passus xvjus / sextus decimus
Now faire falle {ȝ}yow quod I tho . for {ȝ}youre faire {...?...}shewyng
Ac {ȝ}yet I am in a w{heer}eer . what charitee is to mene
It is a ful trie tree quod he . truly to telle .
Mercy is þe more þereof . þe mydelstok / mydel stok is ruthe
The leues ben bele wordus . þe lawe of holy churche
The blos{o}mes ben bux{u}om speche . and benyngne lokynge
Pacience hatte þe pure tree . and pouere symple of herte
And so þoruȝ god and þoruȝ good men . groweth þe fruyt charite .
I wolde trauaille quod I þis tree to see . twenty hund{...}red myle .
And for to haue my fulle of þat fruyt . forsake al other saulee
Lord quod I {ȝ}if any wiȝt{e} wite . whider out it groweth
It groweth in a gardyn quod he . þat god made hym-seluen
Amyddes mann{.}es body . þe more is of þat stokke
Herte hatte the herber . that it inne groweth
And liberum arbitrium . hath þe lond to ferme
Vnder piers þe plouwman . to pike it and to wede it
Piers þe plowman quod I tho . and al for pure ioye
That I herde nempne his name . anoon I swowned after
And lay longe in a loue-drem{e ..} . and atte þe laste me thouȝte
That piers þe plowman . al þe place me shewede
And bad me toten on þe tree . on top and on rote
With thre piles was it vndur-pi{..}ȝte . I parceyued it soone .
Piers quod I prayT þe . why stonden þise piles here .
For wyndes wilt þow wyte quod he . to wyten it fram fallynge .
Cum ceciderit iustus non collidetur . quia dominus supponit manum suam .
And in blowynge tyme abite þe flours . but if þise piles helpe
The world is a wikked wynd{e} . to hem þat willen truthe .
Coueitise cometh of þat wynd{e} . & krepeth among{e} þe leeues
And forfret neigh þe fruyt . þoruȝ many faire siȝtes
Than with þe furste pile I palle hym doun . þat is potencia dei patris
The flessh is a fell{e} wynd{e} and in flourynge tyme
Thoruȝ likynge and lustes . so loude he gynneth blowe
Þat it norissheth nyce sightes . and somm-tyme wordes
And wykked werkes þer{e}-of . wormes of synne .
And forbiteth þe blos{.....}mes . riȝt to þe bare leeues .
Thanne sette I to þe secounde pile Sapiencia dei patris
That is þe passioun and þe power . of oure prince Ihesu
Thorugh preiers and þoruȝ penaunce . and goddes passion in mynde
I saue it til I see it ripen . and somdel yfruyted
And þanne fondeþ þe feend{e} . my fruyt to destruye
With alle þe w{.}yles þat he kan . and waggeth þe Roote
And casteth vp to þe crop . vnkynde neiȝbores .
And l{.....}eyeth a laddre þere-to . of lesynges arn þe ronges .
And feccheth a-way my floures sumtyme . afore bothe myn eiȝen .
Ac liberum arbitrium letteth hym som{m}-tyme
Þat is lieutenaunt to loken it wel . by leue of my-seluen .
Videatis qui peccat in spiritum sanctum . nunquam remittetur & cetera
Hoc est idem qui peccat per liberum arbitrium non repugnat .
Ac whan þe feend and þe flessh . forth with þe world
Manacen byh{.}ynde me . my fruyt for to fecche
Þanne liberum arbitrium . laccheth þe furste plaunte
And palleth a-doun þe pouke . pureliche þoruȝ grace .
And help{e} of þe holy goost . and þus haue I þe maistrie
Now faire falle {ȝ}yow piers quod I . so faire {ȝe}ye descryuen
The poer of þise postes . and hire propre miȝte .
Ac I haue þouȝtes a threve . of þise thre piles .
In what wode þei wexen . and where þat þei groweþT
For alle ar þei a-liche longe . noon lasse þan other
And to my mynde as me thinketh . on o moore þai growede
And of on grettnesse . and grene of greyn þei semen .
That is soth quod piers . so it {..}mai bifallen .
I shal telle þe as tit{e} . what þis tree hatte .
