Incipit Passus
.xiijus.
& after Pers plowhman / y pryȝede & starede.
Estwarde & westward / y waytid hym ful faste.
& ȝeede as an ydeoot / in cuntrees to a-spye.
After peers plowman / fele places y sowhte.
& þanne mette y with a man / on mydlentene sunday
As hoor as an hawe-þorn / Abraham he hyghte.
I freyned hym first / from whens þat he come.
& of whens he were / & whidir þat he þowhte.
& of Abraham-is hows / an heroud of Armes.
I seeke after a segge / y sey hym but oones.
A ful boold Bacheleer / y knew hym by his blasen.
¶ What beryþ þat burne . quod y þo / so blysse þe by-tyde.
¶ Thre Leedys in oon lyȝþ / non lengere þan oþir.
Of oon mychele & of oon myght / in lengthe & mesure.
& þat .o. dooþ / alle doon / & ech doþ by hym-selue.
Þe firste haþ myght in mageste / makere of alle þyngys.
He is confortour of creaturis / of hym comeþ alle blysse.
So þre bylongen for Lord / [a] Lord / þat lordchepe cleymeþ.
Of hym-selue & his seruaunt / & sumwhat suffreþ hem boþe.
¶ So god þat gynnynge hadde neuere / but þo hym good þowhte.
He sente forþ his sone / as for his seruaunt þat tyme.
To ocupien hym heere / ty / ty[l] issue where y-sprunge.
& þere hym lykede & lovede / in þre persones . he hym schewede.
& þat it may be so & soþ / manhod it scheweþ.
As wedloke / & whedewehod / & virgynete first nempned.
In toknyng of þe trinyte / was take out . of mankynde.
Adam was oure forme fader / & Eve was of hym-selue.
& þe issew þat þey hadde / yt was of hem boþe.
& eyþir is / oþeris Ioye / in þre sundry persones.
& in hevene . & heere / oo synguler name.
& it be-tookneþ þe trinyte / þat trewe is to oure beleue.
¶ Myght is . in Matrimonye / þat multyplyeþ on erthe.
& it be-tookneþ trewly / telle ȝow . if y durste.
Hym þat first alle formede / þe fadir of hevene.
& þe sone if y durste it say / ensample to wydewe.
Deus meus . deus meus . vt quid dereliquisti me.
No moore myghte god be man / but if he moodir hadde.
Ne widewe with-outyn wedloke / may not wel stande.
Ne matrimonye with-outyn moylere / ys not myche to preyse.
Maledictus homo qui non reliquid / reliqui[t] semen in israhel.
& is not but gendre for generacioun / by-fore Iesu in heuene.
Ryght so is þe fadir with þe sone / & fre wille of boþe.
Spiritus procedens a patre & filio.
Wiche is þe holy goost alle / [of] alle / & al is god oone.
/ / [¶] Þus in a somer y hym seyȝ / as y sat in myn porche.
I roos vp / & reuerrencid hym / & ryght faire grette.
Þre men to myn syghte / y made weel a teese / at eese.
& weschȝ here feet & wipid hem / & afterwarde þey eetyn.
Calues fleschȝ & kake bred / þey knewen what y þowhte.
Ful trewe toknes be-twene vs ys / to tellyn whan me lykeþ.
¶ First he fondid me / yf y lovede bettre.
Hym or ysaak myn eyȝr / þe wiche he hyght me kylle.
He wiste my wille by hym / he wil me it a-lowhe.
I circumsysed my soone / sytthen for his sake.
My-selue & myn meyghne / & alle þat malis weren.
Myn affiaunce & myn feyþ / is ferme in myn beleve.
For hym-seluyn be-hyȝte me / & to myn yssew boþe.
Be þe lond / & lordchepe / & lyf with-outyn ende.
Mercy for oure mysdede / as many tyme as we aske.
Quam olim habrahe promisisti / & semini eius.
& sytthen he sente me to seyȝe / y sholde don sacrifise.
& doon hym worchepe with breed / & with wyȝn boþe.
& he callid me foot of his feyþ / his folk for to save.
& defendid hem fram þe feend / þe folk on me beleveþ.
Of a burne þat baptised hym / Iohan babtist was his name.
Þat to patriarkis & prophetis / & to oþir peple in derknesse.
