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This Cardinal the same while
Al openly with wordes pleine
Seith； if the Pope wolde ordeigne 2920
That ther be such a lawe wroght；
Than mihte he cesse； and elles noght。
And as he seide； don it was；
The Pope anon upon the cas
Of his Papal Autorite
Hath mad and yove the decre：
And whan that lawe was confermed
In due forme and al affermed；
This innocent； which was deceived；
His Papacie anon hath weyved； 2930
Renounced and resigned eke。
That other was nothing to seke；
Bot undernethe such a jape
He hath so for himselve schape；
That how as evere it him beseme；
The Mitre with the Diademe
He hath thurgh Supplantacion：
And in his confirmacion
Upon the fortune of his grace
His name is cleped Boneface。 2940
Under the viser of Envie；
Lo； thus was hid the tricherie；
Which hath beguiled manyon。
Bot such conseil ther mai be non；
With treson whan it is conspired；
That it nys lich the Sparke fyred
Up in the Rof； which for a throwe
Lith hidd； til whan the wyndes blowe
It blaseth out on every side。
This Bonefas； which can noght hyde 2950
The tricherie of his Supplant；
Hath openly mad his avant
How he the Papacie hath wonne。
Bot thing which is with wrong begonne
Mai nevere stonde wel at ende；
Wher Pride schal the bowe bende；
He schet fulofte out of the weie：
And thus the Pope of whom I seie；
Whan that he stod on hih the whiel；
He can noght soffre himself be wel。 2960
Envie； which is loveles；
And Pride； which is laweles；
With such tempeste made him erre；
That charite goth out of herre：
So that upon misgovernance
Ayein Lowyz the king of France
He tok querelle of his oultrage；
And seide he scholde don hommage
Unto the cherche bodily。
Bot he； that wiste nothing why 2970
He scholde do so gret servise
After the world in such a wise；
Withstod the wrong of that demande；
For noght the Pope mai comande
The king wol noght the Pope obeie。
This Pope tho be alle weie
That he mai worche of violence
Hath sent the bulle of his sentence
With cursinge and with enterdit。
The king upon this wrongful plyt； 2980
To kepe his regne fro servage；
Conseiled was of his Barnage
That miht with miht schal be withstonde。
Thus was the cause take on honde；
And seiden that the Papacie
Thei wolde honoure and magnefie
In al that evere is spirital；
Bot thilke Pride temporal
Of Boneface in his persone；
Ayein that ilke wrong al one 2990
Thei wolde stonden in debat：
And thus the man and noght the stat
The Frensche schopen be her miht
To grieve。 And fell ther was a kniht；
Sire Guilliam de Langharet；
Which was upon this cause set；
And therupon he tok a route
Of men of Armes and rod oute；
So longe and in a wayt he lay；
That he aspide upon a day 3000
The Pope was at Avinoun；
And scholde ryde out of the toun
Unto Pontsorge； the which is
A Castell in Provence of his。
Upon the weie and as he rod；
This kniht； which hoved and abod
Embuisshed upon horse bak；
Al sodeinliche upon him brak
And hath him be the bridel sesed；
And seide： 〃O thou； which hast desesed 3010
The Court of France be thi wrong；
Now schalt thou singe an other song：
Thin enterdit and thi sentence
Ayein thin oghne conscience
Hierafter thou schalt fiele and grope。
We pleigne noght ayein the Pope；
For thilke name is honourable；
Bot thou； which hast be deceivable
And tricherous in al thi werk；
Thou Bonefas； thou proude clerk； 3020
Misledere of the Papacie；
Thi false bodi schal abye
And soffre that it hath deserved。〃
Lo； thus the Supplantour was served；
For thei him ladden into France
And setten him to his penance
Withinne a tour in harde bondes；
Wher he for hunger bothe hise hondes
Eet of and deide； god wot how：
Of whom the wrytinge is yit now 3030
Registred； as a man mai hiere；
Which spekth and seith in this manere：
Thin entre lich the fox was slyh；
Thi regne also with pride on hih
Was lich the Leon in his rage；
Bot ate laste of thi passage
Thi deth was to the houndes like。
Such is the lettre of his Cronique
Proclamed in the Court of Rome；
Wherof the wise ensample nome。 3040
And yit； als ferforth as I dar；
