fol. 4r (cont.)fol. 4r
Passus tercius de visione petri plowman . vt supra &cetera .
Now is mede þe mayde  and namo of hem alle .
With bedelus and with bayliues  y-brouȝt by-for þ[e kynge]
Þe kyng called aclerke / a clerke  can I nouȝt his name .
To take mede þe mayde  and maken hire at ese .
I schal assay hire my-selue  and couthlicheT appose .
What man of þis worldT  þat hire were leuest .
And if heo wurche be my witte  and my wille folwe .
I wile for-gyue hire þis gultesT  so me god helpe .
Curteysliche þe clerke þanne  as þe kynge hiȝte .
fol. 4vfol. 4v
[T]ok mede by þe middel  and brouȝte hire in-to chaumbre .
[A]c þere was murthe and ministracie  mede to plese .
[ Þ]ei þat wonyeth at westmenstre  worschipped hire alle .
Gentiliche with ioye  þe iustices somme .
Busked hem to þe bowre  þere þe buyrde dwelte .
To conforte hire kendeliche  by clergyse leue .
[A]nd seyden mourne nouȝt mede  ne make þow no sorwe .
For we wil wyse þe kyng  and þi weye schape .
[T]o be wedded at þi wille  and where þe leef lyketh .
For alle consience crafte  and castT as I trowe .
[¶ M]ildliche medeT  merciede hem alle .
[O]f þeire grete godenesse  and gaf hem vcheone .
[C]oupes of clene gold  and cuppes of siluer .
[R]ynges with rubies  and ricchesseT manye .
[Þ]e lest man of here meyne  a motoun of goolde .
[Þ]anne lauȝte þei leue  þis lordes at mede .
[¶ W]ith þat comen clerkes  to conforte hire þe same .
[A]nd beden hire be blithe  for we beth þin owene  .
[Fo]r to wurche þi wille  þe whyle þow miȝt last .
[¶ He]ndeliche heo þanne  be-hiȝte hem þe same .
[To] loue ȝowT lely  and lordes to make .
[An]d in þe constorie at courte  do calle ȝoure names .
[Sc]hal no lewednesse lette  þe clerkesT þat I louye .
[Þat] heT worth furst vaunsedT  for ich am by-knowe .
[Þer]e connynge clerkes  schulle clokke by-hynde .
[¶ Þan]ne com þere a confessoure  ycoped as a frere .
[To] mede þis mayde  he mellud þisT wordes .
[And] seyde ful sotelyT  in schrift as it were .
[Þeiȝ] lewed men and lered men  had leyne be þe bothe .
[And] falsedeT hauede I-folwed þe  al þis fifty wynter .
[I sc]hal assoyle þe my-selue  for a seme of whete .
fol. 5rfol. 5r
And al-so be þi bedeman  and bere wel þi message .
Amonges kniȝtes and clerkes  consience to turne .
{}[] Þanne mede for here misdedes  to þat man kneled .
And schrof hire of hire schrewednesse  schameles I trowe .
Tolde hym a tale  and toke hym a noble .
For to ben hire bedeman  and hire brocoure alse .
{}[] Þanne he assoyled hyre sone  and sytthen aLX sayde .
We han a wyndow a-werchynge  wil sytten vs ful hiȝe .
Waldestow glase þat gable  and graue þereT þi name .
Syker schulde þi soule be  heuene to haue .
{}[] Wist I þat quatz mede  þere nys wyndow no wowȝ .T
Þat I ne wolde make and amende  it with of myne .T
And my name writeopenliche þere-Inne .
Þat vch aT segge schal IseT  Ich am suster to ȝow alle .T
{}[] Ac god to alle goed folke  suche grauynge defendeth .
To writen in wyndowes  of here wel-dedes .
And / An aunter pruyde be ypeynted þere  and pompe of þe wo[rld]
For godT knoweth þi consience  and þi kende wille .
ÞiT cost and þi coueytyse  and who þe catel owȝte .
{}[] For-thi I lere ȝow lordes  leueth suche werkes .
To writen in wyndowes  of ȝoure wel-dedes .
Or to grede after goddes men  whan ȝe delen doles .
An aunter ȝe han ȝoure hire here  and ȝoure heuene al[se]
Nesciat sinistra quid faciat dextera  C
Lat nouȝt þi left half  late ne rathe .
Wite what þow worchest  with þi riȝte syde .
For þus bitt þe gospel  goede men do here almesse .
{}[] Meyres and maceeres  þat menes ben by-twene .
Þe kyng and þe comoune  to kepe þe lawes .
