Passus Sextus de visione vt supra
This were a wikked way · but who-so hadde a gyde
That wolde folwen vs eche a fote · þus þis folke hem mened
TQuatȝ Perkyn þe plouman · bi seynt Peter of Rome
I haue an half acre to erye · bi þe heigh way
Hadde I eried þis half acre · and sowen it after
I wilT wende with ȝow · and þe way teche
¶ Þis were a longe lettynge · quod a lady in a sklayre
What sholde we wommen · worche þere-whilesT
¶ Somme shal sowe [þe]T sakke quod Piers · for shedyng of þe whete
And ȝe louely ladyes · with ȝoure longe fyngres
Þat ȝe han silke and sendal · to sowe whan tyme is
Chesibles for chapelleynes · cherches to honoure
¶ Wyues and wydwes · wolle & flex spynneth
Maketh cloth I conseille ȝow · and kenneth so ȝowre douȝtres
Þe nedy and þe naked · nymmeth hede how hijT liggeth
And casteth hem clothes · for so comaundeth treuthe
For I shal lene hem lyflode · but ȝif þe londe faille
Flesshe and bred bothe · to riche and to pore
As longe as I lyue · for þe lordes loue of heuene
¶ And alle manere of men · þat þorw mete and drynke lybbeth
Helpith hym to worche wiȝtliche · þat wynneth ȝowre fode
¶ Bi crist quod a knyȝte þo · he kenneth vs þe best
Ac on þe teme trewly · tauȝte was I neuere
Ac kenne me quod þe knyȝte · and bi cryst I wil assaye
¶ Bi seynt Poule quod Perkyn · ȝe profre ȝow so faire
Þat I shal swynke and swete · and sowe for vs bothe
And oþer labour[er]esT do for þi loue · al my lyf-tyme
In couenaunt þat þow kepe · holikirkeT and my-selue
Fro wastoures and froT wykked men · þat þis worlde struyeth
¶ And go hunte hardiliche [·] to hares and to foxes
To bores and to [b]ockesT · þat breketh adown myne hegges
And go affaite þ[i]T faucones · wilde foules to kille
For suche cometh to my croft · and croppeth my whete
¶ Curteislich þe knyȝte þanne · comsed þise wordes
By my power Pieres quod he · I pliȝte þe my treuthe
To fulfille þis forward · þowȝ I fiȝte sholde
Als longe as I lyue · I shal þe mayntene
¶ Ȝe and ȝit a poynt quod Pieres · I preye ȝow of more
Loke ȝe tene no tenaunt · but treuthe wil assent
And þowgh ȝe mowe amercy hemT · late mercy be taxoure
And mekenesse þi mayster · maugre medes chekes
And þowgh pore men profre ȝow · presentis and ȝiftis
Nym it nauȝte an auenture · [þow]T mowe it nauȝte deserue
For þow shalt ȝelde it aȝein · at one ȝeres ende
In a ful perillous place · purgatorie it hatte
¶ And mysbede nouȝte þi bonde-men / manT · þe better may þow spede
Þowgh he be þyn vnderlynge here · wel may happe in heuene
Þat he worth worthier sette · and with more blisse
Amice ascende superius
For in charnelT a[t]T chirche · cherlesT ben yuel to knowe
Or a kniȝte fram a knaue þere · knowe þis in þin herte
And þat þow be trewe of þiT tonge · and tales þat þow hatie
But if þei ben of wisdome or of witt · þi werkmen to chaste
Holde / Holde nauȝtT with none harlotes · ne here nouȝte her tales
And nameliche atte mete · suche men eschue
For it ben þe deueles disoures · I do þe to vnderstande
¶ I assente bi seynt Iame · seyde þe kniȝte þanne
Forto worche bi þi wordes · þe while my lyf dureth
¶ And I shal apparaille me quod Perkyn · in pilgrimes wise
And wende with ȝow I wil · til we fynde treuthe
¶ And cast on meT my clothes · yclouted and hole
My cokeres and my coffes · for colde of my nailles
And hange myn hoper at myn hals · in stede of a scrippe
A busshel of bredcorne · brynge me þerinne
For I wil sowe it my-self · and sitthenes wil I wende
To pylgrymage as palmers don · pardoun forto haue
¶ Ac who-so helpeth me to erie · or sowen hereT ar I wende
