Hic incipit uisio Willelmi de Petro Plouhman
Y shop me in-to schrobbus / as y a schephurde were
apparell
In abit as an Eremite / vn-holy of werkes
Y went forth in þe wordle / wondres to here
sawe
And saih meny selles / and selcouthe þinges
but
Ac on a may morwenyng / on maluerne hulles
Me by-fulle fort to slepe / for werynesse of wandring
And in a launde as y lay / lened y and slepte
And merueylously me mette / as y may ȝow telle
Al þe welþe of þis worlde / and þe wo boþe .
Walkynge as hit were / wyterly y sauh hit
Of truthe and of trecherie / treson and gyle
Al y sauh slepinge {}/ as y shal ȝow telle
¶Estwarde y byheold / aftur þe sonne
And sauh a tour as y trowede / truthe was þere-ynne
¶ Westward y waytede in a wyle aftur
And sauh a dep dale / deth as y leoue
Wonede in tho wones / and wyckede spirites
¶ A Fayr felde ful of folk / fond y þer by-twene
Al manere of men / þe mene and þe ryche
Worchynge and wandryng / as þe worlde askeþ
¶ Somme putten hem to þe plouh / and pleyden ful selde
In settyng and in sowyng / swonkon ful harde
And wonnon that þeos wastourrs / wyth gloteny destruen
¶ Somme putten hem to pruyde and paraileden hem þer-aftur
In contenaunce of cloþyng / in meny kynne gyse .
¶ In preyeres and penaunces / putten hem menye
Al for þe loue of oure lorde / lyueden ful harde
In hope to haue good ende / and heueneryche blisse
As ancres and heremites / þat holduþ hem in here selles
Coueyton nat in contreies / to carien a-boute
For no licorouse liflode / here licame to plese
¶ And som chosen cheffare / þei cheuesede þe betere
As hit semeþ to oure sitht / þat suche men þryueþ
¶ And somme murthes to make / as ministrales conneþ
Þat wollen neyþer swynke ne swete / but swere gret oþes
And fynden vp foule feyntises / and foles hem maken .
And hauen wit at wille / to worche if thei wolde
Þat paul . precheþ of hem / preouen hit y myhte
Qui turpiloquium loquitur / is lucifers knaue
¶ Bydderes and beggeres / fast a-boute ȝeoden .
Tyl here bagge and here bely / was bretful y-crammed
Faytynge for here fode / and fouhton atten ale
¶ In gloteny tho gomes / goþ þei to bedde
And ryseþ with ribaudrie / tho Roberdes knaues
Slep and synful sleuthe / suweþ suche euere
To seche seint Iame / and seyntes of Rome
Wenten forth in heore way / with meny vnwyse tale
And hauen leue to lie / al here lyf-tyme
¶ Eremytes on an hepe / with hokede staues
Wenton to walsyngham / and heore wenches aftur
Gret lobies and longe / and loþ were to swynke
Cloþede hem in copes / to be knowe fram othere
Prechyng þe people / for profit of þe wombe
And glossyng þe gospel / as hem good likede
For coueytise of copes / contrariede some doctours .
¶ Menye of thes maistres / of mendinauns Freres
Here money and Marchaundyse / marchen to-gederes
Ac sythe charite haþ beo chapmon / and chief to schryue lordesC
Meny ferlys han fallen / in a fewe ȝeres
¶ But holycherche and charite / choppe a-doun suche schryueres
Þe most meschief on molde / monteþ vp fast .
Ther prechede a pardoner / as he a prest were
And brouht forthe a bulle / with bischopes seles
He seyde þat him-self myht / assoillen hem alle
Of falsnesse of fastinges of vowes to-broke
¶ Lewede men leuede him wel / and likedon his wordes
Comen and kneleden / to cusson his bulles
He blessede hem with his bulles / and blered here eye
And rauhte with hys rageman / ringes and broches
¶ Thus ȝe ȝeuen ȝoure gold / glotones to helpe
And leneþ hit to lorelles / þat lecherie haunten
¶ Were þe bischop blessed / or worþ boþe his eren
His seal scholde nat be sent / in deseit of þe people .C
Þe parschepreost / parsche preost and þe pardoner / parton þe seluer
Þat poure people in parsches / scholde haue if thei ne were
¶ Persones and parscheprestes / parsche prestes / pleyned to þe byschop .
