Þanne callede I concience  to kenne me þe soþe

Is þis iesus þe iuster quod I  þat Iues diden hymT to deþe

Or it is peers þe plowman  who peyntede hym so rede

Quod concience & knelede þoo  þeise arn peers armes

Hise colouris & his cote armure  ac he þat comeþ so blody

Is crist wiþ his crosse  conquerour of cristene

Why calle ȝe hym crist quod I  siþ Iues calledenT hym iesus

Patriarkes & prophetis  propheciede bifore

Þat alle kyns creaturis  schulden knelen & bowen

Anoon as men nempnedenT  þe name of god iesu

Ergo . is no name  to þe name of iesus

Ne noon so nedeful to nempne  bi nyȝt ne bi day

For alle derke deuelis . arn  adrad to here it

And synful arn solaced  & saued bi þat name

And ȝe callen hym crist  for what cause telleþ me

Is crist more of myȝt  & more worþi name

Þan iesu or iesus  þat al oure ioye come of

Þou knowest wel quod concience  & þou canstT resoun

Þat kyng . knyȝtT . conquerour  may be oo persoone

To be called a knyȝt . is fayr  for men schul knele to hym

AndT to be called a kyngT . fayrer  for he may knyȝtis make

And to be coquerour / co[n]querour called  þat come / come[þ] of special grace

And of hardynesse of herte  & of heendnesse boþe

To make lordis of laddis  of loond þat he wynneþ

C And free men foule þralles  þat folewen not hise lawes

Þe Iues þat weren ientil men  iesu þei dispisedenT

Boþe his lore & his lawe  now arn þei lowe cherlis

As wyde as þe werld is  wonyeþ þer noon

But vndir tribute & talliage  as tikes & cherlis

And þoo þat bicoomenT cristen  bi counceyl of þe baptisme

Arn fraunkeleyns &T free men  þoruȝ fullyng þat þei tokenT

And ientil men wiþ iesu  for iesus was yfullid

And vp-on caluarie on crosse  ycrowned kyng of Iues

It bicomeþ to a kyng  to kepe &T defende

And conquerour of conquest  hise lawes & his large

And so dide iesus þe Iues  he iustifiede & tauȝte hem

Þe lawe of longeT lijf  þat laste schal euere

And fende hem fromT foule yuelis  feueres & fluxes

AndT feendis þatT hem werrenT  & alT fals beleue

Þoo was he iesus of Iues  called ientil prophete

And kyng of her kyngdom  & crowne bare of þornes

And þoo conquerede he on crosse  as conquerour noble

Myȝt no deþ hym fordo  ne adoun brynge

Þat he no roosT & regnede  & rauesschede helle

And þoo was he conquerour called  of quyke & of dede

For he ȝaf adam & eue  & oþere moo blisse

Þat longe hadden leyn bifore  as lucifers cherlis

And siþen he ȝaf largeli  alle hise lele leges

Places in paradice  at her partyng hennes

He may wel be called conquerour  & þat is crist to mene

Ac þe cause þat he comeþ þus  wiþ crosse of his passioun 

Is to wissen vs þerwiþ  þat whann þat we been tempted

Þer-wiþ to fiȝte & fende vs  fro fallyng in-to synne

And se bi his sorwe  þat who loueþ ioye

To penaunce & to pouerte  he muste putte hym-selue

And mycheT in þis werld  willen & suffren

Ac to carpe more of crist  & how he come to þat name

Feiþli for to speke  his first name was iesus

Þoo he was born in bethlem  as þe book telleþ

And come to take man-kynde  kyngys & aungelis 

Reuerenceden hym fayre  wiþ richesse of erþe

Aungelis out of heuene  coom knelynge & sungen

Kyngys coomen after  knelyngeT & offreden

Myrre & myche gold  wiþ-outen mercy askyng

Or any kyns catel  but knowlechynge hym souereyn

Boþe of soond & sunneT & sehe  & siþen þei wenten

Into her kyngnelithT  bi counceyl of aungelis

And þere was þat word fulfild  þe which þou of speke

For alle þe aungelis of heuene  at his birþe kneledenT

And al þe witt of þe world  was in þoo þre kyngys

Resoun & riȝtwisenesse  & ruþe þei offreden

Wherfor & why  wise men þat tyme

Maystres & lettered men  magy hem callede

Þat oo kyng cam wiþ resoun  couered vndir sense

Þe secounde kyng siþþe  soþeli offrede

Riȝtwysenesse vndir reed goldT  resouns felawe

Gold is likned to lewte  þat laste schal euere

And resoun to riche gold  to riȝt & to truþe

Þe þriddeT þoo coom  knelynge to iesu

And presentede hym wiþ pite  apperynge bi myrre

For myrre is mercy to mene  & mylde speche of tunge

Þre yliche honeste þingys  werenT offred þus at ones

