And I awaked ther-with w{it}ytles nerehande
And as a freke that free were forth gan I walke
In manere of a mendinaunt many {ȝ}yer{e} after
And of þis metynge many tyme muche thouȝt I hadde
Furst how fortune me failled at my moost nede
And how þat Elde manaced me miȝte we euere mete
And how þat Freres folweden folk þat was riche .
And folk þat was pouere at litel pris þei setten .
But quik{e} he biquethe hem aught or shulde helpe quite hire dettes
And how this couetise ouerecom{e} clerkes and preestus .
And how þat lewede men ben ladde but oure lord hem helpe
Thorugh vnkonnynge curatours to incurable peynes
And how þat ymaginatif in dremeles me tolde
Of kynde and of his konnynge and how curteis he is to bestes
And how louynge he is to bestes on lond{e} and on watre
Leneth he no lif lasse ne more .
The creatures that krepen of kynde ben engendred{e}
And sithen how ymaginatif . saide Vix Iustus saluabitur .
And whan he hadde said{e} so how sodeinliche he passed{e} .
I lay down longe in this thouȝt{e} and at þe laste {.e}I slepte
And as crist wolde there com{e} conscience to conforten me þat tyme .
And bad me come to his court{e} with clergye shulde I dyne .
And for conscience of clergie spak I com{e} welT the rather
And þere I s{.}ay a maist{re}er what man he was I neste .
That lowe louted{.} and loueliche to scripture
Conscience knew{e} hym wel and welcomed hym faire
Ac pacience in þe paleys stood in pilgrymes clothes
And praide {...}mete for charite for a pouere hermyte .
Conscience called hemT In and curteyselich saide
This maister was made sitte as for þe mooste worthi
And þanne clergye . and conscience and pacience come after
Pacience and I were p{..}ut to be macches .
And seten by oure-selue at a syde borde
Conscience called after mete and þanne com{e} scripture
And serued hem þus sone of sundry metes manye
Of austyn . of ambrose of alle þe foure euaungelistes .
Edentes & bibentes que apud eos sunt
Ac þis maist{..}er ne his man no manere flessh eten
Ac þei eten mete of more cost{e} mortreux and potages .
Of þat men myswonne thei made hem wel atese / at ese
Ac here sauce was ouere sour{e} and vnsauorly grounde
But {ȝ}if þei singe for þe soules and wepe salte teres
Vos qui peccata hominum commeditis nisi pro eis lacrimas & orationes
effu{n}deritisT ea que in delicijs comeditis in tormentis euometis
Conscience ful curteisly tho comaunded scripture
By-fore pacience bred to bringe and me þat was his macche
He sette a sour lof to-forn vs and saide agite penitentiam
And sith he drough vs drynke di{a}uT perseuerans
As longe quod I as I lyue and lycame may dure
Here is propre seruice quod pacience þer fareþ no prince bettre .
And þanne he brouȝte vs forth a Mees of oþer mete . of Miserere mei deus .
And he brouȝt vs of . Beati quorum of Beatus vires makynge
Et quorum tecta sunt peccata in a dissh .
Of derne shrifte dixi and Confitebor tibi .
Brynge pacience some pitaunce priueliche quod conscience
And þanne had pacience a pitaunce Pro hac orabit ad te omnis sanctus in tempore oportuno
And conscience conforted vs and carped vs mery tales .
Cor contritum & humiliatum deus non despicies .
Pacience was proud{e} of þat propre seruice
And made hem murthe with his mete ac I mournede euere .
Ve vobis qui potentes estis ad bibendum vinum .
He eet manye sundry metes mortreux and podynges
Wombe cloutes and wilde brawne and egges yfryed with gre{se}s
Thanne seide I to my-self so pacience it herde
It is nouȝt foure dayes goT þat þis freike byfore þe dean of poules
Preched of penaunce þat poule þapostoille suffrede
In fame & frigore and flappes of scourges
Ter cesus sum et a iudeis quinquies quadragenas & cetera
Ac o word þei ouerehuppen at {.}ech{e} a tyme þat þei prechen
That Poule in his pistell to al þe p{.}eple tolde .
