Þis were a longe lettyng  quod a lady in a sleyre

What schulden we wommen  worche þe whyles

Summe schul sowe þe sakke quod peers  for schedynd / schedyn[g] of þe whete

And ȝe loueli ladies  wiþ ȝoure longe fyngris

Þat ȝe haue silk & sendel  to sewe whanne tyme is

Chesibles for chapeleyns  chirches to honoure

Wyues & wydowes  wolle & flex spynneþ

Makeþ cloþ I counceyle ȝow  & kenne so ȝoure douȝtres

Þe nedy & þe na{d}kyd  nymeT heed . how þei liggen

And casteþ hem cloþis  for so biddiþT truþe

For I schal lene hem lijflode  but if þe loond fayle

Flesch & breed boþe  to riche & to poreT

As longe as I lyue  for oureT lordis loue of heuene

And alle manere of men þat þoruȝ  mete & drynk libben

Helpeþ hym to worche wyȝtliche  þat wynneþ ȝoure fodeC

Bi crist quod a knyȝt þoo  he kenneþ vs þe best

Ac on þe teem truli  tauȝt was I neuere

Ac kenne me quod þe knyȝt  & I wole assaye

Bi seynt poule quod perkyn  ȝe proferenT ȝow so faire

Þat I schal swynke & swete  & sowe for vs boþe

And oþere labouris do for þi loue  al my lijf-tyme

In couenaunt þat þou kepe  holy kirke & my-selue

Fro wastouris & wikkide men  þat þis world stroyen

And go hunte hardili  to hares & to foxes

To bores & to brokkes  þat breken adoun myn hegges

And go affayte þi faukouns  wylde bestisT to kille

For swyche comen to my croft  & croppen my whete

Curteyselich þe knyȝt þanne  comsede hiseT wordis

Bi my power peers quod he  I pliȝte þee my truþe

To fulfille þis forward  þouȝ I fiȝte schulde

As longe as I lyue  I schal þee mayntene

Ȝhe & ȝit a poynt quod peers  I preye ȝow of more

Loke ȝe tene no tenaunt  but truþe wole assente

And þouȝ ȝe mowe amercye hem  latte mercy be taxour

And mekenesse þi mayster  maugrey Medis chekis

And þouȝ pore men proferenT ȝow  presentis & ȝiftis

Nyme it not in auenture  ȝe mowen it not deserue

For þou schalt ȝelde it aȝeyn  at oon ȝeris eende

In a ful perelous place  purgatorie it hatte

Mysbede not þi bonde-men  þe better mayst þou spede

Þouȝ he be þin vndirlyng heer  wel may happe in heuene

Þat he worþier sitte  & wiþ more blysse

Þan þou but þou do bette  & lyue as þou schuldistT

For in charnel &T cherche  cherlis been yuel to knowe

Or a knyȝt from a knaue  knowe þis in þin herte

And be trewe of þi tunge  & loke þou talis hatye

But if it be of wisdam or witt  þi werkemen to chastise

Holde wiþ noon harlottes  ne here not her talis

And namelich at mete  swiche men eschewe

For it been þe deuelis disouris  I do þee to vndirstonde

¶ I assente bi seyn Iames  þe knyȝt seyde þanne

For to worche bi þi wordis  þe whyle my lijf dureþ

¶ I schal apparayle me quod perkyn  in pilgrimes wise

And wende wiþ ȝow I wole  til we fynde truþe

And caste on my cloþes  ycloutid & hole

My cokeris & my cuffes  for coold of my nayles

And hange myn hoper at myn hals  in stede of a scrippe

A busschel of breed-corn  brynge me þer-inne

For I wole sowe it my-self  & siþen wole I wende

To pilgrimage as palmers doon  pardounT to haue

Ac who-so helpiþ me to erie  or sowe . er I wende 

Schal haue leue bi oure lord  to lacche hire in heruest

And make myrie þer-myd  maugrey who-so grucchiþ

And alle kyn crafti men  þat kunnen lyue in trouþe

I schal fynde hem fode  þat feiþfulliche libben

