the thridde,” quod he,
  “Arn thre fair vertues, . and ben noght fer to fynde. 
  Who so is trewe of his tunge, . and of his two handes,
  And thorugh his labour or thorugh his land, . his liflode wynneth,[50]
  And is trusty of his tailende, . taketh but his owene,
  And is noght dronklewe[51] ne dedeynous,[52] .  Do-wel hym folweth. 
  Do-bet dooth ryght thus; . ac he dooth much more;
  He is as lowe as a lomb, . and lovelich of speche,
  And helpeth alle men . after that hem nedeth. 
  The bagges and the bigirdles, . he hath to-broke hem alle
  That the Erl Avarous . heeld and hise heires. 
  And thus with Mammonaes moneie . he hath maad hym frendes,
  And is ronne to religion, . and hath rendred the Bible,
  And precheth to the peple .  Seint Poules wordes: 
  Libenter suffertis insipientes, cum sitis ipsi sapientes: 
  ‘And suffreth the unwise’ . with you for to libbe
  And with glad will dooth hem good . and so God you hoteth. 
  Do-best is above bothe, . and bereth a bisshopes crosse,
  Is hoked on that oon ende . to halie men fro helle;
  A pik is on that potente,[53] . to putte a-down the wikked
  That waiten any wikkednesse .  Do-wel to tene.[54]
  And Do-wel and Do-bet . amonges hem han ordeyned,
  To crowne oon to be kyng . to rulen hem bothe;
  That if Do-wel or Do-bet . dide ayein Do-best,
  Thanne shal the kyng come . and casten hem in irens,
  And but if Do-best bede[55] for hem, . thei to be there for evere. 
  Thus Do-wel and Do-bet, . and Do-best the thridde,
  Crouned oon to the kyng . to kepen hem alle,
  And to rule the reme . by hire thre wittes,
  And noon oother wise, . but as thei thre assented.” 
  I thonked Thoght tho, . that he me thus taughte. 
  “Ac yet savoreth me noght thi seying. .  I coveit to lerne
  How Do-wel, Do-bet, and Do-best . doon among the peple.” 
  “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.]