Passus .xxus. / vicesimus de visione & primus de Dobest
Thanne as I wente by þe wey . whan I was thus awaked
Heuy chered I yede . and elenge in herte
I ne wiste wher to ete . ne at what place
And it neghed neiȝ þe noon . and wiþ nede I mette
That afrounted me foule . and faitour me called
Kanstow noȝt excuse þee . as dide þe kyng and oþere
That þow toke to þi bilyue . to cloþes and to sustenaunce
And by techynge and by tellynge . of Spiritus temperancie
And þow nome namoore . þan nede þee tauȝte
And nede ne haþ no lawe . ne neuere shal falle in dette
For þre þynges he takeþ . his lif for to saue
¶ That is mete whan men hym werneþ . and he no moneye weldeþ
Ne wight noon wol ben his boruȝ . ne wed haþ noon to legge
And he cauȝte in þat caas . and come þer-to by sleighte
He synneþ noȝt sooþliche . þat so wynneþ his foode
¶ And þouȝ he come so to a clooþ . and kan no bettre cheuyssaunce
Nede anoon righte . nymeþ hym vnder maynprise
¶ And if hym list for to lape . þe lawe of kynde wolde
That he dronke at ech dych . er he for þurst deide
So nede at gret nede . may nymen as for his owene
Wiþ-outen conseil of Conscience . or Cardynale vertues
So þat he sewe and saue . Spiritus temperancie
¶ For is no vertue bi fer . to Spiritus temperancie
For Spiritus fortitudinis . forfeteþ ful ofte
He shal do moore þan mesure . many tyme and ofte
And bete men ouer bittre . and some of hem to litel
And greue men gretter . þan good feiþ it wolde
¶ And Spiritus Iusticie . shal Iuggen wole he nel he
¶ After þe kynges counseil . and þe comune like
And Spiritus prudencie . in many a point shal faille
Of þat he weneþ wolde falle . if his wit ne weere
Wenynge is no wysdom . ne wys ymaginacion
Homo proponit & deus disponit . and gouerneþ alle goode vertues
Ac nede is next hym . for anoon he mekeþ
And as lowe as a lomb . for lakkyng of þat hym nedeþ
Wise men forsoke wele . for þei wolde be nedy
And woneden in wildernesse . and wolde noȝt be riche
¶ And god al his grete Ioye . goostliche he lefte
And cam and took mankynde . and bicam nedy
So nedy he was as seiþ þe book . in manye sondry places
That he seide in his sorwe . on þe selue roode
Boþe fox and fowel . may fle to hole and crepe
And þe fissh haþ fyn . to flete wiþ to reste
Ther nede haþ ynome me . þat I moot nede abide
And suffre sorwes ful soure . þat shal to Ioye torne
For-þi be noȝt abasshed . to bide and to be nedy
Siþ he þat wroȝte al þe world . was wilfulliche nedy
Ne neuere noon so nedy . ne pouerer deide
Whan nede haþT vndernome me þus . anoon I fil aslepe
And mette ful merueillously . þat in mannes forme
Antecrist cam þanne . and al þe crop of truþe
Torned it vp-so-doun . and ouer-tilte þe roote
And fals sprynge and sprede . and spede mennes nedes
In ech a contree þer he cam . he kutte awey truþe
And gerte gile growe þere . as he a god weere
¶ Freres folwede þat fend . for he gaf hem copes
And Religiouse reuerenced hym . and rongen hir belles
And al þe Couent forþ cam . to welcome þat tyraunt
And alle hise as wel as hym . saue oonly fooles
¶ Whiche foolis were wel leuere . to deye þan to lyue
Lenger siþ Lenten . was so rebuked
And asT a fals fend Antecrist . ouer alle folk regnede
Defyed alle falsnesse . and folk þat it vsede
And what kyng þat hem conforted . knowynge hem any while
They cursed and hir conseil . were it clerk or lewed
¶ Antecrist hadde þus soone . hundredes at his baner
And pride it bar . boldely aboute
Wiþ a lord þat lyueþ . after likyng of body
That kam ayein conscience . þat kepere was and gyour
Ouer kynde cristene . and Cardynale vertues
¶ I conseille quod Conscience þo . comeþ wiþ me ye fooles
In-to vnite holy chirche . and holde we vs þere
And crye we to kynde . þat he come and defende vs
Fooles . fro þise fendes lymes . for Piers loue þe Plowman
And crye we to al þe comune . þat þei come to vnitee
And þere abide and bikere . ayeins Beliales children
¶ Kynde / Conscience þo herde . and cam out of þe planetes
And sente forþ his forreyours . Feueres and Fluxes
Coughes and Cardiacles . Crampes and tooþaches
Rewmes and Radegundes . and roynouse scabbesT
Biles and bocches . and brennynge Agues
Frenesies and foule yueles . forageres of kynde
Hadde ypriked and prayed . polles of peple
That largeliche a legion . loste hir lif soone
¶ There was harrow and help . here comeþ kynde
