Passus septimus de visione ·
Trewthe herde telle her-of · and to peris sente
to takyn his teme · and tyllyen his erthe
and purchacyd hym a pardoun · a pena & a culpa ·
for hym and for his eyres · euermore aftur
and bad{de} hym holdyn hym at hom{e} and eryen his leyes
and alle þat holpyn hym to erye · to sette or to sowe ·
or eny oþer mystyer · that mygth peris auayle
pardoun wyth peris ploughman · trewthe hath hem grauntyd
¶ kynges and knyghtes · that kepyn holy cherche
and rygthfully in rewmes · reulyn the peple
{...........}han pardoun þorowȝ purgatorye · to passen full lyghtly
wyth patryarkes and prophetys · yn paradys to be felawe
¶ Buschoppes yblessid ȝif þey ben as they schulde
legistres of bothe lawes · the lewyd þerwyþ to preche
and as muche as they mowe · amende alle synfull
arn peres wyþ þe apostles · this pardoun peris scheweth
and at the day of dome · at the hiȝe deys to sytte
¶ Marchauntes yn the margyn · haddyn many ȝeres ·
ac {.}non a pena & a culpa · the pope nolde hem graunte
for they holdyn nougth her holydayes · as holy cherche techeth ·
and for þey swere by her sowle · & so god mote hem helpe
aȝen clene conscyence · her catell to sulle
¶ Ac vndyr his secrete seal · trewthe sente hem a lettre
that they schulde b{.}ugge boldly · that hem best{e} lykede
and sytthen it sulle aȝen · and saue the wynnynge
and amende mesondieux ther-myd · and mysese{.} folke helpe
and wykkyd weyes · wightly hem amende
and do bote to brugges · that to-brokyn were
maryen maydnes or makyn hem nonnys
pore peple and prysones · fyndyn hem her foode
and settyn scolers to scole · or to summe oþere craftes
releue relygyoun · and rentyn hym bettre
and y schall sende ȝow my-sylf{e} seynt mychael myn Aungel
that no deuel schall ȝow dere · ne fere ȝow at ȝowr deyȝyng
and wyte ȝow{e} fro wanhope · ȝif ȝe woln thus werche
and sende ȝowr sowles yn saufte · to my seyntes yn ioye
¶ Thanne were marchauntes · merye · many weptyn for ioye
and preysedyn peers the ploughman · that purchacyd this bulle
¶ Men of lawe lest{e} pardoun hadde · that pledyn for mede
for the sauter saueth hem nougth · suche as takyn ȝyftes
and namlyche of ynnocentes · that non vuel kunnyn
Super innocentem munera non accipies · & cetera
¶ Pledours schulde peyne hem to plede · for suche and helpe hem ·
prynces and prelates · schulden p{.}aye for her trauayle
A regibus & a principibus · erit merces eorum · & cetera ·
¶ Ac many a Iustice and iorrour · wolde for iohan do more ·
than pro dei pietate · leue thu none othur
¶ Ac he that spendethC his speche · and speketh for the pouere
that is ynnocentC and nedy · and noman appeyreth
conforteth hym in that caas · wyþ-outyn couetys of ȝiftes
and scheweþ lawe for oure lordes loue · as he it haþ y-lernyd
schal no deuyl at his deth-day · dere hym amy{e}te / a myte
that he ne wurth saufe & his soule · þe sawter beryth wytnesse
Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo & cetera
¶ Ac to bygge water ne wynd{e} ne wyt ne fyer the fierthe
these foure the fadur of heuene made · to his folde yn comyn ·
these ben trewthes tresours · trewe folke to helpe
that neuer schull wexe ne wanye · wyth-owtyn god hym-sylue ·
her pardoun is full petyt at her partynge hennys
that eny mede of mene men · for her motynge taketh
¶ ȝee legystres and lawyers · holdeth this for trowthe
that ȝif þat y lyȝe · matheu is to blame
for he bad me make ȝow this · and this prouerbe me tolde
Quodcumque vultis vt faciant vobis · homines facite eis · & cetera
¶ Alle lybbynge laborers · that lyuen wyth her hondys ·
that trewlyche takyn · and trewlyche wynnyn
and lyue yn loue and yn lawe · for her lowe hertys
haue þe same abs{.}olucyoun · that sente was to peris
¶ Beggers ne bydders · beth nougth yn the bulle
but ȝif the sugestyoun be sooth · that schapeth hem to begge ·
{...?...?...}for he þat beggeþ or byt · but ȝif he haue nede ·
he is fals wyth the fende · and deffraudeth the nedy
