IN a somer season when sette was the sunne
I shope me into shroubes as I a shepe were
In habyte as an Hermet vnholie of werkes
Wend wyde in thys world wonders to here ,
And on a Maye mornynge on Maluerne hylles
Me befel a ferly of fayry me thought .
I was wery of wandrynge and wente me to reste
Under a brode banke by a bourne syde
And as I laye and lened and loked on the water
I slombred into a slepyng , it swyȝed so mery .
Than gan I to meten a marueylouse sweuen
That I was in wyldernes I wyste neuer where
As I behelde into theaste an hyghe to the sunne
I sawe a tower on a toft rychelyche ymaked
A depe dale benethe a dungeon therin
Wyth depe dyches & darcke and dreadfull of syght
A fayre felde full of folke , found I there betwene
Of all maner of men the meane and the ryche
Werkynge and wandrynge as the worlde asketh .
Some put hem to the ploughe , pleden full selde
In settynge and sowynge swonken full harde
And wonnen that wasters wyth glotony distroyen
And some put hem to pryde apparelde thereafter
In countinaunce of clothynge commenly disgised
In prayers and penaunce putten hem manye
In hope to haue after heauenryche blysse
And for the loue of our lorde lyueden full harde
As Ankers and Hermets that hold hem in her selles
And coueten nought in contrey to carien aboute
For no lyquerouse liuelode her likam to please .
And some chosen chaffer , they cheueden the better
As it semeth to oure syghte that suche do thriuen
And myrthes to maken as mynstrelles kunneth
And getten golde wyth her glee , synles I leue
As Iapers and Ianglers Iudas chyldren
Fayneth hem fantasies , and foles hem maketh
And han her wytte at wyll to werke if they shoulde
That Paule preacheth of hem I nel not preue it here
Qui loquitur turpiloquium . & cetera
Bydderis and beggeris faste aboute yede
Wyth hyr bealies & hyr bagges of bread ful crammed
Faytenden for her fode , foughten at the ale
In glotony God wote gone they to bedde
And ryse wyth rybaudy as Rebertes knaues
Slepe and sory slouth seweth hem euer
Pilgrames & Palmers plyght hem togyther
For to seke Saint Iames and sayntes at Rome
They went forth theyr way , wyth many wyse tales ,
And had leaue to lye all hyr lyfe after
I see some that sayd they had sought sayntes
To ech a tale þat they tolde , her tong was tempred to lye
More then to say sothe , it semed by hyr speache .
Hermets on a heape wyth hoked staues
Wenten to Walsingham , & her wenches after .
Greate loubeis and longe þat loth were to swynke
Clothed hem in copes to be knowen from other
And shopen hem Hermets her ease to haue .
I found ther the fryers all the four orders
Preached to the people for profite of hem-selues
Glosed the gospell as hem good lyked
For couetous of copes , construe it as they would
Many of these maister friers might cloth hem at liking
For her money & her marchaundise marchen togither ,
For sith charitie was chapman & chefe to shriue lordes
Many ferleis haue fallen in fewe yeres
But holy churche and I hold better togyther
The most mischiefe on molde is mountinge wel fast .
There preached a Pardoner as he a priest were
Brought forthe a bull with many byshoppes seales
And said that him-selfe myght absoyle hem all
Of falsehode and of fastinge , and of vowes broken
Lewde men leued hym well and lyked hys wordes
Commen vp knelynge to kysse hys bulles
He bouchid / bo[n]ched hem with his brenet / bre[u]et , and blered her eies
And raught with his ragman both ringes and broches
Thus they giue theyr gold glotons to kepe
And leueth it to suche losells as lecherie haunteth
Were the bysshop blessed , and worth both his eares
Hys seale shoulde not be sent to deceyue the people
And it is nought by the bishop that the boy precheth
For the paryshe priest & the pardoner part the siluer
That the pouerty of the parysh should haue if they ne were
Persons & her priestes pleyned hem to þe bishop
That her parishes were poore sithen þe pestilence time
To haue a lycence and leue at London to dwell
To synge there for Simony , for siluer is swete .
