Passus nonus vt prius
To taken his teme and tulyen þe erthe
and purchased him apardown / a pardown apena / a pena & a culpa
For him & for his heyres for euere to ben assoiled
and bad him haldon him at home & herien his leyes
and alle þat holpon him to erie to sette or to sowe
Or any manere mester þat myght pers auaile
Pardoun with pers þe ploughman perpetuel he grauntith
and rightfullich yn reumes rulon þe comune
han pardoun þorgh purgatory · to passen fullightly / ful lightly
with patriarkes & prophetes yn paradys to sitte
Bisshopes yblessid if þey ben as þey sholde
lele & ful of loue & no lord drede
Merciable to meke & mylde to þe gode
and bitynge yn badde men · but yf þei woln amende
drede not for no deth · to destruye by her powerC
leccherie amonges lordes & her lithir custumes
and such lyfT as þei lereth men our lord truthe hem grauntiþ
To be peres to þe apostles · al peple to rule
and deme wit hem at domes-day · bothe quike & dede
Marchauntes yn þe margine · hadde many ȝeres
But no pena & a culpa no truthe wolde hem graunte
For þei holdon not her haliday · as holichurche hem hotith
¶ and for þei swere by here soule & god mote hem helpe
aȝen clene conscience for coueitise of wynnyng
andT vnder his secret seel truthe sende him a lettre
þat bad him bugge boldly what hem best liked
and sithen selle hit aȝen · & saue þe wynninges
amende mesondewes þerwith · & myseise men fynde
and wicked wayes with her goed amende
and brugges to-brokon by the hi-wayes
amende yn som manere wise & maydones helpe
Pore peple bedredon prisoneres in stockes
Fynde hem for godes loue & fauntkynes to scole
Releue religioun & rente hem betture
and y shal sende ȝou my-selue seint Michel myn aungel
þat no deuel shal ȝou dere · ne despeire in ȝour dying
and sithe sende ȝour soules · þere y my-self dwelle
and abide þere in my blisse body & soule for euere
þo were marchauntes murie · many wopon for ioye
and preyde for pers þe ploughman · þat purchased hem þis bille
al þe pepel hadde pardoun ynow · þat perfitlich lyuede
¶ Men of lawe hadden leest · þat loth wern to plede
But þei pre manibus wern paid for pleding at þe barre
andT he þat spendith his speche & spekith for þe pore
þat innocent & nedy ys & no man harm wolde
þat counfortith such in any caes & coueitith not her ȝiftes
and for þe loue of oure lord · lawe for hem declareth
shal haue grace of a goed ende & gret ioye after
Beth ywar ȝe wise men · & witty of lawe
For when ȝe drawe to þe deth · & indulgenses wolde haue
his pardoun is ful petit · at his partyng hennes
þat mede of mene men · for her motyng taken
For hit is symonie to sellon · that sent is of grace
and þat is wit & watur · and wynd & fuyr þe ferthe
þise foure sholdon be fre to alle folk þat hit nedede
alle libbyng laboreres · þat lyuen with her handes
leellich & laufullich our lord truthe hem grauntith
pardoun perpetuel right as pers þe ploughman
¶ Beggeres & bidders beth not yn that bille
But þe suggestioun be soeth þat shapeth him to begge
For he þat beggith or biddith · but yf þei haue nede
he ys fals & faytour & defraudeth þe nedy
and also gileth hem þat gyueth · & takey / take[þ] agayn his wille
For he þat gyueþ for godes loue · wolde not gyue his þonkes
But þere he wiste were · wel greet nede
and moest merytorie to men · þat he gyueth fore
Catoun acordeth þerwithC Cui des videto
Woet no man as y wene · who ys worthi to haue
and nymeT goed hede · as prisones yn puttes
and pore folk yn cotes charged with childron
and chef lordes rente þat þey with spinnyng may spare
spendon hit on hous huyre bothe yn mylk & yn meleC
To make with papelotes · to aglotie wiþ her gurles
þat gredon after fode
and hem-selue also soffren myche hungur
and wo yn wyntur-tymes & wakyng on nyghtes
To rise to reelT to rocke þe cradel
Bothe to carde & to kembe · to cloute & to wash
To rybbeC to rele and russhes to pilye
þat ruthe is to rede · or yn rim shewe
þe wo of þise wymmen þat wonyeth yn cotes
and of many othir men þat myche wo soffren
Bothe a-fyngred & a-first to turne þe faire outward
and ben a-basht forto begge & wol not be a-knowe
what him nedede at her neyghbores · at noen & at euen
