Passus ,xv, / quindecimus finit de dowell , et incipit dobet
ANd after my wakyng , it was wonder long
Ere I could kyndly know what was dowel
And so my wyt wexe & waued , til I a fole wer
And some lacked me self , allowed it few
And letten me for a lorell , and loth to reuerencen
Lordes or Ladyes , or any lyfe els
And persons in pelure , wyth pendantes of siluer
To sargeauntes ne to suche , sayde I not once
God loke you lordes , ne louted fayre
That folke helden me a fole , & in that foly I reygned
Tyll reason had ruthe on me , and rocked me a-slepe
Tyll I se as it sorcery were , a sotle thyng wyth-all
One wythouten tong & teth , told me whither I shold
And wherof he came , and of what kynde , I coniured
hym at laste
If he were christes creature , anon me to tellen
I am christes creature quod he , & christen in many a place
In christes courte I-knowe wel , & of hys kyn a party
Is nether Peter the porter , ne Poule with his faucheon
That wyll defende me the dore , dynge I neuer so late
At mydnyght at midday , my voyce is so know ,
That ech a creature of his court , welcommeth me faire
What ar ye called quod I in þat court , among christs puple
The whils I quicken þe course quod he , callid am I Anima
And whan I wyll and wold , Animus iche hate
And for that I can and knowe , called am I Mens
And whan I make mone to god , Memoria is my name
And whan I deme domes , and do as trouth teacheth
Than is Rasio my right name , reason on Englishe
And when I fele þat folke tellith , my first name is sensus ,
And that is wit and wisdome the well of all craftes ,
And when I chalenge or chalenge not , chepe or refuse
Than am I conscience called , gods clerke & his notary
And when I loue lelly our lord and all other
Than is Leliloue my name , and in latin Amor ,
And when I flee from the flesh and forsake the caroin
Than am I spirite specheles , spiritus than iche hate
Austin and Isodorus eyther of them bothe
Named me thus to name , now thou might chese ,
How þou couetist to cal me , now þou knowst al mi names
Anima pro diuersis actionibus , diuersa nomina sortitur , dum
viuificat corpus , anima est , dum vult animus est , dum scit mens
est , dum recolit memoria est dum iudicat racio est , dum sentit ,
sensus est , dum amat amor est , dum negat , vel consentit , con
sciencia est , dum spirat spiritus est
Ye bene as a bysshop quod I , all bourdinge þe time
For bisshops blessed , they beare many names ,
Presull and Pontifex , and metopolitanus ,
And other names an hepe , Episcopus and Pastor .
That is soth sayd he , now. I se thy will ,
Thou woldest know & ken þe cause of al their names ,
And of mine if thou mightest me thinke by thi speach
Ye sir I sayde , by so no man were greued ,
All the sciences vnder sunne and all the suttel craftes ,
I wold I knew and coud kindly in mine harte ,
Than arte þou imperfit quod he and one of prids knightes
For such a lust and liking lucyfer fell from heauen
Ponam pedem / pedem [meum]pedem in aquilone , et simulis ero altissimo .
It were agaynst kind quod he , and kinnes reason ,
That any creature shuld kenne all , except Christ one ,
Agayne such Salomon speaketh , & dispiseth her wits
And sayth Sicut qui mel comedet multum , non est ei bonum
Sic qui scutator est maiestatis opprimitur a gloria ,
To English this is to mene þat mowen speake & heare
The man þat much hony eateth , his maw it englemith
And the more þat a man of good matter heareth ,
But he do therfore it doth him doble scaeth ,
Beatus est sayth saint Barnard qui scripturam legit
Et verba vertit in opera , fully to his power
Couetise to ken and to knowe science
Put out of Paradse / Parad[i]se Adam and Eue ,
Sciencie appetitus hominem immortalitatis gloria spoliauit
And right as honi is iuel to defy & englimeth þe maw
Right so he þat through reason , wold þe rote know ,
Of God & of his great mights , his graces it letteth ,
For in the liking lyeth a prid and likames couetyse ,
Against Christs counsel , and al clerkes teaching
That is. Non plus sapere quam oportet sapere
Friers & fel other masters þat to þe lewd men preachen ,
Ye mouen matters inmesurable to tel of the trynyty ,
That oftimes þe lewd people of their beliefe douten ,
Better beleue where many docters such teaching
And tel men of ten commaundements , & touchen þe seuen sinnis
And of þe branches þat budde of them , & bringen men to Hell
And how that folke in folies mispend their fiue wyttes
As well friers as other folke , folilish spenen ,
In housing in hatering & into high clergie shewinge
More for pompe then for pure charitie , þe peple wote þe soth
That I lye not so , for lords they plesen ,
And reuerencen the rather for their siluer .
