Incipit primus passus de . dobestC
THus y a-wakede & wrot / what y hadde dremed
And dyhte me derly / and dude me to kerke
To huyre holy þe masse / and beo housled aftur
In myddes of þe masse þo / menne ȝeoden to offrynge
I feol eft sones a-sclepe / and sodenly me mette
Þat peres þe plouhman was peynted al blody
And cam in wiþ a crois / by-fore þe comune people
And riht like in al lymes / to oure lord ihesu
¶ And þenne cald y concience / to kenne me þe soþe
Is þis ihesus þe ioustour quod y / þat Iuwes duden to deþe
Or is hit peres plouhman / ho peynted hym so rede
¶ Quaþ Concience and knelede þo / this aren cristes armes
His colours and his cote armure / and he þat comeþ so blody
Hit is crist wiþ his croise / conquerour of cristine
¶ Why cal hym crist / syþen Iuwes cald hym ihesus
patriarches and prophetes profecied by-fore
Þat al kynne creators / scholden knelen and bowen
An non as men nempned / þe name of god ihesu
ergo is no name / to þe name ihesus
And non so neodfol touC nempne / by nyht ne by day .
¶ For al deorke deueles / dreden hit to here
And synful beon solaced / and saued by þat name
¶ And ȝeo callen hym criste / for what cause telleþ me
Is crist more of myhte / and more worþiour name
Þan ihesu or Ihesus / þat al oure ioye cam of .
¶ Þou knowest wel quod Concience / and þow conne resoun
Þat knyht kyng conquerour / may beo o persone
To beo called a knyht is fair / for men schal to him knele
To beo called a kyng is fairor / for he may knyhtes make
And to beo called conquerour / þat comeþ of special grace
Of hardynesse of herte / and of hendenesse
¶ To make lordes of laddes / of lond þat he wynneþ
And freo me foule þralles / þat folowon not his lawes
Þe Iuwes þat were gentul men / ihesu þei despisedenN .
Boþe his lore and his lawe / now aren þei lowe cheorles .
¶ As wyde as þe worlde is / wonieþ þer none
But vndur tribut and tallage / as tykes and cheorles
¶ And þo þat by-comeþ cristine / by counseil of þe baptist
Aren frankelayns and freo / throw folling þet þei toke
And gentyl men myd ihesu for Ihesus was y-fulled
And vpon Caluarie on crois / croned kyng of Iuwes
¶ Hit by-comeþ for a kyng / to kepen and defende
And conquerour of his conqueste / his laies and his large
¶ So dude ihesu þe Iuwes / he iustified and tauhte hem .
Þe lawe of þe lykynge l{us}yf{t} / þat laste schal euure .
And fendede hem fro foule vueles / feueres and fluxes
And fro feondes þat weren in hem / and fals by-leoue
¶ Þo was he ihesus of Iuwes cald / gentyl prophete
And kyng of here kynedom / and crone bar of þornes
¶ And þo conquered he on crois / as conquerour noble
Þat he ne aros and regnede / and rauysched helle
¶ And þo was he conquerour calde / of quyke & of dede
For he ȝaf adam and Eue / and othere mo blisse
Þat longe hadden ley by-fore / as lucyfers cheorles
¶ And tok lucyfer þe lothliche / þat lord was of helle
And bond hym as he is y-bounde / with bondes of yren .
¶ Ho was hardiour þan he / his heorte blod he schadde
To maken al folk freo / þat folwen his lawe .
And suche he ȝaf largeliche / al his lelle lige
Places in Paradys / at here partyng hennes
He may wel by called conquerour / and þat is crist to mene
¶ Ac þe cause whi he comeþ þus / wiþ crois and his passion
Is to wyssen vs þer-wiþ / þat when we beo ytempted
Þer-with to fyhten and fendon vs / fro fallyng in-to synne .
