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Min holi fader； certes no。
Bot if I hadde riht good leve；
Such mecherie I thenke leve：
Mi feinte herte wol noght serve；
For malgre wolde I noght deserve
In thilke place wher I love。
Bot for ye tolden hier above
Of Covoitise and his pilage；
If ther be more of that lignage； 6950
Which toucheth to mi schrifte； I preie
That ye therof me wolde seie；
So that I mai the vice eschuie。
Mi Sone； if I be order suie
The vices； as thei stonde arowe；
Of Covoitise thou schalt knowe
Ther is yit on； which is the laste；
In whom ther mai no vertu laste；
For he with god himself debateth；
Wherof that al the hevene him hateth。 6960
The hihe god； which alle goode
Pourveied hath for mannes fode
Of clothes and of mete and drinke；
Bad Adam that he scholde swinke
To geten him his sustienance：
And ek he sette an ordinance
Upon the lawe of Moi5ses；
That though a man be haveles；
Yit schal he noght be thefte stele。
Bot nou adaies ther ben fele； 6970
That wol no labour undertake；
Bot what thei mai be Stelthe take
Thei holde it sikerliche wonne。
And thus the lawe is overronne；
Which god hath set； and namely
With hem that so untrewely
The goodes robbe of holi cherche。
The thefte which thei thanne werche
Be name is cleped Sacrilegge；
Ayein the whom I thenke alegge。 6980
Of his condicion to telle；
Which rifleth bothe bok and belle；
So forth with al the remenant
To goddes hous appourtenant；
Wher that he scholde bidde his bede；
He doth his thefte in holi stede；
And takth what thing he fint therinne：
For whan he seth that he mai winne；
He wondeth for no cursednesse；
That he ne brekth the holinesse 6990
And doth to god no reverence；
For he hath lost his conscience；
That though the Prest therfore curse；
He seith he fareth noght the wurse。
And forto speke it otherwise；
What man that lasseth the franchise
And takth of holi cherche his preie；
I not what bedes he schal preie。
Whan he fro god； which hath yive al；
The Pourpartie in special； 7000
Which unto Crist himself is due；
Benymth； he mai noght wel eschue
The peine comende afterward；
For he hath mad his foreward
With Sacrilegge forto duelle；
Which hath his heritage in helle。
And if we rede of tholde lawe；
I finde write； in thilke dawe
Of Princes hou ther weren thre
Coupable sore in this degre。 7010
That on of hem was cleped thus；
The proude king Antiochus；
That other Nabuzardan hihte；
Which of his crualte behyhte
The temple to destruie and waste；
And so he dede in alle haste；
The thridde； which was after schamed；
Was Nabugodonosor named；
And he Jerusalem putte under；
Of Sacrilegge and many a wonder 7020
There in the holi temple he wroghte；
Which Baltazar his heir aboghte；
Whan Mane； Techel； Phares write
Was on the wal； as thou miht wite；
So as the bible it hath declared。
Bot for al that it is noght spared
Yit nou aday； that men ne pile；
And maken argument and skile
To Sacrilegge as it belongeth；
For what man that ther after longeth； 7030
He takth non hiede what he doth。
And riht so； forto telle soth；
In loves cause if I schal trete；
Ther ben of suche smale and grete：
If thei no leisir fynden elles；
Thei wol noght wonden for the belles；
Ne thogh thei sen the Prest at masse；
That wol thei leten overpasse。
If that thei finde here love there；
Thei stonde and tellen in hire Ere； 7040
And axe of god non other grace；
Whyl thei ben in that holi place；
Bot er thei gon som avantage
Ther wol thei have； and som pilage
Of goodli word or of beheste；
Or elles thei take ate leste
Out of hir hand or ring or glove；
So nyh the weder thei wol love；
As who seith sche schal noght foryete；
Nou I this tokne of hire have gete： 7050
Thus halwe thei the hihe feste。
Such thefte mai no cherche areste；
For al is leveful that hem liketh；
To whom that elles it misliketh。
And ek riht in the selve kinde
In grete Cites men mai finde
This lusti folk； that make it gay；
And waite upon the haliday：
In cherches and in Menstres eke
Thei gon the wommen forto seke； 7060
And wher that such on goth aboute；
Tofore the faireste of the route；