Bishops and bachilors , both masters & doctours
That haue cure vnder Christe , and crowning in token
And signe that they should shryue her parishynges
Preache and pray for hem , and the pore fede ,
Lye at London in lenten and elles
Some seruen the kynge , and hys syluer tell
In Cheker and in chauncery , chaleng his dettes .
Of wardes & warmottes of wayues and strayues
And some serue as seruauntes to lordes and to ladyes
And in stede of Stewardes sitte and deme .
Her masses and her mattens , and many of her hours
Are done vndeuoutlye drede is at the laste
Lest Christ in consistory accurse full many .
I perceyued of the powre that Peter had to kepe
To bynden and vnbinden , as the boke telleth
Howe he left it wyth loue , as our lorde hyght
Amonges foure vertues , the best of all vertues ,
That Cardinalles ben called and closing yates .
There Christ is in kingedome to close and to shit ,
And to open it to hem , and heuens blisse shewe
And of Cardinals at court þat caught of that name
And power presumed in hem a Pope to make
To haue that power that Peter had impunge I nel ,
For in loue and letture the eleccion belongeth ,
Forthy I can and can not , of court speke more .
Then came there a kynge , knyghthode hym ledde
Myght of the commons made him to reygne ,
And than came kinde wytte , and clerkes he made
For to counsell the king and the communes saue .
The kynge and knyghthode , and clergy bothe
Casten that the commous / commo[n]s shoulde hem-selues fynde ,
The commons contriued of kinde wytte craftes
And for profit of all the people plowe men ordeyned
To tyll and to trauel as true lyfe asketh .
The kynge and the commons , and kind wit the third
Shopen lawe & leauty euery man to know his owne .
Then loked vp a Lunatike , a leane thinge wyth-all
And knelynge to the kynge clergially he sayd
Christ kepe the syr kynge , and thy kingryche
And leue the lede thy londe so leauty the loueth
And for thy rightfull rulynge , be rewarded in heuen ,
And sithen in the ayre on height an aungel of heuen
Lowde to speake in latin , for lewde men ne coulde
Iangle ne iudge that iustifie hem shoulde
But suffren and seruen , forthye sayd the angell
Sum rex sum princeps , neutrum fortasse deinceps
O qui Iura regis , Christi specialia regis ,
Hoc quod agas melius , Iustus es esto pius
Nudum ius a te vestiri vult pietate .
Qualia vis metere , talia grana sere
Si ius nudatur , nudo de iure metatur ,
Si seritur pietas , de pietate metas .
Than greued hym a Goleardeis a gloton of words
And to the angell on hygh answered after
Dum Rex a regere , dicatur nomen habere ,
Nomen habet sine re , nisi studet iura tenere .
Than gan all the commons crye in verse of latine
To the kinges counsel construe who-so woulde
Precepta regis , sunt nobis vincula legis .
Wyth that ranne there a route of rattons at once
And small mise wyth hem moo then a thousand
And commen to counsel for the common profit
For a Catte of a contrye came whan hym lyked
And ouerleapt hem lyghtly & caught hem at his wyl
And plaied wyth hem perelously , and possed aboute ,
For doubt of diuers dredes we dare not wel loke
And if we grutche at hys game , he will greuen vs al
Scratchyng vs & clawyng vs , & in hys clawes hold
That we loth the lyfe or he lette vs passe .
Myght we wyth any wytte hys wyll wythstand
We myght be Lordes aloft , and lyue at our ease .
A ratton of renowne most renable of tonge
Sayd for a soueraygne helpe to him-selfe .
I haue sene segges , quod he , in the city of London
Bere bighes ful bryghte aboute theyr neckes
And some colers of craftie werke , vncopled they wente
Both in waren and in waste where hem-self lyked
And other whyle they ar els wher , as I heare tell
Were there a bel on her bight bi Iesu as me thinkith
Men might wyt where they went and a-way runne .
