Passus vjus / Sextus
That wolde folwen vs eche a fote · þus þis folke hem mened
Quatȝ Perkyn þe plouman · bi seynt Peter of Rome
I haue an half acre to erye · bi þe {...}heigh way
Hadde I eried þis half acre · and sowen it after
I wilT wende with ȝow · and þe way teche
¶ Þis were a longe lett{i}ynge · quod a lady in a sklayre
And ȝe louely ladyes · with ȝoure longe fyngres
Þat ȝe han silke and sendal · to sowe whan tyme is
Chesibles for chapelleynes · cherches to honoure
¶ Wyues and wydwes · wolle & flex spynneth
Maketh cloth I conseille ȝow · and kenneth so ȝowre douȝtres
Þe nedy and þe naked · nymmeth hede how hijLG liggeth
And casteth hem clothes · for so comaundeth treuthe
For I shal lene hem lyflode · but ȝif þe londe faille
Flesshe and bred bothe · to riche and to poreC
As longe as I lyue · for þe lordes loue of heuene
¶ And alle manere of men · þat þorw mete and drynke lybbeth
Helpith hym to worche wiȝtliche · þat wynneth ȝowre fode
¶ Bi crist quod a knyȝte þo · he kenneth vs þe bestC
Ac on þe teme trewly · tauȝte was I neuere
Ac kenne me quod þe knyȝte · and bi cryst I wil assaye
¶ Bi seynt Poule quod Perkyn · ȝe profre ȝow so faire
Þat I shal swynke and swete · and sowe for vs bothe
And oþer laboures do for þi loue · al my lyf-tyme
In couenaunt þat þow kepe · holikirke and my-selue
Fro wastoures and fro wykked men · þat þis worlde struyeth
¶ And go hunte hardiliche to hares and to foxes
To bores and to brockes · þat breketh adown myne hegges
And go affaite þe faucones · wilde foules to kille
For suche cometh to my croft · and croppeth my whete
¶ Curteislich þe knyȝte þanne · comsed þise wordes
By my power Pieres quod he · I pliȝte þe my treuthe
To fulfille þis forward · þowȝ I fiȝte sholde
Als longe as I lyue · I shal þe mayntene
¶ Ȝe and ȝit a poynt quod Pieres · I preye ȝow of more
Loke ȝe tene no tenaunt · but treuthe wil assent
And þowgh ȝe mowe amercy hem · late mercy be taxoure
And mekenesse þi mayster · maugre medes chekes
And þowgh pore men profre ȝow · presentis and ȝiftis
Nym it nauȝte an auenture · ȝe mowe it nauȝte deserue
For þow shalt ȝelde it aȝein · at one ȝeres ende
In a ful perillous place · purgatorie it hatte
¶ And mysbede nouȝte þi bonde-men · þe better may þow spede
Þowgh he be þyn vnderlynge here · wel may happe in heuene
Þat he worth worthier sette · and with more blisse
Amice ascende superius
For in charnel atteLG chirche · cherles ben yuel to knowe
Or a kniȝte fram a knaue þere · knowe þis in þin herte
And þat þow be trewe of þi tonge · and tales þat þow hatie
But if þei ben of wisdome or of witt · þi werkmen to chaste
Holde with none harlotes · ne here nouȝte her tales
And nameliche atte mete · suche men eschue
For it ben þe deueles disoures · I do þe to vnderstande
¶ I assente bi seynt Iame · seyde þe kniȝte þanne
Forto worche bi þi wordes · þe while my lyf dureth
¶ And I shal apparaille me quod Perkyn · in pilgrimes wise
And wende with ȝow I wil · til we fynde treuthe
¶ And cast on meT my clothes · yclouted and hole
My cokeres and my coffes · for colde of my nailles
And hange myn hoper at myn hals · in stede of a scrippe
A busshel of bredcorne · brynge me þerinne
For I wil sowe it my-self · and sitthenes wil I wende
To pylgrymage as palmers don · pardoun forto haue
¶ Ac who-so helpeth me to erie · or sowen here ar I wende
Shal haue leue bi owre lorde · to lese here in heruest
And make hem mery þere-mydde · maugre who-so bigruccheth it