Ecce agnus dei . ecce qui tollit peccata mundi.T
¶ Þan hadde y wondir of hise woordis / & of hise wyde cloþis.
& y lokede in his lappe / a lazar lay þan þere-Inne.
A-mongis patriarkis & prophetis / pleyende to-gydres.
¶ What a-waytist þou quod he & what woldist þou have.
¶ I wolde wete quod y þo what is in ȝoure lappe.
¶ Loo quod he & leet me see / þan Lord mercy y seide.
Is þis a present of mychil priȝs / what prince shal it have.
¶ It is a precious present quod he but þe powke haþ it tachid.
& me þerwith quod þat wyȝe / may no wed vs qwyten.
Tyl he come / þat y carped of / cryst ys his name.
Þat shal delyuere vs sumday / owt of þe deuelys power.
& a bettre wed for vs legge / þan we ben alle worthy.
Þat is lyf / for lyf / er lyggen shulle we þus evere.
& þus shal y / [he] lolle in my lappe / tyl swich a lord vs fecche.
& oon on foote sewede hym / for he softely wente.
& he be-took hym þe targe as tyȝt / trewly to me it telle.
¶ Þan y freyned hym first / from whens þat he come.
What he hyȝte / & whidir he wolde / & whyȝtly he tolde.
I am Spes a spie quod he & spere after þat knyght kowþe.
Me was taken a mawndement / vpon þe mount of synay.
To rewle alle rewmes þerwith / y bere þe rolle heere.
¶ Is it a-selyd seyde y / may men seen þe lettre.
¶ Nay he seide y seke hym / þat haþ þe seel to keepe.
& þat is þe cros & cristendom / & cryst þer-on to hange.
¶ & he plukkede forþ a patente / a pece of an hard rooche.
Were-oon was wryten two wordis / on þis wyse vnglosid / [y]glosid.
Dilige deum / et proximum tuum.
& þe glose was gloriously wrete / with a gylt penne
In hijs duobus mandatis . tota lex pendet & prophete.
¶ Is heere al þyn lordis lawe quod y ȝee leve me he seyde.
& who þat wirchiþ after þys wryt / y wille vndir-taken.
For þeyȝ y sey it myn-selue / I have saved with þis charme.
Of men & of wommen / manye skore þowsendis.
He seyþ soþ seyde þe heroud / y have fownde it ofte.
Loo heere in my lappe / þat belevedyn on þat charme
Boþe Iosue & Iudith / & Iudas Machabeus.
& sixty þowsande by-syde / þat been not seyn heere.
¶ Ȝoure wordis are wondirful quod y wich of ȝow is trewest.
& leelest to be-leve on / to þe lyf / or to sowle.
Abraham seyþ þat he seyȝ / holly þe trynnyte.
Þre persones in parselys / departable fram oþer.
& alle þre but oon / þus Abraham me tawhte.
& þey been savid þat byleve soo / & sory for here synnys.
He can / can [not] seyȝ þe summe / & summe been in his lappe.
What neediþ it þanne / a newe lawe to brynge.
Sytthe þat þe firste ys sufficiaunt / to save vs to blysse.
¶ & þan comeþ spees & spekiþ / þat haþ a-spied þe lawe.
& tellyþ nowht of þe trinnyte / þat took hym his lettris.
¶ & as we wentyn in þe weyȝe / þus wordynge to-gydre.
Þan sey we a samaritan / syttende on a Mule.
& Rydende ful rapely / þe ryght weyȝ we ȝeedyn.
Comynge fram a cuntre / þat men callyn Ierycho.
To a Iustis in Ierusalem / he chased awey faste.
Where þat a man was wowndid / & with þevis takyn.
He myghte neyþir steppen ne stonden / ne stere foot ne honde
Ne helpen hym-selue soþly / for semyvif he semede.
& wolde not neyȝhe hym neer / be nyghne londis lengþe.
¶ Hope cam hippynge after / þat hadde so y-boosted.
How he with Moyses maundement / hadde men y-holpe /
But whan he hadde syght of þat segge / on syde he gan hym drawe.
¶ But so sone as þe samaritan / hadde syght of þat leede.
& to þe weyȝ he wente / hise wounndis to be-holde.
