Ac ȝit I am in a weer  what charite is to mene

It is a ful tried tree quod he  trulich to telle

Mercy is þe moore þerof  þe myddel stokke is ruþe

Þe leues been lele wordis  þe lawe of holy chirche

Þe blosmes been buxum speche  & benynge lokyng

Pacience hatte þe pure tree  & pure symple of herte

And so þoruȝ god & good men  groweþ þe fruyt charite

I wolde trauayle quod I . þis tree to see  twenty hundrid myle

And to haue my fille of þat fruyt  forsake al oþer saule

Lord quod I if any wyȝt wite  whider out it groweþ

It groweþ in a gardeyn quod he  þat god made hym-selue

Amyddis mannes body  þe moore is of þat stokke

Herte hatte þe herber  þat it Inne groweþ

And liberum arbitrium  haþ þe loond to ferme

Vndir peers þe plowman  to piken it and weden it

Þat I herde nempne his name  anoon I swownede after

And lay longe in a loue-dreem  & at þe last me þouȝte

Þat peers þe plowman  al þe place me schewede

And bade me toten on þe tree  on toppe & on rote

Wiþ þre piles was it vndir-piȝt  I parceyuede it soone

Peers quod I . I preye þee  why stonden þeise piles heer

For wyndes . wilt þou wite quod he  to witen it fram fallyng

And in blowynge tyme abite þe flowris  but if þeise piles helpe

Þe werld is a wykkid wijnd  to hem þat willen truþe

Coueytise comeþ of þat wijnd  & crepeþ among þe leues

And forfretiþ nyȝ þe fruyt  þoruȝ many fayre siȝtis

Þanne wiþ þe first pile I pulle hym doun  þat is potencia dei patris

Þe flesch is a felle wijnd  & in flouryng tyme

Þoruȝ likyng ofT lustis  so lowde he gynneþ blowe

Þat it norischeþ nyce siȝtes  & sum-tyme wordis

And wickede werkis þerof  wormes of synne

And forbiteþ þe blosmes  riȝt to þe bare leues

Þanne sette I to . þe secounde pile  sapiencia dei patris

Þat is þe passioun & þe power  of oure prynce iesus

Þoruȝ preyeris & penaunce  & goddis passioun in mynde

I saue it til I see it ripe  & sumdel yfruytid

And þanne fondiþ þe feend  my fruyt to distruye

Wiþ alle þe wyles þat he can  & waggedeT þe rote

And casteþ vp to þe croppe  vnkynde neyȝboris

Bacbiters breke-cheste  brawlers & chideris

And leiþ a ledder þerto  of lesyngys arn þe ronges

And feccheþ awey my flouris sum-tyme  afore boþe myne yen

Ac liberum arbitrium  letteþ hym sum tyme

Þat is lutenaunt to loken it wel  bi leue of my-selue

Ac whanne þe feend & þe flesch  forþ wiþ þe werld

Manacen bihynde me  my fruyt for to fecche

Þanne liberum arbitrium  laccheþ þe first plante

And palleþ adoun þe pouke  purilicheT þoruȝ grace

And help of þe holy goost  & þus haue I þe maystrie

Now fayre falle ȝow peers quod I  so fayre ȝe discryuen

Þe power of þeise postes  & her propre myȝte

And I haue þouȝtes a þreue  of þeise þre piles

And to my mynde as me þinkeþ  on oo moore þei growenT

And of oo gretnesse & grene  of ooT greyn þei semen

Þat is soþ quod peers  so it myȝteT bifalle

I schal telle þee as tyte  what þis tree hatte

Þe ground þere it groweþ goodnesse it hiȝte

And I haue told þee . what hiȝte þe tree  þe trinite it meneþ

And egrelich he lokede on me  & þerfore I sparede 

To axen hym any more þerof  & bade hym ful fayre 

To discryue þe fruyt  þat so fayre hangeþ

Heer now bi-neþe quod he þoo  if I nede hadde

Matrimoyne I may nyme  a moyst fruyt wiþ-alle

ÞatT contynence is neer þe crop  as aT calewey bastard