And right-so quod that ratton reason me sheweth
To by a bell of brasse , or of bryght syluer
And knyt it on hys coller for oure comen profyt
Whether he ritte or rest or run to pleye
And if hym list for to lake than loke we myght
And pere in his presens the while hym playe liketh
And if he wrath , be ware and his waye shonne
Al this rowt of Rattons to this reason they assented
And tho the bel was brought , & on the bight hanged
There ne was a ratten in al þe rowte for al þe realme of fraunce
That durst bynd the bel aboute þe cats necke
Ne hang it abowt the catts halse al Englande to win
And helde hem vnhardie and her cowncell feble
And let her labor loste and al their longe studie .
A mowse that muche goode coude as me thought
Stroke furth sternelye and stode before hem all
And to the rowte of rattons rehersed thes wordes
Though we kyl thys cate , yet shulde ther cum an other
To catch vs & al our kind , though we crep vnder benches
Forthie I councel al þe commens to let þe cat worch
And be we neuer so bolde , the bel hym to shewe
For I harde mi sire say seuen yere passed
Where the cat is a kylling , the courte is full elenge
That wytnesseth holy writinge who-so will it rede
+Ue terre Ubi puer Rex est .
For may no renke there rest haue , for ratons bi night
The whil he catcheth conies , he couiteth not our carion
But fedeth him wyth veneson , defame we hym neuer
For better is a lyttel losse then a longe sorowe
The maze amonge vs al though we misse a shrewe
For manie mens malte we myse wolde destroye
And also the rowte of rattons rente mens clothes
Ner the cat of that courte that can vs ouerleape
For had you rats youre wyl , you could not rule your-selfe
I saie for me , quod þe mouse , I se so mekel after
Shal neither þe Cat ne þe kitling bi mi councel be greuid
Ne carpinge of this coler that costed me neuer
And though it had cost me Catel , beknown it I nold
But suffre as hym-selfe wolde to done as hym liketh
Coupled and vncopled lo catche what they maye .
Forthie eche a wise wight I warn , wit wel his own
What this metteles bymeneth , ye men that be mery
Deuine ye for I dare not by dere God in heauen .
Yet houed ther an hundred in hownes of silke
Sergeaunts yt besemed that seruen at the barre
Pleten for penies and poundes the lawe
And not for loue of our lord vnclosen their lips once
Thou myghtest better mete þe mist on maluerne hils
Than gette a mumme of her mouth til mony be shewed
Barons and burgeses , and bonde men also
I see in thys assemble as ye shall here after
Bakesters , and Bruesters and bochers many
Wollen websters , and weuers of lynnen
Taylers and tinkers , and tollers in markettes ,
Masons and minors , and many other craftes
Of all kynne lybbynge laborers lopen forth some
As dikers and deluers that done their dedes yll
And dryue forth the long day with dieuxN saue dame Eme
Cokes and her knaues criden hote pyes hote
Good geese and gris goo wee dyne goo we
Tauerners vntyll them tolde the same
Wyth wyne of Osey , and redde wyne of Gascoyne
Of the rynne and of the Rochel the roste to defye
Thys sawe I slepynge , and seuen sithes more .
Common
Iestars
Iestars
Pilgrims
Hermets
Fryars
Lowde
+ Omni
um docti
ssimorum suffragio ,
dicuntur ,
hec de las
siuis , fatu
is , aut in
eptis prin
cipibus ,
non de e
tate tenel
lis. Qua
si dicat , v
bi rex pue
rilis est .
um docti
ssimorum suffragio ,
dicuntur ,
hec de las
siuis , fatu
is , aut in
eptis prin
cipibus ,
non de e
tate tenel
lis. Qua
si dicat , v
bi rex pue
rilis est .
Fol.i.
And
Many
Fol.ii.
Pardo
nars
nars
Nonresi
dence
dence
Her
Fol.iii.
The tale
of the rat
tons .
of the rat
tons .
And
But
Fol.iiii.
Sergeants
of þe lawe .
of þe lawe .
Good
The Vision of Pierce Ploughman,
A.i.
The vision of
Pierce Ploughman ,
A.ii.
The vision of
Pierce Ploughman .
A.iii.
The vision of
Pierce Ploughman .
The vision of