For she koude of that art the olde daunce A good man was ther of Religioun And was a poure person of a toun But riche he was of holy thoght and werk He was also a lerned man a Clerk That Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche His parisshens deuoutly wolde he teche Benygne he was and wonder diligent And in aduersitee ful pacient And swich he was proeued ofte sythes Ful looth weere hym to cursen for his tythes But rather wolde he yeuen out of doute Vnto his poure parisshens aboute Of his offrynge and eek of his substaunce He koude in litel thyng haue suffisaunce Wyd was his parisshe and houses fer asonder But he ne lafte noght for reyn ne thonder In siknesse nor in meschief to visite From Ad4 Þe ferrest in hys perische to visite The ferreste in his parisshe muche and lyte Vpon his feet and in his hond a staf This noble ensample to his sheep he yaf That first he wroghte and afterward he taughte Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte And this figure he added eek therto That if gold ruste what sholde Iren do For if a preest be foul in whom we truste No wonder is a lewed man to ruste And shame it is if a preest take keep From Ad4 For it is a foule thing whoso take kepe