And it neighed nere þe none · and with nede I mette

ThaLX afrounted me wel foule · and faitour me called

kanstow nouȝt excuse ye as dide þe kyng and other

That þou took to thy bileue · to cloþes and to sustenaunce

And by techyng and tellyng of spiritus temperancie

And thow take namore · than nede the taughte

And nede ne has no lawe · ne neuere shal falle in dette

For thre thynges he takes · his lif for to saue

That is mete whan men hym warnes · and he no moneie weldes

Ne wiȝt non wald be his Borwe · ne wede has non to legge

And he cauȝt in þat caas · and com þer-to by sleighte

He synnes nouȝt sothlich · þat so wynnes his fode

And thouȝ he com so to a cloth ˜ and kanne ne better che

Nede anon riȝt takes hym ˜ vndir mainprise

And if hym liste to lape · the lawe of kynde wolde

That he dronke at eche diche · er he for thirst deyed

So nede at grete nede · may nymen as for his owen

With-outen conseil of conscience or cardinal vertues

So that he sewe and saue · Spiritus temperancie

¶ For is no vertue by fer · to spiritus temperancie

Neither spiritus Iusticie ne spiritus fortitudinis

For spiritus fortitudinis forfetes ful ofteT

And bette men ouer bitter · and som of hem to litile

And greue men gretter than good faith wolde

¶ And spiritus Iusticie shal Iugge wol wyl he nel he

After þe kynges counseil · and the comune like

And spiritus prudencie in many poynt shal faille

Of that he weneth wolde falle · if his wit ne were

Wenyng is no wisdome · ne wise ymagynacioun

Homo proponit & deus disponit and gouerneth alle goode vertues

Ac nede is next hym · for anon he meketh

And as lowe as a lombe · for lakkyng of that hym nedeesT

Wise men forsook wel · for they wolde be nedy

Wise men forsook wel · for thay wolde be nedy

And woneden in wildernesse and wolde nouȝt be riche

¶ And god alle his grete Ioie · gostly he lefte

And cam and took mankynde · and bicam nedy

So nedy he was as seith the book · in many sondrie places

That he saide in his sorowe · on the selue rode

Both fox and foughel ˜ may flee to hole and crepe

And the fisshe hath fynne it fleet with to reste

Ther nede hase ynome me · that I mote nede abide

And suffire sorwes ful soure · þat schul to Ioie torne

For-thy be nouȝt abasshed to bidde and to be nedy

Sith he þat wrouȝt al the world · was wilfullich nedy

Ne neuere non so nedy ne pouerer deyede

¶ Whan nede had vndirnome me thus · anon I fel aslepe

And mette ful merueilouslich · tat in mannes forme

Antecrist cam thanne · and al croppe of trouthe

Torned vp so down · and ouer tilte þe rote

And fals sprynge and sprede · and spedde mennes nedes

In ech a Court ther he cam · he kutt away treuthe

And gert gile grow ther · as he a god were

Freres folowed that feend · for he gaf hem copes

And religiouse reuerenced hym · and ragen hir belles

And al þe couent forth cam · to welcom that tiraunt

And al hise as wel as hym · saue onliche fooles

Wiche foles were wel leuere · to dye {and} than to lyuye

lenger sith lenten was so rebuked

And a fals feend antecrist ouer al folk regned

And þat were mylde men and holy · þat no mischef dredden

diffied al falnesse · and folk þat it vsed

And what kyng þat hym conforted · knowyng hem any while

Thay cursed and hir counseil · were it clerke or lewed

¶ Antecrist had thus sone hundrethes at his baner

And pride it bare boldly aboute

With a lord that lyueth · after likyng of body

That cam ayein conscience · þat leper was and gwiour

Ouere kynde cristyne · and cardinal vertues

¶ I counseil quod conscience tho · comes with me ye foles

In-to vnite holy chirche · and holde we vs there

And crie we to kynde · that he come and defende vs

Foles fro thise feend lymes · for piers loue the plowman

And crie we to alle the comen · þat thay come to vnite

And ther abide and biker ayein beliales children

¶ kynde conscience þo herde · and cam out of the planetes

