That we were poor
When we hither come;

We it hear, I wis,

Full oft and ilome,*

The soul and the body

Are seldom at one.

When that child is born,

And on earth fall,

Ne would I give one penny

For his weeds all;

But, since, many men

Gain bowers and hall,

Therefor the wretch soul

Shall into pain fall.

Think we, on the last day

That we shall hence fare,

Out of this world,

With pain and with care,
All as we hither came,

Naked and bare,
And of our sins

Given answere.

4 Repeatedly.

Has man never so much,

All it will go,

His land and his wealth,

His house and his home;

The sorry soul

Maketh her moan;

I wis may escape

Of us never none.

When the latemost day

Death hath brought,

Taketh our speech,

Our sight and thought,

And in each limb

Death us hath through sought,

Then beeth our bliss

All turned to nought.

Might no tongue tell,
That ever was born,
The strong pain of hell,

(Though he had sworn,

Ere the soul and the body

In two were drawn,)

But Christ, that loosed His folk,

That there was for-loren.

Anon, so the soul

Beeth i-faren out,

He taketh the body,

And seweth in a clout,

That was so moody and so strong,

And so very proud,

And was wont to wear

Many a fair shroud.

Then sayeth the soul,

With sorry cheer,

"Away, thou wretch foul body,

Now thou liest on bier

I shall have for thee

Fiends to ivere;

6

Alas that thou ever

To man shaped were.

5

Property.

6 Company.

"Thou shalt never sit
On bolster, nor on bench,
Nor never in none hall,
Where the wine schenche;"
For thy foul sins,

And for thine uni-wrenche,R

I shall, thy wretch soul,
To horrible stench.

"Where be all thy friends,
That fair thee be-hight,
And fair thee greeted
By ways and by street?

Now they will, wretch,
All thee forlete,9

Nor would they none willingly

Now thee meet.

"Where be thy dishes,

With thy sweet sonde? 1

Where be thy cups,

That thee glide to hand?

Where is thy bread and thine ale ?