Periculum est in falsis fratribus
Holy writ {..}biddeþ men be war I wil nouȝt write it here
On ynglissh an auenture it shulde be reherced to ofte
And greue þerewith{.} þat goode ben ac gramariens shul rede
Vnusquisque a fratre se custodiat . quia vt dicitur periculum est in falsis fratribus
Ac I wist neuere freke þat as a frere {ȝ}yede bifore men on englissh
Thei prechen þat penaunce is profitable to þe soule
And what meschief and male-ese crist for man tholed .
Ac þis goddus glotoun quod I with hise grete chekes .
Hath no pite on vs pouere he parfourneth euele
That he precheþ he preueþ nouȝt to pacience I tolde
That disshes and doblers bifore þilke doctour
Were molten led in his mawe and mahoun amyddes .
I shal iangle to þis Iurdan with his Iuste wombe
To telle me what penaunce is of w{...}hich he preched rather .
Pacience parceiuede what I thouȝte and wynked on me to be stille
And saide þou shalt see thus soone whan he may no more .
He shal haue a penaunce in his paunche and puffe at ich a worde
And þanne shul his gutt{.}es gothele and he shal galpen after .
For now he hath drunken so depe he wol diuine. soone
And preue it by hire pocalipse and passioun of seint Auereys .
That neither bacoun ne brawne blamanger ne mortreux
Is neither fissh ne flessh but fode for a penaunt
And þanne shal he testifye of a trinite and take his felawe to wittnesse .
What he fond{e} in a frayele aftur a Freres lyuyng
And þanne is tyme to takeT and to appose þis doctour .
And I sete stille as pacience seide / and þus sone þis doctour
As rody as a Rose . rubbed his chekes
Coughed & carped . and conscience him herde
And tolde hym of a Trinite and towardes vs he lokede
What is dowel sire doctour quod I . is dowel any penaunce .
Dowel quod þis doctour . and took þe Cuppe and drank{e}
Do non euel to þine euenecristen . nouȝt by þi poer
By þis day sire doctour quod I . thanne be {ȝ}ye nouȝt in dowell .
For {ȝ}ye han harmed vs two in þat {ȝ}ye eten þe pud{....}dyng
Mortreux and other mete . and we no mossell hadde .
And {ȝ}if {ȝ}ye fare so in {ȝ}youre fermorie . ferly me thynketh .
But cheste be þere charite . shulde be . and {ȝ}yonge children durste pleyne
I wolde permute my penaunce . with {ȝ}youre . for I am in point to dowel .
Thanne conscience curteslich . a contenaunce he made .
And preinte vp-on pacience . to preie me to be stille .
And saide hym-self . sire doctour and it be {ȝ}youre wille .
What is dowel and dobet . {ȝ}ye diuynours knoweth .
Dowel quod þis doctor . do as Clerkes techeþ
And dobet is he þat techeþ . and trauailleth to teche oþere
And do-best{e} doth hym-selue so . a{.}s he saith and precheþ .
Qui facit & docuerit magnus vocabitur in regno celorum .
Now thow Clergye quod conscience . carpest what is dowel .
I haue seuene sones he saide . seruen in a castell
There þe lord of lif . wonyeth . to leren hym what is dowel .
Til I se þo seuene . and my-self accorden .
I am vnhardy quod he . to any wight to preue it .
For oon Piers þe ploughman . haþ inpugned vs alle .
But dilige deum and Domine quis habitabit & cetera
And saith þat dowel & dobet . aren two infinites
W{....}hiche Infinites with a feith . fynden out dobest .
{....}Which shal saue manus soule . thus saieth Piers þe ploughman
I kan nouȝt here-on quod conscience . ac I knowe Piers .
He wol nouȝt aȝein holy writ{te} speken . I dar wel vndurtake
Thanne passe we ouer{e} til piers come . and preue þis in dede .
That no clerk ne kan . as Crist bereth wyttnesse
Pacientes vincunt . & cetera
Disce . quod he . doce dilige inimicos .
Disce and dowel / doce and dobet /
Dilige and dobest . þus tauȝte me ones .
A lemman þat I louede . loue was hire name
With wordes and with werkes quod she . and wille of þin herte .
