Passus quintus de visione vt supra
and as a freek þat fey were forth gan ywalken / y walken
yn manere of a mendynant many ȝeer aftir
and many tyme of þis metels mych þought yhadde / y hadde
Furst how fortune me failed at my most nedeC
and how elde manased me so might happe
þat y lyuede longe · leue me byhinde
and vanishe alle my vertues · & my faire loces
and how þat freres folowede · folk þat was richC
and pepel þat was pore at litel pris setton
Ne no cors of pore comvne · in her kirke-ȝerd most ligge
But quik he biquath hem ought or wolde help quite her dettes
as wel lered as lewed · and lord as þe bonde
Cand how þat lewed men ben lad but our lord hem helpe
þorgh vnconnyng curatoures · to incurable paynes
and how þat ymaginatif in dremels me tolde
Of kynde & of his comyng · & what connyng he ȝaf bestes
and how louyng he is to vch alif / a lif yn lond & in watur
For alle he wisseth & ȝiueth wit · þat walkeþ oþer crepith
and y merueyle in herte · how ymaginatif saide
þat iustus bifore Iesu in die iudicij
and when he hadde y-seide so · how sodeinlich he vanshed
and so y mused vpon þis matere · þat me lust to slepe
and þenne cam conscience & clergie aftir
Cand bedon me rise vp & Rome & wiþ resoun shold y dyne
and yaroes / y aroes & romed forth · & with resoun me mette
we reuerensed Resoun & romed forth softly
and metton with a maistur aman / a man lik a frere
Conscience knew him welcomed him faire
þey wosshon & wipton & wenten to þe dynere
ylik pers þe ploughman as he a palmere were
Crauede & cried for cristes loue of heuene
ameles / a meles mete for a pore man or money if þei hadde
Conscience knew him wel & welcomed him alle
woshon & wipton & weton · & setonT
þe maister was maed sitte first as for þe most worthi
Resoun stoed & stighled as for a stiward of halle
Pacience & y was put to be macches
and seton by our selue at a sid table
Clergie cald aftir me & þenne cam scripture
and serued hem þus sone · of sondry metes manye
Of austyn of ambrose of alle foure euangelies
CEdentes & bibentes que apud eos sunt & cetera
But of þis mete þat maistur might not wel chewe
For-thi eet he mete of more cost mortrewes & potages
Of þat men myswonnen þey made hem wel at ese
But her saus was ouersour · & vnsauerly ygrounde
yn amorter / a morter post mortem of many bitur paynes
But yf þei synge for þo soules & wepe salt teres
Vos qui comeditis peccata hominum . nisi pro eis lacrimas & oraciones
effuderitis ea que in delicijs comeditis in . tormentis . euometis . & cetera .
þenne as resoun radde anoen right aftir
and bringe breed for pacience biting apartie
and to me{te} þat his mete þoT · & othir mete bothe
he sette asour / a sour lof & saide · agite penitenciam
and sithe he drough vs drinke diu perseuerans
as longe quod he as lif & lycam may dure
þis is asemly / a semly seruice · saide pacience
þenne cam contricioun þat hadde coked for hem alle
and brought forth apitaunce / a pitaunce was pro hoc orabit omnis
sanctus in tempore oportuno
þenne conscience counfortid vs boþe clergie & scripture
and saide cor contritum & humiliatum deus non despicies
pacience was wel apaid of þis propur seruice
and mad mury with þis mete but y morned euere
CVe vobis qui potentes estis ad bibendum vinum
and eet mony sondri metes mortrewes & puddynges
Braun & bloed of gees · bacoun & colopes
þenne said y to my-selue so pacience hit herde
hit ys not þre daies doen þis doctour þat he prechid
alle þat coueite to come · to any kynne ioye
and how þat poul þe apostel · what penaunce he þoled
For oure lordes loue · as holy lettur tellith
CIn fame & frigore & cetera .
