The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. ?: The Vision of Pierce Plowman, nowfyrste imprynted by RoberteCrowley, dwellyng in Elyrented in HolburneWhereunto are added certayne notes and cotations in themargyne, geueynge light to the Reader ....(Cr<hi rend="sup">1</hi>)William LanglandEdited by Carter HaileyAssociate Editors: Patricia R. Bart and M. Gail DugganTechnical Editor: Daniel Pitti Graduate Research Assistants Michael Blum and John Ivor Carlson. Computer Consultants and Programmers Kirk V. Hastings, Susan Munson, Daniel Pitti, David Seaman and John Unsworth.The Medieval Academy of America Cambridge, MA ISBN: 0-472-???

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200? The Vision of Pierce Plowman, now fyrste imprynted by Roberte Crowley, dwellyng in Ely rented in Holburne Whereunto are added certayne notes and cotations in the margyne, geueynge light to the Reader ....

late 14th or early 15th century Source copy consulted: ?????

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GreekLatinFrenchGerman2001 Editor Hoyt N. Duggan New header created and structure reorganized. The Vision of Pierce Ploughman,Fol.i. IN a somer season when sette was the sunne I shope me into shroubes as I a shepe were In habyte as an Hermet vnholie of werkes Wend wyde in thys world wonders to here , And on a Maye mornynge on Maluerne hylles Me befel a ferly of fayry me thought . I was wery of wandrynge and wente me to reste Under a brode banke by a bourne syde And as I laye and lened and loked on the water I slombred into a slepyng , it swyȝed so mery . Than gan I to meten a marueylouse sweuen That I was in wyldernes I wyste neuer where As I behelde into theaste an hyghe to the sunne I sawe a tower on a toft rychelyche ymaked A depe dale benethe a dungeon therin Wyth depe dyches & darcke and dreadfull of syght A fayre felde full of folke , found I there betwene Of all maner of men the meane and the ryche Werkynge and wandrynge as the worlde asketh . Some put hem to the ploughe , pleden full selde In settynge and sowynge swonken full harde And wonnen that wasters wyth glotony distroyen And some put hem to pryde apparelde thereafter In countinaunce of clothynge commenly disgised In prayers and penaunce putten hem manye In hope to haue after heauenryche blysse And for the loue of our lorde lyueden full harde As Ankers and Hermets that hold hem in her selles And coueten nought in contrey to carien aboute For no lyquerouse liuelode her likam to please . And some chosen chaffer , they cheueden the better As it semeth to oure syghte that suche do thriuen A.i.And The vision of And myrthes to maken as mynstrelles kunneth And getten golde wyth her glee , synles I leue Common Iestars As Iapers and Ianglers Iudas chyldren Fayneth hem fantasies , and foles hem maketh And han her wytte at wyll to werke if they shoulde That Paule preacheth of hem I nel not preue it here Qui loquitur turpiloquium . & cetera Bydderis and beggeris faste aboute yede Wyth hyr bealies & hyr bagges of bread ful crammed Faytenden for her fode , foughten at the ale In glotony God wote gone they to bedde And ryse wyth rybaudy as Rebertes knaues Slepe and sory slouth seweth hem euer Pilgrims Pilgrames & Palmers plyght hem togyther For to seke Saint Iames and sayntes at Rome They went forth theyr way , wyth many wyse tales , And had leaue to lye all hyr lyfe after I see some that sayd they had sought sayntes To ech a tale þat they tolde , her tong was tempred to lye More then to say sothe , it semed by hyr speache . Hermets Hermets on a heape wyth hoked staues Wenten to Walsingham , & her wenches after . Greate loubeis and longe þat loth were to swynke Clothed hem in copes to be knowen from other And shopen hem Hermets her ease to haue . Fryars I found ther the fryers all the four orders Preached to the people for profite of hem-selues Glosed the gospell as hem good lyked For couetous of copes , construe it as they would Many of these maister friers might cloth hem at liking For her money & her marchaundise marchen togither , For sith charitie was chapman & chefe to shriue lordes Many Fol.ii.Pierce Ploughman , Many ferleis haue fallen in fewe yeres But holy churche and I hold better togyther The most mischiefe on molde is mountinge wel fast . Pardo nars There preached a Pardoner as he a priest were Brought forthe a bull with many byshoppes seales And said that him-selfe myght absoyle hem all Of falsehode and of fastinge , and of vowes broken Lewde men leued hym well and lyked hys wordes Commen vp knelynge to kysse hys bulles He bouchidbo[n]ched hem with his brenetbre[u]et , and blered her eies And raught with his ragman both ringes and broches Thus they giue theyr gold glotons to kepe And leueth it to suche losells as lecherie haunteth Were the bysshop blessed , and worth both his eares Hys seale shoulde not be sent to deceyue the people And it is nought by the bishop that the boy precheth For the paryshe priest & the pardoner part the siluer That the pouerty of the parysh should haue if they ne were Nonresidence Persons & her priestes pleyned hem to þe bishop That her parishes were poore sithen þe pestilence time To haue a lycence and leue at London to dwell To synge there for Simony , for siluer is swete . Bishops and bachilors , both masters & doctours That haue cure vnder Christe , and crowning in token And signe that they should shryue her parishynges Preache and pray for hem , and the pore fede , Lye at London in lenten and elles Some seruen the kynge , and hys syluer tell In Cheker and in chauncery , chaleng his dettes . Of wardes & warmottes of wayues and strayues And some serue as seruauntes to lordes and to ladyes And in stede of Stewardes sitte and deme . A.ii.Her The vision of Her masses and her mattens , and many of her hours Are done vndeuoutlye drede is at the laste Lest Christ in consistory accurse full many . I perceyued of the powre that Peter had to kepe To bynden and vnbinden , as the boke telleth Howe he left it wyth loue , as our lorde hyght Amonges foure vertues , the best of all vertues , That Cardinalles ben called and closing yates . There Christ is in kingedome to close and to shit , And to open it to hem , and heuens blisse shewe And of Cardinals at court þat caught of that name And power presumed in hem a Pope to make To haue that power that Peter had impunge I nel , For in loue and letture the eleccion belongeth , Forthy I can and can not , of court speke more . Then came there a kynge , knyghthode hym ledde Myght of the commons made him to reygne , And than came kinde wytte , and clerkes he made For to counsell the king and the communes saue . The kynge and knyghthode , and clergy bothe Casten that the commouscommo[n]s shoulde hem-selues fynde , The commons contriued of kinde wytte craftes And for profit of all the people plowe men ordeyned To tyll and to trauel as true lyfe asketh . The kynge and the commons , and kind wit the third Shopen lawe & leauty euery man to know his owne . Then loked vp a Lunatike , a leane thinge wyth-all And knelynge to the kynge clergially he sayd Christ kepe the syr kynge , and thy kingryche And leue the lede thy londe so leauty the loueth And for thy rightfull rulynge , be rewarded in heuen , And sithen in the ayre on height an aungel of heuen Lowde Pierce Ploughman . Fol.iii. Lowde to speake in latin , for lewde men ne coulde Iangle ne iudge that iustifie hem shoulde But suffren and seruen , forthye sayd the angell Sum rex sum princeps , neutrum fortasse deinceps O qui Iura regis , Christi specialia regis , Hoc quod agas melius , Iustus es esto pius Nudum ius a te vestiri vult pietate . Qualia vis metere , talia grana sere Si ius nudatur , nudo de iure metatur , Si seritur pietas , de pietate metas . Than greued hym a Goleardeis a gloton of words And to the angell on hygh answered after Dum Rex a regere , dicatur nomen habere , Nomen habet sine re , nisi studet iura tenere . Than gan all the commons crye in verse of latine To the kinges counsel construe who-so woulde The tale of the rat tons . Precepta regis , sunt nobis vincula legis . Wyth that ranne there a route of rattons at once And small mise wyth hem moo then a thousand And commen to counsel for the common profit For a Catte of a contrye came whan hym lyked And ouerleapt hem lyghtly & caught hem at his wyl And plaied wyth hem perelously , and possed aboute , For doubt of diuers dredes we dare not wel loke And if we grutche at hys game , he will greuen vs al Scratchyng vs & clawyng vs , & in hys clawes hold That we loth the lyfe or he lette vs passe . Myght we wyth any wytte hys wyll wythstand We myght be Lordes aloft , and lyue at our ease . A ratton of renowne most renable of tonge Sayd for a soueraygne helpe to him-selfe . I haue sene segges , quod he , in the city of London Bere bighes ful bryghte aboute theyr neckes A.iii.And The vision of And some colers of craftie werke , vncopled they wente Both in waren and in waste where hem-self lyked And other whyle they ar els wher , as I heare tell Were there a bel on her bight bi Iesu as me thinkith Men might wyt where they went and a-way runne . And right-so quod that ratton reason me sheweth To by a bell of brasse , or of bryght syluer And knyt it on hys coller for oure comen profyt Whether he ritte or rest or run to pleye And if hym list for to lake than loke we myght And pere in his presens the while hym playe liketh And if he wrath , be ware and his waye shonne Al this rowt of Rattons to this reason they assented And tho the bel was brought , & on the