¶ And seo by his sorowe / þat wo-so louyeþ ioye
To penaunce and to pouerte / he mot putte hym-selue
And muche wo in þis worlde / wilnen and suffren
¶ Ac to carpe more of crist / and hou þat he cam to þat name
Faithfolly for to speke / his furst name was ihesus
¶ Þo he was bore in bethleem / / as þe bok telleþ
And came to take man-kynde / kynges and angeles
Reuerensed hym riht faire / with richese of eorthe
Angeles of heuene / comen knelede and songon
. gloria in excelsis . deo .C
¶ Kynges comen aftur / knelede and offrede
Muche gold and myrre / with-oute mercy askynge
Or eny kynne catel / but knewleched hym souereyn
Boþe of sand sonne and see / and sythen þei went
In-to heore kyngene kythe / by counseil of angeles
And þer was þat word folfulled / þe wuche þow of speke
Omnia celestia terrestria flectantur in hoc nomine ihesu .
For all þe angeles of heuene / at his burthe knelede
And al þe wit of þe worlde / was in þo þre kynges
Reson and rihtfulnesse / and reuthe / the offrede
Wher-fore and wy / wysmen þat tyme
Maystres and lettred men / Magi hem calde
¶ Þat on kynge came myd resoun / keuerede vnder sense
¶ Þe secunde kyng sythen / sothly he offrede
Ryhtwysnesse vndur red gold / to ryht and to treutheT
¶ Þe þryd kyng cam þen / and knelede to ihesu /
And presented him myd pite / aperyng by myrre
For myrre is mercy to mene / and mylde speche of tonge
¶ Eorliche honeste þinges / was offred thus at ones
Þrohg þre kynde kynges / knelyng to ihesu /
¶ Ac for alle þeos preciouse presentes / our lord {ihesu}ihesus
Was noþur kyng ne conquerour / tyl he comsed wexe
In þe manere of a man / and þat by muche slythe
¶ As hit by-comeþ for a conquerour / to conne mony slythes
And mony wyles and wit / þat wol beo a ledere .
¶ And so dude ihesus in his daies / ho-so durste tel hit
Som-tyme he suffrede / and som-tyme he hydde hym
And som-tyme he fauhte fast / and felih oþer-wyle
¶ And som-tyme he gaf good / and grauntede hele
Both lyf and lym / as hym lust he wrouhte
As kynde is of a conquerour / so comsede ihesus
Tyl he hadde al hem / þat he fore bledde
¶ In his Iuuente thes Ihesus / / at Iuwene feste
Turned watur in-to wyn / as holy write telleþ
And þer by-gan god of his grace / gretly to dowel
¶ For wyn is likned to lawe / and lyf holynesse
And law lakkede þo / for men louede nat her enymy
¶ And crist consailleþ thus / and comaundeþ boþe
To lerede and to lewade / for to loue oure enymys .
¶ So at þat feste furst / as y by-fore tolde
By-gan god of his grace / and goodnesse dowel
¶ And þo was he cleped and cald / nat only crist but Ihesu
A Faunteleyn fol of wit / filius marie
For by-fore his modur Marie / / made he þat wondur
Þat scheo furst and formest / scholde ferm by-leoue
Þat he þrow grace was gete / and of no gome elles
¶ Heo wrouhte that by no wit / but þrow word one
Aftur þe kynde þat he cam of / ther comsed he dowel
¶ And whan he was wexen more / in his modur absence
He made lame to lepe / and ȝaf liht to þe blynde
And fedde with two fissches / and wiþ fyue loues
Sore a-fyngred fele folc / mo þan fyue þousand
¶ Thus he confortede carefol / and cauht a grettor name
Þe wuche was dobet / wher þat he wente
¶ For deeue þrow his doynges / and dombe speke and herde
And al he heled and halp / þat hym of grace asked
¶ Þo was he called in contreye / of þe comune people
For þe dedes þat he dude / fili dauid ihesus
