Thane as I wente be þe weye / whan I was þus awakid

heuy chered I ȝede / and elenge in herte

I ne wiste were to ete / ne in what place

and it nyed nere þe non / and with nede I mette

That affrountid me well ffoule / and ffaytour me callid

kans þou not excuse þe / as dede þe kyng and oþer

That þou toke to þi bileue / to clothis & to sustenaunce

and be techinge and tellinge ; of spiritus temperance P

and þou nome no more / þan nede þe tauȝth

and nede hath no lawe / ne neuere shall ffalle in dette

For þre þingis he takiþ / his lyff ffor to saue

That is mete whan men him warneth / & he no mony weldeth

Ne wyght non wolle be his borowe / ne wedde hath non to legge

and he be cauȝte in þat cas / and come þer-to be sleighte

he synneth nouȝt sotheliche / þat so wynneth his ffode

and þouȝe he come so to a cloþe / and can no better cheuisaunce

Nede anon-rith / nymeth him vnder maynprise

and if him list to lape / þe lawe of kynde wolde

That he dronke at iche a diche / er he ffor þrest deied

So nede at grete nede / may nemen as ffor his owen

with-outyn conceill of conscience / or cardinall vertues

so þat he sewe and saue / spiritus temperanncieP

For is no vertue be ffer to spiritus temperancie

Neiþer spiritus Iusticie ne spiritus ffortitudinis

For spiritus ffortitudinis fforffeteth ffull ofte

he shall do more þan mesure / many tyme and ofte

and bette men ouere- bittre / and some of hem to litill

and greue men gretter / þan good ffeyth wolde

and spiritus Iusticie shall Iuge / woll he or nylle he

after þe kyngis conceill / and þe comune like

and spiritus prudencie / in many a pointe shall ffaile

of þat he weneth wolde ffalle / ȝif his witt ne were

wenynge is no wisdom / ne wise ymaginacion

homo proponit & deus disponit and gouerneth all good vertuez

but nede is next him / ffor anon he meketh

And as lowe as a lombe / ffor lakke of þat him nedeth

wyse men fforsoken welthe / ffor þei wolde be nedi

and woned in wildernesse / and wolde not be riche

and god alle his grett Ioies / gostely he left

and cam and toke mankynde / and be-cam nedy

so nedy he was as saith þe book / in many sondri placis

That he said in his sorowe / on þe selue rode

bothe ffox and ffoule may ffle / to hoole and crepe

and þe ffisshe hath ffynne / to fflete with to reste

Where nede hath ynome me / þat I mote nede abide

and suffre sorowe full sowre / þat shull to Ioie turne

For-thi be not abasshid / to bide and to be nedy

Sith he þat wrouȝte all þe world / was wullfulli nedy

Ne neuere non so nedy / ne pouerere deied

whan nede had vndir-nome me þus / anon I ffell aslepe

and mette ffull merueilousliche / þat in manys fforme

Antecrist come þan / and all þe croppe of trewthe

Turned it vp-so-doun / and ouer-tilte þe rote

and ffals spronge and spredde / and spedde mennys nedis

In iche a contre þer he cam / he kytte away treuþe

and dede gyle growe þer / as he a god where

Freris ffollowed þat ffende / ffor he ȝaf hem Copis

and religious reuerencid him / and rongen her bellis

and alle þe couent fforth cam / to welcome þat tiraunt

and alle his as well as him / saue onliche ffoolis

which ffooles were well leuer / to die þan to leue

lenger þan lenten / to be so rebuked /

and a ffals ffrende antecrist / ouere all ffolk regned

and þo þat were mylde men / & holy / þat no myssheff d{e}reden

deffied alle ffalsnesse / and ffolk þat it vsid

and what kyng þat hem comfortid / knowinge hem ony while

They curside and her conceill / were it clerk or lewed

antecrist had þus sone / hundriste at his banere

and pride it bare / boldely abouȝte

with a lorde þat leueth / after likynge of his body

That cam aȝein conscience / þat keper was and guyour

Ouere kynde cristene / and cardinall vertues

I conceill quod conscience / þo / cometh with me ȝe ffoles

In-to vnite holy chirche / and holde we us þer

and crie we to kynde / þat he come and deffende us

Foles ffro þe ffendis lymes / ffor piers loue þe plowman

