Now ffaire ffalle ȝou quod I þoo ; ffor ȝoure ffaire schewinge

For hakyns loue þe actiff man ; euere I shall ȝou loue

and ȝit I am a weer ; what charite is to mene

It is a ffull tried tre quod he ; trewliche to telle

Mercy is þe more þer-of ; þe myddill stokke is ruþe

þe leues ben lele wordis ; þe lawe of holi chirche

þe blosmes ben buxum speche ; & benynge lokinge

pacience haþe þe pure tre ; and pure symple of herte

and so þoruȝ god & good men ; greweþ þe ffructe charite

I wolde trauaile quod I ; þis tre to se . twenti hundrid myle

and to haue my ffille of þat ffructe ; fforsake al oþer saule

lord quod I if ony wyȝt witte ; whidir out it groweþ

It groweþ in a gardeyne quod he ; þat god made him-selue

amyddis mannys body ; þe more is of þat stokke

herte hatte þe herber ; þat it in growiþ

and liberum arbitrium ; haþe þe lond to fferme

Vndir peers þe plowman ; to piken it and weden it

Peers þe plowman quod I þo ; & al ffor pure Ioie

þat I herde nempne his name ; anon I swowned after

and lay longe in a loue-drem ; & at þe last me þouȝte

þat peers þe plowman ; al þe place me schewid

and bade me toten on þe tre ; on toppe & on rote

with þre pilis was it vndir-piȝt ; I parceyuede it sone

peers quod I I pray þe ; whi stondiþ þese pilis here

For wydis wilte þou witte ; quod he . to witten it ffrom ffalling

Cum ceciderit iustus non collidetur quia dominus supponit manum suam

and in blowinge tyme abite þe fflouris ; but if þese piles helpe

þe werld is a wykkid wynde ; to hem þat wilneþ truþe

Coueytyse comeþ of þat wynde ; & crepeþ amonge þe leues

and ffor-ffreteþ nyȝ þe ffruyt ; þoruȝ many ffaire siȝtis

þanne with þe ffrist pile I pulle him doun ; þat is potencia dei patris

þe fflesshe is a ffelle wynde ; & in þe fflouringe tyme

þoruȝ likynge of lustus ; so lowde he gynneþ to blowe

þat it norshiþ nyce siȝtis ; & sum tyme wordis .

