quod perkyn þe plowman . by seynt thomas þe apostel

I haue an half akre to ere . by þe hyȝe weye .

Had I ered myn half akre . T I wil with ȝou til ȝe be þere

þis were a long lettyng . quod a lady in a sleyre 

what shul we wynne . ⁊ / & wyrke þe whyle

some shul sowe þe sak . for sheding of þe whete  .

And wyues þat haue wolle . werchen hit ȝe shole

spynnet hit spedly . spareþ not ȝour fyngres 

but ȝif hit be holyday . oþer holy euen

lokeþ forþ ȝour lynene . and laboureþ þer-on faste .

The nedy and þe naked . nym hede how þe / þe[i] lyen

casteþ hem cloþes for colde . for so wil truthe 

for I shal lene hem lyflode . but ȝif þe lond fayle

as longe as I lyue . for þe lordes loue of heuene .

And ȝe louely ladyjs . with ȝour louely fyngrys

þat haue syke / sy[l]ke and sandel . soweþ hit when tyme is 

chesibles for chapeles . cherchis to honoure

and alle maner men . þat by þe mete libbes .

Help hem wyrche witly . þat wynne ȝour fode

by crist quod a knyȝt . þou kennest vs þe beste 

and on þis teme truly . tauȝt was I neuere

kene me quod kniȝt . {...?...} I wil leye þer to ere  .

By seynt poule quod perkyn . for þou proferest þe so lowe

I schal swynke and swete . and sowe for vs boþe  

and laboure for ȝour loue . al my lyf tyme

in couenaunt þat þou kepe wel . holy cherche riȝt .

And me T fro wateres / wa[s]teres and wikkemen / wikke men . þat me wolde distroye

and go hunte hardily . þe hare and fox 

and to beres and buckes . þat breke myn hegges

and fech þe hom faukonys . þe foules to kylle  .

For thes come to my croftes . and croppe my whete

curtesly þe kniȝt . conseyuede his wordes .

by my power peres . I plyȝte þe my trouþe

to fulfylle my forward . whilis I may stonde .

And ȝut a poynt quod perkyn . I praye þe more

loke þou tene no tenaunt . but truþe wil a-corde 

and þey pore men profre þe . presentes and ȝiftes

nym hit nouȝt in aunter . þou mow hit not deserue

For þou shalt ȝiue hit a-ȝen . at on ȝeres ende

in a wel perlious ere perliousereP place . þat purgatorie hatteþ 

And mysbede not þi bonde-men . þe beter þou myȝt spede

and be trewe of þi tonge . and talis þou hate .

but hit be wisdam oþer wit . þi werkmen to chaste

hold with none harlotes . ne here non of her tales 

And namlyche at mete . suche men eschue

for hit arn þe deueles dishoures . I do hit þe vnderstonde 

I a-sente by seynt iame . seyþ þe kniȝt þanne

for to worche by þi word . whil my lyf dureȝt

and I shal aparayle quod perkyn . in pilgrimys wyse

and wende with ȝou þe wey . til we fynde truþe .

He caste on his cloþes . y-clouted and hole

his cokeres and his cuffys . for colde of his nayles 

and heng his hopur on his bak . in stede of his skrippe

a busshel of bred corn . bryng me þer-ynne .

For I wil sowe hit my-self . and swythe wil I wende

and who-so helpeþ me to erye . or eny þing swynke

shal haue by oure lord god .P þe more hire in heruest

and make him merye with þe corn . who-so hit be-grucche  .

And alle skynnes crafti men . þat cunne leue with truþe

I shal fynde hem fode . þat feyfully lybbe .

saue Iacke þe Iogelour . {...?...}and Ionet at þe stewesC

and robyn þe ribaudour . for his rusti wordes .

Truthe tolde me þus onys . and bad me telle hit ferther

Deleantur de libro . I shulde not dele with hem 

for holy chyrche is holde of hem . no tithes to taken

Et cum iustis non scribantur .

They beþ a-skaped godes aunter . god hem amende

T for al þe gold quod peres . þat groweþ on þis grounde 

myȝt I synneles don as þou seyst . seyde peres þanne

ȝe hardyly quod hunger . or ellys þe byble lyes .

Go to genesys þe geaunt . engendrour of vs alle

In sudore uultus tui . swynke þou shalt þi mete 

tileT and laboure for þi liflode . as oure lord hyȝte

and sapiens seyþ þe same . I se hit in þe bible .

Piger propter frigus . no felde nolde tilie

he shal bygge and begge . and noman bete his hunger 

Mathew with þe mannes face . þes wordes þus mowtheþ

þat seruus nequamC had a name . and for he ne wolde hit vse .