To ponysch vpponT pilaries  and pynynge stoles .
fol. 5vfol. 5v
Brewsteres and bakesteres  bocheres and kokes .
For þese aren men vppounT þis molde  þat moste harme werchen .
To þe pouere poeple  þat parcelmel buggen .
[] And alsoT poysene þe poeple  priuelich and ofte .
[Þ]ei richen thorȝ regratrie  and rentes hem buggeth .
With that þe pouer poeple  schulde putte in here wombe .
For toke þei on-trewely  þei tymbrede nouȝt so heyȝe .
Ne bouȝte none burg{e}ageT  be yeT ful certeyne .
[¶ A]c mede þe mayde  þe mayre hath be-souȝte .
Of alle suche selleres  siluer to take .
Or presentz with-oute pans  as peces of siluer .
[R]ynges other othere ricchesseT  þe regratoures to meyntene .
[¶ F]or my lordT quod þat lady  loue hem vchone .
[A]nd suffre hem to selle  somdel aȝeynes resoun .
[¶ S]alamon þe sage  a sarmoun he made .
[F]or to amende meyres  and men þat kepe lawes .
[A]nd tolde hem þis teeme  þat I telle thenke .
[I]gnis deuorabit tabernacula eorum qui libenter.T &cetera  .
[A]monge þis letterede ledeLX  þis latyn is to mene .
[Þa]t feer schal falle and beerne  al to bloo askes .
[Þe] houses and þe homes  of hem þat desireth .
[Ȝif]tes or ȝereȝiftes  be-cause of here office .T
[¶ Þe] kyng fram conseyle cam  and called after mede .
[And] ofsent hire alswitheT  with seriantes manye .
[Þat] brouȝten hire to bowre  with blisse and with ioye .
[¶ Cur]teysliche þe kyng þanne  cumseth to telle .
[To m]ede þe m{o}ayde  melleth þis wordes .
[Vnw]ittiliche womman  wrouȝt hastow ofte .
[Ac]T wors wrouȝtestow neuere  þan þo þow fals toke .
[But] I for-gyue þe þat gulte  and graunte þe my grace .
fol. 6rfol. 6r
Hennes to þi deth-day  to doT so namore .
{}[] I haue a kniȝt consience  cam late fram by-ȝunde .
Ȝif he wilneth þe to wyue  wil-tow hym haue .
{}[] Ȝee lord quatz þat lady  lord it me for-bede .T
But I be holy at ȝoure heste  lete hange me sone .
{}[] And þanne was consience I-called  to comen and appere .
By-forn þe kyng and his conseylle  as clerkes and othere .
{}[] Knelynge consience to þe kyng lowtede .
To wite what his wille were  and what he do schulde .
{}[] Wiltow wedde þis womman quod þe kyng  ȝif I wole assenten .
For sche is ofT þi felaschippe  for to be þi make .
{}[] quatz consience to / to [þe] kynge  crist it me for-bede .
Er I wedde swich a wif  wo me bytyde .
For sche is frele of hire feyth  and fykelT of hire speche .
And maketh men mys-do  many score tymes .
Trust of hire tresor  treyeth ful manye .
Wyues and wydewes  wantownnesse heo techeth .
And lereth hem lecherie  þat loueth hire ȝiftes .
Ȝoure fader heLX feelde  þoruȝ faireT beheste .
And hath appoysond popes  and appayrethT holy cherche
Is nouȝt a bettere baude  by hym þat me made .
By-twene heuene and helle  andT eerthe þeyȝ men sou[ȝte]
For sche is tykil of hire taile  tale-wise of tongeT .
As comoun as a carte-wey  to ech a knaue þat walketh
To monkes and to menstrales  to mesels in hegges .
Sysours and sompnoures  suche men hire preyseth .
Schirryues of schires  were schent ȝif sche nere .
For sche doth men lese her londe  and here lif bothe .
Sche latLX passe prisonsLX  and payeth for hem ofte .
And gyueth þe gayleres gold  and grotes to-gyderes .
fol. 6vfol. 6v
To vnfettere þe false  fle where hym lyketh .
And taketh trewtheT by þe toppe  and teyeth hym faste .
And hangeth hym for hatrede  þat harme dede neuere .
[] To be cursed in constorie  heLX conteth nouȝt a rusche .
For heLX copeth þe comissarie  and coteth his clerkes .
HeLX is assoyled assone / as sone  as hire-selue liketh .
And may neiȝ as muche do  in amoneth / a moneth ones 
As ȝoure secret seal  in six score dayes .