and crie we to all þe comune / þat þei come to vnite

and þer abide and bekere / aȝeins belliales childrin

kynde conscience þo herde / and come out of þe planetis

and sente fforth his fforreiours / ffeuerez and ffluxes

Cowghes and cardiacles / cramppis and totheaches

Rewmes and redgoundes / and runyous scabbis

biles and bocchis / and brennynge anguyshis

Frensies and ffoule euellis / fforragers of kynde

had y-prikid and proued / polles of þe peple

þat largely a legion / loren her lyffis sone

þer was herrow and helpe / here cometh kynde

with deth þat is dredffull to vn-don us all

þe lord þat leued after lust / þo alowde cried

after comfort a knyȝth to come / and bere his banere

alarme alarme quod þat lord / iche lif kepe his owen

and þan mette þese men / er myntrallis myȝte pipe

and er heroudis of armes / had discriued lordis

kynde cam after / with many kene sores

as pokkis and pestilence / and moche peple schente

So kynde þoru corrumpcioun / kyllid full many

deth cam after dryuynge P / and all dust passhed

kyngis and knyȝthis / kaisers and popis

lered ne lewde / he lette no man stonde

þat he ne hitte euen / þat stered neuere after

many a louely lady / and lemmanys P of knyȝthis

swowned and sweltid / ffor sorowe of detthis dyntis

Conscience of his curteisie / to kynde besouȝte

To cesse and suffre / and se where þei wolde

leue pride preuyli / and be parffitte cristen

And kynde cessid þo / to se þe peple amende

Fortune gan fflatern þan / to ffewe þat were aleue

and bihighte hem long lyf / and leccherie he sente

amongis all manere men / weddid and vnweddid

and gaderid a grett host / al ageyn conscience

þis leccherie leide on / with a laughinge chere

and with preuy speche / and peynted wordis

and armed hem in ydelnesse / and in hie berynge

he bare a bowe in his honde / and many blody arwys

Feþerid with ffaire speche / and many a ffals trouþe

with his vntidy tales / he tened ffull ofte

Conscience and his companye / of holy chirche þe techers

þan come coueityse / and cast how he myȝthe

Ouer-come conscience / and cardinall grace /

and armed him in avarice / and hungrylich he leued

his wepene was all whilis / to wynnen and to hiden

with glosyngis and gabbyngis / he gilid þe peple

Symonye him sente / to assaile conscience

and prechid to þe peple / and prelatus þei hem madyn

To holdyn with antecrist / her temperalitees to saue

and come to þe kyngys conceill / as a kene baren

and knelide to conscience / in courte affore hem all

and dede good ffeith ffle / and ffals to abyde

and boldeliche bare adoun / with many briȝth noble

moche of þe witt and wisdom / of westmynstre halle

he Iugged till a Iustice / and Iustid in his ere

and ouere-tilte al his trewþe / with take þis vp amendement

and to þe arches in haste / he ȝede anon after

and turned Ciuile to Symonie / and sith he toke þe officiall

For a mentellP of menyuer / he made trewe matrimoyne

departed or deth cam / and devorsse schapte

Alas quod Conscience and cried þo / wolde crist of his grace

That coueytise where cristene / þat is so kene a ffyghtere

and bolde and bidinge P / while his bagge lastith

and þan lough lyf / and lete dagge his cloþis

and armed him in hast / in harlottis wordis

and helde holynesse a Iape / and hendenesse a wastour

and lete leaute a cherle / and lyere a ffre man /

Conscience and conceill / he comptid it ffolie

Thus reuellid lyff long / ffor a litill ffortune

and prikid fforth with pride / preisith he no vertue

he careth nouȝt how kynde slowe / and shall come at þe last

and kylle alle erthely creaturis / saue conscience on

lyf lepe aside / and laughte him lemman

hele and I quod he / and heighnesse of herte

shall do þe nouȝt drede / neiþer deth ne elde

and to ffor-ȝete sorowe / and ȝeue nouȝt of synne

This likid lyff / and his lemman ffortune

and getten in hir glorie / a gedelinge at þe last

on þat moche wo wrouȝte / slewthe was his name

Sleuthe wex wonder yerne / and sone was of age