For dauid was þe douhtyest / of dedes in his tyme
Þe buyrdes þo songen saul interfecit mille / & dauid decem milia
¶ For-þi þe contreye þer ihesu cam / cald hym fili dauid
Nempnede hym of Nazareth / and no man so worþi
To beo kayser or kynge / of þe kynedam of Iuda
Ne ouur Iuwes iustice / as Ihesus was hem thoute
¶ Her-of hadde Cayphas / enuye and oþere Iuwes
And for to do hym to deþe / day and nyht þei casten
And culled hym on crois-wyse / at caluarie on a fryday
And sythen buried his body / and bedoun þat men scholde
Kepon hit fro nyhtcomers / wyþ knyhtes y-armed /
For no frend scholde hit fecche / for pphetes / p[ro]phetes hem tolde
Þat þat blessed body / of buryles scholde a-ryse /
And go in-to Galile / and gladon his aposteles
And his modur marie / thus men to-fore dyuynede
¶ Þe knyhtes þat kepton hit / by-knewen hem-selue
Þat Angeles and archangeles / ar þe day spronge
Comen knelynge / to þat corps and songoun
Cristus rex resurgens / / and hit aros aftur
Verrei mon by-fore hem alle / and forþe wiþ hem ȝeode
¶ Þe Iuwes preyede hem of pes / and preyde þo knyhtes
Telle þe comune þat þer cam / a compaignie of his aposteles
And by-wacched hem as þei wok / and a-way stelen hit
¶ Ac Marie magdeleyne / mette wiþ hym by þe waye
Goynge toward Galilee / in godhede and manhede
And liues and lokynge / and heo aloud cryde /
In eche compaignie þer heo cam . cristus resurgens .
¶ Thus cam hit out þat crist ouurcam / rekeouerde and lyuede
Sic oportet christus pati & intrare & cetera / .
For that þat wommen wyten / may not wel beo consail .
¶ Petur parceyuede al this / and pursued aftur
Boþe Iames and Iohan / / Ihesu / to seke
tadee and ten mo / with thomas of Inde
¶ As alle theos wyse wyes / weren to-gederes .
In an hous al byschet / and here dore barredC
Crist cam in and al was closed / boþe dorre and ȝates
To petur and his aposteles / and seyde
And tok Thomas by þe hand / and tauhte hym to grope
And fele with his fyngres / his fleyscheliche herte
thomas touched hit / and wiþ his tonge seyde
dominus meus & deus meusC
Thou art my lord y by-leoue / god lord ihesu /
Þow deidest and deþ þoledest / and deme schalt ous alle
And now art lyuynge and lokynge / and laste schal euure
¶ Crist carpede þenne / and corteysliche seyde
Thomas for thou trowest this / and trewly by-leouest hit
I-blessed mot þou beo / and beo schalt for euure
¶ And blessed mot þei beo / in body and soule
Þat neuure schullen seo in syht / as þou seost nouthe
And lelly by-leouen al this / y loue hem and blesse hem .
Beati qui non viderunt et crediderunt
¶ And when þis dede was don / dobest he þouhte
And ȝaf peres power / and pardoun he graunted /
To alle manere of men / mercy and forȝeuenesse
And ȝaf hem myhte to assoile hem / of al manere synnes
In couenaunt þat þei come / and knewleched to paye
To peres pardoun plouhmanN / redde quod debes .
¶ Thus haueþ peres power / beo his pardoun payed
To bynde and vnbynde / boþe here and elles
And assoille of al synnes / saue of dette one
¶ A-non aftur an hyh / vp in-to heuene
He wente and wonyeþ þere / and wol come at þe last
And rewarde hym riht wel / þat reddit quod debet
¶ Payeþ nouthe parfitly / as pure treuthe wolde
And what persone payeþ hit nat / punyschen he þenkeþ
And demen hem a domesday / boþe quyke and dede
¶ Þe goode to godhede / and to grete ioye
¶ And wykkede to wonye / in wo wiþ-oute ende .