Þanne bereþ þe crop kynde fruyt  & clennest of alle

Maydenhed aungelis peres  & rapestT woldeT be ripe

And swete wiþ-outen swellyng  sour worþ it neuere

I preyede peers to pulle adoun  an appel & he wolde

And suffre me to assaye  what sauour it hadde

And peers caste to þe crop  & þanne comsede it to crye

And waggede wydewehod  & it wepte after

And whanne it mouede matrimoyne  it made a foule noyce

Þat I hadde ruþe whanne peers roggede  it gradde so rufulliche

For euere as þei droppedenT adoun  þe deuel was redy

And gaderede hem alle to-gyderes  boþe grete & smale

Adam and eueT  and ysaacT þe prophete

Sampson & samuel  & seynt Ion þe baptist

Bar hem forþ boldeli  no-body hem lettede

And made of holyT his hoord  in lymbo inferni

Þere is derkenesse & drede  & þe deuel mayster

And peers for pure tene  þat oo pile he lauȝte

And hitte after hym  happe how heT myȝte

Filius bi þe fadir wille  & freenesse of spiritus sancti

To go robbe þat ragman  & reue þe fruyt from hym

And þanne spake spiritus sanctus  in gabrieles mouþe

To a mayden þat hiȝte marie  a meke þing wiþ-al

Þat oon iesus a iustises sone  muste iouke in hir chaumbre

Til plenitudo temporis  fulli comen were

Þat peers fruyt flourede  & fel to be ripe

And þanne schalTiesus iuste þerfore  bi iugement of armes

Wheþer schulde fonge þe fruyt  þe feend or hym-selue

Þe mayden myldeliche þoo  þe massager grauntede

And seyde heendeliche to hym  lo me his hande-mayden

For to wirchen his wille  wiþ-outen any synne

And in þatT wombe of þat wenche  was he fourty wokis

Til he wexe a faunt þoruȝ hir flesch  & of fyȝtyng couþe

To haue fouȝten wiþ þe feend  er ful tyme come

And peers þe plowman  parceyuede plener tyme

And lerede hym lechecraft  his lijf forto saue

Þat þouȝ he were woundid wiþ his enemy  to warische hymselue

And dide hym assaye his surgerie  on hem þat seek weren

Til he was parfiȝt practisour  if any perel fel

And souȝte out þe seke  & þe synful boþe

And saluede seke & synful  boþe blynde & croked

And comune wommen conuertede  & to good turnede

Boþe meseles & mute  & in þe menysoun blody

Ofte he helede swiche  he helde it for no maystrie

Saue þoo he lechede lazar  þat hadde yleyn in graue

Quotriduanus quelt  quyk dide hym walke

Ac as he made þe maystrie  mestus cepit esse

And wepte water wiþ hise yen  þere seyȝen it many

Summe þat þe siȝt seyȝen  seyden þat tyme

Þat he was leche of lijf  & lord of hye heuene

Iues iangledenT þer-aȝens  & iuggedenT lawes

And seyde he wrouȝte wiþ wichcraft  & wiþ þe deuelis myȝt

Þanne arn ȝe cherlis quod ich  & ȝoure children boþe

And sathan ȝoure saueour  ȝoure-self nowT witnessen

For I haue saued ȝoure-self seiþ crist  & ȝoure sones after

Ȝoure bodyes . ȝoure beestis  & blynde men holpen

And fedde ȝow wiþ fisches  & wiþ fyue loues

And lafte baskettis ful of breed brokenT  bere awey who-so wolde

And mysseyde þe Iues manlich  & manacede hem to bete

And knokkede on hem wiþ a koorde  & caste adoun her stalles

Þat in chirche chaffareden  or chaungeden any money

And seydeT in syȝt of hem alle  so þat alle herden

I schal ouer-turne þis temple  & adoun þrowe

And in þre dayes after  edifienT it newe

And maken it as myche ouþer more  in al manere poyntis

As euere it was . & as wyde  wherfore I hote ȝow

