III hanne hadde wyt a wyf was hote dame stodye
that lowȝ was of lych* & of lowe chere
Sche was wonderly wroth þat wyt so tauȝte
and sternely staryng dame studye saide
wil art þu wys wyt quod sche eny wysdomes to telle
To flaterers or to folys þat frentyk ben in wittes
And blamed$ hem & banned$ hym & bad hym be stille
with suche wise wordes to wisse ony folys
And sayde Nolite mittere man margery perle
Among hogges þat hauen hawys at wille
They do but dreuele on þe draf wher be þey leue
Than al þe precious perry þat in paradys waxeþ
I say be þo quod sche þat schewe by here werkes
That hem were leuere lond or lordschipe on erthe
Or richesse or rentes & rest at here wille
þan alle þe soth sawes þat salamon seyde euere
Wysdom & wyt now is nouȝt worth a ressche
But it be cardyd with coueytyse as cloþers doun here wolle
That þat construe disceytes & conspyre wronges
and forþre a loueday to lette þe trewþe
That suche Craftes connen be cleped to Counceyl
And ben seruyd$ as sires þat serue þe deuel
Iob þe gentil & his gestys seyden it
Quare via impiorum preparatur ve. ve est onmibus Qui praue agunt et inique.
And he þat holy wryt ay in his mouth
And can telle of Tobye & of twelue apostels
Or prechen of þe penaunce þat pilatus wrouȝte
Of Ihesu þe gentil þe Iewys to drowe
On croys vpon Caluarye as clerkes vs techeþ
litel is he loued or late by þat swych* a lessoun techeþ
Or dauncelyd or drawen forþ disours wite þe soþe
For ȝif harlot helpe hem better haue god my trewþe
More þan musyk$ or makyng of god al myȝte
wolde neuer kyng ne knyȝt ne Canoun of senyt poule
ȝeue hem to here ȝeresȝeue þe valu of a grote
Menstrallys & murþe among men is nouþe
lecherye & losengerye & losels tales
And glotonye with gret othes buþ games now-a-dayes
Ac yf þey carpen of Crist þese clerkes & þese lewed
At mete & at murþe whan mynstrals be stille
þan telle þey of þe trinite how two show þe þridde
And bryngen forþ a balled resoun take Bernard to witnesse
And putte presumpcioun to proue þe sothe
Thus þey dreuelyn at here deys þe dette to knowen
And knawe god in þe þrote whan here guttis fullen
Ac þe Carful may cryen & carpen at þe ȝate
Boþe of honger & of þurst & for chele quakeþ
Is non to meuen hym ne his angwys amendyn
But honesshen hym as an hound & hoten hym go þennes
lite loueth he þat lord þat leueþ hym þat blysse
That þus parteþ with þe pore a parcel whan hym nedeþ
Nere mercy in mene men more þan in riche
Many pore men mete-les myȝte go to bedde
God is moche in þe þrote of þis gret maystres
And among mene men his mercy & his werkes
And so seith þe sauter seke it in memento
Ecce audiuimus eam in effrata Inuenimus eam in campis silue
Clerkys & ked men carpen of god faste
And haue hym moche in mouthe ac mene men in herte
Freres & faitours haue founden vp such* questiouns
To plese with proude men seþe pestilens tyme
That defouleþ oure face at þe feste þer þey sitten
For now is ech* body bold & he be riche
To tellen of þe trinite to be holden a Sire
And fyndeþ forþ fantsyes oure feyþ for to apeyre
And defameþ oure fadir þat ous alle makeþ
And carpeþ aȝens clergye crabbed wordys
Why wolde oure saueour suffre susche a worme in his blysse
That he gyled$ þe womman & þe wey after
þoruȝt wiche a werk$ & wil þey wente to helle
And alle here seed for here synne þe same wo suffreþ
Suche motyfs þey mouen þes maystres in here glorie
And make men mysbeleue þat musen on here wordys
Ac Austyn þe olde for alle such* preched
And for such* tale tellers suche a teme schewed
Non plus sapere quam oportet sapere
That is to seyne willeþ neuer to wyte why
That god wold suffre satan his seed$ to be-gyle
Ac beleue lely on þe lore of holy Churche