Saue iakke þe iogelour  & ionet of þe stues

And danyel þe dees player  & enot þe bawde

And þe frereT faytour  & folk of his ordre

And robyn þe ribaudour  for hise rusti wordis

Truþe tolde me ones  & bade me telle it after

Deleantur de libro viuencium  I schulde not dele wiþ hem

For holi chirche is hotenT  of hem no tiþe to take

Þei been ascaped good auenture  butT god hem amende

¶ Dame worche whanne tyme is  Peers wijf hyȝte

His douȝter hiȝte do riȝt so  or þi dame schal þee bete

His sone hiȝte suffre  þi souereynysT haue her wille

Deme hem not . for if þou do  þou schalt fulT dere abigge

Latte god worþe wiþ al  forT his word techiþ

For now I am oold & hoor  & haue of myn owne

To penaunce & pilgrimage  I wole passe wiþ þis oþere

ForT I wole er I wende  do write my biquest

In dei nomine amen  I make it my-selue

He schal haue my soule  þat best haþ yserued it

And fro þe feend it defende  for so I beleue

Til I come to hise acountis  as m{e?}y credo me telliþ

To haue a relees & remissioun  on þat rental I leue

Þe kirke schal haue my careyn  & kepe my bones

For of my corn and catel  he crauede þe tiþe

I payede it hym prestli  for perel of my soule

For-þi is he holden I hope  to haue me in his messe

And mengen in his memorie  amonge alle cristen

My wijf schal haue of þat I wan  wiþ truþe & no more

And dele among my douȝtres  & my dere children

For þouȝ I dye to-day  my dettes arn quytte

I bare hoom þat I borwede  er I to bedde ȝede

And wiþ þe residue & þe remenaunt  bi þe rode of lukes

I wole worschipe þerwiþ  truþe bi my lyue

And be his pilgryme atT plow  for pore mennys sake

My plowfoot schal be my pijkstaf  & picche atwo þe rotis

And helpe my cultur to kerue  & clense þe forwes

Now is perkyn & hise pilgrimes  to þe plow faren

To erie þis half acre  holpen hym manye

Dikers & deluers  diggeden vp þe balkes

Þer-wiþ was perkyn appayed  & preysede hem faste

Oþere werkemen þer weren  þat wrouȝten ful ȝerne

Ich man in his manere  made hym-self to done

And summe to plese perkyn  pikeden vp þe wedis

At hye pryme peers  lete þe plow stande

To ouerseen hem hym-self  & who-so best wrouȝte

He schulde be hyred þer-after  whanne heruest tyme come

And þanne seten summe  & sungen at þe nale

And holpen erie his half acre  wiþ hey trolly lolly

Now bi þe perel of my soule quod peers  al in pure tene

But ȝe arise þe raþer  & rape ȝow to worche

Schal no greyn þat growiþ  glade ȝow at nede

And þouȝ ȝe dye for deel  þe deuel haue þat reccheþ

Þoo weren faytouris a-feerd  & feynede hem blynde

Summe leyden her leggys a-liry  as swiche loseles kunnen

And made her moone to peers  & preyeden hym of grace

For we han no lymmes to laboure wiþ  lord y-gracied be ȝe

Ac we preyenT for ȝow peers  &T ȝoure plow boþe

Þat god of his grace  ȝoure greyn multiplie

And ȝelde ȝow ofT almes  þat ȝe ȝyuen vs heer

For we mowen not swynke ne swete  swich seeknesse vs eyliþ

If þis be soþ quod peers  I schal it soone aspye

Ȝe been wastours I woot wel  & truþe woot þe soþe

And I am his olde hyne  & hyȝte hym to warne

Whyche þei weren in þis werld  hise werkemen appeyredenT

Ȝe wasten þat men wynnen  wiþ trauayle & tene

Ac truþe schal teche ȝow  his teem to dryue

Or ȝe schul ete barli breed  & of þe brook drynke