¶ And alkyn crafty men · þat konne lyuen in treuthe
I shal fynden hem fode · þat feithfulliche libbeth
¶ Saue Iakke þe iogeloure · and Ionet of þe stues
And danyel þe dys playere · and denote þe baude
And frere þe faytoure and folke of his ordre
And Robyn þe Rybaudoure · for his rusty wordes
Treuthe tolde me ones · and bad me tellenT it after
Deleantur de libro viuencium I shulde nouȝte dele with hem
For holicherche is hote of hem · no tythe to take
Quia cum iustis non scribantur
They ben ascaped good auenture · nowT god hem amende
¶ Dame worche whan tyme is · Pieres wyf hiȝte
His douȝter hiȝte do riȝte so · or þi dame shal þe bete
His sone hiȝte suffre þi souereynes · to hauen her wille
Deme hem nouȝte for if þow doste · þow shalt it dere abugge
Late god yworth with al · for so his worde techeth
¶ For now I am olde and hore · and haue of myn owen
To penaunce and to pilgrimage · I wil passe with þise other
For-þi I wil or I wende · do wryte my biqueste
He shal haue my soule · þat best hath yserued it
And fro þe fende it defende · for so I bileue
Til I come to his acountes · as my credo me telleth
To haue a relees and a remissioun · on þat rental I leue
¶ Þe kirke shal haue my caroigne · and kepe my bones
For of my corne and catel · he craued þe tythe
I payed it hym prestly · for peril of my soule
For-thy is he holden I hope · to haue me in his masse
And mengen in his memorye · amonge alle crystene
¶ My wyf shal haue of þat I wan · with treuthe and nomore
And dele amonge my douȝtres · and my dere children
For þowgh I deye to-daye · my dettes ar quitte
I bare home þat I borwed · ar I to bedde ȝede
¶ And with þe residue and þe remenaunte · bi þe Rode of Lukes
I wil worschip þer-with · treuthe bi my lyue
And ben his pilgryme atte plow · for pore mennes sake
My plow-fote shal be my pyk-staf · and picche atwo þe rotes
And helpe my culter to kerue · and clense þe forwes
¶ Now is perkyn and his pilgrymes · to þe plowe faren
To erie þis halue acre · holpyn hym manye
Dikeres & delueres · digged vp þe balkes
Þere-with was perkyn apayed · and preysed hem faste
Other werkemen þere were · þat wrouȝten ful ȝerne
Eche man in his manere · made hym-self to done
And some to plese perkyn · piked vp þe wedes
¶ At heighe pryme peres · lete þe plowe stonde
To ouersen hem hym-self · and who-so best wrouȝte
He shulde be huyred þer-after · whan heruest tyme come
¶ And þanne seten somme · and songen atte nale
And hulpen erie his half acre · with how trolli lolli
¶ Now bi þe peril of my soule quod Pieres · al in pure tene
But ȝe arise þe rather · and rape ȝow to worche
Shal no greyne þat groweth · glade ȝow at nede
And þough ȝe deye for dole · þe deuel haue þat reccheth
¶ Tho were faitoures aferde · and feyned hem blynde
Somme leyde here legges aliri as suche loseles conneth
And made her mone to pieres · and preyde hym of grace
For we haue no lymes to laboure with · lorde ygraced be ȝe
¶ Ac we preye for ȝow pieres · and for ȝowre plow bothe
Þat god of his grace · ȝowre grayne multiplye
And ȝelde ȝow of ȝowre almesse · þat ȝe ȝiue vs here
For we may nouȝte swynke ne swete · suche sikenesse vs eyleth
¶ If it be soth quod pieres þat ȝe seyne · I shal it sone asspye
Ȝe ben wastoures I wote wel · and treuthe wote þe sothe
And I am his olde hyne · and hiȝte hym to warne
Which þei were in þis worlde · his werkemen appeyred
¶ Ȝe wasten þat men wynnen · with trauaille and with tene
Ac treuthe shal teche ȝow · his teme to dryue
