And somme serven as servauntz Lordes and ladies, 190 { 7} And in stede of stywardes Sitten and demen; Hire messe and hire matyns And many of hire houres Arn doon un-devoutliche; Drede is at the laste, Lest Crist in consistorie A-corse ful manye.
I perceyved of the power That Peter hadde to kepe, 200 To bynden and unbynden, As the book telleth; How he it lefte with love, As oure Lord highte, Amonges foure vertues, The beste of alle vertues, That cardinals ben called, And closynge yates. There is Crist in his kingdom To close and to shette, 210 And to opene it to hem, And hevene blisse shewe.
Ac of the cardinals at court That kaughte of that name, And power presumed in hem A pope to make, To han that power that Peter hadde, Impugnen I nelle; For in love and in lettrure The election bilongeth, 220 For-thi I kan and kan naught Of court speke moore.
Thanne kam ther a kyng, Knyghthod hym ladde, { 8} Might of the communes Made hym to regne.
And thanne cam kynde wit, And clerkes he made, For to counseillen the kyng, And the commune save. 230
The kyng and knyghthod, And clergie bothe, Casten that the commune Sholde hemself fynde.
The commune contreved Of kynde wit craftes, And for profit of al the peple Plowmen ordeyned, To tilie and to travaille, As trewe lif asketh. 240
The kyng and the commune, And kynde wit the thridde, Shopen lawe and leauté, Ech man to knowe his owene.
Thanne loked up a lunatik, A leene thyng with-alle, And, knelynge to the kyng, Clergially he seide:
"Crist kepe thee, sire kyng! And thi kyng-ryche, 250 And lene thee lede thi lond, So leauté thee lovye, And for thi rightful rulyng Be rewarded in hevene."
And sithen in the eyr an heigh An aungel of hevene Lowed to speke in Latyn, For lewed men ne koude { 9} Jangle ne jugge, That justifie hem sholde, 260 But suffren and serven; For-thi seide the aungel: _Sum rex, sum princeps, Neutrum fortasse deinceps; O qui jura regis Christi specialia regis, Hoc quod agas melius, Justus es, esto pius. Nudum jus a te Vestiri vult pietate; 270 Qualia vis metere, Talia grana sere. Si jus nudatur, Nudo de jure metatur; Si seritur pietas, De pietate metas._
Thanne greved hym a goliardeis, A gloton of wordes, And to the aungel an heigh Answerde after: 280 _Dum rex a regere Dicatur nomen habere; Nomen habet sine re, Nisi studet jura tenere._