Thow loue lelly þi soule . al þi lif-tyme .
And so thow lere þe to louye . for þe lordes loue of heue{n}ne
Thyn{e} enemy in alle wyse . euene-forth with þi-seluen .
Bothe with workes and with wordus . fonde his loue to wynne
And leye on hym þus with loue . til he laughe on the
And but he bowe for þis betynge . blynde moot he worthe .
Ac for to fare þus with þi frend{e} / folie it were
For he þat loueth þe lelly . litel of þyne coueiteh / coueite[t]h .
Kynde loue coueiteth nouȝt . no catel but speche
With half a laum{.}pe lyne in latyn . Ex vi transicionis
I bere ther-Inne aboute . faste ybounde dowel
In a signe of þe saturday . þat sette furst þe k{...}alender
And al þe wit of wodnesdayT . of þe nexte wyke after
The {.....}middel of þe mone . is þe myght of bothe .
And here-with am I welcome . þere I haue it with me .
For by hym þat me made . miȝte neuere pouerte
Miseise ne mischief ne man with his tonge
Cold{e} ne care . ne companye of þeues .
Ne neither hete ne hayle . ne noon helle pouke
Ne neyther fuyr . ne flode . ne fere of þin{e} enemy
Tene þe any tyme . and þow take it with the .
Caritas nichil timet
It is but a dido quod þis doctour . a disoures tale
Al þe wit of þis world . and wighte mennus strengthe
Kan nouȝt confourmen a pes . bytwene þe pope and his enemys .
Ne bitwene noT cristen kynges . kan no wight pees make
Profitable to either poeple . and putte þe table from h{.}ym .
And took clergye {to counseill} and {...}conscience . to conseill as it were .
Ac conscience carped loude . and curteisliche seide
Frendes fareþ wel . and faire spak to {.} clergye
For I wol go with þis go{m}me . if god wol {ȝ}yeue me grace .
And be pilgrime with pacience . til I haue preued more .
What quod Clergye to conscience . ar {ȝ}ye coueitous nouthe
After {ȝ}yeresȝeues or {ȝ}yiftes . or {ȝ}yernen to rede redeles .
I shal bringe {ȝ}yow a bible . a book of þe olde lawe
And lere {ȝ}yow if {ȝ}yow like . þe leeste point to knowe
That pacience þe pilgrim{e} . parfitely knew{e} neuere
Nay by Crist quod Conscience to clergye . god þe forȝelde
For al þat pacience me profreth . proud{e} am I litel
Hath moued my mood . to mourne for my synnes
The good wille of a wight . was neuere bouȝt{e} to þe fulle
For þere is no tresour þerto . to a trewe wille
Hadde nouȝt Magdaleyne more for a box of salue
And þe pouere widewe . for a paireT mytes
Thus curteisliche conscience . congeide þe Frere
And sithen softelyche he seide . in clergies ere .
Me were leuere by oure lord{e} . and I lyue sholde
Haue pacience parfiteliche . þan half þi pak{ke} of bokes .
But saide ful sobreliche . þow shat / sha[l]t see þe tyme
Whan þow art wery for-walked . wilne me to counsaille .
That is soth{e} saide conscience . so me god helpe .
{Ȝ}If pacience be oure partynge felawe . and pryue with vs bothe
Ther nys wo in þis world . þat we ne shulde amende
And confourmen kynges to pees . and alle kynnes londes .
Sarasenes and Surrie . and so forth alle þe Iewes .
Turne in-to þe trwe feith . and in-to on bileue .
That is soth{e} quod Clergye . I se what þou menest
I shal dwelle as I do . my deuoir to shewen
And confermen fauntekyns . and other folk y-lered{e}
Til pacience haue preued the . and parfit þe maked{e}
Conscience þo with pacience passed . pilgrimes as it were
Thanne hadde pacience as pilgrimes han . in his poke vitailles
Sobrete and simple speche . and sothfast bileue
To conforten hemT and conscience . if þei come in place
There {..}vnkyndenesse and coueitise is . hungry con{....}tres bothe
And as þei wente by þe way . of dowel þei carped
They mette wiþ a Mynstrall{e} . as me þo þouȝte
To conscience what craft{e} he kouthe . and to what countre he wolde .
