Thys weore awel / a wel wicked wey bot ho hadde agyde / a gyde
þat myghte folewe vs vche afote / a fote forto / for to we weore þ[ere]
Quod Perkyn þe ploghmon by seynt poule apostel
And þanne wol I wandre til ȝe beon there
þis weore along / a long lettyng quod alady / a lady þat loured in hire skley[re]
what schule we wymmen worche in þe mene while
Somme schal sowe þe sak for schedyng of whete
And ȝe wyues þa hauen wolle worches hit faste
Spynneth hit spedlich spareth not ȝoure fyngres
Bote ȝef hit beo halyday or ellesT holy euen
Loketh forth oure lynnen & laboreth þer-on faste
þe nedy & þe naked nymeth ȝeme how þey lyggen
kasteth heom clothes for colde for so wilneth trouthe
for Ischal / I schal lene heom liflode bote ȝef þe lond faile
Als longe as I lyue for þe lordes loue of heouene
And ȝe louely ladyes with oure longe fyngres
þat han seolk & sandel sowe hit when tyme is
Chesibles for chapeleyns chirches to honoure
And alle maner of men þat by þe mete libbeth
helpe heom worche wightelich þat wynneth ȝoure fode
By crist quod aknyȝt / a knyȝt þo þou kennest vs þe beste
Bote abetter / a better teme taught was me neuer
Bote kenne me now quod þe knyght for cristes loue of heo[uene]
how y schal my lif lede & libbe þer-afterT
By seynt Poule quod Perkyn þou proferest me wel lowe
And þer-fore schal Iswynke / I swynke & sowe for vs bothe
And eke labouren for þy loue al my lif tyme
From wastours & wicked men þat wolden vs destruye
And go honte hardiliche to hares & to foxe
To Roes & bokkes þat breketh myn hegges
And facche hom faukons þe foules to kulle
For theose cometh to my croft & croppeth my whete
þe knyght konned him thonk and cortesly saideT
By my power Piers I plighte þe my trouthe
ȝe and ȝet apoynt / a poynt quod Perkyn I pray þe more
Loke þou teone no tenaunt bote trouthe wol assente
And þaugh pore men profre ȝou presens & ȝeftes
Nyme hit not on auter þou may :::::::::::
For þou schalt ȝeilde hit aȝeyn at [on] ȝer[es ende]
In a wel perilouse place þat purga::: hat[te]
And mysbeode not þy bonde-men þe bet þou schalt spede
And þat þou beo treowe of þy tonge & tales þou hate
Bot ȝef hit beo of wisdom or of wit þy werkemen to chasten
hold with none harlotes no here not here tales
And namelich at þe mete suche men eschewe
For hit arn þe deoles dysours ydo / y do þe to vndurstonde
y asente by seynt Iame quod þe knyght þenne
For to worche by thy word ȝe whil my lif dureth
And I schal apparaile me quod perkyn in pilgryms wise
And wende with ȝou þe wey til we fynde treuthe
he caste on his clothes clouted and hole
his cokeres & his coffes for colde of his nayles
And hang his hopre at his hals in steode of a scripe
Abosschel / A bosschel of bred corn bryng me he bad her-ynne
For I wol sowen hit my-seolf &seothen I wol wende
And who-so helpeth me to eryen or any thyng to swynke
Schal haue by heouene þe more hyre in heruest
::: maken him mury with þe corn who-so hit by-grucche
And alle maner ofT crafty men þat konne lyue in truthe
yschal / y schal fynde heom fode þat feythfulliche liben
saue Iacke þe Iogelour and Ionete at þe styues
And Robyn þeo rybauder for his rousty wordes
Deleantur de libro · Ischolde / I scholde noght dele with heom
þat þey beon ascaped goode auenture now god heom amende
Dame worche when tyme is Piers wif is cleped
his doghter hatte do right so or þou schalt abugge
his sone hitte suffre þy souereynes for to haue heore wille
And deme heom noght for ȝef þou dost þou schalt hit sore [s:::es]
Lat god worche with-al for so his word techeth
For now I am old and hor and haue of myn owne
To penaunce & to pilgrymage I wol passe with þeose oþer