The ground{e} þere it . groweth . godnesse it hiȝte
And I haue tol{..}d — þe what hiȝte þe tree . þe trinite it meneth
And egreliche he loked on me . and þerefore I spared .
To asken hym any moore . þer{e}-of . and bad hym ful faire .
To discryue þe fruyt . þat so faire hangeth
Here now binethe quod he þo . If I nede hadde
Matrymoigne I may nyme . a moiste fruyt with-alle
Þanne bereth þe crop kynde fruyt . and clennest{e} of alle
Maydenhede angeles pieres . and rathest wol be ripe .
And swete withouten . swellynge . sour{e} worth it neuere
I praide piers to pulle a-doun . an appul and he wolde
And suffre me to assaie . what sauour it hadde
And pieres caste to þe crop . and þanne comsed it to crye
And wagged wydowhode . and it wepte after .
And whan it moued Matrimoigne . it made a foul{e} noise
Þat I hadde reuthe whanne piers rogged . it gradde so rufullyche
For euere as þei dropped adoun . þe deuel was redy .
And gadred hem alle to-geders . bothe grete and smale
Adam and Abraham . and Ysaie þe prophete
Sampson and Samuel and seint Iohan þe Baptiste
And made of holy men his hoord . in limbo inferni
There is derkenesse and drede . and þe deuel Maister
And piers for pure tene . þat oon pile he laug{...}hte
Filius by þe fader wille . and frenesse of Spiritus sancti .
To go robbe þat raggeman . and reue þe fruyt fram hym .
And þanne spak Spiritus sanctus . in gabrieles mouthe
To a mayden þat hiȝte Marie a meke þing{e} with-alle
That oon Ihesus a Iustice sone . moste iouke in hire chambre
Til Plenitudo temporis fully comen were
That Piers fruyt floured . and felle to be ripe .
And þanne shulde Ihesus . iuste þerfore . by iuggement of armes
The mayden myldeliche þo . þe messager graunted
And saide hiendeliche to hym . lo me his hand-mayden
For to w{u}yrchen is wille . with-outen any synne
Ecce ancilla domini fiat michi & cetera
And in þe wombe of þat wenche . was he fourty wokes
Til he wex a faunt þoruȝ hire flessh . and of fiȝtynge kouthe .
To haue y-fouȝte with þe feend . er ful tyme come .
And piers þe plowman . parceiued plener{e} tyme .
And lered hym lechecraft{e} . his lif for to saue
That þouȝ he were wound{.}ed with his enemy . to warisshe him-seluen
Til he was parfit practisour . if any perill{e} fille
And souȝte out{e} þe seke . and þe syn{..}—ful bothe
And salued seke and syn{.}—full . bothe blynde and crokede
And comune wymmen conuerted . and to goode turned .
Non est sanis opus medico set & ceteraT
Bothe mesels and mute . and in þe menesoun blody
Ofte he heled suche . he hel{.}d for no maistrie
Saue þo he leched lazar . þat hadde I-leye in graue
Quatriduanus quelt . quik d{.}id hym walke
Ac as he made þe maistrye . mestus cepit esse .
And wepte water with his eiȝen . þere seiȝen it manye
Somme þat þe seighte seiȝen . saide þat tyme
That he was leche of lif . and lord of heiȝe heuene
Iuwes iangled þere-aȝein . and iugged lawes
And saiden he wrouȝte . þoruȝ wychecrafte . and with þe deueles miȝte
Demonium habes & cetera .
Thanne aren {ȝ}ye cherles quod ich . and {.}yowre children bothe
For I haue saued {ȝ}yow-self saith Crist . and {ȝ}youre sones after
{Ȝ}Youre bodyes {ȝ}youre beestes . and blynde men holpen
And lefte basketes ful of broke mete . bere away who-so wolde
And mysseide þe Iuwes manliche . and man{..}aced hem to bete
And knokked on hem with acorde / a corde . and caste a-doun hire stalles
That in churche chaffareden . or chaungeden eny moneye
And saide it in sighte of hem alle . so þat alle herden
I shal ouertourne þeT temple . and a-doun throwe
And in thre dayes aftur . edifiedT newe .
And make it as muche or more . in alle maner poyn{...}tes
As euere it was and as wyde . wherfore I hote {ȝ}yow .
