rite, . er thei passed ferther,
If thei knew any contree . or costes as thei wente,
"Where that Do-wel dwelleth . dooth me to witene".
For thei be men of this moolde . that moost wide walken,
And knowen contrees and courtes, . and many kynnes places,
Bothe princes paleises . and povere mennes cotes,[29]
And Do-wel and Do-yvele . where thei dwelle bothe.
"Amonges us" quod the Menours, . "that man is dwellynge,
And evere hath as I hope, . and evere shal herafter."
"_Contra_", quod I as a clerc, . and comsed to disputen,
And seide hem soothly, . "_Septies in die cadit justus_".
"Sevene sithes,[30] seeth the book . synneth the rightfulle;
And who so synneth," I seide, . "dooth yvele, as me thynketh;
And Do-wel and Do-yvele . mowe noght dwelle togideres.
Ergo he nis noght alway . among you freres:
He is outher while ellis where . to wisse the peple."
"I shal seye thee, my sone" . seide the frere thanne,
"How seven sithes the sadde man, . on a day synneth;
By a forbisne"[31] quod the frere, . "I shal thee faire showe.
Lat brynge a man in a boot, . amydde the brode watre;
The wynd and the water . and the boot waggyng,
Maketh the man many a tyme . to falle and to stonde;
For stonde he never so stif, . he stumbleth if he meve,
Ac yet is he saaf and sound, . and so hym bihoveth;
For if he ne arise the rather, . and raughte to the steere,
The wynd wolde with the water . the boot over throwe;
And thanne were his lif lost, . thorough lackesse of hymselve[32].
And thus it falleth," quod the frere, . "by folk here on erthe;
The water is likned to the world . that wanyeth and wexeth;
The goodes of this grounde arn like . to the grete wawes,
That as wyndes and wedres . walketh aboute;
The boot is likned to oure body . that brotel[33] is of kynde,
That thorough the fend and the flesshe . and the frele worlde
Synneth the sadde man . a day seven sithes.
Ac[34] dedly synne doth he noght, . for Do-wel hym kepeth;
And that is Charite the champion, . chief help ayein Synne;
For he strengtheth men to stonde, . and steereth mannes soule,
And though the body bowe . as boot dooth in the watre,
Ay is thi soul saaf, . but if thou wole thiselve
Do a deedly synne, . and drenche so thi soule,
God wole suffre wel thi sleuthe[35] . if thiself liketh.
For he yaf thee a yeres-gyve,[36] . to yeme[37] wel thiselve,
And that is wit and free-wil, . to every wight a porcion