til late and longe . þat þei a lede mettyn

y-parayled as a paynym . in pilgrymys wise .

He bare a burdoun y-bounde . with a brod lysteT

a bagge and a bolle . he bar by his side 

an hundred of ampollus . on his hat seten

sygnes of synay . and schellys of galys .

and many a cros on his cloke . and keyȝes of rome

and þe vernicle him by-forn . for men schuld hym knowe

and sen by his synes . whom he souȝth hadde

þis folke freyned hym fayre . T whennes þat he come .

Fro synay he sayde . and fro þe sepulcre

ac bedlehem and babyloyneP . I haie / ha[u]e be in boþe 

In ermonye . in alisaundre . and many oþer places

ȝe mow sen by my synes . þat sytten on myn hat .

That I haue walked wyde . in wet and in drye

and souȝth gode seyntes . for my soule hele 

knowest þou a corseynt quod þei . þat men calle truþe

canstu wisse vs þe wey . wher þat he duelleþ .

Nay so me god helpe . sayde þe gome þanne

I sey neuere palmere . with pik ne with skrippe 

axen after him . ere now in þis place .

I knowe him as kyndely . as clerkes done her bokes

clene conciens and wit . kennyþ me to his place  

and dude me to sure him . for to serue him euere

boþe now and siþe . whil I swynke myȝthe .

I haue be his folwere . al þis fourty wynter

boþe sowen his sed . and sewed his bestes 

and kepid his corn . and caried hit to house

dyken and doluen . .C and don what he hyȝthe .

Wyth-inne and with-oute . to wayte his profyte

þer is no labourer with-inne his lordschep . þat him lykeþ betere 

for þouȝ I sey hit my-self . I serue him to paye

I haue myn hire of hym wel . and oþer-while more .

He is þe prestyste payȝere . þat pore men knoweþ

he ne halt no hyne his hyre . þat he ne haþ hit at eue 

he is as low as a lomb . and louely of speche

and ȝif ȝe wil wite . where þat he duelleþ .

I shal wisse ȝou welT . ryȝth to his place

ȝe leue peres quod þeP pilgrymys . and profered him hire  

nay by þe peril of my soule quod peres . and gan for to swere

I nolde fonge a ferþing . for seynt {h}thomas shrine .

For truþe wolde loue me þe wores wor[se] . a long tyme after

ac ȝe þat wil wende þeder T . þis is þe weye 

ȝe mote go þorw meknysse . boþe maydenis and wyues

til ȝe come in-to conciens . þat crist wyte þe soþe .

That ȝe loue him leuere . þan þe lyf in ȝour hertes

and þanne ȝour neyȝbores nixte . in none wyse a-peyre 

oþer-wise þan ȝe wol . men wrouȝþe to ȝou ȝou[r]-selue

and so boweþ forþ by a broke . buxum of speche .

Forþ til ȝe fynde a ferde . ȝour faderesT honowred / honowr[e]T

wadeþ in þat water . and ways ȝou þer-inne 

and ȝe schulle lepe þe lyȝtlyere . al ȝour lyf tyme

so {i} shul ȝe P se suere nouȝt . but hit be for nede .

And namly on ydel name .C of god al-myȝthy  .C

þan shal ȝe come by a crofte . comeþ not þer-inne 

þat croft hatteþ coueyteþ not . mannys catel ne here wyuys .C

ne none of here seruantes . þat noyȝe hem myȝthe .

Loke ȝe breke no bowes þere . but þei be ȝour owyn

two stokkes þer stondeþ . but stynt ȝou not þere 

þei hatte stel not ne sle not . but strik forþ by boþe

lef hem on þi lyft half . and loke not þer-after .

And hold wel þin halyday . hey til þe eue

þan shalt þou blenchen T a-bak . ber no fals witnesse 

he is frithed in with floreynis . and oþer fees manye

loke þou plucke no plantes þer . for peril of þi soule .

Than shalt þou se sey soþ . so hit be to done

and loke þou lye not . for no mannys byddyng  

þan shalt {.}þou come to a court . as clere as the sunne

þe mot is of mercy . þe maner al abouteP

And alle þe walles beþ of wit . to holde wil þer-oute

þe cornelys beþ of cristendoum . þat kynde to saue 

and burased bu[t]rased with lef so . or þou best not saued

alle þe howses beþ heled . halles and chaumbres .

With no led but with loue and lownesse . as breþren of o wombe

þe t{.}oureP þer truþe is him-self . is vp to þe sunne 

he may do with þe daysterre . what so him lykyþ

deþ dar not do noþing . þat he defendes .

Grace hatteþ þe gateward . a goud man for soþe

his man hatte a-mende ȝou . for meny men him knoweth 

tel him þis tokne . truthe wot þe sothe

y parformed þe penauns . þat þe prest en-Ioyned .

I am sory for my synnes . and so shal I euere

whan I thinke þer-on . þow I were a pope  

byddyþ a-mende ȝou . mekyn him to his maistre

onesT to wynne vpP þe wyket . þat þe wyȝt T shette .

Tho adam and eue . etyn oure bane

for he haþ þe keyes and þe clyket . þow þe king clepe [s]lepeT 

and ȝif grace graunte þe . to gon in onT þis wyse

þou schalt se truþe him-self . T sytte in þyn herte .

And lere þe for to loue . and his lawes halde

ac be war of wratthe nouþ . þat wykkede s{c}hrewe 

For he haþ enuye to him . þat in þin herte sytteth

and loke for no pride . to preyse thy-selue .

The boldnesse of þat buffet . makeþ þe blynd þanne

{...}⁊̃ / & soC worþ þe dryue out . as dew .C and þe dore y-closed 

y-keyȝed and y-cleketed . to holde þe þer-oute

happily an hundred wynter . er þou eft entre .

Þus myȝthe þou lese his loue . to lete wel by þi-selue

and gete hit a-ȝen thurȝ grace . and þurȝ {..}noC-thingT elles 

Ac þer arn vij / seuene douȝtres . þat serue truthe euere

and beþ porteres to þe posternys . þat to þe place longeþ .

þat on hatte abstinence . humylite is anoþer

charite and chastite . beþ her chef maydens 

Largenesse þe lady . lateþ in wel manye

ac who is sib to þe sustres . so me god helpe .

he is wonderly wol-come . and fayre vnderfonged

But he be sib to some . of þes seuene sustres 

hit is wel hard by myn hod . ony of ȝou alle

to gete ingate atC eny gate . but grace be þe more .

Ne I quod a pelour . by ouȝth þat I knowe

wite god quod waufrere . wiste I þat þe sothe 

shulde I neuere ferþer a fote . for no freresC prechyng

ȝis quod peres plowman . an / an[d] poked him to gode .

Mercy had a mayden þere . she myȝte ouer hem alle

she is sib to alle synful . and hure sone alse 

and þorw þe help of hem two . hope þou non oþer

þou myȝt se grace þere . so þou go by tyme .