þis I woet wyturly as þe world techeth
what othir byhoueth þat hath many childron
and hath no catel but his craft to clothe him & to fede
Cand fele to fonge þerto · and fewe pens taketh
¶ þere ys payn & peny ale & for a pitaunce ytake
and cold flesh & fish · as venysoun wer bake
Fridaies & fastingdaies a ferthingworth of muskles
wer a feste with such folk · or so fele Cokkles
þise are almes to helpe · þat han such charges
and to counforte such coterels · and croked men & blynde
But þei be blynde or to-broke · or elles be sike
þough he falle for defaut · þat faiteth for his liflode
recche neuere ȝe riche · þough such loreles sterue
For alle þat han here hele · and her ye syght
and lymes to laboure with · and lolleres lif vsen
lyuen aȝen godes lawe · & þe lore of holichurche
and ȝut arn þe othir beggeres yn hele as hit semeth
andT hem wantith wit men & wymmen bothe
Cþe which arn lunatik lolleres & leperes aboute
and madden as þe mone sit more othir lasse
Careth þei for no colde ne counteth of noen hete
and arn mevyng aftir þe mone · many ilesT þei walke
with a goed wille wittyles many wyde cuntrees
Right as petur did & poul · saue þat þei preche not
Ne none myracles maken · &T many times he happeth
and to oure sight as hit semeth · sith god haþ þe myght
To ȝiue vch a wight wit welthe & his hele
and soffreth such go so · hit semeth to myn ynwit
hit arn as his apostles such peple or as his priuey disciples
For he sent hem forth suluerles · yn a somur garnement
with-oute bagge & breed · as þe boek telleth
CQuando misi vous / vos sine pane & pera & cetera .
Barfoet & bredles beggeth þei of no man
and þough he mete with þe mayr amiddes þe strete
CNemini salutauerit per viam
such manere men mathu vs techith
we sholde haue hem to house · & help hem when þei come
For hit arn mury mouthid men mynstrals of heuen
and gode boyes bordioures as þe boek telleth
CSiquis videtur sapiens fiet stultus vt sit sapiens
and alle manere mynstrals me woet wel þe sothe
To vnderfongon hem faire bifalleth for þe riche
For þe lordes loue or þe ladies þat þei with longon
Men soffreth al þat such sayn · & yn solas takethC
and ȝut more to such men · me doþ ar þei passe
Me giuethT giftes & gold · for grete lordes sake
Right so ȝe riche ȝut rathir ȝe sholde
welcome & worshepon & with ȝour goed helpon
godes mynstrals & his messangeres · & his mury bordioures
þe whiche arn lunatik lorels · & leperes abouteC
For vnder godes secret seel · her synnes ben keuered
For þei bere none bagges ne none botels vnder clokes
þe which is lollerne lyf & lewed heremytes
þat loken louliche · to lacchon menne almes
yn hope to sitte at euen by þe hote coles
vnloke hise legges abrod · or ligge at his ese
Reste him & roste him & his rug turne
Drinke druye & depe · and drawe him thenne to bedde
and when him likeþ & lust · his leue ys to arise
and when he is risen rometh out · & right wel aspieþ
where he may rathist haue a repast · or aronde / a ronde of bacoun
suluer or goed mete & sumtyme bothe
loef othir half loef · othir a lompe of chese
karieth hit hoem to his cote & cast him to lyuene
In ydelnesse & ese · & by oþeres trauayle
and freekT on this folde fissheth aboute
with a bagge at his bak ynT beggeres wise
and can any craft in caes he wolde hit vse
þorgh which craft he couthe come · to bred & to ale
and ouermore to an hatur to hele with his bones
and lyueT lik a lollere godes lawe him dampneth
Beth not yn þis bulle quod pers til þei ben amendid
Ne no beggere þat beggith but yf þei haue nede
þe boek banneth beggerie · & blameþ hit in his manere
CIunior fui & enim senui & alibi infirmata est virtus mea paupertate
hit nedith noutheT anoen forto preche
Cand lere þis lewed men what þis latyn meneth
For þei lyue in none loue ne no lawe holdon
Ne weddith none wymmen þat þei with deleth
Bringen forth bastardes beggeres of kynde
Or þe bak or sum bon þey breke of here childron
and goen & faite with here fauntes · foreuermore aftur
þere arn mo myshappes · amonges such beggeres
þen of many oþer men þat on þis molde walkon
and þo þat ledeth þus here lif · leue ȝe noen othir
Ȝe haue no pardoun · of preyeres ne of penaunce