Confundantur omnes qui adorant sculptilia , Et alibi vt quid di
ligitis vanitatem et queritis mendacium ?
Go to the glose of the verse , the greate Clarkes
If I lye on you to my lewed wit , leade me to brenning
For as it semeth ye forsake no mans almes ,
Of vsurers of hoores of auarous chapmen
And louten to these lordes , that maye lene you nobles ,
Agayn your rule and religion I take record at Iesus
That saide to his disciples Ne sitis personarum acceptores
Of thys mater I might make a longe byble
And of curats of christen peple , as clerks bear witnes .
I shal tellen it for truths sake , takehed / take hed who-so lykith ,
As holines & honesti out of holychurch spredith ,
Through lelly liuing men , that Gods lawe teachen
Ryght so out of holychurch al euels spredith .
Ther inperfite presthode is prechers and techers .
I se it by ensample in sommertime on trees ,
There some bowes bene leued , and some bere none .
There is a mischefe in þe moore of such maner bowes
Right so of parsons & pristes & prechers of holichurch
That are roote of the right fayth to rule the people
And there the roote is rotten reason wote the soth ,
Shal neuer floure ne frute ne fayre leafe be grene ,
Therfore wold ye lettred men leaue þe licheri of clothing
And be kind as befel for clerkes & curteis of Christs , goods ,
True of your tong and of your tayle both
And hate to her harlotrie , and not to vnderfonge
Tithes but of true thing tilyed or chafferid ,
Both were lewede men , but they your lore folowed .
And amenden hem þat misdone , more for your ensamples
Than to preache and proue it not , hypocrisie it semeth ,
For hipocrisie in laten is lykened to donghyll ,
That were besnewed with snowe and snakes within
Or to a walle were whittimed & were foule within ,
Right so many priestes preachers and prelates ,
Ye were enblanched with Belopolis & with clothes also
And your works & your words therunder are ful vnlouely
Iohannes Chrisostomus , of clerks spekith & prists
Sicut de templo omne bonum progreditur : sic de templo omne
malum procedit . Si sacerdotium incorruptum fuerit : tota flo
ret Ecclesia . Si autem corruptum fuerit : omnium fides marci
da est , si sacerdotium fuerit in peccatis : totus populus conuer
tetur ad peccandum . Sicut cum videris Arborem palidam et
marcidam inteliges / intel[l]ig[i]s quod vicium habet , in radice : Ita cum
dideris / [v]ideris populum indisciplinatum et irreligiosum , sine dubio
sacerdotium eius non est sanum .
If lewde men wist what this latin meaneth ,
And who was mine auctour , much wonder me thin=
but if mani prists bere for hir base lords & their bro=
A payre of bedes in their hands , & a booke vnder their arme ,
Sir Iohn & sir Ieffery hath a girdle of siluer
A baselard or a ballocke knife , with bottons ouergilt
And a portus þat shuld be his plow , Placebo to synge .
Had he neuer seruice to saue siluer therto , seith it with ydle wil
Alas ye lewde men much lese ye on priests
And a thing that wickedly is won , & with false sleights
Wold neuer wit of witty God , but wickid men it had ,
The which are prists imperfit & prechers after siluer
Executores & sodemes , samoners & their lemmans ,
That þat with gyle was gotten vngraciously is spended ,
So harlots and hoores are holpen with such goods
And Gods folks for defaute therof for-faren & spillen ,
Curatours of holy kyrke as clerkes þat bene warous ,
Lightly that they leuen osels / [l]osels it habbeth ,
Or dyeth intestat and the bisshop entreth ,
And makith mirth their-midde and his men bothe ,
And siggen he was an nigarde þat no good might spare
To frende ne to fremid the finde haue his soule
For a wretched house he healed , all his life time ,
And þat he spared and disperid , spende we in mirthe .