And sent forth hise for forreiours · feueres and fluxes

Coughes and cardiacles · crampes and toth aches

Rewmes and radegoundes · and ronyouse scalles

Biles and bocches · and brennyng angwes

Frenesies and foule yueles · forragers of kynde

had ypriked and preyed · polles of the pepile

That largely a legioun · loren hir lif soone

¶ Ther was harrow and helpe · here comes kynde

With deth þat is dredful · to vndon vs alle

¶ The lord þat lyued after lust · tho alowde criede

After confort a knyght · to come and bere his banere

Alarme alarm quod þat lord · ech lif kepe his owne

And than mette thise men ˜ er mynstralles myghte pipe

And er heraudes of armes · had descryued lordesT

¶ kynde com after with many kene sores

As pokkes and pestilences · and muche pepile schente

So kynde thorugh corupciouns ˜ killed ful many

deþ cam dryuynge after and al to dust passhed

kynges and knghtes kaisers and popes

Lered ne lewed · he leet no man stonde

That he hitte euene · þat stirred neuer after

Many a louely lady · and lemmannes of knyghtes

Swowned and swelted · for sorwe of dethe dyntes

¶ Conscience of his curtesie · to kynde he bisoughte

To se and to suffre · and see where thay wolde

Leue pride priuely · and be parfit cristene

And kynde cessed tho · to se the pepile amende

¶ Fortune gan flateren thanne · þo fewe þat were alyue

And by-hight hem lange lif · and lechherie he sent

Amonges alle manere men · wedded and vnwedded

And gadderde a grette hoost · al a-gayn conscience

¶ This leccherie leide on · with a laughyng chere

And with priue speche · and peynted wordes

And armed hym in Idelnesse ˜ and in heigh berynge

He bare a bow in bis hande · and many blody arwes

Were fethered with faire bihest ˜ and many a fals treuthe

With hise vntidy tales · he tened ful ofte

Conscience and hise compaynye · of holy chirche the techers

¶ Thanne cam couetise · and ceste how he myghte

Ouercom conscience · and cardinal vertues

And armed hym in auarice · and vngreliche lyued

his wepned was al wiles · to wynnen and to hiden

With glosynges and gabbynges · he giled the pepile

Symonye hym sente to assaille conscience

And preched to the pepile · and prelates hem maden

To holden with antecrist · hire temperaltees to saue

And come to the kynges counseil · as a kene baroun

And kneled to conscience in Court bifore hem alle

And garte good faith flee · and fals to a-bide

And boldlich bar adoun · with many briȝt noble

Muche of the wit and wisdome of westmynster halle

H Iugged til a Iustice · and iusted in his Ere

And ouertilt alle his treuthe · with take þis vp amendement

And to þe arches in haste · he yede anon after

And torned Ciuile in-to symonye · and syth he took þe official

For a mantel of Menyuere · he mad a lele Matrimonye

departen or deþ cam · and diuorce shapte

¶ Allas quod conscience and cried þo · walde crist of his grace

That coueitise were cristen · þat is so kene a fighter

And bolde and bydyng · while hise bake lasteth

¶ And thanne lough lif · and late dagge his clothes

And armed hym in haste in harlotes wordes

And helde holynesse a Iape · and hendenesse a wastour

And lete leaute a cherle · and lyer a freman

Conscience and consel · he counted it folye

Thus relied life · for a litel fortune

And priked forth with pride · prayses he no vertue

He careth nought howe kynde slawe · & shal come at laste

And kylle alle erthely creatures · saue conscience oon

¶ Lif lep a-side · and laughte hym a lemman

Hele and I quod he · and heighnesse of herte

Shal do þe nouȝt · drede neither deth ne elde

And to forget sorwe · and gyf nouȝt of synne

¶ This liked lif · and his lemman fortune

And geten in hir glorie · a gadelyng at the laste

Oon þat muche wo wroughte · slewthe was his name

¶ Sleuthe wex wonder yerne · and sone was of age

And wedded oon wanhope · a wenche of the stewes

Hir sire was a sisour · þat neuer swore treuthe