and wymmen with childe þat worche ne mowe
Blinde & bedredon & broken yn her membres
and alle pore pacient · apaid of godes sondeC
as mysels & mendynantz · men y-falle yn myschef
as prisounes and pilgrimes · and perauntur men yrobbed
or þorgh fuyr or þorgh floed · yfalle yn to pouerte
þat taken þise myscheues mekelich · & myldely at herte
for loue of her lowe hertes · our lord haþ hem ygrauntid
her penaunce & her purgatorie · vpon þis puyr erthe
and pardoun with þe ploughman · a pena & a culpa
and borowenT among brewsteres & beggen yn churches
al þat holi hermytes · hatid & dispised
as richesses and reuerences · & rich menne almes
þise lolleres lach-draweres lewed heremytes
Coueyton þe contrarie · for as cotereles they libbeth
For hit ben but boyes bolleres at þe ale
Nouthir of lynage ne of lettrure · ne lif-holi as heremytes
þat woned whilom yn wodes · with beres & wiþ lyounesC
summe hadde liflode of his lynage & of no lif elles
and somme lyued by her lettrure · & labour of her handes
and somme hadde foreyns to frendes þat hem fode sente
and breddes broughte somme breed · þat þei by lyuide
alle þeT holy heremytes wern of hie kynne
Forsoken lond & lordshipe & alle lykynges of body
and þes heremytes þat edifien þus by þe hie-waye
while þeiT werk men · webbes & tailloures
and Carteres knaues & clerkes with-oute grace
heldon ful hungri hous and hadden mych defaut
long labour · & litel wynnyng · & at þe laste þei aspiede
þat faitid yn frere clothing · haddon fatte chekes
and clothid hem yn copes · clerkes as hit were
Or oen of sum ordre or elles a prophete
Caȝen þe lawe he lyueth · yf latyn be trewe
Non licet nobis legem voluntati set voluntatem coniungere legi
kyndelich by crist ben such cald lollers
as by þe english of our eldres · of olde mennes teching
he þat lolleth ys lame · or his leg out of ioynte
Or ymaymed yn summembre / sum membre · for to myschef hit souneth
Right so sothly such manere heremites
Lollen aȝen þe byleue · & þe lawe of holichurch
For holichurch hoteth al manere peple
vnder obedience to be and buxum to þe lawe
Furst religious of religioun · a rule to holde
and vnder obedience to be · by dayes & by nyghtes
lewed men to labory lordes to hunte
yn frithes & in forestes · for fox & for othir bestes
þat yn wilde wodes ben · or in wast places
as wolues þat worieth men · wymmen & childron
and vpon sonedaies to cese · godes ceruiseLX to here
Boþe matynes & masse · and aftir mete yn chirches
To heron here euesong · euery man oughte
þus hit bilongeth for lord · for lered & for lewed
vch halyday to here holly þe seruice
vigiles & fastyngdayes · forthermore to knowe
and fulfille þo fastinges · but infirmite hit made
Pouerte or othir penaunces as pilgrimages & trauailes
vnder þis obedience · arn we vchone
and who-so breketh þis be wel war · Bot yf he repente
amenden hem & mercy aske · & mekelich him shriue
Ydrede / Y drede me & he dye · hit worth for deedly synne
acountid bifore crist · bot conscience excuse him
Loke now where þis lolleres · & lewed heremytes
yf þei breke þis obedience · þat beth so fer fram churche
where se we hem on sonedayes · þe seruise to hereC
as matynes by the morowe · til masse byginne
Or sonendaies ate euensong · se we ful fewe
Or labory for here liflode · as þe lawe wolde
¶ But aboute mydday at Meltyme · y mette with hem ofte
Come in his cope · as he a Clerk were
a bacheler or a beuper best him bysemed
and for þe cloth þat keuereth him · ykald he is a frere
washeth & wipeth · & with þe firste sitteth
he sat at þe sid bench · & at þe secund table
Cam no wyn yn his wombe · þorgh þe wouk longe
Ne no blanket on his bed · ne whit bred bifore him
þat soffreth such sottes & oþer synneT regne
Sertes who-so durste segge hit Simon quasi dormit
CVigilare wer fairere for þow hast a gret charge
For many waker wolues arn wroken into þi foldes
þi berkeres ben as blynde · þat bringeþ forth þin lambres
dispergentur oues þe dogge dar not berke
þe tar ys vntidy · þat to þe sheep bilongeth
here salue ys of supersedeas yn sompnoures boxes
þine sheep ben neer al shabbed · þe wolf shith wolle
Sub molli pastore · & cetera .