By learned and by lewde that loth is to spend ,
Thus gone their goods , be the ghoost faren
And for good men Godwot / God wot , great dowel men maken ,
And bemeaneth good meatgeuers , & in mind haueth
In prayers and in penance , and in perfit charitie ,
What is charitie quod I tho ? a childish thing he sayd ,
Nisi efficiamini sicut paruuli nou / no[n] intrabitis / intrabitis [in]intrabitis regnum celorum
Without fauteltie or folie , fre liberall will ,
Wher shuld men find such a frind with so fre a herte ,
I haue lyued in longe quod he , my name is long wyll ,
And founde I neuer full charitie before ne behynde
Men be merciable to mendinauntes and to pore
And wollen lene there they leue , lelly to be payed
Chariti þat Poul praisith best , most plesing to our Lord
Is Non inflatur non est ambitiosa , non querit que sua sunt
I se neuer suche a man so god me helpe
That he ne would aske after hys , & otherwhyle couet
Thynge that neded hym not , & nyme it if he myght
Clarkes kenne me that Christe is in all places
And I se him neuer sothly , but as my-selfe in a myrror .
In enigmate , tunc facie ad faciem ,
And so I trowe trulye bi that men tell of charitie
It is not champions fyght , ne chaffer as I trowe
Charitie quod he chaffreth not , ne chalengeth ne craueth
As proude of a peny , as of a pounde of golde
And is as glade of a gowne of graye russet
As of a tunicle of tars , or of tried scarlet ,
He is glade with all glade , and good to all wycked
And leueth and loueth all that our lorde made
Curseth no creature , ne he can beare no wrath
Ne no likinge hath to lye , ne laughe men to scorne
All that men sayne he lete it soth , & in solace taketh
And all maner mischiefe , in mildenes he suffreth .
Coueteth he no earthly good , but heuenlych blysse
Hath he any rentes or riches , ne retcheth he neuer
For a frend þat findeth him , fayleth him neuer at nede
Fiat voluntas tua , fynde hym euermore
And if he souped , eateth but a soupe of Spera in deo ,
He can portrey wel þe Pater noster , & paint it with Pitie .
And otherwhyle he is wonne to wend on pilgrymage
There pore men & prisoners ligged , her pardon to haue
Though he bear hem no bread , he bear sweter liuelod
Louith him as our lord bade , & lokith howe thei fare
And whan he is wery of þat worcke , than wold he somtime
Laboure in lauendrye , well the length of a myle
And yerne into youth , and yepely speake
Pryde with all thappertenaunces , & pake hem togithers
And bonden hem at hys brest , and beate hem cleane
And liggen on long with Laboraui in gemitu meo ,
And with warme water at hys eyen , washen hem after
And than he syngeth whan he doth so , And sometyme sayth wepynge ,
Cor contritum et humiliatum deus non despicies
By Christ I would I knew him quod I , no creature leuer
Wythout the helpe of Pyerce Ploughman quod he
Hys person seest thou neuerN
Where clarkes knowe hym quod I , þat kepen holy kyrke ,
Clerks haue no knowing quod he , bi works & bi words
And Pierce the Plowman , parceyueth more depelye
What is the wyll & wherfore , þat many wight suffreth
Et vidit deus cogitationes eorum ,
For there are full proude herted men patient of tong
And boxome as of beringe , to burgeis and to Lords
And to pore people haue pepper in the nose ,
And as a Lyon he loketh , there men lacke his workes
For there are beggers & bydders , bedemen as it were
Loken as lambren , and semen lyue holye
And it is more to haue her meat , with such an easi maner
Than for penaunce or perfitnes , þe penaunce þat such taketh
Therfore by colour ne by cleargy , know shalt þou neuer
Nether through works nor words , but through wil one
And þat knoweth no clarke , ne creatnre / creat[u]re on earth ,
But Pierce the Ploughman , Petrus id est Christns / Christ[u]s ,
For he is not in lolliers , ne in landelyppers hermettes
Ne in ancres there a boxe hangeth al such they fayten
Fye on faytours , and infautores / in fautores suos ,
For charitie is gods champion , & as a good child hend
And the meriest of mouth , at meat wher he setteth
The loue þat lieth in his hert , maketh him light of spech
And is compaignable and confortatyue , as Christ byd him-selfe
Nolite fieri sicut hypocrite tristes .
