L.7 – PPEA

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fol. 30r (cont.)

Passus vijus / septimus

reutheC herde telle her-of · and to peres he sent

To taken his teme and tulyen þe erthe

And purchaced hym a pardoun · a pena & a culpa

For hym and for his heires · for euermore after

And bad hym holde hym at home · and eryen his leyes

And alle þat halpe hym to erie · to sette or to sowe

Or any other myster · þat myȝte pieres auaille ·

Pardoun with pieres plowman · treuthe hath ygraunted

C ¶ Kynges and knyȝtes · þat kepen holycherche

And ryȝtfullych in reumes · reulen þe peple

fol. 30v

Han pardoun thourgh purgatorie · to passe ful lyȝtly

With patriarkes and prophetes · in paradise to be felawes

¶ Bisshopes yblessed · ȝif þei ben as þei shulden

Legistres of bothe þe lawes · þe lewed þere-with to preche

And in as moche as þei mowe · amende alle synful

C Aren peres with þe apostles · þusT pardoun Piers sheweth

And at þe day of dome · atte heigh deyse to sytte

¶ Marchauntz in þe margyne · hadden many ȝeres

Ac none a pena & a culpa · þe Pope nolde hem graunte

For þei holde nouȝt her halidayes · as holicherche techeth

And for þei swere by her soule · and so god moste hem helpe

Aȝein clene conscience · her catel to selle

C ¶ Ac vnder his secret seel · treuthe sent hem a lettre

That þey shulde bugge boldely · þat hem best liked

And sithenes selle it aȝein · and saue þe wynnyge / wynny[n]ge

And amende mesondieux þere-myde · and myseyse folke helpe

And wikked wayes · wiȝtlich hem amende

And do bote to brugges þat to-broke were

Marien maydenes · or maken hem nonnes

Pore peple and prisounes · fynden hem here fode

And sette scoleres to scole · or to somme other craftes

Releue Religioun · and renten hem bettere

And I shal sende ȝow my-selue · seynt Michel myn archangel

Þat no deuel shal ȝow dere · ne fere ȝow in ȝowre deying

And witen ȝow fro wanhope · if ȝe wil þus worche

And sende ȝowre sowles in safte · to my seyntes in ioye

¶ Þanne were Marchauntz mery · many wepten for ioye

And preyseden Pieres þe plowman · þat purchaced þis bulle

C Men of lawe lest pardoun hadde þat pleteden for Mede

For þe sauter saueth hem nouȝte · such as taketh ȝiftes

And namelich of innocentz þat none yuel ne kunneth

Super innocentem munera non accipies

Pledoures shulde peynen hem · to plede for such an helpe

Prynces and prelates · shulde paye for her trauaille

A regibus & pryncipibus erit merces eorum

¶ Ac many a iustice an iuroure · wolde for Iohan do more

Þan pro dei pietate · leue þow none other

Ac he þat spendeth his speche and spekeþ for þe pore

Þat is Innocent and nedy · and no man appeireth

fol. 31r

Conforteth hym in þat cas · with-oute coueytise of ȝiftes

And scheweth lawe for owre lordes loue · as he it hath lerned

Shal no deuel at his ded-dayLG · deren hym a myte

Þat he ne worth sauf and his sowle · þe sauter bereth witnesse

Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo &c ·

¶ Ac to bugge water ne wynde · ne witte ne fyre þe fierthe

Þise foure þe fader of heuene · made to þis folde in comune

Þise ben treuthes tresores · trewe folke to helpe

Þat neuere shal wax ne wanye · with-oute god hym-selue

¶ Whan þei drawen on to deyeT · and Indulgences wolde haue

Her pardoun is ful petit · at her partyng hennes

Þat any Mede of mene men for her motyng taketh

Ȝe legistres and lawyeres · holdeth þis for treuthe

Þat ȝif þat I lye · Mathew is to blame

For he bad me make ȝow þis · and þis prou{....}erbe me tolde

Quodcumque vultis vt faciant vobis homines · facite eis