But if he be blynde or broken-legged  or bolted wiþ Irnes

He schal ete sweteT breed  & drynke wiþ my-selue

Til god of his goodnes  amendement hym sende

Ac ȝe myȝtenT trauayle as truþe wolde  & take mete & hyre

To kepe kijn in þe feeld  þe corn fro þe bestis

Diken or deluen {or deluen}  or dyngen vp-on scheues

Or helpe make morter  or bere muk {a}-feeld

In leccherie & losengerie  ȝe lyuen & in sleuþe

And al is þoruȝ sufferaunce  þat veniaunce ȝow ne takeT

Ac ancres & heremytis  þat eten not but at nones

And no more er morwe  myn almesse schul þei haue

And catel to cope hem wiþ  þat han cloystres & chirches

Ac roberd renne-aboute  schal not haue of myn

Ne posteles but þei preche kunne  & haue power of þe bischop

Þei schul haue payn & potage  & make hem at ese

For it is an vnresounable religioun  þat haþ no þing in certeyn

Þanne gan a wastour to wraþþe hym  & wolde haue yfouȝtenT

And to peersT plowman T proferede his gloue

A britoner a bragger  aLX bostede peers als

And bade hym go pisse hymT wiþ his plow  forpyned schrewe

Wilt þou or nylt þou  we wole haue oure wille

Of þi floure & of þi flesche  fecche whanne vs likeþ

And make vs myrie þer-myd  maugrey þi chekes

Þanne peersT plowman  pleynede hym to þe knyȝt

To kepe hym as couenaunt was  fro curside schrewis

And fro þeise wastours wolf-skynnes  þat maken þe werld dere

For þoo wasten & wynnen nouȝt  & þat ilke whyle 

Worþ neuere plente amonge þe peple  þe whyle my plow liggeþ

Curteyslich þe knyȝt þanne  as his kynde wolde

Warnede wastour  & wissede hym þeT better

Or þou schalt abigge bi þe lawe  bi þe ordre þat I bere

I nasT not wont to wirche quod wastour  & now I nylle bigynne

And lete liȝt of þe lawe  & lesse of þe knyȝt

And sette peers at a pese  & his plow boþe

And manacede peers & hise men  if þei mette eft-soone

Now bi þe perel of my soule quod peers  I schal appeyre ȝow alle

And houpede after hungur  þat herde hym at þe first

A-wreke me of þeise wastouris quod he  þat þis werld schenden

Hungur in hast þoo  hente wastour bi þe mawe

And wronge hym so bi þe wombe  þat boþe hise yen wattredenT

He buffatede þe britoner  aboute þe chekis

Þat he lokede lijk a lanterne  al his lijf after

He bette hem so boþe  he braste neer her guttis

Ne hadde peers wiþ a peyse loof  preyede hungur to cece

Þei hadden been doluen boþe  ne deme þou noon oþer

Suffre hem lyue he seyde  & latte hem ete wiþ hogges

Or ellis benes & bran  ybaken to-gyderes

Or ellis mylk & meyne ale  þus preyede peers for hemT

FawtoursT for feer þerof  flowen in-to bernes

And flappeden on wiþ fleyles  fro morwen til euen

Þat hungur was not so hardy  on hem for to loke

For a potful of pesen  þat peers hadde y-maked

An heep of heremytis  henten hem spades

And kitten her copis  & curtbies hem made

And wenten as werkemen  wiþ spades & schouelis

And delueden & dikeden  to dryue awey hungur

Blynde & bedered  weren botened a þousande

Þat seten to begge syluer  soone weren þei heled

For þat was baken for bayerd  was bote for many hungry

And many begger for benes  buxum was to swynke

And ich a pore man wel payed  to haue pesen for herT hyre

And what peers preyede hem to do  as prest as a sperauk

And þerof was peers proude  & putte hem to werke

