Had I eried þis half acre · and sowen it after

I wyl wende with yow · and þe wey teche

This were a longN lettyng · quod a lady in a slaireT

some shul sowe þe sakke quod piers for shedyn{?}g of whete

And ye louely ladies with youre longe fyngers

That ye haue silk an sandel · to sewe whan tyme is

Chesibiles for chapeleyns · cherches to honoure

¶ Wyues and widewes · wole and flexe spynnes

Make clathe I consaille yow · and kennes youre douȝtres

Þe nedy and þe naked · t{?}akes hede how þey ligge

And castes hem cloþes for so comaunde treuþe

For I shal lene hem liflode · but if þe lande faille

Flesshe and brede bathe · to riche and to pouere

As longe as I lyue · for þe lordes loue of heuene

And alle manere of men · þat thorwet meet & drynk lyues

Helpes hym to wyrche wiȝthly · þat wynnes youre foode

¶ By crist quod a knyght þo · he kennes vs þe beste

And on þe teme treuly · caught was I neuere

And ken me quod þe knyȝt · and I wole assaie

By saynt poul quod perkyn ye profre yow so faire

Þat I shal swynke an swete · and saw for vs baþe

And oþer labours do for þy loue · al my lif-tyme

In couenaunt þat þow kepe · holy kirke and þy-selue

Fro wastours and wikked men · þat þis world struthes

And go hunte hardiliche · to hares and to foxes

To bores an to brokkes · þat breke a-down my hegges

And go a-faite þy faucons · wilde foules to kille

For swilce comes to my croft · and croppes my whete

¶ Curteisliche þe knyȝt þanne · comsed þise wordes

By my power Piers quod he · I pliȝte þe my trouthe

To fulfille þis forwarde · þough I fighte shulde

As lange as I lyue · I shal þe mayntene

¶ Ye and yet point quod Piers I pray yow of more

loke ye tene no tenaunt · bot trouthe wole assente

And þough ye mowe a-mercie · lat mercy be taxour

And mekenesse þe maister · maugre medes chekes

And þouȝ pouere men profre yow · presentes and gyftes

Nymme it nat an auenture · ye mowe it nouȝt deserue

For þow shalt yelde it ayein · at one yeres ende

In a ful perilouse place · purgatorie it hatte

¶ Misbede nat þy bondemen · þe better mNay þou spede

Thouȝ he be þy vnderlyng here · wel may happe in heuen

Þat he worthier sit · and with more blisse

Amice ascende superius

Þan þow bot þou do bette · And lyue as þow shulde

For in charnel and in cherche · churles ben yuele to knowe

Or a knyȝt fram a knaue · knowe þis in þyn herte

And be trew of þyn tonge · {?}and loke þow tales hatye

But if it be wisdome or wit · þy werkmen to chastie

Holde wiþ none harlotes · ne here nouȝt hir tales

And namelich at þe mete · swich men eschue

For it ben þe de{f}uels disours · I do þe to vnderstone

¶ I assent by seint Iame · þe knyȝt sayde þanne

For to worche by thy wordes · þe while my lif dureth

I shal apperaille me quod perkyn in pilgrymes wise

¶ And wend with yow I wol til we fynde treuþe

And caste on my clathes · I-clouted and hole

My cokers and my cuffes · for calde of my nailes

And hange myn hoper at myn hals · in stode of a scrippe

A busshel of bred corn · brynge me þer-Inne

For I wyl saw it my-self · and siþen wyl I wende

To pilgrymage as palmers don · pardon for to haue

And who-so helpes me to erie · or sowe er I wende

Shal haue leue by oure lord · to lacche her in herueste

And make myry þer-with maugre who-so grucches

And alkyn crafty men · þat konne lyue in trouthe

I shal fynde hem food · þat faiþfulliche lyuees

¶ Saue Iakke þe Iogelour · and Ionette of þe stewes

And danyel þe d{o}ees player and Enote þe baude

And frere þe faitour and folk of his ordere

And Robyn þe rebaudour · for his rusty wordes

Treuþe tolde me ones · and bad me telle it after

Deleantur de libro viuencium.