bight hanged There ne was a ratten in al þe rowte for al þe realme of fraunce That durst bynd the bel aboute þe cats necke Ne hang it abowt the catts halse al Englande to win And helde hem vnhardie and her cowncell feble And let her labor loste and al their longe studie . + Omni um docti ssimorum suffragio , dicuntur , hec de las siuis , fatu is , aut in eptis prin cipibus , non de e tate tenel lis. Qua si dicat , v bi rex pue rilis est . A mowse that muche goode coude as me thought Stroke furth sternelye and stode before hem all And to the rowte of rattons rehersed thes wordes Though we kyl thys cate , yet shulde ther cum an other To catch vs & al our kind , though we crep vnder benches Forthie I councel al þe commens to let þe cat worch And be we neuer so bolde , the bel hym to shewe For I harde mi sire say seuen yere passed Where the cat is a kylling , the courte is full elenge That wytnesseth holy writinge who-so will it rede +Ue terre Ubi puer Rex est . For may no renke there rest haue , for ratons bi night The whil he catcheth conies , he couiteth not our carion But Pierce Ploughman . Fol.iiii. But fedeth him wyth veneson , defame we hym neuer For better is a lyttel losse then a longe sorowe The maze amonge vs al though we misse a shrewe For manie mens malte we myse wolde destroye And also the rowte of rattons rente mens clothes Ner the cat of that courte that can vs ouerleape For had you rats youre wyl , you could not rule your-selfe I saie for me , quod þe mouse , I se so mekel after Shal neither þe Cat ne þe kitling bi mi councel be greuid Ne carpinge of this coler that costed me neuer And though it had cost me Catel , beknown it I nold But suffre as hym-selfe wolde to done as hym liketh Coupled and vncopled lo catche what they maye . Forthie eche a wise wight I warn , wit wel his own What this metteles bymeneth , ye men that be mery Sergeants of þe lawe . Deuine ye for I dare not by dere God in heauen . Yet houed ther an hundred in hownes of silke Sergeaunts yt besemed that seruen at the barre Pleten for penies and poundes the lawe And not for loue of our lord vnclosen their lips once Thou myghtest better mete þe mist on maluerne hils Than gette a mumme of her mouth til mony be shewed Barons and burgeses , and bonde men also I see in thys assemble as ye shall here after Bakesters , and Bruesters and bochers many Wollen websters , and weuers of lynnen Taylers and tinkers , and tollers in markettes , Masons and minors , and many other craftes Of all kynne lybbynge laborers lopen forth some As dikers and deluers that done their dedes yll And dryue forth the long day with dieuxKD reads dieu. Is a sic/corr needed? saue dame Eme Cokes and her knaues criden hote pyes hote Good The vision of Good geese and gris goo wee dyne goo we Tauerners vntyll them tolde the same Wyth wyne of Osey , and redde wyne of Gascoyne Of the rynne and of the Rochel the roste to defye Thys sawe I slepynge , and seuen sithes more . Passus primus de visione . What this mountein bemeineth & þe merke dale And þe feld ful of folke I shal you faire shew A louely lady of lere in lynen clothed Came downe from a castel & called me faire And sayde sonne sleapest thou , seest thou thys people Howe busy they be all aboute the mase ? The most part of this puple þat passeth on this earth Haue they worshyp in this world , they wil no better Of other heauen then here holde they no tale I was afrayed of her face , though she fayre were And sayd mercy madame , what is thys to meane ? The tour The toure vpon the toft , quod she , truth is therin And woulde that ye wrought as hys word teacheth For he is father of fayth , and former of you all Both with fel and with face , and gaue you fyue wittes For to worshyp him therwith , yea whyle ye ben here And therfore he heyght the erth , to helpe you eche one Of wollen of lynnen and of lyuelode at nede In mesurable maner to make you at ease And commaunded of his curtesy in commen thre thynges . Arn none nedful but tho ? and named hem I thinke And rekened hem by rewe , reherse ye hem after . That one is vesture , from cheyle to saue And meate at meale for disease of thy-selfe And Pierce Ploughman , Fol.v. And drinke whan thou driest , & do nought out of reason That þou worth the worse , whan thou worke shouldest Loth , For Lothe in his lyue-dayes for lykynge of dryncke Did wyth hys doughters that the deuil lyked Delited in drynke as the deuyll woulde And Lechery him laught , and lay by hem both , And all he wytte the wyne that wicked dede Inebriamus eum vino , dormiamusque cum eo vtseruare possimus de patre nostro semen . Through wyne & women there was Loth accumbred And there gat in glotony gyrles that were cherels Forthy drede delectable drinke , & thou shalt do þe better Measure is medicine , though you michel yerne It is not all for the goste that the gutte asketh Leefe not thy lykam for a lyer hym techeth That is the wretched worlde woulde þe betray For the fende and the fleshe foloweth the togythers This & that seeth thy soule , and seeth it in thine herte , And for thou shouldest beware , I wyshe the the best Madame mercy , quod I , me liketh wel your words And the monye of this mold that men so fast holdeth Tell me to whom madame that treasure appendeth Go the gospell , quod she , that god sayd hym-selfe Tho þe people him apposed with a peny in the temple Whether thei should therwith worship the king Cesar And God asketh hem of whom spake the letter And the image ylike that therein standeth Cesares they sayde , we sene her well ichone Reddite Cesari quod god , that Cesari belongeth Et que sunt dei deo , or els ye done yll For ryghtfull reason shoulde rule you all And kynd witt be warden your wealth to kepe B.i.And Pierce Ploughman . And tutor of your treasure , and take you at nede For husbandrye and hii holden togither . Than I frayned hyr fayre for hym that me made The dun geon . That dungeon in the dale , that dredfull is of syght What may it be to meane , madame I you besech . That is the castell of care , who-so commeth therin May banne that he borne was , to body or to soule , Therin wonneth a wyght , that Wronge is Ihote Father of Falsehead , and founded it him-selfe Adam and Eue he egged to yll , Councelled Cayne to kyll hys brother Iudas Iudas he iaped wyth Iewes siluer And sithen on an elder hanged hym after He is letter of loue , and lyeth hem all That truste in hys treasure betraieth he sonest That had I wonder in my wyt , what woman it were That suche wyse wordes of holy wryte shewed And I asked her on þe height name or she thence yede What she were wysely , that wyshed me so fayre Holy church I am , quod she , þou oughtest me to know I vnderfeng the fyrst , and the fayth taught Thou broughtest me borowes , my biddings to fulfyll And to loue me lelly , þe whyle the life dureth Than I courbid on my knees , and cried her of grace And prayed hyr pituously pray for my synnes And also kenne me kyndely , on Christe to beleue That I myght worke hys wil þat wrought me to man Teache me to no treasure , but tell me thys ilke Howe I may saue my soule , that saynt art yholden . Whan al treasures are tried , quod she , truth is best I do it on Deus charitas , to deme the sothe It is as dere-worth a drury , as deare God him-selfe , Who The vision ofFol.vi. Who-so is true of hys tonge , and telleth no other And doth the workes , therewith , and wylleth no man yll He is a god by the gospell a grounde , & a loft And lyke to our Lord by saint Lukes wordes The clerkes that knowe thys , should kenne it aboute For christen , and vnchristen claymeth it echone Kynges and knyghtes shoulde kepe it by reason Riden and rapen downe in realmes aboute And taken transgressours and tye hem faste Tyll Truth termined her trespace to thende And þat is the profession apartly þat appendeth to knyghts And not to fast one Friday , in fyue score wynter But hold wyth him and with hir , that wolden al truth , And neuer leue hem for loue , ne for lackyng of siluer . Dauid made kni ghtes For Dauid in hys dayes dubbed knyghtes And did hem swere on her swerd to serue Truth euer And who-so passed þat poynt was apostata in þe ordre But Christe kyng of kyngis made knyghtes ten Cheruben and Seraphyn suche seuen and other And gaue hem might in his maiestie , þe merier hem thought And ouer his mene meiny made hem archangels Taught by the trinitye Truth to knowe To be buxome at hys byddinge , he bade hem nought els Lucifer with legions , lerned it in heauen Lucifer was caste out of heauen bicause of hys pride . But for he brake buxomnes , hys blysse can he tyne And fel from that felowshyp , in a fendes lykenes Into a depe darke hell to dwell there for euer And moo thousandes with hym , than man could numbre , Loppen out wyth Lucifer in lothlych forme For these leuiden apon hym that lyed on thys maner Ponam pedem in aquilone et similis ero Altissimo . And al þat hoped it might be so , no heuen might hem hold B.ii.But The vision of But fell out in fendes lykenes nyne dayes togyther Tyll god of hys goodnes gan stable and stynte And garde the heuen to stycke and stond in quiet When these wycked went out , in wonderwise they fell Some in ayre , some in earth , and some in hell depe . And Lucifer lowest leth yet of hem all For pride that he pult out hys payne hath no ende And al that worke wyth wrong wende they shal After their death day , and dwell wyth that shrewe And tho that worke well , as holy wryte telleth And end as I ere sayd in Truth that is the best May be siker that theyr soules shal wende to heauen There Truth is in