Cand also he bygyleth the gyuere · aȝenste his wylle
for if he wyste he were nougth nedy · he wolde ȝeue þat another
that were more nedy than he · so the nedyeste schulde ben holpe
catoun kenneth me thus · and the clerke of storyes
Cui des videto · is catouns techynge
¶ And yn the storyes he techeth · to bystowe thyn alm{.}esse
Sit elemosina tua in manu tua donec studes cui des · & cetera ·
¶ Ac gregorye was a good man · and bad vs gyuyn alle
that asketh for his loue · that vs alle leneth ·
Non eligas cui miseriaris · ne forte preterearis illum qui meretur accipere ·
Quia incertum est pro quo deo magis placias · & cetera ·
¶ For wot{e} ȝe neuere who is wurthy · ac god wote who hath nede
yn hym that taketh is the treccherye · ȝif any tresoun walke
for he that ȝyueth ȝeldeth · and ȝarketh hym to reste
and he that byddeth borweth · and bryngeþ hym-sylfe yn dette
for beggers borwyn euermore · and her borow is god almyghty
to ȝelde hem that ȝyuyn hem · and ȝit vsure more ·
Quare non dedisti pecuniam meam ad mensam
vt ego veniam cum vsuris exigere · & cetera ·
¶ Forthy byddeth nougth ȝe neyȝbours · but ȝif ȝe haue grete nede
for who-so hath to byggyn hym breed · the book beryth wytnesse
he hath ynow{e} that hath breed ynow{e} þow{e} he haue nougth elles ·
Satis diues est · qui non indiget pane · & cetera
¶ Lat{e} vsage be ȝoure solace · of seyntes lyues redynge
the book bannyth beggers · and blameth hem on this manere ·
¶C Iunior fui etenim senui · & non vidi iustum derelictum
nec semen eius querens panem · & cetera ·
¶ For ȝe lyuyn yn no loue · ne no lawe holde
many of ȝow ne wedde nougth · the womman that ȝe wyth delyn
but as wylde bestes wyth wehe · wurthyn vp and wurchyn
and bryngeþ foorth barnes · bastardes that men calleth ·
or the bakke or sum bone · he breketh yn his ȝouthe
and syþþyn gon faytyn wyth ȝoure fauntes · for euermore aftur
ther is more mysschape peple · amonge these beggers ·
than of alle maner of men · that on this molde reignyn
and they that lyuen thus her lyf{e} mown lothe the tyme
that euere thei were men wrougth · whan they schull hennys fare
¶ Ac olde men and hore · that helpeles ben of strenkthe
and wymmen wyth childe · that werchen ne mowe
blynde and bedred · and brokyn her membrys
that takyn these myschefes · as meselles and othre
han as playn pardoun · as the ploughman hym-syluyn ·
for loue of here lowe hertys · oure lorde hath hem grauntyd ·
her penaunce and her purgatorye · here on this erthe ·
¶ Peris quod a preest tho · thi pardoun muste y rede
for y woll construe eche clause · and kenne it the on englysch ·
¶ And peers at his prayer · the pardoun vnfoldeth
and y byhinde hem bothe · byhulde all the bulle
al yn two lynes it lay · and nougth a lefe more
and was wryten rygth thus · yn wytnesse of trewthe ·
Et qui bona egerunt · ibunt in vitam eternam · & cetera ·
Qui vero mala in ignem eternum · & cetera ·
¶ Peter quod the prest tho · y can no pardoun fynde
but do wel and haue wel · and god schall haue thi sowle
and do euele and haue euele · hope thu non oþerT
but after þy deþ-day · the deuyl schall haue þy sowle
and peris for pure tene · pullyd it a-twynne
and seyde · si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis
non timebo mala quoniam tu mecum es · & cetera
¶ I schal cese of my sowyng quod peris · & swynke nougth so harde
ne abowt my bely ioyȝe · so besy be nomore
of prayers and penaunce · my plough schal ben her-after
and wepyn whan y schuld slepyn · þowȝ whetebrede me fayle
þe prophete his payn eet · yn penaunce and yn sorowe
by þat þe sauter seiþ · so dedyn oþer manye
þat louen god lely · his lyflode is full esy ·
Fuerunt michi lacrime mee panes die ac nocte · & cetera ·
¶ And but ȝif luke lye · lereþ vs by fowles
we schuldyn nougth be to besy · aboutyn this worldys blysse
ne soliciti sitis · he seith yn the gospel
and scheweth vs by ensampull vs-sylf{e} forto wysse
the foules yn the felde · who fynt{e} hem mete yn wynter ·
