& wente wyde in . þis world / wondres to here
& on May / [a] May morwe / on malverne hillis
By-fel me a feerly / as fayrye me thowhte
I was wery of wandrynge / & wente me to reste
Vpon a brood banke / be a boorne syde
& as y lay & lenede / & lokede on þe wawys
I slumbrede in-to slepyng / it swyȝede so merye
Þan gan y to meetyn / a mervelous sweuene
Þat y was in a wyldernesse / wiste y neuere where
I beheld in-to Est / [þe] Est / an heyȝ to þe sunne
I seyȝ a tour on a tuft / tryally y-tymbryd
& a deep dale be-nethe / a dongoun þer-Inne
With depe dychis & derke / & dredful to syghte
& a fayr feeld ful of folk / y fond þere be-twene
Of alle manere of men / þe mene & þe ryche
Wyrkynge & wandrynge / as this world askeþ
Summe pitte hem-selue to plowh / & pleyede seldyn
& in settynge & sowynge / þey swonken ful harde
& summe pitte hem to pride / & a-parayled hem þer-after
In prayerys & in penaunces / pitte hem-selue manye
For þe love of oure lord / þei lyvedyn ful streyte
In hope to have to hyre heuyn-ryche blysse
As Ankrys & hermytys / þat holde hem-selue in sellys
& coueyte nowht in cuntres / to kayren a-bowte
For noP likorous lyflode / here lykame to plese
& summe chesen chaffare / to cheven þe bettre
As it semeþ to oure syght / þat swiche men thryvyn
But Iaperis & Iangeleris / ben Iudas childryn
Þei feynen hem fantesyes / & folis hem maken
& welden wit at wille / to worche what þei sholde
& fele fayted for here foode / & fowtyn at þe aleC
& god woot with glotenye / þey goon to-gydre to bedde
& rysen vp / with rubawdye / þo roberis knavis
& sleep & sory slewthe / seweth hem euere
¶ Pylgrymes & palmeris / pyghtyn hem to-gydre
To seken seynt Iemes / & seyntis in Rome
& wentyn forþ / on here way / with fele wyse talis
& grete longe lobyes / þat looþ weryn to swynke
Clothid hem in copis / to be knowe fram oþere
& shoop hem lyk hermytis / here ese for to kacche
/ / [¶] I fond þere of þe freris / alle þe fowre ordris
Þat precheden þe peple / for profyȝt of hem-selue
& gloseden þe gospel / as hem-selue lykede
For coueytyse of copis / þei construe as þei wille
Fele of þe Maystris / may cloþe hem at lykyng
For here mone & marchaundyse / marchyn to-gydre
For sytthe Charite is chapman / & cheef to shryve lordis
Fele ferlijs have ben falle / in a fewe ȝeeris
& but holy chirche & they / holde bettre to-gydre
Þe mooste myschef on moolde / ys mountynge faste
¶ There prechede a pardoner / as he a preest where
& browhte forþ a bulle / with bysshopis selys
& seyde þat hym-selue / myghte a-soyle hem alle
Of false oþis & fastyngis / & fele avowys brokene
& lewide men belevid hem wel / & lykeden hise woordis
& kemen vp knelynge / & kessede his bulle
& he blessid hem with his brevet / & blerede here eyȝen
& lawhte / [r]awhte with his ragman / ryngis & brochis
& þorghȝ þe seelis on þe selk / syluer gret plenteT
With wheche his konkebyne at hom / is klad ful klene
& þus men gyven here gold / glotonys to kepe
& be-leven on þo loselis / þat leccherye hawnten
But where þe blessynge bisshop / worþ boþe his eryn
His seel sholde not be sent / to disseyve þe peple
But it / it [is] not be þe bisshop / þat so þe boy precheþ
Þat here parschenys where pore / sitthe þe pestylence tyme
To have lycence & leve / at loondenn to dwellyn.
& syngyn þere for Symony / for siluer ys swete.
Þat have cure vndir crist / & konynge to knowe.
& prechen & praye for hem & þe poore leene & feede.
& nowht lyȝn in Londenn / in Lentene & ellys.
¶ & summe seruyn þe kyng / & his syluer tellyn.
In þe cheker & in þe Chauncery / to chalange hise dettes.
Of wardis / & of warde-motis / of wayvis & strayes.
& summe seruyn as seruauntys / Lordys & ladijs.
But here mase ne matynys / ne manye of here oures.
/ / [¶] I parceyvede of þat power / þat Peter hadde to kepe
To byȝnde & vnbyȝnde / as þe book telliþ.
How he lefte it with love / as oure lord hym hyghte.
A-mongys foure vertues / most vertuous of hevene.
Þat Cardinalis ben callid / to closen hevene ȝatys.
Þere crist ys in hys kyngdomm / to close & to shette.
& to opene it to hem / & heuene blysse hem shewe.
& þe Cardynalis at þe court / of hem kawtyn name.
For Powher Presumeþ / Presume[d] in hem / a pope to make.
To haue þe Powher / þat peter hadde / Inpugne y nylle.
For in love & in lettrure / þe leccioun by-longeþ.
For-þy y can / & can not of þe cowrt carpyn more.
¶ Þanne kam þere a kyng / knyghthod he ladde.
& þe myght of hyse comonys / maden hym to regne.
& forþ kam kyȝnde wyt & clerkys he hadde.
For to conseyle þe kyng / & hise comonis save.
& þe kyng & his knyghthod / & þe clergye also.
Þe comonys be kynde wit / contriveden craftes.
& for profyȝt of þe peple / plowhmen þey made.