Þat here par{c}sches beon poure / sith þe pestilens tyme .
And synge þer for symonie / whil seluer is swete
¶ Byschopes and bachilers / bothe maisters and doctours
Þat han cure vnder crist / and crownynge in tokene
Beon charget with holy cherche / charite to tulye
That is lel loue and lif / among lered and lewed
They leyen in london / in lenton and elles
¶ Some seruen þe kyng / and his seluer tellenC
In the chekere and chauncellerie / chalangynge his dettes
Of wardes and wardemotes / wayues and strayues
¶ Some aren as senechalles / and seruen other lordes
And beon in stede of stiwardes / and sitton and demon
¶ Concience cam and acusede hem / and þe comune herde hit
And seyde ydolatrie ȝe soffren / in sondry places menye
And boxes beon set forth / bounden with yre
To vndurtake {þe} þe tol / of vn-trewe sacrifice
In menynge of miracles / muche wex hongeþ there
Al the world wot wel / hit myȝth nauȝt be trewe .C
¶ Ac for hit profiteþ ȝow to porceward / ȝe prelates soffren
Þat lewde men in mysbyleue / lyuen an dyen
Y leue wel by oure lord / for loue of ȝoure couetyse
Þat al þe world beo þe wors / as holy writ telleþ .
¶ Wat cheste and meschaunce / to children of Israel
Ful on hem þat freo were / thorgh two false preostes
For þe synne of Ophin and fynees his brothur
They were desconfit in bataille / and loston archa dei .
¶ And for here sire sauh hem synegen / and soffred hem don ylle
And not chastede hem þer-of / and nolde nouȝt rebuke hem
As non as hit was tolde hym / þat þe children of Israel
Weren y-disconfit in bataille and archa dei . y-loren
And his sonnes sleyen / a-non he felle for sorowe
Fro his chayere ther he sat / and brac his nekke a-tweyne .
And alle was for veniaunce / þat he beot nat his children .
And for they weren prestes / and men of holycherche .
God was welle þe wrother / and tok þe raþer veniaunce
For-þi y seye ȝe preostes / and men of holi chercheC
Þat soffren men do sacrifice / and worschupon Mawmetes
And ȝe scholde beo here faderes / and teche hem betre
God schal take veniaunce / on alle suche prestes
Welle hardere and grettere / on suche schrewede faderes
Þan euere he dude on Ophin and Fynees or on here fader
For ȝoure schrewede soffraunce / and ȝoure owene synne
¶ Ȝoure masse and ȝoure matyns / and mony of ȝoure houres
Aren don vndeuouteliche / drede is at þe laste .
Lest crist in his constorie / of ȝowe acorse monye .
Y parceyuede of þe power / þat Petur hadde to kepe
To bynde and to vnbynde / as þe bok telleþ
How he hit left with loue / as oure lord wolde
AMonges foure vertues / most vertuous of vertues
Þat cardinales beon y-cald / and closynge ȝates
Ther crist is in kynedam / to close with heuene .
¶ Ac of the cardinales at cort / þat cauht han suche a name
And power presumen in hem-self / a pope to make .
To haue þe power þat Petur . hadde Iugunen y nelle .
For in loue and letture / liþ þe gret eleccioun .
Conturplede hit nauȝt quaþ Conciense for holychurches sake .
¶ Þen cam ther a kynge / knyhthod him ladde .
Þe muche myhte of þo men / made him to regne
Casten þat þe commune / scholde here communes fynde
¶ Kyndewit and þe comune / contreouede alle craftus
And for most profitable to þe people / a plouh thei gon make /
With lel labour to liue / wil lyf and lond lasteþ
¶ Þenne kyndewit to þe kyng / and to þe comune seyde .