trinitie and troweth hem all Forthy I say as I sayd ere , by syght of these textes , Whan all treasures are tried truth is the beste Lerne on thys lewd men , for lettred men it knoweth Truth is the grea test trea sure . That Truth is treasure the triest on earth . I haue no kind knowing quod I , ye mote me ken better By what craft in mi corps it comseth , & wher Thou dotest daffe , quod she , dull are thy wyttes To tel latin thou learnedest , leode in thy youth Heu mihi , quia sterilem duxi , vitam iuuenilem It is a kind knowing , quod heCr.1.142: he, "she." , that kenneth in þe hert For to loue thy Lorde leuer than thy-selfe. No deadly synne to do , dye thoughe thou shouldeste , Thys I trowe be truth , who can teach the better Loke thou suffer hym to say , and sith lerne it after For Truth telleth that loue is triacle for sinne May no synne be on hym sene , that vseth that spyce And al hys works he wrought with loue as him list And lerned it Moses for þe leuiest thing , of all And also the plant of peace , most precious of vertues For Pierce Ploughman . Fol. vii. For heuen myght not hold it , it was so heauy of him-selfe Tyll it had of the erthe yoten it-selue And whan it had of this folde fleshe and bloud taken Was neuer leafe apon linde , lyghter there-after And portatiue and persante as the poynt of an nedle That might non armoure it let , ne none heigh walles Forthie is loue leader of the lordis folke of heauen And a meane as the Maire is betwene þe king & the commons Right-so is loue a leader , & the lawe shapeth Upon man for his misdedes , the mercyment he taxeth And for to knowe it kyndlie , it commeth by mighte And in the hert there is the hefde , and the hygh wyll For of kynd knowing in hart there a might begineth And that falleth to the father that formed vs al He looked on vs wyth loue , and let his sone die Mekelie for oure misdedis to amende vs all And yet wold he hem no woo þat wrought him þat payne But meklie wyth mouth mercie he besought To haue pitty on that people that pained him to deth Here might you see examples in selfe one That he was mightfull and meke þat mercie can graunt To hem that hange him on height , & his hart thirled Forthie I red you Ryche haue ruthe on the pore Though ye be mightti to mot be meke in youre workes For the same mesure þat ye mete , amis , other ells Ye shall be weien there-wyth whan ye wenden hence Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis , remetietur vobis For though ye be true of your toung & truelich wyn And as chast as a childe that in churche wepeth But if ye loue lelie , and lene the pore Such good as God you sent goodliche parte You haue no more merit in masse nor in houres B.iii.Than Pierce Ploughman . Than Malken of her maydenhede þat no man desireth For Iames the Ientle Iudged in hys bokes That faythe with-owte þe feate is right nothing worth And as deade as dore-tree , but if the dedes followe Fides sine operibus mortua est & cetera Forthi chastiti with-ought chariti worthi cheines in hel It is as lewde as a lampe that no lyght is in Manie chaplens ar chast and charitie is a-waye Ar no men auariciouser than they , whan thei be auaunced Unkynde to theyre kynne and to all christen Chewen theyre charitie and chiden after more Such chastitie without charitie worthie chaynes in hel Manie curators kepe hem clene of here bodies They be acumbred with coueties they can not do it from them So harde hath auarice hasped them togythers And that is no trueth of þe trinitie but trechery of hel And lernygelernynge to lewde men the latter for to dele Forthie these wordis be written in the gospel Date et dabitur vobis . for I dele you all That is the locke of loue that letteth owte my grace To comforten the carefull accombred with synne Loue is leche of lyfe and next owre lorde selfe And also the grayth gate that goith into heuen Forthie I saye as I sayde er by the textes Whan all tresures be tryed truthe is the best So haue I told you what truth is þat no tresor is better I may no longer leng ye with , now loke ye oure lord Passus secundus de visioneYet The vision ofFol.viii. YEt I corbed on mi knees & cried her of grace And seid merci madam for maris loue of heuen That bare þat blisful barne þat bought vs on þe rode Ken me bi some craft to know þe fals . Loke apon thy lefte halfe and lo where he stondeth Both false and fauel and her feris many I loked on my left halfe as the ladie me taught And was ware of a woman worthilech clothed Purfiled wyth plesure the fynest apon erthe Crowned wyth a crowne the Kynge hath non bittterbitter Fettisleche her fyngers were fretted with golde wyer And there on red Rubies as red as any glede And dyamonds of derest price & double maner saphirs Orientales and Ewages venemis to destroye Hyr robe was full riche , of red scarlet engrayned Wyth Rybandes of red golde and of rych stones Her arraye me rauished , such Riches sawe I neuer I had wonder what she was , & whose wyfe she were What is this woman quod I so worthilie atyred . That is Mede þe maid quod she hath noied me ful oft And lacked my lemman that leautie is hote And bilowe her to lordes that lawes haue to kepe In the popes palaice , she is preuy as my-selfe But Sothenes wolde not so , for she is a bastarde For false was her father that hath a fyckell tounge And neuer sothe sayd sithen he cam to erth And Mede is maried after hym right as kind asketh Qualis pater , talis filius , bona arbor , bonum fructum facit . I ought be hier than she I cam of a better My father the gret God is , and ground of al graces One God withoute bigininge , & I hys good daughter And hath gyuen me mercie to marrie wyth my-selfe And The vision of And what man be mercifull and lelie me loueth Shalbe my lorde and I his life in the heigh heuen And what man taketh mede my hede dare I leye That he shal lease for her loue a lyppe of Charitatis How construeth Dauid the Kyng of men þat take mede And men of this molde that mayntaynith truthe And howe ye should saue youre-selfe þe psalter berith witnes Domine quis habitabit in Tabernaculo tuo & cetera And nowe worthe this Mede maried vnto a manzed shrewe To one Fals fikell tounge a fendes byete Fauel through his fair spech hath this folk enchauntid And al his liers ledinge that she is thus wedded The morowe was made the maydens bridalle And there might thou wit if þou wilt , which thei ben al That longen to that lordship , the lesse and the more Knowe hym there if thou canst , & kepe thou thy toung And lak hem not , but let hem worke tyl leutie be Iustice And haue powr to punnysh hem than put forth thi reason For I bikenne the Christ quod she & his clene mother And let no conscience acumbre the for couetise of Mede Thus lefte me that ladie ligging a-slepe And howe mede was maried in metals me thought That al the riche reteinaunce þat reineth with the false Were bounden to the bridale on both twoo sides Of al maner of men the meane and the riche To marie the mayde was manie a man assembled As of knights & of clarkes and other common people As sisores and somoners , Shreues and ther clerks Bedelles and bailiffes and brokers of chaffer Forgoers and vitellers and aduocates of tharchesnote orthography??? I can not reken the route that ranne aboute Mede And Simonye and Ciuile and Sisours of courtes were The vision ofFol.ix. Were moste priuie with Mede of any men me thought And Fauell was the fyrste that fet her out of boure , And as a broker brought hir to be with False enioyned Whan Simony and Ciuyll see hir both wyll They assented for syluer to saye as bothe woulde Than leepe Lyer forthe and sayde , lo here Charter That Gyle with hys greate othes gaue hem togyders And prayed Cyuyll to see , and Simony to reade it Than Simony and Ciuyl stond forth both togyther And vnfolde the feoffemente that False hath ymade And thus beginneth these gomes to greden ful heygh . Marita gium pra num cum feoffemen to in ma lo feodo et de per uersa te nura . Sciant presentes et futuri . & cetera . Wytteth & witnesseth al þat wonneth apon thys earth That Mede is maryed more for hir goodes Than for anye vertue or fayrenes , or anye free kynd , Falsenes is fayne of hyr , for he wooteth hyr ryche And Fauell wyth his ficle speach feffeth him by thys charter To be prynce in pryd , & Pouerty to despise To backebite and to bosten & to beare false wytnes To scorne and to scould , and sclaunder to make Unboxome and bold to breake the ten hestes And the Erledome of Enuye and Wrathe togythers Wyth the Chastilet of Cheeste and chateryng out of reason The contry of couetise & al the costes about That is vsury and auarise , all hem graunt In bargaines & in brocages with al þe borough of theft And all the lordeshyp of Lechery in length & in brede As in workes & in wordes & in waytinges with eyes And in wedes & in wishynges , & wyth idle thoughtes There as wyl woulde & the workmanshippe fayleth . Glotony he gaue hem eke and great othes togither And all daye to dryncke at diuerse tabernes C.i.And Pierce Ploughman . And there to iangle & to iape , & iudge hir euenchristen And in fastynge-dayes to frete ere full tyme were And than to sitte and soupe , tyll sleepe hem assayle And brede furth as boroughe swine , and bedden hem easelye Tyll Sleuth and slepe slyken hyr sydes And than Wanhope to awaken hem so wyth no wyl to amend For they liuen by luste that is hir laste ende And they to haue and to holde and hyr heyrs after A dwellynge wyth the deuyll & damped be for euer Wyth al þe appertinannces of purgatory into þe paine of hell Yeldynge for thys thynge at one yeres end , Their soules