Classic Poem

Daw, I do thee wel to wite,
frentike am I not;
bot it semith thi sotil witte
marrith many man.
Bot how stondith this togedir,
ge sle men in gour prison?
ge have gour conspiracies,
when ge gode likith,
ge damme the trwe, ge hyeh the false,
deme, Dawe, wher this be gode.
And the kyng by his juges trwe
execute his lawe,
as he did now late,
whan he hangid gou traytours;
wilt thou, Dawe, allegates
compere gou to the kyng,
or to other lordes,
that han her grounde in God?
Lefe, fole, thi losengerie,
and studie Cristis lyf.
Quœ conventio Christi ad Belial? Quid communicabit cacabus ad ollam?
Daw, hou maist thou saye for shame
that Crist stale thus childre,
and Poule beggid as ge don,
ge iyven bi the gospel?
gee, Dawe, ge selle derrere
lesynges and poyson,
than ever did Poule
alle his holy writyng;
ever thou likynest gou to Crist,
whan ge ben verrei Anticrist.
And if bisshopes byside wel to knowe
alle gour dedes,
thai founde gou werse than harlotes,
or jogulours ether;
ffor ge begge or ge preche
many tymes and oft,
somen men and threten hem,
bot if thai gif gou gode.
Bot the harlot wil drawe
the blode of his arse,
or he ask any gode,
or any rewarde.
And, Dawe, truly gour dedes
contrarie Crist.
Mordent dentibus et prædicant pacem, et si quis non dederit in ore eorum quippiam, sanctificant super eum prœlium.
Daw, here thou blaberist togedir
falsenes and trouthe;
ffor a bastarde is he
that holdith agenes the sothe.
God and trwe men discusse
wher that be ge or I.
Ffor if thou seyst holi chirche
the techyng of Crist,
the reules of apostles,
the lyf of hem alle,
I summitte me to hem,
and wil wile I lyve.
If thou callist, Dawe,
gour Dominikis reules,
with determinacion
of many false prestes,
holi chirche, as I wene,
as oft thou hast done,
I forsake the for ever,
with this cursid chirche,
Odivi ecclesiam malignantium.
If thou purposist to pursuwe
and drawe men to dethe,
I mervel not meche,
for it is thin office.
The fadires of freres,
whiche were the Pharisees,
pursuwed Crist to the paynful dethe,
ge, callid hym a blasfeme,
as ge clepen hem heritikes
that holde agenes gour falsehede,
alle if thai men truthe.
Et vos implete mensuram patrum vestrorum.