Þoruȝ þre kyn kyngys  knelynge to iesu

Ac for alle þeise preciouse presentis  oure lord prince iesus

Was neiþer kyng ne conquerour  til he gan to waxe

In þe manere of a man  & þat bi myche sleyȝt

As it bicomeþ a conquerour  to kunne many sleyȝtis

And many whyles & witt  þat wole been a leder

And so dide iesus in hise dayes  who-so hadde tyme to telle it

Sum tyme he suffrede  & sum-tyme he hidde hym

And sum-tyme he fauȝte fast  & fleyȝ oþer-while

And sum-tyme he gaf good  & grauntede hele boþe

Lijf & lym  as hym liste he wrouȝte

As kynde is of a conquerour  so comsede iesu

Til he hadde alle hem  þat he fore bledde

In his Iuuentee þis iesus  at þe Iuen feeste

Water in-to wyn turnede  as holi writ telleþ

And þere bigan god  of his grace do-wel

For wyn is likned to lawe  & lijf of holynesse

And lawe lakkede þoo  for men loueden not her enemyes

And crist counceyleþ vs  & commaundeþ boþe

Boþe to lered & to lewed  to lou{þ}ye oure enemyes

So at þe feest first  as I bifore tolde

Bigan god of his grace  & goodnesse to do wel

And þoo was he cleped & called  not holy crist . but iesu

A faunt fyn ful of witt  filius marie

For bifore his modir marie  made he þat wondre

Þat sche first & formest  ferme schulde beleue

Þat he þoruȝ grace was getenT  & no goom ellis

He wrouȝte þat bi no witt  but þoruȝ word one

After þe kynde þat he coome of  þere comsede he do wel

And whanne he was waxen more  in his modir absence

He made lame to lepe  & ȝaf liȝt to blynde

And fedde wiþ two fisches  & wiþ fyue loues

Sor a-fyngred folk  moo þan fyue þousande

Þus he counfortede careful  & cauȝte a gretter name

Þe which was . do-bette  where þat he wente

For deefe þoruȝ hise doynges to here  & dombe . speke he made

And alle he helede & halpe  þat hym . of grace askede

And þoo was he called in cuntre  of þe comune peple

For þe dedis þat he dide  iesu fili dauid

For dauid was douȝtiest  of dedis in hys tyme

Þe beerdesT þat sungen . saul interfecit mille & dauid decem milia

For-þi þe cuntre þere iesu coome  callede hym fili dauid

And nempnede hym of nazareth  & no man so worþi

To be cayser or kyng  of þe kyngdom of iuda

Ne ouer Iues iustise  as iesus was hem þouȝte

Wher-of cayphas hadde enuye  & oþere of þe Iues

And for to do hym to deþ  day & nyȝt þei casten

Kylleden hym on croswise  at caluarie on fryday

And siþen birieden his body  & beden þat men schuldenT 

Kepe it fro nyȝt-comers  wiþ knyȝtis yarmed

For no freendis schulden hym fecche  for prophetis hem tolden

Þat þat blissid body  of birielis schulde rise

And go in-to galile  & gladen hise apostelis

And his modir marie  þus men bifore demedenT

Þe knyȝtis þat kepten hym  biknewen it hem-seluen

Þat aungelis & archaungelis  er þe day sprunge

Coomen knelynge to þe coors  & sungen christus resurgens

Verray man bifore hem alle  & forþ wiþ hem he ȝede

Þe Iues preyeden hem pees  & bisouȝten þe knyȝtis

TelleT þat þer coomenT  a companye of hise apostelis

And biwicchede hem as þei woken  & awey stoolen it

Ac marie magdalene  mette hym bi þe weye

Goynge toward galile  in godhed & manhed

And on lyue & lokynge  & sche aloude cryede

In iche a companye þere sche coome  christus resurgens

Þus cam it out . þat crist ouercam  recouerde & lyuede

For þat þat wommen witen  may not wel be counceyl

Peter parceyuede al þis  & pursuede after

Boþe iames & ion  iesu for to seke

Tadde & ten moo  wiþ thomas of Inde

And as alle þeise wise wyes  weren to-gyderes

In an hous al bischette  & her dore yspered

Crist cam in . al closed  boþe dore & ȝates

To Peter & to hise aposteles  & seyde . pax vobis

And toke thomas bi þe hoond  & tauȝte hym to grope

And fele wiþ hise fyngres  his fleschliche herte

Tomas touchede it  & wiþ his tunge seyde

Þou art my lord I beleue  god lord iesu

Þou deyedest & deþ þoledest  & deme schalt vs alle

And now art lyuynge & lokynge  & laste schalt þouT euere

Crist carpede þanne  & curteysliche seyde

Thomas for þou trowest þis  & truliche leuestT it

Blessed mote þou be  & be schalt for euere .