Domus mea domus oracionis vocabitur
Enuye and {.}yuel wille . was in þe Iewes
Thei kesten and contreueden . to kulle hym whan þei miȝte
Eche day after other . {.}hire tyme þei awayted
Til it felT on a Friday . a litel byfore paske
Sittynge at þe soper . he saide þise wordes .
I am sold{e} þoruȝ oon of {ȝ}yow . he shal þe tyme rewe
That euere he his saueour solde . for siluer orelles / or elles
Iudas iangeled þere-a{ȝ}yein . ac Ihesus hym tolde
Thanne wente forth þat wikked man . and with þe Iewes mette
And tolde hem a tokene . how to knowe Ihesus
And w{...e}hich tok{..}ne to þis day . to muche is y-vsed
That is kyssynge and faire contenaunce . and vnkynde wille
And so was with Iudas þo . þat Ihesus bytraiede
Aue raby quod þat ribaude . and riȝt to hym he {ȝ}yede
Thanne Ihesus to Iudas . and to þe Iewes saide
Falsenesse I fynde . in þi faire speche
And gile in þi glad chere . and galle is in þi laughynge
Thou shalt ben a Mirrour . to many men to desceyue
Ac þe worse and þe wikkednesse . shal worthe vpon þi-sel{f}ue
Necesse est vt veniant scandala . Ve homini illi per quem scandalum venit .
Þouȝ I by treson be y-take . at {ȝ}youre owne wille
Suffreth myn appostles in pais . and in pees gange
On a thorsday in thesternesse . thus was he taken .
That on þe Fryday folwynge . for mankynde sake
Iusted in Ierusalem . a ioye to vs alle
On cros vpon Caluarie . crist took þe bataille
A{ȝ}yeins deth and þe deuel . destruyed bothe hire miȝtes
Deiede and deth fordede . and day of niȝt made .
And after piers þe plowman priede and stared .
Estward and westward . I wayted after faste
And {ȝ}yede forth as an idiote . in con{...e}tre to aspye
After piers þe plowman . many a place I souȝte
As hoor as an hawthorne . and Abraham he hiȝte
I frayned hym furst{e} . from whennes he come .
I am faith{e} . quod þat Fre{.}ke . it falleth not to lye .
And of Abrahames hous . an heraud of armes .
I seke after a segge . þat I seigh oones
A ful bold bacheler . I knewe hym by his blasen
What bereth þat burne quod I tho . so blisse þe bityde
Of oon muchel and miȝt . in mesure and in leng{....}the
The furste hath miȝt{e} and maieste . maker of alle þinges
Pater is his propre name . a persone by hym-seluen .
The secounde of þat sire is . sothfastnesse filius
Wardeyn of {..} þat wit haþ . was euere with-outen gynnyng
The thridde hatte þe holigoost . a persone by hym-seluen .
The liȝt of al þat lif hath . a londe and on {.}T watre
Confortour of creatures . of hym cometh alle blisse
So thre bilongeth for a lord . þat lordshipe claymeth
Of hym and of his seruaunt . and what þei suffre bothe
So god þat gynnynge hadde neuere . but tho hym good þouȝte
Sente forth his sone . as for seruaunt þat tyme .
To ocupie hym here . til issue were y-sprongen .
That is children of charite . and holy churche þe modur
Patriarkes and prophetes . and appostoles weren þe child{...}ren
And Crist and cristendome . and cristen holy churche
In menynge þat man moste . on o god bileue .
And þere hym likede . and louede . in thre persones hym shewede
And þat it may be so and soth . manhode it sheweth
Wedloke and w{.......}ydwehode . with virginite y-nempned
In tokenynge of þe trynite . was taken out of man .
Adam oure aller-fader . Eue was of hym-selue
And þe issue þat þei hadde . it was of hem bothe
And {.}either is otheres ioye . in thre sondry persones .
And in heuene and heere . oon singuler name
And þus is mankynde . or manhode . of matrimoigne y-spronge
And bitokeneth þe trinite . and truwe bileue .
