Passus sextus decimus & primus de dobet
Now faire falle ȝow quod I þo · for ȝowre faire shewyngeT
For haukynnes loue þe actyf man [·] euere I shal ȝow louye
Ac ȝet I am in a were · what charite is to mene
¶ It is a ful trye tree quod he · trewlyT to telle
Mercy is þe more þer-of · þe myddel stokke is reuthe
Þe leues ben lele wordes · þe lawe of holycherche
Þe blosmes beth boxome speche · and benygne lokynge
Pacience hatte þe pure tre · and poreT symple of herte
And so þorw god and þorwT good men · groweth þe frute charite
¶ I wolde trauaille quod I þis tree to se · twenty hundreth myle
Lorde quod I if any wiȝte wyte · whider oute itT groweth
¶ It groweth in [a]T gardyne quod he · þat god made hym-seluen
Amyddes mannes body · þe more is of þat stokke
Herte hatte þe erber · þat it in groweth
And liberum arbitrium · hath þe londe to ferme
Piers þe plowman quod I þo · and al for pure ioye
Þat I herde nempne his name · anone I swouned after
And laye longe in a loue-dreme · and atte laste me þouȝte
Þat Pieres þe plowman · al þe place me shewed
And bad me totenT on þe tree · on toppe and on rote
With þre pyles was it vnder-piȝte · I perceyued it sone
Pieres quod I · IT preye þe · whi stonde þise piles here
¶ For wyndes wiltow wyte quod he · to witenT it fram fallyng
Cum ceciderit iustus non collidetur · quia dominus supponit manum suam
And in blowyng tyme abite þe floures · but if þis piles helpe
Coueityse cometh of þat wynde · and crepeth amonge þe leues
And forfret neigh þe frute · þorw many faire siȝtes
TÞe flesshe is a fel wynde · and in flourynge tyme
Þorw lykyng and lustes · so loude he gynneth blowe
Þat it norissheth nice siȝtes · and some-tyme wordes
And wikked werkes þer-of · wormes of synne
And forbiteth þe blosmes · riȝt to þe bare leues
¶ Þanne sette I to þe secounde pile · sapiencia dei patris
Þat is þe passioun and þe power · of owre prynce Ihesu
I saue it til I se it rypen · & somdel yfruited
And þanne fondeth þe fende · my fruit to destruye
With alle þe wyles þat he can · and waggeth þe rote
And casteth vp to þe croppe · vnkynde neighbores
Bakbiteres breke-chesteT · brawleres and chideres
And leith a laddre þere-to · of lesynges aren þe rongesT
And feccheth away my floures sumtyme · aforT bothe myn eyhen
Ac liberum arbitrium · letteth hymT some-tyme
Þat is lieutenant to loken it wel · by leue of my-selue
Videatis qui peccat in spiritum sanctum numquam remittetur &c
Hoc est idem qui peccat per liberum arbitrium non repugnat ·
Ac whanT þe fende and þe flesshe · forth with þe worlde
Manasen byhynde me · my fruit for to fecche
And palleth adown þe pouke · purelichT þorw grace
And helpe of þe holy goste · and þus haue I þe maystrie
¶ Now faire falle ȝow Pieres quod I · so faire ȝe discryuen
Þe powere of þis postes · and her propre myȝteT
Ac I haue þouȝtes a threveT · of þis þre piles
In what wode þei woxen · and where þat þei growed
For alle ar þei aliche longe · none lasse þan other
And to my mynde as me þinketh · on o More þei growed
And of o gretnesse ·T and grene of greyne þei semen
I shal telle þe as tite · what þis tree hatte
Þe grounde þere it groweth · goodnesse it hiȝte
And I haue tolde þe what hiȝte þe tree · þe trinite it meneth
And egrelich he loked on me · & þer-fore I spared
To asken hym any more ther-of · and badde hym ful fayre
To discreue þe fruit · þat so faire hangeth
¶ Here now bineth quod he þo · if I nede hadde
Matrymonye I may nyme · a moiste fruit with-alle