And blessed motenT þei alle be  in body & in soule

Þat neuere schul see me in siȝt  as þou seestT nouþe

And leliche beleue al þis  I loue hem & blesse hem

And whanne þis dede was doon  do-best he tauȝte

And ȝaue peers power  & pardoun he grauntede

To alle manere men  mercy & forȝyuenesse

Hym myȝt . to assoyle men  ofT alle manere synnes

In couenaunt þat þei come  & knowleche to paye

To peers pardoun þe plowman  redde quod debes

ÞusT peers power  be his pardoun payed

To bynde & vnbynde  boþe heer & ellis-where

And assoyle men of alle synnes  saue of dette one

Anoon after on hyȝ  vp in-to heuene 

He wente & wonyeþ þere  & wole come at þe laste

And rewarde hym riȝt wel  þat reddit quod debet

And payeþ parfiȝtli  as pure truþe wolde

And what persoone payeþ it not  punyschen he þenkeþ

And demen hym at domes-day  boþe quyk & deed

Þe goode to þe godhed  & to greet Ioye

And wickede to wonye  in woo wiþ-outen ende

Þus concience of crist  & ofT crosse carpede

And counceylede me to knele þerto  & þanne cam me þouȝt

On Spiritus paraclitus  to peers & to hise felawes

In liknesse of a liȝtnyng  he liȝte on hem alle

And made hem kunne & knowe  alle kyns langages

I wondrede what þat was  & waggede concience

And was a-feerd of þat liȝt  for in feers liknesse 

Spiritus paraclitus  ouer-spradde hem alle

Quod concience & knelede  þis is cristis messager

And comeþ fro þe greet god  & grace is his name

Knele now quod concience  & if þou canst . synge

Welcome hym & worschipe hym  wiþ veni creator spiritus

Þanne songe I þat soong  & so diden many hundred

And crieden wiþ concience  helpe vs god of grace

And þanne bigan grace to goo  wiþ peers þeT plowman

And counceylede hym & concience  þe comune to sompne

For I wole dele to-day  & dyuyde grace

To alle kyn creaturis  þat han her fyue wittis

Tresore to lyue bi  to her lyues eende

And wepne to fiȝte wiþ  whan antecrist ȝow assayleþ

And ȝafT man a grace  to go wiþ hym-selue

Þat ydelnesse encombre hym not  enuye ne pride

Summe he ȝaf witt  wiþ wordis to schewe 

Witt . to wynne her lijflode wiþ  as þe werkT askeþ

As prechouris & preestis  & prentices of lawesT

Þei leli to lyue  þoruȝT laboure of tunge

And bi witt to wissen oþere  as grace hem wolde teche

And summe he kennede craft  & kunnyng of siȝt

Wiþ sellyng & biggyng  her bileue to wynne

And summe he lerede to laboure  a lele lijf & trewe

And summe he tauȝte to tilye  to diche & to hegge

To wynne wiþ her lijflode  bi lore of his techyng

And summe to dyuyne & dyuyde  noumbres to kenne

And summe to compasse craftili  & colouris to make

And summe to see & summe to seye  what schulde befalle

Boþe of wel & of woo  telle it er it felle

As astronomyens þoruȝ astronomye  onT philosophres wise

And summe to ride & summe to recouere  þat vnriȝtfulli was wonnen