to Satan to suffer wyth him paynes And with hym to wonne with woo , while god is in heuen In witnes of which thinge , Wronge was the fyrste And Pierce the pardoner of Paulines doctryne Bette the bedell of Buckyngham shiere Raynolde the reue , of Rutlande sokene Maude the mylner , wyth many mo other In the date of the Deuyl thys dede I enseale By syght of syr Simony and Ciuyls leaue . The trwe preachar Than tened him Theology when he this tale harde And sayd to Ciuyl , nowe sorowe myght you haue Such weddinges to worke to wrath with Truth , And er this wedding be wrought , now god giue þe sorowe For Mede is mulier of amendes engendred And God graunteth to gyue Mede to Truth And þou hast geuen hir to a gilor wo the betyde Thie text telleth the not so , Truth woote þe Sothe For Dignus est operarius , his hyre to haue And thou hast fastened hir to False , fye on thy lawe For al by lesynges thou liuest and lecherous workes Symony and thy-selfe shenden holy church The The vision ofFol.x. The Notaries and ye noye the people Ye shall abye it both by god that made me Well ye wytte wernardes , but if your wyt fayle That False is faythles and fykil in hys werkes And was a bastard borne of Belsabubs kynne And Mede is a mulier a mayden of good And myght kysse the kynge for cosin if she would . Therefore worke by wysdome , and by my wyt also And leade hyr to London there it is shewed If anye lawe wyll loke , they lygge togyther And thoughe iustice iudge hir to be ioyned to False Yet beware of weddynge , for wytty is Truth And Conscience is of his counsel , & knoweth you echone And if he find you in default , and wyth false hold It shall biset your soules full sore at the laste Hereto assent Cyuyle and Simony ne wolde Tyl he had mony for hys seruice , & also the notaries Than fet Fauell forth florences inowe Brybesfinal s isn't legible And bade gyle to gyue golde aboute And namely to the Notaries that hem none fayle And feffe False wytnes wyth florence inowe For they may Mede maystrye and make at my wyl . Tho this gold was geuen great was the thanking To False and to Fauell for hir fayre gyftes And come to conforten fro care the False And sythen certes syr ceasen shall we neuer Til Mede be wedded wife through þe wits of vs al For we haue Mede maistred wyth oure merye speach That she graunteth to go with a good wyll To London to loke if the lawe woulde Iudge you ioyntly in ioye for euer Than was Falsenes fayne , and Fauell as blyth , C.ii.And Pierce Ploughman . And letten sommon all segges in shires aboute And bade hem al to be bowne beggers and other To wend with hem to Westmister to witnes this dede . And than caried they forth caples to cary hem thither And Fauell fette forth then foles inowe And set Mede vpon a Shireue shode all newe And False sate on a Sisoure that softly trotted And Fauel on a flatterer feetely attired . Tho had Notaries none anoied they were For Simony and Ciuill shoulde on theyr fete gange , And than swore Simony and Ciuill bothe That somners should be sadled , & serue hem echeone And let apparel these prouisors in palfreis wise Sir Simony hym-selfe shall sit on their backes Deanes and Subdeanes drawe you togyther Archedecons and officials and all your regesters Let saddle hem wyth syluer our synne to suffer As aduoutrye and diuorces , and derne vsury To beare Bishops about abrode in visitynge Paulines priues , for pleyntes in consistorie Shal serue my-selfe that Ciuyll is named And carte saddle the Comisarye , our cart shal he lead And fetche vs vitayles at Fornicatores And maketh of Lier a long cart , to lead al these other As friers and faytours that on their fete runnen And thus False and Fauell faren forth togyther And Mede in the myddes and all these men after . I haue no tyme to tel the taile that here foloweth And Gyle was forgoer . and guyded hem all Sothnes seethe hem well , and sayth but lyttle And pricked his palfrey and passed hem all And came to the kinges court , & Conscience it told And The vision ofFol.xi. And Conscience to the kinge carped it after . Now bi Christ quod þe Kyng and I catch might Fals or Fauel or anie of there feeris I wolde be wroken of tho wreches þat worken thys il And done hem hang bi þe hals & al that hem meinteyneth Shal neuer man of thys molde maynprise the leest But ryght as the lawe wol loke , let fal on hem all And commaunde a Constable that can at the fyrst To attache tho Tyrauntes for any thing I hote And fetter fast Falsnes for any kynnes gyftes And gyrde of Gyles hed and let hym go no ferther And if ye cache Lyer let hym not escape Or he be put on the pillerye for any prayers I hote And bringe Mede to me in mauger them all Drede at the dore stode , and the dome harde How the King commaundid Constables & Sargeantes Falsnes and his feloship to fetter and to binden Than dread went wyghtlye and warned the Fals And bad hym fle for fere . And his fellows all Falsenes for feare than fledde to the Freers And Gyle doth hym to go agast for to die And Marchaunts meten with him and made him abide And shitte hym in her shoppes to shewen here ware Apparelled hym as a Prentice the people to serue Lyghtlie Lyer leped awaye than Lurkynge through Lanes to be lodged of manye He was no-where welcome for his manie tales Ouer-all hunted out , and I hote trusse Tyll Pardoners had pitie and pulled him in to house They wash him & wipe him & wounden him in clouts And sent hym wyth seales on sondayes to churches And gaue hym pardon for pence poundmele abowt C.iii.Than Pierce Ploughman . Then loured Leches and Letters they sente That he shoulde wonne with hem waters to loke Spicers speken wyth hym to spie theire ware For he coude of ther crafte , and knewe many gommes And minstreles and messengers mete with hym once And helde hym halfe a yere and a leuen dayes Freers wyth faire speche fet hym thence And for knowinge of commers coped him as a frere And he hath leue to leppe owte as ofte as him liketh And is welcome whan he wyl & wonneth with them ofte All fledden for feare and floone in-to hernes Saue mede the maide , no mo durst abyde And trulie to tell she trembled for drede And eke wepte and wronge whan she was atached Passus tertius de visione NOwe is Mede the maide & no mo of hem all with Bedels & bailifs brought before þe kyng The king called a clark can I not his name To take Mede the mayde & make her ateaseat ease I shall assaye hir mi-selfe and southelyche appose What man of this molde that her were leuest And if she worke by wyt , and my wyl followe I wol forgeue her thys gylte so me God helpe Curteslie the clarke than as the Kynge hyght Toke mede bie the middle & brought her into chambre And there was mirth and minstrelsi , Mede to please They that wounne In westminster worshippid her al Gentlie with Ioye , The Iustices some Busked hem to the bower there the bride dwelled To comforthe her kindlye by clergies leaue And sayde morne not Mede ne make ye no sorowe For The vision ofFol.xii. For we will wishe the Kinge and the shape To be weddyd at thy will , and where the leefe liketh For al conscience cast and crafte as I trowe . Mildlie Mede than , mercide them all Of her grete goodnes and gaue hem echone Copes of clene golde and Copes of siluer Rynges wyth Rubies and Ryches manie The lest man of ther menie , a moton of golde . Than lafte they leue , these lordis at Mede . Wyth that comon Clarks to comfort her sone And bydden her be blyth for we be thine owne For to worke thy wyll the while we moune laste Hendiliche she than bihyght them the same To louen hem lellie and lordis to make To begge hem benifices , pluralities to haue And in consistorie at courte do calle her names Shal no lewdnes lette the clerke that I loue That he ne worthe fyrst auaunced for I am biknowen Ther cunning clarkis sholen cloke behynde Confessors Than came there a confessor copid as a Frere To Mede the mayde he mellud thes wordes And sayde full softlie in shrifte as it were Though lewd men & lerned men had lien by thee both And falsenes had I-folowed the all thys forti winter I shall assoyle the my-selfe for a seme of whete And also be thy bedman and bere wel thy message Amoungest knyghtis & Clarkes conscience to turne Than Mede for her misdedis to that man kneled And shroue her of her shroudenes shamles I trowe Tolde hym a tale and toke hym a noble For to be her bedman and brokar also Than he assoyled her sone and sithen he sayde We haue a wyndowe in workinge , wol set vs high Woldest Pierce Ploughman . Woldest thou glase þat gable , & graue therein thi name Seker shuld thy soule be , heuen to haue . Wyst I that quod the woman , I wold not spare For to be your frende Freer , and fayle you neuer Whyle you loue lordes that lecherie haunten And lake not Ladies that loue wel the same It is frailenes of the fleshe , ye fynde it in bokes And a course of kynde , wherof we comen all Who-so may escape þe slaunder þe scath is sone amended It is synne of the seuen souestso[n]est relessed . Haue mercy quod mede of men that it haunten And I shal couer your kyrke , your cloysture do maken Walles do whyten and wyndowes glasen Do peynten and portraye and paye for the makyng That euery segge shall say I am syster of your house And God to al good folke such grauinge defend To wryte in wyndowes of her well deades On auenture Pryd be painted there , & pomp of þe worlde For Christ knoweth thi consience & thi kind wil And thy cost and thy couetis , & who thy cattel ought Therefore I lerne you lordes , leaue such workes To writen in wyndowe of your wel dedes Or to gredden after goddesmen whan thei delen