Passus quartus de visione .
CEase saieth the kinge , I suffer you no longer
Kysse hyr quod the kynge , conscience I hote
Naye by Christ quod Conscience , congay me for euerN
But Reason rede me therto , rather wyl I dye ,
And I commaund you quod the king to Conscience then
Rape the to ride , and Reason to fetche .
Commaunde hym that he come , my councel to hear ,
For he shall rule my realme , and reade me the best
And accounten with the Conscience , so me Christ helpe ,
Howe thou learnest þe people , the learned , & the lewd
I am faine of that forward , said the Fraike than ,
And ryt ryght to Reason , and roundeth in hys eare ,
And sayd as the kyng bade , and syth toke his leaue
I shal aray me to ryde quod Reason , rest the a while
And called Caton hys knaue , curtesse of speche
And also Thome true tonge , tell me no tales ,
Ne lesyng to laughen of , for I loued hem neuer ,
And set my sadle apon Sufferaunce , til I se my time ,
And let waroken him wel , with wytty words girthes
And hang on him the heauy bridle , to holde his head lowe
For he wil make wehe , twyse er he come ther
Than Conscience apon his caple , carieth forth fast
And Reason wyth him , rit rownynge togythers ,
Whyche maistris Mede maketh on this earth .
One waryn Wysedome , and wytty hys feer ,
Folowed hym faste , for they had to done ,
In the Escheker , & in þe Chaunceri , to be discharged of things
And riden fast , for Reason should rede hem best
For to saue hem for siluer , from shame and harmes
And Conscience knewe hem well , they loued couetyse ,
And bade Reason ride fast , & reck of hem neither ,
Ther be wiles in her words , & with Mede thei dwel
Ther as wrath & wrangling is , there get they syluer ,
And wher is Loue & Leauty , they wil not come there
Contritio et in-felicitas in viis eorum . & cetera .
They ne gyue not of God , one goose wynge .
Non est timor Domini ante oculos eorum . & cetera .
For God wot they wyll do more for a dosen chickens
Or as many Capons , or for a seame of Otes ,
Than for loue of our Lord , or al his leue sayntes .
Therfore reason let hem ryde , the ryche by hem-selfe
For Conscience knoweth hem not , ne Christ as I trowe .
And than Reason rode faste the right hye gate
And Conscience him kenneth , tyl they came to þe king
Curtesly the king than came agaynst Reason ,
And betwene him-selfe and hys sonne , set him on bench
And wordeden wel wisely a greate while togythers .
And than came Peace into parliment , & put forth a byl
Howe Wronge against hys wyll had his wife taken
And howe he rauished Rose , Rainoldes loue
And Margaret of hyr maidenhed , maugre hir chekes
Both my geese and my gris , his gadlinges fetcheth ,
I dare not for feare of him fyght ne chide ,
He borowed my bayard , & brought him neuerhome / neuer home
Ne no ferthing therfore , for ought I could pleade
He mainteyneth his men to murther myne ewne
Forstalleth my fayres , fyghteth in my chepynge ,
And breketh vp my barne doore: & steleth awaye my whet
And taketh me bnt / b[u]t a taile , for ten quarter otes
Yet he beateth me thereto , and lyeth by my mayde
I am not hardy for hym vnneth to loke .
The king knew he said soth , for Conscience him told ,
That Wrong was a wycked luske , & wrought much sorow
Wrong was afraied then , & wisdome he sought
To make peace with his pence , and proferd him manye
And said , had I loue of the King , litle would I reche
Thoughe Peace and hys power playned hym euer ,
Tho wende wysedome , and sir Waren the wytty
For that Wrong had wrought so wycked a dede
And warned Wronge tho with such a wyse tale
Who-so worketh by wyll , wrath maketh oft
I say it by my-selfe , you shal it well fynde .
But if Mede it make , thye myschyefe is vp .
For bothe thy lyfe and thy lande lyethe in hyr grace ,
Than wowed Wronge Wysedome full yerne
To make hys peace wyth hys pence , handy dandy paid
Wysedome and WytteP than went bothe togythers
And toke Mede myd hem mercy to wynne .
Peace put forth hys head , and hys pan bloudy
Wythouten gilt God wot , gate I thys scape ,
Conscience and the Commune knowen the sothe
And Wysedome and Wytte weren aboute faste ,
To ouercome the kynge wyth cattell , if they myght .
The king swore by Christ , & by his crowne both
That Wrong for his werkes should woo thorowly
And commaunded a Constable to caste hym in yrons
And let hym not these seuen yeres see hys fete once
God wot quod Wysedome , that were not the beste
And he amendes might make , let mainprice him haue
And be borowe for hys bale , and byggen hym boote
And so emende that is misdo , and euer the better
Wytte accorded therewyth , and sayde the same
Better is that boote , bale adoune brynge ,
Than bale be bett , and boote neuer the better .