¶ Alle lybbyng laboreres · þat lyuen with her hondes

Þat trewlich taken · and trewlich wynnen

And lyuen in loue and in lawe · for her lowe hertis

Haueth þe same absolucioun · þat sent was to peres

¶ Beggeres ne bidderes · ne beth nouȝte in þe bulle

But if þe suggestioun be soth · þat shapeth hem to begge

For he þat beggeth or bit · but if he haue nede

He is fals with þe fende · and defraudeth þe nedy

And also he bigileth þe gyuer ageines his wil

For if he wist he were nouȝte nedy · he wolde ȝiue þat an other

Þat were more nedy þan he · so þe nediest shuld be hulpe

Catoun kenneth men þus · and þe clerke of þeT stories

Cui des videto · is catounes techyng

And in þe stories he techeth · to bistowe þyn almes

Sit elemosinaT in manu tua donec studes cui des

¶ Ac Gregori was a gode man · and bad vs gyuen alle

Þat asketh for his loue · þat vs alle leneth

Non eligas cui miserearis · ne forte pretereas illum qui meretur accipere

Quia incertum est pro quo deum magis placeas

¶ For wite ȝe neuere who is worthi · ac god wote who hath nede

In hym þat taketh is þe treccherye · if any tresoun walkeP

For he þat ȝiueth ȝeldeth · and ȝarketh hym to reste

And he þat biddeth borweth · and bryngeth hym-self in dette

fol. 31v

For beggeres borwen euermo · and her borgh is god almyȝti

To ȝelden hem þat ȝiueth hem · and ȝet vsure more

Quare non dedisti peccuniam meam ad mensam vt ego veniens cum vsuris exigerem ·T

¶ For-þi biddeth nouȝt ȝe beggeres · but if ȝe haue gret nede

For who-so hath to buggen hym bred · þe boke bereth witnesse

He hath ynough þat hath bred ynough · þough he haue nouȝt elles

Satis diues est qui non indiget pane

¶ Late vsage be ȝowreC solace · of seyntes lyues redyng

Þe boke banneth beggarie · and blameth hem in þis manere

Iunior fui etenim senui · et non vidi iustum derelictum nec semen eius &c

¶ For ȝe lyue in no loue · ne no lawe holde

Many of ȝow ne wedde nouȝt · þe wommen þat ȝe with delen

But as wilde bestis with wehe · worthen vppe and worchen

And bryngeth {...?...}forth barnes · þat bastardes men calleth

Or þe bakke or some bone · he breketh in his ȝouthe

AT sitthe gon faiten with ȝoure fauntes · for euermore after

Þere is moo mysshape peple · amonge þise beggeres

Þan of alle maner men · þat on þis molde walketh

And þei þat lyue þus here lyf · mowe lothe þe tyme

Þat euere he was man wrouȝt · whan he shal hennes fare

¶ Ac olde men & hore · þat helplees ben of strengthe

C And women with childe · þat worche ne mowe

Blynde and bedered · and broken her membres

Þat taketh þis myschiefT mekelych · as meseles and othere

Han as pleyne pardoun as þe plowman hym-self

For loue of her lowe hertis · owre lorde hath hem graunted

Here penaunce and here purgatorie · here on þis erthe

¶ Pieres quod a prest þo · þi pardoun most I rede

For I wil construe eche clause · and kenne it þe on englich

¶ And pieres at his preyere · þe pardoun vnfoldeth

And I bihynde hem bothe · bihelde al þe bulle

Al in two lynes it lay · and nouȝt a leef more

And was writen riȝt þus · in witnesse of treuthe

Et qui bona egerunt ibunt in vitam eternam

Qui vero mala in ignem eternum ·

¶ Peter quod þe prest þo · I can no pardoun fynde

But dowel and haue wel · and god shal haue þi sowle

And do yuel and haue yuel · hope þow non other

fol. 32r

ÞatT after þi ded-dayLG · þe deuel shal haue þi sowle

¶ And pieres for pure tene · pulled it atweyne

And seyde si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis · non timebo mala quoniam tu mecum es