Or ȝe shal ete barly bred · and of þe broke drynke
But if he be blynde andT broke-legged · or bolted with yrnes
He shal ete whete bred · and drynke with my-selue
Tyl god of his goodnesse · amendement hym sende
Ac ȝe myȝte trauaille as treuthe wolde · and take mete & huyre
To kepe kyne in þe felde · þe corne fro þe bestes
Diken or deluen or dyngen vppon sheues
Or helpe make morter · or bere mukke afelde
And al is þorw suffrance · þat venIaunce ȝow ne taketh
¶ Ac ancres and heremytes · þat eten but at nones
And namore er morwe · myne almesse shul þei haue
And of myT catel to cope hem with · þat han cloistres and cherches
Ac robert renneaboute · shal nouȝte haue of myne
Ne posteles but þey preche conne · and haue powere of þe bisschop
They shal haue payne and potage · and make hem-self at ese
For it is an vnresonable Religioun · þat hath riȝte nouȝte of certeyne
¶ And þanne gan a wastoure to wrath hym · and wolde haue yfouȝte
And to Pieres þe plowman · he profered his gloue
And bad hym go pissen with his plow · for-pyned schrewe
Wiltow or neltow · we wil haue owre wille
Of þi flowre and of þi flessche · fecche whan vs liketh
And make vs myrie þer-myde · maugre þi chekes
¶ Thanne Pieres þe plowman · pleyned hym to þe knyȝte
To kepe hym as couenaunte was · fram cursed shrewes
And fro þis wastoures wolueskynnes · þat maketh þe worlde dere
For þo waste and wynnen nouȝte · and þat ilke while
Worth neuere plente amonge þe poeple · þerT while my plow liggeth
¶ Curteisly þe knyȝte þanne · as his kynde wolde
Warned wastoure · and wissed hym bettere
Or þow shalt abugge by þe lawe · by þe ordre þat I bere
¶ I was nouȝt wont to worche quod wastour · and now wil I nouȝt bigynne
And lete liȝte of þe lawe : and lasse of þe knyȝte
And sette Pieres at a pees · and his plow bothe
And manaced pieres and his men · ȝif þei mette eft-sone
¶ Now by þe peril of my soule quod Pieres · I shal apeyre ȝow alle
And houped after hunger · þat herd hym atte firste
Awreke me of þise wastoures quod he · þat þis worlde schendeth
¶ Hunger in haste þo · hent wastour bi þe mawe
And wronge hym so bi þe wombe · þat bothe his eyen wattered
He buffeted þe Britoner aboute þe chekes
Þat he loked like a lanterne · al his lyf after
He bette hem so bothe · he barste nere here guttes
Ne hadde Pieres with a pese lof · preyed hunger to cesse
They hadde ben doluen bothe · ne deme þow non other
Suffre hem lyue he seyde · and lete hem ete with hogges
Or elles benes and bren · ybaken togideres
Or elles melke and mene ale · þus preyed pieres for hem
¶ Faitoures for fere her-of · flowen in-to bernes
And flapten on with flayles · fram morwe til euen
That hunger was nouȝt so hardy · on hem forto loke
For a potful of peses · þat peres hadde ymaked
An heep of heremites · henten hem spades
And ketten here copes · and courtpies hem made
And wenten as werkemen · with spades and with schoueles
And doluen and dykeden · to dryue aweye hunger
¶ Blynde and bedreden · were botened a þousande
For þat was bake for bayarde · was bote for many hungry
And many a beggere for benes · buxome was to swynke
And eche a pore man wel apayed · to haue pesen for his huyre
And what pieres preyed hem to do · as prest as a sperhauke
And þere-of was peres proude · and put hem to werke
And ȝaf hem mete as he myȝte aforth · and mesurable huyre
¶ Þanne hadde peres pite · and preyed hunger to wende
Home in-to his owne erdT · and holden hym þere