Wiþ deeþ þat is dredful . to vndo vs alle
¶ The lord þat lyued after lust . þo aloud cryde
After Confort a knyght . to come and bere his baner
A-larme a-larme quod þat lord . ech lif kepe his owene
¶ And þanne mette þise men . er Mynstrals myȝte pipe
And er heraudes of Armes . hadden discryued lordes
Elde þe hoore . þatT was in þe vauntwarde
And bar þe baner bifore deeþ . bi riȝt he it cleymede
¶ Kynde cam after . wiþ many kene soores
As pokkes and pestilences . and muche peple shente
So kynde þoruȝ corrupcions . kilde ful manye
¶ Deeþ cam dryuynge after . and al to duste passhed
Kynges and knyghtes . kaysers and popes
Lered and lewed . he leet no man stonde
That he hitte euene . þat euere stired after
Manye a louely lady . and lemmans of knyȝtes
Swowned and swelted . for sorwe of hiseT dyntes
¶ Conscience of his curteisie . to kynde he bisouȝte
To cesse and suffre . and see wher þei wolde
Leue pride pryuely . and be parfite cristene
¶ And kynde cessede þo . to se þe peple amende
Fortune gan flatere þanne . þo fewe þat were alyue
And bihighte hem long lif . and lecherie he sente
Amonges alle manere men . wedded and vnwedded
And gaderede a greet hoost . al agayn Conscience
¶ This lecherie leide on . wiþ a Ianglynge chiere
And wiþ pryuee speche . and peyntede wordes
And armede hym in ydelnesse . and in heigh berynge
He bar a bowe in his hand . and manye brode arewes
Weren feþered wiþ fair biheste . and many a fals truþe
Wiþ hise vntidy tales . he tened ful ofte
Conscience and his compaignye . of holy chirche þe techeris
¶ Thanne cam Coueitise . and caste how he myȝte
Ouer-come Conscience . and Cardinale vertues
And armed hym in Auarice . and hungriliche lyuede
His wepne was al wiles . to wynnen and to hiden
Wiþ glosynges and wiþ gabbynges . he giled þe peple
¶ Symonye hym sente . to assaille Conscience
And preched to þe peple . and prelates þei hem maden
To holden wiþ Antecrist . hir temporaltees to saue
And cam to þe kynges counseille . as a kene baroun
And kneled to Conscience . in Court afore hem alle
And garte good feiþ flee . and fals to abide
And boldeliche bar adoun . wiþ many a bright Noble
Muche of þe wit and wisdom . of westmynstre halle
He IoggedT to a Iustice . and Iusted in his eere
And ouer-tilte al his truþe . wiþ tak þis vp amendement
And tornede Cyuyle in-to Symonye . and siþþe he took þe Official
For a Mantel of Meneuer . andT made lele matrymoyne
Departen er deeþ cam . and deuors shapte
¶ Allas quod Conscience and cryde þo . wolde crist of his grace
That Coueitise were cristene . þat is so kene a fightere
And boold and bidynge . while his bagge lasteþ
¶ And þanne lough lyf . and leet daggen hise cloþes
And heeld holynesse a Iape . and hendenesse a wastour
And leet leautee a cherl . and lyere a fre man
¶ Thus relyede lif . for a litel fortune
And prikeþT forþ wiþ pride . preiseþ he no vertue
Ne careþ noȝt how Kynde slow . and shal come at þe laste
And kille alle erþely creatures . saue conscience oone
Lyf lepte aside . and lauȝte hym a lemman
Heele and I quod he . and heighnesse of herte
Shal do þee noȝt drede . neiþer deeþ ne elde
And to forȝyte sorwe . and ȝyue noȝt of synne
¶ This likede lif . and his lemman fortune
And geten in hir glorie . a gadelyng at þe laste
Oon þat muche wo wroȝte . Sleuþe was his name
Sleuþe wax wonder yerne . and soone was of age
And wedded oon wanhope . a wenche of þe Stuwes
Hir sire was a Sysour . þat neuere swoor truþe
Oon Tomme two tonge . atteynt at ech enquesteT
¶ This Sleuþe was war of werre . and a slynge made
And threw drede of dispair . a dozeyne myle aboute
¶ For care Conscience þo . cryde vp-on Elde
And bad hym fonde to fighte . and afere wanhope
¶ And Elde hente good hope . and hastiliche he shifte hym
And wayued awey wanhope . and wiþ lif he fighteþ
And lif fleiȝ for feere . to phisik after helpe
And bisouȝte hym of socour . and of his salue he hadde
HeT gaf hym gold good woon . þat gladede his herte
And þei gyuen hym ageyn . a glazene howue
¶ Lyf leeued þat lechecraft . lette sholde Elde
And dryuen awey deeþ . wiþ Dyas and droggesT
¶ And Elde auntred hym on lyf . and at þe laste he hitte
A Phisicien wiþ a furred hood . þat he fel in a palsie
And þere dyed þat doctour . er þre dayes after
¶ Now I se seide lif . þat Surgerie ne phisik .