¶ Thus concience of Crist / and of þe croys carpede
And consailed me to knele þer-to / and þenne cam me thoute
On spiritus paraclitus to peres and two his felawes
In liknesse of a lihtynge / alihte on hem alle
And made hem conne and knowe / al kynne {costages} langage
¶ Y wondrede what þat was / and waggede concience
And was a-ferd for þe lyht / for in fures liknesse
Spiritus paraclitus / ouur-spradde hem alle /
¶ Quaþ concience þo and knelede / this is cristes messager
And comeþ from þe grete god / grace is his name
Knele now quaþ Concience / and if þow con synge
Wel-come hym and worschipe hym / with {spiritus paraclitus} veni creator
And y sang that song þo / and so dude mony hondred
And cryden with Concience / help vs god of grace /
¶ Þo by-gan grace to go / with peres þe plouhman
And consailed hym and concience / þe comune to someny
For y wol dele to-day / and dyuyde grace /
To al kynne creatours / þat can his fyue wittes
Tresour to lyue by / to here lyues ende
And wepne to fyhte with / þat wol neuure faille
¶ For antecrist and hyse / schal al þe worlde greue
And encombre þe concience but if crist the helpe
And fele fals prophetes flaterers and glosers
Schullen come and beo curatours / ouer kynges & eorles
¶ Þan schal pruyde beo pope / and prynce of holichurche
Couetyse and vnkyndenesse / cardinals hym to lede
¶ For-thi quaþ grace ar y go / y wol gyue ȝow tresour
And wepne to fyht with / whan antecrist ȝow ass{o}ailleþ
And gaf eche man a grace / to gye with hym-selue
Þat ydulnesse ne encombre hem nat / ne enuye ne pruye
diuisiones graciarum sunt /
¶ To some men he ȝaf wit / with wordes to scewe
To wynne with treuthe / þat þe worlde askeþ
As preostes and prechours / and prentyses of lawe
Thei to lyue lelly / by labour of tonge
And by wit wyssen othere / as grace hem wolde teche
¶ And somme he kende hem craftes / and connynge of syhte
With sellynge and buggynge / her-by lyue to wynne
¶ And som he lerede to laboure / a-lond and a-water
And lyue by that labour / a lel lyf and a trewe
¶ And som he dyuynede / and dyuyde nombres to kene
And to compasson / and colour{.}s to make
¶ And somme to seo and to seye / what scholde by-falle
Boþe of wele and of wo / and beo war by-fore
As astromyens þrow astronomye / and pholosofres wyse
¶ And some to ryde and rekeuere / þat vnrythfolliche was wonne
And wyssede men wynnen hit a-ȝeyn / / þrow witnesse of hondes
And feche hit fro falcemen / with foleuyles lawes
¶ And som he lerede to lyue / in longynge to beo hennes
In pouerte and in pacience / to prey for al cristine /
¶ And alle he lerede to beo lelle / and eche a craft to loue other
Noþur bost ne debat / be among hem alle
¶ Þauh some beo clennere þan some / ȝe seon wel quaþ grace
Þat al craft and connynge / cam of my ȝifte
¶ Loke þat non lacken othur / but louyeþ as bretheren
And he þat most maystres can / beo myldest of berynge
¶ And croneþ concience kyng / and makeþ craft ȝoure styward
And aftur craftus consail / cloþeþ ȝow and fedeþ
¶ For y make peres plouhman / / my prokeratour and my reue
And registre to reseyuen / redde quod debes
¶ My power and my plouhman / peres schal beo on eorthe
And for to tulye truthe / a teme schal he haue
¶ Grace gaf to peres a teom / of foure grete oxen
Þat on was luk a large best / and a louh chered
Marc and Matheu þe þridde / myhty bestes bothe
And ioyned tyl hem on Iohan / most gentil of alle
Þe prys neet of peres plouh / passynge al othere
¶ And sythen grace of his goodnesse gaf peres four stottes
Al þat his oxen eredenN / thei to harowen aftur
On hihte / austyn and ambrosie a-nother
Gregore þe grete clerk / and Ierom þe gode
¶ These foure þe faith to teche / folowede peres teme
And harwede in an hand-while / al holy scripture
With two eythes þat þei hadden / and {e}old / and an newe
id est vetus testamentum & nouum .C
¶ And grace gaf to peres greynes cardinal vertues
And sewe hit in mannes soule / and sythen he tolde here names
spiritus prudencie / þe furst seed heyhte
Þat ho-so ete þat seed / ymagyni he scholde
Or he dude eny dede . / dyuyse wel þe ende
¶ And lered men a ladele bugge / wiþ a long stele /
And caste fort kele a crokke / and saue þe fat a-boue
¶ Þe secounde sed hihte spiritus temporancie
He þat eete of þat seed / hadde suche a kynde
Scholde neuure mete ne meschief / make hym to swelle
Ne scholde non scornere / out of skile hym brynge
Nothur wynnynge ne welthe / of worldeliche rychesse
Wast word of ydulnesse / ne wykkede speche meoue
Schold non curyous clothe / come on his rugge
Nother mete in his mouth / þat maystur Iohan spicede .
