| | The ferrest in his parish more and lite | |
| | Vp on his feet and in his hond a staf | |
| | This nobil ensample vnto his sheep he yaf | |
| | That first he wroughte & aftirward taughte | |
| 500 | Out of the gospell the wordis he caughte | |
| | And this figure he ekyd therto | |
| | That if gold ruste what sholde Iren do | |
| | For a preest to be foul in whom we truste | |
| | No wonder is a lowd man to ruste | |
| 505 | And shame it is yf a preest take kepe | |
| | A slotty shepherde and a clene shepe | |
| | Wel oughte a preest ensample to yeue | |
| | Be his clennesse how his sheep sholde lyue | |
| | Be sette not his benefice to hire | |
| 510 | And lete his sheep acombre in the myre | |
| | And renne to london to saint Poulis | |
| | And seke hym a chauntrie for soulis | |
| | Othir with a bretherhede to be witholde | |
| | But duelle at hoom and kept his folde | |
| 515 | So that the wolf ne hadde the maistrye | |
| | He was a sheepherde and not a mercenarye | |
| | And though he holy were and vertuous | |
| | He was nat to a sinfulman to despitous | |
| 520 | But in his speche discreet and benigne | |
| | Ne of his techyng daungerous ne digne | |
| | To drawe folk to heuen with fairnesse | |
| | Be good ensampyl this was his besinesse | |
| | But it were ony persone obstinat | |
| | Whether he were of high or lowe astat | |
