Passus nonus de Visione
SIre Dowell dwelleþ quod witt{e} nouȝt a day henn{..}es
In a Castell þat kynde made of foure kynnes þinges
Of erthe and eire is it ma{..}ad medled to-gidres
With wynd{e} and with watur witturly enioined
Kynde hath clos{.}ed þere-{i}{n}inne craftely with-alle
A lemman þat he loueth lik{e} to him-seluen
Anima she hatte ac enuie h{.}ire hateþ .
A proud{e} prikere of Fraunce Princeps huius mundi
And wolde wynnen hire a-we{ie}y with wilus and he miȝte .
Ac kynde knoweth þis wel and kepuþ hire þe bett{..}re
And hath doon hire with sire Dowell is Duc of þis Marches
Dobet is hire damoisell sire Dowelles douȝtur
To serue þis lady lelly bothe late and rathe
Do-best{e} is a-bouen bothe a Bisshopus piere
Þat he bit moot be don he reuleþ hem alle .
Ac þe Constable of þat Castell þat {.}kepuþ al{le} þe wacche
I{...}s a wys kniȝte with-alle sire Inwit{te} {...?...}he hiȝte .
And hath fyue faire sones bi his furste wiff .
Sire sewell and saiwell and herewell þe heende
Sire worche well with þine hand{e} a wiȝt{e} man of stren{....}gthe
And sire Godfrey gowell grete lordus for soþe .
Þes fiue ben set{te} to saue þis lady anima
Til kynde come or seende . to saue hire for euere .
What kinnes thing{e} is kyndeT canst þow me telle .
Fadur and fourmer of al þat euere was makud{e}
Angeles and alle þing{e} arn{e} at his wille
Ac man is him moost lik{e} of mark{e} and of shafte
For þor{..h}gh þe word{e} . þat he spak{e} wexen forth beestus .
Dixit & facta sunt & ceteraT
And made man likkest{e} to himT one .
And Eue of his Ribbe-bon with-owten {.}any mene
For he was singuler him-self and saide faciamus
As who saith more mot{e} herto þan my{n} word{e} one .
My miȝt{e} moot{e} helpe now with my{n} speche
Riȝt{e} as a lord{e} shulde make lettres and him lakkud{e} parchemyn .
Þo{.}wgh he couthe write neue{.}r so well {ȝ}if he hadde no{ne} penne .
And so it bisemethT bi him as þe bible telleth .
Þere he saide dixit & facta sunt. & ceteraT
And in þis manere was man ma{..}ad þor{....}gh {mi}myȝt{e} of go{.}d almiȝty
With his word{.} and werkemanshippe and with lif to laste .
And þus god ga{ue}f him a goost of þe godhede of heuene .
And of his grete grace graunted{e} him blisse
And þat is lif þat ay shal laste to al linage aftur
And þat is þe Castell þat kynde made Caro it hatte
And is as muche to mene as man with a soule .
And þat he wrouȝte with werke and with word{e} boþe
Þourgh miȝt{e} of þe mageste man was y-makud{e}
Inwit{..} and alle wittus closud ben þere-inn{ne}e
For loue of þe {.}Lady anima þat lif is y-nempned{e}
AyT in þe herte is hire home and hire mooste reste
Ac inwit{te} is in þe hed and to þe herte he loketh
What anima is lief or loth he lat hire at his wille
For aftur þe grace of god þe gretteste is inwit{te}
Muche wo worth þat man þat mysruleth his inwit{te}
And þat ben glotonus {...?...}globbers hire god is hire wombe .
Quorum deus venter est
For þei seruen sathan here soule shal he haue .
Þat liueth synn{.....}eful lif heere here soule is lich{e} þe deuel .
And alle þat liuen good lif aren lik {vn} — to god almiȝt{.}y .
Qui manet in caritate in deo manet & cetera
Allas þat drinke shal for-do þat god dere bouȝte
And doþ god forsaken hem T he shop{e} to his likknesse
Amen dico vobis nescio vos . & alibi . Et {.}dimisi eos secundum desideria eorum ibuntT & cetera
Folus þat fauten Inwit{te} I fynde þat holichurche
Shulde fynden hem þat hem fautede and faderles Childeren
And widowes þat han nouȝt{e} wherwith to wynnen hem here fode
Madde men and maydenes þat helpeles were .
Alle þes lakketh inwit {..} and lore bihoueth
Of þis matere miȝte IT make a longe tale .
And finde fele wittnesses among{e} þe foure doctours
And þat I lie nouȝt{e} of þat I lere þe Luk bereth wittnesse
Godfadur and god-modur þat seen hire god-children
At {..} mesese and meschief and mowe hem amende
Shal haue penaunce in purgatorie but {ȝ}if þei hem helpe
For more bilongeth to þe litul barn{e} ar he þe lawe knowe
Þan{ne} nempnynge of a name and he neuere þe wisur .