I am a Mynstral quod þat man . my name is Actiua vita .
Alle ydel ich hate . for of actif is my name .
A wafrer wol {ȝ}ye wite . and serue many lordes
And fewe robes I fonge . or furred gownes .
Couthe I lie to do men laughe . þanne lacchen I shulde .
Other mantel or Monoye . amonges lordes Mynstralles
Ac for I can neither taboure ne . trompe . ne telle none gestes .
Farten ne fithelen . at feestes ne harpen
Iape ne iogely . ne gentiliche pipe .
Ne neither sailly ne saute . ne synge with þe gyterne .
I haue none goode giftes . of þise grete lordes
For no bred þat I bringe forth . saue a beneceon on þe S{u}onday
Whan þe prest praieth þe poeple . hire pater noster to bidde
For pieres þe ploughmam / ploughma[n] . and þat hym profite wayten .
And þat am I actif . þat ydelnesse hatye .
For alle trewe trauaillours . and tiliers on þeT erthe .
Beggers and bidders of my bred crauen
Faitours and Freres . and folk{e} with brode crounes
I fynde pain for þe pope . and prouendre for his palfray
And I hadde neuere of hym . haue god my trouthe
Neither prouendre ne personage . {ȝ}yit of þe popes {ȝ}yifte .
Saue a pardoun with a peis of lede . and two polles amydde .
Hadde I a clerk þat couthe write . I wolde caste hym a bulleT
That he sente me vndur his seel a salue for þe pestilence .
In nomine meo demonia eic{..}ientT super egros manus imponent & bene habebunt .
And buxom{e} and bisy . aboute bred and drinke
For hym and for al hise . founde I that his pardon .
Miȝte lechen a man as I bileue it shulde
He hath þe pot with þe salue . sothly as me thynketh .
Argentum & aurum non est michi . quod autem habeo tibi do . in nomine domini surge & ambula
Ac if myȝt{e} of miracle hym faille . it is for men ben not worthi
To haue þe grace of god . and no gylt{e} of þe pope .
For may no blessynge do vs bote . but if we wol amende .
Ne mannes masse make pees . amonges cristen p{.}eple .
Til pride be purelich fordo . and þorugh pain defaute .
For er I haue bred of mele . ofte moot I swete
And er þe comune haue corn{e} ynough . many a cold{e} mournyng
So er my wafres ben y-wrought . muche wo I tholie
Al London I leue . liketh wel my wafres .
And louren whan þei lakken it . it is nouȝt longe y-passed
There was a careful comune . whan no carte cam to towne .
With bred{e} from Stratford . þo g{u}onnen beggers wepe
And werkm{o}en were agast{e} a litel . þis wol be thought longe
In þe date of oure driȝte . in a drie Aprill .
My wafres þere were gesen . whan Chichestre was Maire
I to{..}ok go{..}od kepe by Crist . and Conscience boþe
Of haukyn þe actifman / actif man . and how he was y-clothed
He hadde a cote of Cristendome . as holy kyrke bileueth
Ac it was mol{..}ed . in many places . with many s{u}ondry plottes .
Of pride here a plot . and þere a plot . of vnbuxom{e} speche
Of scornynge and of scoffynge . and of vnskilful berynge
As in apparaille & in porte . proud{e} amonges þe p{.}eple
O{y}þerwise þan he hath . with herte or siȝte shewynge .
Hym willynge þat alle men wende . he were þat he is nouȝt{h}
For why he bosteþ and braggeth . with many bolde othes .
And inobedient to ben vnd{.}ernome . of any lif lyuyng .
Religion saunz rule . and resonable obedience
Lakkynge lettred men . and lewede men bothe
In likynge of lele lif . and a liere in soule
With inwit . and with oute-wit ymagynen and studyen
As best{e} for his body be . to haue a badde name
And entremeten hym ouerall . ther he hath nouȝt to done
Wilnynge þat men wende . his wit were þe beste
And if he {ȝ}yeue ouȝt to pouere gomes . telle what he deleth
Pouere of possessioun . in purse . and in cofre bothe
And as a lyon on to loke . and lordlich of specheC .
