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A man which feigneth conscience；
As thogh it were al innocence；
Withoute； and is noght so withinne；
And doth so for he wolde winne
Of his desir the vein astat。
And whanne he comth anon therat； 600
He scheweth thanne what he was；
The corn is torned into gras；
That was a Rose is thanne a thorn；
And he that was a Lomb beforn
Is thanne a Wolf； and thus malice
Under the colour of justice
Is hid； and as the poeple telleth；
These ordres witen where he duelleth；
As he that of here conseil is；
And thilke world which thei er this 610
Forsoken； he drawth in ayein：
He clotheth richesse； as men sein；
Under the simplesce of poverte；
And doth to seme of gret decerte
Thing which is litel worth withinne：
He seith in open； fy！ to Sinne；
And in secre ther is no vice
Of which that he nis a Norrice：
And evere his chiere is sobre and softe；
And where he goth he blesseth ofte； 620
Wherof the blinde world he dreccheth。
Bot yet al only he ne streccheth
His reule upon religioun；
Bot next to that condicioun
In suche as clepe hem holy cherche
It scheweth ek how he can werche
Among tho wyde furred hodes；
To geten hem the worldes goodes。
And thei hemself ben thilke same
That setten most the world in blame； 630
Bot yet in contraire of her lore
Ther is nothing thei loven more；
So that semende of liht thei werke
The dedes whiche are inward derke。
And thus this double Ypocrisie
With his devolte apparantie
A viser set upon his face；
Wherof toward this worldes grace
He semeth to be riht wel thewed；
And yit his herte is al beschrewed。 640
Bot natheles he stant believed；
And hath his pourpos ofte achieved
Of worschipe and of worldes welthe；
And takth it； as who seith； be stelthe
Thurgh coverture of his fallas。
And riht so in semblable cas
This vice hath ek his officers
Among these othre seculers
Of grete men； for of the smale
As for tacompte he set no tale； 650
Bot thei that passen the comune
With suche him liketh to comune；
And where he seith he wol socoure
The poeple； there he woll devoure；
For now aday is manyon
Which spekth of Peter and of John
And thenketh Judas in his herte。
Ther schal no worldes good asterte
His hond； and yit he yifth almesse
And fasteth ofte and hiereth Messe： 660
With mea culpa； which he seith；
Upon his brest fullofte he leith
His hond； and cast upward his yhe；
As thogh he Cristes face syhe；
So that it seemeth ate syhte；
As he al one alle othre myhte
Rescoue with his holy bede。
Bot yet his herte in other stede
Among hise bedes most devoute
Goth in the worldes cause aboute； 670
How that he myhte his warisoun
Encresce。 And in comparisoun
Ther ben lovers of such a sort；
That feignen hem an humble port；
And al is bot Ypocrisie；
Which with deceipte and flaterie
Hath many a worthi wif beguiled。
For whanne he hath his tunge affiled；
With softe speche and with lesinge；
Forth with his fals pitous lokynge； 680
He wolde make a womman wene
To gon upon the faire grene；
Whan that sche falleth in the Mir。
For if he may have his desir；
How so falle of the remenant；
He halt no word of covenant；
Bot er the time that he spede；
Ther is no sleihte at thilke nede；
Which eny loves faitour mai；
That he ne put it in assai； 690
As him belongeth forto done。
The colour of the reyni Mone
With medicine upon his face
He set； and thanne he axeth grace；
As he which hath sieknesse feigned。
Whan his visage is so desteigned；
With yhe upcast on hire he siketh；
And many a contenance he piketh；
To bringen hire in to believe
Of thing which that he wolde achieve； 700
Wherof he berth the pale hewe；
And for he wolde seme trewe；
He makth him siek； whan he is heil。
Bot whanne he berth lowest the Seil；
Thanne is he swiftest to beguile
The womman； which that ilke while
Set upon him feith or credence。
Mi Sone； if thou thi conscience
Entamed hast in such a wise；
In schrifte thou thee myht avise 710
And telle it me； if it be so。
Min holy fader； certes no。
As forto feigne such sieknesse
It nedeth noght； for this witnesse
I take of god； that my corage