[] For heLX is priue with þe pope  prouisoures it knoweth .
For sire symonye and hire-selue  sealeth here bulles .
[] He blisseth þes bisshopes  and prestes am{.}eynteneth / a m{.}eynteneth .T
To haue lotebies and lemmanesT  alle here lif-dayes .
And bringen forth barnes  aȝeyne forbode lawes .
[Þ]ere heLX is wel with þe kynge  wo is þe reume .
For heLX is fauourable to þe fals  and fouleth trewth ofte .
[¶ B]y ihesus with hire ieweles  þeT iustices heo schendeth .
[A]nd lith aȝeyne þe lawe  and letT hym þe gate .
[Þ]at feyth may nouȝt haue his forth  hire floreynes go so thikke .
[H]eo letT þe lawe as hire leste  and louedayes maketh .
[A]nd doth men lese thoruȝ hire loue  þat lawe miȝt wynne .
[Þe] mase for a mene man  þouȝ he mote hire euere .
[La]we is so lordliche  and loth to make ende  .
[Wi]th-owten presentz otherT pans  heLX pleseth fulT fewe .
[¶ Ba]rouns and burgeys  heo bringeth in sorwe .
[An]d alle þe comoun in care  þat coueyten lyfT in trewthe .
[For] clergiseT and coueytise  heLX coupleth to-gyderes .
[Þis] is þe lyf of þat lady  now lord ȝif hire sorwe .
[An]d alle þat meyteneth here men  meschaunce hem bytyde .
[For] pore men mow haue no powere  to pleyne hem þoȝ þei smerte .
[Su]che a maister is mede  amonges men of goode .
T [Þan]ne mornede mede  and mened hire to þe kynge .
fol. 7rfol. 7r
To haue space to speke  spede ȝif aLX miȝte .
Þe kynge graunted hire grace  with a goede wille .
Excuse þe if ȝow canst  I can namore seggen .
For consience acuseth þe  to congey þe for euere .
{}[] Nay lord quatz þat lady  leue hym þe worse .
When ȝe witen witterly  where þe wronge lyggeth .
Þere þat mischief is grete  mede may helpe .
And þatT þow knowest consience  I cam nouȝt to chyde .
Ne depraue þi persone  with a proude herte .
Wel þow wost wernard  but if þow wilt gabe .
Þow hast hangen on myn half  elleuen tymeT .
And al-so I-gripeT my gold  gyue it where þe liked .
And whi þow wrathest þe now  wonder me thenketh .
Ȝet I may as I miȝte  menske þe with ȝiftes  .
And mayntene þi manhode . more þanne þow knoweste .
Ac þow haste famed me foule  by-fore þe kyng here .
For kuld I neuere no kniȝtT  ne conseyled þere-after .
Ne dede as þow demest  I do it on þe kynge .
{}[] In normandy was he nouȝt  I-nuyed for my sake .
Ac þow þi-selue sothelich  schamedest hym ofte .
Crope in-to a caban  for cold of þi nayles .
Wendest þat wynter  wold a lastT euere .
And draddest to be dede  for a dym clowde .
And heȝedest homward  for hunger of þi wombe .
With-oute pite pyloure  pouer men þow robbedest .
And bere here bras at þi bak  to caleys to selle .
Þere I lefte with my lord  his lif for to saue .
I made hys men merie  and murnyge / murny[n]ge lette .
I batered hem on þe bak  and bolded here hertes
And dede hem hoppe fore hope  to haue me at wille
Hadde I be marschal of his men  be marie of heue[ne]
fol. 7vfol. 7v
[I] durste haue leid my lyf  and no lesse wedde  
[H]e schuld haue be lord of þat lond  a lenthe and a brede .
[A]nd al-so kynge of þat kyth  hys kyn for to helpe .
[Þ]e leste brol of his londT  a barounes pere  .
[¶ C]owardlich þow consience  consayledest hym þennes .
[T]o leuen his lordschippe  for a litel siluer .
[Þ]at is þe riccheste rewme  þat reyn ouer-houeth .
[¶ I]t bycometh to a k{u}ynge  þat kepeth a rewme .
To ȝiue mede to men  þat mekeliche hym serueth .
[T]o alyenes and to alle men  to honoure hem with ȝiftes .
[M]ede maketh hym by-loued  and for a man holden .
[¶ E]mperoures and erles  and alle maner lordes .
[Þ]urȝT ȝiftes han ȝoumenT  to ȝernenT and to ride .
[¶ Þ]e pope and alle prelates  presentes vnderfongen .