To swynke / & to tylyeT / as trewe skyl askeþ.
/ / [¶] Þanne þe kyng & comonys / & kyȝnde wit þe thryde.
Schopen lawe / be lewte / ech lyf to knowe his owe.
¶ Þanne lookede a lunatyk / a lene þyng with-alle.
He gan knele to þe kyng / & clergyaly seyde.
Cryst kepe þe sire kyng / & þyn kyngdom ryche.
& leve / le[n]e þe / so lede þyn lond / so lewhte þe a-lowe.
& for þyn ryght-ful rewlyng / þou be rewardid in heuene.
& lowhde spak in Latyn / for lewede men ne sholde.
Ianglyn ne Iuggen hym / ne Iustefye hym with mowþe.
But suffren & seruyn / softly / for-þy seyde þe angil.
Sum rex sum princeps . neutrum fortasse deinceps.
O qui iura regis . cristi specialia legis / [r]egis.
Hoc quod agas melius . iustus es esto pius.
Qvalia vis metere . talia grana sere.
Si visT nudatur . nudo de iure metatur.
Si seritur pietas . de pietate metas.
/ / [¶] Thanne grevid hym a Goliardes / a glotoun of woordys.
& to þe Angel on hey he answerede soone.
Dum rex a regere . dicatur nomen habere
Nomen habet sine re . nisi studet iura tenere.
Precepta regis . sunt nobis uincula legis.
& Manye Mees with hem / moo þanne a þowsande
For a Cat in þe court / cam whan hire / [hym] lykede.
& ouer-leep hem lyghtly / & lawht hem at wylle.
& pleyeþ with vs apertly / & posseþ vs a-bowhte.
& for drede of deeþ / we ne dore not wel looken.
& if we gruccheT his wille / he wil greve vs sore.
& cracche vs / & clawe vs / & in his cloche vs holde.
Þat we loþyn oure lyf / er he leete vs passen.
/ / [¶] But myghte we be ony wit / hys wille with-stonde.
We weryn lordys on lofte / & lyven in gret ese.
/ / [¶] Þanne a Ratoun of renoun / moost renable of tunge.
Þat men beryn bryghte byȝes / a-bowtyn here nekkys.
& summe Coleres of crafty werk / vn-cowpled þey walke.
Boþe in wareyn & in waast / where hem best lykeþ.
Men myghten wetyn / where þei wente / & a-wey renne.
Ryght so quod þe Ratoun / as resoun me sheweth.
It were best to begge a bras belle / or of shyȝnT syluer.
& knette it on a Coler / for oure Comoune profyȝt
& yf he wratthe / to be war / & hise weye shone.
But whanne þe belle was bowht / & on þe byȝe hanged.
Þere was no ratoun / of þat rowhte / for þe Rewhme of Fraunce.
Þat durste a bownde þat bond / a-bowte þe Cattys nekke.
Ne honge yt a-bowte hisT hals / al Ingelond to wynne.
But helden hem-selue vn-hardy / & al here conseyl feble.
& al here labour was loost / & here large costes.
/ / [¶] Thanne a Mows / þat mychil good / cowhde / as me thowhte.
Strook forþ sternely / & stood be-fore hem alle.
& to þe rowhte of ratonys / he reersyde þese wordys.
/ / [¶] They we haddyn kyllyd þat Cat / ȝyt sholde þere come a-noþir.
& kacche vus & oure kyȝnde / whan we kroule a-bowte.
& no bacheler be so bold / þe belle hym to shewe.T
For y herde myn syre seyn / is sevene ȝeer y-passed.
Þere þe Cat ys kytoun / þe court ys elenge.
Þat witnessiþ holy wryt / who-so wille it rede.
Ue terre . ubi puer rex est.C
There may no renke haue reste / for rattys on nyghtis.
But fediþ hym with fenysoun / defame we hym neuere.
For bettre ys a lytil los / þan a long sorwe.
Þe Maase a-mong vs alle / þey we mysse a shrewe.
For manye mennys malt ellis / we myȝs wille distroye.
& also ellis ȝee ratonys / wolde renden renkes clothys.T
Ne were þe cat of þe court / þat can a-mong ȝow lepe.
Shal neuere Cat ne kytoun / by myn conseyl be grevid.
Ne carpynge of his coler / coste me neuere after.
But suffre as summe oþire do / to slen what hym lykeþ.
Cowpled / & vncowplyd / to cacche what he wille.
& euery wyȝs Mows y warne / to wacche wel hym-selue.
/ / [¶] What þis Metelys meneþ / ȝee men / þat been here-Inne.
I ne dar dyvyne it ȝow / be dere god in hevene.
Sergawntys þey semeden / þat seruede at þe barre.
Pleteden for þe peny / & pownded þe lawe.
& nowht for oure lordys love / vn-lose here lyppe onys.
Þou myghtyst bettre meten myst / on Maluerne hellys
¶ I seyȝ in þis a-semble / as ȝee shulle here after.
Boþe Bakerys / & Brewsteres / & Bocherys manye.
& also wolle websterys / & webberys of Lynene.
& Tayloures & Tynkeres / & tollerys of Market.
& Masonys & Mynowrys / & manye oþire craftys.
As dykerys & delueres / þat doon here dedes ylle.
& dryve furthȝ þe fayre day / with deu vous saue dame Emme.
/ / [¶] Þere wheren kene Cokys knavis / criȝeden / hote pyes hote
Goode fatte gryȝs & gees / gowe / go we dyghne . gowe / go we.
/ / [¶] & þe Tauernerys vn-tyl hem / tolledyn þe same.
Explicit passus Primus . Petri Plouhman.