Miȝt{e} is matrimoigne . þat multiplieth þe erthe
And bitokeneth truly . telle {ȝ}if I durste
He þat furste fourmed al . þe fader of heuene
The sone if I durste seye . resembleth wel þe widowe .
Deus meus . deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me
That is creatour wexe creature . to knowe what was bothe
As widowe with-oute wedloke . was neuere {.}yet I-seiȝe .
Namore miȝte god be man . but if he aT modur hadde
So widewe with-oute w{.}edlok . may nouȝt wel stande .
Ne matrimoigne with-outen moillerye . is nouȝt muche to preise
Maledictus homo qui non reliquit semen in israel & cetera
Thus in thre persones is parfitliche manhode
That is man and his make . and moyllere children
And is nouȝt but gendre of generacioun . bifore Ihesu crist in heuene
Spiritus procedens a patre & filio . & cetera .
W{.....}hich is þe holigoost of alle . and alle is but o god
Thus in a somer I hym seiȝ . as I sat{e} in my porche
I roos v{s}p and reuerenced hym . and riȝt faire him grette .
Thre men to my sighte C I made wel at ese
Calues flessh and cakebreed . and knewe what I thouȝte
Ful trewe tokenes betwene vs is . to telle whan me liketh
Hym or Ysaak myn heir . þe w{....}hich he hiȝte me kulle .
He wiste my wille by hym . he wil me it allowe
I ham ful siker in soule þerof . and my sone bothe
My-self and my meigne . and alle þat male were
Bledde blood for þat lordes loue . and hope to blesse þe tyme .
Myn affiaunce and my feith . is ferme in þis bileue
For hym-self bihiȝte to me . and to myn issue bothe
Lond and lordshippe . and lif with-outen ende
To me and to myn issue . moore {ȝ}yet he me graunted .
Mercy for oure mysdedes . as many tymes as we asken .
Quam olim abrahe promisisti . & semini eius .
And sith he sente me to saye . I shulde do sacrifice
And doon hym worshep with breed . and with wyn bothe
And called me foot of his feith{e} . his folk for to saue
And defenden hem from þe feend . folk þat on me leueden .
Thus haue I ben his heraud . here and in helle
And conforted many a careful . þat after his comynge wayten
And þus I seke hym he saide . for I herde sai{..} late
Of a barn þat baptised hym . Iohan baptiste was his name
That to patriarkes and to prophetes . and to oþere peple in derkenesse
Saide þat he seiȝ{e} here . þat shulde saue vs alle .
Ecce agnus dei & cetera .
I hadde woundur of hise wordes . and of his wyde clothes
For in his bosome he bar a thing . þat he blessud euere
And I loked on his lappe a lazar lay þer{e}-inne .
Amonges patriarkes and prophetes . pleyinge to-gideres
What awaitest þow quod he . and what woldest þou haue
I wolde wyte quod I tho . what is in {ȝ}youre lappe
Loo quod he and leet me see . lord mercy I seide
This is a present of muche pris . what prince shal it haue
It is a preciou{..}s present quod he . ac þe pouke hath it atached
And me þere-myd{..}e quod þat man . may no wed vs quite
Ne no burn be oure borwgh . ne bringe vs fram his daunger
Out of þe Poukes pyndfold . no mainprise may vs fecche
Til he come þat I carpe of . / Crist {.}C is his name
That shal deliueren vs somday . out of þe deueles power
And bettre wed for vs legge . þan we ben alle worthy
That is lif for lif . or ligge þus euere
Lollinge in my lappe . til such{e} a lord vs fecche
All{..}as I saide þat synne . so longe shal lette
The miȝt{e} of godus mercy þat miȝte vs alle amende
I wepte for his wordus . with þat I saugh another
Rapeliche {.....}renne forth . þe riȝte wey he wente
I frained hym furst{e} . from whennes he come
And what he hiȝte . and whider he wolde . and wightliche he tolde .
# declaracionem caritatis
nota bene
# thre pylis off Charite
Nota notabile
# quomodo Iudas tradidit Cristum
# de Fide
Abraham
liber xvjus
liber xvjus
# Resurreccionem lazaris
# Fugacionem Iudeorum de Templo
passus xvjus
de fide de trinitate
Nota
¶ I hadde wondur of his wordus
cor
cor
xus
liber xvijus