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Passus viijusoctauus de visione & primus de Dowel

Thus yrobed in russet . I romed aboute
Al a somer seson . for to seke dowel
And frayned ful ofte . of folk þat I mette
W.8.4KD.8.4
If any wiȝt wiste . wher dowel was at Inne
And what man he myȝte be . of many man I asked

Was neuere wiȝt as I wente . þat me wisse kouþe
Where þis leode lenged . lasse ne moore
W.8.8KD.8.8
Til it bifel on a Friday . two freres I mette
Maistres of þe Menours . men of grete witte
I hailsed hem hendely . as I hadde y-lerned
And preide hem par charite . er þei passed ferþer
W.8.12KD.8.12
If þei knewe any contree . or costes as þei wente
Where þat dowel dwelleþ . dooþ me to witene
For þei be men of þis moolde . þat moost wide walken
And knowen contrees and courtes . and many kynnes places
W.8.16KD.8.16
Boþe princes paleises . and pouere mennes cotes
And dowel and doyuele . wher þei dwelle boþe

Amonges vs quod þe Menours . þat man is dwellynge
And euere haþ as I hope . and euere shal her-after

W.8.20KD.8.20
Contra quod I as a clerc . and comsed to disputen
And seide hem sooþly . Sepcies in die cadit Iustus           W.8.21:nota

Seuene siþes seiþ þe book . synneþ þe rightfulle
And who-so synneþ I seide . dooþ yuele as me þynkeþ
W.8.24KD.8.23
And dowel and doyuele . mowe noȝt dwelle togideres
Ergo he nys noȝt alwey . amonges yow freres
He is ouþerwhile ellis-where . to wisse þe peple

I shal seye þee my sone . seide þe frere þanne
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How seuen siþes þe sadde man . on a day synneþ
By a forbisne quod þe frere . I shal þee faire shewe
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Lat brynge a man in a boot . amydde þe brode watre           W.8.30:nota
The wynd and þe water . and þe boot waggyng           W.8.31:nota
W.8.32KD.8.31
Makeþ þe man many a tyme . to falle and to stonde           W.8.32:nota
For stonde he neuer so stif . he stumbleþ if he meue           W.8.33:nota
Ac yet is he saaf and sound . and so hym bihoueþ           W.8.34:nota
For if he ne arise þe raþer . and rauȝte to þe steere           W.8.35:nota
W.8.36KD.8.35
The wynd wolde wiþ þe water . þe boot ouer-þrowe           W.8.36:nota
And þanne were his lif lost . þoruȝ lachesse of hym-selue           W.8.37:nota

And þus it falleþ quod þe frere . by folk here on erþe           W.8.38:nota
The water is likned to þe world . þat wanyeþ and wexeþ           W.8.39:nota
W.8.40KD.8.39
The goodes of þis grounde arn lik . to þe grete wawes           W.8.40:nota
That as wyndes and wedres . walkeþ aboute           W.8.41:nota
The boot is likned to oure body . þat brotel is of kynde           W.8.42:nota
That þoruȝ þe fend and þe flessh . and þe frele worlde           W.8.43:nota
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Synneþ þe sadde man . a day seuen siþes           W.8.44:nota

Ac dedly synne doþ he noȝt . for dowel hym kepeþ
And þat is charite þe champion . chief help ayein synne
For he strengþeþ menW.8.47: W alone reads men; other B manuscripts have man. to stonde . and steereþ mannes soule
W.8.48KD.8.47
And þouȝ þe body bowe . as boot dooþ in þe watre           W.8.48:nota
Ay is þi soule saaf . but if þow wole þi-selueW.8.49:W alone reads þow wole þi-selue; most other B manuscripts read thiself woll, although CrS have thou wylt thyselfe and M has þou þiseluen wole.           W.8.49:nota
Do a deedly synne . and drenche so þi soule
God wole suffre wel þi sleuþe . if þi-self likeþ
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For he yaf þee a yeresȝyue . to yeme wel þi-selue           W.8.52:nota
And þat is wit and free wil . to euery wiȝt a porcion           W.8.53:nota
To fleynge foweles . to fisshes and to beestes           W.8.54:nota
Ac man haþ moost þer-of . and moost is to blame           W.8.55:nota
W.8.56KD.8.56
But if he werche wel þer-wiþ . as dowel hym techeþ           W.8.56:nota

I haue no kynde knowyng quod I . to conceyuen alle youre wordes
Ac if I may lyue and loke . I shal go lerne bettre