as poul þe apostel prechid to þe pepel ofte
CPericulum est in falsis fratribus
holy writ bit men be war & wisly hem kepe
þat no fals frere þorgh flateryng hem bygile
andT me thinkeþ loþ · þogh y latyn knowe to lacken any secte
For alle be we breþeren þogh we be diuers yclothid
But ywiste / y wiste neuere frek þat frere ys y-cald of þe foure mendinantz
þat toek þis for his teme & tolde hit with-oute aglose / a glose
Þei preche þat penaunce ys · profitable to þe soule
and what myschef · & male-ese crist for man þoled
But þis doctour & diuinour quod y · & decretistre of canoun
and also as a gredy glotoun wiþ two grete chekes
haþ no pite on vs pore he perfourmeth euele
þat he precheth he preueth not compacience y tolde
and wisshed weturly wiþ wille ful egur
þat yn þe mawe of þat maistur alle þo metes were
Boþe disshes & dobleres · with alle þe deyntes aftir
and apose him what penaunse ys · & purgatorie on erthe
and whi he liueth not as he lerith
lat be quod pacience & saide þow shalt see þus sone
when he may no more he shal haue a penaunce
yn his foule paunch & poffe at vch a word
and þenne sholon gothele his gottes · & gynne to galpe
Now he hath dronke so depe · he wol dyuine sone
and prouen hit by her pocalips & þe passioun of seint auory
ys noþer fish ne flesh · but for penauntes
and take witnes at a trinite & take his felawe to witnes
what he foend in a forel of a frere lyuyng
and bot þe first leef be lesinges leue me neuere aftir
and þenne ys tyme to take · to apose þis doctour
Of dowel & of dobet · & yf dobet do any penaunce
ysat / y sat stille as pacience wolde · & þus sone þis doctour
as rody as a rose · rodded his chekes
Coughede & carpede & conscience him herde
and tolde him of a trinite & toward me he loked
Dowel quod þis doctour & he drank aftir
do þin neighbore no harm · ne þi self nothir
and þenne dost þow wel & wisly ydar / y dar hit wel a-vowe
¶ Sertes sire thenne said y hit semeth nouthe here
yn that ȝe parteth not wiþ vs pore þat ȝe passeth dowel
Ne loueþ not as ȝe lereth as oure lord wolde
CEt visitauit & fecit redemptionem plebis sue
and ȝe fare þus with ȝour sike freres ferly me þinketh
þat dowel wole endite ȝou in die iudicij
þenne conscience ful curteislich a continaunce made
and preynte vpon pacience · to preye me be stille
and saide him-sulue sir doctour biso / bi so hit be ȝour wille
what is dowel & dobet ȝe diuinoures knoweth
y haue yseid quod þat seg y can sey no betture
Bot do as doctoures techith for dowel ich hit halde
þat trauaileth to teche othir · yhalde / y halde hit for a dobet
and he þat doþ as he techith yhalde / y halde hit for þe beste
CQui facit & docuerit magnus vocabitur
haue me excused quod clergie · by crist but yn scole
shal no such motif be meued · for me bot oþere
For pers loue þe palmere ȝut þat inpugned ones
alle kynne connynges · & alle kynne craftes
Saue loue & leute & lowenes of herte
and no tixst ne takeþ to proue this for truthe
Bot dilige deum & proximum · & domine quis habitabit
þaT loth ys to be founde
Quod pers þe ploughman pacientes vincunt
By-fore perpetuel pees y shal preue þat y saide
and a-vowen bifore god & forsaken hit neuere
Caste hote coles on his heued of alle kynde speche
Fonde þorgh wit & with word his loue forto wynne
ȝif him eft & eft euere at his nede
Counforte him with þi catelle & with þi kynde speche
and ley on him þus with loue til he laughe on the
and bot yfT he bowe for þis betyng blind mot he worthen
and when he hadde ywordid þus · wiste no man after
where pers þe ploughman by-cam · so priueilich he wente
and resoun ran aftir & right with him ȝede
saue conscience & clergie · ycouthe / y couthe no mo aspie
Saue pacience properlich spak · þo pers was þus ypassed
þat loueth lelly quod he bot litel þing coueiteth
y wolde & y wille hadde · to wynnon al Fraunce
y take witnes quod he of holy writ apartie / a partie
CPacientes vincunt & cetera .
