Passus primus de Visione .
What þis montaigne bymeneth and þe merke dale
And þe field{e} ful of folk I shal {ȝ}yow faire shewe .
A louely lady of lere in lynnen y-clothed .
Come doun from a castel and called me faire
And saide sone slepest þou seest þou þis p{.}eple .
How bisi þai ben alleT abouten þe mase
Þe mooste partie of þis p{.}eple þat passeþ on þis erþe
Haue þei w{.}orshipe in þis world þai wilnen no bettur .
Of oþur heuene {...}than here holde þei no tale .
I was a-ferd of hire face þouȝ she fair{e} were
And saide mercy ma-dame what is þis to mene .
And wolde þat {ȝ}ye wrouȝten as his word{e} techeþ .
For he is fadur of faiþ fourmed {ȝ}yow alle
Boþe with fel and with face and {...}yaf {ȝ}yow fyue wittes
Forto w{u}orshupe hym þerewith þe while þat {ȝ}ye ben here .
Of wollen of lynnen of lyflode at nede .
In mesurable manere to make {ȝ}yow at ese .
And comaunded of his curtesie in comune þre þinges
Arn non nedful but þo and nempne hem I thinke .
Þat on is vesture from chele þe to saue .
And mete atte mele for mysese of þ{..}y-selue .
And drynke whanne þou driest{e} ac do nouȝt out{e} of resoun .
Þat þou worþe þe worse whanne þou worche shuldest{e}
For loth in his liue-days for likynge of drynke
Did by his douȝteres þat þe Deuel likede
Delited hym in drinke . as þe deuel wold
And leccherie hym lauȝte . and lay by hem boþe .
And al he witte it þe wyn . þat wykk{.}ed dede .
Inebriamus eum vino . dormiamusque cum eo .
Vt seruare possimus de patre nostro semen .
Thourgh wyn & þourȝ wymen þere was loth accombred{e}
And þere he gat in glotonye . gerles þat were cherles
For-thi drede delitable drinke and þou shalt do þe bett{.}re
It is nouȝt al go{..}od to þe goost þat þe gutte axeþ .
Leue not þi likam for a liere hym tec[heþ]C
Þat is þe wrecchede world{e} wolde þe bitraye
For þe fende and þi flessh folweþ þe tog{a}idre .
Ma-dame mercy quod I me liketh wel {ȝ}youre {.}word{..}es
Ac þe monoye of þis molde þat men so faste holdeþ
Telle me to whom ma-dame þat tresor{e} appendeþ
Go to þe gospell quod she þat god saide hym-seluen .
Þo þe p{..}eple hym appos{.}ed wiþ a peny in þe temple .
And god asked of hem of whom spak{e} þe lettre .
Cesares þei saide we seen hym wel echone .
Et que sunt dei deo . or elles {ȝ}ye doon ille .
For riȝtful resoun shulde reule {ȝ}yow alle .
And kynde wit{te} be wardein {ȝ}yowre welthe to kepe .
And tutour of {ȝ}youre treso{..}r and take it {ȝ}yow at nede
For housbondrie and hij holden to-gadre .
Þanne I fraynede h{e}ire faire for hym þat h{.}ire made
Þat dongoun in þe dale þat dredful is inT siȝte
What may it be to mene ma-dame I {ȝ}yow biseche .
Þat is þe castel of care whoso comeþ þere-inne .
May banne þat he borne was to body or to soule
Þere-inne woneth a wiȝte þat wrong{e} is y-hote
Fad{.}er of falsede and founded it hym-selue .
Adam and Eue he egged to ille
Conseiled Caym to kullen his broþur
Iudas he iapud with iewen siluer
And sitthe on an eldre hanged hym aft{u}er
He is lettere of loue and lieth hem alle .
Þat trusten on his tresor by-traieth he sonnest{e}
Þanne had I wound{..}er in my wit{..} what womman it were
Þat suche wise wordus of holy writ{te} shewede
And asked hire on þe heiȝe name ar heo þen{..}es {ȝ}yede .