and weddid on wanhope / a wenche of þe stiwes

hir sir was a sisoure / þat neuere swore trewþe

On thom two tounge / ateint at ich a queste

This sleuþe wex ware of werre / and a slynge made

and þrew drede of dispeiere a doseyne myle abouȝte

For care conscience þo / cried vppon elde

and bad him ffonde to ffyȝthe and affor wanhope

and elde hente good hope and hastyly he schiffte him

and wayued away / wanhope / and with lyf he ffyghted

lyf ffleþe ffor ffer / to phesyk after helpe

and besouȝte him of socoure / and of his salue hadde

and ȝaff him gold good wone þat gladdyd his herte

and þey ȝeuen him aȝein / a glasen howue

lyf leeued þat lechecraff / lette shulde elde

and dryuen away deth / with dias and draggis

and elde auntred him on lyff / and at þe laste he hitte

a phesicien with a ffurred hode / þat he felle in þe palsie

and þer deyed þat doctour / er þre daiez after

now I se said lyf / þat Surgiens ne phesik /

may not a myte availe / to medle aȝeins elde

and I hope of his hele / good herte he hente

and rode so to reuell / to a riche place and a murie merie P

That was þe companye of court men / cleped sum-tyme

and elde anon after me / and ouere myn hede ȝede

and made me balled beffore / and bare on þe croune

So harde he ȝede ouere myn heed / it woll be sen euere

Syr euell ytauȝte elde quod I /P vnhende go with þe

Sith whane was þi wey / ouere mennys heedis

haddisthou ben hende quod I /P þou woldest haue asked leue

ȝe leue lordeyne quod he / and leide on me with age

and hitte me vnder þe eere / vnneþe may I here

he buffettid me abouȝte þe mouthe / and bette me on þe teethe

and gyed me in gowtis / I may not go at large

and of þe wo þat I was in / my wyff had reuthe

and wisshen ffull witterly / þat I where in heueneC

For þe lyme þat she loued me ffore / and leef was to ffele

On nyȝtis nameli / whan we naked were /

I ne myȝth in no manere / makyn it at hir will

So elde and she sothely / haddyn it ffor-betten

and as I satte in þis sorowe / I seie how kynde passid

and deth drow nyȝ me / ffor dred gan I quake

and cried to kynde / out of care me brynge

lo olde elde þe hore / hathe me be-seie

awreke me if ȝoure will be / ffor I wolde ben hens

ȝif þou wolte ben y-wroke / wende in-to vnite

and holde þe þer euere / till I sende ffor þe

and loke þou konne sum crafte / or þou come hens

Conseile me kynde quod I . what craft is best to lerne

lerne to loue quod kynde / and leue of / all oþer

how shall I come to Catell so / to cloþe me and to ffede

and þou loue trewly quod he / lakke shall þe neuere

mete ne worldly wede / while þi lyff lasteth

and þer be conceill of kynde / I began to rome

Thoru contriccion and conffession till I come to vnite

and þer was conscience constable / Cristen to saue

and biseged sothely / with seuene grett Ieauntes

That with antecrist helden / harde aȝeins conscience

Sleuthe with his slynge / an harde sauȝte made /

Proude prestis come with him / mo þan a thousand

In paltokes and pikid schoes / and gipseris long knyues

Comen aȝein conscience / with coueityse þey hilden

by marie quod a mansyd prest / of þe marche of Irlonde

I counte no more conscience / be so I cacche siluer

Than I do to drynk P / a drauȝte of good ale

and so saide sexty / of þe same contre

and schottyn aȝein with schotte / many a scheff of othes

and brode hokyd Arwes / godis hert and his naylis

and haddyn al-most vnite / and holynesse adoun

Conscience cried helpe clergie / or ellis I ffalle

þoru inparfit prestis / and prelatus of holy chirche

Freris herdyn him crie / and comen him to helpe

and ffor þey coude P not well her crafte / conscience fforsoke hem

Nede nyighed þo nere / and conscience he tolde

That þey come ffor coueytise / to haue cure of soulis

and ffor þei ar pouere parauenture / ffor patrimoyne hem ffaileth

þey woll fflatere to ffare well / ffolk þat ben riche

and sayn þey chosen schele / and caitiff pouerte

late hem schewe as þey chosen / and charge hem with no cure