For I haue sene hym in sylke , and somtyme in russet
Both in graye and in gryse , and in gylt harneys
And as gladly he it gaue to gommes that it neded
Edmunde and Edwarde eyther were kynges
And saintes sette , for charitye hem folowed
I haue sene charitye also syngen and reden
Ryden and runnen in ragged weddes
And bydden as beggers behelde I hym neuer
And in ryche robes rathest he walketh
Called and Crimised and hys crowne shaue
And in a Fryers froke he was found once
And it is ferne ago , in saynt Frances tyme
In that sect syth to selde , hath he be knowe
Riche men he recommendeth & of their robes taketh ,
That withouten wyles ledeth her lyues
Beatus est diues qui . et cetera .
In kings court he cometh oft ther the councel is true
And if couetis be of councell , he wil not come therin ,
In court amonges iapers , he commeth not but selde ,
For brauling & bacbiting and bearinge false wytnes ,
In þe consistori before þe comissari he comith not ful oft
For their law dureth ouerlong , but if they lachen siluer
And matrimony for money maken and vnmaken ,
And that conscience and Christ hath knilte fast ,
They vndone it vnworthely the docters of lawe ,
And I ne lacke no lyue , but lorde amend vs all ,
And geue vs grace good God charitie to followe
For who-so might mete with himsuch / him such maners him ayleth
Neither he blameth ne banneth , bosteth ne prayseth
Lacketh he ne loseth , ne loketh vp sterne ,
Craueth ne couetith ne crieth after more ,
In pace in idipsum dormiam et requiescam
The most liuelod he liuith by , is loue in gods passion
Nether he biddeth ne beggeth , ne boroweth to yelde ,
Misdoth he no man ne with his mouth greueth ,
Amongest christen men this mildnes shuld last ,
In all maner angers haue this in herte ,
That though heT sufferid all this , God sufferid for vs more
In example we shuld do so , & taken no vengeaunce ,
Of our foes þat done vs falsenes , þat is our fathers wil
For wel may euery man wit if God had wold him-self
Shuld neuer Iudas ne Ieu haue Iesus done on rode
Ne haue martrid Peter ne Paule , ne in prison holden ,
And he suffred in example that we shulde suffre also ,
And sayd to such þat suffre wold that Patientes vincunt .
Uerbi gracia quod he , and veray examples manye
In legenda sanctorun / sanctoru[m] , the life of holy saynctes ,
What penance & pouertie and passion they suffered ,
In hongre in heat in all maner angers .
Anthony and Egidie and other holy fathers
Wending in wyldernes among wylde beastes ,
Monkes and mendynantes men by them-selfe
In spekes & spelunkes selden speaken togethers
And nether Anthoni nor Egidine heremit that time ,
Of lyons ne of leoperds , ne lyuelode to take
But of foules that flyeth this fynden men in bookes :
Except that Egidie after an hinde cryed
And through the milke of that milde beastethe / beaste the man
was susteyned ,
And day by day had neuer nought his hongre to slake ,
But seld & sundry tymes as saith the boke & techeth .
Anthony a dayes about none time
Had a byrde þat brought him breade that he by lyued ,
And though the gome had a gest , God found hem both
Poule primus hermita had proroked / p[ar]roked hym-selfe
That no man myght hym se for mosse and for leaues ,
Fowles hym fed felle winters wythall
Till he founded fryres of Austens ordre
Poule after his preaching , panyars he made ,
And wan with his handes that his wombe neded .