¶ Þe þridde seed þat peres sew / was spiritus fortitudinis
And ho-so ete of þat seed / hardy was euure
To soffren al þat god sente / syknesse and angres
Mihte non lyare wiþ lesynges / ne loos of worldly catel
Make hym for eny mornyng / þat he ne was murye in soule
And bold and a-bydynge / bysemares to soffre
And plede with pacience / and wiþ parce michi domine
And keuerde hym vndur consail / of Catoun þe wyse
Esto forti animo cum sis dampnatus inique
Þe feorthe seed þat peres sewe / was spiritus Iusticie
And he þat ete of þat seed / scholde beo euene trewe
Wiþ god and not a-gast / but of gyle one
For gyle goþ so preuely / þat good faith oþer-while
May not beo aspied . / . þrow spiritus iusticie
¶ Spiritus iusticie spareþ not to spille
Hem þat beoþ gylty / and for to corecte
Þe kyng and þe kyng falle / in eny þing gulty
¶ For counteþ he not no kynges wrathe / wen he in cort sytteþC
To deme as a domesman / a-drad was he n{i}euure
Noþur of duke ne of deþ / þat ne ne doþ þe lawe
For present or for preyere / or eny prynces lettres .
He dude equite to alle / euene forþe his knowynge
¶ Þees foure seedes peres sew / and syþen he dude hem arewen
¶ With olde lawe and neu lawe / þat loue myhte wexe
A-mong þes foure vertues / and vices destruyen .
¶ For communeliche in contreies / cammokes and wedes
Fouleþ þe fruyt in þe feld / ther þei grow to-gederes
And so doþe vices vertues / and for-þi quaþ peres .
Harweþ al þat conne kynde wit / by consail of þeos doctours
And tulieþ aftur here techyng / þe cardinals vertues
¶ A-ȝeinst þat þi greynes quaþ / grace / by-gynneþ to growe
Ordeyne þe an hous peres to herberghen In þi cornes
By god Grace quaþ Peres / ȝe mot gyue me tymbur
And ordeyne þat hous / er ȝe hennes wende
¶ And grace gaf hym þe crois / with þe crone of þornes
Þat Crist / vpon Caluary for mon-kynde on peynede
And of his baptisme and blod / þat he bledde on rode
¶ He made a manere morter / and mercy hit hihte
And þer-wyþ grace / by-gan / to make a good fondement
And wateled hit and walled hit / wiþ his peynes of passioun
¶ And of al holy writ / he made a rof aftur
And calde þat hous vnite / holichurche in englische
¶ And whan this dede was doun / grace dyuysede
A carte hihte cristondomP / to karien hom peres schefes
And gaf hym capeles to his cart / contricioun with Confessioun
And made preosthod hay-warde / þe while hym-self wente
As wyde as þe worlde is / with peres to tulye treuthe
And þe lond of by-leoue / þe lawe of holychurche
¶ Now is peres to þe plouh / pruyde hit aspyde
And gadered hym a gret host / greuen he þenkeþ
Concience and alle cristone / and cardinal vertes
To blowe hem doun and breke hem / and bite a-to þe rotes
¶ And sente forthe surquidours / his seriauns of armesC
And his aspie spille lof / on speke vuel by-hynde
¶ These two comen to concience and to cristone people
And tolden hem tydynges / þat tyne þei scholde
Þe seedes þat sire peres sew / þe cardinale vertues
¶ And peres berne worþe to-broke / and þei þat beoþ in
Schullen come out and concience and ȝoure two capeles
Contricioun and confessioun / and ȝoure cart bileoue
Schal beo colered so queyntely / & keouered vndur oure sophistrie
Þat concience schal nat / knowe by contricioun