doles On auenture you haue your hier here , & your heuen also Nesciat sinistra quid faciat dextera . Lette not thy lefte halfe late ne rathe Wyt what thou workest with thy right side For thus beddith þe gospel , good men done her almes . Maires and Maceris that meanes be betwene The Kynge and the comon to kepe the lawes To punnyshen on pyleries and pynning stoles Brusterrs and bakesters , bochers and cokes for The vision ofFol.xiii. For these ar men on this mold þat most harme worketh To the pore people that percel-mele byghe For they poyson the people priuilie and ofte They richen thrughe Regratrie & rentis hem bighen With þat the pore people should put in here wombes For toke they all trulie they tymbred not so high Ne bought no burgages be they full certen And Mede þe mayde the Mayre hath besought Of al suche Sellers siluer to take Or presentes wythoute pence as peces of syluer Ryngis or other riches the Regrators to mainteine For my loue quod that Ladie loue hem echeone And suffer hem to sell some-deale agaynst reason Salomon the sage a Sermon he made For amende Mayres and men that kepe lawes And tolde hem this teme that I tell thinke Iob.xv Ignis deuorabit tabernacula eorum qui libenter accipiunt munera Among these lettred leodes this laten is to mene That fyre shal fal and brenne , al to blo ashes The houses and homes of hem that desireth Gyftes or yeres-gyues bicause of her offices The King from the councel came & called after mede And sent for her aa[s] swith with sargeantes manie That brought her to boure with blis and with ioye Curteslie the Kynge than comsed to tell To mede the mayde melleth these wordis Unwittelie woman wrought hast thou ofte And wurse wroughteste þou neuer than tho þou fals toke But I forgeue the that gylte & graunt the my grace Hence to thie deth daye do so no more . I haue knyght Conscience came late from beyond If he willeth the to wyfe wilt thou hym haue ? D.i.Ye The vision of Yea lorde quod that ladie God forbyd els , But I be wholie at your heste let hange me sone . And than was conscience called to come and appere Before the Kynge and hys councell as clarks & other Knelynge Conscience to the kinge louted To wit what hys wyl were and what he do should . Wylt þou wed this woman quod þe King if I wil assente For she is fayne of thy felloship for to be thy make . Quod conscience to the kyng Christe it me forbydde Or I wede suche a wife woo me betide For she is fraile of her fayth fykel of her speche And maketh misdo many score tymes Trust of her treasure betrayeth full manie Wyues and wdydoweswydowes wantones she teacheth And lerneth hem lecherie that loue hyr gyftes Your father she felled throughe false byhest And hath poysoned Popes and peyred holie churche Is not a better baude by hym that me made Betwene heauen and hel in erth thoughe men sought For she is Tikel of her tayle , talewyse of her tonge As commen as a cartwaye to eche a knaue that walketh To monkes & to minstrels to mesels in hedges Sisours and somnours such men her praiseth Shyreues of shires ware shent if she were not For she doth men lese her lond and her life bothe . She letteth passe prisoners , and prayeth for them oft And geuith the Gailors golde and grotes togethers To vnfettren the false fle where hym lyketh And taketh the true by the top and tieth him fast And hangeth hem for hatred that harme dyd neuer To be cursed in Consistorie she counteth not a beane For she copith the Commissarie and coteth hys clarkes She Pierce Ploughman , Fol.xiiii. She is a-soyled as sone as her-selfe liketh And may nighe as moch do in a monthe one As maye youre secret Seale in syxscoresyx score dayes . For she is priuie wyth the pope prouisors it knoweth For sir simonie and her-selfe sealeth the bulles . She blysseth these bushops though they be lewde Prouendreth persons and preistes meynteineth To haue lemmans and lottebies al her liue-dayes And bringeth furth barnes agayne forbode lawes There she is wel with the Kyng woo is the Realme For she is fauorable to false and fouleth truth oft Bi Iesus with her Iwels your Iusticis she shendith And lieth ageyne the lawe and letteth hym the gate That fayth mai not be of force her florens fli so thick She leadeth the law as her list & louedaies maketh And doth men lese through hyr loue þat law might win The maze for a meane man though he mote her euer Lawe is so lordleche , and lothe to make ende Wythouten presents or pence she pleaseth ful fewe Barons and Burgesies she bringeth in sorowe And al the common in care that coueteth liue in truethe For Clargie and couetis she coupleth togyther This is the life of that lady now lord giue hir sorow And al that meyntineth hyr men meschance hem betide For pore men mai haue no powr to plain hem when they smarte Suche a master is mede among men of God Than morned Mede and meued her to the Kinge To haue spase to speke spede if she myght The Kynge graunted her grace with a good wyll Excuse the if thou canst I can no more sayne For conscience accuseth the to congayne the for euer . Nay lorde quod that ladie leue hym the wurse D.ii.Whan Pierce Ploughman . Whan ye witten witterlie where the wronge lieth There that mischefe is great , mede maye healpe And thou knowest conscience I came notnote vertical line after not??? to chide Ne depraue thie person with a proude herte Wel thou woteste warnarde but if thou wyll gabbe Thou hast hanged on me halfe a-leuen tymes And also griped my golde , giue it where the liked And why thou wrathest the now , wonder me thinkith Yet I maie as I might menske the wyth gifts And mainteine thie manhod more than thou knowest And thou hast famed me foule before the kynge here For kylled I neuer no kinge ne councelled therafter Ne did as thou demest I do it on the Kynge In Normandie was he not noyed for my sake And thou thy-selfe southlie shamedst him ofte Crope in-to a Chabane for colde of thie nailes Wendest that wynter wolde haue lasted euer And dredest to be deade for a dym cloude And hydest vpward for hounger of thy wombe Wyth-oute pittie Pilor pore men thou robbedest And bare hyr brasse at thy backe to Calleis to selle There I laste wyth my lorde hys life for to saue I made his men merie and mourning let I battred hem on here backe and boldid here hertes I did hem hoppe for hope to haue me at wyll Had I bene marshall of his men by Marie of heuen I durst haue leyde my lyfe and no lasse wede He should haue be lorde of þat land in lenghth & bredth And also Kynge of that kyth his kyne for to helpe The lest broll of hys bloude , a barons Pere Cowardlie thou conscience counceledst hym thens To leuen his lordshipe for a little syluer That The vision ofFol.xv. That is the richest realme that raygneth ouer heigh . It becometh to a kyng that kepeth a realme To gyue Mede to men that mekely hym serueth To alientes and to all men to honerne hem with giftes Mede maketh him beloued , and for a man holden Emperours and Erles , and all maner Lordes For gyftes haue yong men to runne and to ryde The Pope & al the prelates presentes vnderfoggen And medeth men hem-selues to maintaine her lawes Sergeauntes for their seruice , we se wel the south Taken Mede for her maistris as they may accorde . Beggers for their bydding bydden me mede Mynstrels for hyr myrth mede they aske The king hath mede of hys men , to make peace in land , Men that teachen children crauen after mede Priestes that preachen the people to good asken mede And masse pence and her meate at the meale tymes . All kynne craftes men crauen mede for her prentises Marchauntes and mede muste nedes go togyther No wyght as I wene withouten mede may lyue . Quod the king to conscience by Christ as me thinketh Mede is wel worthy the maistry to haue Nay quod Conscience to þe king , & kneled on the earth Ther are .ii. maner of Medes my lord with your leaue , That one God of hys grace graunteth in hys blysse To hem that wyll worke whyle they be here The prophete preacheth therof , & put it in the psalter Psal.xv. Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo . & cetera . Lord who shal wonne in thy wonnes , and with thy holy saintes Or resten in thy holy hils this asketh Dauid And Dauid assoileth it him-selfe as the psalter telleth Qui ingreditur sine macula et operatur iustitiam . D.iii.They The vision of They that entren of one coloure and of one wyll And haue wrought workes , with right & wyth reason And he that vseth not the lyfe of vsurye And enfourmeth pore men and preserueth truth . Qui pecuniam suam non dedit ad vsuram Et munera super Innocentem non accipit . And al þat helpe the innocent , & holden with the rightfull , Without Mede doth them good , & the truth helpeth Such maner men my Lord , shal haue this first mede Of God at her great nede , when they gone hence . Ther is an other mede mesureles , þat masters desireth To meynteyne misdoers mede they take . And thereof sayth the psalter in a psalmes ende In quorum manibus iniquitates sunt Dextera eorum repleta est muneribus . And he that gripeth her golde so me god helpe Shall abye it bytter , or the boke lyeth Priestes and persons that pleasinges desiereth That taken Mede & money for masses that they synge Taken her mede here , as Mathew vs teacheth . Amen amen , recipiebant mercedem suam .KD reads receperunt. That labourers and lowe folke taken of her masters It is no maner mede , but a measurable hyre In marchaundise , is no mede , I may it well auowe It is a permutation apertly , a peniworth for an other And reddest þou neuer Regum thou recraed mede When the vengeaunce fel on Saule , & on hys chyldren God