For lowder he lyeth / þat liflode mote begge

Than he þat laboureth ffor lyflode / and leneth it beggers

and sithen ffreris fforsoke / þe ffelicite of erthe

late hem be as beggers / or leue be angellus ffode

Conscience of þis conseill / þo be-gan to laughe

and curteisliche comffortid hem / and callid in all ffreris

and said siris sotheliche / wellcome be ȝe all

To vnite and holy chirche / but oo þinge I ȝou preye

holdeth ȝou in vnite / and haueth non enuye

To lered ne to lewed / but leueth after ȝoure reule

and I wolle be ȝoure borwe / ȝe shull haue brede and cloþis

and oþer nessesaries ynowe / ȝou shall no þinge ffaile

with þat ȝe leue logike / and lerneth ffor to loue

For loue þei lefte lordschipe / boþe lowde and stille

Frere ffraunceys and domynyk / ffor loue to ben holy

and if ȝe coueityn cure / kynde witt woll ȝou teche

þat in mesure god made / all manere þingis

and sett it in a serteyn / and at a seker nounbre

and nempned names newe / & nounbred þe prestes sterrez

qui numerat multitudinem stellarum et omnibus eis nomina & cetera

kyngis and knyȝtis þat kepen and deffendyn

han officers vndir hem / and ich of hen serteyne

and if þey wagen men to werre / þey writte hem in nounbre

woll no tresoure wages hem paie / taille þey neuere so sore

but he kunne rekene ariȝt / her names in his rollisT

alle oþer in bataille / ben yholde bribours

pilours and pikharneys / in eche a place acursid

monkes and moniales / and all men of relegion

here ordre and here rewle wolle / to han a seyteyn nounbre

of lewed and of lered / þe lawe wull and axeth

A serteyne ffor a serteyne / saue onliche of ffreris

For-thi quod conscience by crist / kynde witt me tellithC

It is wikkid to wage ȝou / ȝe wexin out of nounbre

heuene hath euene nounbre / and helle is outyn nounbre

For-thi I wolde witterly / þat ȝe were in þe registre

and ȝoure nounbre vndir nottories signe / and neiþer mo ne lesse

Enuye herde þis / and heet freris go to scole

and lerne logik and lawe / and eke contemplacion

and preche men of plato / and preue it be Seneca

That all þingis vndir heuene / outten to be in comune

and ȝet he lyeth as I leue / þat to þe lewed so precheth

For god made to men a lawe / and moyses it taughte

Non concupisces rem proximi tui

and euyll is þis I holde / in parisshes in Engelond

For parsones and parisshe prestis / þat shulld þe peple schryue

ben curatours callid / to knowe and to hele

alle þat ben her parisshenes / penaunce to enioyne

and shulde be ashamed in her schriff / but shame maketh hem wende

And fflen to þe ffreris / as ffals ffolk to westmynystre

That borwen and bere þeder / and þanne bidden ffrendis

ȝerne of fforȝeuenesse / or lenger ȝeres loone

but while he is in westmynstre / he woll be biffore

and makyn him murie / with oþer mennys goodis

and so it ffareth with moche ffolk / þat to þe ffreris schryuen

as Sisours and executores / þey wolle ȝeue þe ffreris

a parcell to preie ffor hem / and make hem-self mery

with þe resedue and þe remenaunt / þat oþer men biswonke

and suffre þe deed in dette / to þe day of dome

Enuye hereffore / hated conscience

and ffreris to phelosophie / he ffonde hem to scoleC

The while coueitise and vnkyndenesse / conscience assailid

In vnite holy chirche / conscience hylde him

and made pees porter / to vnpynne þe yatis

of alle tale-tellers / and titereris in ydell

ypocrisie and he / an harde assauȝte þei made

ypocrise at þe yate / harde gan ffighte

and woundid well {...}wikkydly / many wyse techers

That with conscience acordid / and cardinall vertues

Conscience callid a leche / þat well kouude schr{e}yue

To salue þo þat seke ben / þoru synne ywoundid

schrifte schope scharpe salue / and made men to do penaunce P

For here myssedis / þat þei wrouȝte haddyn

and þat piers were paide / redde quod debes

Som liked nouȝt þis leche / and lettrez þei senten

Ȝif ony Surgien were þe Segge / þat soft koude P plaister