Shal haue leue bi owre lorde · to lese here in heruest
And make h[y]mT mery þere-mydde · maugre who-so bigruccheth itT
¶ And alkyn crafty men · þat konne lyuen in treuthe
I shal fynden hem fode · þat feithfulliche libbeth
¶ Saue Iakke þe iogeloure · and Ionet of þe stues
And danyel þe dys playere · and denote þe baude
And frere þe faytoure [·] and folke of his ordre
And Robyn þe Rybaudoure · for his rusty wordes
Treuthe tolde me ones · and bad me tellen it after
Deleantur de libro viuencium [·] I shulde nouȝte dele with hem
For holicherche is hote [·]T of hem no tythe to [aske]T
Quia cum iustis non scribantur
They ben ascaped good auenture · nowT god hem amende
¶ Dame worche whan tyme is · Pieres wyf hiȝte
His douȝter hiȝte do riȝte so · or þi dame shal þe bete
His sone hiȝte suffre þi souereynes · to hauen / hauenT her willeT
Deme hem nouȝte for if þow doste · þow shalt it dere abugge
Late god yworth with al · for so his worde techeth
¶ For now I am olde and hore · and haue of myn owen
To penaunce and to pilgrimage · I wil passe with þiseT other
For-þi I wil or I wende · do wryte my biqueste
T In dei nomine amen · I make it my-seluen
He shal haue my soule · þat best hath yseruedT it
And fro þe fende it defendeT · for so I bileue
Til I come to his acountes · as my cred[e]T me telleth / tellethT
To haue a relees and a remissioun · on þat rental I leue
¶ Þe kirke shal haue my caroigne · and kepe my bones
For of my corne and catel · heT craued þe tythe
I payed it hym prestly · for peril of my soule
For-thy is he holden I hope · to haue me in his masse
And mengenT in his memorye · amonge alle crystene
¶ My wyf shal haue of þat I wan · with treuthe and nomore
And dele amonge my douȝtres · and my dere children
For þowgh I deyeT to-daye · my dettes arT quitte
I bare home þat I borwed · ar I to bedde ȝede
¶ And with þe residue and þe remenaunte · bi þe Rode of Lukes
I wil worschip þer-with · treuthe bi my lyue
And ben his pilgryme atte plow · for pore mennes sake
My plow-[p]oteT shal be my pyk-staf · and picche atwoT þe rotes
And helpe my culter to kerue · and clense þe forwes
¶ Now is perkyn and [þ]isT pilgrymes · to þe plowe faren
To erie þis halue acre · holpyn hym manye
Dikeres & delueres · digged vp þe balkes
Þere-with was perkyn apayed · and preysed hem faste
Other werkemen þere were · þat wrouȝten ful ȝerne
Eche man in his manere · made hym-self to done
And some to plese perkyn · piked vp þe wedes
¶ At heighe pryme peres · lete þe plowe stonde
ToT ouersen hem hym-self · and who-so best wrouȝte
He shulde be huyred þer-after · whan heruest tyme come
¶ And þanne seten somme · and songen atte nale
And hulpenT erie his half acre · with how trolli lolliT
¶ Now bi þe peril of my soule quod Pieres · al in pure tene
But ȝe arise þe rather · and rape ȝow to worche
Shal no greyne þat groweth · glade ȝow at nede
And þough ȝe deyeT for dole · þe deuel haue þat recch[e]T
¶ Tho were faitoures aferde · and feyned hem blynde
Somme leyde here legges aliri as suche loseles conneth
And made her mone to pieres · and preyde hym of grace
For we haue no lymes to laboure with · lorde ygraced be ȝe
T Ac we preye for ȝow pieres · and for ȝowre plow bothe
Þat god of his grace · ȝowre grayne multiplye
And ȝelde ȝow ofT ȝowre almesse · þat ȝe ȝiue vs here
For we may nouȝte swynke ne swete · suche sikenesse vs eyleth
¶ If it be soth quod pieres þat ȝe seyne · I shal it sone asspye
Ȝe ben wastoures I wote wel · andT treuthe wote þe sothe
And I am his olde hyne · and hiȝte hym to warne
Which þei were in þis worlde · his werkemen appeyredT