sent to Saule by Samuel the prophete That Agag , and Amelec , and al hys people after Should dye for a dede that done had her elders Therfore said Samuel to Saul god him-self hoteth The be buxome at his biddynge hys wyll to fulfyll , Wende Pierce Ploughman . Fol.xvi Wend to Amalec with thine host , & what þou findeste there slea it Burnes and Beastes brene hem to death Wydowes , and wyues , women and children Mouable , & vnmouable , & al þat thou might fynd Brenne it , beare not away , be it neuer so ryche For mede , nor for money , loke thou destroy it Spyll it , and spare it not , thou shalt the better And for he coueted her cattell , and the king spared , Forbare him & his beastes both , as þe bible witnesses Otherwyse then he was warned of the prophete God sayd to Samuel that Saule shoulde dye And all hys sede for that synne shamefully ende Suche a mischiefe mede made Saule þe king to haue That God hated him for euer , & all hys heyres after The colour of thys case , ne kepe I not to tell On auenture it noyed men , no ende will I make For so is thys world wont with hem that haue power That who-so sayeth sothe , is sonest yblamed I Conscience knowe this for kind wyt it me taught That reason shal raigne , and realmes gouerne And ryght as Agag had , happe shal come Samuel shal slea hem , and Saule shal be blamed And Dauid shalbeshal be diademed , & daunten hem all And one christen kyng kepe hem eche one Shall no more mede be maistry , as she is nowe And loue and lownes , and leauty togyther These shall be maisters on molde truthe to saue And who-so trespaceth against truth , or taketh again his wil Leauty shal done him lawe , & no life els Shal no sergeant for his seruice , weare no silke hode Ne no Pelure in his cloke , for pledyng at the barre Mede of misdoers maketh many Lordes , And Pierce Ploughman . And ouer Lordes lawes , ruleth the realmes And kinde loue shal come yet , and conscience togyther And make of lawe a labourer , such loue shal arise And such a peace amonge the people , & a perfit truth That Iewes shal wene in their wit , & waxe wonders glad That Moses & Messia be come into this erth And haue wonder in her hertes that men be so true , All that beareth baslarde brodeswerde or launce Axe , or yet hachet , or any weapon els Shal be demed to death , but if he do it smythy . Into sycle or into sythe , to share or to culter . Esai ii.trace of a punctus after Esai??? Conflabunt gladios suos in vomeres . Euery man to play with a plowe , pykeaxe , or spade , Spynne or spread donge , or spil him-selfe with sloughe , Priestes or persons with Placebo to hunte And dynge apon Dauid euery day til euen Huntynge or haukynge , if any of hem vse Hys boast of benifice worth by-nome him after Shal neither kinge ne knyght constable nor mayre Ouerleade the common , ne to the courte sommone Ne put hem panel , to done hem plight her truth But after þe dede is done one dome shal reward Mercy , or no mercy , as truth wyll accorde . Kinges court , common court , consistorie , and chapter All shall be but one courte , and one Baron by iustice Than wel worth true tong , a tidy man þat tened me neuer Battels shall none be , ne no man beare weapon And what smith that any smithed , be smiten therwith to deathno parenthesis to left of "death" Non leuabit gens contra gentem gladium . & cetera . Esa.ii. And or thys fortune fall , fynde men shall þe werste , By six sones and a shippe and halfe a shefe of arowes And þe mydle of a mone shal make þe Iewes to turne And Pierce Ploughman , Fol.xvii. And Sarasines of that syght shall synge . Gloria in excelsis deo . & cetera . For Makometh and Mede mishap shal that time For Melius est bonum nomen quam diuitie multe As wrothe as the wynde waxe Mede in a whyle I can no latin , quod she , clerkes wote the sothe Se what Salomon sayth , in Sapientie bokes That they þat gyue gyftes , the victory wynneth And most worship haue therwith as holy write telleth . Honorem acquiret , qui dat munera . I leue wel lady quod conscience that the latin be true And thou art like a lady that radde a lesson once Was Omnia probate , and that pleased her well For that was no longer at the leaues ende Had she loked that ouer halfe and the lefe turned She shuld haue sound[f]oundfounden fel words folowyng therafter Quod bonum est tenete . Truth that texte made And so fared ye Madame , ye could no more finde Tho ye loked on Sapience sytttyngesyttynge in your studye Thys texte that ye haue tolde were good for lordes , And you failed a good clerk þat could þe lefe haue turned And if ye seke Sapience oft , finde ye shal þat foloweth A full tenefull text to hem that taketh mede And that is Animam autem aufert accipientium . & cetera . And þat is the tale of the text of that that she shewed That thoughe wee wyn worshyp & with mede haue victory The soule that the sondeso[u]desoude taketh by , So muche is bounde Passus quartus de visione . CEase saieth the kinge , I suffer you no longer Ye shal sangtlesaughtneunique to Cr, acc. to KD forsoth , & serue me both Kysse hyr quod the kynge , conscience I hote E.i.Nay Pierce Ploughman . Naye by Christ quod Conscience , congay me for euer Check FW. But Reason rede me therto , rather wyl I dye , And I commaund you quod the king to Conscience then Rape the to ride , and Reason to fetche . Commaunde hym that he come , my councel to hear , For he shall rule my realme , and reade me the best And accounten with the Conscience , so me Christ helpe , Howe thou learnest þe people , the learned , & the lewd I am faine of that forward , said the Fraike than , And ryt ryght to Reason , and roundeth in hys eare , And sayd as the kyng bade , and syth toke his leaue I shal aray me to ryde quod Reason , rest the a while Reason rydeth on sufferance And called Caton hys knaue , curtesse of speche And also Thome true tonge , tell me no tales , Ne lesyng to laughen of , for I loued hem neuer , And set my sadle apon Sufferaunce , til I se my time , And let waroken him wel , with wytty words girthes And hang on him the heauy bridle , to holde his head lowe For he wil make wehe , twyse er he come ther Than Conscience apon his caple , carieth forth fast And Reason wyth him , rit rownynge togythers , Whyche maistris Mede maketh on this earth . One waryn Wysedome , and wytty hys feer , Folowed hym faste , for they had to done , In the Escheker , & in þe Chaunceri , to be discharged of things And riden fast , for Reason should rede hem best For to saue hem for siluer , from shame and harmes And Conscience knewe hem well , they loued couetyse , And bade Reason ride fast , & reck of hem neither , Ther be wiles in her words , & with Mede thei dwel Ther as wrath & wrangling is , there get they syluer , And wher is Loue & Leauty , they wil not come there Con= The vision ofFol.xxixviiicheck MS -- folio number not legible Contritio et in-felicitas in viis eorum . & cetera . They ne gyue not of God , one goose wynge . Non est timor Domini ante oculos eorum . & cetera . For God wot they wyll do more for a dosen chickens Or as many Capons , or for a seame of Otes , Than for loue of our Lord , or al his leue sayntes . Therfore reason let hem ryde , the ryche by hem-selfe For Conscience knoweth hem not , ne Christ as I trowe . And than Reason rode faste the right hye gate And Conscience him kenneth , tyl they came to þe king Curtesly the king than came agaynst Reason , And betwene him-selfe and hys sonne , set him on bench And wordeden wel wisely a greate while togythers . And than came Peace into parliment , & put forth a byl Howe Wronge against hys wyll had his wife taken And howe he rauished Rose , Rainoldes loue And Margaret of hyr maidenhed , maugre hir chekes Both my geese and my gris , his gadlinges fetcheth , I dare not for feare of him fyght ne chide , He borowed my bayard , & brought him neuerhomeneuer home Ne no ferthing therfore , for ought I could pleade He mainteyneth his men to murther myne ewne Forstalleth my fayres , fyghteth in my chepynge , And breketh vp my barne doore: & steleth awaye my whet And taketh me bntb[u]t a taile , for ten quarter otes Yet he beateth me thereto , and lyeth by my mayde I am not hardy for hym vnneth to loke . The king knew he said soth , for Conscience him told , That Wrong was a wycked luske , & wrought much sorow Wrong was afraied then , & wisdome he sought To make peace with his pence , and proferd him manye And said , had I loue of the King , litle would I reche E.ii.Though The vision of Thoughe Peace and hys power playned hym euer , Tho wende wysedome , and sir Waren the wytty For that Wrong had wrought so wycked a dede And warned Wronge tho with such a wyse tale Who-so worketh by wyll , wrath maketh oft I say it by my-selfe , you shal it well fynde . But if Mede it make , thye myschyefe is vp . For bothe thy lyfe and thy lande lyethe in hyr grace , Than wowed Wronge Wysedome full yerne To make hys peace wyth hys pence , handy dandy paid Wysedome and WytteCr1.4.78: The <tt> combination is ill formed in our copy and may have been worse in the copy collated by Kane and Donaldson whose text reads Wytre. than went bothe togythers And toke Mede myd hem mercy to wynne . Peace put forth hys head , and hys pan bloudy Wythouten gilt God wot , gate I thys scape , Conscience and the Commune knowen the sothe And Wysedome and Wytte weren aboute faste , To ouercome the kynge wyth cattell , if they myght . The king swore by Christ , & by his crowne both That Wrong for his werkes should woo thorowly And commaunded a Constable to caste hym in yrons And let hym not