For holy chirche is hote · of hem no tithe to take

Quia cum iustis non scribantur

They be escaped good auenture · god hem amende

¶ Dame werche whan tyme is Piers wif hiȝte

His {doster}douȝter hiȝt do riȝt so · or þy dam shal þe bete

his sone hiȝt suffre þy suffereignes · to haue hir wille

dem hem nouȝt for if þou do · þow shalt is / i[t] dere a-byggeT

For now I am olde and hoor · and haue of myn owene

To penaunce and pilgrymage · I wol passe with þis other

Forþy I wol er I wende · do write my biqueste

¶ In dei nomine amen I make it my-selue

He shal haue my soule · þat best haþ I-serued it

And fro þe fende it defende · for so I bileue

Til I come to hise acountes as my credo me telles

To haue a relese and a remissioun · on þat rental I bileue

¶ The kirke shal haue my cariogne · and kepe my bones

For of my corn and catel · he craued þe tithe

I payed it hym prestly · for peril of my saule

For-þy is he holden I hope · to haue me in his masse

And mengen in his memorie · among al cristene

My wif shal haue of þat I wanne · with trouthe and namore

And dele among my douȝters · and my dere childerne

For þouȝ I dye to-day · my dettes er quitte

I bar hom þat I borwed er I to bedde yede

¶ And with þe residue of þe remenant by þe rode of lukes

I wol worshippe þer-wiþ · treuthe by my lyue

And ben his pilgryme at plow · for pouer men sake

My plow-foot shal be my pikstaf · and picche a-two þe rotes

And helpe my cultour to kerue · an clense þe forwes

¶ Now is perkyn and hise pilgrymes · to þe plow faren

To erie þis half acre helpen hym manye

Dikers and deluers · digges vp þe balkes

Ther-wiþ was perkyn appaied · and praised hem faste

Other werkmen þer were · þat wrouȝt ful faste

Elke man in his manere · made hym-self to doone

And somme to plese Perkyn · piked vp þe wedes

¶ At heighe prime piers lete þe plow stonde

To ouersen hem hymself · and who-so best wroughte

He sholde be hired þer-after · whan heruest-tyme come

¶ And þanne seten som · and sogen / so[n]gen atte nale

An holpen herie his half acre · with how trolly lolly

¶ Now by the peril of my saule quod piers al in pure tene

But ye arise þe rather · and rape yow to worche

Schal no gre{two minims}yn þat groweþ · glade yow at neede

And þouȝ ye dye for dole · þe deuel haue þat recches

¶ Two were Faituours aferd · and feynd hem blynde

Somme layde hir legges a-lyr{?}ye · as swiche losels knoues

And made hire moone to piers · and prayed hym of grace

For we haue no lymes to labour with · lord ygraced be ye

And praye for yow piers · and for youre plow baþe

Þat god of his grace · youre grayn multiplie

And yeld yow of youre almese · þat ye gyue vs here

For we may nouȝt swynk ne swete · swilke seknesse vs

¶ If þis be sooth quod piers I shal it soone aspie

Ye be wastours I wate wel · and treuþe woot þe sothe

And I am his olde hyne · and hiȝte hym to warne ·

Which þey were in þis world · hise werkmen appeired

¶ Ye wasten þat men wynnen · with trauaille and tene

And treuþe shal teche yow his teme to driue

Or ye shal ete barly bred · and of þe brook drynke

But if he be blynde or broke legged · or bolted wiþ Irenes

He shal ete whete bred · and drynke with my-selue

Til god of his goodnesse · amendement hym sende ·

And ye myȝt trauaille as treuthe wolde · and take mete & hir

¶ To kepe kyene in þe felde · þe corn fro þe bestes

dyken or deluen · or dyngen vp-on sheues

Or help make morter · or bere mukke a-felde

In leccherie and losengerie · ye lyuen and in sleuþe

And al is thurgh suffrance · þat vengeaunce yow ne takes

¶ As ancres and heremytes þat ete nat but at nones

And namore er morwe · myn almyesse shal thay haue

And catel to cope hem wiþ · þat han cloisters and cherches

¶ And Roberd renne aboute · shal nouȝt haue of myn

