Passus xxus / vicesimus & primus de dobest
ThanneC as I went by þe way · whan I was þus awaked
Heuy-chered I ȝede · and elynge in herte
I ne wiste where to ete · ne at what place
And it neighed nyeghe þe none · & with nede I mette
That afronted me foule · and faitour me called
CoudestowT nouȝte excuse þe · as dede þe Kynge & other
Þat þow toke to þi bylyf · to clothes and to sustenance
AsT by techynge & by tellynge · of spiritus temperancie
And þow nome namore · þan nede þe tauȝte
And nede ne hath no lawe · ne neure shal falle in dette
For þre thynges he taketh · his lyf forto saue
That is mete whan men hym werneth · & he no moneye weldeth
¶ Ne wyght none wil ben his borwe · ne wedde hath none to legge
And he cauȝte in þat cas · & come þere-to by sleighte
He synneth nouȝte sothelich · þat so wynneth his fode
And þough he come so to a clothe · and can no better cheuysaunce
Nede anon-riȝte · nymeth hym vnder meynpryse
And if hym lyst for to lape · þe lawe of kynde wolde
That he dronke at eche diche · ar he for thurste deyde
So nede at grete nede · may nymen as for his owne
Wyth-oute conseille of conscience · or cardynale vertues
So þat he suwe & saue · spiritus temperancie
¶ For is no vertue by fer to spiritus temperancie
Neither spiritus iusticie · ne spiritus fortitudinis
For spiritus fortitudinis · forfaiteth ful oft
He shal do more þan mesure · many tyme & ofte
And bete men ouer bitter · and somme of hem to litel
And greue men gretter · þan goode faith it wolde
¶ And spiritus iusticie shal iuggen wolhe nolhe
After þe kynges conseille · & þe comune lyke
And spiritus prudencie · in many a poynte shal faille
Of þat he weneth wolde falle · if his wytte ne were
Wenynge is no wysdome · ne wyse ymagynacioun
Homo proponit & deus disponit · & gouerneth alle good vertues
Ac nede is next hym · for anon he meketh
And as low as a lombe · for lakkyng of þat hym nedeth
Wyse men forsoke wele · for þey wolde be nedy
And woneden in wildernesse · & wolde nouȝte be riche
¶ And god al his grete ioye · gostliche he left
And cam & toke mankynde · and bycam nedy
So nedy he was as seyth þe boke · in many sondry places
Þat he seyde in his sorwe · on þe selue Rode
Bothe fox & foule · may fleighe to hole & crepe
And þe fisshe hath fyn · to flete with to reste
Þere nede hath ynome me · þat I mote nede abydeT
And suffre sorwes ful sowre · þat shal to ioye tourne
For-þi be nouȝte abasshed · to byde and to be nedy
Syth he þat wrouȝte al þe worlde · was wilfullich nedy
Ne neuer none so nedy · ne pouerere deyde
¶ Whan nede had vndernome me þus · anon I felle aslepe
And mette ful merueillously · þat in mannes forme
Antecryst cam þanne · and al þe croppe of treuthe
Torned it vp-so-doune · and ouertilte þe rote
And fals sprynge & sprede · & spede mennes nedes
In eche a contre þere he cam · he cutte awey treuthe
And gert gyle growe þere · as he a god were
C Freres folwed þat fende · for he ȝaf hem copes
And religiouse reuerenced hym · and rongen here belles
And al þe couent forth cam · to welcome þat tyraunt
And alle hise · as wel as hym · saue onlich folis
Which folis were wel leuer to {...?...}deye þan to lyue
Lengore sith lenten was so rebuked
And a fals fende antecriste · ouer alle folke regned
And þat were mylde men & holy · þat no myschief dredden
Defyed al falsenesse · and folke þat it vsed
C They cursed and her conseille · were it clerke or lewed
¶ Antecriste hadde thus sone · hundredes at his banere
And Pryde it bare · boldely aboute
With a lorde þat lyueth · after lykynge of body
That cam aȝein conscience · þat kepere was & gyoure
Ouer kynde {...}crystene · and cardynale vertues
¶ I conseille quod conscience þo · cometh with me ȝe foles
In-to vnyte holy cherche · and holde we vs there
And crye we to kynde · þat he come & defende vs
Foles · fro þis fendes lymes · for Piers loue þe plowman