Oon thome two tonge · atteint at eche a queste

This sleuth wex war of werre · and a slynge made

And threwe dred of despair · a dozeyn Mile aboute

For care conscience tho · cried vp-on Elde

And bad hym fonde to fighte · and afere whanhope

¶ And Elde hente good hope · and hastilich he shifte hym

And wayued away wanhope ˜ and with lif he fighted

And lif flee for fere · to phisik after helpe

And bisouȝte hym of socour · and of his salue hadde

And gaf hym gold good woon ˜ þat gladed his herte

And thay gyue hym ayein a glasen howue

¶ lif leued þat lechecraft · lette shulde elde

And dryue away deth · with dias and dragges

And elde auntred hym on lif · and at the laste he hitte

A phisicien with a furred hode · þat he felle in the palsie

And ther deyed þat doctour · er thre dayes after

¶ Now I se saide lif · þat surgiens ne phisik

May nouȝte a myte auaille to medele ayein Elde

And in hope of his hele · good herte he hente

And rode so to reuel · a riche place and a myrie

¶ The companye of court men · cleped it som tyme

And Elde anoon after me · and ouer mynd hed yede

And made me balled bifore · and bare on þe crowne

So hard he yed ouer myn hede · it wol be seen euere

¶ Sire yuel ytauȝt Elde quod I vnhende go with the

Sith whanne whas the waye ouer mennes hedes

Haddestow ben hende quod I thow waldest haue asked leue

¶ ye leef lordyng quod he · and laide on me with age

And hitte me vndir the ere · vnneesLG may I here

He buffeted me a-boute þe mouthe · and bette me on the t{h}eth

And gyued me in goutes · I may nouȝt go at large

And of the wo that I was Inne · my wif had reuthe

And wisshed ful witterly þat I were in heuene

For the lyme þat she loued me fore · and leef was to fele

On nyghtes namely · whan we naked were

I ne myghte in no manere · maken it at hir wille

So elde and so sothly · hadden it forbeten

¶ And as I sat in this sorwe I seigh how kynd passed

And deth droughe neigh me · for drede gan I quake

And cried to kynde · out of care me brynge

Lo Elde the hore hase me biseye

A-wreke me if youre will be · for I wolde ben hennes

¶ If thow wolt be ywrokene · vende in-to vnitee

And holde þe ther euer · til I sende for the

And loke thow konne som craft · or thow com thennes

¶ Counsel me kynde quod I · what craft is best to lerne

¶ Lerne to loue quod kynde · and lief of al other

¶ How shal I come to catel so · to clothe me and to feede

¶ And thow loue lely quod he · lakke shal the neuere

Mete ne wordly wede · while thy lif lastes

¶ And ther-by counseil of kynde · I comsed to Rome

Thurgh contricion and confessioun · til I cam to vnite

And ther was conscience constable · cristyne to saue

And biseged sothly with seuen grete geauntes

That with antecrist helden hard ayein conscience

¶ Sleuthe with hise slenge and hard assawt made

Proude prestes come with hym · mo than a thousande

In paltokes and piked shoes · and pissers longe knyues

Comen ayeins conscience · with coueitise thay helden

¶ By marie quod a mased preest · of þe marche of Irlande

I counte namore conscience · by so I cacche siluer

Than I do to drynke a drauȝt of good ale

And so saiden sexti · of þe same contree

And shoten ayein hym with shott · with many schef of othes

And brode hoked arwes goddes herte and his nayles

And hadden almost vnite · and holynesse adoun

¶ Conscience cried helpe clergie · or elles I falle

Thurgh Inparfite prestes · and prelates of holy chirche

Freres herden hym crie · and comen hym to helpe

And for þei koude nouȝt wel hir craft · conscience forsoke hem

¶ Nede neighed to nere · and conscience he tolde

That thay come for coueitise to haue cure of saules

And for thay aren pouere per-auenture for patrimoigne hem failles

Thay wol flatre to fare wel · folk þat ben riche

And seyn they chosen chele · and cheitif pouerte

Lat hem chewe as thay chosen · and charge hem with no cure

For lomer he lyeth · þat liflod mote begge