& he parceyvede be his powse / he was in pereyl to dyȝe.
& but he hadde þe rathere recure / ryse scholde he neuere.
With wyȝn & with oyle / hise wowndis he waschede.
& Enbawmed hym / & bond his heed / & in his lappe hym leyde.
& seyde / have kepe þou þis man / tyl y come fram Iustis.
& loo heere is syluer he seyde / for salue / to hise wowndis.
& seyde what he spendid more / y make þe good here-after.
I may no lengere lettyn quod þat leede / & lyard he be-stridiþ.
& rapeþ hym to Ierusalem-ward / þe ryght weyȝ to ryde.
¶ Þan fayth folwed hym faste / & fondid hym to meete.
To ouer-take hym / & talke to hym / er he to towne come
& whan y sey þis y soiorned not / but schoop me to renne
& sewede þe samaritan / þat was so ful of pyte.
& þyn frend & þy felowe quod he / þou fyȝndist me at neede.
& þanne y þankyd hym þo / & sytthyn þus y hym toolde.
¶ How þat feyþ fley a-wey / & spes his felawe boþe.
For syghte of þe sorwful man / þat robbed was with þevis.
¶ Have hem excused quod he / here helpe may lytil a-vayle.
Þere may no medycyn vndir moolde / þat man to helthe brynge.
Neyþir feythȝ ne fyȝn hope / so feestrid ben hise wowndis.
With-owtyn þe blood of a barn / þat shal be born of a mayde.
& beenT bathed in his blood / baptyzed as he were.
& þan shal he stonde & steppen / but stalworthe worþ he neuere.
Tyl he haþ etyn al þe barn / & his blood y-drunke.
For wente neuere weyȝ in þis world / þorghȝ þat wyȝldernesse.
Þat he was / [ne] was robbed & ryfled / rood he eyþir or ȝeede.
Save feyþ & his felawe / Spes & myn-selue.
& þy-selue nowthe / & swiche as sewe oure werkys.
Who is by-hyȝnde / & by-fore / & who is on horse.
For he halt hym hardiere on horse / þan he þat is on foote.
Oon my capel þat hette caro / of mankyȝnde y it tooke.
But er þis / þis [day] þre dayes / y dar vndyr-take
Þat he worthȝ fetrid þat feloun / faste with stronge cheynes.
& neuere eft greve goome / þat goþ þis ilke gate.
¶ A sweete sire seyde y þo / wheyþir of ȝow shal y leve.
For feythȝ & his felawe / enformed me boþe.
Of þre persones departable / & perpetuel ben euere.
Love hem lyȝk my-selue / but oure lord a-bove alle.
He settte / sette faste þy fayþ / & feerme þy be-leve.
Þynn euyncristene euere-more / even-forþ with þy-selue.
& if conscience carpe þere a-geyn / er kynde wit eyþir.
Or eretykis with argumentis / þyn hand þou hem schewe.
For god is after an hand / þou here it now / & knowe it.
Þe fadir was first . as a fyst / with oo fynger folden.
Tyl he lyþedT & luste / to vnloose his fynger.
& profered it forþ with þe pawme / to what place it sholde.
To mynistre & to make / þat myght of man knoweth.
It be-tokneþ trewly / to tellen who-so lykeþ.
Þe holy goost of heuene / he is lykned þe pawme.
& þe fyngris þat free been / to folde & to serue.
By-tokneþ soþly þe sone / þat sent was to erthe.
& þorghȝ towchyng & tastyng / &T techynge of þe pawme.
Seynte Marie þat mayde / mankende sche lawhte.
Qui conceptus est de spiritu sancto
¶ Þe fadir ys / as a fist / with fynger to towche.
Quia omnia traham ad meipsum / me ipsum.
& þre sundry syghtys / in oon shewynge.
Þe pawme for it pit forþ / fyngris & fyst boþe.
¶ Ryght so redely / good resoun it schewiþ.
& as þe hand halt harde / alle þyngis & faste.
Þorghȝ foure fyngris & a þumbe / forþ with þe pawme.
¶ Ryght so þe fadir & sone / & seynt spiryȝt þe þrydde.
Boþe þe walkene & þe wyȝnd / þe water & þe erthe
Þat þre þynges longen to / in / [ / in] oure lord of heuene.