¶ Ȝe wasten þat men wynnen · with trauaille and with tene
Ac treuthe shal teche ȝow · his teme to dryue
Or ȝe shal ete barly bred · and of þe broke drynke
But if he be blynde [or]T broke-legged · or bolted with yrnes
He shal ete whete bred · and drynke with my-selue
Tyl god of his goodnesse · amendement hym sende
TAc ȝe myȝte trauaille as treuthe wolde · and take mete & huyre
To kepe kyne in þe felde · þe corne fro þe bestes
Diken or deluen or dyngen vppon sheues
Or helpe make morter · or bere mukke afelde
¶ In lecherye and in losengerye · ȝe lyuen and in sleuthe
And al is þorw suffrance · þat venjaunce ȝow ne taketh
¶ Ac ancres and heremytes · þat eten but at nones
And namore er morwe · myne almesse shul þei haue
And of myT catel to copeT hem with · þat han cloistres and cherches
TAc robert renneaboute · shal nouȝte haue of myne
Ne posteles but þey preche conne · and haue powere of þe bisschop
They shal haue payne and potage · and make hem-self at ese
For it is an vnresonable Religioun · þat hath riȝte nouȝte of certeyne
¶ And þanne gan a wastoure to wrath hym · and wolde haue yfouȝte
And to Pieres þe plowman · he profered his gloue
A Brytonere a braggere · a bostedT pieres als
And bad hym go pissen withT his plow · for-pyned schrewe
Wiltow or neltow · we wil haue owre wille
OfT þi flowre and of þi flessche · fecche whan vs liketh
And make vs myrie þer-mydeT · maugre þi chekes
¶ Thanne Pieres þe plowman · pleyned hym to þe knyȝte
To kepe hym as couenaunte was · fram cursed shrewes
And fro þis wastoures wolueskynnes · þat maketh þ[is]T worlde dere
For þo waste and wynnen nouȝte · and þat ilke while
Worth neuere plente amonge þe poeple · þer-whileT my plow liggeth
¶ Curteisly þe knyȝte þanne · as his kynde wolde
Warned wastoure · and wissed hym bettere
Or þow shalt abugge by þe lawe · by þe ordre þat I bere
¶ I was nouȝt wont to worche quod wastour · and now wil I nouȝt bigynne
And lete liȝteT of þe lawe [·] and lasse of þe knyȝte
And sette Pieres at a pees · and his plow bothe
And manaced pieres and his men · ȝif þei mette eft-sone
¶ NowT by þe peril of my soule quod Pieres · I shal apeyre ȝow alle
And houped after hunger · þat herd hym atte firste
Awreke me of þise wastoures quod he · þat þis worlde schendethT
¶ Hunger in haste þo · hent wastour bi þe mawe
And wronge hym so bi þe wombe · þat [al wattered] his eyenT
He buffeted þe Britoner [·] aboute þe chekes
Þat he loked like a lanterne · al his lyf after
He bette hem so bothe · he barste nere here guttes
Ne hadde Pieres with a pese lof · preyed hunger cesseT
They hadde ben doluen bothe · ne deme þow non other
Suffre hem lyue he seyde · and lete hem ete with hogges
Or elles benes and bren · ybaken togideres
Or elles melke and meneT ale · þus preyed pieres for hem
¶ Faitoures for fere her-of · flowen in-to bernes
And flapten on with flayles · fram morwe til euen
That hunger was nouȝt hardyT · on hem forto loke
For a potful of peses · þat peres hadde ymaked
[¶]T An heep of heremites · henten hem spades
And ketten here copes · and courtpies hem made
And wenten as werkemen · with spades and with schoueles
And doluen and dykeden · to dryue aweye hunger
¶ Blynde and bedreden · were botened a þousande
Þat seten to begge syluer · sone were þei heled
For þat was bake for bayarde · was bote forT many hungry
And many a beggere for benes · buxome was to swynke
And eche aT pore man wel apayedT · to haue pesen for his huyre
And what pieres preyed hem to do · as prest as a sperhauke
And þere-of was peres proude · and put hem to werke