And crye we to alle þe comune / þat þei come to vnite
And þere abide and bikere · aȝein beliales children
¶ Kynd conscience þo herde · and cam out of þe planetes
And sent forth his foreioures feures and fluxes
Coughes and cardiacles · crampes and tothaches
Rewmes & radegoundes · and roynouse scalles
Byles and bocches · and brennyng agues
Frenesyes & foule yueles · forageres of kynde
Hadde yprykked and prayed polles of peple
Þat largelich a legioun · leseT her lyf sone
¶ There was harrow and help · here cometh kyndeC
With deth þat is dredful · to vndone vs alle
¶ The lorde that lyued after lust · tho alowde cryde
After {....}conforte a knyghte · to come and bere his banere
Alarme alarme quod þat lorde eche lyf kepe his owne
¶ And þanne mette þis men · ar mynstralles myȝte pipe
And ar heraudes of armes · hadden descreued lordes
¶ Elde þe hore · he was in þe vauntwarde
And bare þe banere bifor deth · by riȝte he it claymed
Kynde come after · with many kene sores
As pokkes and pestilences · and moche poeple shente ·
C So kynde þorw corupciouns · kulled ful manye
¶ Deth cam dryuendeLG after · and al to doust passhed
Kynges & Knyȝtes · kayseres and popes
Lered ne lewed · he let no man stonde
That he hitte euene · þat euere stired after
Many a louely lady · and lemmanes of knyghtes
Swouned and swelted · for sorwe of dethes dyntes
¶ Conscience of his curteisye · to kynde he bisouȝte
To cesse & {..}suffre · and see where þei wolde
Leue pryde pryuely · and be parfite cristene
¶ And kynde cessed tho · to se þe peple amende
Fortune gan flateren thenne · þo fewe þat were alyue
And byhight hem longe lyf · and lecherye he sent
Amonges al manere men · wedded & vnwedded
And gadered a gret hoste · al agayne conscience
¶ This lecherye leyde on · with a laughyng chiere
And with pryue speche · and peynted wordes
And armed hym in ydelnesse · and in hiegh berynge
He bare a bowe in his hande · and manye blody arwes
Weren fethered with faire biheste · and many a false truthe
WitC his vntydy tales · he tened ful ofte
Conscience and his compaignye · of holicherche þe techeres
¶ Thanne cam coueityse · and caste how he myȝte
Ouercome conscience · and cardynal vertues
And armed hym in auaryce · and hungriliche lyued
His wepne was al wiles · to wynnen & to hyden
With glosynges and with gabbynges · he gyled þe peple
Symonye hym sent · to assaille conscience
And preched to þe peple · and prelates þei hem maden
To holden with antecryste · her temperaltes to saue
And come to þe kynges conseille · as a kene baroun
And kneled to conscience in courte afor hem alle
And gart gode feith flee · and fals to abide
And boldeliche bar adown · with many a briȝte noble
Moche of þe witte and wisdome · of westmynster halle
He iugged til a iustice · and iusted in his ere
And ouertilte al his treuthe · with take þis vp amendement
And to þe arches in haste · he ȝede anone after
And torned Ciuile in-to symonye · and sitthe he toke þe official
For a mentel of menyuere · he made lele matrimonye
Departen ar deth cam · & deuos shupte
¶ Allas quod conscience & cried þo · wolde criste of his grace
That coueityse were cristene · þat is so kene a fiȝter
And bolde and bidyng · while his bagge lasteth
¶ And þanne lowgh lyf · and leet dagge his clothes
And armed hym in haste · in harlotes wordes
And helde holynesse a iape · and hendenesse a wastour
And lete leute a cherle · and lyer a fre man ·
Conscience and conseille · he counted it aT folye ·
¶ Thus relyed lyf · for a litel fortune
And pryked forth with pryde preyseth he no vertue
ALX careth nouȝte how kynde slow · and shal come atte laste
And culle alle erthely creatureT · saue conscience one
Lyf leep asyde · and lauȝte hym a lemman
Heel & I quod he · and hieghnesse of herte
Shal do þe nouȝte drede · noyther deth ne elde
And to forȝete sorwe · and ȝyue nouȝte of synne
¶ This lyked lyf · and his lemman fortune