Hath ben mor siek than my visage。
And ek this mai I wel avowe；
So lowe cowthe I nevere bowe
To feigne humilite withoute；
That me ne leste betre loute 720
With alle the thoghtes of myn herte；
For that thing schal me nevere asterte；
I speke as to my lady diere；
To make hire eny feigned chiere。
God wot wel there I lye noght；
Mi chiere hath be such as my thoght；
For in good feith； this lieveth wel；
Mi will was betre a thousendel
Than eny chiere that I cowthe。
Bot； Sire； if I have in my yowthe 730
Don other wise in other place；
I put me therof in your grace：
For this excusen I ne schal；
That I have elles overal
To love and to his compaignie
Be plein withoute Ypocrisie；
Bot ther is on the which I serve；
Althogh I may no thonk deserve；
To whom yet nevere into this day
I seide onlyche or ye or nay； 740
Bot if it so were in my thoght。
As touchende othre seie I noght
That I nam somdel forto wyte
Of that ye clepe an ypocrite。
Mi Sone； it sit wel every wiht
To kepe his word in trowthe upryht
Towardes love in alle wise。
For who that wolde him wel avise
What hath befalle in this matiere；
He scholde noght with feigned chiere 750
Deceive Love in no degre。
To love is every herte fre；
Bot in deceipte if that thou feignest
And therupon thi lust atteignest；
That thow hast wonne with thi wyle；
Thogh it thee like for a whyle；
Thou schalt it afterward repente。
And forto prove myn entente；
I finde ensample in a Croniqe
Of hem that love so beswike。 760
It fell be olde daies thus；
Whil themperour Tiberius
The Monarchie of Rome ladde；
Ther was a worthi Romein hadde
A wif； and sche Pauline hihte；
Which was to every mannes sihte
Of al the Cite the faireste；
And as men seiden； ek the beste。
It is and hath ben evere yit；
That so strong is no mannes wit； 770
Which thurgh beaute ne mai be drawe
To love； and stonde under the lawe
Of thilke bore frele kinde；
Which makth the hertes yhen blinde；
Wher no reson mai be comuned：
And in this wise stod fortuned
This tale； of which I wolde mene；
This wif； which in hire lustes grene
Was fair and freissh and tendre of age；
Sche may noght lette the corage 780
Of him that wole on hire assote。
Ther was a Duck； and he was hote
Mundus； which hadde in his baillie
To lede the chivalerie
Of Rome； and was a worthi knyht；
Bot yet he was noght of such myht
The strengthe of love to withstonde；
That he ne was so broght to honde；
That malgre wher he wole or no；
This yonge wif he loveth so； 790
That he hath put al his assay
To wynne thing which he ne may
Gete of hire graunt in no manere；
Be yifte of gold ne be preiere。
And whanne he syh that be no mede
Toward hir love he myhte spede；
Be sleyhte feigned thanne he wroghte；
And therupon he him bethoghte
How that ther was in the Cite
A temple of such auctorite； 800
To which with gret Devocioun
The noble wommen of the toun
Most comunliche a pelrinage
Gon forto preie thilke ymage
Which the godesse of childinge is；
And cleped was be name Ysis：
And in hire temple thanne were；
To reule and to ministre there
After the lawe which was tho；
Above alle othre Prestes tuo。 810
This Duck； which thoghte his love gete；
Upon a day hem tuo to mete
Hath bede； and thei come at his heste；
Wher that thei hadde a riche feste；
And after mete in prive place
This lord； which wolde his thonk pourchace；
To ech of hem yaf thanne a yifte；
And spak so that be weie of schrifte
He drowh hem unto his covine；
To helpe and schape how he Pauline 820
After his lust deceive myhte。
And thei here trowthes bothe plyhte；
That thei be nyhte hire scholden wynne
Into the temple； and he therinne
Schal have of hire al his entente：
And thus acorded forth thei wente。
Now lest thurgh which ypocrisie
Ordeigned was the tricherie；
Wherof this ladi was deceived。
These Prestes hadden wel conceived 830
That sche was of gret holinesse；
And with a contrefet simplesse；
Which hid was in a fals corage；
Feignende an hevenely message
Thei come and seide unto hir thus：
〃Pauline； the god Anubus
Hath sent ous bothe Prestes hiere；
And seith he woll to thee appiere