For I am wel awroke now · of wastoures þorw þi myȝte
Ac I preye þe ar þow passe · quod Pieres to hunger
Of beggeres and of bidderes · what best beT done
For I wote wel be þow went · þei wil worche ful ille
For myschief it maketh · þei beth so meke nouthe
And for defaute of her fode · þis folke is at my wille
Þey are my blody bretheren quod pieres · for god bouȝte vs alle
Treuthe tauȝte me ones · to louye hem vchone
And to helpen hem of alle þinge · ay as hem nedeth
And now wolde I witen of þe · what were þe best
AnT how I myȝte amaistrien hem · and make hem to worche
¶ Here now quod hunger · and holde it for a wisdome
Bolde beggeres and bigge · þat mowe her bred biswynke
With houndes bred and hors-bred · holde vp her hertis
Abate hem with benes · for bollyng of her wombe
And ȝif þe gomes grucche · bidde hem go swynke
And he shal soupe swettere · whan he it hath deseruid
¶ And if þow fynde any freke · þat fortune hath appeyred
Or any maner fals men · fonde þow suche to cnowe
Conforte hym with þi catel · for crystes loue of heuene
Loue hem and lene hem · so lawe of god techeth
Alter alterius onera portate
And alle maner of men · þat þow myȝte asspye
That nedy ben and nauȝty · helpe hem with þi godis
Loue hem and lakke hem nouȝte · late god take þe venIaunce
Michi vindictam & ego retribuam ·
And if þow wilT be graciouse to god · do as þe gospel techeth
And bilowT þe amonges low men · so shaltow lacche grace
Facite vobis amicos de mamona iniquitatis
¶ I wolde nouȝt greue god quod piers · for al þe good on grounde
Miȝte I synnelees do as þow seist · seyde pieres þanne
¶ Ȝe I bihote þe quod hunger · or ellis þe bible lieth
Go to Genesis þe gyaunt · þe engendroure of vs alle
In sudore and swynke · þow shalt þi mete tilye
And laboure for þi lyflode · and so owre lorde hyȝte
And sapience seyth þe same · I seigh it in þe bible
Piger pro frigore · no felde nolde tilye
And þerfore he shal begge and bidde · and no man bete his hunger
¶ Mathew with mannes face · mouthed þise wordis
He had maugre of his maistre · for euermore after
And ȝaf þat Mnam to hym · þat ten Mnames hadde
And with þat he seyde · þat holicherche it herde
He þat hath shal haue · and helpe þere it nedeth
And he þat nouȝt hath shal nouȝt haue · and no man hym helpe
And þat he weneth wel to haue · I wil it hym bireue
¶ Kynde witt wolde · þat eche a wyght wrouȝte
Or in dykynge or in deluynge · or trauaillynge in preyeres
Contemplatyf lyf or actyf lyf · cryst wolde men wrouȝteT
Þe sauter seyth in þe psalme · of beati omnes
Þe freke þat fedeth hym-self · with his feythful laboure
He is blessed by þe boke · in body and in soule
Labores manuum tuarum &c ·
¶ Ȝet I prey ȝow quod pieres · par charite and ȝe kunne
Eny leef of lechecraft · lere it me my dere
For somme of my seruauntz · and my-self bothe
Of al a wyke worche nouȝt · so owre wombe aketh
¶ I wote wel quod hunger · what sykenesse ȝow eyleth
Ȝe han maunged ouer-moche · and þat maketh ȝow grone
Ac I hote þe quod hunger · as þow þyne hele wilnest C
Þat þow drynke no day · ar þow dyne somwhat
Ete nouȝte I hote þe · ar hunger þe take
And sende þe of his sauce · to sauoure with þi lippes
And kepe some tyl soper tyme · and sitte nouȝt to longe
AriseT vp ar appetit · haue eten his fulle
Lat nouȝt sire surfait sitten at þi borde
Leue him nouȝt for he is lecherous · and likerous of tonge
And after many manere metes · his maw is afyngred
¶ And ȝif þow diete þe þus · I dar legge myne eres