¶ I shal cessen of my sowyng quod pieres · and swynk nouȝt so harde

Ne about my bely-ioye · so bisi be namore

Of preyersT and of penaunce · my plow shal ben her-after

And wepen whan I shulde slepe · þough whete bred me faille

¶ Þe prophete his payn ete · in penaunce and in sorweC

By þat þe sauter seith · so dede other manye

Þat loueth god lelly · his lyflode is ful esy

Fuerunt michi lacrime mee · panes die ac nocte

¶ And but if Luke lye · he lereth vs bi foules

We shulde nouȝt be to bisy · aboute þe worldes blisse

Ne solliciti sitis · he seyth in þe gospel

And sheweth vs bi ensamples · vs-selue to wisse

Þe foules onT þe felde · who fynt hem mete at wynter

Haue þei no gernere · to go to  but god fynt hem alle

¶ What quod þe prest to perkyn · peter as me þinketh

Þow art lettred a litel · who lerned þe on boke

¶ Abstinence þe abbesse quod pieres · myne abc · me tauȝte

And conscience come afterward · and kenned me moche more

¶ Were þow a prest pieres quod he · þow miȝte preche where þow sholdest

As deuynour in deuynyte · with dixit insipiens to þi teme

¶ Lewed lorel quod Pieres · litel lokestow on þe bible

On salomones sawes · selden þow biholdest

Ecce derisores et iurgia cum eis ne crescant &c

¶ Þe prest and perkyn · apposeden eyther other

And I þorw here wordes awoke · and waited aboute

And seighe þe sonne in þe south sitte þat tyme

Metelees and monelees · on Maluerne hulles

Musyng on þis meteles · and my waye ich ȝede

Many tyme þis meteles · hath maked me to studye

Of þat I seigh slepyng · if it so be myȝte

And also for peres þe plowman · ful pensyf in herte

And which a pardoun peres hadde · alle þe peple to conforte

And how þe prest impugned it with two propre wordes

fol. 32v

Ac I haue no sauoure in songewarie · for I se it ofte faille

Catoun and canonistres · conseilleth vs to leue

To sette sadnesse in songewarie · for sompnia ne cures

¶ Ac for þe boke bible  bereth witnesse

How danyel deuyned · þe dremes of a kynge

Þat was nabugodonosor · nempned of clerkis

Daniel seyde sire Kynge · þi dremeles bitokneth

Þat vnkouth knyȝtes shul come · þi kyngdom to cleueT

Amonges lowere lordes · þi londe shal be departed

And as danyel deuyned in dede it felle after

Þe kynge lese his lordship · and lower men it hadde

¶ And ioseph mette merueillously · how þe mone and þe sonne

And þe elleuene sterres · hailsed hym alle

Þanne Iacob iugged · iosephes sweuene

Beau filtz quod his fader · for defaute we shullen

I my-self and my sones · seche þe for nede

¶ It bifel as his fader seyde · in pharaoes tyme

Þat ioseph was iustice · egipte to loken

It bifel as his fader tolde · his frendes þere hym souȝte

And al þis maketh me · on þis meteles to þynke

¶ And how þe prest preued · no pardoun to dowel

And demed þat dowel · indulgences passed

Biennales and triennales · and bisschopes lettres

And how dowel at þe day of dome · is dignelich vnderfongen

And passeth al þe pardoun · of seynt petres cherche

¶ Now hath þe pope powere · pardoun to graunte þe peple

With-outen eny penaunce · to passen in-to heuene

Þis is owre bileue · as lettered men vs techeth

Quodcumque ligaueris super terram · erit ligatum et in celis &c ·

And so I leue lelly · lordes forbode ellis

Þat pardoun and penaunce · and preyeres don saue

Soules þat haue synned · seuene sithes dedly

Ac to trust to þise triennales · trewly me þinketh

Is nouȝt so syker for þe soule · certis as is dowel

¶ C For-þi I rede ȝow renkes · þat riche ben on þis erthe

Vppon trust of ȝowre tresoure · triennales to haue

Be ȝe neuere þe balder · to breke þe x / ten hestes

And namelich ȝe maistres · mayres and iugges

Þat han þe welthe of þis worlde · and for wyse men ben holden

fol. 33r

To purchace ȝow pardoun · and þe popis bulles