And ȝaf hem mete as he myȝte aforth · and mesurable huyre
¶ Þanne hadde peres pite · and preyed hunger to wende
Home in-to his owne erdT · and holden hym þere
For I am wel awroke nowT · of wastoures þorw þi myȝte
Ac I preye þe ar þow passe · quod Pieres toT hunger
Of beggeres and of bidderes · what best be [to]T done
For I wote wel be þow went · þei wil worche ful ille
For myschief it maketh · þei beth so meke nouthe
And for defaute of her fode · þis folke is at my wille
[It]T are my blody bretheren quod pieres · for god bouȝte vs alle
Treuthe tauȝte me ones · to louye hem vchone
And to helpen hem of alle þinge · ay as hem nedeth
And now wolde I witen of þe · what were þe best
AnT how I myȝte amaistrien hem · and make hem to worche
¶ Here now quod hunger · and holde it for a wisdome
Bolde beggeres and bigge · þat mowe her bred biswynke
With houndes bred and hors-bred · holde vp her hertis
Abate hem with benes · for bollyng of her wombe
And ȝif þe gomes grucche · bidde hem go swynkeT
T And he shal soupe swettere · whan he it hath deseruid
¶ AndT if þow fynde any freke · þat fortune / falshedT hath appeyred
Or any maner fals men · fonde þow suche to cnowe
Conforte h[e]mT with þi catel · for crystes loue of heuene
Loue hem and lene hem · so lawe of god techeth
Alter alterius onera portate
And alle maner ofT men · þat þow myȝte asspye
That nedy ben and nauȝty · helpe hem with þi godis
Loue hem and lakke hem nouȝte · late god take þe venjaunce
Theigh þei done yuel · late þowT god awortheT
Michi vindictam & ego retribuam ·
And if þow wil be graciouse to god · do as þe gospel techeth
And bilowT þe amonges low men · so shaltow lacche grace
Facite vobis amicos de mamona iniquitatis
¶ I wolde nouȝt greue god quod piers · for al þe good on grounde
Miȝte I synnelees do as þow seist · seyde pieres þanne
¶ Ȝe I bihote þeT quod hunger · or ellis þe bible lieth
Go to Genesis þe gyaunt · þe engendroure of vs alle
In sudore and swynkeT · þow shalt þi mete tilye
And laboure for þi lyflode · and so owre lorde hyȝte
And sapience seyth þe same · I seigh itT in þe bible
Piger pro frigore · no felde noldeT tilye
And þerfore he shal begge and bidde · and no man bete his hunger
¶ Mathew with mannes face · mouthe[th]T þise wordis
Þat seruus nequam had a namT · and for he wolde nouȝte chaffare
He had maugre of his maistre · for euermore after
And binam [hym]T his Mnam · for he ne woldeT worche
And ȝaf þat Mnam to hym · þat ten Mnames hadde
And with þat he seyde · þat holicherche it herde
He þat hath shal haue · and helpe þere it nedeth
And he þat nouȝt hath shal nouȝt haue · and no man hym helpe
And þat he weneth welT to haue · I wil it hym bireue
¶ Kynde witt wolde · þat eche a wyght wrouȝte
Or in dykynge or in deluynge · or trauaillynge in preyeres
Contemplatyf lyf or actyf lyf · cryst wolde menT wrouȝte
Þe sauter seyth in þeT psalme · of beati omnes
Þe freke þat fedeth hym-self · with his feythful laboure
He is blessed by þe boke · in body and in soule
Labores manuum tuarum &c ·
¶ Ȝet I prey ȝow quod pieres · parT charite and ȝe kunne
Eny leef of lechecraft · lere it me my dere
For somme of my seruauntz · and my-self bothe
Of al a wyke worche nouȝt · so owre wombe aketh
¶ I wote wel quod hunger · what sykenesse ȝow eyleth
Ȝe han maunged ouer-moche · and þat maketh ȝow grone
Ac I hote þe quod hunger · as þow þyne hele wilnest
Þat þow drynke no day · ar þow dyne somwhat
Ete nouȝte I hote þeT · ar hunger þe take
And sende þe of his sauce · to sauoure with þi lippes
And kepe some tyl soper tyme · and sitte nouȝt to longe