Nothur by confessioun ho is cristene or heþene
¶ Ne no maner marchaunt / þat with money deleþ
Weþur he wynne wiþ riht / with wrong oþur with vsure
¶ With suche colours and queyntyse / comeþ pruyde armed
With þe lord þat lyueþ / aftur þe loust of his body
¶ To waston in wel-fare / and in wykkede Kepynge
Al þe worlde in a while / þrow oure wit quaþ pruyde
¶ Quath concience to al cristone þo / my consail is wende
Hastiliche in-to Vnite / / and holde weo ous þere
Prey we þat a pees were / in peres berne plouhman
¶ For witturly y wot wel / weo beoþ not of strenthe
To gon a-gayn / pruyde / but grace wiþ ous were
¶ And þenne cam kyndewit / concience / to teche
He cryde and comaundede / al cristone people
To delue and dyke an deop diche / al a-boute vnite
Þat holychurche stod in holynesse / as hit were a Pyle
¶ Concience comaunded þo / al cristone to delue
And make muche mot / þat myht beo a strengþe
To helpe holychurche / and hem þat hit kepeþ .C
¶ Þenne al kynne cristene / saue commune wommen
Repentede and refusede synne / saue thei one
And an assysour and a somenour / þat weren for-swore oft
Wytynge wel and wilfoly / wyþ þe falce þei heldenN
And for seluur weren for-swore / sothly þei wisten hit
¶ Ther ne was cristone creature / þat kynde wit hadde
Þat he ne halp a quantite / holynesse to wexe
¶ Some by bedes byddynge / and som by pilgremages
Or othere pryue penaunces / and som þrow pans delynge
¶ And þenne water wellede / for wykkede werkes
Egreliche ȝernynge / out of mennes eyen
¶ Clannesse of þe Comune / and clerkes clene lyuynge
Made vnite holychurche / in holynesse stonde
¶ Y care nat now quaþ / concience / thaw pruyde come nouthe
Þe lord of loust schal beo let / al þis lente y hope
Comeþ nouthe quaþ concience ȝe cristine and dyneþ
Þat han labored lelly / al this lenten tyme
Her is bred y-blesset / and godes body þer-vndur
¶ Grace gaf þrow godes word / to peres plouhman power
And myht to maken hit / and men for to eten hit
In help of here hele / ones in a monthe
Or as oft as þei han neode / thei þat hadden payed
To peres pardon plouhman / redde quod debes
Hou quaþ al þe comune / consailest þou vs to ȝeelde
Al þat we owen eny whit / er we go to housle
¶ That is my consail quath concience and cardinals vertues
Or eche man for-ȝeue other / and þat wol þe pater noster
Et dimitte nobis debita nostra /
And so to beo assoilled / and sythen beo housled
¶ Ȝe baw quaþ a Bruware / y wol not beo rueled
By ihesu for al ȝoure ianglyng / aftur spiritus iusticie
Ne aftur Concience by cryst / for y couthe selle
Boþe dregges and draf / and draw at on hole
Þykke ale and þynne ale / and þat is my kynde
And not to hakke aftur holynesse / hold þy tonge
Of Spiritus iusticie / / þou spekest muche an ydul .
¶ Caytyf quath Concience // corsede wreche
Vn-blessed art þou brewere / but if god þe helpe
But þou lyueP by þe lore / of spiritus iusticie
Þe chief seed þat peres sew / saued worst þou neuure
But concience þe comune fede / and cardynal vertues
Leof hit wel we beon lost Boþe lyf and soule
¶ Þenne is mony mon y-lost / quaþ a lewede Vycary
I am a curatour of holykirke / and cam neuure in my tyme
Man to me þat couþe telle / of cardinal vertues
Or that a-countede concience / a cokkes feþur oþur hennes .