At þe dredeful dome · whan ded shullen rise

And comen alle bifor cryst · acountis to ȝelde

How þow laddest þi lyf here · and his lawes keptest

And how þow dedest day bi day · þe dome wil reherceC

A poke ful of pardoun þere · ne prouinciales lettres

Theigh ȝe be founde in þe fraternete · of alle þe foure ordres

And haue indulgences double-folde · but if dowel ȝow help

I sette ȝowre patentes and ȝowre pardounzT at one pies hele

¶ For-þi I conseille alle cristene · to crye god mercy

And Marie his moder · be owre mene bitwene

Þat god gyue vs grace here · ar we gone hennes

Suche werkes to werche · while we ben here

Þat after owre deth-day · dowel reherce

At þe day of dome · we dede as he hiȝte

◂

Dowell passith
the pardon of
petres churche

▸

passus vijus de visione vt supra

Indulgencia
petri

To purchace ȝow pardoun

a poke full of
pardon

L.7.1: The ornamental capital is five lines high in blue ink on red with two sprays. A small guide letter <t> appears in the left margin.↩

L.7.9: The rubricating scribe may have overlooked the paragraph indicator in the left margin because the original scribe failed to skip a line.↩

L.7.16: There is perhaps the remainder of a scraped gloss in the left margin.↩

L.7.16: LMRF read þus; most other beta witnesses have þis.↩

L.7.23-27: A bracket in the left margin extends five lines and is scored twice horizontally.↩

L.7.39: Though the scribe left a blank line, usually indicative of a strophe division, there is no parasign.↩

L.7.52: LCGR alone read ded-; most other B manuscripts have deeþ. The same variants appear in L.7.127.↩

L.7.59: LW alone read to deye; most other B manuscripts have to þe deþ. The confusion of <þ> and <y> in both L and W is probably coincidental, since both were copied well outside the regions in which the graphs are confused. See Michael Benskin, "The letters <þ> and <y> in later Middle English, and some related matters," Journal of the Society of Archivists 7 (1982-1985): 13-30.↩

L.7.77: LMRF alone have þe before stories; all other B manuscripts omit it.↩

L.7.80: An added <X> in the left margin is partially scraped. The omitted tua after elemosina was never added; note that it is absent from alpha and M as well.↩

L.7.86: Skeat and Kane-Donaldson read wawe, which is possible, but the upright character of the <l> suggests that walke is the intended reading.↩

L.7.91: LCr alone read exigerem; most B manuscripts have exigissem. This may be the reason for an unusually large <X> in the left margin here.↩

L.7.96: The characters <be ȝo> are obscured by a large drop mark left on the leaf.↩

L.7.104: L alone reads A for "And." The corrector noted this with a <+> in the left margin both here and at L.8.53.↩

L.7.110-126: A bracket in the left margin links the lines from here to the bottom of the leaf in gray ink.↩

L.7.112: LMR alone have the singular þis myschief; most other B manuscripts read þise myschiefs.↩

L.7.127: LMRF alone read Þat; most other B manuscripts have But. A drypoint <X> appears in the left margin.↩

L.7.127: LCGY alone read ded-; most other B manuscripts have deeþ-. The same variants appear in L.7.52.↩

L.7.132: The second <r> of preyers was inserted after initial copying, probably by a later hand.↩

L.7.134: A large <X> appears in the left margin; the reason is not apparent.↩

L.7.142: LM alone read on; most other B manuscripts have in.↩

L.7.170-171: A corrector's dry point cross appears in the left margin and perhaps reflects his exemplar's reading cleyme in place of LC2GMO's cleue.↩

L.7.197: A dry point <X> appears in the left margin.↩

L.7.206: The same hand as that in the margins of L.7.185 has written in the right margin: a poke full of
pardon.↩

L.7.210: LCr alone read pardounz; other B manuscripts have pardon.↩