AriseT vp ar appetit · haue eten his fulle
Lat nouȝt sire surfait [·] sitten at þi borde
Leue him nouȝt for he is lecherous · and likerous of tonge
And after many manere metes · his maw is afyngred
¶ And ȝif þow diete þe þus · I dar legge myne eres
Þat phisik shal his furred hodes · for his fode selle
And his cloke of calabre · with alle þeT knappes of golde
And be fayne bi my feith · his phisik to lete
And lerne to laboure with londe · for lyflode is swete
[Þer aren mo morareres þan] lechesT · lorde hem amende
Þei do men deye þorw here drynkes · ar destine it wolde
¶ By seynt Poule quod pieres · þise aren profitable wordis
Wende now hunger whan þow wolt · þat wel be þowT euere
For þis is a louely lessoun · lorde it þe forȝelde
¶ By-hoteT god quod hunger · hennes ne wil I wende
Til I haue dyned bi þis day · and ydronke bothe
¶ I haue no peny quod peres · poletes fortoT bigge
Ne neyther gees ne grys · but two grene cheses
A fewe cruddes and creem · and an hauer cake
And two loues of benes and bran · ybake for my fauntis
And ȝet I sey by my soule · I haue no salt bacoun
Ne no kokeney bi cryst [·] coloppes forto maken
Ac I haue percil and porettesT · and many kole plantesT
And eke a cow and a kalf · and a cart mare
To drawe afelde my donge · þe while þe drought lasteth
And bi þis lyflode we mot lyue · til lammasse tyme
And bi þat I hope to haue · heruest in my croft
And þanne may I diȝte þi dyner · as me dere liketh
[¶]T Alle þe pore peple þo · pesecoddes fetten
Benes and baken apples · þei brouȝte in her lapp[e]T
Chibolles and cheruelles · and ripe chiries manye
And profred peres þis present · to plese with hunger
¶ Al hunger eet in hast · and axed after more
Þanne pore folke for fere · fedde hunger ȝerne
With grene poret and pesen · to poysoun hungerT þei þouȝte
TBy þat it neighed nere heruest · neweT corne cam to chepynge
Þanne was folke fayne · and fedde hunger with þe best
With good ale as glotoun tauȝte · and gerte hunger go slepe
¶ And þo wolde wastour nouȝtT werche · but wandren aboute
Ne no begger ete bred · þat benes Inne were
But of coket orT clerematyn · or elles of clene whete
Ne none halpeny ale · in none wise drynke
But of þe best and of þeT brounest · þat in borgh is to selle
¶ Laboreres þat haue no lande · to lyue on but her handes
Deyned nouȝt / DeynedT to dyne a-day · nyȝt-olde wortes
May no peny-ale hem paye · ne no pece of bakoun
But if it be fresch flesch other fische · fryed other bakeT
And þat chaude orT plus chaud · for chillyng of hereT mawe
T And but ifT he be hieghlich huyred · ellis wil he chyde
And þat he was werkman wrouȝt · waille þe tyme
Aȝeines catones conseille · comseth he to iangle
Paupertatis onus pacienter ferre memento
¶ He greueth hym aȝeines god · and gruccheth aȝeines resoun
And þanne curseth he þe kynge · and al his conseille after
Suche lawes to loke · laboreres to greue
Ac whiles hunger was her maister · þere wolde none of hemT chyde
Ne stryue aȝeines his statut · so sterneliche he loked
¶ Ac I warne ȝow werkemen · wynneth while ȝe mowe
For hunger hidewardT · hasteth hym fasteT
He shal awake with waterT · wastoures to chaste
Ar fyue [ȝere]T be fulfilled · suche famyn shal aryse
Thorwgh flodesT andT foule wederes · frutes shul faille
And so sayde saturne · and sent ȝow to warne
Whan ȝe se þe sonne amys · and two monkes hedes
And a Mayde haue þe maistrie · and multipliedT bi eight
Þanne shal deth withdrawe · and derthe be iustice
And dawe þe dyker · deye for hunger
But if god of his goodnesse · graunt vs a trewe
a besaunt