May noȝt a myte auaille . to medeT ayein Elde
And in hope of his heele . good herte he hente
And rood forþ to aT reuel . a ryche place and a murye
The compaignye of confort . men cleped it som-tyme
¶ And Elde anoon after me . and ouer myn heed yede
And made me balled bifore . and bare on þe croune
So harde he yede ouer myn heed . it wole be sene euere
¶ Sire yuele ytauȝt Elde quod . I . vnhende go wiþ þe
Haddestow be hende quod . I . þow woldest haue asked leeue
¶ Ye leue lurdeyn quod he . and leyde on me wiþ Age
And hitte me vnder þe ere . vnneþe myȝteT ich here
And gyued me in goutes . I may noȝt goon at large
And of þe wo þat I was Inne . my wif hadde ruþe
And wisshed ful witterly . þat I were in heuene
For þe lyme þat she loued me fore . and leef was to feele
On nyghtes namely . whan we naked weere
I ne myghte in no manere . maken it at hir wille
So Elde and she sooþly . hadden it forbeten
¶ And as I seet in þis sorwe . I sauȝ how kynde passede
And deeþ drogh neiȝ me . for drede gan I quake
And cryde to kynde . out of care me brynge
Lo Elde þe hoore . haþ me biseye
Awreke me if youre wille be . for I wolde ben hennes
If þow wolt be wroken . wend in-to vnitee
And hold þee þere euere . til I sende for þee
And loke þow konne som craft . er þow come þennes
¶ Counseille me kynde quod I . what craft is best to lerne
¶ Lerne to loue quod kynde . and leef of alle oþere
¶ How shal I come to catel so . to cloþe me and to feede
¶ And þow loue lelly quod he . lakke shal þee neuere
¶ Mete ne worldly weede . while þi lif lasteþ
¶ And þere by conseil of kynde . I comsed to rome
Thoruȝ Contricion and Confession . til I cam to vnitee
And þere was Conscience Conestable . cristene to saue
And bisegede sooþly . wiþ seuene grete geauntz
That wiþ Antecrist helden . harde ayein Conscience
¶ Sleuþe wiþ his slynge . an hard assaut he made
Proude preestes coome with hym . mo þan a þousand
In paltokes and pyked shoes . and pisseris longe knyues
Coomen ayein Conscience . wiþ Coueitise þei helden
¶ By Marie quod a mansed preest . of þe March of walysT
I counte namoore Conscience . by so I cacche siluer
Than I do to drynke . a drauȝte of good ale
And so seiden sixty . of þe same contree
And shotten ayein wiþ shot . many a sheef of oþes
And brode hoked arwes . goddes herte and hise nayles
And hadden almoost vnitee . and holynesse adown
¶ Conscience cryede help Clergie . or ellis I falle
Thoruȝ inparfite preestes . and prelates of holy chirche
Freres herden hym crye . and comen hym to helpe
Ac for þei kouþe noȝt wel hir craft . Conscience forsook hem
¶ Nede neghede þo neer . and Conscience he tolde
That þei come for coueitise . to haue cure of soules
And for þei are pouere parauenture . for patrymoyne þei faille
They wol flatere and fare wel . wiþT folk þat ben riche
And siþen þei chosen chele . and cheitiftee pouerte
Lat hem chewe as þei chose . and charge hem with no cure
For lomere he lyeþ . þat liflode moot begge
Than he þat laboureþ for liflode . and leneþT it beggeris
And siþen freres forsoke . þe felicite of erþe
Lat hem be as beggeris . or lyue by Aungeles foode
¶ Conscience of þis counseil þo . comsede for to laughe
And curteisliche conforted hem . and called in alle freres
And seide sires sooþly . welcome be ye alle
To vnitee and holy chirche . ac o þyng I yow preye
Holdeþ yow in vnitee . and haueþ noon enuye
To lered ne to lewed . but lyueþ after youre reule
And I wol be youre boruȝ . ye shal haue breed and cloþes