And pray hym of pardoun & penaunce be þy lyue
and for his moche mercy to amende vs here
For al þat willeþ to wete þe wordes of god almyȝt
I wolde his eye were in his eres & his hele after
That euere eft willeþ for to wite why
That god wolde suffre satan his sed to be-gyle
Or Iudas þe Iew Ihesu be-trayed$
Al was as he wolde lord worschiped be þe
And worth as þu wilt what so we telle
Now comeþ a Congyoun wold cach* of my wittes
What is dowel fro dobet now def mote he worþe
Soþe he willeþ to wite which* þey ben alle
But he leue in þe lest degre þat longeþ to dowel
I dar ben his bold borw dobet wil he neuere
þouȝ dobest draw on hym day after other
And whan þat wyt was ware how his wyf tolde
he be-come so confusyd he coude not mele
Al so domb as a dore drowȝ hym aside
Ac for no carpynge I couþe ne knelyng to grounde
I myȝte gete no greyn of his gret wittes
But al lawyng? he louted & loked vpon stodie
In signe þat I schuld be-seke here of here grace
And whan I was waar of his wil to his wyf gan I knele
And seyde mercy madame ȝoure man schal I worþe
For to wurche ȝoure wil while my lyf dureth
To kenne and kendly to knowe what is dowel
For þy mekenesse man quod sche & for þy mylde speche
I schal kenne þe to my Cosyn þat Clergye is hoten
he haþ wedded a wyf withInne wekes sixe
Is syb to þe seuene ars þat scripture is nemned$
þey two I hope after my besekyng
Schul wisse þe to dowel I dar vndirtake
þan was I a fayn as foule of fayre morowe
Gladdere þan gleman þat gold haþ to ȝifte
And asked þe hey wey where clergy wonyd$
Telle me some tokene to hym for tyme is I wende
Aske þe hey wey quod sche fro hennys to suffre
Boþe wele & wo yf þu wilt lerne
And ride forþ by richesse ac rest þu nouȝt þerinne
For yf þu couplest þe with hym to clergie comest þu neuere
and eke þe longe launde þat lecherye hatte
Lef hym on þy left half a large myle or more
Til þu come tyl a Court kepe wel þy tounge
Fro lesynges & lyeres and likerous drynkes
þan schalt þu se sobrete & symplete of speche
That ech* wyȝth be in wil his wit þe to schewyn
so schalt þu come to clergie þat can many wittes
Sey hym þes sygne I set hym to scole
And þat I grete wel his wyf I wrot here þe byble
And set here to sapience & to here sauter glosed
And wend þider liȝtliche my wey withoute more lettyng
And fond as sche fortolde & forþ gan I wende
And as I com to Clergie coude I neuer stente
I grette þe godman as þe good wyf me tauȝte
and aftirward his wif I worschipped boþe
And told here þe tokenes þat me tauȝte were
was neuer grome on þis ground seþ god makeþ heuene
Fayrer vndirfonge ne frendloker mad at ese
Than my-self soþly so sone as sche wyste
That I was of wittes hous & of his wyf dame stodie
And I sayd soþly þey sent me hedyr
To lere at yow dowel & dobet þer-after
And seþ aftirward to se somewhat of dobest
hit is a wel lely lyf quod sche among þe lewd peple
Actyf hit is hoten housbondes it vsen
Trew tiliers on erþe tayllours or souters
And alle kyn Crafty men þat conne here fode wynne
With eny trewe trauaile toyle for here fode
Diken or deluen dowel it hatte
To breke beggers bred & bak hym with cloþis
Comfort þe carfull* in castel ben fettryd
And seken out þo & sende hem þat hem nedeþ
Obedient as broþer & sustren to oþer
Thus byt dobet so bereþ witnesse þe sauter
Ecce quam bonum & quam Iocundum habitare Fratres in vnum
Syke with þe sory synge with þe glade
Gaudere cum gaudentibus & flere cum flentibus
God wot þis is dobet sir dobest haþ benefices
So is he best worthy by god þat gospel hit graunteþ
Qui facti & {no tilde} docuitdocuerit magnus vocabitur in regno celorum
For-þy is dobest a bysschopes pere
Prynce ouer goddys peple to prechen or to Chaste