Baldest{e} of beggers . a bostere þat nouȝt hath
In towne and in tauernes . tales to telle
Lo {ȝ}if {ȝ}ye leue me nouȝt . or þat I lye wenen
Axeþ at hym or at hym . and he {ȝ}yow can telle
What I suffrede and seigh . and s{u}omtymes hadde .
And what I couthe . and knewe . and what kyn I com{e} of .
Al he wolde þat men wiste . of werkes and of wordes
W{....}hich miȝthte plese þe p{u}eple . and praisen hym-seluen .
Si hominibus placerem Cristi seruus non essem .
Et alibi nemo potest duobus dominis seruire
By Crist quod Conscience tho . thy beste Cote Haukyn .
Hath many moles and spottes . it moste ben ywasshe
{Ȝ}Ye whoso toke h{.}ede quod haukyn . byhynde . and before .
What on bak . whatT on body half . and by þe two sydes .
Men shulde fynde many frounces . and many foule plottes
And he turned hym as tit . and þanne took I hede .
It was fouler by fele folde . þan it furst semede .
It was bidropped with wrathe . and wikked wille
With enuye and euel speche . entisynge to fiȝte
Lyinge and laughynge . and leue tonge to chide .
Al þat he wist wikked . by any wight toT tellen it
And blame men by-hynde hire bak . and bidden hem mischaunce
And þat he wiste by will . tellen it watte
And þat watte wiste . will wiste it after .
And made of freendes foos . þorugh a fals to{...}nge
Or with might of mouthe or þorugh mann{.}es streng{hthe}the
Auenge me fele tymes . other frete my-selue .
Cuius maledictione os plenum est & amaritudine sub lingua eius labor & dolor .
Et alib{j}i . filij hominum dentes eorum arma . & sagitte & lingua eorum gladius acutus
There is no lyf þat I louye . lastinge any while .
For tales þat I telle . no man trusteth to me .
That I cacche þe cr{u}ampe . the cardiacle s{u}omtyme
Or an ague in suche an angre . and som{me}-tyme a feuere .
That taketh me al a twelue-monthe . til þat I dispise .
Lechecraft{e} of oure lord . and leue on a wicche .
To þe souter of soutwerk . or of shord{is}ych{e} dame. Emme
And segge þat no goddes word . gaf me neuere bote .
But þoruȝ a charme hadde I chaunce . and my chief hele .
I wayted wisloker . and þanne was it soilled .
With lykynge of leccherie . as by lokynge of his eighenT
For {...}ech a mayde þat he m{.}ette . he made hire a signe
Semynge to synward . and som{me}-tyme he gan taste .
Aboute þe mouth{e} or bynethe . bigynneth to grope .
Til eitheres wille waxeth kene . and to þe werke {ȝ}yeden .
And as wel in lente . as out{e} of lente . alle tymes yliche .
Suche werke{.}s with hem were neuere out of sesoun
Til þei mighte no more . and þanne hadde merie tales .
And how þat lecchours louyen . laughen and Iapen .
And of hire harlotrie and hordome . in hire elde tellen .
Moore to good þan{ne} — to god . þe gom{m}e his loue caste .
And ymaginede . how he it miȝt haue .
With fals mesures and met . and with false wittnesse .
And menged his marchaundise . and made a good{e} monstre
The worste withnne / with[i]nne was . a grete wit I lete it .
And if my neigbore had any hyne . or any beste elles .
More profitable þan myn . many sleightes I made
How I miȝte haue it . al my wit I caste
And but I it hadde by other weye . at þe laste I stale it .
Or priueliche his purs shook . vnpiked hise lokkes .
Or by nighte or by day . aboute was I euere .
Thorugh gile to gaderen . the goode þat I haue .
If I {ȝ}yede to þe plough . I pynchede so narwe
That a foot{e} lond or a forwe . fecchen I wolde .
Of my nexte neighbore . nymyn of his erthe .
And if I rope ouer{e}-reche . or {ȝ}yaf hem red þat ropen .
And seise to me with hire sikel . þat I ne s{...}iew neuere .
