[Prologue]
IN a someres seysoun · whan setT was the sunne
y schoop me in-to shrowdes · as y a sheep were
in abyte of an heremyte · vnholy of werkes
wente wyde in þis world · wondres to here
ac on a maij mornynge · on maluerne hilles
me bifel a ferly · of fayrye me thougthe
y was wery for-wandred · and wente me to reste
vnder a brode banke · by a bornys syde
and as y lay and lenede · and loked on the watres
y slombred in-to a slepyng · it swyȝed so merye ·
¶ Thanne gan y meetyn · a merueylows sweuene
that y was in a wyldernesse · wyste y neuere where
as y be-held{e} into the Eest · an hye vnto the sunne
y saw{e} a tour on a toft{e} · rychely y-maked
a deep dale byneþe · a dongeoun there-ynne
wyth deep dyches and derke · and dredfull of syȝte
a fayre feeld{e} full of folk{e} · fond{e} y there bytwene
of alle manere of men · the mene and the ryche
wurchynge and wandrynge · as the world asketh
Summe putten hem to the plough · pleyȝeden full selde
in settynge and in sowynge · swonken full hardeT
and summe putten hem to pryde · apparayleden hem there-after
in contynaunce of clothynge · comen dysgysed
in prayers and penaunces · putten hem manye
all for the loue of our lord · leueden full streyte
in hope to haue aftyr · heuene-ryche blysse
as ancres and heremytes · that holden hem in here selles ·
that coueytyn nouȝt in contree · to kary{..}en a-bo{.}wte
for no lykerouse lyflode · here lykham to plese
¶ and summe chesoun chaffare · thei cheueden the bettre
as it semyth by our syȝt · that suche men {.......}schulde
and summe merthes to make · a{s} / a[s] menstralles kunneth
and geten golde wyth her gle · synne{...?...?...}les y leeue
¶ ac iapers and iangalers iudas chyldren
feyne{.}de{n} hem fantasyes · and folys hem ma{.}de ·
and han her wytt at wylle · to werke yf they schulde
that poule precheth of hem · y nel nouȝt preue it here
Qui loquitur turpeloquium · ys lucyfer his hyne
¶ bydders and beggers · faste abo{..}wte ȝede
wyth here belyes and here bagges · of brede full crammed
Faytede{.....} for her food · fouȝten at the nale ·
In glotanye god it woot · goo they to bedde
and rysen wyth rybawdye · þoo roberdes knaues
slepe and sory slewthe · sueth hem euere
¶ pylgrymes and palmers · plyȝten hem to-gydre
for to seke seynt Iame · and seyntes ate Rome
they wenten forþ{e} in here way · wyth many wyse tales
and hadden leue to lyȝen · allP here lyfe after
y say summe that seyden · they{.......} hadden souȝt seyntes
to eche tale that they tolde · her tonge was tempryd to lyȝe
more than to seye sothe · it semeth by here speche
¶ heremytes on an hep{e} · wyth hokede staues
wenten to walsyngham · and here wenches after
grete lobyes an{.}d longe · that loþe were to swynke
cloþeden hem in copes · to be knowe from othere
and schopen hem heremytes · to hauen her ese
¶ I fond there freres · alle the foure ordres
prech{...}yng the peple · for profit of hem-selfe
glosede the gospel · as hem good lykede
for couetyse of copes · construyd it as they{....} wolde
¶ many of these mayster freres · mowen cloþe hem at lykyng
for here money and here marchandyse · macchen to-gydres
for syþþe charyte haþ be chapman · and cheef to schryue lordes
many ferlyes han fallen · in a fewe ȝeres
but holy chyrche and they · holden bettre to-gydre ·
þe most myscheef on molde · ys mountynge wel faste
¶ there prechede a pardener · as he a preest were
brouȝte forth{e} a bulle · wyth many buschopes seales
and seyde that hym-self myȝte assoylen hem alle
of falshede of fastyng · and of a-vowes broken
lewed men lykede hym wel · and leueden {..........}his wordes
komen vp knelynge · to kussen hys bulles
and rauȝt wyþ hys ragaman · rynges and brochesT
he bunchede hem wyþ his breuet · and blessede her yȝenblessede