And geten in her glorie · a gadelyng atte laste
One þat moche wo wrouȝte · sleuthe was his name
Sleuthe wex wonder ȝerne · and sone was of age
And wedded one wanhope · a wenche of þe stuwes
Her syre was a sysour · þat neure swore treuthe
One Thomme two tonge · ateynte at vch a queste
¶ This sleuthe was war of werre · and a slynge made
And threwe drede of dyspayre · a dozein myle aboute
For care conscience þo · cryed vpon elde
And bad hym fonde to fyȝte · and afere wanhope
¶ And elde hent good hope · and hastilich he shifte hym
And wayued awey wanhope · and with lyf he fyȝteth
And lyf fleigh for fere to fysyke after helpe
And bisouȝte hym of socoure · and of his salue hadde
And gaf hym golde good woon · þat gladded his herte
And þei gyuen hym agayne a glasen houve
Lyf leued þat lechecrafte · lette shulde elde
And dryuen awey deth · with dyas and dragges
¶ And elde auntred hym on lyf · and atte laste he hitte
A Fisicien with a forred hood · þat he fel in a palsye
And þere deyed þat doctour · ar thre dayes after
Now I see seyde lyf · þat surgerye ne Fisyke
May nouȝte a myte auaille · to medle aȝein elde
And in hope of his hele · gode herte he hente
And rode so to reuel · a ryche place and a merye
C The companye of conforte · men cleped it sumtyme
And elde anone after me · and ouer myne heed ȝede
And made me balled bifore · and bare on þe croune
So harde he ȝede ouer myn hed · it wil be seen eure
¶ Sire euel ytauȝte elde quod I · vnhende go with the
Sith whanne was þe way · ouer menT hedes
Haddestow be hende quod I · þow woldest haue asked leue
¶ Ȝe leue lordeyne quod he · and leyde on me with age
And hitte me vnder þe ere · vnethe may ich here
He buffeted me aboute þe mouthe · & bett out my tethe
And gyued me in goutes · I may nouȝte go at large
And of þe wo þat I was in · my wyf had reuthe
And wisshed ful witterly · þat I were in heuene
For þe lyme þat she loued me fore · and leef was to fele
On nyȝtes namely · whan we naked were
I ne myght in no manere · maken it at hir wille
So elde and she sothly · hadden it forbeten
¶ And as I seet in þis sorwe · I say how kynde passed
And deth drowgh niegh me · for drede gan I quake
And cried to kynde · out of care me brynge
Loo elde þe hoore · hath me biseye
Awreke me if ȝowre wille be · for I wolde ben hennes
¶ Ȝif þow wilt ben ywroken · wende in-to vnite
And holde þe þere eure · tyl I sende for þe
And loke þow conne somme crafte ar þow come þennes
Conseille me kynde quod I · what crafte is best to lerne
CLerne to loue quod kynde · & leue of alle othre
¶ How shal I come to catel so · to clothe me and to fede
And þow loue lelly quod he · lakke shal þe neure
Mete ne wordly wede · whil þi lyf lasteth
¶ And þere by conseille of kynde · I comsed to rowme
Thorw contricioun & confessioun · tyl I cam to vnite
And þere was conscience constable · cristene to saue
And biseged sothly · with seuene grete gyauntz
Þat with Antecrist{e} helden · hard aȝein conscience
¶ Sleuth with his slynge · an hard saut he made
Proude prestes come with hym moo þan a thousand
In paltokes & pyked shoes · & pisseres longe knyues
Comen aȝein conscience · with coueityse þei helden
I counte namore conscience · bi so I cacche syluer
Than I do to drynke · a drauȝte of good ale
And so seide sexty of þe same · contreye
And shoten aȝein with shotte · many a shef of othes
And brode hoked arwes · goddes herte & his nayles
And hadden almost vnyte · and holynesse adowne
¶ Conscience cryed helpe · clergye or ellis I falle
Thorw inparfit prestes · and prelates of holicherche
Freres herden hym crye · and comen hym to helpe
Ac for þei couth nouȝte wel her craft · conscience forsoke hem
¶ Nede neghed tho nere · and conscience he tolde
That þei come for coueityse · to haue cure of soules
And for þei arn poure par-auenture · for patrimoigne hem failleth
Thei wil flatre to fare wel · folke þat ben richeC
