"But Wit konne wisse thee," quod Thoght, · "Where tho thre dwelle,
Ellis woot I noon that kan · that now is alyve."
Thoght and I thus · thre daies we yeden,[56]
Disputyng upon Do-wel · day after oother;
And er we were war, · with Wit gonne we mete.[57]
He was long and lene, · lik to noon other;
Was no pride on his apparaille · ne poverte neither;
Sad of his semblaunt, · and of softe chere,
I dorste meve no matere · to maken hym to jangle,
But as I bad Thoght thoo · be mene bitwene,
And pute forth som purpos · to preven his wittes,
What was Do-wel fro Do-bet, · and Do-best from hem bothe.
Thanne Thoght in that tyme · seide these wordes:
"Where Do-wel, Do-bet, · and Do-best ben in londe,
Here is Wil wolde wite, · if Wit koude teche him;
And whether he be man or woman · this man fayn wolde aspie,
And werchen[58] as thei thre wolde, · thus is his entente"

[Footnote 23: questioned.]

[Footnote 24: could tell me.]

[Footnote 25: Where this man dwelt.]

[Footnote 26: mean or gentle.]

[Footnote 27: of the Minorite order.]

[Footnote 28: I saluted them courteously.]