thus thei gyven here gold{e} · glotones to kepe
and leneþ it suche loselles · that lechery haunten
his seal schulde nouȝt by sent · to disceyue þe peple
ac it ys nouȝt by the buschop · that the boy{e} precheþ
for the paryscheprest / parysche prest and the pardener · parten the seluer
that the porayle of the parysch · schulde haue if þei ne were
¶ parsones and parysch prestes · pleynede hem to the buschop
that here paryschenes were pouere · sytthe the pestilence tyme
to haue a lycence and leue · at londoun to dwelle
and syngen there for symony · for syluer ys swete
¶ buschopes and bachilers · bothe maystres and doctorys
that han cure vndyr cryst · and crownyng in tokene
and sygne that they schulden · schryuen here pareschenes
prechen and prayȝen for hem · and the pouere feede
and nowe they lyȝen at londoun · in lenten and Elles
sumtyme serue the kyng · and his money tellen
in cheker and in chauncelrye · chalengen his dettes
of wardes of wardemotys · of weyves of streyves
¶ and summe seruen{.} of seruauntz · lordes and ladyes
and in stede of stewardes · sytten and demen
here masse and here matynes · and many of her oures
arn doon {. · }vndyuoutlyche · drede ys at the laste
lest{e} cryst in consistorye · accuse full manye
¶ y parceyuede of the powere · that petur hadde to kepe
to bynden and vnbynden · as the book telleth
how{e} he it lefte wyth loue · as our lord hyȝte
amonges foure vertues · the beste of alle vertues
that cardynals ben callede · and closynge ȝates
there cryst in his kyngdome · to close and to schutte
and to opene it to hem · and heuene blysse schewe
¶ ac of the cardynalys ate the courte · that kauȝten of the name
and power presumede in hem · a pope to make
to han that power that petur · hadde inpungnen y nelle
for in loue and lettrure · the eleccyon bylongethT
¶ than came ther a kyng · knyȝthode hym ladde
myȝt of the comenes · made hym to regne
and þanne came kyn{..}de wytt · and clerkes he made
forto conseyle the kyng · and the comune saue
þe kyng and the knyȝthode · and clergye bothe
kasten that the comune · schulde hem-selfe fynde
the comune tho contreued · of kynde wytt craftes
and for profit of the peple · ploughmen ordeynede
to tyllye and to trauayle · as trewe lyfe as{.}keþ
¶ the kyng{..} and the comune · and kyn{..}de wytt the þrydde
schopen lawe and leaute · eche man to knowe his owne
¶ thanne lokede vp a lunatyk · a lene thyng wythalle
and knelynge to þe kyng · clergeally he seydeT
¶ Cryst kepe þe syre kyng · and thi kyngryche
and leene the lede þy lond · so leaute þe louye
and for þy ryȝtfull rewlynge · be rewarded yn heuene
¶ and syþen yn þe ayer an hiȝe · an aungel of heuene
lowed
to speke in latyn · for lewyd men ne cowde ·
iangle ne iugge þat iustefye hem schulde
but suffren and seruyn · for-thi seyde the aungel ·
Sum rex sum princeps · neutrum fortasse deinceps ·
O · qui iura regis christi specialia regis ·
Hoc vt agas melius iustus es esto pius ·
Nudum ius a te vestiri vult pietate ·
Qualia vis metere · talia grana sere
Si ius nudatur · nudo de iure metatur
Si {p?}serit{.}ur pietas · de pietate metas
and {.}to the angel an hyȝe · answer{..}ed after
Dum rex a regere · dicatur nomen habere
Nomen habet sine re · {............}studeat nisi iura tenere
¶ thanne gan alle the comune · crye in verse of latyn
to the kynges conseyl · construe who-so wolde
Precepta regis · sunt nobis vincula legis
¶ Wyth that ran ther a route · of ratones at ones
and smale Mees wyth hem · mo than a þousand
and comen to conseyl · for the comen profit
for a kat of a contree · cam{e} whan hym lykyde
and ouer lepe hem lyȝtly · and lauȝt hem at his wylle
and pleyȝ{..}ed wyth hem perelously · and possede aboute