Ne postles but þey preche konne · and haue power of þe bissope

Þey shul haue payn and potage · and make hem at ese

For it is an vnresonable religioun · þat has no-thyng incertayn / in certayn

¶ thane gan a wastour wratthe hym · and wolde han fought

And to piers þe plowman · he profred his gloue

A Britoner a bragger aLX bosted piers als

And bad hym go pisse with his plow · forpyned shrewe

Wiltow or neltow we · wol haue oure wille

Of þy flour and of þy flesshe · facche whan vs likes

And make vs mery þer-with · maugre þy chekes

¶ Thanne Piers þe plowman pleyned hym to þe knyȝt

To kepe hym as couenaunt was · fro cursed shrewes

And fro þise wastours wolf skynnes · þat make þe world dere

For þo wasten and wynne nouȝt · and þat ilke while

Worþ neuere plente amongN þe peple þer · while my plow leggesC

¶ Curteisly þe knyȝt þanne his kynde walde

Warned wastour and wissed hym better

Or thow shalt abygge by þe lawe · by þe ordire þat I bere

¶ I was not wonte to worche quod wastour · and now I nyl bigyne

And lete light of þe lawe · and lasse of þe knyȝt

¶ An sette Piers at a pese · and his plowht baþe

And manaced piers and his men · if þey mette eft-sone

¶ Now by þe peril of my saule quod Piers I shal appeire yow alleC

And houped after hunger · þat herd hym atte firste

A-wreke me of þise wastours quod he · þat þis world shendes

¶ Hunger In haste þo hente wastour by þe mawe

And wronge hym so by þe wombe · þat baþe hise eighen wattred

He buffeted þe britoner a-boute þe chekes

Þat he loked like a lanterne · al his lif after

He bette hem so boþe he brast nere hir guttes

Ne had Piers wiþ a pese lafe · prayed hunger to cesse

Þey had be doluen baþe na deme þou non other

¶ Suffre hem lyue he sayde · and lat hem ete wiþ hogges

Or elles benes an bran ybaken togidires

Or elles mylk and meynye ale · þus prayed pers for hem

¶ Faitours for fere þer-of flowen in-to bernes

And flapped on wiþ flailes · fra morwe til eue{?}ne

Þat hunger was nouȝt so hardy on hem for to look

For a potful of pese · þat piers had ymaked

¶ And hepe of heremytes henten hem spades

And kutten hir capes and curtbyes hem made

And wenten as werkmen · with spades and schouelles

And doluen and dikeden to dryue awey hunger

Blynde and bedreden · were botoned a thousande

And seten to begge siluer · sone were þey heled

For þat was bake for bayard · was bote for many hungry

And many begger for bens · buxom was to swynke

And elke a pouere mane wel payed · to haue pesen for his hireC

And what Piers pr{e}aide hem to do as prest as a sperhauk

And þer-of was Piers proude · and putte hem to werke

And gaf hem mete as he miȝte a-forþe · and mesurable hire

¶ thanne had Piers pitte · and praied hunger to wenden

Hame in-to his owne erþe · and holden hym þer

For I am wel a-wroke now · of wastours þu{ȝ}rȝ þy miȝt

And I praye þe or thow passe quod pers to hunger

Of beggers and bidders · what best be to doone

For I wot wel be thow went · þey wol worche ful ille

For meschief it makes · þey be so meke nowe

And for defaute of h{two minims}yr foode · þise folk is at my wille

Thay er my blody brether quod piers · for god buouȝt vs alle

Treuþe tauȝte me ones to loue hem echone

And to helpe hem of al þyng · ay as hem nedes

And now wolde I wite of þe what were þe beste

And how I miȝt maister hem · and make hem to worche

¶ Here now quod hungre and holde it for a wisdom

Bolde beggers and bigge · þat mowe hir bred biswynke

Wiþ houndes bredde and horsbrede · hold vp hir hertes

Abate hem wiþ benes · for bolnyng of hir wombe

And if þey grucche þanne · bidde hem go swynke

And he shal soupe swetter · whan he it haþ deserued

And if þow fynde any freek · þat fortune has appairedT

Loue hym and lene hym · for so þe lawe teches

Alter alterius onera portate.