Crist kepe þe kynge / and þi kynde riche
And lene the lede so thy lond / þat leaute the louye
And for thi riȝthfol ruelyng / be rewarded in heuene
¶ Conciense to clerigie / and to the kyng seyde
{Cum}sum rex sum princeps / {neutrum}neuter fortasse deinceps
O qui iura regis / christi specialia regis
Hoc vt agas melius / iustus et esto pius .
Nudum ius a te / vestiri wlt pietate
Qualia vis mittereC / talia grana sere
Si seritur pietas / de pietate metas .
Wer houed an hondred / in houes of selk
Sergauns hit semeden / þat seruen atte barre
To plede for penyes / and pondes þe lawe .
And nouȝt for oure lordesloue / lordes loue / vnlose here lyp ones
Thow myhtest bet mete þe myst / on Maluerne hulles
Þan gete a Mom of here mouth / til money be schewed .
¶ Þenne ranne ther a rowte of ratones as hit were
And smale Muys with hem / mo then a þousand
Comen to a consel / for here comune profit .
For a cat of a corte / cam wen hym lyket
And ouurhepped hem liȝthlyche / and lauht hem at wille
And pleyde with som perylosly / and put hem þer him lyked .
And if we grucche of his game / he wol greue vs sarrur /
To his cleos clawon vs / an in his cloches holde
Þat vs loþeþ þe lyf /er he lete vs passe .
Mihte we wiþ eny wit / his wil to wiþsitte
We myhte be lordes of loft / and lyue as vs lusten
¶ Tho sayde a ratoun of renoun / most resonable of tonge
Y haue seye gret syres / in citees and in tones /
Bere byes of briȝt golde / al aboute here nekkes
And coleres of crafty werkes / bothe knyhtes and squiers
Were ther a belle on here byȝe / by ihesus me þenkeþ
Men myȝth wite were thei went / and here way rowme .
¶ Ryht so quod þe raton / reson me þenkeþ
A belle to buggen of braas / or of bryth seluer
And knutte hit on a coler / for oure comune profit
And hange a-bowte þe cattes nekke / þan here we mowe .T
And a-pere in his presence / wil him pleye likuþ
And ȝif he wrathe we mowe be war / and his wey rowme .
¶ Al the rowte of ratones / to this reson assented
Ac tho þe belle was bouȝt / and on the byȝe hanged
Ther nas no ratoun in al the rowte / for al þe Reome of fraunce
Þat durst haue bounde þe belle / a-bowte þe cattes nekke
Ne haue hit hanged a-bowte his nekke / al Engulond to wynne
And leton here labour lost / and alle here longe trauail
¶ A Mows þat muche god cowþe / as me þo þouhte .
Strok forth sturnely / and stod by-for hem alle
And to the rowte of ratones / rehersede theos wordes
Tha{tc}uh we hadde culled þe cat / ȝut scholde þer come a-noþer
To cracchen ous and al oure kynde / þaw we crope vndur benches /
¶ For-þi y consaille for comune profit / let þe cat worche
And neuere beo we so bold / þe belle him to schewe
For y herde my sire sayn / seuene ȝeer passed
Ther the cat is bout a kyton / þe cort is ful elynge .
Witnesse atte holywrit / ho-so can rede Ve terre ubi puer est Rex
¶ Y sey hit for me quath þe mous / y see so muchel aftur
Schal neuere þe cat ne no kytton / by my consail beo greued .
Ne carpen of here colours / þat costed me neuere
And þauh hit costned me catel / by-knowen y ne wolde
Bot suffre and sugge nauȝt / and so is þe best .
Til meschief amenden hem / þat mony mon chasteþ .
¶ For mony mannes malt / we muys wold destruye .
And ȝe rowte of ratones / of rest men a-wake
Ne were þe cat of þe cort / and ȝonge kytones toward .