What she were witt{..}erly þat wiss{.}ed me so faire .
Holichurche I am quod she þow ouȝtest me to knowe
I vndurf{o}enge þe furste and þe faith{e} tauȝte .
And brouȝtest{e} me borwes my biddinge to fulfulle
And to loue me {...}leally þe while þi lif dureth
Thanne I courbed on my knes {.} & criede hire of grace
And praide hire pitously praie for my synnes .
And also kenne meT kyndely on crist to bileue .
Þat I miȝte worchen his wille þat wrouȝte me to man .
Teche me to no tresour but telle me þis ilke .
How I may sauen my soule þat sainte art y-holden .
Whanne alle tresores ben tried quod she truþe is þe beste /
I do it on deus caritas to deme þe soþe
It is as derworth a drwery as dere god hym-seluen .
Who-so is trwe of his tonge and telleþ noon oþur
And doþ þe werkes þere-wiþ and wi{......}lneth noman ille .
He is a god by þe gospell a grounde and on lofte
And I-{...}lyk to oure lord be saint lukes wordus .
Þe clerk{.}es þat knoweþ þis shulde kenne it aboute .
For cristene and vncristen claim{..}eþ it ichone .
Kynges and knyȝtus shulde kepen it by resoun
R{.}iden and rappen doun in reumes aboute
An taken transgressores and tien hem faste
Til trewthe had y-termyned{e} hire trespasse to þe ende /
And þat is þe p{..}rofessioun {.} appertely þat appendeth to knyȝtes
And nouȝt to fasten a Fryday in fyue score wynt{.}er .
But holden wyþ hym and with hire þat wolden alle truthe
And neuere leue hem for loue ne for lacchinge of siluer
For dauid in his dayes dubbed knyȝt{.}es .
And d{.}ide hem swere on here swerd{e} to serue truthe euere .
But crist kyngene kyng{e} knyȝted ten
Cherubin {.....}and seraphin suche seuene and on oþur .
And {ȝ}yaf hem miȝt{e} in his mageste þe murger hem þouȝte .
And ouere his mene maynee made hem archangeles
Tauȝte hem by þe trinite truþe to knowe .
To be bux{u}ome at his biddynge he bad hem nouȝt{e} elles
Lucifer with legionus lernede it in heuene
But for he brak{e} bux{u}omnesse his blisse gan he tyne
And fel fro þat felash{.}ype in a feendus likknesse
In-to a depe derk{e} helle to dwelle þere for euere
And mo þousandes with hym þan{ne} — man couthe nombre
Lopen out wiþ lucifer in lothliche fourme .
For þei leueden vp-on hym þat lied in þis manere
Ponam pedem in aquilone . & similis ero altissimo .
And alle þat hopud it miȝte be so no{..}on heuene miȝte hem holde
But fellen out in feendus likkenesse nyne dayes to-gydres .
Til god of his goodnesse gan stablen and stynte .
And garte þe heuene to steke and stonden in quiete .
Whanne þise wikk{.}ed wente out wonderwise þey f{.}ellen
Somme in þerthe somme in þe eire and somme in helle depe .
Ac lucifer lowest lith{e} of hem alle .
For Pride þat he putte out{e} his payne haþ none ende .
And alle þat worcheþ with wrong{e} wenden {...}þei shullen
Aft{.}er hire deþ-day and dwelle with þat shrewe
Ac þo þat worcheþ wel as holy w{...}ryt telleþ
Mowe be siker þat here soules shal wenden to heuene
Þere truthe is in trinite and troneþ hem alle
For-þi I saie as I saide {here}eer bi siȝte of þ{...}ise text{..}es .
Whanne alle tresores arne triede þanneT truþe is þe beste
{...}Yet haue I no kynde knowynge quod I {...?...}yet mote ye kenne me b{....}ettre
By what crafte in my corps it comseth and where
To litul latyn þow lernedest{e} lede in þi {ȝ}youthe .