I rede alle othre men be war；
And that thei loke wel algate
That non his oghne astat translate
Of holi cherche in no degree
Be fraude ne soubtilite：
For thilke honour which Aaron tok
Schal non receive； as seith the bok；
Bot he be cleped as he was。
What I schal thenken in this cas 3050
Of that I hiere now aday；
I not： bot he which can and may；
Be reson bothe and be nature
The help of every mannes cure；
He kepe Simon fro the folde。
For Joachim thilke Abbot tolde
How suche daies scholden falle；
That comunliche in places alle
The Chapmen of such mercerie
With fraude and with Supplantarie 3060
So manye scholden beie and selle；
That he ne may for schame telle
So foul a Senne in mannes Ere。
Bot god forbiede that it were
In oure daies that he seith：
For if the Clerc beware his feith
In chapmanhod at such a feire；
The remenant mot nede empeire
Of al that to the world belongeth；
For whan that holi cherche wrongeth； 3070
I not what other thing schal rihte。
And natheles at mannes sihte
Envie forto be preferred
Hath conscience so differred；
That noman loketh to the vice
Which is the Moder of malice；
And that is thilke false Envie；
Which causeth many a tricherie；
For wher he may an other se
That is mor gracious than he； 3080
It schal noght stonden in his miht
Bot if he hindre such a wiht：
And that is welnyh overal；
This vice is now so general。
Envie thilke unhapp indrowh；
Whan Joab be deceipte slowh
Abner； for drede he scholde be
With king David such as was he。
And thurgh Envie also it fell
Of thilke false Achitofell； 3090
For his conseil was noght achieved；
Bot that he sih Cusy believed
With Absolon and him forsake；
He heng himself upon a stake。
Senec witnesseth openly
How that Envie proprely
Is of the Court the comun wenche；
And halt taverne forto schenche
That drink which makth the herte brenne；
And doth the wit aboute renne； 3100
Be every weie to compasse
How that he mihte alle othre passe；
As he which thurgh unkindeschipe
Envieth every felaschipe；
So that thou miht wel knowe and se；
Ther is no vice such as he；
Ferst toward godd abhominable；
And to mankinde unprofitable：
And that be wordes bot a fewe
I schal be reson prove and schewe。 3110
Envie if that I schal descrive；
He is noght schaply forto wyve
In Erthe among the wommen hiere；
For ther is in him no matiere
Wherof he mihte do plesance。
Ferst for his hevy continance
Of that he semeth evere unglad；
He is noght able to ben had；
And ek he brenneth so withinne；
That kinde mai no profit winne； 3120
Wherof he scholde his love plese：
For thilke blod which scholde have ese
To regne among the moiste veines；
Is drye of thilke unkendeli peines
Thurgh whiche Envie is fyred ay。
And thus be reson prove I may
That toward love Envie is noght；
And otherwise if it be soght；
Upon what side as evere it falle；
It is the werste vice of alle； 3130
Which of himself hath most malice。
For understond that every vice
Som cause hath； wherof it groweth；
Bot of Envie noman knoweth
Fro whenne he cam bot out of helle。
For thus the wise clerkes telle；
That no spirit bot of malice
Be weie of kinde upon a vice
Is tempted； and be such a weie
Envie hath kinde put aweie 3140
And of malice hath his steringe；
Wherof he makth his bakbitinge；
And is himself therof desesed。
So mai ther be no kinde plesed；
For ay the mor that he envieth；
The more ayein himself he plieth。
Thus stant Envie in good espeir
To ben himself the develes heir；
As he which is his nexte liche
And forthest fro the heveneriche； 3150
For there mai he nevere wone。
Forthi； my goode diere Sone；
If thou wolt finde a siker weie
To love； put Envie aweie。
Min holy fader； reson wolde
That I this vice eschuie scholde：
Bot yit to strengthe mi corage；
If that ye wolde in avantage
Therof sette a recoverir；
It were tome a gret desir； 3160
That I this vice mihte flee。
Nou understond； my Sone； and se；
Ther is phisique for the seke；
And vertus for the vices eke。
Who that the vices wolde eschuie；
He mot be resoun thanne suie
The vertus； for be thilke weie
He mai the vice