Passus quintus / sextus de visione .
THis were a wickid way , but if we had a gide
That wold wende with vs ech a fote , & þe wei tel
Quod perkin þe plowman , bi saint Peter of rome
I haue an halfe acre to erie by þe hygh waye
Had I eried thys halfe acre , and sowed it after
I woulde wend wyth you , and the way teach .
Thys were a longe lettyng quod a lady in a Skleyre
What should we women worke in the meane whyle
Some shal sow the sacke quod Pierce for sheding of the wheate
And ye louely ladies with your long fyngers
That ye haue silke and sandel to sow whan tyme is
Chesibles for chaplaynes churches to honour
Wyues and widdowes wolle and flaxe spinneth
Make cloth I counsell you , & ken so your doughters
The nedy and the naked , nimeth hede how they liggen
And cast hem clothes , for so commaundeth Truth
For I shall leue / le[n]e hem liuelode , but if the lande fayle
Fleshe and breade both to ryche and to pore
As long as I lyue , for the lordes loue of heauen
And al maner of men þat through meat & drinke libbeth
Helpe him to worke wightly that winneth your fode
By Christ quod a knight tho , he kenneth vs þe best
And on the teme truly taught was I neuer
And ken me quod the knight & by Christ I wyl assaye
By saint Paule quod Perkin ye profer me fayre
That I shall swynke and swete , & sowe for vs bothe
And other labours do for thy loue al my lyfe-tyme
In couenaunt that thou kepe holy kyrke & my-selfe
From wasters & from wycked men þat this world destroyeth
And go hunt hardely to hares and to foxes
To bores & to brocks þat breken adowne my hedges
And go affayte the fawcons wylde foles to kyll
For such cumeth to my croft and croppeth mi whete
Curteslye the knyght than comsed these wordes
By my power Pers quod he , I plight the my trouth
To fulfill thys forwarde though I fyght shoulde
As longe as I lyue I shal the mayntaine
Yea and yet a poynt quod Pers , I prai you of more
Loke ye teme no tenaunt , but truthe wol assent
And though ye may amarcie him , let merci be taxour
And mekenes thie master , mauger Medes chekes
And though pore men proffre you presents and gyfts
Nym it not on a-ventureN ye maye it not deserue
For ye shal yelde it agayne at one yers ende
In a ful parilous place Purgatori it hight
And misbed not thy bond-men þat better migh / might þou spede
Though he be thi vnderling here , wel it may happen in heauen
That he were worthier set & with more blis
Amice ascende superius
For in þe charnel at churche cherls be ful euel to know
Or a knight from a knaue there , know this in thi hert
And þat thou be true of thy toung , & tales þat thou hate
But if thei be of wisdom or of wit thi workmen to chasten
Holde wyth no harlots ne here not her tales
For it be the deuills dyssours I do the to vnderstonde
I assent by saint Iame sayde the knyght thanne
For to work bi thy wordes þe while my life endureth
And I shal aparel me quod Parken in pilgrems wise
And wend with you I wyl tyl we finde truthe
And cast on my clothes clouted and hole
My cokers and mi cuffes for colde on my nailes
And hang my hoper at my hals in stede of a scripe
A bushel of brede-corne bring me therein
For I wolde sowe it my-selfe and syth wyl I wende
To pylgramages as palmers done pardon for to haue
And who-so helpeth me to eyrie and sowe or I wend
Shal haue leue bi our lord god to glene here in heruist
And maken hem merri ther , maugre who-so bigrudge it
And al kynne crafti men that can lyue in truthe
I shall fynde hem fode that faythfullie lybbeth
Saue Iake the Iugloure and Ionet of the stewes
And Daniell the dyspleyer and Denot the bawde
And fryer faytor and folke of hys order ,
And Robyn the Rybauder for his rustie wordes
Truth tolde me once and bad me tel it after
Deleantur de libro viuentium . I shoulde not deale with hym
For holy churche 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 wyfe hyghtN
His daughter hight Do right so , or þe dame shal þe beat
His sonne hight Suffre thy souerains to haue her will
Deme them not for if thou dost thou shalt it dere abye
Let god worke wyth all for so hys worde teacheth
For nowe I am olde & hore and haue of mine owne
To pennaunce & to pilgrimag I wil passe with these other
Therefore I wyl or I wende do write my bequest
IN DEI NOMINE amen I make it mi-selfe .
