Page:Romance of the Rose (Ellis), volume 2.pdf/185

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The wives of noble palatines,

Rich abbesses and sleek beguines,

Fat bailies’ spouses, knight-wed dames,

Spruce burgesses, whom nothing shames,

And nuns and highborn damsels fair,

Richly attired or mother-bare,

To me it matters not one pin.

Gladly I shrive their souls of sin.

Then diligently I inquire

Of lord and lady, maid and squire,

What goods they have, what lives they lead,

And, shriving them, I take good heed

To point out that their parish priest

Is dull and doltish as a beast

Compared with me and my confreres,

(A jovial crew that nothing scares),

To whom the secrets I reveal

Of all these geese, nor aught conceal,

And they likewise disclose to me

Whate’er they’ve learned, right merrily.

And that you may these rascals know,

Who go about deceiving so

The people, I may duly quote

The gospel holy Matthew wrote.

In chapter twenty-three we read:

In Moses’ chair now sit indeed

(The chair is by the glossing seen

The Ancient Testament to mean).

Blind scribes and stiff-necked Pharisees

(Cursed hypocrites our Lord called these)

Who say: Do that we preach to you,

But practise not the things we do.