For hadde ȝe ratones ȝoure red / ȝe cowþe nat rewle ȝow-selue
¶ Wat this Meteles by-menuþ / ȝe men þat beoþ murie
Dyuine ȝe for y nedar / ne dar / by deore god almyȝthy .
¶ Ȝut mette me more / of mene and of riche /
As barouns and borgeys / and bonde-men of thorpes
Al y sauh sclepyng / as ȝe schul here aftur
Bothe bakers and brewers / bocheres and othere
Webbesters and walkeres / and wynners with handez
As taillours & tanners / and tyliare{r}s the erthe .
As dikeres and deluers / þat don her dedes ylle
And dryueþ forthe here dayes / wiþ dieux saue dame Emme .
¶ Kokus and here knaues criden / hote pyes hote .
Good gos and grys / gow dyne goweT
¶ Tauerners a tast for nouȝt / tolden þe same .
Whit wyn of Oseye / and of Gascoyne
Of the Ruelle and rochel wyn / þe rost to defye .
Al this y souh sclepyng / and seuene sithes more .
Explicit primus passus
comune custum to the writer hereof, to vse .u. in places where we vse .i. or .eC
as somur for somer. shephurd for shepherd. and to vse .w. for .wh. as wan
wuch, wat,
for whan, which
what.
as somur for somer. shephurd for shepherd. and to vse .w. for .wh. as wan
wuch, wat,
for whan, which
what.
I gan me or I
crept in amoong
busshes.
crept in amoong
busshes.
selcouth or vn...
quasi. seldom known
or vnknowen strange
quasi. seldom known
or vnknowen strange
befell, chancedC
witterly, quasi w...
intent of wit.
intent of wit.
gyle or deceit
mich...?...P
heuenly
lycam - pleasure, delight or appetyte
ad ephesios V. capitulo
crauers .
fayting. counterfayting. lying
those fellows.
ferlyes als farlyes
straunge things
straunge things
lewd men, vnlerned men.
communaltie hard it
what chastisement & mischef
free.
lore, loste
I will not iudge
I will notC
kynde wit, naturall wit.
contriued, made.
it sholde be kingrich. that is kingdoom or
kyngly estate
kyngly estate
clothed, in garmentes clothes. CredoLX
to Catch, to reach.
withsit, withstand.
runne credo
biggen. bye.
to rome. is to wander. and here
to get out of his wey.
to get out of his wey.
feble, weke.
ecclesiastes x.
will not (credo)
for
I drempt
aduisedly i sawe
while
beleue
dwelt
common sort
woorking
went to lawe
seldom tymes
labored
wan. got.
Pryde
did apparell.
maner faire
did lyue
P...?...
RussiaP
RussiaP
kepe them
their
their
merchaundise
thryued . ill i cheue ill thrift .
.h. many tymes for gh. as siht miht for sight might & cetera
myrthes
can
fantasyes
wurke
went
meat
followeth.
gat
theyr
theyr
lurdeyns
begging
go foorth
cast doun
groweth vp
beleued
lyked
kysse
gat
rolles
lend
eares.
fellow.
parish prest.
lyue
of art.
shaven croun.
lawfull
lye. logde.
oother tymes
chaunncerye
be iudges
be
iren
can
not
but because
toward your purce
lyue & dye
I can well beleue
primo Regum iiij capitulo
theyr syre
synne. offend.
woold not
anon
chastised, bet.
consistorie
but
got
lawfull
while
lende. graunt,
right may loove the.
thei semed
better
hilles.
a mum a woorde
rattes
mese
when he lyke
ouerlept
lightly
caught
sorer. wurse.
clawes
&
we ar wery of
a-loft.
coller. bande
bright
he be angry
may
a string a line a bandeC
ne was
good wolde
stept
stoutly.
though
kylled
yet
vs
though
but
I will not talke
coste
say
your will. desyre.
coolde.
your
dremes
meanith
myrry
dere
yet dremt I
fullers
tyllers
Cookes
fat
digest.
sawe
tymes