And oþere necessaries ynowe . yow shal no þyng faille
Wiþ þat ye leue logik . and lerneþ for to louye
For loue lafte þei lordshipe . boþe lond and scole
Frere Fraunceys and Domynyk . for loue to be holye
¶ And if ye coueite cure . kynde wol yow teche
That in mesure god made . alle manere þynges
And sette hem at a certein . and a siker nombre
And nempnede names newe . and noumbrede þe sterres
¶ Qui numerat multitudinem stellarum . et omnibus eis &c
¶ Kynges and knyghtes . þat kepen and defenden
¶ Han Officers vnder hem . and ech of hem a certein
And if þei wage men to werre . þei write hem in noumbre
Alle oþere in bataille . ben yholde Brybours
Pylours and Pykeharneys . in ech a place y-cursed
¶ Monkes and Moniales . and alle men of Religion
Hir ordre and hir reule wole . to han a certein noumbre
Of lewed and of lered . þe lawe wole and askeþ
A certein for a certein . saue oonliche of freres
¶ For-þi quod Conscience by crist . kynde wit me telleþ
It is wikked to wage yow . ye wexen out of noumbre
Heuene haþ euene noumbre . and helle is wiþ-oute noumbre
For-þi I wolde witterly . þat ye were in þe Registre
And youre noumbre vnder Notaries signe . and neiþer mo ne lasse
¶ Enuye herde þis . and heet freres to go to scole
And lerne logyk and lawe . and ek contemplacion
And preche men of Plato . and preue it by Seneca
That alle þynges vnder heuene . ouȝte to ben in comune
¶ And yet he lyeþ as I leue . þat to þe lewed so precheþ
For god made to men a lawe . and Moyses it tauȝte
Non concupisces rem proximi tui
¶ And yuele is þis yholde . in parisshes of Engelonde
For persons and parissh preestes . þat sholde þe peple shryue
Ben Curatours called . to knowe and to hele
Alle þat ben hir parisshens . penaunce to enioigne
And fleen to þe freres . as fals folk to westmynstre
That borweþ and bereþ it þider . and þanne biddeþ frendes
Yerne of forȝifnesse . or lenger yeres loone
¶ Ac while he is in westmynstre . he wol be bifore
And maken hym murie . wiþ ooþer mennes goodes
¶ And so it fareþ with muche folk . þat to þe freres hem shryueþ
As Sisours and executours . þei wol ȝyue þe freres
A parcel to preye for hem . and make hem-self murye
Wiþ þe residue and þe remenaunt . þat oþere men biswonke
And suffre þe dede in dette . to þe day of doome
¶ Enuye herfore . hatede Conscience
And freres to philosophie . he fond þanneT to scole
The while coueitise and vnkyndenesse . Conscience assaillede
In vnitee holy chirche . Conscience held hym
And made pees porter . to pynne þe yates
Of alle tale-telleris . and titeleris in ydel
Ypocrisie and he . an hard assaut þei madeT
And woundede wel wikkedly . many a wys techere
That wiþ Conscience acordede . and Cardynale vertues
¶ Conscience called a leche . þat koude wel shryue
To goT salue þo þat sike ben . and þoruȝ synne ywounded
Shrift shoop sharp salue . and made men do penaunce
For hir mysdedes . þat þei wroȝt hadde
And þat Piers were ypayed . redde quod debes
¶ Some liked noȝt þis leche . and lettres þei sente
If any surgien were þe segge . þat softer koude plastre
Sire leef to lyue in lecherie . lay þere and gronede
For fastynge of a fryday . he ferde as he wolde deye
¶ Ther is a Surgien in þis sege . þat softe kan handle
And moore of phisik bi fer . and fairer he plastreþ
Oon frere Flaterere . is phisicien and surgien
¶ Quod Contricion to Conscience . do hym come to Vnitee
For here is many a man . hurt þoruȝ ypocrisye
¶ We han no nede quod Conscience . I woot no bettre leche