these seuen yeres see hys fete once God wot quod Wysedome , that were not the beste And he amendes might make , let mainprice him haue And be borowe for hys bale , and byggen hym boote And so emende that is misdo , and euer the better Wytte accorded therewyth , and sayde the same Better is that boote , bale adoune brynge , Than bale be bett , and boote neuer the better . Than came Mede to meuen hir , & mercy she besought , And proferd Peace a present , all of pure gold Haue this man of me , quod she , to amend thy scathe For I wyl wage for Wronge , he wyl do so no more Piti= Pierce Ploughman . Fol.xix. Pyttuouslie Peace than prayed for the Kynge To haue merci on that man , that misdid hym so oft For he hath waged me wel as wisdome hym taught And I forgeue him that gylte wyth a good wyll So that the assente , I can saye no bettre For Mede hath me amends made I mai no more aske Nay quod the kynge tho so Christ me helpe Wronge wendeth not so awaye , erst I wil wit more For lope he so lyghtlie , laughen he woulde And efte be the bolder to bete myne euen . But Reason haue ruth on him he shal rest in my stocks And that as long as heliuethhe liueth , but lownes him borow Some men red Reason tho , haue ruth on that shrew And to councell the Kynge , and conscince after That mede might be meinperner Reson they bisought Rede me noughte quod Reason , no rueth to haue Tyl lordes and ladies loue al truthe And haten all harlotrie to heare or to mouth it Tyll Pernellis Purfill be put in her huche And childernes cherishing be chastinge wyth yardes And harlots holines be holden for an hyne Tyl clerken couetis be to cloth the poore and fede And religious romers Recordarie in here cloistures As saynte Bennet hem bad , Barnard and Fraunces And til prechours prechinge be preuid on hem-selfe Tyl the Kyngis cowncel be the common profyte Tyl byshops barns be beggers chambers Their hauks and their hounds to pore relygious And tyl saynt Iames be sought there I shall assygne That no man go to Callice but if he go for euer And al Rome renners for robbers be-yonde Bere no siluer ouer sea that signe of kinge sheweth Neyther Pierce Ploughman . Neyther grauen nor vngranenvngra[u]en golde neither syluer Apon forfeture of that fee , who-so fynde it at douer But if he be marchant or his man or messenger with leters Prouisor or priest or penant for hys synnes And yet quod Reason bi þe roode I shall no ruthe haue While Mede hath the masterie in this mouthmotemote hal And I maye shewe examples as I se otherwhile I say it be my-selfe quod he , And it so were That I were Kyng wyth croune to kepe the realme Shoulde neuer wrong in this world þat I wit might Be vnpunished in my poure for peril of my soule Ne get my grace for gifts so me God saue NeforNe for Mede haue mercie but if mekenes it made For Nulum malum the man mette wyth Impunitum And badde that Nulum bonum be Irremuneratum Let thy confessoure sur king construe this vnglozed And if ye worken it in warke , I wed myne eares That lawe shalbeshal be a laborer auda[n]d leade afelde dounge And loue shal leade the lande as the leefe lykith . Clarkes þat were Confessours couplid hem togithers Al to construe this clause for the kyngys profit And not for þe comforte of þe pore common , ne kings soule For I se Mede in the mouthmootmoot hal , on men of law winke And they laughing lope to her and lefte reason manie Waren Wisdome wynckid apon Mede And sayd madame I am your man , what so mi mony iangleth I faile florens quod þat freke & fail speche oft , Al rightful recorden that Reason truth tolde And wyt acorded therwith and commended his wordis And the moste people in the hal and mani of the grete And letten mekenes a master & mede a manzed shrew Loue lett of her light , and leautie yet lasse And sayd it so highe that al the hal it hall it hard Who-so wilneth hir to wyfe for welth of her goodes The vision ofFol.xviiixx But he be knowne for a Cokeolde cut of myne nose Mede mourned sore tho and made heuie chere For the moste common of that court called hir an hore And a sisor and a somnoure sued her faste And a shreues clarke byshroued al the route For ofte haue I quod he holpon you at the bar And yet gaue ye me neuer the worth of a ryshe The Kyng called Conscience and after-ward reason And recorde that reason had rightfully shewed And moodelich apon Mede , with might the king loked And gan wax wroth with law for mede had it nere shent And said through law as I leeue I lost mani eschets Mede ouer mastrith law , and mych trueth letteth And reason shal reken wyth you , if I reigne whyle And deme thou by thys daye as ye haue deserued Mede shal not maineprise you by the mary of heuen I wyl haue Leauty in law & let be al your ianglynge And as most folke wytneseth wrong shalbeshal be demyde . Quod conscience to the Kinge but þe common wil assent It is ful hard be myne hed herto to bringe it All your lege leodes to leden thus euen By hym þat raught on the rode quod reason to þe kinge But if I rule thus youre realme rent owt my guttes If ye bydden boxomnes be of myne assent . And I assent sayth the Kyng by saynt mari my ladye By my councel commune of clarkes and of erles And reddyly reason thou shalt not ride from me For as longe as I lyue leaue the I nelle I am redy quod reason to rest wyth you euer So conscience be of oure councell I kepe no better And I graunt quod the Kyng gods forbod it faile As long as our lyues lasteth lyue we togythers Passus quintus de visioneYet The vision of THe Kyng and his knights to the kyrke wente To here mattens of the day and þe masse after Than waked I of my winking , & wo was withal That I ne had slept sadder & sighen more And er I had faren a furlonge Fentise me hente That I ne might farder a fote for defaute of slepinge And sat softlie adoune and sayde my beleue And so I bablid on mi beads , thei brought me aslepe And than I sawe moch more than I before of tolde For I se the felde ful of folke , that I before of sayde And how Reason can araien hym al þe realme to preche And wyth a Cros afore þe King comsed thus to techen He preuid that these Pestilences were for pure synne And the southwestorne winde on Satter-daie at euen Was partly for pure pryde , and for no poynt els Piries and plumtryes were puffed to the erth In ensample the segges ye should done the better Beches and brode okes , were blowen to the grounde Turned vpwarde her tayles in tokeninge of drede That dedlie synne er domes-daye shal fordone hem al Of thys matter I might mamelie ful longe And I shall saye as I sawe so me God helpe How partely afore the people , Reason began to prech He bad waster go worke , what he best coude And wynne hys wastyng wyth som manner craft He prayed Pernel her purple to lete And kepe it in her cofer for cattel at her nede Tomme Stowne he taught to taken two staues And feche Felice home from the wynenwy[u]en pyne And he warned Wat his wife was to blame That her hed was worth half a marke & his hod not worth a grot And he bad Bet kut a bow in twain And Pierce Ploughman , Fol.xxi. And beate Beton therwith , but if she wyll werke And than he charged chapmen to chasten her chyldren Let no winning hem forwany , whyle they be yonge Ne for no ponstepo[u]ste of pestilence , please hem not oute of reason My sier said to me , and so did my dame , That the leuer child , the more lore behoueth And Salomon said the same , that Sapientie made . Qui parcit virge , odit filium . The Englyshe of thys latine , who-so wyl knowe Who-so spareth the sprynge , spilleth the chyldren And sythen he prayed prelates and priestes togither That ye preache to the people , preue on your-selfe , And do it in dede , it shal drawe you to good , If ye lyue as ye learne vs , we shal leue you þe better , And sithen he radde religion her rule to holde Lest the king and hys councel , your commons apere And be stuardes of your stedes , tyl ye be ruled better . And sithen he counseled the kinge hys commons to loue It is thy tresure if treson ne were , & treacle at thy nede And sithen he praied þe Pope , haue pyty on holy church And ere he geue any grace , gouerne fyrst him-felfe[s]elfe . And ye þat haue lawes to kepe , let trueth be your couetise More then gold or gifts , if ye wil god please For who-so contrarieth trueth , he telleth in the gospel , That god knoweth him not , ne no saynte in heauen . Amen dico vobis , nescio vos . And ye that seketh saint Iames , & saintes at Rome Seke saynt truth , for he may saue you all , Qui cum patre et filio , that fayre hem befall , That sueth my sermon , and thus sayd Reason . Repen taunce Than ranne Repentaunce , and rehersed his teme And gart Wyl to wepe water with hys eyen , F.i.Pernell The vision of Pernell proude herte platte hyr to the earth And laye longe or she loked , and lorde mercy cryed And behyghe to hym that vs all made She shoulde vnsowe hir serke , and set theron heere Shal neuer hygh hert me hente but hold me lowe And suffer me to be myssayde , and so dyd I neuer But now wil I meke me , and mercy beseche For all thys I haue hated in my hert . Lechoure Than Lechoure sayd alas , & on our lady he cryed , Wyth þat he should the saturday , for seuen yere after Drynke but myd the day , and dyne but once Enuy . Enuy wyth heuy hert asked after Christe And carfully Mea culpa , he comsed to shewe And was as pale as a pellet , in the Palsey he semed And clothed in Caurymaury , I can it not discriue , In kyrtyll and curtepy , and a knyfe by hys syde Of a Fryers frocke were the foresleaues And as a leeke that had lyed longe in the sunne , So loked he wyth leane chekes