dobet doþ ful wel & dowel he is also
And haþ possessiouns & pluraltes for pore mennys sake
For mendynantz at myschief þat men were sumtyme
and þat is riȝtful religioun none renners aboute
Ne non lepers ouer lond ladyes to schryue
Gregory a gret clerk a good pope in his tyme
Of religioun þe reule he rehersyd in his morals
And seyd it ensample þat þey schuld do better
logyk$ I lerned$ here & alle þe lawes after
And alle þe musouns of musyk I made her knowe after
Plato þe poete I put hym first to boke
Aristotel & oþer moo to Arguen I tauȝte
Gramer for gerles I gart first wryte
And bet hem with a baleys but þey wuld lerne
And alle ken Craftes I contryued$ here
Tolys of Carpenters keruers I kennyd & masouns
and lered hem leuel & lyne þouȝ I loke dymme
Ac theologye haþ tened me ten schore tyme
For more I muse þeron þe mystlokere it semeth
And þe depper I dyuyned þe derkere me þouȝte
hit is no science for soþe to sotelen þerInne
Ne were loue þat liȝth þrynne a lewd þing it were
Ac for it lat best by loue I loue it þe better
For þer þat loue is lord lakkeþ neuer grace
leue lely þer-on yf þu þinke dowel
For dobet & dobest ben drawen of loues skele
In oþer science hit seith y say it in Catoun
Qui similat verbis nec corde est fidus amicus Tu quoque fac simile sic ars deluditur arte
Ac theologie techeþ ous nouȝt so who-so takeþ heed
he kenneþ ous þe contrarie aȝens catouns wordes
And ous to ben as breþerin & blessyn oure enemyes
And louen hem þat lyen on vs & lene hem at here nede
And do good aȝens euyl god hym-self hoteþ
And seyde it hym-selue in ensample for þe beste
Necisse est vt veniant scandala
Astronomye is hard þing & euyl for to knowe
Geometrye & geomessye is gynful of speche
That þenkeþ werche with woo þo þre þryueþ wel late
For sorcerye is þe souereyn book þat to þe science longeþ
ȝit arn þe fybeches of forelles of many mannes wittes
Expermens of alkonomye of a wertes makynge
Nygromancye & permauncye þe powke to reysen
ȝif þu þinke dowel dele þerwith neuere
Alle þese sciences seker y me-self founded
And made hem formest folk to disceyue
I be-kenne þe Crist quod sche y can teche þe no better
I seyde gramercy madame & mekely here grette
þe flod or þe fres.. water
They deyen for droughte whan þey lyggyn
Ryght so by Religioun hit royleþ and stereþ
That out of Couent & cloystre coneyte to lybben
Ac now is Religioun a Ridere & a ronnere be strete
A ledere of ladyes & a lond beggere
Popereþ on a palfray fro Coun to tounn
A bydow as a basselard$ he bereth by his side
Goddes Flessh* and his feet & his fyue woundes
Buþ more in his mynde þan memory of his foundours
This is þe lyf of þese lordes þat leue schuld with dobet
And welaway worse & I wold alle telle
I wend þat knyȝthod & kynghod & Caysers with Erles
wer dowel & dobet & dobest of hem alle
For I haue seyn it my-self & sethen red it after
how Crist conceilleþ þe comune & kenneþ hem þis tale
Super cathedram moysy sederunt principes
For-þy I wende þat þo weyes were dobest of alle
I nel nouȝt scorne quod scripture but scryueyns lye
kynghod and knyȝthod for nouȝt I can aspye
helpeth nouȝt to heuene at one ȝeres ende
Ne Richesse ne Rentys ne ryalte of lordes
Paul proueþ it vnpossible riche man in heuene
Ac pore in pacience & penaunce to-gideres
hauen heritage in heuene ac Riche men non
Contra quod I be Crist þat can I wisse
And prouen it be þe pistel þat peter it nemnyþ
Qui crediderit & bapizatus fuerit saluus erit
That is in extremys quod scripture as sarasynes & Iewys
Mow be sauyd so & so is oure be-leue
That buþ vncristene in þat cas may cristene an heþene
And for his leal beleue whan he his lyf tyneþ
haue heritage in heuene as an hey Cristene
Ac cristen men