Þanne contenence is nerreT þe croppe · as calwey bastarde
Þanne bereth þe croppe kynde fruite · and clenneste of alle
Maydenhode angeles peres · and rathest wole be ripe
And swete with-oute swellyng · soure worth it neuere
¶ I prayed pieres to pulle adown · an apple and he wolde
And suffre me to assaye · what sauoure it hadde
¶T And pieres caste to þe croppe · and þanne comsed it to crye
[A]T wagged wydwehode · and it wepte after
And whan [he]T meued Matrimoigne · it made a foule noyse
For euere as þei dropped adown · þe deuel was redy
And gadred hem alle togideres · bothe grete and smale
Adam & abraham · and ysay þe prophete
Sampson and samuel · and seynt Iohan þe baptiste
Bar hem forth boldely · no-body hymT letted
And made of holy men his horde · in lymbo inferni
There is derkenesse and drede · and þe deuel Maister
AndT hitte after hym · happe how it myȝte
Filius bi þe fader wille · and frenesse of spiritus sancti
To go robbe þat raggeman · and reue þe fruit fro hym
¶ And þanne spakke spiritus sanctus · in Gabrieles mouthe
To a mayde þat hiȝte Marye · a meke þinge with-alle
Þat one Ihesus a iustice sone · moste iouke in her chambre
Tyl plenitudo temporis · [tyme]T comen were
Þat Pieres fruit floured · and fel to be ripe
And þanne shulde Ihesus iuste þere-fore · [&]T bi iuggement of armes
Whether shulde fondeT þe fruit · þe fende or hym-selue
¶ Þe mayde myldeliche þo · þe messager graunted
And seyde hendelich to hym · lo me his hande-mayden
For to worchen his wille · with-outen any synne
Ecce ancilla domini fiat michi &cT
And in þe wombe of þat wenche · was he fourty wokes
Tyl he wex a faunt þorw her flessh · and of fiȝtyng couthe
To haue yfouȝte with þe fende · ar ful tyme come
And Pieres þe plowman · parceyued plenereT tyme
And lered hym lechecrafte · his lyf for to saue
Þat þowgh he were wounded with his enemye · to warisshe hym-self
And did hym assaye his surgerye · on hem þat syke were
And souȝte oute þe syke · and synfulT bothe
And salued syke and synful · bothe blynde & crokede
And comune wommen conuerted · and to good torned
Bothe meseles & mute · and in þe menysoun blody
Ofte he heled suche · he ne helde [it]T for no maistrye
Saue þo he leched lazar [·] þat hadde yleye in graue
Quatriduanus quelt · quykke did hym walke
Ac as he made þ[at]T maistrye · mestus cepit esse
And wepte water with his eyghen · þere seyen it manye
Some þat þe siȝte seyne · saide þat tyme
Þat he was leche of lyf · and lorde of heigh heuene
Iewes iangeled þere-aȝeyne · [þat]T iugged lawes
And seide he wrouȝte þorw wicchecrafte · & with þe deueles miȝte
Demonium habes &c
¶ Þanne ar ȝe cherles quod [ihesus]T · and ȝowre children bothe
And sathan ȝowre saueoure · ȝow-selue now ȝe witnessen
For I haue saued ȝow-selfT · and ȝowre sones after
Ȝowre bodyes ȝowre bestes · and blynde men holpen
And fedde ȝow with fisshesT · and with fyue loues
And left baskettes ful of broke mete · bere awey who-so wolde
And mysseide þe iewes manliche [·] and manaced hem to bete
And knokked on hem with a corde · and caste adown her stalles
Þat in cherche chaffareden · or chaungeden any moneye
And seyde it in siȝte of hem alle · so þat alle herden
I shal ouertourne þis temple · and adown throwe
And in thre dayes after · edifye it newe
And make it as moche other more · in alle manere poyntes
As euere it was and as wyde · wher-fore I hote ȝow
Of preyeres and of parfitnesse · þis place þat ȝe callen
Domus mea domus oracionis vocabitur
Enuye and yuel wille · [aren]T in þe iewes