Peter fyshed for hys foode and hys fellowe Andrewe
Some they sold & some they soth , & so they liued both
And also Mary maudlen by moores lyued & dewes ,
And most through deuocion & mind of God almighti
I shulde not these seuen dayes seggen them all
That liued thus for our lordes loue many long yeres ,
And ther ne was lyon ne leoperd that on landes went
Neyther bere ne bore ne other beastes wilde
That ne fell to their fete & fawned with their tales ,
And if they coud haue carped , by Christe as I trowe ,
They wold haue fed that folke before wylde fowles ,
And God sent them foode by foules & by no fierse bestes
In mening that meke thing mild thing shulde fede
As who say religious rightfull men shuld finde ,
And lawfull men to lyfholy men lyuelode bryng ,
And than wold lordes and ladies beloth / be loth to agilte ,
And to taken of their tenaunts more then truth wolde ,
Found they that friers wolde forsake their almes ,
And bidden them bere it , there it was borowed
For we bene Gods fowles and a-biden alway ,
Tyll byrdes bring vs that we shuld lyue by ,
For had ye potage & pane inough , & peniale to drinke
And a mes there amyde of one maner kynde ,
Ye had right inough ye religious so your rule me told
Nunquam ( dicit Iob ) rugit Onager cum herbam habuerit
Aut mugiet bos , cum ante plenum presepe steterit . Brutorum
animalium natura te condempnat . quia cum eis pabulum commune
sufficit / suffici[a]t , ex adipe prodiit iniquitas tua .
If lewde men knew this laten they wold lok whom they geue
And aduise them afore a fyue dayes or syxe ,
Er they amortised to monkes or chanons theyr rentes
Alas lordes and ladies lewde councell haue ye
To giue from your heyres that your ayles you lefte ,
And giue it to byd for you to suche as bene ryche
And bene founden and fed eke to byd for other ,
Who performeth this prophecy of þe peple that now liueth
Dispersit dedit pauperibus .
If any penple / people performe þat text , it are these pore freres ,
For that they begge about , in building they spend it ,
And on hem-selfe some , and such as ben her laborers
And of hem þat haueth not they take , & geueth hem þat haueth
And clarkes and knightes , & communers that ben rych
Fell of you fareth , as if I a forest had
That were full of fayre trees , and I found a cast
Howe I myght moo therin amonge hem set
Ryght so ye ryche , ye robbe that ben ryche
And helpeth hem that helpeth you , & geueth there no nede is
And who-so fylleth a tunne of a fresh ryuer ,
And went forth with that water , to woke with temese
Ryght so the ryche ye robbe and fedde
Hem that haue as ye haue , hem ye make at ease
And religious þat ryche ben , should rather fest beggers
Than Burgesis þat rich ben , as the boke telleth .
Quia sacrilegium est res pauperum non pauperibus dare
Item peccatoribus dare est demonibus Immolare ,
Item Monache , si indiges et accipis , potius das quam accipis ,
Si autem non indiges et accipis , rapis . Porro non
Indiget Monachus , si habeat quod nature sufficit .
Therfore I counsel al christen to conforme hem to charitye
For charitie without chalengynge , vnchargeth þe soule
And mani prisoner by his praierhe / praier he pulith from paine
And there is a defaut in the folke , þat the faith kepeth
Wherfore folke is the febler , and not firme of beleue
As in Lushburgh is aluther alay , yet lokith like sterling
The mark of þat mony is good , & þe metle is feble
So farith it bi some folk now , thei haue a faire spech
Crowne and christendome , the kings marke of heuen
And the metal þat is mans soule , with sinne is foule alaied
Both lettred and lewde , ben alayed now with sinne
That no lyfe loueth other , ne our lord as it semeth
For by war & wicked works & weders vnresonable
Wether wysheppers , and wytty clarkes also
Haue no beleue to þe lift ne to þe lore of Philosophers
Astronomers aldaye in her herte faylen
That whilome warned before , what should fal after
Shipmen & shepheardes , þat wyth shyp & shepe wenten
Wyshen by the welken what shoulde betyde
As of weders and wyndes , they warned men oft
Tyllers that tylled the earth tolde hyr masters
By the seed that they sewe , what they sell myght
And what to leue & what to liue bi , þe land was so true
Now faileth þe folke of þe floode , & of the lande bothe
Shepeheardes and shypmen , and so do these tyllers
Nether they canneth ne knoweth one course before an-other
Astronomers also are at her wyttes ende
Of þat was calculed of thelement , the contrary thei finde
Grammer the ground of all , begileth now the children
For it is non of these new clarks , who-so nimeth hede
Not one among a hundred that an auter can construe