He wissede hem to wynne it aȝeyn  þoruȝ wiȝtnesse of handis

And fecche it fro false men  wiþ foluyles lawes

And summe he lerede to lyue  in longynge to be hennys

In pouerte & in penaunce  to preye for alle cristene

And alle he lerede to be lele  & iche a craft loue oþer

And forbade hem al debate  þat noon were amonge hem

Þouȝ summe be clenner þan summe  ȝe seen wel quod grace

CÞat he þat vseþ þe fayrest craft  to þe foulest I couþe haue put hymT

Loke þat noon lakke oþer  but loueþ alle as breþeren

And who þat mooste maystries can  be myldest of beryng

And crowne concience kyng  & make craft ȝoure styward

And after craftis counceyl  cloþeþ ȝow & fedeþT

For I make peers þe plowman  my procuratour & my reue

And registrer to receyue  redde quod debes

My prowyour & my plowman  peers schal be on erþe

And for to tilye truþe  a teem schal he haue

Grace gaue peers a teem  foure grete oxen

Þat oon was luke . a large beest  & a lowe chered

And mark & matheu þe þridde  myȝti beestis boþe

And ioynede to hem oon Ion  þe moost gentil of alle

Þe price neet of peers plow  passynge alle oþere

And grace gaf peers  of his goodnesse foure stottes

Al þat hise oxen eriedem / eriede[n]  hemT to harewen after

Oon hiȝte austyn  & ambrose an-oþer

Gregori þe greet clerk  & ierom þe goode

Þeise foure . þe feiþ to teche  folewen peers teeme

And hareweden in an hand-whyle  al holy scripture

Wiþ two harewes þat þei hadden  an oold & a newe

And grace gaf greynes  þe cardynales vertues

And sewe it in mannes soule  & siþen tolde her names

Spiritus prudencie  þe first seed hiȝte

And who-so eete þat  ymagyne he schulde

COr he dide any dede  deuyse wel þe eende

And lernede men a ladel to bigge  wiþ a longe stele

ToT caste for to kepe a crokke  to saue þe fatte aboue

CTo goo ageyn pride  but grace were wiþ vs

Þanne cam kynde witt  concience to teche

And criede & comaundede  alle cristen peple

For to deluen & dichenT  depe aboute vnite

Þat holi chirche stode in vnite  as it a pile were

Concience comaundede þoo  alle Cristen to delue

And make a myche moot  þat myȝte been a strenkþe

To helpe holi chirche  & hem þat it kepen

Þanne alle kyn cristene  saue comune wommen

Repenteden & refuseden  synne . saue þei one

And false men flatereris  vsureris & þeues

Lyeris & questmongers  þat weren forsworen oftenT

Wytyngli & wilfulli  wiþ þe false helden

And for siluer werenT forsworen  soþeli þei wisten it

Þer nas no cristen creature  þat kynde witt hadde

Saue schrewes  &T swiche as I spake of

Þat he ne halpe a quantite  holynesse to waxe

Summe þoruȝ bedis biddynge & summe þoruȝ pilgrimage

And oþere pryue penaunce  & summe þoruȝ pens delyng

And þanne wellede water  for wikkide werkis

Egrelich rennynge  out of mennys yen .