Than person or parisshe preest . penitauncer or bisshop
Saue Piers þe Plowman . þat haþ power ouer hem alle
And Indulgence may do . but if dette lette it
¶ I may wel suffre seide Conscience . syn ye desiren
That frere flaterere be fet . and phisike yow sike
¶ The frere her-of herde . and hiede faste
To a lord for a lettre . leue to haue to curen
As a Curatour he were . and cam with hise lettres
Boldely to þe bisshop . and his brief hadde
In contrees þer he coome . confessions to here
And cam þere Conscience was . and knokked at þe yate
¶ Pees vnpynned it . was Porter of vnitee
And in haste askede . what his wille were
¶ In faiþ quod þis frere . for profit and for helþe
Carpe I wolde wiþ contricion . and þer-fore cam I hider
¶ He is sik seide Pees . and so are manye oþere
Ypocrisie haþ hurt hem . ful hard is if þei keuere
¶ I am a Surgien seide þe segge . and salues kan make
Conscience knoweþ me wel . and what I kan do boþe
¶ I praye þee quod Pees þo . er þow passe ferþer
What hattestow I praye þee . hele noȝt þi name
¶ Certes seide his felawe . sire Penetrans domos
¶ Ye go þi gate quod Pees . by god for al þi phisik
I knew swich oon ones . noȝt eighte wynter hennes
Coom in þus ycoped . at a Court þere I dwelde
And was my lordes leche . and my ladies boþe
And at þe laste þis lymytour . þo my lord was oute
He saluede so oure wommen . til some were wiþ childe
¶ Hende speche heet . Pees . opene þe yates
Lat in þe frere and his felawe . and make hem fair cheere
He may se and here . so it may bifalle
That lif þoruȝ his loore . shal leue coueitise
And be adrad of deeþ . and wiþ-drawe hym fram pryde
And acorde wiþ Conscience . and kisse hir eiþer ooþer
¶ Thus þoruȝ hende speche . entred þe frere
And cam in to Conscience . and curteisly hym grette
¶ Thow art welcome quod Conscience . kanstow heele þe sike
Here is Contricion quod Conscience . my cosyn ywounded
Conforte hym quod Conscience . and tak kepe to hise soores
The plastres of þe person . and poudres biten to soore
He lat hem ligge ouer-longe . and looþ is to chaunge hem
Fro lenten to lenten . he lat hise plastres bite
¶ That is ouer-longe quod þis Lymytour . I leue I shal amende it
And gooþ and gropeþ Contricion . and gaf hym a plastre
Of a pryuee paiement . and I shal praye for yow
For al þat ye ben holden to . al my lif-tyme
And make yow my lady . in masse and in matyns
As frere of oure Fraternytee . for a litel siluer
¶ Thus he gooþ and gadereþ . and gloseþ þere he shryueþ
Til Contricion hadde clene foryeten . to crye and to wepe
And wake for hise wikked werkes . as he was wont to doone
For confort of his confessour . Contricion he lafte
That is þe souerayneste salue . for alle kynne synnes
¶ Sleuþe seigh þat . and so dide pryde
And comen wiþ a kene wille . Conscience to assaille
¶ Conscience cryed eft . and bad Clergie helpe hym
And also Contricion . for to kepe þe yate
He lyþ and dremeþ seide Pees . and so do manye oþere
The frere wiþ his phisyk . þis folk haþ enchaunted
And plastred hem so esily . þei drede no synne
¶ By crist quod Conscience þo . I wole bicome a pilgrym
And walken as wide . as þe world lasteþ
To seken Piers þe Plowman . þat pryde may destruye
And þat freres hadde a fyndyng . þat for nede flateren
And countrepledeþ me Conscience . now kynde me avenge
And sende me hap and heele . til I haue Piers þe Plowman
And siþþe he gradde after Grace . til I gan awakeC
Explicit hic Dialogus Petri Plowman
Ac while he is