Ne read a letter in ani langage , but in laten or in english
Go now to any degre , and but if gyle be mayster
And flatterers his felowe vnder hym to fourmen
Much wonder me thynketh amonge vs all
Doctours of degrees , and of diuinitie maisters
That should kenne and knowe all kynnes cleargy
And answere to argumentes , and also to a Quod libet
I dare not say it for shame , if such were apposed
They shold fayle of her philosophy , & in phisike both
Therfore I am afrayed of folke of holy kyrke
Lest thei ouerhipen as other done , in officis & in houris
And if thei ouirhip as I hope not , our bileue sufficeth
As clarkes in Corpus Christi feaste , singen and reden
That Sola fides sufficit , to saue with lewde people
And so may Saracines be saued , scribes and Iewes
Alas than but our lores men , lyued as they lerne vs
And for her liuyng þat lewde men be , þe lother god a gylt
For Saracines haue somwhat seming to our beleue
For they loue and beleue , one god almyghtye
And we lerned and lewed , in one god beleue .
And one Mahomet a man , in misbeleue brought
Saracines of Surrey , and se in what maner .
At the first he was christen , & for he might not be pope
Into Surrey he sought , & throughe hys sottle wyts
Daunted a doue , and daye and nyght her fed
The corne that she cropped he cast in hys eare
And if he among the puple preched , or in places come
Than woulde the Culuer come , to the clarkes eare
Mening as after meat , thus Mahomet hir enchaunted
Than did folke fal on knes , for he swore in his preching
That the Culuer that came so , came from god of heuen ,
As messenger to Mahomet , men for to teache
And thus through wyles of his wyt , & a white doue
Mohomet in misbeleue , men and women brought
That liued tho there and liuen yet , leuing on his lawes
And sith our sauiour suffred , þe Saracines so begiled
Through a christen clarke , accursed in hys soule
For dread of death , I dare not tell truth
How englyshe clarkes a Culuer fede , þat couetise hate
And bene maner of Mahomet , þat no man vseth truth
Ancres and hermets , monkes and friers
Peren to Apostles through her perfit liuynge
Wold neuer the faithful father , þat his ministers shold
Of tyrantes that teneth true men , take any almes
But done as Anthony did , Dominike & Frauncis
Benet and Barnarde , the which hem first taught
To lyue by lytle & in low houses , by lely mens alms
Grasse should growe and be grene , through her good liuing
And folkes shold fynd þat ben in diuerse sikenes
The better for her biddynges , in body and in soule
Their prayers & their penaunces , to peace shold bring
All that ben at debate , and bedmen were true .
Petite et accipietis . & cetera .
Salte saue thy cattel sayen the wyues .
Uos estis sal terre .
The henedes / he[u]edes of holy churche , and they holy were
Christe calleth hem salt , for christen soules
Et si sal euanuerit in quo salietur ?
For freshe fleshe other fyshe , whan it salt fayleth
It is vnsauery forsoth sodde or baked
So is mans soule sothly , that seeth no good exemple
Of hem of holy kyrke , þat the heigh way should teache
And be gyde and go before , as a good rauenour
And harden hem þat behind ben , & giue hem good euidence ,
Alenuen / Aleuen holy men , all the worlde turned
Into lelly beleue , the lyghtloker me thynketh
Shoulde all maner men , we haue so many maysters
Priestes and preachers , and a Pope aboue
That gods salte shoulde be , to saue mans soule
All was heathennes sometyme , Englande & wales
Tyll Gregory garde clarkes to go here & preach
Austen at Canturbury christened the kynge
And bi miracles as men mai rede , al þe marsh he turnid
To Christe and to christendome , & crosse to honoure
And fulled folke faste , and the fayth taught
More through myracles , than through much preching
As wel through works , as through his holy words
And said hem what fullinge , and faith was to meane
Cloth that commeth from the weuing is not comely to wear
Til it be fulled vnder fote , or in fullyng stocks
Washen well wyth water , and with tasels cratched
Touked and teynted , and vnder taylours hande
And so it fareth bi a barne , that borne is of a wombe
Til it be christnid in christs name , confirmid of þe bishop
It is heathen as to heauenward , & helples to þe soule
Heathen is to meane , after heth and vntilled earth ,
As in wylde wyldernes , waxeth wylde beastes
Rude and vnreasonable , runnyng wythout cropers
Ye menen wel how Mathew saith , how a man made a feast
He fed hem with no venison , ne Fesauntes baked
But with fowls þat from hym nold , but folowed hys whistelinge
Ecce altilia mea , et omnia parata sunt .