And sithen þei chosen chele · and cheytifteT pouerte
Lat hem chewe as þei chese · and charge hem with no cure
For lomerC he lyeth · þat lyflode mote begge
Þan he þat laboureth for lyflode · & leneth it beggeres
And sithen Freres forsoke · þe felicite of erthe
Lat hem be as beggeres · or lyue by angeles fode
¶ Conscience of þis conseille þo · comsed for to laughe
And seide sires sothly · welcome be ȝe alle
To vnite and holicherche · ac on thyng I ȝow preye
Holdeth ȝow in vnyte · and haueth none envye
To lered ne to lewed · but lyueth after ȝowre rewle
And I wil be ȝowre borghe · ȝe shal haue bred and clothes
And other necessaries anowe · ȝow shal no thyng faille
With þat ȝe leue logyk · and lerneth for to louye
For loue laft þei lordship · bothe londe and scole
Frere Fraunceys and Dominyk · for loue to ben holy
¶ And if ȝe coueyteth cure · kynde wil ȝow teche
That in mesure god made · alle manere thynges
And sette it at a certeyne · and at a syker noumbre
And nempned names newe · and noumbred þe sterres
Qui numerat multitudinem stellarum · & omnibus eis &c
¶ Kynges & knyghtes þat kepen and defenden
Han officers vnder hem · and vch of hem certeyne
And if þei wa{..}ge men to werre · þei write hem in noumbre
Wil no tresorere hem paye · trauaille þei neure so sore
Alle other in bataille · ben yholde bribours
Pilours and pykehernois · in eche a place ycursed
¶ Monkes and monyals · and alle men of Religioun
Her ordre and her reule wil · to han a certeyne noumbre
Of lewed and of lered · þe lawe wol and axeth
A certeyn for a certeyne · saue onelich of freres
For-þi quod conscience by cryst · kynde witte me telleth
It is wikked to wage ȝow · ȝe wexeth out of noumbre
Heuene hath euene noumbre · and helle is with-out noumbre
For-þi I wolde witterly · þat ȝe were in þe Registre
And ȝowre noumbre vndre notarie sygne · & noyther mo ne lasse
¶ Enuye herd þis · and heet freres to go to scole
And lerne logyk and lawe · and eke contemplacioun
And preche men of plato · and preue it by seneca
Þat alle þinges vnder heuene · ouȝte to ben in comune
¶ And ȝit he lyeth as I leue · þat to þe lewed so precheth
For god made to men a lawe · and Moyses it tauȝte
Non concupisces rem proximi tui
And euele is þis yholde · in parisches of engelonde
For parsones and parishprestes / parish prestes þat shulde þe peple shryue
Ben curatoures called · to knowe and to hele
Alle þat ben her parisshiens · penaunce to enioigne
And shulden be ashamed in her shrifte · ac shame maketh hem wende
And fleen to þe freres · as fals folke to westmynstre
That borweth and bereth it þider · and þanne biddeth frendes
Ȝerne of forȝifnesse · or lenger ȝeres leueT
¶ Ac whil he is in westmynstre · he wil be bifore
And make hym merye with other mennes goodis
And so it fareth with moche folke · þat to þe freres shryueth
A parcel to preye for hem · & make hem-self myrye
With þe residue and þe remenaunt · þat other men biswonke
And suffre þe ded in dette · to þe day of dome
¶ Enuye herfore · hated conscience
And freres to philosofye · he fonde hem to scole
The while coueytise and vnkyndenesse · conscience assailled
In vnite holycherche · conscience helde hym
And made pees porter · to pynne þe ȝates
Of alle taletellers · and tyterers in ydel
Ypocrisye and he · an hard saut þei made
Ypocrysie atte ȝate · hard gan fiȝte
And wounded wel wykkedly · many wise techer
Þat with conscience acorded · and cardinale vertues
Conscience called a leche · þat coude wel shryue
Go salue þo þat syke ben · þorw synne ywounded
Shrifte shope sharpe salue · and made men do penaunce
For her mysdedes þat þei wrouȝte hadden
And þat piers were payed · redde quod debes
¶ Somme lyked nouȝte þis leche · and lettres þei sent
Ȝif any surgien were þe seg{g}eT · þat softer couth plastre
Sire lief to lyue in leccherye · lay þere and groned
For fastyng of a fryday · he ferde as he wolde deye