For bi him þat me made mighte neuere pouerte
Miseise ne myschef ne man wiþ his tonge
CTene þe eny tyme & þou take pacience
and bere hit in thi bosom aboute wher þou wendist
yn þe corner of a cart-whel with a crowe croune
shal neuere buyrne be abasht þat haþ þis abouton him
Ne neuere hete ne hail · ne helle pouk him greue
Noþer fuyr ne floed ne be aferd of enemy
CCaritas expellit omnem timorem
Ne þer is wight in þis world þat wolde þe lette
To haue alle londes at þi likyng · & þe her lord make
and maister of alle her mebles & of her money aftir
þe kyng & al þe comune & clergie to þe loute
As for her lord & her leder · & liue as þou techist
þis is a dido quod þis doctour a disoures tale
al þe wit of þis world & wighLX men strengthe
profitable for bothe parties & potte þe lord / [b]ord from him
And toek clergie & conscience to counsel as hit were
But conscience ytoek / y toek keep congeyed sone þis doctour
And sithe he saide to clergie · so þat y hit herde
By crist quod conscience clergie y wol not lie
Me were leuere by our lord and I · lyue sholde
haue paciense perfitly þen half þi pak of bokes
lettrure & long studie lettiþ ful manye
þat þei knoweth not quod conscience · what is kynde pacience
For-þi quod conscience crist y the biteche
with pacience wol y passe perfitnesse to fynde
and wenton forth on her way · with greet wille y folowed
þenne hadde pacience as pilgrimes han yn her poke vitailes
Soberte & simpel speche & sothfast byleue
To counforte him & conscience yf þei come yn place
þere vnkyndenesse & coueitise is · hungri contrees bothe
and as þei wente by þe way of dowel gan þei carpe
þey myghteT with a mynstral · as me þo þoughte
pacience apposed him & preide he sholde telle
what craft þat he couthe & corteislich he saide
ych am a mynstral quod þis man · my name is actiua vita
Pers prentis þe ploughman · alle peple to counforte
hast þow vsed or hauntid al þi lif-tyme
Mynstralcie can y not myche but make men mury
as a wafrer with wafres & welcome godes gestes
of þi labourT þei laughe þe lasse & þe more
þe pore & þe riche y plese · and payn fynde
and fewe robes y fonge or furred govnes
wolde y lie & do men laughe þennne lacchon y sholde
Outhir mantel or mone amonges lordes mynstrals
y can not tabre ne trompe · ne telle fair gestes
Farton ne fithelon at festes ne at harpeT
Iape ne iogole · ne gentillich pipe
Ne noþer sayle ne sauteron ne synge with þe geterne
y haue no gode giftes of þise grete lordes
Ne were hit þat parishT preyeth for me on sondayes
y am sory þat y sowe or sette but for my-selue
But þe prest & othir peple preyeth for pers þe ploughman
and for me actif his man þat ydelnes hatteT
Lordes & loreles lither & gode
From Mighel-mas to myghelmasse y fynde mete & drinke
y fynde payn for þe pope & preyen him ywolde / y wolde
þat pestilenses to pees & perfitloue / perfit loue turnon
CFor fond y þat his blessing · & his bulle myghte
lette þes lithere & leche þe sike
as þe boek bereth witnesse þat he bere myghte
yn his mouth mercy and amendon vs alle
and þenne wold y be busy & buxum to helpe
Cvch a kynne creature · þat on crist leueth
For sithe he hath þe power þat petur hadde
he hath þe pot with salue
Argentum & Aurum non est michi quod habeo & . cetera .
To haue þe grace of god & no gult of þe pope
for may no blessing doen vs bote but yf we wole amende
Ne mannes preyere make pees amonges cristen peple
Til pruyde be puyrlich fordo & þat þorgh payn defaut
Chabundancia panis & vini turpissimum peccatum aduenit
Plente of payn þe peple of sodom
and reste & riche metes · ribaudes hem made
Pees quod pacience y pray ȝou sir actif
For ner payn ne plough ne potage were
pruyde wolde putte him-self forth þough no plough ere
hit am y þat fynt alle folk & fram hungur saue
þorgh þe help of him þat me hidor sente
and saide lo here liflode ynow · yf oure bileue be trueC
For lent ner was þer lif but liflode wer shape
wherof or wherfore · & wherwith to lyuene
þe criket by kynde of þe fuyr · & corleu · by þe wynd
bestes by gras & by grayn & by grene rotes
yn menyng þat alle men myghte þe same
lyue þorgh leel byleue · as our lord witnessith
CQuodcumque pecieritis in nomine meo dabitur . enim . vobis . & alibi
Non · in solo pane viuit homo & cetera . T
hast þou quod actif ay such mete with þe
ȝe quod pacience & out of his poke hente
a pece of a pater noster & profred hit to vs alle