He shal haue mi soule that best hath deseruid it
And from the fende it defende for so I beleue
Tyl I com to my counts as my Credo me telleth
To haue a relesse and a remission , on that rental I leue
The kyrke shal haue my carene , and kepe my bones ,
For of my corne and cattel she craued my tythe
I payde it hym prestlie for peryle of my soule
Therfore is he holden I hope , to mind me in his masse
And mengen in hys memory among all christen
My wife shal haue of þat I wan with Truth & no more ,
And deale among my doughters and my dear children
For though I dye to-day my dettes are quyte
I bare home that I borrowed or I to bedde yede
And with the residue & the remnaunt by þe rode of Lukes
I wyll worshyp therwyth Truthe by my life
And ben his Pilgraime at þe plowe for pore mens sake
Mi plow fote shal be mi pikstaf , & pitch atoN þe rootes
And helpe my culter to kerue and clense þe forowes .
Nowe is Perkin & hys pilgraymes to þe plow faren
To erie this halfe acre helpen him many ,
Dikers and deluers dygged vp the balkes
Therwith was Perkin apaied , & praysed hem fast
Other workemen were there that wrought ful yerne
Euery man in hys maner , made hym-selfe to done
And some to please Perkin pycked vp the wedes .
At high prime Pierce let the plowe stonde
To ouer-se hem him-selfe , and who-so best wroughte
He should be hyred therafter whan heruest time came ,
And than satten some and songe at the nale ,
And holpen erie his halfe acre wyth hey trolly lolly
Now by þe peril of my soule quod Pierce , al in pure tene . N
But ye arise the rather , and rape you to werke
Shal no graine that growen serue you at nede
And though ye dye for dole , þe deuyl haue that retche .
Tho were faytors aferd , and feyned hem blind ,
Some layde her legges a-lyrye as such losels can
And made her mone to Pierce , and prayed of grace
For we haue no lims to labour with , lord graced be ye ,
And we pray for you Pierce , & for your plowe both ,
That God of hys grace your grayne multiply
And yelde you for your almes that ye gyue vs here
For we can nether swink ne swet , such sicknes vs ailith
If it be soth quod Pierce þat ye sayne , I shal it sone espy
Ye be wasters I wot well , and Truth wot the soth
And I am his olde hyne , and height him to warne
Which they wer in this world , hys workemen apered
Ye wast þat men wynnen with trauayle and with tene
And Truthe shall teach you his teme to dryue
Or ye shall eat barly bread , and of the broke drynke .
But if ye be blind or brokenleggid , or bolted with yrons ,
Ye shall eate wheate breade and drinke with my-selfe ,
Till God of hys goodnes amendment you sende .
And ye might trauel as Truth would , & take meat & hyre
To kepe kine in the field , þe corne from the beasts
Diken or deluen or dingen apon sheues
Or helpe make morter , or beare mucke a-felde .
In Lechery and in lustengerye ye liue , & in slouthe
And all is through sufferaunce , that vengeaunce you ne taketh
And Ankers & hermits þat eate but at nones
And no more or morow my almes shal not they haue
And of cattel to kepe hem with þe haue cloysters & churches
And Robert runabout shall not haue of mine
Ne apostles but thei prech can , & haue bishops power
They shal haue pane & potage , & make hir-self at ease
No reasonable religion hath right nought of certen .
And than gan a wastour to wrath him , & would haue fought
And to Piers þe plouman he proferd his gloue
A Bretoner , a bragger , aLX bosted Pierce also
And bade him go pysse with his plowe , forpined shrew
Wylt thou , or nelt thou , we wil haue our wyl
Of thy flour & of thy flesh , fetch whan vs lyketh ,
And maken vs merye there-myd , maugre thy chekes
Than Pierce þe Plowman playned him to þe knighte
To kepe him as couenaunt from cursed shrewes
And from these wastors wolueskins , þat make þe world dere
For tho wasten & win nought , & that ilke while
Worth neuer plenty among þe puple , þe while mi plow liggeth
Curtesly the knight than , as his kind would
Warned wastour , and wished him better ,
Or þou shalt abie by the lawe , by thorder þat I beare
I was not wont to work quod wastor , & now wil I not begin
And let light of the lawe , & lesse of the knight ,
And set Pierce at a pese , and his plowe bothe
And manaced Pierce and his men , if thei met eft-sone
Now bi þe peril of mi soul quod piers , I shal apeir you al
And whouped after Hunger , þat heard him at the first
Hunger in hast tho hent , wastour by the maw
And wrong him so bi the wombe , þat his eies watred ,
He buffeted the breton about the chekes ,
That he loked like a lanterne al his life after
He beat hem so both , he brake nere her guttes ,
Ne had Pierce with a pese lof prayed Hunger to cease
They had ben doluen , ne deme thou none other .
Suffer hem liue he said , & let hem eat with hogges ,
Or els beanes and branne , baken togythers
Or els milke or meane ale thus prayed Pierce for hem .