Ther is a surgiene in þis sege · þat soft can handle
And more of phisyke bi fer · and fairer he plastreth
One frere flaterere is phisiciene and surgiene
Quod contricioun to conscience · do hym come to vnyte
For here is many a man herte · þorw ypocrisie
¶ We han no nede quod conscience · I wote no better leche
Than persoun or parissh prest · penytancere or bisshop ·
Saue Piers þe plowman · þat hath powere ouer hem alle
And indulgence may do · but if dette lette it
I may wel suffre seyde conscience · syn ȝe desiren
That frere flaterer be fette · and phisike ȝow syke
¶ The Frere her-of herde · and hyed faste
To a lorde for a lettre · leue to haue to curen
As a curatour he were · and cam with his lettres
Baldly to þe bisshop · & his brief hadde
In contrees þere he come in · confessiouns to here
And cam þere conscience was · and knokked atte ȝate
¶ Pees vnpynned it · was porter of vnyte
And in haste asked · what his wille were
In faith quod þis frere · for profit and for helthe
Carpe I wolde with contricioun · & þerfore come I hider
¶ He is sike seide pees · and so ar many other
Ypocrisie hath herte hem · ful harde is if þei keure
I am a surgien seide þe segge · and salues can make
Conscience knoweth me wel · and what I can do bothe
I preye þe quod pees þo · ar þow passe ferther
What hattestow I preye þe · hele nouȝte þi name
¶ Certes seyde his felow sire penetrans domos
Ȝe go þi gate quod pees · bi god for al þi phisyk
But þow conne somme crafte · þow comest nouȝt her-Inne
I knewe such one ones · nouȝte eighte wynter passed
Come in þus ycoped · at a courte þere I dwelt
And was my lordes leche · & my ladyes bothe
And at þe last þis limitour · þo my lorde was out
He salued so owre wommen · til somme were with childe
Hende speche het pees · opene þe ȝates
Late in þe frere and his felawe · and make hem faire chere
He may se and here · so it may bifalle
That lyf þorw his lore shal leue coueityse
And be adradde of deth · and with-drawe hymC fram pryde
And acorde with conscience · and kisse her either other
Thus thorw hende speche entred þe frere
And cam in to conscience · and curteisly hym grette
Þow art welcome quod conscience canstow hele þe syke
Here is contricioun quod conscience · my cosyn ywounded
Conforte hym quod conscience and take kepe to his sores
The plastres of þe persoun · and poudres biten to sore
He lat hem ligge ouerlonge · and loth is to chaunge hem
Fro lenten to lenten · he lat his plastres bite
¶ That is ouerlonge quod this limitour · I leue I shal amende it
And goth and gropeth contricioun · and gaf hym a plastre
Of a pryue payement · and I shal praye for ȝow
For alle þat ȝe ben holde to · al my lyf-tyme
And make ȝow my lady · in masse and in matynes
As freres of owre fraternite · for a litel syluer
¶ Thus he goth and gadereth · and gloseth þere he shryueth
Tyl contricioun hadde clene forȝeten · to crye & to wepe
And wake for his wykked werkes · as he was wont to done
For confort of his confessour · contricioun he lafte
Þat is þe souereynest salue · for alkyn synnes
¶ Sleuth seigh þat · and so did pryde
And come with a kene wille · conscience to assaille
Conscience cryde eft · and bad clergye help hym
And also contricioun · forto kepe þe ȝate
He lith and dremeth · seyde pees · and so do many other
The Frere with his phisik · þis folke hath enchaunted
And plastred hem so esyly · þei drede no synne
¶ Bi cryste quod conscience þo · I wil bicome a pilgryme
And walken as wyde · as al þe wordle lasteth
To seke Piers þe plowman · þat pryde may destruye
And þat freres hadde a fyndyng · þat for nede flateren
And contrepleteth me conscience · now kynde me auenge
And sende me happe and hele · til I haue piers þe plowman
And sitthe he gradde after grace · til I gan awakeC
Explicit hic dialogus petri plowman
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nota
[pass]us ijus de Dobest
id est sepius