Syr leef to leue in lecherie / lay þer and groned

For ffastynge of a ffriday / he fferde as he wolde deie

Ther is a surgien in þis sege / þat softe can handle

and more of phesik / be-ffore / and ffairere he plaist{e}reth

On ffrere fflaterere / is phesiscien and Surgien

quod contricion to conffession / do him come to vnite

For here is many man hurte / þoru ypocrisie

we han no nede quod conscience / I wotte no better leche

Than parson or pariche preste / penytauncer or bisschoppe

Saue piers þe plowman / þat hath power ouere hem all

and indulgence may do / but if dette lette it

I may well suffre said conscience / sith ȝe desiren

That ffrere fflaterere be ffett / and phesik ȝou seke

þe ffrere here-of herde / and hied him ffaste

To a lord ffor a letter / leue to haue cure

and as a curatour he were / he cam with his lettrez

{I}boldely to þe bisschoppe / and his breff hadd

In contres þer he come in / conffessions to here

and come þer conscience was / and knokkid at þe yate

pees oppened it / was portir of vnite

and in hast askede / what his will were

In ffeith quod þis ffrere / ffor proffitt and ffor helthe

Carpe I wolde with contriscion / and þer-ffor I cam hedir

he is seke saide pees / and so ar many oþer

ypocrise hath hurte him / ffull harde is if he keuere

I am a Surgien saide þe Segge / and salues can make

Conscience knoweth me well / and what I can do bothe

I preie þe quod pees þo / er þou passe fforther

what hattest þou I prey þe / hele nouȝt þi name

Certis he said ffellawe / sir penetrans domos

ȝe go þi gate quod pees / bi god ffor all þi phesik

but þou konne sum craft / þou comest not here-inne

I knewe swiche on onys / nouȝt eight wynter passid

Come in þus ycoped at a court þer I dede dwelle

and was my ladies leche / and my lordis boþe

and at þe laste þis lemytour / þo my lord was out

he salued so oure womman / till some were with childe

hiende speche heet pees / opene þe yatis

late in þe ffrere and his ffellawe / and make hem ffaire chere

he may se and here / so it may be-ffall

T{.}hat lyf þoru his lore / shall leue coueitise

and be adrad of detth / and withdrawe him ffro pride

and acorde with conscience / and kysse eiþer oþer

Thus þoru hiende speche / entrid þe ffrere

and cam in to conscience / and curteislich him grette

þou art welcome quod conscience / kanst þou hele þe seke

Here is contriccion quod conscience / my Cosyn ywounded

Comfforte him quod conscience / and take kepe to his sores

The plaistris of þe parson / and po{.}wrdris biten so sore

he lat hem ligge ouere-longe / and lothe is to chaunge hem

Fro lenten to lenten / he late his plaistris bite

That is ouere longe quod þis lymetour / I leue I shall amende it

an goth and gropeþ contriccion / and ȝaff him a plaister

Of preuy paiement / and I shall preye ffor ȝouC

and ffor all þat ȝe ben holde to / all my lyf-tyme

and make ȝou my lady / in messe and in matynys

as ffreris of oure ffraternite / ffor a litill syluer

Thus he goth and gaderith / and glosith þer he shryueth

Tyll contricion / had clene ffor-getten to crie / and to wepe

and wake ffor his wikkid werkis / as he was wonte to don

For comffort of his conffessour / contricion he lefte

That is þe souereynest salue / ffor all-kynne synnes

Sl{.}ewthe seithe þat / and so dede pride

and cam with a kene will / conscience to asaile

ConscienceP criede efte / and bad clergie helpe

and also contriction / ffor to kepe þe yate

he lythe and dremeth saide pees / and so do many oþer

The ffrere with his phesik / þese ffolk hath enchaunted

and plaistred it so esily / þey drede no synneC

by crist quod conscience þo / I woll by-come a pilgrime

and walkyn as wyde / as all þe world lasteth

To seke piers þe plowman / þat pride may distroye

and þat ffreris had a ffyndynge / þat ffor nede fflateren

and contrepleden me conscience / now kynde me avengeC

and sende me happe and hele / till I haue piers þe plowman

and sithe he grede after grace / till I gan awake