Shulde no{ne} — Cristen creature crien at þe {ȝ}yate .
Ne faille pain ne potage and prelatus d{.}id as þei shulden
A Iew{e} wold not see a I{u}ew{e} go iangelinge for defaute
For alle þe moebles on þis molde and he amende it miȝte .
Allas þat a cristen creature shal be so vnkinde to anothur
Siþ Iuwes þat we iugge Iudas felawes
Aythur of hem helpeþ oþur of þat þatT him nedeth
Why nil we Cristen . of Cristes good be as kynde. willed .T
As Iuwes þat ben oure lores-men shame vntoT vs alle
Þe comune for hire vnkindenesse I drede me shull abie .
Bisshopus shullen be blamede for beggers sake .
He is wors þan{ne} Iudas þat {ȝ}yeueth a iaper silu{..}er
And biddeþ þe begger go for his broken clothes
Proditor est prelatus cum Iuda . qui patrimonium Cristi minus distribuit . & alibi
Perniciosus despensator est . qui res pauperum Cristi . multipliciterT consumit
He doth nouȝt wel þat doþ þus ne drat nouȝt god almiȝty
Ne loueþ nouȝt salamones sawes þat sapience telleþ .T
Inicium sapiencie timor domini .
Þat dredeth god he doþ well þat dred him for loue .
And nouȝt{e} for drede of veniaunce doþ þerfore þe bett{..}re
He doþ best þat with-draweþ him by day and bi nyȝte .
To spille any speche or any space of tyme .
Qui offendit in v{..}noT in omnibus est reus
Lesinge of tyme truthe wot þe sothe .
Is moost yhatud vponT erthe of hem þat ben in heuene
b And goddes gleman and a game of heueneC
c Wolde neuere þe fait{.}hful fadur his fithel were vtempred{e} / v[n]tempred{e}
To alle trwe tidy men þat trauaille desiren .
Oure lord loueþ hem and lent loude oþur stille
Grace to go to hem and agon hire liflode
Inquirentes autem dominum . non minuentur omni bono .
Trewe weddud libbinge folk in þis world{e} is dowell
For þei moote w{.}erchen and wynnen and þe world{e} susteine
For of here kynde þai comen þat Confessours ben nempned{e}
Kynges and kniȝtes kaisers and cherles .
Maydenes and martires out of on man come
Þe wif was made þe weie for to helpun worchen
And þus was wedlok y-wrouȝt{e} with a mene persone
Furst bi þe fadres will and þe freendus conseille
And sithenes by assent of hem-self as þei two miȝten accorde
And þus was wedlok{e} y-wrouȝt{e} and god him-self{..} — it made
Ac false folk{e} faith{e}—les theues and liers .
Wastours and wrecches out of wedlok y trowe .
Conceiued ben in {.}yuel tyme as Caym was on Eeue .
Of suche synneful shrewes þe sautier makeþ mynde
Concepit in dolore & peperit iniquitatem. & cetera .
And alle þat come of þat Caym come {...}to yuel{e} ende .
For god sente to Seem and saide bi an angel
Þin issue . in þin issue I wol þat þei be wedd{..}ed
Caymes kynde and his kynT coupled to-gedres .
Til god wratthud with hire werkus and such{e} a word{e} saide .
Þat I makud man now . me it athinketh
Penitet me fecisse hominem .
And com{e} to Noe a-non and bad him nouȝt{e} lette
Swithe go shape a shipp{e} of shides & of bordus .
Þ{in}y-seluen and þine sones þre and sithen {ȝ}youre wiues
Buske ȝow to þat bote and bide ȝe þere-innne / inne .
Til fourty daies be fulfulde andT flode haue y-wasshen
Clene away þe cursud blod þat Caim haþ y-makud
Beestus þat now ben shullen banne þe tyme .
Þat euere þat cursud Caym com{e} on þis erthe .
Al shal deie for his dedus by dales andT hullus
And þe foules þat f{..}leen forth with oþur beestus .
E{.}xcepte onliche of iche kinde a couple
Þat in þ{in}y shinglede shipp{e} shullen ben ysaued
Here abouȝte þe barn{e} þe belsires gultus
And alle for hire forfadres þei ferden þe worse
Þe gospell is here aȝein in o degre I fynde .
Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris . & pater non portabit iniquitatem & ceteraT
Ac I finde {ȝ}if þe fadur be fal{se}s and a shrewe
Þat sumdel þe sone shal haue þe sires tacches
Impe on an elleren . and {ȝ}if þine apple be swete
Muche meruaille me thinketh and more of a shrewe .
