From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Second Nun's Tale, lines 1-21

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Second Nun's Prologue
lines 1-21: The dangers of the devil

The Prologe of the Seconde Nonnes Tale.

	The ministre and the norice unto vices,
	Which that men clepe in Englissh ydelnesse,
	That porter of the gate is of delices,
	To eschue, and by hir contrarie hir oppresse -
5	That is to seyn by leveful bisynesse -
	Wel oghten we to doon al oure entente,
	Lest that the feend thurgh ydelnesse us shente.

	That servant and that nurse unto the vices
	Which men do call in English Idleness,
	Portress at Pleasure's gate, by all advices
	We should avoid, and by her foe express,
5	That is to say, by lawful busyness,
	We ought to live with resolute intent,
	Lest by the devil through sloth we should be rent.

For he, that with his thousand cordes slye

Continuelly us waiteth to biclappe,

10 Whan he may man in ydelnesse espye,

He kan so lightly cacche hym in his trappe,

Til that a man be hent right by the lappe,

He nys nat war the feend hath hym in honde.

Wel oghte us werche, and ydelnesse withstonde.

For he, that with his thousand cords and sly

Continually awaits us all to trap,

10 When he a man in idleness may spy

He easily the hidden snare will snap,

And till the man has met the foul mishap,

He's not aware the devil has him in hand;

We ought to work and idleness withstand.

15 And though men dradden nevere for to dye,

Yet seen men wel by resoun, doutelees,

That ydelnesse is roten slogardye,

Of which ther nevere comth no good n'encrees;

And syn that slouthe hir holdeth in a lees,

20 Oonly to slepe, and for to ete and drynke,

And to devouren al that othere swynke.

15 And though men never dreaded they must die,

Yet men see well, by reason, idleness

Is nothing more than rotten sluggardry,

Whereof comes never good one may possess;

And see sloth hold her in a leash, no less,

20 Only to sleep and eat and always drink

And to absorb all gain of others' swink.

Next:
From The Second Nun's Prologue, lines 22-28:
The purpose of the Second Nun's tale