Thei casten & contreueden · to kulle hym whan þei miȝte
Vche daye after other · þeire tyme þei awaited
Til it bifel on a fryday · a litel bifor Paske
Þe þorsday byfore [·] þere he made his [cene]T
Sittyng atteT sopere · he seide þise wordes
I am solde þorw [sum]T of ȝow · he shal þe tyme rewe
Þat euere he his saueoure solde · for syluer or elles
¶ Iudas iangeled þere-aȝein · ac Ihesus hym tolde
It was hym[-self]T sothely · and seide tu dicis
Þanne went forth þat wikked man · and with þe iewes mette
And tolde hem a tokne [·] how to knowe with ihesus
[Þe]T which tokne to þis day · to moche is yvsed
Þat is kissyng and faire contenaunce · & vnkynde wille
And so was with iudas þo · þat Ihesus bytrayed
Aue raby quod þat ribaude · and riȝt to hym he ȝede
And kiste hym to be cauȝt þere-by · and kulled ofT þe iewes
¶ Þanne Ihesus to Iudas · and to þe iewes seyde
Falsenesse I fynde · in þi faire speche
And gyle in þi gladde chere · and galle is in þi lawghyng
Þow shalt be myroure to manye [·] menT to deceyue
Ac þe wors and þiT wikkednesse · shal worth vpon þi-selue
Necesse est vt veniant scandala · ve homini illi per quem scandalum venit
Þow I bi tresoun be ytake · atT ȝowre owne wille
OnT a thoresday in thesternesse · þus was he taken
Þorw iudas and iewes · ihesus was his nameT
Þat on þe fryday folwynge · for mankynde sake
Iusted in ierusalem · a ioye to vs alle
On crosse vpon caluarye · cryst toke þe bataille
Aȝeines deth and þe deuel · destruyed her botheres myȝtes
Deyde and deth fordid · and daye of nyȝte made
¶ And I awaked þere-with · & wyped myne eyghenT
And after piers þe plowman · pryed and stared
Estwarde and westwarde · I [w]aytedT after faste
And ȝede forth as an ydiote · in contre to aspye
After Pieres þe plowman · many a place I souȝte
And þanne mette I with a man · a mydlenten sondaye
As hore as an hawethorne · and Abraham he hiȝte
I frayned hym first · fram whennes he come
And of whennes he were · and whider þat he þouȝte
¶ I am feith quod þat freke · it falleth nouȝte [me]T to lye
And of Abrahames hous · an heraud of armes
I seke after a segge · þat I seigh ones
A ful bolde bacheler · I knewe hym by his blasen
[¶]T What bereth þat buirn quod I þo · so blisse þe bityde
¶ Þre leodes in o lith · non lenger þan other
Of one mochel & myȝte · in mesure and in lengthe
Þat one doth alle doth · & eche doth by his one
Þe firste hath miȝte and maiestee · maker of alle þinges
Pater is his propre name · a persone by hym-selue
T Þe secounde of þat sire is · sothfastnesse filius
Wardeyne of þat witte hath · was euere with-oute gynnyng
Þe þridde hatte þe holygoost · a persone by hym-selue
Þe liȝte of alle þat lyf hathT · a londe & a watre
Confortoure of creatures · of hym cometh al blisse
So þre bilongeth for a lorde · þat lordeship claymeth
So god þat gynnyng hadde neure · but þo hym good þouȝte
Sent forth his sone [·] as for seruaunt þat tyme
To occupien hym here · til issue were spronge
Þat is children of charite · & holicherche þe moder
Patriarkes & prophetes · and aposteles were þe chyldrenT
And cryst and crystenedome · and [alle]T crystene holycherche
In menynge þat man moste · onT o god bileue
And þere hym lyked & loued · in þre persones hym shewed
And þat it may be so & soth · manhode it sheweth
Wedloke and widwehode · with virgynyte ynempned
In toknynge of þe Trinite · was taken oute of oT man
Adam owre allerT fader · Eue was of hym-selue
And þe issue þat þei hadde · it was of hem bothe
And either is otheres ioye · in thre sondry persones