Of preyeris &T parfiȝtnesse  þis place þat ȝe calle

Enuye & yuele wille  was in þe Iues

Þei castedenT & contreueden  to kille hym whanne þei myȝtenT

Iche day after oþerT  tyme þei awayteden

Til it befel on a friday  a litil bifore paske

Þe þorusday bifore  þere he made his maundee

Sittynge at þe soper  he seyde þeise wordis

I am sold þoruȝ oon of ȝow  he schal þe tyme rue 

Þat euere heT his saueour solde  for siluer or ellis

Iudas ianglede þer-aȝens  ac iesus hym tolde

It was hymself soþeli  & seyde . tu dicis

Þanne wente forþ þat wickede man  & wiþ þe Iues mette

And tolde hem a tokene  how to knowe wiþ iesus

And which tokene to þis day  is to mycheT vsed

Þat is kyssyng & fayre contenaunce  & vnkynde wille

And so was wiþ Iudas  þoo he iesus bitrayede

Aue raby quod þat ribaude  & riȝt to hym he ȝede

And kiste hym to be cauȝt þerby  & killed of þe Iues

Þanne iesus to Iudas  & to þe Iues seyde

Falsnesse I fynde  in þi fayre speche

And gyle in þi glad chere  & galle in þi lawȝhyng

Þow schalt be aT myrour  to many men to deceyue

Ac þe wers & þe wickednesse  schal worþe onT þi-selue

Þouȝ I . bi tresoun be taken  at ȝoure owne wille

Suffreþ myne apostelis in pays  & in pees gange

On a þorusday in þeT þesternesse  þus wasC he taken

Þoruȝ Iudas & Iues  iesus was his name

Þat on þe friday folewynge  for mankyndes sake 

Iustede . in ierusalem  a ioye to vs alle

On crosse vp-on caluarie  crist toke þe batayle

Aȝens þe deþ & þe deuel  distruyede her boþer myȝtes

Diede & deþ fordide  & day of nyȝt made

And I awakede þer-wiþ  & wipede myn yen

And after peers plowman  priede & starede

Estward & westward  I waytede after faste

And ȝede forþ as an idiot  in cuntree to aspieT

And þanne mette I wiþ a man  on mydde-lente sunday

As hoor as an hawe-þorn  & abraham he hyȝte

IC am feiþ quod þis freek  it falleþ not to lye

And of abrahams hous  an heroud of armes

I seke after a segge  þat I seyȝ onys

A ful boold bacheler  I knowe hym bi his blasen

What bereþ þat barn quod I þoo  so blisse þee be-tide

Þre leodes on oo lith  noon lenger þan oþer

Of oo mychel & oo magesteT  in mesure & in lenkþe

Þat oon dooþ alle dooþ  & iche dooþ bi his one

Þe first haþ myȝt & mageste  maker of al þinge

Pater is his name  a persoone bi hym-selue

Þe secounde is of þat sire  soþfastnesse filius

Wardeyn of alT þat witt haþ  was euere wiþ-out gynnyng

Þe þridde {haþ}hatteT þe holi goost  a persoone bi hym-selue

Þe liȝt of al þat lijf haþ  a londe & on water

Counfortour of creaturis  of hym comeþ al blisse

So þre bilongeþ for a lord  þat lordschip cleymeþ

Myȝt & mene  to knowe his owne myȝt

Of hym & of his seruaunt  & what þei suffrenT boþe

So god þat bigynnyngT hadde neuere  but þoo hym good þouȝte

Sente forþ his sone  as for seruaunt þat tyme

To occupien hym heer  til issu were sprungenT

Þat is children of charite  & holi chirche þe modir

Patriarkis & prophetis  & apostelis weren þe children

And crist & cristendom  & cristen holy chirche

I / I[n] menyng þat man muste  on oo god beleue

And þere hym likede & louede  in þre persoones hym schewedeT

Wedlok & wydewehood  &T virgynyte ynempned

In tokenyng of þe trinyte  was taken out of a man

Adam oure alþer fadir  eue was of hym-selue

And þe issu þat he hadde  it was of hem boþe