And wyth calues fleshe he fedde þe folke that he loued
The calfe betokeneth clennes in hem that kepeth lawes
For as þe cow through kind milke , þe calfe nourisheth til an Oxe
So loue & leauty lely men susteyneth
And maydens and mylde men mercy desiren
Ryght as the cowe calfe coueteth swete mylke
So done ryghtfull men mercye and truth
And who be þat excuseth hem , that ar persons & priests
That heneds / he[u]eds of holy kyrke ben , that haue her wil here
Without trauel þe tyth deale , that true men beswinken
Thei wold wroth for I write this , & to witnes take
Both Mathew & Marke , and Memento domine Dauid
What Pope or prelate nowe perfourmeth þat Christe hight
Ite in vniuersum mundum , et predicate euangelium .
Alas that men so longe , on Makometh should beleue
So many prelates to preache , as the Pope maketh
Of Nazareth of Niniue , of Nepthalim & Damasce ,
That they ne went as Christ wysheth , sithen they wyll haue name
To be pastour and preache the passion of Iesus
And as hym-selfe sayd , so to liue and dye .
Bonus pastor animam suam ponit . & cetera .
And said it in saluation to Saracines and other ,
For christen and vnchristen , Christ sayd to preachers
Ite vos in vineam meam .
And sith that these Saracins scribes and Iewes
Haue a lyppe of our beleue , the lyghtlier me thynketh
They shoulde turne who-so traueled , to teach hem of the trinitye
Querite et inuenietis . & cetera .
It is ruth to rede howe ryghtwyse men lyued
Howe they defowled her fleshe , forsoke hyr own will
Farre fro kyth and from kinnne / kinne ill clothed yeden
Badly bedded , no boke but Conscience
Ne no ryches but the rode , to reioyce hem therin
Absit vos gloriari nisi in cruce domini nostri . &cetera .
And tho was plenty and peace , among pore & ryche
And now is ruth to rede how the redde noble
Is reuerenced or the rode , & receiued for the worthier
Than christes crosse þat ouercame death & deadly sinne
And now is warre and woo , and who-so why asketh
For couetise after crosse , the crowne standes in golde
Both rych and religious , that rode they honour
That in grotes is grauen , and in golde nobles
For couetous of that crosse , men of holy kyrke
Shall turne as templers did , the time approcheth nere
Wyt ye not ye wyse men , how tho men honoured
More treasure than throuth , I dare not tell the sothe
Reason and ryghtfull dome , the religious demed
Ryght so you clarkes for your couetise er longe
Shal they deme Dos ecclesie , and your prid depose .
Deposuit potentes de sede , &cetera .
If knyghode and kynde wyt , & commune by conscience
To-gyther loue lelly , leueth it well ye byshoppes
The lordshyps of landes , for euer shall ye lese
And lyue as Leuitici , as our Lorde you teacheth .
Per primitias et decimas . &cetera .
Whan Constantyne of curtesy , holy kyrke dowed
Wyth landes and leades , lordshyps and rentes
An angell men harden on hyghe at Rome crye
Dos ecclesie , thys daye hath dranke venyme
And they that haue Peters power , are poysoned all
A medicine muste therto , that may amend prelates
That Should praye for peace , possession hem letteth
Take her landes ye lordes , & let hem lyue by demes
If possession be poyson , and imperfit hem make
Good were it to discharge , hem for holy kyrkes sake
And purge hem of poyson , ere more peryll fal .