Than he thaLX laboures for liflode · and leuees it beggers

And sithen freres forsoke þe felicite of {herte} erthe

Lat hem be as beggers · or lyue by angelise fode

¶ Conscience of this conseil · tho comsed for to laughe

And curteislich conforted hem · and called Inne alle freres

And sayde sires sothly · welcom be ye alle

To vnite and to holy chirche · and oon thyng I yow praie

Holdes yow in vnite · and haues non enuye

To lered ne to lewed · but lyues after youre reule

And I wol be youre borwe · ye schal haue brede & clathes

And other necessaries I-now · yow shal no thyng faille

With þat ye leue logik · and lernees for to louye

For loue last ther lordschip · boþe londe and scole

Freres fraunceys and dominik for loue to ben holy

¶ And if ye coueites cure kynde wol yow teche

That in mesure god made · al maner thynghes

And sette it at a certein · and at siker nombire

And nempned names newe · and nombred the prestes

Qui numerat multitudines stellarum & omnibus eis nomina & cetera

¶ kynges and knyghtes · þat kepen and defenden

Han officers vndir hem · and ech of hem certeyn

And if thay wage men to werre · þay write hem in nombire

Wol no tresore hem paye · trayuaille thay neuereT

Alle other in baitalle · ben yholde briburs

Pilours and pikherneyis · in ech place a-corsed

¶ Monkes and moniales · and al men of Religion

Hire ordire and hir reule · wole to han a certein nombire

Of lewed and of lered · the lawe wole and axeth

A certein for a certein · saue onliche of Frers

For-thy quod conscience by crist · kynde wit me telles

It is wikked to wage yow · ye wexes oute of nombire

Heuene hase euene nombre · and helle is with-oute nombire

For-thy I wolde witterly · þat ye were in the Registre

And youre nombire vndir noetariesP signes · and neither mo ne lasse

¶ Enuye hard this · and heet freres to go to scole

And lerne logik and lawe · and ek contemplacioun

And prech men of plato and preue it by seneca

That thynges vndir heuene · aughten to ben in comune

¶ And yet he lyeth as I leue · þat to the lewed so prechees

For god made to men a lawe · and moises it taioghte / ta[u]ghteT

Non concupisses rem proximi tui & cetera

¶ And yuel is this yholde in parisshes of Engelond

For parsouns and pararisshe / parisshe prestes · þat shuld the pepil schriue

Ben curatours called · to knowe and to hele

Alle þat ben hir parisshens · penaunce and enioigne

And shuld be ashamed in hir shrifte · and schame makes

To fleen to þe freres · as fals folk · to westmynster hem wende

That borwes and beres þeder · and þanne biddes frendes

yerne of forgyuenesse · or lenger yeres loone

¶ And while he is in westmynster · he wol be bifore

And maken hym myry · with other mennes goodes

And so it farees with muche folke · þat to þe freres shryues

As sisours and executours · thay wol geue þe frers

A parcell to praye for hem · and make hem-selue myrie

With þe residue and þe remenaunt · þat other men biswonke

And suffre þe dede in dette ˜ to the day of dome

¶ Enuye here-fore hated conscience

And freres to philosophires · he fand hem to scole

The while couetisse and vnkyndenesse conscience assailled

In vnite holy chirche · conscience helde hym

And made pees porter · to pynne þe yates

Of alle tale tellers · and tutelers in ydel

¶ ypocrisie and he an hard assaute thay made

ypocrisie at the yate · hard gan fighte

And wounded wel wikkedly · many wise techer

That wit conscience acorded and cardinal vertues

¶ Conscience called a leche · þat wel kouthe shryue

To salue þo þat sike ben · thurgh synne ywounded

Shrifte shope sharpe salue · And mad men do penaunce

For hir myssdedes · þat they wroughte hadden

And þat piers þe were payed · Redde quod debes

¶ Som liked nout this leche · and lettres they senten

If any surgien were þe segge · þat softer kouthe plaster

Sire leef to lyue in leccherie · lay ther and groned