& as my fyst is ful hond / & y-folde to-gydres.
So is þe fadir a ful god / foormere & scheppere.
Tu fabricator omnium.
& alle þe myght myd hym ys / in makynge of þyngys.
¶ Þe fyngris foormen a ful hond / to portreye or to peynte.
Ryght so is þe sone / þe science of þe fadir.
& he ful god as is þe fadir / no feblere ne no bettre.
Þe pawme is pur-lych þe hand / but he / [haþ] power by hym-selue.
Oþir-wise þat wrytynge / þa[n þe] wry[þyn] fust / or werkmanchippe of þe fyngris.
For þe pawme haþ powher / to pittyn owt þe Ioyntys.
& to vnfelde þe fust / for it . to hym longeþT
& to receyve þat þe fyngris reche / & to refuse boþe.
So is þe holy goost god / neyþir grettere ne lasse.
Þan is þe syre . or þe sone / & of þe same strengþe.
& alle þey are but oon god / as is hond & fyngris.
Vn-folden or folden / my fust er my pawme /
Al ys it / but an hand / how so y turne it.
But who is hurt in þe hond / evene in þe myddis.
But þey myn þumbe . & myn fyngris boþe weren to-swolle.
& þe myddis of myn hond / were / with-owtyn male-eese.
Ȝit in manye-skens manerys / y myghte my-selue helpe.
Boþe meeve / me in manere / þey alle myn fyngris oken.
Þat who-so synneþ in þe holy spiryȝt / asoyled worþ he neuere.
For he prikkiþ god in þe pawme / þat peccat in spiritu sancto.
For god þe fader is a fust / þe sone is a fynger.
Þe holy goost of hevene / is as he were þe pawme.
¶ For to a to a / to a toorche / or to a taper þe trinnyte ys lykned.
& þat is but weex & weke / wroght boþe to-gydre.
& a fayr fyȝr flawmeþ / forthȝ of hem boþe.
Fostren forþ a flawme / & a fayȝr leyȝe.
So dooþ þe sire & þe sone / & sancti / sanct[us] spiritus also.
Fostren foorþ a-mong folk / boþe love / & byleve.
Þat al cristene kynde / it clenseþ of synnes.
& as þou seest sum-tyme / sodeynly a torche.
Þe blase þerof y-blowe owt / & ȝit brenneþ þe weke.
Withowtyn leyȝe or lyght /. euere þe macche brenneþ.
To alle vnkende creaturis / þat coueyte to distroye.
Leel love to þe lyf / þat oure lord schapede.T
¶ But hewe þou feyȝr on a flynt / foure hundred wynter.
Al þyn labour is loost / & al þyn longe trauayle.
For may / may [no] feyr flawme make / fayle it his kynde.
To alle vnkyȝnde creatures / crist hym-selue witnessiþ.
Amen dico vobis nescio vos . Vigilate itaque quia nescitis diem neque horam.T
¶ Be vnkyȝnde to þyn euyncristene / & al þat þou canst bidden
Er deele / or do penance / day or nyght euere.
Er purchase al þe pardoun / of þe pope of rome.
Þe holy goost heeriþ þe nowht / ne helpe may þe be resoun.
For vnkyndenesse qwenchiþ hym / þat he may not schyne.
Ne brenne ne blasen cleere / for blowynge of vnkynde
¶ Seynt Powl þe apostle / preveþ þat y not lyȝe.
Si linguis hominum loquar & angelorum caritatem
non habuero nichil michi prodest.T
¶ For-þy be war ȝee wise men / þat with þe world deelen.
Þat ryche been & resoun knowe / rewle wel ȝoure-selue.
Beþ not vnkende i conseyle ȝow / to ȝoure euyncristene.
For manye of ȝow ryche men / be my sowle men telle.
Ȝee brenne / but ȝee blase nowht / & þat is a blynd beekne.
/ / [¶] For diues dyȝede & dampned / for his vnkyndenesse.
Euery ryche man y rede / rewarde at hym ȝee take.
& gyveþ ȝoure good to þat god / þere grace of a-ryseþ.
For þo þat been vnkynde to hise / hoope þou non oþir.
Þat þey shulle dwelle þere dyves ys / dayes with-outyn ende.