Than came Mede to meuen hir , & mercy she besought ,
And proferd Peace a present , all of pure gold
Haue this man of me , quod she , to amend thy scathe
For I wyl wage for Wronge , he wyl do so no more
Pyttuouslie Peace than prayed for the Kynge
To haue merci on that man , that misdid hym so oft
For he hath waged me wel as wisdome hym taught
And I forgeue him that gylte wyth a good wyll
So that the assente , I can saye no bettre
For Mede hath me amends made I mai no more aske
Nay quod the kynge tho so Christ me helpe
Wronge wendeth not so awaye , erst I wil wit more
For lope he so lyghtlie , laughen he woulde
And efte be the bolder to bete myne euen .
But Reason haue ruth on him he shal rest in my stocks
And that as long as heliueth / he liueth , but lownes him borow
Some men red Reason tho , haue ruth on that shrew
And to councell the Kynge , and conscince after
That mede might be meinperner Reson they bisought
Rede me noughte quod Reason , no rueth to haue
Tyl lordes and ladies loue al truthe
And haten all harlotrie to heare or to mouth it
Tyll Pernellis Purfill be put in her huche
And childernes cherishing be chastinge wyth yardes
And harlots holines be holden for an hyne
Tyl clerken couetis be to cloth the poore and fede
And religious romers Recordarie in here cloistures
As saynte Bennet hem bad , Barnard and Fraunces
And til prechours prechinge be preuid on hem-selfe
Tyl the Kyngis cowncel be the common profyte
Tyl byshops barns be beggers chambers
Their hauks and their hounds to pore relygious
And tyl saynt Iames be sought there I shall assygne
That no man go to Callice but if he go for euer
And al Rome renners for robbers be-yonde
Bere no siluer ouer sea that signe of kinge sheweth
Neyther grauen nor vngranen / vngra[u]en golde neither syluer
Apon forfeture of that fee , who-so fynde it at douer
But if he be marchant or his man or messenger with leters
Prouisor or priest or penant for hys synnes
And yet quod Reason bi þe roode I shall no ruthe haue
While Mede hath the masterie in this mouth / mote hal
And I maye shewe examples as I se otherwhile
I say it be my-selfe quod he , And it so were
That I were Kyng wyth croune to kepe the realme
Shoulde neuer wrong in this world þat I wit might
Be vnpunished in my poure for peril of my soule
Ne get my grace for gifts so me God saue
Nefor / Ne for Mede haue mercie but if mekenes it made
For Nulum malum the man mette wyth Impunitum
And badde that Nulum bonum be Irremuneratum
Let thy confessoure sur king construe this vnglozed
And if ye worken it in warke , I wed myne eares
That lawe shalbe / shal be a laborer aud / a[n]d leade afelde dounge
And loue shal leade the lande as the leefe lykith .
Clarkes þat were Confessours couplid hem togithers
Al to construe this clause for the kyngys profit
And not for þe comforte of þe pore common , ne kings soule
For I se Mede in the mouth / moot hal , on men of law winke
And they laughing lope to her and lefte reason manie
Waren Wisdome wynckid apon Mede
And sayd madame I am your man , what so mi mony iangleth
I faile florens quod þat freke & fail speche oft ,
Al rightful recorden that Reason truth tolde
And wyt acorded therwith and commended his wordis
And the moste people in the hal and mani of the grete
And letten mekenes a master & mede a manzed shrew
Loue lett of her light , and leautie yet lasse
And sayd it so highe that al the hal it hall it hard
Who-so wilneth hir to wyfe for welth of her goodes
But he be knowne for a Cokeolde cut of myne nose
Mede mourned sore tho and made heuie chere
For the moste common of that court called hir an hore
And a sisor and a somnoure sued her faste
And a shreues clarke byshroued al the route
For ofte haue I quod he holpon you at the bar
And yet gaue ye me neuer the worth of a ryshe
The Kyng called Conscience and after-ward reason
And recorde that reason had rightfully shewed
And moodelich apon Mede , with might the king loked
And gan wax wroth with law for mede had it nere shent
And said through law as I leeue I lost mani eschets
Mede ouer mastrith law , and mych trueth letteth
And reason shal reken wyth you , if I reigne whyle
And deme thou by thys daye as ye haue deserued
Mede shal not maineprise you by the mary of heuen
I wyl haue Leauty in law & let be al your ianglynge
And as most folke wytneseth wrong shalbe / shal be demyde .
Quod conscience to the Kinge but þe common wil assent
It is ful hard be myne hed herto to bringe it
All your lege leodes to leden thus euen
By hym þat raught on the rode quod reason to þe kinge
But if I rule thus youre realme rent owt my guttes
If ye bydden boxomnes be of myne assent .
And I assent sayth the Kyng by saynt mari my ladye
By my councel commune of clarkes and of erles
And reddyly reason thou shalt not ride from me
For as longe as I lyue leaue the I nelle
I am redy quod reason to rest wyth you euer
So conscience be of oure councell I kepe no better
And I graunt quod the Kyng gods forbod it faile
As long as our lyues lasteth lyue we togythers
Reason
rydeth on
sufferance
rydeth on
sufferance
E.i.
Pierce Ploughman .
The vision of
E.ii.
The vision of
Pierce Ploughman .
Pierce Ploughman .
The vision of