For fastyng of a friday · he ferde as he wolde deye

¶ Ther is a surgien in this sege · þat softe kan handile

And more of phisik by fer · and fairer he plastreth

Oon frere flaterer is phisicien and surgien

¶ Quod contricion to conscience · do hym com to vnite

For hire is many a man · hurte thurgh ypocrisie

We han no nede quod conscience · I woot no better leche

Than parson or parissh preste · penitauncer or bisshope

Saue piers the plowman · þat hase power ouer hem alle

And Indulgence may do · bot if dette lette it

¶ I may wel suffre saide conscience sith ye desiren

That frere flaterer be fette · and phisik yow sike

¶ The frere here-of herde · and hyed faste

To a lord for a letter · leue to haue curen

And as a Curatour he were · and cam with lis letters

Boldely to þe bissohop · and hise brief hadde

In contrees ther he cam Inne · confessiouns to here

And cam ther conscience was and knokked at the yate

¶ Pees vnpynned it was porter of vnitee

And in haste asked · what his wille were

In faith quod this frere · for profit and for helthe

Carpe I wolde with contricion · and ther-fore cam I hider

¶ He is sike saide pees · and so er many other

ypocrisie hase hurte hem · ful hard is if þey keuere

¶ I am a surgien saide þe segge · and salues kan make

Conscience knawes me wel · and what I kan do bothe

¶ I praye þe quod pees þo · er þou passe ferther

What hattestowe I pray ye · hele nouȝt thy name

¶ Certes saide he felawe · Sire penetrans domos

¶ ye go thy gate quod piers · by god for al thy phisik

Bot thow konne som craft · thow comest nouȝt ther-Inne

I knew swich oon ones · nouȝt eighte wynter passed

Come Inne thus Icoped · at a Court ther I dwelte

And was my ladyes leche · and my lordes bothe.

And at the last this limitour · tho my lord was oute

He salued so oure wommen · til some were with childe

¶ Hende speche heet pees ˜ open the yates

Lat Inne the frere and his felawe · and make hem faire chere

He may see and here · so it may bifalle

That lif thurgh his lore · schal leue coueitise

And be adrad of deth · and with-drawe hym fram pride

And acorde with conscience · and kisse hir either other

Thus thurgh hende speche · entred þe frere

And cam in-to conscience ˜ and curteisliclich / curteislich hym grete

¶ Thow art welcome quod conscience kanstow hele the sike

Here is contricion quod conscience · my cosyn ywounded

¶ Confort hym quod conscience and take kepe to hise sores

The plastres of þe parsone · and pouders bitten to sore

He leet hym ligge ouerlonge · and loth is to chaunge hem

Fro lenten to lenten · he lat hise plastres bite

¶ This is ouer-longe quod this limitour I leue I shal amende it

And goos and gropes contricion · an gaf hym a plastre

Of a priue paiement · and I shal pray for yow

And for alle þat ye be holde to · al my lif tyme

And make yow my lady in masse and in matynes

As freres of oure fraternite · for a litel siluer

¶ Thus he goos and gadderes · and gloses ther he shryues

Til contricion had clene forgeten · to crie and to wepe

And awake for his wikked werkes · as he was wont to done

For comfort of his confessour · contricion he lafte

That is þe souereignest salue · for alkynne synnes

¶ Sleuthe see þat and so dide pride

And cam with a kene wille conscience to assaille

¶ Conscience cried efte · and badde clergie helpe

And also contricion · for to kepe the yate

¶ he lith and dremees saide pees · and so do many other

The frere with his phisik · this folk has enchaunted

And plastred hem so esily · the drede no synne

¶ Bi crist quod conscience tho I wil bicome a pilgryme

And walken as wide · as al the world lasteth

To seek piers þe plowman · þat pride may distroye

And þat freres had a fyndyng · þat for nede flateren

And conterpledes me conscience · now kynde me a-venge

¶ And sende me happe and hele · til I haue piers the plowman

And sith he gradde after grace · til I gane awake