Classic Poem

An answere to this tretis,
that a frere hath forgid;
he callith hym self Daw Topias,
ares[oneth] Jak Uplonde.
He groundith hym upon seven thynges,
as his ordre askith,
lesynges with losengery,
cursynges and false glose,
chidyng with blasfemie
or chyteryng as chowges.
Thow saist thi name is Dawe,
it may rith wel be so;
ffor thou hast condiciounes
of a tame chowge.
He chiterith and he bribith
alle that he may gete;
this he doth in dede
asseye of hem that knowith.
Jak Dawe, thou blaberist blasfemies,
and reson hast thou non;
thou leggist oft Goddis lawe,
bot to a false entente;
gee, falselier than the fende,
whan he saide to Crist,
Quia angelis suis mandavit de te.
Daw, thou fablest of foxes,
and appliest hem to a puple,
of whom nether thou knowyst kunnyng,
ne her conversacion.
Bot iche man that witte hath,
and happe of discrecion,
may knowe thee and thin ordre,
as Crist saith, bi the werkes.
Take propirté of twey foxes,
and werkes of twye freres,
and than thou fyndest hem meche acorde,
bot freres ben the werse;
if thou saist this is not so,
bot groundid without skil,
loke how Sampson bonde the foxes
two and two togedir,
til that thai destried
the corne alle about hem,
and this was, as a doctour saith,
the figur of freres.