For-þy I wol ar I wende don wryte my by-quyste
In dei nomine Amen Imake / I make hit my-seoluen
he schal haue my soule þat best hath deserued
And defende hit fro þe feond for so I by-leue
Til y come to his acountes as my crede techeth
þe chirche schal haue my kareyne & kepe my bones
For he of corn & of my catel crawed / cra[u]ed þeo toyþe
y paied hit him prestly for peril of my soule
he is halden Ihope / I hope to haue me in mynde
And mengen in his memory among alle cristen
My wif schal haue of þat I wan of with trouthe & namore
And delen among my freondis & my deore child[ren]
For þagh I dye to-day my dettes beon paied
y bar hom þat Iborewed / I borewed er Ito / I to bedde ȝeode
And with þe resydue & þe remenaunt by þe rode of ch[:::ster]
y wol worschipe þer-with treuthe in my lyue
And beon his pilgrym at þe plogh for pore me[nnes sa :::]
My plogh-pot schal beon my pyk-staf & pyche [at :::: es]
And helpe my coltre to kerue & clanse þe forewes
Now is piers & þe pilgryms to þe plogh faren
To heryen þis half acre holpen him monye
Dychers & deluers doluenT vp þe balkes
þer-with was Perkyn paied & preised heom ȝeorne
Other werkmen þer were þat wroghten wel faste
vche mon on his maner made him-seolf to done
And somme to pleese perkyn pyked vp þe weodes
At hygh prime Piers lette þe plough stonde
To ouer-seon heom him-seolf who-so best wroghte
Scholde beon hyred þerafter when heruest tyme come
þan seten somme & songen faste at þe nale
And holpen to heryen þe half acre with hey trolly lolly
By þe prynce in paradys quod Piers þo in wrathe
Bote ȝef ȝe rise þe rathere & rape ȝou to worche
Schal no greyn þat here groweth glade ȝou at nede
þenne weore faitours aferd and feyned heom blynde
Somme leyden heore leges on-lyry as suche losels konne
And pleyned to Piers with suche pytouse wordes
We hauen no lymes to labouren with lord Ithanked be ȝe
Bote we preyen for ȝou Piers & for ȝoure plogh bothe
þat god of his grete grace oure greyn multeplie
And ȝeilde ȝou for oure almes þat ȝe ȝeuen vs here
For we mowe nouþer swynke no swete suchseknes / such seknes vs ai[leþ]
ȝef hit beo soth þat ȝe sayn Ischal / I schal sone aspie
ȝe beon wastours ywot / y wot wel & trouthe wot þe sothe
And Iam / I am his hold hyne & aughte him to warne
Suche wastours in world his werkmen distryeth
Ȝe eten þat þey scholde eten þat heryen for vs alle
Bote trouthe schal teche ȝou his teme for to dryue
Bothe to setten & sowe and sauen his tilthe
Or ȝe schulen ete barly bred & þe brok drynke
Bote ȝef he beo blynd or broke-schanked or bedrede l[igge]
þey schuln ete as good Iso / I so me god helpe
Til god of his grete grace graunte hom to arise
Ancres & heremytes þat holden hom in heore celles
Schulen haue of myn almes al þe while y libbe
ynogh vche day at none & no more er morwe
Leste heore flesch & þe feond fouled heore soules
Ones at none is ynogh þat no werk vseth
he abideth wel þe bettre þat bommeth not ofte
þanne can wastour arise & wolde haue yfoughte
To Piers þe ploghman he profered his gloue
Abretoner / A bretoner abragger / a bragger he bosteth him alse
And bad him go pisse with his plogh pelled schrewe
weltow or nyltow we woln haue oure wille
Of þy flour & of þy flesch fetteT when vs likyth
And maken vs mury with-al maugre þy chekes
þanne Piers þe ploghmon pleyned him to þe knyght
To kepen him acouenaunt / a couenaunt was for corsed schrewes
Fro wastours þat wayten wynners to schenden
Curtesly þe knyȝt þanne as his kynde wolde
Warned wastour to worche and wynne bettre
Or by þe ordre þat I beore þou schalt hit deore abugge