Heu michi quia sterilem . duxi vitam iuuenilem .
For to loue {þin}thy lord{e} leuer þan{ne} — þi-seluen .
No dedly synne to do deiȝe þouȝ þou shuldest{e dey}
Þis I trowe be truthe who can teche þe b{....}ettre
Loke þou suffre hym to saie and sithen lere it aft{.}er
For þus wittnesseþ his word{e} worche þou þere-aft{.}er .
May no synne be on hym seene þat vseth þat spice
And alle his werkes he wrouȝte wiþ loue as hym luste
And lered it Moyses for þe leueste þing{e} and moost lik{e} to heuene
And also þe pleente of pees moost{e} precious of vertues .
For heuene miȝte nouȝt{e} holden it it was so heuy of hym-sel{.}ue
Til it hadde of þe erthe eten his fille .
And whanne it had{.}de of þis foold{e} flessh and blood taken .
Was neuere leef vpon lynde liȝter þer{e}-aftur
And portatif and persaunt as þe point{e} of a n{....}edle
Þat miȝte non armure it lette ne none heiȝe walles
For-þi is loue led{..}ere of þe lord{.}es folk{e} of heuene
And a Mene as þe Maire is bitwexe þe kyng{e} and þe comune
Riȝt{e} so is loue a leder and{e} þe lawe shapeþ .
Vpon man for his mysdedes þe mercimentzT he taxeth .
And for to knowe it kyndly it comseth by miȝte
And in þe herte þere is þe heedC and þe heiȝe welle
For in kynde knowynge in herte þere a miȝt{e} bigynneth{e}
And þat Falleþ to þe fad{..}er þat fourmede vs alle .
Lo{..}kede on vs with loue and lete his sone de{iȝ}ye .
Mekely for oure mysdedes to amende vs alle
And {ȝ}yet wolde he hem no wo . þat wrouȝte hym þat paine
But mekeliche with mouthe . mercy he bisouȝte
To haue pite on þat p{.}eple . þat pynede hym to dethe
Þat he was myȝtful and meke and mercy gan graunte
To hem þat hongen hym on heiȝ . and his herte þirled .
For-þi I rede {ȝ}yow riche . haueth reuthe of þe pouere
For þe same mesures þat ȝe mete . amys oþer elles .
{Ȝ}Ye shullen ben {.}weien þerwith . whanne {ȝ}ye wende henn{.}es
Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis / remecietur vobis
For þouȝ {ȝ}ye be trwe of {ȝ}yowre tonge . and trweliche wynnen
And as chaste as a child{e} þat in ch{u}yrche wep{.}eth .
Such{e} good as god {ȝ}yow sent . goodlich parteth
{Ȝ}Ye haue na more merite in masse ne in houres
Þan malkyn of hire maydenhede þat noman disireth
For Iames þe gentil . iuggede in his bokes .
Fides sine operibus mortua est. & cetera
It is as lewde as a laumpe . þat no liȝt is inn{.e}e
Arn no men auaurouser{e} þan hij . whan þei ben auaunced
Vnkynde to hire kyn . and to alle cristene
Chewen here charitee . and chiden aft{.}er more .
Such{e} chastitee with-outen charite . worth cheyned in helle
Many curatours kepen hem . clene of here bodies
Thei ben accombred{e} with couetise þei k{u}onne not do it from hem .
So harde hath auarice . yhasp{.}ed hem to-gedres
And þat is no truthe of þe Trinite . but trecherie of helle
And lernynge to lewde men . þe latter for to dele .
For-þi þes wor{...}des ben writen in þe gospell
To conforte þe careful . accombred{e} with synne .
Loue is leche of lif and next{e} oure lord seluen
And also þe graithe {.}gate . þat goth in-to heuene
For-þi I say as I saide . er{e} by þe textis .
Whanne alle tresores ben tried . truth is þe beste
Now haue I tolde þe . what truthe is . þat no treso{re}r is b{....}ettre
I may no lenger lenge þe with . now loke þe oure lord .