God is much in the gorge of these great masters;
But amongst mean men His mercy and His works.

HAWKIN, THE ACTIVE MAN.

Passus X.

And, as they1 went by the way, of Do-well they carped.2 They met with a minstrel,3 as me then thought.

Patience opposed him first, and prayed him he should them tell

To Conscience what craft he couth and to what country he wold.5

"I am a minstrel," quoth that man: "my name is Activa Vita:

All idle I hate, for of Active is my name:

A waferer, will ye wit, and serve many lordes,

And few robes I fonge, or furred gowns.

Couth I lie to do men laugh, then latchen 10 I should

Other mantel or money amongst lordes minstrels ;

11

But, for I can neither tabor ne trump ne tell none gestes, 12

Ne neither sailly ne saute 13 ne sing with the ghitern,

I have none good giftes of these great lordes

For no bread that I bring forth, save a benison on the Sunday.

I find pain 14 for the Pope, and provender for his palfrey; And I had never of him,-have God my truth !— Neither provender ne parsonage yet of the Pope's gift, Save a pardon with a peise of lead and two pollis 15 amid ! Had I a clerk that could write, I would cast him a bill 16 That he sent me under his seal a salve for the pestilence, And that his blessing and his bulls botches might destroy. And then would I be priest to the people, paste for to make, And buxom and busy about bread and drink."

17

I took good keep, by Christ, and Conscience bothe, Of Hawkin, the Active Man, and how he was y-clothed. He had a coat of Christendom, as Holy Kirk believeth ; But it was moled 18 in many places with many sundry plottes,19 Of pride here a plot, and here a plot of unbuxom speeche, Of scorning and of scoffing and of unskilful bearing;

1 Conscience and Patience, who have set out as pilgrims to reform the world. 3 Serving-man. 4 Knew. 5 Would go.

2 Talked.

6 Idleness.

7 Baker. 8 Get, acquire. 9 If I knew how to tell lies to make men laugh. 10 I should get either clothes or money, etc. 11 Play on the tabour or horn. 12 Stories. 13 Leap and jump. 14 Bread. 15 A pardon with the Pope's seal appended.

16 Send him a letter requesting.

As in apparel and in port proud amongst the people,
Otherwise than he hath with heart or sight shewing;

Him willing that all men weened he were that he is not,
For-why he boasteth and braggeth with many bold oathes. . . .
And, if he giveth ought to poor gomes,1 tell what he dealeth;
Poor of possession in purse and in coffer,

And as a lion on to look, and lordly of speech,
Boldest of beggars, a boaster that nought hath,

In town and in taverns tales to telle,

And say things that he never saw and forsooth swearen it;
Of deeds that he never did deemen and boasten,
And of works that he well did witness and seggen-
"Lo! If ye lieve 2 me not, or that I lie weenen,3
Axeth at him, or at him, and he you can telle
What I suffered and seighe, and sometimes hadde,
And what I couthe and knew, and what kin I come of."
All he would that men wist of works and of wordes
Which might please the people and praisen himselven.
"By Christ!" quoth Conscience then, "thy best coat, Hawkin,
Hath many moles and spottes: it must ben y-washed."

5

"Yea, who so took heed,” quoth Hawkin, “behind and before,

What on back, and what on body-half, and by the two sides, Men should find many frounces and many foul plots."

And he turned him as tite, and then took I heed

It was fouler by felefold than it first seemed.
It was be-dropped with wrathe and wicked will,
With envy, and evil speech enticing to fight,
Lying and laughing and leve tongue to chide;
All that he wist wicked by 10 any wight, tellen it,

And blame men behind their back, and bidden them mischance; 11

And that he wist by Will, tellen it Wat;12

And that Wat wist, Will wist it after;

And made of friends foes through a false tongue.

Thus Hawkin, the Active Man, had y-soiled his coat,

Till Conscience acouped 13 him thereof in a curteis manner, Why he ne had washen it, or wiped it with a brush?

"I have but one suit," quoth Hawkin: "I am the less to

blame

8 Manifold. 9 Knew.

6 And do himself credit.

10 Concerning.

I sleep therein on

4 Saw.

7 Quickly.

11 Wish them ill-luck.

God is much in the gorge of these great masters;
But amongst mean men His mercy and His works.

HAWKIN, THE ACTIVE MAN.

Passus X.

And, as they1 went by the way, of Do-well they carped.2 They met with a minstrel,3 as me then thought.

Patience opposed him first, and prayed him he should them tell

To Conscience what craft he couth and to what country he wold.5

"I am a minstrel," quoth that man: "my name is Activa Vita:

All idle I hate, for of Active is my name :

A waferer, will ye wit, and serve many lordes,

And few robes I fonge, or furred gowns.

Couth I lie to do men laugh, then latchen 10 I should

Other mantel or money amongst lordes minstrels ;

But, for I can neither tabor ne trump 11 ne tell none gestes,12

...

Ne neither sailly ne saute 13 ne sing with the ghitern,

I have none good giftes of these great lordes

For no bread that I bring forth, save a benison on the Sunday.