I was not wont to worche quod wastour now Iwol / I wol not bygynne
And let lightlich of his lore & eke of him-seoluen
And manassed him & eke his men when þey nexst mette
Now by peril of my soule quod pers Ischal / I schal enpeire ȝou alle
And hoped after honger þat herde him atte firste
Awreke me on wastors quod piers þat þis world schendith
hongur on haste hente wastour by þe mawe
þat he loked lyk alaunterne / a launterne al his lif after
he beot heom so bothe he barst ner heore mawes
No hadde Piers with apeose / a peose lof preied him byleue
And with abene / a bene batte busked heom by-twene
þat he bledde in-to þe bodyward abolle / a bolle ful of growel
No hadde þe fisysien furst defended him water
To abate þe barly bred & þe bones ygrounde
þey had beo ded by þis day & doluen al warme
Faytours for fere flowen in-to bernes
And flapten on with flayls from morwe til euen
þat hongor nas not hardy on heom for to loken
For apotful / a potful of peoses þat Piers hadde ymaked
Agret / A gret hepe of heremytes henten heom spades
And doluen dryt & donge to dutte oute hongor
Blynd & bedreden weore botened athousand / a thousand
hongor heom helen wel sone with an ote kake
And lame mennes lymes weore leched þat tyme
And by-come knaues to kepe peirs bestes
And preyeden pytously par charite with piers for to dwelle
Al for couetise of his korn to kayre awey hongor
And Piers þer-of was proud & putte heom in offices
And ȝaf heom mete & mone as þey myghte deserue
þanne had Piers pite & preied hongor to wende
hom in-to his owne erthe & holden him þerfor / þer for euer
And þat I pray quod Piers er þou passe forther
Of beggers & bydders what best beoT to done
For I wot wel beo þou went þay wol worche wel illeT
mescheif hit maketh þey beon so meoke nouthe
And for defaute of fode þus faste þey worchen
And þey beon my blody brethren for god made vs alle
Treuthe taghte me ones to loue heom vchone
And helpen heom of al thyng after þat heom nedeth
Now wold I witen ȝef þou wistest whad weore þe beste
And how I myghte amaistren heom & make heom to worche
here now quod hongry & hold hit for awisdam / a wisdam
Bolde beggers & bygge þat mowe heore bred byswynke
With houndes bred & hors bred hold vp heore heortes
& ȝef þe gromes grucche bid heom go & swynke
And he schal soupe swetter when he hath hit des[er:::yd]
with fuyr or with fals men fond suche to knowen
Comforte heom with katel for cristes loue of heouen
Loue heom & lene heom & so þe lawe of kynde wolde
And eke al maner of men þat þou myght aspyen
þat nedy beon or naked & noght han to despende
With mete or with monee let heom beo þe bettre
Or with werk or with word þe while þou art here
ywold / y wold not greue god quod Piers for al þe good on eorthe
myghty / myght y synnelas don as þou saist saide Piers þanne
ȝe I by-hote þe quod hongour or elles þe bible lyeth
Go to genesis þe geaunt engendror of vs alle
In sudore & swynk þou schalt þy mete tilye
Bote laboure for þy liflode & so oure lord hyghte
And sapience saith þe same Isaw / I saw hit in þe byble
Piger propter frigus no fold wolde he tylye
he schal go beoge & bidde & nomon / no mon bete his hongur
Mathew with þe mannes face techeth þeose wordes
þat seruus nequam hath aname / a name & for he nolde hit vse
he hadde amaugre / a maugre of his maister for euermore þerafter
And by-nome his name for he nolde worche
And ȝaf hit him on haste þat had ten of his owen
he þat hath schal haue to helpe þer nede is
& he þat noght nath noght schal haue ny no mon him helpe
And þat he weneth wel to haue Iwol / I wol þat hit fro him beo reued[e]
kynde wit wolde þat iche wight scholde worche