[A]nd medeth men hem-selue  to meyntene here lawes .
[¶ Ser]uantz for here seruise  we seth wel þe sothe .
[T]aken mede of her meystres  as þei mowen acorde  .
[Be]ggeres for here beggynge  bydden men mede .
[M]instrales for here murthe  mede þei aske  
[¶ Þe] kynge hath mede of his men  to make pes in londe .
[Men] þat techetLX children  crauen of hem mede .
[¶ Pre]stes þat preche þe poeple  to godT asken mede .
[An]d masse-pans and here mete  atT meal-tymes .
[¶ Alle] kynnes crafty men  crauen mede for here prentyces .
[Marc]hauntz and mede  most nede go to-gyderes .
[No] wiȝt as I wene  with-oute mede may lybbe .
[¶ Qua]tȝ þe kyng to consience  by crist as me thenketh .
fol. 8rfol. 8r
Mede is worthyT  þe maystrie to haue .C
Nay quatz consience to þe kynge  and kneled to þe erthe .
Þere arn to manere of medes  my lord byT ȝoure leue .
Þat on god of his grace  graunteth in his blisse .
To þo þat wel werchen  while þei ben here .
Þe prophite precheth þere-offe  and putte it in þe sauterC
Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo . &cetera .
Lord who schal wonie in þi wones  withT þi holy seyntes .
Or resten onT þin holy hilles  þis askedT dauid .
{}[] And dauid assoyleth it hym-selue  as þe sauter telleth .
Qui ingreditur sine macula  & operatur iusticiam .
Þoo þat entren of o coloure  and of one wille .
And haue I-wrouȝt werkes  with riȝt and with resoun .
And he þat ne vseth nauȝt  þe lyue of vsurie .
And enformeth pouere men  and pursueth trewthe .
Qui pecuniam suam non dedit ad vsuram & munera super innocentem . &cetera  .
And alle þat helpeth þe innocent  and holt with þe riȝtful .
With-oute mede doth hem goed  and þe treweT helpeth :
Suche maner men my lorde  schal haue þis furste mede .
Of god at a grete nede  whanne þei gon hennes .
Þere is an-othere mede mesurles  þat maystres desireth .
To meytene misdoeres  mede þei take .
And þere-offe seith þe sauter  in a salmes ende .
In quorum manibus iniquitates sunt  dextra eorum repleta est muneribus .
And he þat gripeth here gold  so me god helpe .
Schal abye it ful bittere  or þe book lyeth  .
{}[] Prestes and persones  þat plesinge desireth .
Þat taked mede and mone  for masses þat þei songen .T
Taketh here mede here  as mathew vs techeth  .
Amen amen recipiebant mercedem suam .
Þat laboreres and lewed folke  taketh of here meystres .
fol. 8vfol. 8v
It nisT no maner mede  but a mesurable hire .
In marchaundise is no mede  I may it wel a-vowe .
It isT permutacion apertly  a peny-worth for another .
{}[] Ac reddestow neuere Regum  þow recrayede mede .
Whi þe vengaunce fel  on saul and on his children .
God sente to saul  by samuel þe prophete .
Þat agag of amalec  andT his poeple after .
Schulde deye for a dede  þat don hadde here elderes .
For-thi sayde samuel to saul  god hym-selue hoteth .
Þe be buxum at myT byddynge  his wille to fulfille  .
Wend to amalec with þin host  and what þow fynst þere slee it .
Bernes and bestes  brenne hem to dede .
Wydewes and wyues  wommen and chyldren .
Mebles and vnmebles  and al þat þow miȝt fynde .
Brenne it bere it nauȝt a-way  be it neuere so riche .
For mede ne for mone  loke þow destruye it .
Spille it and spare it nauȝt  þow schalt spede þe bettere .
{}[] And for he coueytede here catel  and þe kyng spared .
For-bare hym and his bestes bothe  as þe bible wytnesseth .
Otherwise þan he was  warned of þe prophete  .
God seyde to samuel  þat saul schulde deye .
And alle his seed for þat synne  schentfulliche endede .T
Suche a meschief mede made  saul þe kyng to haue .
Þat god hated hym for euere  and alle his heires after .
Þe culorum of þis cas  kepe I nouȝt to schewe .
AunterT it nuyed men  non eende wille I make .
For so is þis worlde went  with hem þat han powere .
Þat who-so seyth hem sothes  is sonnest I-blamed .
{}[] I consience knowe þis  for kynde witt me it tauuȝte .