¶ And al manere of men · þow miȝt aspye

Þat nedy ben and noughty help hem wiþ þy goodesT

Loue hem and lakke hem nouȝt · lat god take þe vengeaunce

Theigh þey don yuel · lat god worthe

Michi vindictam & ego retribuam

¶ And if þou wilt be gracious to god · do as þe gospel teches

And biloue þeamonges / þe amongesN low men · so shaltow lacche grace

Facite vobis amicos de mammona iniquitatis

¶ I walde nouȝt greue god quod peres · for al þe good on grounde

Miȝte I synles do as þow saiste · saide pers þanne

¶ Ye I bihote þe quod hunger · or elles þe bibile lies

Go to Genesis þe geaint þe engendrour of vs alle

In sudore an swynke þow shalt þy mete tilye

And labour for þy liflod · and so oure lorde hiȝte

And sapience seiþ þe same · I se it in þe bibile

Piger per frigore no felde nolde tilie

And þerfore shal he begge and bidde · and no man bete his hungreC

¶ Mathew wiþ mannes face · mouthe þise wordes

That seruus nequam had a Mnam and for he nolde nat chaffareC

He had maugre of his maister · eueremore after

And bynam hym his Mnam for he wolde werche

And gaf þat Mnam to hym þat ten Mnammes hadde

And with þat he saide þat holichirch it herde

He þat has shal haue · and helpe þer it nedes

And he hath nouȝt shal nouȝt haue · and no man hym help

And þat he wenes wel to haue · I wole it hym bireue

¶ Kynde wit wolde · þat elkeP a wight wroughte

Or in dikyng or deluyng or trauaillyng in prayers

Contemplatif lif · or actif crist wolde þey wroughte

the sauter saies in the salme of Beati omnes

Þe freke þat fedes hym-self · wiþ faytful labour

he is blissed by þe booke in body an in soule

Labores manuum tuarum & cetera

¶ Yet I praye yow quod pers per charite and ye konne

Any leef of lechecrafte · lere it me my dere.

For somme of my seruantz · and my-self bothe

Of al a wike werche nat · so oure wombe akeþ

I woot wel quod hunger · what sekenesse yow aylees

Ye haue manged to muche · and þat makes yow to grone

¶ And I hotte þe quod hunger · as þou þyn hele wilnest

Þat þow drynke no day · er þow dyne somwhat

Ete nouȝt I hotte þe · er hunger þe take

And sende þe of his sauce · to sauour with þy lippes

And kepe som for soper tyme · and sitte nat to longe

And rise vp er appetit · haue eten his fille

Lat nouȝt sir surfaite · sitten at þy borde

Leue hym nat for he is likerous · and lecherous of his tonge

And after many maners metes · his mawe is a-fyngerd

¶ And if þou dyete thus · I dar legge myn eres

Þat fisik shal his furred hoodes · for his foode selle

And his cloke of calabre · with alle þe knoppes of golde

And be fayn by my faiþ · his phisik to leete

And lere to labour with lande · for liflode is swete

¶ For mortherers er many leches · lord hem amende

Þey do men dye thorugh hir drynkes er destyne wolde

¶ By saynt poule quod perkyn þise aren profitable wordes

Wende now hunger whan þou wolt þat wel be þou euere

For þis is a louely lessoun · lord þe foryelde

¶ Bihote god quod hunger hennes wol I nat wende

Til I haue dyned by þis day · and I-dronke bothe

¶ I haue no peny quod piers · polettes for to biggeN

A fewe cruddes and creme · and an hauer cake

And twa laues of benes and branne · I take for my fauntes

And yet I say by my soule I haue no salte bacoun ·

Ne no cokeney by crist · colops for to make

And I haue percelle and porettz · and many cale plantes

And ek a kow and a calf · and a carte mare

To drawe a-felde my donge · þe while weder is drye

And by þis liflod we moot lyue · to heruest tyme

And by þat I hope · to haue heruest in my crofte

And þan may I dight þe dyner · as me dere likes

Alle þe pouere pypile þo · pesecoddes fettenT

Benes chibolles and cherueles · and many oþer herbes

To make Piers a present · to plese with his hunger

¶ An hunger ete in haste · and asked after more

thanne pouere folk for fere · fedde hunger yerne

With grene porrettes and pesen · hunger þey thoughte

By þat neighed heruest · corn cam to chepyng

thanne was folk fayn and fedde hem of þe besteT

And þo wolde nouȝt werche · but wandred aboute

Ne no begger ete brede · þat benes Inne were

But of coket or clene whete · and drynk of þe beste aleT

But fresshe flessh oþer fisshe · fried oþer bake

And þat chaude or plus chaude · for chillyngN of hir mawe

And but he be heighliche hired elles wol he chideT

Ayeins caton conseil · comseth he to Iangle

Paupertatis onus pacienter ferre memento

¶ He greues hym ayeins god · and grucches ayeins resoun

And he corses þe kyng and al his conseil after

Swilk lawes to look · laborers to greue

And whiles hunger was hir maister · wolde þey nat chide

Ne stryue ayeins his statute · so strernliche / sternliche he loked

¶ And I warne yow werkmen · wynnes while ye mowe

For hunger hiderward · hastes hym faste

He shal a-wake wiþ water · wastours to chastie

Er fyue be fulfilled · famyn shal arise

thourgh flodes and foule wedres · fruytes shal faille

And sa saide Saturne · and sente yow to warne

Whanne ye se þe sonne amys · and two monkes hedes

And a maide haue þe maistrie · and multiplie by eighte

Þanne shal deth wiþdrawe and derthe be Iustice

And dawe þe diker deye for hunger

But if god of his goodnesse graunte vs a trewe