Þe grace of þe holy goost / is goddys owen kende.
Vnkyȝnde cristene men / for coueytyse / & Envyȝe.
Sleeþ a man for hise meblis / with mowht or with handis.
For þat þe holy goost haþ to kepe / þo harlotys distroye.
Þe whiche is lyf & love / & leeyȝe of mannys body.
For euery good man may heere / by lykned to a torche.
Or ellys to a taper / to reuerence þe trynnyte.
& who-so Morderythȝ a good man / me þynkyþ be good resoun.
He for-doþ þe levest lyght / þat oure lord lovyeþ.
/ / [¶] But ȝit in manye moo maneres / men þe holy goost offende.
For coveytise of ony þyng /. þat crist so deere bowhte.
How may / may [he] aske mercy / or ony mercy hym helpe.
Þat wykkidly / & wylfully / woole mercy amitte / a[nien]te.
For innocense is neest god / & nyght & day it criȝeþ.
Vengawnce . Vengaunce / for-ȝeve be it neuere.
Vindica sanguinem iustorum.
¶ Þus vengaunce vengaunce / verry charite askeþ.
& sytthe holy chirche & charite / chargiþ þis soore.
/ / [¶] I be-leeve neuere þat oure loord / wille love / þat charite lakkiþ.
Ne have pite for ony prayere / þere þat he pleyneþ.
But confesse me & criȝe his grace / god þat al made.
& myȝldely his mercy aske / myghte y nowht be savid.
But it is but seelde y-seyn / þere soþnesse beriþ witnesse.
Ony creature be cowpable / by-fore a kyngis Iustise.
For þere þat þe partyȝe purseweþ / þe peel is so hewge.
Þat þe kyng may do no mercy / tyl boþe men a-coorden.
& eythir haþ oþir y-qwit / as holy writ telleþ.
Evele lyven . & leetyn nowht / tyl hem lyf for-sake.
Þat mercy in heere myȝnde / may not þanne falle.
& good hoope þat helpe scholde / to wanhope it turneþ.
To a-mende al þat mys ys / & his mercy is grettere.
Þan alle oure wikkide werkis / as holy writ telleþ.
Misericordia dominiT super omnia opera eius.
¶ Thre þyngis þere been / þat dooþ a man / be strengthe.
For to fleen hys owene hows / as holy writ schewiþ.
Þat oon is / a wykkid wif / þat wil not be chastised.
& if his hows be vnhelyd / & it reygne on his bedde
& whan smook & smoldir / smyten in hise eyȝen.
For smook & smolder / so smerteþ hise eyȝes.
Þan kenely he curseþ / þat crist ȝeve hym sorwe.
Þat sholde brynge in bettre woode / & blowe it tyl it brende.
/ / [¶] Þese þre þat y telle of / þus ben to vndirstonde.
Þe wyf is oure wikkid fleschȝ / þat wil not ben chastysed.
For keende cleymeth on hym euere / to contrarie þe sowle.
& þey it falle it fynt skylis / þat freelte it made.
& þat is lyghtly fo-ȝyve / fo[r]-ȝyve / & for-ȝeete boþe.
To man þat mercy askeþ / & to mende hym he þynkeþ.
/ / [¶] Þe reyn þat reygneþ / þere we restyn scholden.
As seynt powl þe a-postle / to þe peple tawhte.
Virtus in infirmitateininfirmitate perficitur.
& þey þat men maken myche deel in here angris.
& lyghtly oure lord god / at here lyvis ende.
He haþ mercy on swiche men / þat so evele may suffre.
¶ But þe smook & þe smolder / þat smyt in oure eyȝes.
Þat is coueytyse & vnkendenesse / þey qwenche goddis mercy.
For vnkyndene / vnkyndene[sse] is þe contrarie / to alle skens resoun.
For þere nys syȝk ne sory / ne non so mychel a wrecche.
Þat he may / [ne] may love & hym lyke / & leene of his herte.
Good wille . good woord / boþe wischen & wylnen.
& to alle manere of men / boþe mercy / & for-ȝevenesse.
& love hem lych hym-selue / & his lyf a-mende.
I may no lengere lettyn quod he & lyard he prikede.
& wente a-wey as þe wynd / & þerwith y waknede.
Explicit Passus
.xiijus.