Þat rosoun / r[e]soun schal regne  and rewmes gouerne .
fol. 9rfol. 9r
And riȝt as agag hadde  happe schulle somme .C
Samuel schal scleen hym  and saul schal be blamed .
And dauid schal be diademed  and daunten hem alle .
And on cristene kyng  kepen hem alle .
Schal namore mede  be mayster as heLX is nowthe .
Ac loue and lowenesse  and lewte to-gyderes .
Þese schul be maystres on molde  trewthe to saue .
{}[] And hoo-so trespaseth aȝeynes trewthe  or taketh aȝeynes his wille .
Lewte schal don hym lawe  and no lif elles .
Schal no seriaunt for here seruise  were a silk howue .
Ne non pelure in his clook  for pledyng atte barre .
Mede of mysdoeres  maketh many lordes .
And ouer lordes lawes  reuleth þe realmes .
Ac kende loue schal come ȝut  and consience to-gydere .
And make of lawe a laborere  suche loue schal aryse .
And suche peesT amonge þe poeple  and a parfit trewth .
Þat Iuwes schal wene in here witt  and wexen wonder glade .
Þat moyses or messye  be come in-to þis eerthe .
And haue wonder in here hertes  þat men beth so trewe .
{}[] Alle þat bereth baslard  brode-swerde or launce .
Ax other hachet  or eny wepne elles .
Schal be demed to þe deth  but ȝif he do it smythye .
Into sycul or to sythe  to schare or to cultere .
Conflabunt gladios suos in vomeres &cetera .
Ich man to pleye with aplow / a plow  pycoys or spade .
Spynne otherT sprede dong  or leseT hym-self with slewthe .
Prestes and persones  with placebo to hunte .
And dyngen vppon dauid  vch a day til eue .
Huntynge or haukynge  ȝif any of hem vse .
His boste of his benefice  worth by-nomme hym after .
Schal neyther kyng ne kniȝt  constable ne meyre .
fol. 9vfol. 9v
Ouer-lede þe comune  ne to þe court sompne .
Ne putte hem in panel  to don hem pliȝt here trewthe .
But after þe dede þat is don  on dom schal rewarde .
Mercy or no mercy or no mercy / or no mercy  as trewthe wil acorde .
Kynges court and comune court  constorie and chapitele .
Alle schal be but on court  and on baron be iustice .
Þanne worth trewe tonge  a tydy man þat tened me neuere
Batayles schul non be  ne noman bere wepne .
And what smyth þat any smithieT  be smiten þere-with to dedeT .
Non leuabit gens contra gentem gladium &cetera .
{}[] And ere þis fortune falle  fynde men schal þe werste .
By six sonnes and a schippe  and half a schef of arwes .
And þe meddel of a mone  schal make þe Iewes torneT .
And sarasyns for þe siȝte þere-offeT  schul synge gloria in excelsis .
For makomet and mede  myshappe schal þat tyme .
For melius est bonum nomen quam diuicie multe .
Also wroth as þe wynde  wex mede in a while 
I can latynT quatz sche  clerkes wote þe sothe .
See what salomon seith  in sapiencesT bokes .
Þat hij þat ȝiueth ȝiftes  þe victorie wynneth .
And muche wurchip haad þerewith  as holy writt telleth .
Honorem adquiret qui dat munera .
{}[] I leue wel lady quod consience  þat þi latyn be trowe / tr[e]we .
Ac þow art lyk a lady  þat radde a lesson ones .
Was omnia probate  and þat plesede hire herte .
For þat lyne was no lengere  atte þe leuesende / leues ende .
Had sche loked þat other half  and þe lef I-turnedT .
Heo schulde aT founde fele wordes  folwyng þere-after .
Quod bonum est tenete  trewthe þat tixt made .
And so ferd ȝe ma-dame  ȝe coude namore fynde .
Þo ȝe loked on sapience  sittynge in ȝoure stodie .
fol. 10rfol. 10r
Þis tixt þat ȝe haue Itolde  were goed for lordes .C
Ac ȝow failede a cunnyng clerk  þat coude þe lef attorned / a tornedLX .
And if ȝe seke sapience eft  fynde schal ȝe þat foleweth .
A ful teneful tixt  to hem þat taketh mede .
And þat is animam autem aufert accipientiumT .
And þat is þe taile of þe tixt  of þat þat ȝe schedeT .
Þat þow we wynne worchipe  and with meT haue victorie .
Þe soule þat þe souȝd taketh  be so muche is bounde .
to
.....ratio bonorum qui.
operans iusticiamC
psal xivC
mor  wmC
RichardC
[And riȝt as agag hadde]
IC