Ne was nought worldly to have an office.
For him was lever have at his beddes hed
A twenty bokes, clothed in blak or red,
Of Aristotle and his philosophie,
Then robes riche, or fidel, or sautrie.
But all be that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre,
But al that he might of his frendes hente,
On bokes and on lerning he it spente,
And besily gan for the soules praie