Clennesse of þe comune  & clerkis clene lyuyng

Made vnite holi chirche  in holynesse to stonde

I care not quod concience  ifT pride come nouþe

Þe lord of lust schal be lettid  al þis lente I hope

Comeþ quod concience  icheT cristen & dyneþ

Þat han labourid lelli  al þis lenten tyme

Heer is breed yblessed  & goddis body þer-vndir

Grace þoruȝ goddis word  gaaf peers power 

Myȝtis to maken it  & men to ete it after

In help of her hele  onys in a moneþe

Or as ofte as þei hadden nede  þoo þatT ypayed 

To peers pardoun þe plowman  redde quod debes

How quod al þe comune  þou counceylest vs to ȝelde

Al þat we owen any wyȝt  er we go to housel

Þat is my counceyl quod concience  & cardynale vertues

That iche man forȝyue oþer  & þat wole þe pater-noster

And so to been assoylid  & siþen to be houseledC

Ȝhe . baw quod a brewer  I wole not be ruled 

Bi iesu for al ȝoure ianglyng  wiþ spiritus IusticieC

Ne after concience bi crist  while I can selle 

Boþe dregges & draf  & drawe atT oon hole 

Þikke ale & þinne ale  for þat is my kynde

And not hakke after holynesse  holde þi tunge concience

Of spiritus iusticie  þou spekest myche on ydel

Caytijf quod concience  cursed wrecche

Vn-blessid art þou brewer  but if þee god helpe

But þou lyue bi lore  of spiritus iusticie 

Þe cheef seed þat peers sewe  ysaued worþest þouT neuere

But concience þe comune seedT  & cardynal vertuesC

Leue it wel þei been lost  boþe lijf & soule

Þanne is many a man lost  quod a lewed vicorie

I am a curatour of holi kirke  & cam neuere in my tyme 

Man . to me þat me couþe telle  of cardynal vertues

Or þat countede concience  at a cokkes fe{d}þer or an hennys

I knewe neuere cardynal  þat he ne cam fro þe pope

And we clerkis whanne þei comen  for her comunes payen

For her pelure & her palfreys mete  & pilouris þat hem folewen

Þe comune clamat cotidie  icheT man to oþer

Þe cuntre is þe curseder  þat cardynalis comen Inne

And þere þei liggen & lengenT  moost leccherie þere regneþ

For-þi quod þis vicorie  bi verrey god I wolde 

Þat no cardynal coome  among þe comune peple

But in her owneT holynesse  holdeT hem stille at homeT

At avioun / avi[n]oun among þe Iues  cum sancto sanctus eris & cetera

Or in rome as her rule wole  þe relikes to kepe

And þou concience in kyngys court  & schuldest neuere come þennys

And grace þat þou gredist so  of gyour of alle clerkis

And peers wiþ his newe plow  & eke wiþ his olde

Emperour of al þe world  þat alle men weren cristene

Imparfiȝt is þe pope . þat al  þe peple schulde helpe

And sendiþ hem þat sleeþ swiche  as he schulde saue

And wel worþ peers þe plowman  þat pursueþ god in doynge

Qui pluit super iustos & iniustos at ones

And sente þe sonne to saue  a cursed mannes tilþe

As briȝt as to þe best man  & to þe best womman

Riȝt so peers þe plowman  peyneþ hym to tilye

As wel for a wastour  & wenches of þe stues

As for hym-self & hise seruauntis  saue he is first serued

And trauayliþ & tilieþ  for a traytour also sore

As for a trewe tidy man  alle tymes yliche

And worschipid be he þat wrouȝte al  boþe good & ille

And suffreþ þat synful be  til sum-tyme þat þei repente

And god amende þe pope  þat pileþ holi chirche

And cleymeþ bifore þe kyng  to beT ouer cristene

And counteþ atT nouȝt þouȝ cristene  be killed & robbed

And fynt folk to fiȝte  & cristen blood to spille

Aȝen þe olde lawe & newe lawe  as luke þerof witnesseþ

It semeþ bi so hym-seluenT  hadde his owneT wille

Þat he ne reccheþ riȝt nouȝt  of al þe toþerT remenaunt

And crist of his curteysie  þe cardynalis saue

And turne her witt to wisdom  & to wele of soule

For þe comune quod þis curatour  counten ful litil 

Þe counceyl of concience  or cardynal vertues

But if þei seenT as bi siȝt  sumwhat to wynnyng

Of gyle ne of gabbyng  gyuenT þei neuere tale

For spiritus prudencie  among þe peple . is gyle

And alle þe fayre vertues  as vices þei semen

Iche man sutileþ a sleyȝt  synne for to hyde

And coloureþ it wiþ a cunnyng  & a clene lyuyng

Þanne lowȝ þer a lord  & bi þis liȝt seyde

I holde it riȝt & resoun  of my reue to take 

Al þat myn auditour  or ellis my styward 

Counceyliþ me bi her acounte  & my clerkis wrytyng

Wiþ spiritus intellectus  to seke þe reues rollis

And wiþ spiritus fortitudinis  fecchen it I wole

AndT cam þer a kyng  & bi his crowne seyde

I am kyng wiþ crowne  þe comune to rule

And holy chirche & clergye  fro cursede menT defende

And if me lakkiþ to lyue bi  þe lawe wole I take it 

Þere I may hastlokestT it haue  for I am hed of lawe

For ȝe been but membris  & I abouen alle

And siþen I am ȝoure alþer hed  I am ȝoure alþerT hele

And holi chirches cheef help  & cheftayn of þe comune

And what þatT I take of ȝow two  I take it at þe techyng 

Of spiritus iusticie  for I iugge ȝow alle

So I may boldli be houseled  for I borwe neuere

Ne craue of my comune  but as my kynde askeþ

In condicioun quod concience  þat þou kunne defende

And rule þi rewme bi resoun  riȝt wel & in truþe

Take þou may in resoun  as þe lawe askeþ

Þe vicorieT hadde fer hoom  & fayre toke his leue

And I awakenede þer-wiþ  & wrouȝteT as me mette