Ac cristen men
Ac cristen men god wot com not so to heuene
For cristen haue a degre & is þe comune speche
Dilige deum & poxiumm tuum sicut te ipsum
Goddes word witnesseþ we schul ȝeue & Dele oure enemyes
and alle men þat buþ nedy pore men & suche
Maxime autem ad domesticos fidei & cetera
Alle kynne Creatours þat to Crist longen
Ben holde heylych* to herye & honouren
And ȝeuen hem of here good as good as hem-seluen Pers plowman
And souereynly to swych* þat sewen oure beleue
That is ech Cristen man be kynde to oþer
And sethen hem helpyn in hope hem amende
To harm hem ne slen hem god hyȝt ous neuer
For he seith it hym-self in his ten hestys
Non mecaberis ne sle nouȝt is þe englyssh*
For michi vindictam & ego retribuam
I schal punysschen in purgatory or in þe put of helle
Eche man for his mysdede but mercy it make
ȝet am I neuer þe ner for nouȝt I haue walked
To wete what is dowel wittyrly in herte
For how so I wirche in þis world wrong oþer elles
I was marked withoute mercy & myn name entred$
In þe legende of lyf longe or I were
Or ellys vndir-wryten for wykked$ as witnesseþ þe gospel
Nemo ascendit ad celum nisi qui discendit de celo
And I leue it be oure lord & on no lettrure bettre
For salamon þe sage þat sapience made
God ȝaf hym grace & richesse to-gideres
For to reule his reame riȝt at his wille
Dede he nouȝt wel ne wysly as holy Cherche techeþ
Bothe in werk & in word in world in his tyme
Arystotel & he who wrouȝte bettre
mi
mi
And al holy Cherche hold hym in helle
And was þer neuer in þis world two wysere of werkys
for alle connyng Clerkes seþe crist ȝede on erþe
Take ensamples of here sawes in sarmouns þat þey maken
And by here werkes & here wordes wissen ous to dowel
And yf I schal werke by here wordes to wynne me heuene
and for here werkes & for here wit wynde to pyne
þan wrouȝt I vnwysly with al þe wyt I lere
A good Friday I fynde a feloun was saued
That had leuyd al his lyf with lesynges and þeftys
and for he knew on þe Croys & to Crist schrof hym
Sonnere had sauacioun þan seint Iohan þe Baptyst
Or Adam or ysaye or eny of þe prophetys
That hadde leyn with lucyfeer many long ȝeres
A Robbere had remissioun raþer þan þey alle
with-oute penaunce of purgatorye to haue paradis for euere
Than Mary Magdeleyne who myȝt do worse
Or who dede worse þan dauid þat vrye distroyed$
Or paul þe postil þat no pite hadde
Cristene kynde to kylle to deþe
And buþ non forsoþe more souereyn in heuene
As þese þat wrouȝt wykkydly in world whan þey were
and ȝet am I forget of fyue wittes techynge
That Clergie of Cristes mouþ comonded hit neuere
For he seid it hym-self to som of his discyples
Dum steteris ante presides nolite cogitare
And is as moche to mene to men þat ben lewed
whar ȝe ben apposed of princes or prestes of þe lawe
for to answere hym haue ȝe no douȝte
For I schal graunte ȝow grace of god þat ȝe seruyn
The help of holy gost to answere hem alle
The douȝctyest doctour or diuinour of þe trinite
That austyn þe olde & heyest of þe foure
sayde þis for a sarmoun so me god helpe
Ecce ipsi Idioti rapiunt celum vbi nos sapientes in in infernum mergemur
And is to mene in oure mouth more ne lesse
Buþ non rathere rauyssch*ed for þe riȝt be-leue
Than buþ gret Clerkes þat conne many bokys
Ne non sonnere sauyd ne saddere of conscience
Than pore peple as plouȝmen or pastours of bestes
Souters & sewers suche lewed Iottys
Percen with a pater noster þe paleys of heuene
with-oute penaunce at here partyng in-to heye blysse
Now of þis litel book$ y haue makyd an ende
Goddis blessyng mote he haue þat drinke wil me sende
Explicit liber petri plouman {decorataive flourish}
Explicit liber petri plouman {decorataive flourish}