Faytours for feare hereof , flowen into barnes
And flappen on with flailes , from morow til euen
That Hunger was not so hardy , on hem for to loke ,
For a potte-full of pese , that Pierce had ymaked
An heape of Hermittes hent hem spades
And kyt her copes , and courtepies hem made
And wenten as workemen wyth spades & with shouels ,
And doluen and diggen to dryue away hunger ,
Blinde and bedriden were botened a thousande
That sytten to begge syluer , sone were healed
For bread baken for baierds , was bote for mani hongri
And ech pore man wel apaied to haue pesen for his hire
And what Pierce prayed hem to do , as prest as a hauke
And therof was Pierce proude , & put hem to worke .
And gaue hem meat as he might ford , & mesurable hire
Than had Pierce pity , & prayed hunger to wende ,
Home vnto his owne yard , and holden him there
For I am wel awroke of wasters , by thi might nowe
And I pray the yer thou passe quod Pierce to honger
Of beggers and bydders , what best to be done?
For I wot wel be thou went , they wil worch full yll ,
For Mischiefe it maketh , they be so meke now ,
And for defaut of her fode , this folke is at my wyll
They ar mi bloudy brether quod Pierce , for god bought vs all
Truth taught me once to loue hem ech one
And helpen hem of all thyng , aye as hem nedeth
And now would I wyt of the what were the beste
And how I might mastren hem , and make hem worke
Aeare / [H]eare now quod Hunger , and hold it for wisedome ,
Bolde beggers & bygge , that may her bread swinke ,
With houndes bread , & horsebread , hold vp her herts
Abate hem with beanes , for bowing of hyr wombe
And if her gommes grutche , bind hem to swynke
And he shal soupe sweter , whan he it hath deserued
And if thou find any Freke þat fortune hath apaired
Or any maner false men , found thou suche to knowe
Confort him with thy cattell , for Christes loue of heuen ,
Alter alterius onera portate .
And al maner of men that thou might espye ,
That nedy ben and naughty , help hem with thi goodes
Loue and lacke hem nought , lest god take þe vengeaunce
Though they do euil , let God worch ,
Mihi vindictam , et ego distribuam / [re]tribuam .
If þou wilt be gracious to do good as þe gospel techith
And biloue þe among low men : so shalt thou latch grace
Facite vobis amicos de mammone iniquitatis .
I nolde greue God quod Pierce for al þe good on ground ,
Might I sinles do as þou seist , said Pierce than
Yea I behote the quod Hongry or els the bible lieth
God to Genesis the giant , the engendrour of vs al
In Sudore and swynke , þou shalt thy meat tylye
And labour for our lyuelode , and so our lord hygh
And Sapientie sayth the same , I sawe it in the byll
Piger pre / pr[o] frigore no feylde woulde tylye
And therefore he shal begge & bidde , & no man bate his hungre
Mathew with mans face mouthed these words
That Seruus nequam had a besaunt , & for he nolde chaffer
He had maugre of his maister , & euer-more after
And byname him his Mnam for he wold not worke
And gafe that Mnam to him that ten Mnams had
And wyth that he said that holy kirke it had
He that hath shal haue , and helpe there it nedeth
And he þat hath not shal not haue , ne no man him helpe ,
And þat he weneth wel to haue , I wil it him bereue .
Kynd witte would that ech a wight wrought
Or in dikynge or in deluynge , or trauayle in prayers ,
Contemplatiue life , or actiue life , Christe would they wrought
The psalter saith in psalms of Beati omnes
The freke that fedeth him-self with his faithful laboure
Be blessed by the boke in bodye and soule .
Labores manuum tuarum . &cetera .
Yet I pray you quod Pierce praye Charitie & ye canne ,
Any leche-crafte lere it me my deare
For some of my seruauntes and my-selfe bothe
Of al a weke worke not , so our wombeaketh / wombe aketh ,
I wote well quod Hunger , what sikenes you ayleth
Ye haue manged ouer muche , & þat maketh you grone ,
And I hote the quod Hunger , as thou thy hele wilneste
That thou drinke no day , ere thou dyne somewhat
Eate not I hote the , ere Hunger the take ,
And send the of hys sauce to sauour wyth thy lyppes
And kepe some tyll souper time , and sytte not to long
And ryse vp ere appetite haue eaten his fyll
Lette not syr Surfet syt on thy borde
Leue him not for he is lecherours & licorous of tong
And after mani maner of meat his maw is a-hungred
And if thou diet the thus , I dare laye my eares
That phisike shal his furred hodde , for his foode sell
And hys cloke of Calabrye , with al his knaps of golde ,
And be fayne by my fayth his phisike to lette
And lerne to laboure with hond , for lyuelode is swete ,
For murtherers are many leches lorde hem amende .
