of my Maieste—
Þei schul sitte on twelf seges wel
And Iugge þe twelf kuyndes of Israel.”
Wheþer weore hit better at þe leste
Haue heuene in possession or in bi-heste?
ffor þus seiþ God, witeþ wel,
In his holy Godspel:
“Blesset mote þe pore of spirit be,
ffor heoren is heuene,” as I sei þe.
He seiþ not þus in his steuen
Heoren “schal beo” þe kyngdam of heuen,
But he hem doþ to vndurstonde
Þei ben in possessiun and in honde.
Seint Bernard in a sarmoun seiþ euen:
“Þe pore naþ not in erþe, ne riche in heuen.”

And ȝif þe riche wol heuene haue,
At þe pore he mot hit buye and craue.—
Nou is hit good for to sen
Wȝuche þat verreylich pore ben,
And also þulke oþere iliche
Wȝuche þei ben, þat ben cleped riche.
Summe ben þat han riches þikke
And hem louen wiþ al heor witte:
Þo ben þis riche gredi men,
And euer coueyten þe world þen.

Oþur þer ben in dede and þouȝt
Wolde be riche, but þei may nouȝt;
ffor and þei hadden worldus good,
Þei wolden hit loue as þei were wod:
Þulke ben þeose, soþ to telle,
Þe caytyf beggers þat nouȝwher wol dwelle,
But euer þei reyken aboute to craue,
Al þat þei seon þei wolde hit haue;
Also wiþ hem sette we moun
Þis fals folk of Religioun.
Þeos ben as riche in vnquerte
As þeos oþure and as proude of herte;
Crist spekeþ of hem in þe gospelle
And þus þe wordus doþ he telle:
“A Chamayle mihte beter pase
Þorwh anelde yȝe þenne in case,
Þen miht such a riche mon
In heuene come to þat kyndom.”

Summen þat richesse is to brouht,
Han hit, but þei louen hit nouht,
But neuerþeles, þe soþ to saue,
ffayn þei ben riches to haue:
Þos ben þese, to seye ow here,
Þe goode men of þe world so dere,
Þat al heore richesse wol dispende
ffor loue of god þat hit sende.
Bote þe more harm is forþi,
Suche ben fewe, witerli!

Oþur þer ben, soþ hit is,
Þat haue not of þis worldus blis
Ne no þing þerof doþ craue
Ne nolde not, þauh þeiȝ mihte, hit haue:
Þis ben holy religious þerfore
And oþure, þat mai wel beo cald pore;
Heoren is þe Ioye euerlastonde
Wiþ god and wiþ godus sonde.
Þen may we here-of nou say:
“Blesset beo þe pore in spirit ay,
ffor heoren is þe kyndom
Þer as dwelleþ God and Mon.”

Þenne drede we on þat oþur syde
Leste þe wariing hem bi-tyde,
To þis ilke riche men,
Leste þei schulle in helle bren.
Pore þei ben in heor herte
Þat ben pore and louen pouerte,
And þei ben pore in querte
Þat han riches and louen pouerte.