Þat bringeþ forth any barn{e} but {ȝ}if he be þe same .
And haue a sauour after þe sire seelde seest{e} þow oþur
Numquam colligitur de spinis vua{s}T . nec de tribulis ficus .
And þus {...}thorgh cursud{e} Caym cam{e} care vpon erthe
And all{e} for {...?...}þei wroȝte wedlokes aȝeins goddus wille
For-þ{.}y haue þei maugre . for hire mariages þat marie so hire children
For somme as I see now soth for to tellen
For couetise of catel vnkindliche ben wedded .
As careful ConcepcionusT comeþ of suche mariages .
As bifel of þe folk þat IT of tolde .
For goode shulde wedde goode þo{.}wgh þei no good hadde
I am via & veritas saith Crist I may auauncen alle
To {ȝ}yeuen a {ȝ}yong{e} wenche to an old{e} fieble
Or wedden any widowe for welthe of hire godus
Þat neuere shal barn{e} bere but it be in armes
Many a paire siþþen þe pestilence han pliȝt{e} hem to-gedres
Þe fruit þat þei bringe forth arn{e} foule wordus .
In ialousie ioieles and ianglinge on bedde .
And {..}þough þei don hem to D{u}onmowe but {ȝ}if þe deuel helpe
To folwen aftur þe Fli{ss.}cche fecche þei it neuere
For-þi I conseille alle Cristen coueite nouȝt to be wedded
For couetise of catell ne of kyndered{.} riche
Ac maidenes and maydenes macche {ȝ}yow to-gedres
For no lond{.}es but for loue loke {ȝ}ye be weddud
And{.} þanne gete {.}ye þe grace of god and good ynowgh to liuen with
And euery manere seculer þat may nouȝt continue
Wysly go wedde and war him from synne .
For leccherie in likinge is limȝerde of helle
Whiles þou art {ȝ}yong{.} and þ{ine}y wepene kene .
Wreke þe with wyuynge {ȝ}if þow wolt ben excused{.}
Dum sis vir fortis ne des tua robora scortis
Scribitur in portis . meretrix est ianua mortis
Whan {ȝ}ye haue wyued{e} be war and worcheþ in tyme
Nouȝt as Adam and Eue whanne Caym was engendred
For in vntyme truly by-twene man and womman
Ne shulde no bourde on bedde be but {ȝ}if þei bothe were clene
Bothe of l{...}if and of soule and in parfit{e} charitee
Þat ilke derne dede do {noman} no man ne shulde
And {ȝ}if þei leden þus hire lif it liketh god almiȝty
For he made wedlok{e} furst{e} and him-seluen it saide
Bonum est vt vnusquisque vxorem suam habeat propter fornicacionem
And þai þat othurgatus ben geten for gedlinges arn holden
As fals folk{e} fondelinges faitours and liers
Vngracious to geten good{e} or loue of þe p{.}eple .
Wandren and wasten what þei cacche mowe
A{.}yeins dowell þei doon {.}yuele and þe deuel serue .
And aftur here deth-day{.} shullen dwellen with þe same
But god {ȝ}yeue hem grace here hem-self to amende
Dowell my freend{e} is to do as þe lawe techeþ
To loue þ{ine}y freend{e} and þ{ine}y foo leue me þat is dobet
To {ȝ}yeuen and to {ȝ}yemen boþe {ȝ}yonge and olde .
To helen and to helpen is do-best{e} of alle .
And dowell is to drede god and dobet to suffre .
And so cometh dobest{e} of boþe and bringeþ a-doun þe mody .
And þat is wikkud wille þat many werk sheendeth
And driueth a-way dowel þourgh dedly synnes
nota bene
# quia non solum verbo sed opere facta sunt
# the makyng off man with the sowle
nota
contra potentiam potationis
nota bene
# that holy Church shuld help Folis
E vij
# Quarta discripcio de dowell
# contra hos qui concipiuntur absque matrimonio
# that Seem and Caymes kynd shuld not Cople
#
E viij
#
nota de puritate Coitus in matrimonio
# Quinta discriptio de dowell
# secunda discripcio de dowell
{...?...}# quia Inwitt habet quinque Filios vt patet
{...?...}T
# quod natura est Creator omnium rerum
# quia dixit & facta sunt mandauit & Creata sunt
{globbers}C
# ad Compatres
# what belongyth to the litle Barn
# ad prelatos
# maiorem caritatem in Iudeis quam in cristianis
# contra truffatores
nota
# Tertia discripcio de dowell
nota
nota contra matrimonium inordinatum
nota
# Bacoun off dunmow
Passus Xus
þanne had wit a wif
.V.
passus ixus
passus ixus
passus ixus
bonas