haue they no gerner to go to · but god fynt{e} hem alle
¶ What quod the preest to perkyn · peter as me thynketh ·
thu art lettryd a lytyll · who lernyd the on booke
abstynence the abbesse quod peris · myn · a · b · c · me taugth ·
and conscyence cam{e} afturward · and kennyd me moche more
were thu a preest peers quod he · þumyste / þu myste preche where thu schuldest ·
as dyuynour yn diuinite · wyth dixit in{.}sipiens {..}to thi teme ·
lewyd lorel quod peers · lytyl lokest thu on the bible
on salamones sawes · seldom thu beholdest ·
Ecce dirisores & iurgia cum eis non crescant & cetera ·
¶ The prest{e} and perkyn · apposedyn either othur
and y þorowh her woordes a-wooke · and waytede a-boute
and say the sonne yn the south · sytte that tyme
meteles and moneyles · on maluerne hulles ·
musynge on thes metels · and my wey yȝede
¶ Many tyme thes metels · haue makyd me studye
of þat y saw{e} slepynge · ȝif it so be mygthe
and also for peris the ploughman · ful pensyf yn herte
and whiche a pardoun peris hadde · all the peple to conforte
and how{e} the preest ynpungnyd it · wyth two propre woordes
ac y hano {...?...}sauour yn sowngewarye · for y se it ofte fayle
catoun and canonystres · conseylen vs to leue
to settyn sadnesse yn sowngewarye · for sompnia ne cures
¶ ac for the book of the byble · beryth wytnesse
how{e} daniel dyuynyd · the drem of a kynge ·
that was {..}Nabygodonosor · nempnyd of clerkes
daniel seide sure / s[i]re kynge · thi dremes betokneth
that vncowth knygthes schull come · thi kyngdom to cleyme
among{e} lower lordes thi londe schall be departyd ·
and as danyel dyuynyd · yn dede it fel aftur
the kynge les his lordschipe · and lower men it hadde ·
¶ and Ioseph mette merueylously · how þe mone and the sonne
and {...?...?...}enleuene sterres · worschipede hym alle
than iacob Iuged · Iosephis sweuene ·
beaufys quod his fader · for deffaute we schullyn
y my-selfe and my sones · seche tho for nede
It beffel as his fader seyde · in pharaoes tyme
that Iosep whas iustyse · egypte to lokyn
and tho as his fader tolde · his frendes there hym sougthe ·
and all this maketh me · on thes metels to þenke
¶ And how the {...?...?...}preest · prouede no pardon to dowel
and demyd that do wel · indulgences passyd
biennals and tryanals and buschopes seales
and how do-wel at the day of dome is dignylyche vndurfongyn
and passeth all the pardoun · of seynt petres of rome
¶ Now hath the pope power · pardoun to graunte the peple
wyth-outyn any penaunce · to passe ynto heuene
this is oure byleue · as lettryd men vs techeth
Quodcumque ligaueris super terram erit ligatum & in celis · & cetera
that pardoun and prayers · and penaunce don saueth / sauyn
soules that han synnyd · seuene sythes dedly ·
ac to truste to these triennals · trewly me thynketh
is nougth so syker for soules · certys as is do-wel
¶ For-thi y rede ȝow renkes · that ryche ben on this erthe ·
vppon trust of ȝour tresour · triennals to haue
{..}be ȝe neuere the boldere · to breke the ten hestes
and namely ȝe maystres · mayres and Iuges
that han the welthe of þis world{e} and for wyse men ben holdyn ·
to purchace ȝow pardoun · and the popes bulles ·
¶ At the dredful dome · whan the dede schulle aryse
and comyn alle to-fore cryst{e} acountys to ȝelde
how ȝe ladde ȝour lyfe there · and his lawys kepte
and how ȝe dedyn day by day · the doom schall {.......}reherce ·
a pokeful of pardoun · þere · ne prouyncyales lettrys
they ȝe be fowndyn in the Fraternyte · of all þe foure ordres ·
and haue indulgences dowblefold · but ȝif dowel ȝow helpe
y sette ȝour patentes and ȝour pardoun · at one pyes hele
¶ for-þy y conseyl alle crystene · forto crye god mercy
and mary his moder · be oure mene bytwene
that god ȝyue vs grace · here or we gon hennes
suche werkes to wurche · while we ben here
that aftur our deth-day · do-wel reherce
at the day of dome · we dude as he higth ·
☞ pardon