I bikenne þee crist quod he . þat on cros deyde
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W.8.60KD.8.60
And I seide þe same . saue yow fro myschaunce
And ȝyue yow grace on þis grounde . goode men to worþe

ANd þus I wente wide-wher . walkyng myn one
By a wilde wildernesse . and by a wodes side
W.8.64KD.8.64
Blisse of þe briddes . brouȝte me aslepe           W.8.64:nota
And vnder a lynde vp-on a launde . lened I a stounde
To lyþe þe layes . þo louely foweles made
Murþe of hire mouþes . made me þer to slepleslepe           W.8.67:nota
W.8.68KD.8.68
The merueillouseste metels . mette me þanne
That euer dremed wiȝt . in world as I wene

A muche man as me þouȝte . and lik to my-selue
Cam and called me . by my kynde name

W.8.72KD.8.72
What artow quod I þo . þat þow my name knowest

That þow woost wel quod he . and no wiȝt bettre

Woot I what þow art . þouȝt seide he þanne
I haue sued þee þis seuen yeer . seye þow me no raþer

W.8.76KD.8.76
Artow þouȝt quod I þoo . þow koudest me wisse
Where þat dowel dwelleþ . and do me þat to knowe

Dowel and dobet . and dobest þe þridde quod he           W.8.78:nota
Arn þre faire vertues . and ben noȝt fer to fynde           W.8.79:nota
W.8.80KD.8.80-81
Who-so is trewe of his tunge . and of his two handes           W.8.80:nota
And þoruȝ his labour . or þoruȝ his land . his liflode wynneþ           W.8.81:nota
And is trusty of his tailende . takeþ but his owene           W.8.82:nota
And is noȝt dronkelewe ne dedeynous . dowel hym folweþ           W.8.83:nota

W.8.84KD.8.85
Dobet dooþ riȝt þus . ac he dooþ muche moore
He is as lowe as a lomb . and louelich of speche           W.8.85:nota
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And helpeþ alle men . after þat hem nedeþ
The bagges and þe bigirdles . he haþ to-broke hem alle
W.8.88KD.8.89
That þe Erl Auarous . heeld and hise heires
And þus wiþ Mammonaes moneie . he haþ maad hym frendes
And is ronne to Religion . and haþ rendred þe bible
And precheþ to þe peple . Seint Poules wordes

W.8.92KD.8.93
Libenter suffertis insipientes . cum sitis ipsi sapientes

And suffreþ þe vnwise . wiþ yow for to libbe           W.8.93:nota
And wiþ glad wille dooþ hem good . for so god yow hoteþ

Dobest is aboue boþe . and bereþ a bisshopes crosse
W.8.96KD.8.97
Is hoked on þat oon ende . to halie men fro helle
A pik is on þat potente . to putte adown þe wikked
That waiten any wikkednesse . dowel to tene
And dowel and dobet . amonges hem han ordeyned
W.8.100KD.8.101
To crowne oon to be kyng . to rulen hem boþe
That if dowel or dobet . dide ayein dobest
Thanne shal þe kyng come . and casten hem in Irens
And but if dobest bede for hem . þei to be þer for euere

W.8.104KD.8.107
Thus dowel and dobet . and dobest þe þridde
Crouned oon to be kyng . to kepen hem alle
And to rule þe Reme . by hire þre wittes
And noon ooþer wise . but as þei þre assented

W.8.108KD.8.111
I þonked þoȝt þo . þat he me þus tauȝte
Ac yet sauoreþ me noȝt þi seying . I coueite to lerne
How dowel . dobet . and dobest . doon among þe peple

But wit konne wisse þee quod þoȝt . where þo þre dwelle
W.8.112KD.8.116
Ellis woot I noon þat kan . þat now is alyue
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Thoȝt and I þus . þre daies we yeden
Disputyng vp-on dowel . day after ooþer
And er we were war . wiþ wit gonne we mete
W.8.116KD.8.120
He was long and lene . lik to noon ooþer
Was no pride on his apparaille . ne pouerte neiþer           W.8.117:nota
Sad of his semblaunt . and of softe chere           W.8.118:nota
I dorste meue no matere . to maken hym to Iangle
W.8.120KD.8.124
But as I bad þoȝt þoo . be mene bitwene
And pute forþ som purpos . to preuen hise wittes
What was Dowel fro dobet . and dobest from hem boþe

Thanne þoȝt in þat tyme . seide þise wordes
W.8.124KD.8.128
Where dowel . dobet . and dobest ben in londe
Here is wil wolde wite . if wit koude teche hym
And wheiþer he be man or womman . þis man fayn wolde aspie
And werchen as þei þre wolde . thus is his entente
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