And ȝaf hem mete as he myȝte aforþe  & resounableT hyre

Þanne hadde peers pite  & preyede hungur to wende 

Hoom . in-to his owne erþe  & holden hym þere

For I am wel awroken now  of wastouris þoruȝ þi myȝt

Ac I preye þee er þou passe  quod peers to hungur

Of beggers ofT bidders  what best be to done

For I woot wel . be þou went  þei wolen doT ful ille

For myscheef it makiþ  þei been so meke nouþe

And for defaute of her fode  þis folk is at my wille

And ȝit þeiT arn my blody breþeren quod peers  for god bouȝte vs alle

Truþe tauȝte me ones  to loue hem ichone

And to helpe hem of al þing  ay as hem nediþ

And now wolde I wite of þee  what were þe best

And how I myȝte amastrie hem  & make hem to worche

¶ Here now quod hungur  & holde it for a wisdam

Bolde beggers & bigge  þat mowen her breed biswynke

Wiþ houndis breed & hors breed  holde vp her hertis

Abate hem wiþ benes  for bolnyng of her wombe

And if þei grucche þanne  bidde hem go swynke

And he schal soupe swetter  whanne he it haþ deserued

And if þou fynde any freek  þat fortune haþ appeyrid

Or any manere fawtiT manT  fonde þou swiche to knowe

Counforte hem wiþ þi catel  for cristis loue of heuene

Loue hem & lene hem  for so þe lawe techiþ

And alle manere of menT  þou myȝtistT aspye

Þat nedy been & nouȝti  helpe hem wiþ þi goodes

Loue hem & lakke hem not  latte god take þe veniaunce

Þouȝ þei doon yuele  latte god worthe

AcT if þou wilt be gracious to goT  do as þe gospel techiþ

And biloue þee amongys low men  so schalt þou lacche grace

I wolde not greue god quod peers  for al þe good on ground

Myȝte I synneles do as þou seyst  seyde peers þanne

¶ Ȝhe I bihote þee quod hungur  or ellis þe bible lieþ

Go to genesis þe geaunt  þe engendrour of vs alle

In sudore & in swynk  þou schalt þi mete tilie

And laboure for þi lijflode  & so oure lord hiȝte

And sapience seiþ þe same  I seyȝ it in þe bible

Piger pro frigore  no feeld nolde tilie

And þerfore schal he begge & bidde  & no man bete his hungur

Mathew wiþ mannys face  mouþed þeise wordis

Þat seruus nequam hadde a nam  & for he nolde not chaffare

He hadde maugre of his mayster  for euere-more after

And bynam hym hys nam  for he ne wolde worche

And ȝaf þat nam to hym  þat ten nammes hadde

And wiþ þat he seyde  þat holi chirche it herde

He þat haþ schal haue  & helpe þere it nediþ

And he þat nouȝt haþ schal not haue  & no man hym helpe

And þat he weneþ wel to haue  I wole it hym bereue

Kynde witt wolde  þat ich a wyȝt wrouȝte

Or in dykyng or in deluyng  or trauaylynge in preyeris

Contemplatijf lijf or actijf  crist wolde þei wrouȝten

Þe sauter seiþ in þe salme  of beati omnes

Þe freek þat fediþ hym-self  wiþ his feiþful labour

He is blessid bi þe book  in body & in soule

Ȝit I preye ȝow quod peers  pur charite & ȝe kunne

Any leef of leche-craft  lere it me my dere

For summe of my seruauntis & my-self  been seek oþer-whyleT

Of al þeT weke worchen not  so oure wombe akeþ

I woot wel quod hungur  what seeknesse ȝow eyliþ

Ȝe han manged to myche  & þat makeþ ȝow to grone

And I hote þee quod hungur  as þou þin hele wilnest

Þat þou drynke no day  er þou dyne sum-what

Ete not I hote þee  er hungur þee take

And sende þee of his sauce  to sauere wiþ þi lippis