¶ Y knew neuure cardinal / þat he ne cam fro þe pope
And we clerkes wan þei comeþ / for here comunes payeþ
For here pelure and palfreis mete / and pilours þat hem foloweþ
Þe Comune {cl}clamat cotidie / ech a man to other
Þe contrey is þe corsedourr / þer cardinals comeþ Inne
And þer þei liggen and lenge most / lecherie þer regneþ
¶ For-þi quaþ thes vykary / by verrey god y wolde
Þat no cardinal come / a-mong þe comune people
But in here holynesse / holden hem stille
At Auynoun a-mong þe Iuwes cum sancto sanctus eris /
Or in Rome as heore rewle wolde / þe relykes to kepe
¶ And þou concience in kynges cort / and scholdest neuure go þennes
¶ And grace þat thow so gredest of / were gyour of alle clerkes
And peres with his newe plouh / and his olde Bothe
Emperour of al þe worlde / þat al men were cristone
Inparfit is that pope þat al þe people scholde helpe
And sowdeþ hem þat slepe suche / as he scholde saue
¶ Ac wel worþe peres plouhman þat pursueþ god in doynge
Qui pluit super iustos / & iniustos at ones
And sente þe sonne to saue / a corsed mannes tylthe
As briht as to þe best mon / or to þe best womman /
¶ Riht so peres plouhman peyneþ hym to tulye
As wel for a wastour / or for a wenche at stuwes
As for hym-self and for his seruans / saue he is furst y-serued
¶ So blessed beo peres plouhman / þat peyneþ to tulye
And trauailleþ and tuleþ / for a tretour al-so sore
As a trewe tydy man / al tymes liche
¶ And worschuped beo heo þat wrouhte al / boþe gode and wykke
And god amende þe pope / þat pileþ holy churche
And cleymeþ by-fore þe kynge / to beo kepere ouur cristene
And counteþ nat þauh criston men / beo culled and robbed
And fyndeþ folc to fyhte / and cristone blod to spille
A-ȝeins þe lawe boþe old and newe / as luk bereþ witnesse
Non occides / michi vindictam
Sykerly hit semeþ / by so hym-self hadde his wil
Þat hym recheþ riht nauht / of al þe oþur remenaunt
¶ And crist of his cortesye / þe cardinals saue
And turne here wit in-to wysdom / and welþe for þe soule
¶ For þe comune quaþ þes curatour / counten fol litul
Þe consail of concience or cardinal vertues
But if hit sonne as by wit / som-wat to wynnynge
¶ Of gile ne of gabbynge / gyueþ þei neuure tale
For spiritus prudencie / a-mong þe people is gyle
And þo faire vertues / as vices þei hem semeþ
¶ Eche man sotileþ a sleythe / synne to huyde
And colereþ hit for a connynge / and a clene lyuynge
¶ Þenne louh þer a lord / and by þis liht seyde
I halde hit riht and resoun / to take of my Reue
Al þat my auditour / or elles myn styward
Consailleþ me by here a-compte / and my clerkes wrytyng
With spiritus intellectus / þei toke þe reeue rolles
And wiþ spiritus fortitudinis / fecche hit wol he nulle he
¶ Þan cam þer a kynge / and by his corone seyde
I am kyng with crone / þe comune to reule
And holykirke and clergie / fro corsed men to defendenP
¶ And if me lakkeþ to lyue by / þe lawe wol þat y take
Þer y may haue hit hastilokest / for y am hed of lawe
And ȝee beon but membres / and y a-boue alle
¶ Sythen y am ȝoure alre hed / y am ȝoure alre hele
And holychurches chief help / and chefteyn of þe comune
And {take}P what y take of ȝou two / y take hit at techyng
Of spiritus Iusticie / for y iuge ȝow alle /
So y may baldely beo houseled / for y borow neuere
Ne craue of my comune / but as my kynde askeþ
¶ In condicioun quaþ concience / þat þou conne defende
And reule þi reome in resoun / riht wel and in treuthe /
Þan þat þow haue þin askyng / as þe lawe askeþ
Omnia sunt tua ad defendendum / sed non ad deprehendendum /
Þe vikery hadde feer hom / and faire toke his leoue
And y a-wakede þer-with / and wrot as me mette
Explicit passus primus de dobest /
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{depredandum}