Or with techyng or withT tellyng or trauailyng of hondes
Actif lif or contemplatyf crist wolde hit alse
þeo sauter seith in aspalme / psalme / a spalme / psalme of beati omnes
he þat geteth his fode her with trauaile of his hondes
God ȝeueth heom his blessyng þat heore liflode so wynneth
ȝet y pray þe quod Piers par charite ȝef þow konne
Any leef of lechecrafte þou lere hit me anone
For somme of my seruauns beon seke othir-whiles
Of al þe weke þey worcheth not so heore wombe akethT
þey had manged to mukel þat maketh heom grone ofte
Bote I hote þe quod hongor as þou þyn hele wilnest
þat þou drynke no day or þou somwhad dyne
And send þe of his sause to sauoure thy lippes
And kepe some for sopertyme & sitte noght to longe
Arise vp ar appetite haue eten his fulle
Lat not sir sorfete sitten at þy borde
Loue him not for he is alechour / a lechour & lykerous of tonge
And after mony maner metes his mawe is alonged
And ȝef þou dyote þe þus Idar / I dar leye myn hed
þat fysyk schal his forred hodesT for his fode selle
And eke his cloke of kalabre & þe knoppes of golde
And beo fayn by my fay his fysyk to leten
And leorne to laboren with lond lest liflode him faile
þer arn mo lyers þan leches lord heom amende
þey don men dye þorugh heore drynkes er desteny hit wolde
wend þou when þy wille is þat wel beo þou euer
Iby-hote / I by-hote þe quod hongour þat hennes nul y wende
Er yhaue / y haue dyned by þis day & ydronke bothe
Ihaue / I haue no peny quod Piers puulletes to bugge
Nouþer gees no grys bote two grene cheses
Afewe / A fewe croddes & crem and an hauer kake
Alof / A lof of benes & bren y-bake for my children
And ȝet Isay / I say by my soule y haue no salt bacoun
Ny no kokeney by crist colopes with to frye
Bote Ihaue / I haue percile & porret and mony cole plantes
And eke akow / a kow & akalf / a kalf and a kart mare
To drawe on feld my donge whiles þe droghte lastes
By þat I hope to haue heruest at home in my krofte
þanne may Idighte / I dighte þy dyner atte fulle as þe deore likyiþ
Alle þe pore people peosekoddes þey fetteT
Benes & bake apples þey broghten in heore lappes
Chibols & chiryuels and ripe chiryes manye
And profered Piers þis present to plese þer-with hongur
hongor eet in þat haste and axed after more
þanne þis folk for fere fetten him suche monye
By þat nyghed neor heruest þat neowe korn com to chepyng
þanne was folk fayn & fedde hongur with þe beste
with good ale & glotony þey garte him swythe to slepe
And þo nolde wastour worche bote wandren aboute
Ny no begger ete bred þat benes or barlych yn come
Bote koket or clermatyn mad of clene whete
Ny no halpeny ale in none wise drynken
Bote of þe beste & of þe bronneste þat breowesters sellen
Laboreres þat hauen no lond to lyuen on bote heore hondes
Deyned to dyne on dayes nyghte holde wortes
May no peny ale heom paye ny no pece of bakoun
Bote ȝef hit beo fresch flesch or fresch fysch yfryed
And chaud & plus chaud for chillyng of heore nailes
Bote he beo hyghliche Ihuyred elles wol he chyden
þat he was werkmon wroght warye þe tyme
And þanne korse þe kyng & al þe counseil after
Suche lawes to loken laborers to chasten
Bote whil hongor was heore maister wold þer nonchyde / non chyde
No stryue aȝeyn his statute so steornely he loked
y warne ȝou werkmen wynneth while ȝe mowe
For hongour hyderward hasteth him faste
he schal awake þorugh water wastors to chasten
Or syn beo fulfulled suche fomen schal arise
Thorgh flodes & þorgh foule wedres fruytes schule falle
And þus seith satorne and sent ȝou to warne
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