how herde wher is thin hound · and þin hardy herte
Forto go werie þe wolf · þat þe wolle fouleth
y leue for thin lachesse · þow lesest many wetheres
and many a fair fles · yfalslich ywashT
whan þi lord lokeþ to haue alouaunce of his bestes
and of þe money þow haddest þerewith his mebles to saue
and þe wolle worth weye wo ys þe thenne
CRedde racionem villicationis · or yn arrerage falle
þin huyre herde as y hope hath not to quyte þeT þi dette
Loke now for thin lachesse · what lawe wol þe graunte
purgatorie for thi pay or perpetuel helle
For shal no pardoun preye for ȝou þere ne no prences lettres
Pers quod a prest þo · þin pardoun moste yrede / y rede
and pers at his preier þe pardoun vnfoldith
and y bihinde hem bothe by-heeld al þe bulle
and was ywrite right þus yn witnesse of truthe
CEt qui bona egerunt ibunt in vitam eternam
Qui vero mala in ignem eternum
Petur quod þe prest þo y kan no pardoun fynde
But do wel & haue wel · & god shal haue þi soule
and do euele & haue euele · & hope þow noen othir
andT he þat euele liueth euel shal ende
and y þorgh her wordes awoek · & waitid aboute
and say þe sonne in þe south · sitton þat tyme
Meteles & moneyles · on maluerne hulles
Musinge on this metels · a myle way ich ȝede
Many tyme þis metels haþ maked me to studie
of þat y say sleping · yf hit so be myghte
and of pers þe ploughman ful pensif in herte
and which apardoun / a pardoun pers hadde þe pepel to glade
and how þe prest inpigned hit · þorgh two proper wordes
and men settith not by soungwarie · for me seeþ hit faile
Catoun countith hit at nought · and Canonistres at lasse
But for þe boek bible bereþ witnesse
how danyel diuynede & vndide · þe dremels of kynges
Of nabugodhonosor · þat no pere hadde
and sithon aftir hise sones · and saide hem what þei þoughte
and Iosep mette merueylously how þe mone & þe sonne
and alle þeT elleuen sterres hailsede · him alle
and þenne iacob iuged · iosepes swene
Beau fitz quod þe fader · for defaut we shalle
y my-selue & my sones · seche þe for nede
hit biful as his fader saide · yn faraoes tyme
þat Iosep was Iustice Egipt to saue
Elleuen breþeren him for nede soughte
and his fader ysaakT & also his dame
al this maketh me on metels to studie
and how þe prest preued no pardown to dowel
and demed þat dowel indulgenses passid
Byonals & trionals · and Bishopes lettres
For who-so doth wel here · at þe day of doem
worth faire vnderfonge bifore god þat tyme
So dowel passeth pardoun · & pilgrimages to Rome
ȝut hath þe pope power · pardoun to graunte
to peple with-outon penaunce to passe in-to ioye
as lettured men vs lereth · & lawe of holy churche
¶ Quodcumque ligaueris super terram erit ligatum & in celis
and so y leue lelly · lord forbede elles
þat pardoun & penaunces · & preyers don saue
Soule þat han synned · seuen sithes deedly
But to triste vppe þis trionals · truly me þinketh
hit is not so syker for þe soule · certes as ys dowelC
For-thi yrede / y rede ȝou renkes · þat riche ben on this erthe
vp trist of ȝour tresour · trionals to haue
Be ȝe neuere þe balder to breke þe ten hestes
and namelich ȝe maistres · maires & iuges
þat han þe welthe of þis world · & wise men ben holde
To purchace ȝou pardoun & þe popes bulles
at þe dredful doem when dede sholon arise
And comen alle by-fore crist acountes to ȝelde
how we ladde our lif here · & his lawes kepte
and how we dide day by day · þe doem wol reherce
þough we be foundon yn þe fraternite of alle fyue ordres
and haue indulgenses doublefold · but dowel vs helpe
ysette / y sette not by pardoun a pese · ne not a pie hele
For-þi ycounsele / y counsele alle cristene to crie god mercy
and marie his modir be oure mene to him
þat god gyue vs grace here · ar we go hennes
such workes to worche þe while we ben here
þat aftir our deth day dowel reherce
at þe day of doem we dide as he taughte amen
Explicit visio willelmi . W . de Petro le ploughman
Et hic incipit visio eiusdem de dowel
nota
nota
nota
Merchuntes .
Lawyers .
nota
the true nedye
madmen &
Lunatyk .
beggers .
Lunatyk .
beggers .
the false nedye
nota
nota
lollers hermyttes
notaC
nota
A hirelingeC
no pardon helpeth .
but doo well &
haue well
haue well
nota
nota
pardons nor
Indulgences
will helpe .
Indulgences
will helpe .
butt not proud
pralaitts
pralaitts
lordes lecherie
abollyshede
abollyshede
A cauiat to laweyersC
Beggers . /
the true
nedye . /
nedye . /
hucC
Lewde mynstrels
—godes mynstralles
The true nedye . /
Lewde
hermyttes beggers
hermyttes beggers
holy hermyttes
Lollers and
lewde hermyttes
lewde hermyttes
bisshopes the
cause of ignorant
pastors at this
day ·
cause of ignorant
pastors at this
day ·
Skabbed hirelings
Skabbed SheepeC
Skabbed SheepeC
vnder A durtie Dauber
thes kinde of men sometimes prouisie the truthe