Þat phisik shal his furred hodes · for his fode selle
And his cloke of calabre · with alle þe knappes of golde
And be fayne bi my feith · his phisik to lete
And lerne to laboure with londe · for lyflode is swete
For morthereres aren mony leches · lorde hem amende
Þei do men deye þorw here drynkes · ar destine it wolde
¶ By seynt Poule quod pieres · þise aren profitable wordis
Wende now hunger whan þow wolt · þat wel be þow euere
For þis is a louely lessoun · lorde it þe forȝelde
¶ By-hote god quod hunger · hennes ne wil I wende
Til I haue dyned bi þis day · and ydronke bothe
¶ I haue no peny quod peres · poletes · forto bigge
Ne neyther gees ne grys · but two grene cheses
A fewe cruddes and creem · and an hauer cake
And two loues of benes and bran · ybake for my fauntis
And ȝet I sey by my soule · I haue no salt bacoun
Ne no kokeney bi cryst coloppes forto maken
Ac I haue percil and porettes · and many kole plantes
And eke a cow · and a kalf · and a cart mare
To drawe afelde my donge · þe while þe drought lasteth
And bi þis lyflode we mot lyue · til lammasse tyme
And bi þat I hope to haue · heruest in my croft
And þanne may I diȝte þi dyner · as me dere liketh
Alle þe pore peple þo · pesecoddes fetten
Benes and baken apples · þei brouȝte in her lappes
Chibolles and cheruelles · and ripe chiries manye
And profred peres þis present · to plese with hunger
¶ Al hunger eet in hast · and axed after more
Þanne pore folke for fere · fedde hunger ȝerne
With grene poret and pesen · to poysoun hunger þei þouȝte
By þat it neighed nere heruest · newe corne cam to chepynge
Þanne was folke fayne · and fedde hunger with þe best
With good ale as glotoun tauȝte · and gerte hunger go slepe
¶ And þo wolde wastour {..}nouȝt werche · but wandren aboute
Ne no begger ete bred · þat benes Inne were
But of coket or clerematyn · or elles · of clene whete
Ne none halpeny ale · in none wise drynke
But of þe best and of þe brounest · þat in borgh is to selle
C ¶ Laboreres þat haue no lande · to lyue on but her handes
Deyned nouȝt to dyne a-day · nyȝt-olde wortes
May no peny-ale hem paye · ne no pece of bakoun ·
But if it be fresch flesch other fische · fryed other bake
And þat chaude or plus chaud · for chillyng of here mawe
¶ And but if he be hieghlich huyred · ellis wil he chyde
And þat he was werkman wrouȝt · waille þe tyme
Aȝeines catones conseille · comseth he to iangle
Paupertatis onus pacienter ferre memento
¶ He greueth hym aȝeines god · and gruccheth aȝeines resoun
And þanne curseth he þe kynge · and al his conseille after
Suche lawes to loke · laboreres to greue
Ac whiles hunger was her maister · þere wolde none of hem chyde
Ne stryue aȝeines his statut · so sterneliche he lokedC
¶ Ac I warne ȝow werkemen · wynneth while ȝe moweC
For hunger hideward · hasteth hym faste
He shal awake with water · wastoures to chaste
Ar fyue be fulfilled · suche famyn shal aryse
Thorwgh flodes and þourgh foule wederes · frutes shul faille
And so sayde saturne · and sent ȝow to warne
Whan ȝe se þe sonne amys · and two monkes hedes
And a Mayde haue þe maistrie · and multipliedT bi eight
Þanne shal deth withdrawe · and derthe be iustice
And dawe þe dyker · deye for hunger
But if god of his goodnesse · graunt vs a trewe
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to landlordes
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passus vjus de visione
vt supra
vt supra
piers testament
X
a besaunt