and wikkid werkis þer-of ; worme of synne

and fforbiteþ þe blosmes ; riȝt to þe bare leues

þanne sette I to þe secunde pile ; sapiencia dei patris

þat is þe passion & þe power ; of oure prynce Ihesus

þoruȝ preieris & penaunce ; & godis passion in mynde P

I saue it till I se it ripe ; and sumdill yffruytid

and þane ffondiþ þe ffende ; my ffruyte to distroie

with all þe wylis þat he can ; and wagged þe rote

and casteþ vp to þe croppe ; vnkynde neiboris

Bacbiters breke-cheste ; brawlers and chiders

and leiþ a ledder þer-to ; of lesingis ; arn þe ronges

and ffeccheþ away my fflouris sum tyme ; affore boþe myn eyn

and liberum arbitrium ; lettiþ him sum tyme

þat is letenaunte to loken it well ; bi leue of my-selue

videatis qui peccat in

and whanne þe ffende and þe fflesshe ; fforþe with þe world

Manacen be-hynde me ; my ffruyte ffor to ffecche

þanne liberum arbitrium ; lacchiþ þe ffrist plante

and pulliþ adoun þe pouke ; puriliche þoruȝ grace

and helpe of þe holy goste ; and þus haue I þe maistrie

Now ffaire ffalle ȝou peers quod I ; so ffaire ȝe discryuen

þe power of þese postis ; and her propre myȝte

and I haue þouȝtes a þreue ; of þese þre piles

In what wode þei waxen ; & where þat þei growded

For all yliche ben þei longe ; non lasse þan oþer

and to my mynde as me þinkiþ ; on oo more þei growen

and of oo grettenesse & grene ; of oo greyne þei semen

þat is soþe quod peers ; so it myȝte ffalle

I shall telle þe as tite ; what þis tre hatte

þe grounde þer it groweþ ; goodenesse it hiȝte

and I haue tolde þe what hiȝte þe tre ; þe trinite it meneþ

and egriliche he lokede on me ; and þer-ffore I spared

To axen him ony more þer-of ; and bade him ffull ffaire

To discriue þe ffruyte ; þat so ffaire hangeþ

here now beneþe quod he þo ; if I nede hade

Matrimoyne I may nyme ; a moist ffruyte withall

þat contynence is ner þe crope ; as a calaway bastard

þanne bereþ þe crop kynde ffruyte ; & clenneste of all

Maydenhed aungels peeris ; and rapest wolde be ripe

and swete with-outen {.}swellinge ; soure worþ it neuere

I preyed peers to pulle doun ; an appell and he wolde

and suffre me to asay ; what sauour it hadde

and peers cast to þe crop ; & þanne comsede to crie

and wagged wedowehod ; and it wepte after

and whanne it meuen matrimo{u}yne ; it made a ffoule noyce

þat I had ruþe whanne peers roggede ; it gradde so ruffulliche

For euere as þey dropped adoun ; þe deuellP was redy

and gadrid hem all to-gedris ; boþe grette and smale

adam and eue ; and ysaac þe prophete

Sampson and samuel ; and seint Iohan þe baptist

bar hem fforþe boldeli ; no body hem letted

and made of holi his hoord ; in lymbo inferni

þer is derkenesse and drede ; & þe deuell maister

and peers ffor pure tene ; þat oo pile he lauȝte

and hitte after him ; happe how he myȝte

Filius be þe ffader wille ; and ffrenesse of spritus sancti

To go robbe þat raggeman ; and reue þe ffruyte ffrom him

and þanne spake spiritus sanctus ; in gabrielis mouþe

To a maydyn þat hiȝte marie ; a meke þing with-all

þat on Ihesus a iustises sone ; muste Iouke in hir chaunbre

Till plenitudo temporis ; ffulli come were

þat peers ffruyt fflouride & ffelle to be ripe

Annis quingentes decies rursum quis ducentes

Vnus defueruat cum deus ortus erat

and þan shall Ihesus iuste þer-ffor ; bi iugement of armes

whedir shulde ffonge þe ffruyte ; þe ffende or him-selue

þe mayden myldeliche þo ; þe masager graunted

and said hendeliche to him ; lo me his hand maydyn

For to werchyn his wille ; withouȝtyn ony synne

Ecce ancilla domini fiat michi & cetera

and in þat wombe of þat wenche ; was he ffourti wokis

Till he wex a ffaunt ; þoruȝ his ffleisshe . & of ffytinge couþe

To haue ffouuten with þe ffende ; er ffull tyme come

and peers þe plowman ; parceyuede plener tyme

and lered him lechecrafft ; his lyff ffor to saue

þat þouȝ he were woundid ; with his enemye ; to warische him-selue

and dede him asaie his surgerie ; on hem þat seek weren

Tyll he was parffiȝte practisoure ; if ony perell ffell

And souȝte out þe seke ; and synffull . boþe blynde & crokede

and comune wommen conuertide ; and to god turnedeT

Non est sanus opus medico set infirmis & cetera

boþe messellis and mute ; & in þe menyson blody

ofte he helede swiche ; he helde it ffor no maistrie

saue þo he lechede lazar ; þat had loyn in graue

Quatriduanis quelt ; quyk dede him walke ;