They do men dye by their drinkes yer destiny it wolde
By Saint Paule quod Pierce these ar profitable wordes
Wend þou honger when þou wylt , þat wel be thou euer
For this is a louely lesson , Lord it the foryeld ,
Bihote god quod honger , hence ne wil I wende
Til I haue dined by this day , and dronken both .
I haue no peny quod Pierce , polettes for to bie
Ne neither gose ne grys , but two grene cheses
A fewe curdes and creame , and an hauer cake
And two loues of beanes & branne bake for mi folke
And yet I say by my soule , I haue no salt bacon
Ne no cokeney by Christe , coloppes for to make ,
And I haue perceley and porets , & many cole plantes ,
And eke a cowe and a calfe , and a cart mare
To draw a-field my dung þe while þe drawghtN lasteth
And bi this liuelod , I must liue til Lammas time
By that I hope to haue heruest in my croft ,
And than I may dyght my dyner , as my dere lyketh ,
And al the pore people tho , Pescoddes fet ,
Beanes and baken apples , they brought in her lappes
Chyboles and chernell / cher[u]ell , and rype cheries many ,
And proferd Pierce thys presente to please with hunger
All honger eate in haste , and asked after more ,
Than pore folke for feare , fedde hunger yerne
With grene poret & pesen , to poison him thei thought
By þat it neghed to haruest , new corne came to cheping
Than was folke fayne , and fedde hungre with the beste
With good ale as Gloton taught , & gart hungre a slepe
And tho would waster no work , but wandren aboute ,
Ne no begger eate breade , that beanes in were
But of Coket and Clermatyne , or els of cleane wheat
Ne no halfepeny ale in no wyse drynke
But of the best & of þe browneste þat in burth is to sell .
Laborers þat haue no land to liue on , but her handes
May no penyale hem paye , nor no pece of bacon
But if it be freshe flesh , other fyshe fried ether or bake
And þe chaud , or plus chaud , for chilling of her maw
But if he be hyghlye hyered , else wyll he chyde
And þat he was workeman wrought , waile the tyme
Agaynst Catons counsell , comseth he to iangle .
Paupertatis onus patienter ferre memento .
He greueth him against god , & grutcheth against reson
And than curseth he the king , and all hys counsel after ,
Suche lawes to loke , labourers to greue .
While hunger gafe hem hier , not one of hem wold chide ,
Ne striuen agaynst his statute , so sternely he loked
And I warne you worckemen , win while ye may
For Hunger hytherwarde hasteth hym-selfe
He shall awake wyth water , wastours to chast
Ere fyue be fulfylled such famine shal aryse
Through floudes and fowle weder fruite shal faile ,
And so sayd Saturne and sent you to warne ,
And when ye se the sunne amisse , & two monkes heades
And a maid haue the maistrye , & multiply by eight .
Than shall death with-drawe , and derth bye iustice
And Dawe the Diker shall dye for hunger .
But if God of his goodnes graunt vs a treue .
how piers
councelleth
þe knight
wisely .
councelleth
þe knight
wisely .
Pierce
pleinith to
þe knyght .
pleinith to
þe knyght .
Pierce
preide hon
ger to re
ueng hym .
preide hon
ger to re
ueng hym .
Faitors
worke for
fear of hon
ger .
worke for
fear of hon
ger .
Pore folk
fede hun
ger .
fede hun
ger .
Thys
Fol.xxxi.
How Pi
ers assign
eth women
to worke .
ers assign
eth women
to worke .
Piers
prayeth a
knyght to
helpe to
kepe holy
church .
prayeth a
knyght to
helpe to
kepe holy
church .
For
For
Fol.xxxii.
How Pi
erce ma
keth hys
testament .
erce ma
keth hys
testament .
Therfore
That
Fol.xxxiii
And
And
Fol.xxxiiii.
How beg
ers mai be
made to
worke .
ers mai be
made to
worke .
Alter
Be
Fol.xxxv
How Pi
ers pray
eth hunger
to teche
him a lich
chraft for
hym and
for hys
seruantes
ers pray
eth hunger
to teche
him a lich
chraft for
hym and
for hys
seruantes
And
Pau=
Fol.xxxvi.
Pierce Ploughman .
H.iii.
The vision of
Pierce Ploughman .
The vision ofN
The vision of
I.i.
The vision of
Pierce Ploughman ,
I.ii.
Pierce Ploughman .
The vision of
I.iii.
The vision of
Pierce Ploughman .