from Chapter XVI: Of the customes of Sarasines, & of hire lawe, & how the Soudan arresond me autour of this book . . .

. . . And þerfor I schall tell 3ou what the Soudan tolde me vpon a day in his chambre. He leet voyden out of his chambre all maner of men, lordes & oþere, for he wolde speke with me in conseill. And þere he asked me how the cristene men gouerned hem in oure contree, and I seyde him right wel, thonked be god. & he seyde me treulych nay, for 3ee cristene men ne recche right noght how vntrewly to serue god; 3ee scholde 3euen ensample to the lewed peple for to do wel & 3ee 3euen hem ensample to don euyll, for the comownes vpon festyfull dayes whan þey scholden gon to chirche to serue god, þan gon þei to tauernes & ben þere in glotony all þe day & all nyght & eten & drynken as bestes þat haue no resoun & wite not whan þei haue ynow. And also the cristene men enforcen hem in all maneres þat þei mowen for to fighten & for to desceyuen þat on þat other, And þerewithall þei ben so proude þat þei knowen not how to ben clothed, now long, now schort, now streyt, now large, now swerded, now daggered & in all manere gyses.

. . . and therefore I shall tell you what the Sultan told me upon a day in his chamber. He sent all manner of men, lords and others, out of the room, for he would speak with me in confidence. And there he asked me how Christian men governed themselves in our country, and I said "right well, thank God." And he said to me "truly, no, for the Christian men do not know how to serve God properly; you should set an example for less learned folk in order for them to do well, but you set an example to do evil, for the commons upon a festival day when they should go to church to serve God, they instead go to taverns and spend the day and night in gluttony and eat and drink as beasts which have no reason and do not know when they have had enough. And also Christian men are so driven that they must fight and deceive each other, and because they are so proud they do not know how to dress appropriately [to their station], now wearing something long, then something short, now form-fitting, now cut full, now outfitted with a sword, now outfitted with a dagger and in other ways.