And in heuene & here · one syngulere name
And þ[u]sT is mankynde or manhede · of matrimoigne yspronge
And bitokneth þe Trinite · and trewe bileueT
¶ Miȝte is [in]T matrimoigne · þat multiplieth þe erthe
And bitokneth trewly · telle if I dorste
HeT þat firste fourmed al · þe fader of heuene
Þe sone if I itT durst seye · resembleth wel þe wydwe
Deus meus deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me
Þat is creatour wex creature · to knowe what was bothe
As widwe with-oute wedloke · was neure ȝete yseye
Na-more myȝte god be man · but if he moder hadde
So wydwe with-oute wedloke · may nouȝte wel stande
Ne matrimoigne withoute moillerye · is nouȝt moche to preyse
Maledictus homo qui non reliquit semen in israel &c
Þus in þre persones · is perfitliche [pure]T manhede
Þat is man & his make · & moillere herT children
So is þe fader forth with þe sone · and fre wille of bothe
Spiritus procedens a patre & filio
Which is þe holygoste of alle · and alle is but o god
Þus in a somer I hym seigh · as I satte in my porche
I ros vp and reuerenced hym · & riȝt faire hym grette
Thre men to my syȝte · I made wel at ese
Wesche her feet & wyped hem · and afterward þei eten
Calues flesshe & cakebrede · and knewe what I thouȝte
Ful trewe tokenes bitwene vs is · to telle whan me lyketh
Firste he fonded me · if I loued bettere
Hym or ysaak myn ayre · þe which he hiȝte me kulle
He wiste my wille by hym · he wil me it allowe
I am ful syker in soule þer-of · and my sone bothe
I circumcised my sone · sitthen for his sake
My-self and my meyne · and alle þat male were
Bledden blode for þat lordes loue · and hope to blisse þe tyme
Myn affiaunce & my faith · is ferme in þis bilieue
For hym-self bihiȝte to me · and to myne issue bothe
Londe and lordship · and lyf with-outen ende
To me and to myn issue · more ȝete he me graunted
Mercy for owre mysdedes · as many tyme as we asken
Quam olim abrahe promisisti & semini eius
And sith he sent me to seye · I sholde do sacrifise
And done hym worshipe with bred · and with wyn bothe
And called me þeT fote of his faith · his folke forto saue
And defende hem fro þe fende · folke þat on me lenedenT
Þus haue I ben his heraude · here and in helleT
And conforted many a careful · þat after his comynge wayten
And þus I seke hym he seide · for I [herde]T seyne late
Of a b[ui]rnT þat baptised hym · Iohan Baptiste was his name
Ecce agnus dei &c ·
¶ I hadde wonder of his wordes · and of his wyde clothes
And I loked onT his lappe · a lazar lay þere-Inne
Amonges patriarkes and profetes · pleyandeT togyderes
[¶]T What awaytestow quod he · and what woldestow haue
[¶]T I wolde wyte quod I þo [·] what is in ȝowre lappe
¶ Loo quod he and lete me se · lorde mercy I seide
Þis is [a]T present of moche prys · what Prynce shal it haue
[¶]T It is a preciouse present quod he · ac þe pouke it hath attached
Ne no buyrn be owre borwgh · ne bryng vs fram his daungere
Tyl he come þat I carpe of · cryst is his name
Þat shal delyure vs some daye · out of þe deueles powere
And bettere wedde for vs legge · þan we ben alle worthy
Þat is lyf for lyf · or ligge þus euere
Lollynge in my lappe · tyl such a lorde vs fecche
T ¶ Allas I seyde þat synne · so longe shal lette
Þe myȝte of goddes mercy · þat myȝt vs alle amende
I wepte for his wordes · with þat sawe I an other
Rapelich renne forth · þe riȝte waye he went
I affraynedT hym fyrste · fram whennes he come
[W]hatT he hiȝte & whider he wolde · and wightlich he tolde