With presentes priuelyche . or paied som{me} certein
So wolde he or nouȝt wolde he . wynnen I wolde .
And bothe to kith and to kyn . vnkynde of þat I hadde .
And whoso chep{.}ed my chaffare . chiden I wolde
But he profred to paie a peny{e} or tweyne
More þan{ne} — it was worth . and {ȝ}yet wold I swere .
In halydays at holychirche . whan I herde masse
Mercy for my mysdedes . þat I ne mourned moore
For losse of good{e} . leue me . þan for my likames giltes .
As if I hadde dedly synne donT . I dredde not þat so sore .
As whan I lened . and leued it lost . or longe er it were paied{e}
So if I kydde any kyndenesse . myn euen-cristen to helpe
Vupon / Vpon a cruwel coueitise . myn herte gan hangen
And if I sente ouer{e} see . my seruauntz to brugges
To marchaunden with monoie . and maken hire eschaunges
Mighte neuere me conforte . in þe mene-tyme
Neither messe ne matyns . ne none manere sightes
Ne neuere penaunce parfourmede . ne pater-noster saide
That my mynde nasT more . on my good in a doute
Than{ne} — in þe grace of god . and hise grete helpes .
Vbi thesaurus tuus ibi & cor tuum .
W{......}hiche ben the braunches . that bringen a man to sleuthe
Lyueth aȝein þe bileue . and no lawe holdeth
Eche day is an halyday with hym . or an heigh{e} feireT
Whanne men carpen of crist . or of clennesse of soule
He wexeth wroth . and wol not here . but wordes of murthe .
Penaunce and pouere men . and þe passion of seintes
He hateth to here þere-of . and alle þat it telleth .
Thise ben þe braunches be-war . that bringeth a man to w{...}anhope .
{Ȝ}Ye lordes and ladyes . and leg{.}ates of holy churche
That fedeth fooles sages . flaterers and liers .
And han likynge to lithen hem . to do {.}yow to laughe
Ve vobis qui ridetis & cetera
And {ȝ}yeueth hem mete and mede . and pouere men refuse
Lest{e} þo thre manere men . to muche sorwe {ȝ}yow bringe .
Consencientes & agentes pari pena punientur
Patriakes and prophetes . and prechours of godes wordes
Sauen þorugh here sermon . mannes soule from helle .
Right so flaterers and fooles . arn þe fendes disciples
Ac clerkes þat knowen holy writ . sholde kennen lordes
What dauid saith of suche men . as þe sauter tellethT
Non habitat in medio domus mee . qui facit {facit}
Superbiam & qui loquitur iniqua
Sholde non harlot haue audience . in halle ne in Chambres .
There wisemen were . w{it}ytnesseth godes wordes
Ne no mysproud{e} man . amonges lordes ben allowed{e} .
Ac flaterers and foles . {...?...?...}þorugh . here foule wordes
Leden þo þat louen hem . to Luciferes feste .
With turpiloquio . a lay of sorwe . and luciferes fithele
Thus haukyn þe actif man . hadde ysoyled his cote
Til conscience acouped hym þere-of . in a curteis manere .
Why he n{ad}e h{.}adde wasshen it . or wyped it wiþ a brusshe .
nota contra fratres
In a morter post mortem
nota terribile valde
# diuersitatem ciborum ad Conuiuium Consciencie
nona discriptio de dowell
decimaP discriptio de dowell
Nota bene
piersC
contra quod
#
# how Consiens Conged the Frere
# pardoun with ij pollis
# quia dubitari
# quando Cartis off Stratfford
—
nota
# quia contradicit wich Craftis
nota
contra luxuriam
x
# Branches off Slewth
{# quod loquitur contra sage Folis}C
contra Sage Folis
Passus xiijus
# quia in defectis Curatoribus multi periunt
# conveuium consciencie
h ijC
cor
passus xiijus
Iocose loquitur & vera quidem dicit
# wynkyng off paciens
h iijC
passus xiijus
# Misticum
h iiij
passus xiijus
# that paciens must be party Felow with Clergie
# vitayles off paciens sobrete & soft spech
# contra Ferters and Fithellers
cor
passus xiijus
passus xiijusC
contra Auariciam
Passus xiiijus