and as he made þe maistrie ; mestus cepit esse

and wepte water with his yen ; þer seyen it many

Summe þat þe siȝte seyne ; saydyn þat tyme

þat he was leche of lyff ; and lord of hie heuene

Iues Iangelyd þer-aȝeins ; & iuggede lawes

and saide he wrouȝte with his whichecrafte ; & with þe deuell myȝte

Demonium habes & cetera

þanne ar ȝe clerkis quod iche ; and ȝoure childrin boþe

and sathan ȝoure saueoure ; ȝoure-self now wittenessyn

For I haue saued ȝoure-self saiþe crist ; and ȝoure sones after

ȝoure bodies ȝoure bestis ; and blynde men holpen

and ffedde ȝou with ffisches ; & with ffyue loues

and lafte baskettis ffull of brede ; and caste adoun her stallisT

þat in chirche chaffaredyn ; or chaungid ony mony

and seid in syȝt of hem all ; so þat all herden

I shall ouere-turne þis temple ; and adoun þrowe

and in þre daies after ; ediffien it newe

and maken it as moche oþer more ; in all manere poyntis

as euere it was & as whyde ; wherffore I hote ȝou

of preyeris and parffiȝtenesse ; þis place þat ȝe calle

Domus mea domus oracionis vocabitur

Enuye and yuell wille ; was in þe Iues

þey casteden and contreueden ; to kylle him whane þey myȝten

Iche day after oþer ; tyme þey awaytide

Tyll it be-ffell on a ffriday ; a litil be-ffore paske

þe þursday be-ffore ; þer he made his mawnde

Sittynge at þe soper ; he saide þese wordis

I am sold þoruȝ on of ȝou ; he shall þe tyme rue

þat euere he his saueour solde ; ffor siluer or ellis

Iudas Iangeled þer-aȝeins ; and Ihesus him tolde

It was him-selue soþely ; and said tu dicis

þanne wente fforþe þat wicked man ; and with þe Iues mette

and tolde hem a tokene ; how to knowe with Ihesus

Cand whiche tokene to þis day ; is to moche vsid

þat is kyssynge and ffaire contenance P ; & vnkynde wille

and so was with Iu{e}das ; þo he Ihesus betraied

Aue rabi {r}quod þat ribaude ; and riȝt to him {.}he ȝede

and kiste him to be cauȝt þer-bi ; and kylled of þe Iues

þanne Ihesus to Iudas ; and to þe Iues saide

Falsenesse I ffynde ; in þi ffaire speche

and gyle in þi glad chere ; and galle in þi lawȝhinge

þou shalt be a meroure ; to many men to disceyue

and þe wers & þe wykednesse ; shall worþe on {..}þi-selue

Necesse est vt veniant

þouȝ I be treson be takon ; at ȝoure owyn wille

suffriþ myn apostelis in pais ; and in pees gange

On a þorusday in þe þesternesse ; þus was he takyn

þoruȝ Iudas and Iues ; Ihesus was his name

þat on þe ffryday ffolwinge ; ffor mankyndes sake

Iustede in Ierusalem ; a Ioy to vs alle

on crosse vppon caluerie ; crist toke þe bataile

aȝens þe deþ and þe deuell ; distroied here boþer myȝtis

Diede & deþ ffordide ; and day of nyȝt made

and I awakid þer-with ; and wyped myn eyn

and after peers plowman ; priede & stared

Estward and westwarde ; I waytide after ffaste

and ȝede fforþe as an idiot in cuntre to aspie

and þanne mette I with a man ; on mydlente sonday

As hoor as an hawe-þorn ; and habram he hiȝte

I ffreyned him ffriste ; ffrom whens he come

and of whens he were ; & whedir he þouȝte

I am ffeiþ quod þis ffreik ; it falliþ not to lie

and of abrahamis hous ; an heroude of armes

I seke after a segge ; þat I seiȝ ones

A ffull bolde bacheler ; I knowe him be his blasen

what bereþ þat barn quod I þo ; so blisse ȝe be-tyde

þre leodes on oo lyȝth ; non lenger þan oþer

of oo mechell & oo mageste ; in mesure and in lengþe

þat on doþe all doþe ; and iche doþe be his one

þe ffrist haþe myȝte and mageste ; maker of all þing

pater is his name ; a persone bi him-selue

þe secounde is of þat sire ; soþeffaste ffilius

wardeyn of all þat witt haþe ; was euere with-outyn gynnyge

þe þred hatte þe holi gost ; a persone by him-selue

þe lyȝt of al þat lyue haþe a londe & on water

Comffortour of creatouris ; of him comeþ al blise

so þre belongeþ ffor oo lord ; þat lordschipe cleymeþ

Myȝt and mene ; to knowe his owen myȝte

of him and of his seruaunt ; and what þei suffred boþe

so god þat bigynnynge had neuere ; but þo him good þouȝt

sente fforþe his sone ; as ffor seruant þat tyme

To ocupien him here ; till issu were sprongyn

þat is childrin of charite ; and holi chirche þe moder