He hadde maugre of his mayster . euer-more after

and by-nam him his namme . for he ne wolde worche 

and ȝaf him in haste . þat hadde ten þer by-fore

and sitthen hit seyde . þat his mayster hit hadde .

He þat haþ shal haue . to helpe þer nede is

and he þat nouȝt haþ . shal not han . ne no man him helpe 

and þat he wenyþ wel to haue . I wil þat hit him be-reued

kynde wit wolde . þat eche wit wrouȝthe .

Or with teching or tellyng . or traualyng of hande T

þe sauter seyþ in þe psalme . of Beati omnes 

LaboresP manuum tuarum . quia manducabis . ⁊ / & cetera

he þat get his fode here . with trauayl of his handes .

Go{t}dP geuyþ hem his blessynge . þat here liflode here so wynne

Ȝit I praye þe quod peres . for charite ȝif þou kennys 

eny lyf of lechecraft . ken hit me my dere

for somme of my seruauntes . ben sek oþer-while .

Of al þe wyke worcheþ not . so here wombe aketh

I wot wel quod hunger . what syknesse hem eyleþ 

þei han manged ouer-mykel . þat makeþ grone ofte

ac I hote þe quod hunger . as þou þin hele weldest .

That þou drynke no day . er þou ete sum-what

and not ete er hunger þe take . and sent þe of his sauce T

to sauoure þi lyppus . and kep sum til super tyme

and syt not longe a-rys vp . er apetyt haue his fylle .

Let not sire surfet . sit at þi bord

lef not him he is a lechour . and liberous of his tunge 

and after many maner metes . his mawe is a-longed

and ȝif þou diete þe þus . I dar leyn myn armes .

That fysyk shal his furred hod . for his fode selle

and eke his cloke with alabre . and þe knottes of golde 

and be fayn by my fay . his fysyk to letyn

and lerne him T laboure with lond . last his lyflode him fayle .

Ther are mo lyeres þan lechys . god hem a-mende

þey don men deye with her drynke . ere destene wolde 

by seynt poul quod peres . þes are profytable wordes

þis is a louely lessoun . lord hit þe for-ȝelde .

Wend now when þy wil is . for wel be þou euere

I be-hote god quod hunger . hennys ne wil I wende 

ere I haue dined by þis day . and y-drunke boþe

I haue no peny quod peres . poletes to bugge

Neyþer ges ne grys . but tweyne grete cheses

a fewe cruddes and crem . and an auerT cake 

a lof of benys and bren . y-bake for my children

and ȝut I sey by my soule . I haue no salt bakoun .

Ne no cokeney be crist . colloppes to make

ac I haue parsely and poret . many cool plantes 

and eke a kow and a calf . and a cart mare

to drawe a -felde þe dunge . whil þe drouthe lestyþ .

By þis liflode I most lyue . til lammasse tyme

by þat I hope to haue . lammasse in my croft 

þan may I dyȝthe þi dyner . as þe dere lykyþ

al þe pore puple . þe pesecoddes fetten .

Benys and bake applys . þei brouȝte in her lappes

chibolles and skalonys . and ripe cheries manye 

and profred peres þis present . to plese þer-with hunger

and hunger ete þis in haste . and asked after more .

Than þis folk for fere . fetten him more

grene poret and pesyn . to poysone him þey þouȝthe 

by þan hit neyhed heruest . and newe corn come to towne

þan were folk fayn . and fedde hunger with þe beste .

With goud ale and glotonye . þei gere him to slepe

þo wolde wastour not wyrche . but wandre a-boute 

ne no beggere ete bred . þat benyn come inne

but coket and clere-matyn . or of clene whete .

Ne non halpeny ale . on none wise drynke

but of þe beste and þe brouneste . þat brewesteres sellyn 

laboureres þat haue no lond . to lyue by but her handes

deyneþ not to dyne o day . nyȝth-olde wortes .

Ther may no peny-ale hem paye . ne no pece of bakoun

but hit he / [b]eP freschflesch / fresch flesch . oþer fysche y-fryed 

boþe chaufed and plus chaufed . for chillyng of here mawe

but he be heylyche hered . ellys wil he grucche .

That he was ewere man wrouȝt . warie þe tyme

and curse þe king . and al his counseyl after 

suche lawes to loke . labureres to chaste

ac whil hunger was her mayster . her non wolde chide .

Ne stryue a-ȝen þe statute . so sternely he lokede

I warne ȝou werkman . wynneþ whil ȝe mowe 

For hunger hiderward . heyeth him faste

he shal a-wake thour thour[ȝ] watur . wastoures to chaste .

Er fyue {...?...} wynter be ful{d}-fyldC . such famyn shal a-rise

þorw flod and foule wederes . cornes shul fayle 

and so seyþ saturne . and sent ȝou to warne