If priesthode were perfect , the people should amend
That contrarien Christes law , & christendome despise
For all Paynymes prayeth , and perfectly beleueth
In the holy great god , and his grace they asken
And make her mone to Mahomet , her message to shewe
Thus in fayth liue that folke , & in a false meane
And þat is ruth of ryghtfull men , þat in realme wonneth
And a peril of the Pope , and prelates that he maketh
That bear bishops names , of Bethlem , & of Babilon
That hip about in Englande , to hallow mens auters
And crepen among curatours , confessen agayne the law
Nolite mittere falcem , in messem alienam .
Mani a man for christes loue , was martyred in Rome
Er any christendome was knowne ther , or any crosse honored
Eueri bishop þat bereth cros , bi þat he is holden
Through his prouince to passe , & to his puple to shew
Tellen hem and teachen hem on the trinitie to bileue
And feden hem with gostly fode , & gyue ther it nedeth
In domo mea non est panis , neque vestimentum .
Et ideo nolite , constituere me regem .
Ozias sayth for such that sycke be and feble .
Inferte omnes decimas in horreum meum , vt sit cibus in
domo mea .
And we christian creatures that on the crosse beleuen
Are fyrme as in the fayth , gods forbod else
And haue clarkes to kepe vs therin , & hem þat come after
And Iewes liuen in lelli loue , our lord wrote it him-self
In stone for it stedefast was and stand shal euer
Dilige deum et proximum , is perfect Iewes lawe
And toke it to Moyses to teach men , til Messias come
And on that lawe they leue yet , and leten it the best
And yet knewe they Christ , that christendome taught
For a perfit prophet , that much people saued
Of selkoughe sores , they sawe it oft
Both of myracles & meruailes , & howe he men feasted
With two syshes / fyshes & fyue loues , fyue thousand puple
And by þat mangery men might se , þat Messias he semed
And whan he lift vp Lazar , that layed was in graue
And vnder stone and stanke with styfe voyce him called .
Lazare veni foras .
Dyd him rise and Roome ryght before the Iewes
And they said and swore with Sorcery he wrought
And studed to destroy hym , and stroyed hem-selues
And throughe his patience her power to naughte he brought
Uincunt patientes .
Daniell of her doynge diuined and sayde .
Cum sanctus sanctorum veniat cessabit vnctio vestra .
And wenen tho wretches þat he were pseudopropheta
And that hys lore be lesynges and lacken it all
And hopen that be to come , that shall hem releue
Moyses eft or Messie , her masters yet diuineth
And Phariseis and Sarasins , scribes and Grekes ,
Are folke of one fayth , the father god they honouren
And sithen that the Sarasins and also the Iewes
Konne the fyrst clause of our beleue , Credo in deum
Prelats of christen prouinces shold preue if thei might
To learne hem lytle & lytle , Et in Iesum christum filium ,
Tyl they could speake and spel , Et in spiritum sanctum .
And reade it and record it with remissionem peccatorum .
Carnis resurrectionem , et vitam eternam. Amen .
Than
Agayne
Fol.lxxviii
Go
Right
Fol.lxxix.
For
Ne
Fol.lxxx.
And
Riche
Fol.lxxxi.
Uerbi
Neyther
Fol.lxxxii
And
We=
Fol.lxxxiii.
And
To
Fol.lxxxiiii
Clothe
Fol.lxxxv.
How co
uetise of
þe cleargy
wyll de
stroy the
church .
uetise of
þe cleargy
wyll de
stroy the
church .
If
Tellen
Fol.lxxxvi
And
U.i.
Pierce Ploughman ,
The vision of
U.ii.
Pierce Ploughman ,
The vision of
T.iii.
Pierce Ploughman .
The vision of
Pierce Ploughman .
The vision of
X.i.
Pierce Ploughman .
The vision of
X.ii.
Pierce Ploughman .
The vision of
X.iii.
Pierce Ploughman .
The vision of
Pierce Ploughman .
The vision of
Y.i.
Pierce Ploughman ,
The vision of
Y.ii.
Pierce Ploughman ,