patriarkis and prophetis ; and apostilis were þe childrin

and crist and cristendom ; & cristen holi chirche

I menynge þat man muste ; on oo god be-leue

and þer him likede and lo{...}uede ; in þre persones him schewide

wedelook and wedowhod ; and virgynite ynempned

and tokenynge of þe trinite ; was takyn out of a man

adam oure alþer ffader ; eue was of him-selue

and þe issu þat he hade ; it was of hem boþe

and eiþer is oþer Ioye ; in þre sundri persones

and in heuene and in erþe ; on synguler name

and þus is mankynde or man{k}hede ; of matrimoyne sprongyn

Miȝte is matrimoyn ; þat multiplieþ þe erþe

and bitoneþ truely ; telle it if I durste

he þat ffrist fformed all ; þe ffader of heuene

The sone is if I durste seiȝ ; resemblant to þe wedowe

Deus meus deus meus vt quid

þat is creatoure wex creatoure ; to knowe wat was boþe

as {..}wedow with-outyn wedlok ; was neuer ȝit I-seiȝ

No more god be man ; but If he moder hadde

so wedo{..}we with-outyn wedlok ; may not well stonde

Ne matrimoyne with with-out muliere ; is not moche to preise

maledictus homo qui non

þus in þre persones ; is parffiȝtliche manhod

þat is man and his make ; & muliere childrin

and is not but gendre of generacion ; be-ffore Ihesu crist in heuene

So is þe ffader fforþe with þe sone ; and ffre wille of boþe

spiritus procedens & patre & filius

whiche is þe goste of all ; & all is but oo god

þus in somer I him seiȝe ; as I satte in my porche

I aros and reuerencede him ; & riȝt ffayre him grette

þre men to my syȝte ; I made well at ese

wesshe her ffeet and wipede hem ; & afterwardis þei eten

Calues fflesshe and cake-bred ; & knowen what I þouȝt

Full trewe tokenes bitwynne us ben ; to telle whane me likyþ

Frist he ffounded C ; me if I loued better

him or ysaac myn eiere ; þe whiche he hiȝte me kylle

he wiste my wille be him ; he wolle me it alowe

I am ffull seker in soule þer-of ; & my sone boþe

I circumciside my sone ; siþ ffor his sake

My-self and my meyne ; & al þat male weren

bleden blode ffor þat lordis sake ; and hopen to blisse þe tyme

Myn affiaunce & my ffeiþ ; is fferme in þis bileue

For him-self be-hiȝte to me ; and to my issu boþe

lond and lordschipe ; and lyff with-outyn ende

To me and to myn issu ; more he me graunted

mercy ffor oure myssdedis ; as many tyme as we axe

Quam olim abrahe promisisti

and siþe he sente me to sey ; I shulde do sacrifice

and do him werschepe with bred ; & with wyn boþe

And callid me fforþe of his ffeiþ ; his ffolke ffor to saue

and deffended hem ffro þe ffende ; ffolk þat on me leueden

þus haue I ben his heroude ; here & in helle

and comfforted many careffull ; þat after his comynge P waytyn

and þus I seke him he said ; ffor I herde sayn late .

of a barm þat baptisid him ; Iohn baptiste was his name

þat to patriarkis & prophetis ; & oþer peple in derkenesse

saide þat he seiȝ him ; þat shulld saue vs all

Ecce agnus dei & cetera

I had wondir of his wordis ; & of his wyde cloþis

For in his bosum he bare a þing ; þat he blessid euere

and I loked on his lappe ; a lazare lay þer-inne

amongis patriarkis and prophetis ; pleynge to-gedris

what waytist þou quod he þo ; & what woldest þou haue

I wolde witte quod I þo ; what is þis in ȝoure lappe

loo quod he and lete me se ; lord mercy I saide

þis is a presente of moche price ; what prynce shall it haue

It is a preciouse presente quod he ; and þe pouke it haþe atached

and me þer-myd quod þat man ; may no wede us quyte

Ne no barn be oure boruȝ ; ne bringe us ffrom his daunger

out of þe poukis pynffolde ; ne no menprice us ffecche

Tyll he come þat I carpe of ; crist is his name

þat shall deliuere us out ; of þe deuellis powere

and better wedde ffor us legge ; þanne we ben all worþi

þat is lyff ffor lyff ; or ligge þus euere

lollynge in my lappe ; till swiche a lord us ffecche

allas I saide þat synne ; so longe shall lette

þe myȝte of godis mercy ; þat myȝte us all amende

I wepte ffor his wordis ; with þat sawȝ I anoþer

Rapeliche renne fforþe ; þe riȝt weye he wente

I ffreynede him ffrist ; ffrom whens he come

and what he hiȝte ; and whedir he wolde . and whiȝtliche he tolde