And kepe sum to soper tyme  & sitte not to longe

And rise vp er appetijt  haue eten his fille

Latte not sire surfayt  sitten at þi boord

Leeue hym not for he is leccherous  & likerous of his tunge

And after many manere metis  his mawe is a-fyngred

And if þou diete þee þus  I dar legge my eres

Þat phisik schal his furred hood  for his fode selle

And his cloke of calabre  wiþ alle þe knappis of gold

And be fayn bi my feiþ  his phisik to lete

And lere to laboure wiþ loond  for lijflode is swete

For murþerers arn many leches  lord hem amende

Þei doon men dye þoruȝ her drynkis  er destyne wolde

Bi seynt poule quod peers  þeise arn profitable wordis

TWende now hungur whanne þou wilt  þat wel be þee euere

For þis is a loueli lessoun  lord it þee forȝelde

Bihote god quod hungur  hennys wole I not wende

Til I haue dyned bi þis day  & ydrunke boþe

I haue no peny quod peers  polettis for to bigge

Ne neiþer goos ne grijs  but two grene chesis

A fewe cruddis & creem  & an hauer cake

And two loues of benes & bran  ybakenT for my fauntis

And ȝit I seye bi my soule  I haue no salt bakoun

Ne no cokeney bi crist  coloppis toT make

Ac I haue percel & porettis  & many cole plantes

And eek a cow & a calf  & a cart mare

To drawe a-feeld my dung  þe whyle þe wedir is drye

And bi þis lijflode we moten lyue  til heruest-tyme comeT

And bi þat I hope to haue  heruest in my croft

And þanne may I dyȝte þi dyner  as me dere likeþ

Al þe pore peple  þoo pescoddis fetten

Benes & baken appeles  þei brouȝten in her lappis

Chibolles & cheruelles  & ripe chiries many

To make peers a present  to plese wiþ his hungur

Al . hungur eete in hast  & askede after more

Þanne pore folk for feer  fedden hungur ȝerne

Wiþ grene porettis & pesen  to poysen hungur þei þouȝten

By þat neyȝhede itT heruest  newe corn come to chepyng

Þanne was folk fayn  & fedde hemT of þe best

Wiþ good ale as glotoun tauȝte  & gerte hungur go slepe

And þoo wolde wastour not wirche  but wandrede aboute

Ne no begger ete breed  þat benes Inne weren

But of coket or cleer-matyn  or ellis of clene whete

Ne noon halpeny ale  in no wise drynke

But of þe best & þe brounest  þat in boruȝ is to selle

Laboreres þat haddeT no loond  but lyue wiþT her handis

Wolden ete no nyȝt-oldeC wortis  ne drynke no peny-aleT

But fresch flesch oþer fisch  fryed oþer bakenT

And þat chaud or plus chaud  for chillyng of her mawe

And but he be hyeT hyrid  ellis wole he chyde

Aȝens catouns counceyl  comseþ he to iangle

He greueþ hym aȝeyn god  & grucchiþ aȝeyn resoun

And he curseþ þe kyng  & al his counceyl after

Swiche lawes to loke  laboreris to greue

And whyles hungur was her mayster  wolden þei notT chyde

Ne stryue aȝens his statute  so sternelich he lokede

Ac I warne ȝow werkemen  wynneþ while ȝe mowen

For hungur hidirward  hastiþ hym faste

He schal awake wiþ water  wastouris to chastiseT

Er fyue ȝeer be fulfild  swich famyn schal arise

Þoruȝ flodes & foule werdisT  frutes schul fayle

And so seyde saturne  & sente ȝow to warne

Whanne ȝe seen þe sunne amys  & two monkes hedis

And a mayde haue þe maystrye  & multiplye bi eyȝte

Þanne schal deþ wiþdrawe  & derþe be iustise

And dawe þe dyker  deye for hungur

But if god of his goodnesse  graunte vs a trewe