Wher as thei sitten alle arewe；
Ther wol he most his bodi schewe；
His croket kembd and theron set
A Nouche with a chapelet；
Or elles on of grene leves；
Which late com out of the greves；
Al for he scholde seme freissh。
And thus he loketh on the fleissh； 7070
Riht as an hauk which hath a sihte
Upon the foul； ther he schal lihte；
And as he were of faierie；
He scheweth him tofore here yhe
In holi place wher thei sitte；
Al forto make here hertes flitte。
His yhe nawher wole abyde；
Bot loke and prie on every syde
On hire and hire； as him best lyketh：
And otherwhile among he syketh； 7080
Thenkth on of hem； 〃That was for me；〃
And so ther thenken tuo or thre；
And yit he loveth non of alle；
Bot wher as evere his chance falle。
And natheles to seie a soth；
The cause why that he so doth
Is forto stele an herte or tuo；
Out of the cherche er that he go：
And as I seide it hier above；
Al is that Sacrilege of love； 7090
For wel mai be he stelth away
That he nevere after yelde may。
Tell me forthi； my Sone； anon；
Hast thou do Sacrilege； or non；
As I have said in this manere？
Mi fader； as of this matiere
I wole you tellen redely
What I have do； bot trewely
I mai excuse min entente；
That nevere I yit to cherche wente 7100
In such manere as ye me schryve；
For no womman that is on lyve。
The cause why I have it laft
Mai be for I unto that craft
Am nothing able so to stele；
Thogh ther be wommen noght so fele。
Bot yit wol I noght seie this；
Whan I am ther mi ladi is；
In whom lith holly mi querele；
And sche to cherche or to chapele 7110
Wol go to matins or to messe；…
That time I waite wel and gesse；
To cherche I come and there I stonde；
And thogh I take a bok on honde；
Mi contienance is on the bok；
Bot toward hire is al my lok；
And if so falle that I preie
Unto mi god； and somwhat seie
Of Paternoster or of Crede；
Al is for that I wolde spede； 7120
So that mi bede in holi cherche
Ther mihte som miracle werche
Mi ladi herte forto chaunge；
Which evere hath be to me so strange。
So that al mi devocion
And al mi contemplacion
With al min herte and mi corage
Is only set on hire ymage；
And evere I waite upon the tyde。
If sche loke eny thing asyde； 7130
That I me mai of hire avise；
Anon I am with covoitise
So smite； that me were lief
To ben in holi cherche a thief；
Bot noght to stele a vestement；
For that is nothing mi talent；
Bot I wold stele； if that I mihte；
A glad word or a goodly syhte；
And evere mi service I profre；
And namly whan sche wol gon offre； 7140
For thanne I lede hire； if I may；
For somwhat wolde I stele away。
Whan I beclippe hire on the wast；
Yit ate leste I stele a tast；
And otherwhile 〃grant mercy〃
Sche seith； and so winne I therby
A lusti touch； a good word eke；
Bot al the remenant to seke
Is fro mi pourpos wonder ferr。
So mai I seie； as I seide er； 7150
In holy cherche if that I wowe；
My conscience it wolde allowe；
Be so that up amendement
I mihte gete assignement
Wher forto spede in other place：
Such Sacrilege I holde a grace。
And thus； mi fader； soth to seie；
In cherche riht as in the weie；
If I mihte oght of love take；
Such hansell have I noght forsake。 7160
Bot finali I me confesse；
Ther is in me non holinesse；
Whil I hire se in eny stede；
And yit； for oght that evere I dede；
No Sacrilege of hire I tok；
Bot if it were of word or lok；
Or elles if that I hir fredde；
Whan I toward offringe hir ledde；
Take therof what I take may；
For elles bere I noght away： 7170
For thogh I wolde oght elles have；
Alle othre thinges ben so save
And kept with such a privilege；
That I mai do no Sacrilege。
God wot mi wille natheles；
Thogh I mot nedes kepe pes
And malgre myn so let it passe；
Mi will therto is noght the lasse；
If I mihte other wise aweie。
Forthi； mi fader； I you preie； 7180
Tell what you thenketh therupon；
If I therof have gult or non。
Thi will； mi Sone； is forto blame；
The remenant is bot a game；
That I have herd the telle as yit。
Bot tak this lore into thi wit；
That alle thing hath time and stede；
The cherche serveth for the bede；
The chambre is