I perceive, here in my majesty,

How that all creatures be to me unkind,

Living without dread in worldly prosperity.

Of ghostly[1] sight
the people be so blind,

Drowned in sin, they know my not for their God.

In worldly riches is all their mind,

They fear not my rightwiseness, the sharp rod;

My love that I showed when I died

They forget clean, and shedding of my blood red;

I hanged between two, it cannot be denied;

To get them life I suffered to be dead;

I healed their feet, with thorns hurt was my head.

I could do no more than I did, truly;

And now I see the people do clean forsake me.

They use the seven deadly sins damnable,

As pride, covetise[2],
wrath, and lechery

Now in the world be made commendable;

And thus they leave of angels the heavenly company.

Every man liveth so after his own pleasure,

And yet of their life they be nothing sure.

I see the more that I them forbear

The worse they be from year to year;

All that liveth appaireth[3]
fast.

Therefore I will, in all the haste,

Have a reckoning of every man’s person;

For, and I leave the people thus alonein their life and
wicked tempests,

Veryily they will become much worse than beasts;

For now one would be envy another up eat;

Charity they all do clean forget.

I hoped well that every man

In my glory should make his mansin,

And thereto I had them all elect[4],

But now I see, like traitors deject[5],

They thank me not for pleasure that I do them meant,

Nor yet for their being that I them have lent.

I proffered the people great multitude of mercy,

And few there be that asketh it heartily.

They be so cumbered with worldly riches,

That needs on them I must do justice,

On every man living without fear.

[1] Spiritual

[2] covetousness

[3] becomes
worse

[4] numbered
among thee redeemed

[5] abject