And eiþer is oþeres ioye  in þre sundry persoones

And in heuene & in erþe  oon synguler name

And þus is mankynde or manhed  of matrimoyn ysprungenT

Myȝt is matrimoyn  þat multiplieþ þe erþe

And bitokeneþ truli  telle it if I durste

He þat first formede al  þe fadir of heuene

Þe sone is if I durste seye  resemblant to widewe

Þat is . creatour wexe creature  to knowe what was boþe

As widewe wiþ-outen wedlok  was neuere ȝit yseye

No more myȝte god be man  but if he modir hadde

So wydewe wiþ-oute wedlok  may not wel stonde

Ne matrimoyne wiþ-outen mulerie  is not myche to preyse

Þus in þre persoones  is parfiȝtlich manhood

Þat is man & his make  & mulererT children

And is not but gendre of generacioun  bifore iesu crist in heuene

So is þe fader forþ wiþ þe sone  & fre wille of boþe

Which is þeT goost of al  & al is but oo god

Þus in somer I hym seyȝ  as I sate in my porche

I aroos vp & reuerencede hym  & riȝt fayre hym grette

Þre men to my siȝt  I made wel at ese

Wessche her feet & wipede hem  & afterward þei eten

Calues flesche & cake breed  & knewen what I þouȝte

Ful trewe tokenes bitwene vs been  to telle whanne me likeþ

First he fondede me  if I louede better 

Hym . or ysaak myn heir  þe which he hiȝte me kille

He wiste my wille bi hym  he wole me it alowe

I am ful siker in soule þerof  & my sone boþe

I circumciside my sone  siþ for his sake

My-self & my meyne  & alle þat male weren

Bledden blood for þat lordis sakeT  & hopen to blisse þe tyme

Myn affiaunce & my feiþ  is ferme in þis beleue

For hym-self bihyȝte to me  & to myn issu boþe 

Loond . & lordschip  & lijf wiþ-outen ende

To me & to myn issu  more ȝit he me grauntede 

Mercy . for oure mysdedis  as many tyme as we axe

And siþ he sente me to seye  I schude / schu[l]de do sacrifise

And do hym worschip wiþ breed  & wiþ wyn boþe

And callede me forþT of his feiþ  hise folk for to saue

And defendede hem fro þe feend  folk þat on me leneden

Þus haue I been his heraud  heer & in helle

And counfortede many careful  þat after his comyng wayten

And þus I seke hym he seyde  for I herde seyn late

Of a barn þat baptisede hym  ion baptist was his name

Þat to patriarkes & prophetis  & oþere peple in derkenesse

Seyde . þat he seyȝ hymT  þat schulde saue vs alle

Amongys patriarkes & prophetis  pleyinge to-gyderes

What awaytist þou quod he þooT  & what woldist þou haue

I wolde wite quod I þoo  what is þisT in ȝoure lappe

Loo quod he & lete me see  lord mercy I seyde

Þis is a present of myche price  what prynce schal it haue

It is a precious present quod he  ac þe pouke it haþ atached

And me þer-myd quod þat man  may no wed vs quyte

Ne no barn be oure boruȝ  ne brynge vs fram his daunger

Out of þe poukis pynfold  ne no meinpriseT vs fecche

Til he come þat I carpe of  crist is his name

Þat schal delyuere vsT out  of þe deuelis power

And better wed for vs legge  þan we been alle worþi

Þat is lijf for lijf  or ligge þus euere

Lollynge in my lappe  til swich a lord vs fecche

Allas I seyde þat synne  so longe schal lette 

Þe myȝt of goddis mercy  þat myȝte vs alle amende

I wepte for hise wordis  wiþ þat sawȝ I an-oþer

Rapelich renne forþ  þe riȝt weye he wente

I fraynede hym first  from whennys he come

And what he hiȝte & whidir he wolde  & whiȝtlich he tolde