for doute of diuerse dredes · we dare nouȝt wel loke
and if we grucche of his gamen · he wolde greue vs alle
cracche vs and clawe vs · and in his cloches holde
that vs lotheth the lyfe · ere he lete vs passe
myȝt we wyth eny wytt · his wylle to wythstonde
we myȝte be lordes on lofte · and lyuen at our ese
¶ a ratoun of renoun · moste resonable of tonge
seyde for a souereyn · helpe {...?...?...}to hym-sylue
y haue seyn segges quod he · in the sytee of londoun
beren beyȝes full bryȝt · a-boute her nekkys
and summe colers of crafty werk · vncoupled they wente
bothe in wareyne and in waast · where hym-self lyketh
and other while they arn elles-whare · as y here telle
T were þer a belle on her beye · by ihesu as me thynkeþ
men mygth wete where þey wente · and awey renne
and rygth so quod that ratoun · resoun me scheweþ
to bygge a belle of bras · or of brygth syluer
and knyttyn it on his coler · for owr comyn profytT
where he rytt or resteþ · or renneth to pleye
and ȝif hym lyke forto layke · thanne loke we mowe
{...?...}and apperen yn his presence · therwhile hym pleye lykeþ
and ȝif hym wraþþeþ be-war · and his weye schonye
¶ All þis rowte of ratouns · to this resoun assented ·
ac tho þe belle was ybrougth · and on the beye hanged ·
ne haue take the kat by the hals all Engelond to wynne
and holden hem vnhardy and her conseyl feeble
and leetoun her labour loste and all her longe studye ·
¶ a mous that moche good cowde as men thouȝten
stroke forthe sternely and stood by-fore hem alle
and to the route of ratouns rehercede thes wurdes
though we kullen the katt ȝet schall ther come a-nother
to cacche vs and all our kynde though we crepe vndur benches ·
for-thi y conseile all the comune to late the kat wurche
and be we neuer so bolde the belle to schewe ·
for y herde my syre seyn it is seuene ȝeer passed ·
ther the catt ys a ketoun the court ys full {...}elenge{yn.}
that wytnesseþ holy {.....}wryt · who-so wole it rede
Ve terre vbi puer est rex
For ther may no thyng reste haue for ratouns by nyȝte
ther while the kat kaccheth konynges he coueyteth nought our careyne
but fedeth him wyth venysoun dyffame we hym neuere
but betur ys a lytyll lo{.}s · than a long sorowe
the mase amonge vs alle though we mysse a scherewe
for many mennys malt we mees wolden destruye
and alle-so the route of ratouns rende mennys clothes
nere the kat of the courte that kan ȝowe ouer-lepe
y sey for me quod the mous y se so muche after
schall neuer kat ne ketoun by my conseyl be greuyd
ne no carpyng of his coler that coste me neuere
and thouȝ it hadde costed me katel byknowe it y nolde
but suffre as hym-sylf wolde to do as hym lyketh
coupled and vncowpled to kacche what thei mowe
forþy eche a wyse wyȝt y warne wyte wel his owne
¶ What thes metels bymeneth ȝe men that ben merye
dyuyne ȝe for y ne dar by dere god in heuene
sergeauntes it bysemyd that serueden at the barre
pleteden for penyes and poundes the lawe
and nauȝt for loue of our lord · vnlose her lyppes ones
þu myghtyst better meete the myst on maluerne hulles
than gete a Mum of here mouthe tyl money be schewede
¶ barouns and burgeis and bonde-men als
y say in this assemble as ȝe schull here after
bakesters and brewesters and bochers manye
wollen websters and weuers of lynnen
taylours and tynkers and tollere in markatys
masouns and mynourys and many othere kraftes
of alkyn lybbyng laborers lopen forthe summe
and dykers and deluers that done here dedes ylle
kookes and her knaues cryeden hote pyes hote
goode gees and grys go we dyne go we
tauerners vntyl hem tolden the same
wyth wyn of oseye and reed wyn of gascoyne
Of the ryneC and of the rochel the roste to dyfye
all this say y slepyng and seuene sythes more ·