I find pain 14 for the Pope, and provender for his palfrey; And I had never of him,-have God my truth !— Neither provender ne parsonage yet of the Pope's gift, Save a pardon with a peise of lead and two pollis 15 amid ! Had I a clerk that could write, I would cast him a bill 16 That he sent me under his seal a salve for the pestilence, And that his blessing and his bulls botches might destroy. And then would I be priest to the people, paste for to make, And buxom and busy about bread and drink.”

17

I took good keep, by Christ, and Conscience bothe, Of Hawkin, the Active Man, and how he was y-clothed. He had a coat of Christendom, as Holy Kirk believeth; But it was moled 18 in many places with many sundry plottes,19 Of pride here a plot, and here a plot of unbuxom speeche, Of scorning and of scoffing and of unskilful bearing;

5 Would go.

6 Idleness.

1 Conscience and Patience, who have set out as pilgrims to reform the world. 2 Talked. 3 Serving-man. 4 Knew. 7 Baker. 8 Get, acquire. 9 If I knew how to tell lies to make men laugh. 10 I should get either clothes or money, etc. 11 Play on the tabour or horn.

12 Stories.

13 Leap and jump.

15 A pardon with the Pope's seal appended.

14 Bread.

16 Send him a letter requesting.

As in apparel and in port proud amongst the people,
Otherwise than he hath with heart or sight shewing;
Him willing that all men weened he were that he is not,
For-why he boasteth and braggeth with many bold oathes. . . .
And, if he giveth ought to poor gomes,1 tell what he dealeth;
Poor of possession in purse and in coffer,

And as a lion on to look, and lordly of speech,
Boldest of beggars, a boaster that nought hath,
In town and in taverns tales to telle,

And say things that he never saw and forsooth swearen it;
Of deeds that he never did deemen and boasten,
And of works that he well did witness and
seggen-
"Lo! If ye lieve2 me not, or that I lie weenen,3
Axeth at him, or at him, and he you can telle
What I suffered and seighe, and sometimes hadde,
And what I couthe and knew, and what kin I come of."
All he would that men wist of works and of wordes
Which might please the people and praisen himselven.
"By Christ!" quoth Conscience then, "thy best coat, Hawkin,
Hath many moles and spottes: it must ben y-washed."

"Yea, who so took heed," quoth Hawkin, "behind and before,

What on back, and what on body-half, and by the two sides, Men should find many frounces and many foul plots."

And he turned him as tite, and then took I heed

It was fouler by felefold than it first seemed.
It was be-dropped with wrathe and wicked will,
With envy, and evil speech enticing to fight,
Lying and laughing and leve tongue to chide;
All that he wist wicked by 10 any wight, tellen it,

And blame men behind their back, and bidden them mischance; 11

And that he wist by Will, tellen it Wat;12

And that Wat wist, Will wist it after;

And made of friends foes through a false tongue.

Thus Hawkin, the Active Man, had y-soiled his coat,

Till Conscience acouped 13 him thereof in a curteis manner, Why he ne had washen it, or wiped it with a brush?

"I have but one suit," quoth Hawkin: "I am the less to

10 Concerning.

And also I have an houswife, hewen,1 and children,
That wollen bimolen2 it many time maugre my cheekes 13
It hath been laved, in Lent and out of Lent both,
With the soap of sickness that seeketh wonder deepe,
And with the loss of chattel.5 . . .

And couth I never, by Christ, keepen it clean an hour,
That I ne soiled it with sight or some idle speeche,

Or through work, or through word, or will of mine heart,
That I ne flober it foule, fro morrow till eve.”

"And I shall ken' thee," quoth Conscience, "of contrition to make

That shall claw thy coat of alkinnes filth ;

Dowell shall washen it and wringen it through a wise con

fessor;

Dobet shall beaten it and bouken it as bright as any scarlet, And ingrainen it with good will and God's grace to amend

thee,

And sithen1o send thee to Satisfaction for to sewen it after :
Shall never mist bimolen11 it, ne moth after biten it,

Ne fiend ne false man defoulen it in thy life;
Shall none herald ne harper have a fairer garment
Than Hawkin, the Active Man, and thou do my teaching;
Ne no minstrel be more worth amongst poor and rich,
Than Hawkin's wife, the waferer, which is Activa Vita."
Passus XIII. and XIV.

GOD'S MINSTRELS.

Clerkes and knightes welcometh12 kings' minstrels, And for love of the lord litheth 13 them at feastes.

Much more, methinketh, riche men shoulde

Have beggars before them, the which been God's minstrels.... Forthy,14 I rede you rich, revels when 15

ye maketh

For to solace your souls, such minstrels to have:

The poor for a fol-sage1é sitting at the high table,

And a leared man to lear theel what our Lord suffered,

For to save thy soul from Satan thine enemy,

And fithel18 thee, without flattering, of Good Friday the

story;

1 Servants. 2 Soil.

3 In spite of me.

4 Washed.

5 Wealth.

9 Beat and dye. 10 Afterwards.

6 Morning. 7 Teach. 8 All kind of.
12 They welcome (old south-English plural ending),

11 Stain.

13 Entertain.

14 Therefore.

15 I counsel you rich folk.