and lestnedT & lokid · what liflode hit were
and þenne was hit fiat voluntas tua þat shold fynde vs alle
haue actif quod pacience · & ete þis when þe hungreth
Or when þou clomsest for colde or clingest for eny drouþe
and shal neuere gyues þe greue ne gret lordes wrath
prisoun ne othir payne for pacientes vincunt
By so þat þou be sobre of sight & of tunge
yn etyng yn handling yn alle þi fyue wittes
dar þe not care for no corn ne for cloth ne for drinke
Ne deþ drede ne deuel deye as god liketh
wheþer þorgh hungur or hete at his wille be hit
CSi quis amat Christum mundum non diligit istum
þorgh his breth bestes wexe & a-broed ȝedon
Ergo þorgh his breth bestes lyueth · bothe men & fisshes
as witnessith holy writ when we seyn onT graces
CAperis tu manum tuam & imples omne animal benedictione
Chit is founde þat fourty wyntur folk lyuede & tilde not
and out of þe flint sprong þe floed þat folk & bestes dronke
and yn elyes tyme heuen was yclosed
þat no reyn no / n[e] roen þus rat men on bokes
þat many wyntur men lyuede & no mete ne tilede
seuen slepen as saith þe boek more þen sixty wyntur
lyuede with-oute liflode · & at þe laste awakid
and yf men lyuede as mesure wolde sholde neuere be defaut
amonges cristene creatures · yf cristes word be trewe
CDabo tibi secundum peticionem tuam
what is perfit pacience quod actiua vita
CMekenes & mylde speche · and men of oen wille
þe which wille loue lat to oure lordes place
and þat is charite champioun chef of alle vertues
and þat is pore pacient alle perelles to soffre
where pouerte & pacience plese more god almyghty
þen rightfullich richesse · & resounably to spene
ȝe quis est ille quod pacience quik laudabimus eum
þogh men rede of richesse right to þe worldes endeT
Cþen any pore pacient & þat preue y by resoun
hit ar but fewe folk of þis riche · þat ne falleþ in arrerage
þere pore dar plede & preue by puyr resoun
To haue allouaunce of his lord by puyr lawe he claymeth
Ioye þat neuere ioye hadde of rightful iuge he asketh
and saith lo briddes & bestes þat no blisse ne knoweth
and wilde wormes yn wodes þorgh wyntres þow hem greuest
and makestT wel ny meke & mylde for defaut
and blisse to alle þat been · boþe to wilde & to mekeT
þat al her lyf han lyued yn langour & defaut
Bot god sente hem sumtyme summanere / sum manere ioye
Othir here or elles-where · elles hit wer ruthe
For to wroþer-hele was he wrought · þat neuere wasioye / was ioye yshape
angels þat in helle now ben haddon sumtyme ioye
and diues in his deyntees lyuede & in douce vie
and now he bieth hit bitture · he is a beggere of helle
and lordes & ladies ben cald · for ledes þat þei haue
and slepeth as hit semeth · & somer euere hem foloweth
But when deth awakeþ hem of her wele þat wern er so rich
þenne arn hit puyre pore thinges · yn purgatory or in helle
dauith in þe sauter of such maketh mynde
and saith dormierunt & nichil inuenerunt & cetera Et alibiT
TVelud sompnum surgencium . in . & . cetera .
Covetyse ouercometh
all sectes .
all sectes .
Lewd Curates ·
Conscyence &
Clergie .
Clergie .
pacyence .
Reason .
Scripture .
nota
of the glotonos
freare ·
freare ·
nota
Lessons how to
Doo Well . /
Doo Well . /
true Love lytle
Coveteth . / .
Coveteth . / .
pacyence . /
nota
ayenst the pope
men lyved 40 . yere
& tylled not þe erth
& tylled not þe erth
men slept . 60 . yere .
without meate . /
without meate . /
Mekenesse and
Milde speche
Milde speche
patyent pouertye better þen Riches .
nota
Death is more
dredefull to the
riche , then to
the pore . /
dredefull to the
riche , then to
the pore . /
fortune at
most nede , &
bewtye in age
fayleth . /
most nede , &
bewtye in age
fayleth . /
freares followe
after the riche
& regarde not
the pore .
after the riche
& regarde not
the pore .
Conscyence causeth
Scripture to give
bread to pacyence
Scripture to give
bread to pacyence
the freare is
apposed what
is . Doo Well . /
apposed what
is . Doo Well . /
Pers ploughman
all kynde connynges
& craftes inpugneth .
except such as be
of Love Loyaltie
& humylitye . /
all kynde connynges
& craftes inpugneth .
except such as be
of Love Loyaltie
& humylitye . /
of the pope .
perfyt pacyence
fyndeth perfytnesse
fyndeth perfytnesse
pers ploughmans
man a waferer
man a waferer
No life but
hath lyfelode .
hath lyfelode .
Many haue ther
Ioye in þis . life . /
Ioye in þis . life . /