lourynge foule His body was bowne for Wrath , þat he bote his lips And wringing with the fist to wrek him-self he thought With workes or with wordes , whan he se his time Ech word that he warped was of an edders tonge Of chidyng & of chalenging was his chiefe lyfelode With backebyting & bisme , & bearing of false witnes This was al his curtesy wher þat euer he shewed him I wuld be shryuen quod this shrew , if I for shame durst , I wuld be gladder by god , þat Gibbe had mischaunce , Than if I had wonne this weke a wey of Essexe chese I haue a neighbour nye me , I haue noyed him ofte And lowen on him to lords , to don him lose his siluer And made his frend be his foe , through my false tong His Pierce Ploughman , Fol.xxii His grace & his good happes greueth me ful sore , Betwene many and many , I make debate oft That both lyfe and lyme is loste throughe my spech . And when I mete him in market that I most hate I halse hym hendlech , as I hys frende were For he is doughtier then I , I dare do no other And had I maistry and myght , god wot my wyl . And whan I come to þe kyrke , & should knele to þe rode And pray for the people , as the prieste teacheth For pilgrames & for palmers , & for al þe people after Than I cry on my knees , þat Christe gyue him sorow That bare away my bole , & my broke shete . Away from the aulter than turne I myne eyen And beholde how Elen hath a newe cote I wyshe that it were myne , with all the webbe after And at mens lesinge I laughe , that lyketh mine hert And for their wynninge I wepe , and wele the tyme , And deme that they do yll , thoughe I do well worse Who-so vndermineth me hereof , I hate him deadlye after I would that ech a wight were my knaue For who-so hath more then I , þat angreth me sore And thus I lyue loueles lyke a Luther dogge That al my body bolneth for bytter of my gall I myght not eten many yeres as a man ought For Enuy and euyll wyll is euil to defie May no suger nor no swete thing aswag my swelling Ne no Diapenidion driue it from myne herte Nether shriftnethershrift nether shame , but shraping of mi maw . Yes redily quod repentaunce , & red him to þe beste Sorowe for synnes , saluation is of soules . I am sorye quod that segge , I am but selde other And þat maketh me thus megre , for I ne mai me veng F.ii.Amonges The vision of Amonges Burgesis haue I be dwelling at London And gard backbiting be a broker to blame mens ware Whan he solde and I not , then was I ready , To lie & to lour on mi neighbour , & to lak his chaffer I wil amend this if I maie , through might of god almighty Wrath . Now awaketh Wrath , with two white eyen And muelynge wyth the nose and his necke hanging I am Wrath quod he , I was continually a fryer And the couentes gardiner for to graft Impes On limitors and listers , lesynges I imped Tyll they beare leaues of smal speach , lords to please And sithen they blosomed abrod in bour to hir shrifts And now is fallen therof a frut , þat folke hanCr1.5.141:The a is inserted upside down. wel leuer Shew her shrifts to hem , than shryue hem to her persons And persons haue perceiued that Friers part with hem These possessours preach , and depraue Fryers And Friers findeth hem in default , as folk bear witnes And whan thei prech the people in many places about I Wrath walke with hem , & wish hem of my bokes Thus thei speken of mi spiritualtie , & despise ech other Tyl they be both beggers , & by my spiritualtie libben Or els all ryche , and ryden aboute , I Wrath haue such a fortune , þat I folow stil this folk I haue an aunte to Nune , and an Abbesse both Nunnes Her had leuer swowne or swelt , than suffer any paine , I haue bene coke in hir kitchen , and her couent serued , Many monthes with hem , and wyth Monkes both I was the Priores potager , and other pore ladies And made hem Iowts of ianglyng , þat dame Ione was a bastard And dame Clarence a knightes daughter , a cok-olde was hyr syre .Cr1.5.158: The b-verse is printed on a separate line. And dame PuelP[ern]el a priest file , priores was she neuer For she had child in cherytyme , al our chapter it wist OfPierce Ploughman . Fol.xxiii. Of wyked wordes ( I wrath ) her wortis made Tyl thou list and thou liest , lopon oute atonceat once And eyther hyt other vnder the cheke Had thei had kniues bi Chryst either had kylled other Gregorie Saynt Gregori was a good Pope & had a good for-wyt That no prioresse were priest , for þat he prouided Lest happeli thei had had no grace to hold harlatri in For they are ticle of her tonges & must al secretes tel Among monks I myght be and mani tyme I shamen For they ben many fel frekes my ferys to spie Bothe prior and Subpryor and oure pater abbas And if I tel any tales they taken hem togethers And do me fast fridayes to bred and to water I am chalenged & chyden in chapter house , as I a chyld were And balased on þe bare arse & no brech betwen Therfore haue I no lykinge with tho leods to wonne I ete there vnhende fyshe , and feble ale drynke Other-while whan wine cometh , I drink wine at euen I haue a flux of a foule mouthe , wel fiue daies after Al the wyckednes that I wote by any of mi brether I kouth it in our cloystur , that al our Couent wot it Now repent you quod Repentaunce & reherce you neuer Councel that thou knowest by countenaunce ne by ryght And drynke not ouer delicatelie ne to depe neyther That thie wyl because therof to wrath myght turne Esto sobrius he sayde and assoyled hym after And bad hym wyl to wepe his wykednes to amende And than came Couetis can I hym not descriue So hungrelye and hollowe : So sternly hym loked He was bittil browed and babburlyppyd also Wyth two blered eyen as a blinde hagge And as a lethern purse lolled hys chekes F.iii.Well The vision of Wel syder then hys chynne they sheuered for olde And as a bound man of his bacon his berd was bidrauled With an hood on his hed , & a lousye hat aboue And a tauny taberde of twelue wynter age Al totorne and bawdie and ful of lyce crepinge But yf that a louse coude haue lopen the better She had not walkt on þat welth so was it thred-bare . I haue ben couetous quod thys katife I be-know it here For somtyme I serued Symme at style And was hys prentice plight , his profyt to wayt Fyrst I lerned to lie a leefe , on thero[u]therouþer twayne Wyckedlye to weye was mi fyrst lesson To Wy and to Wynchester I wente to the fayre With mani maner merchandise as mi master me hight Ne had the grace of Gyle I-goo amongest my chaffer It had bene vnsolde thys seuen yere so me god helpe Than draue I me among drapers , my donet to lerne To drawe the lyser a longe the lenger it semed Amonge the riche Rayes I rendred a lesson To broche them with a packenedle & plitte hem togithers And put hem in a presse and pynned them therin Til ten yardes or twelue had tolled owte .xiii.thirtene My wyfe was a webster and wollen cloth made She spake to spynsters to spynnen it out And the pound þat she paied be paised a quartern more Than myne owne auncer , who-so wayed trueth I bought her barely malte , she brewed it to sell Penyale and puddyng ale she poured togethers For laborars and lowe folke that lay by it selfe . The best ale lay in my boure or els in my chambre And whoso bummed therof bought it there-after A gallon for a grote god wote no lesse And Pierce Ploughman . Fol.xxiiii And yet it came in cupemele thys craft she vsed . Roose the Regrater was her ryght name She hath holden hukkerth al hire lyfe tyme And I swere nowe sothelick that sinne wolde I let And neuer wyckedly wey , ne wicked chaffre vse , But wenden to walsingham , and my wyfe Alis And byd þe Roode of bromholme bring me out of dette Repentest thou euer ( quod Repentaunce ) Or restitucion madest ?Cr1.5.232: The b-verse is printed on a separate line. Yes once I was herberd quod he , with a hepe of chapmen I rose whan they were at rest & rifled their males That was not restitucion quod repentaunce but robers theft Thou hadest bene better worthy be hanged therfore Than for al that , that thou hast here shewed . I toke rifling for restitution quod he , for I neuer red boke And I can no french in faith , but of þe fer end of Norfolk Used þou euer vsarie quod repentaunce , in al thy life-time ? Nay sothly he sayde saue in my youthe I lerned amonge Lumbards and Iewes a lesson To wey pence with a payes and pare the heuyest And leue it for loue of the crosse to ley a wed & lesen it Suche dedes I dyd wryte , yf he his daye brake I haue mo maners by reragis , than throughe misereaturmisereturmiseretur & commodat I haue lent lords & ladies mi chaffer And bene her broker after and bought it my-selfe Escheaunges and cheuisauncis with such chaffer I dele And lende folke that lease wyll , a lyp at euerie noble , And wyth lumbards letters I lad golde to Rome And toke it by tale here and tolde hem there lesse . Lendest thou euer lordis for loue of her meinteinaunce ? Yea I haue lent lordes that loued me neuer after And haue made menie a knight both mercer & draper That The vision of That paied not for his prentishode one paire of glouis Hast thou pitie on pore men þat must nedes borowe ? I haue as mich pitie on þe pore as pedler hath of cats That kilth hem if he can hem catch , for couet of her skins Art þou manlich emong thy neibours of thi mete & drinke ? I am holden quod he as hinde as is hound in kitchin . Amongest my neibours namely such a name I haue . God leuele[n]e þe neuer quod repentaunce , but þou repent þe rather Grace on thys ground thie good wyll to byset Ne thyne heyres after þe haue Ioye of þat thou winest Ne thine executors wel biset þe syluer þat thou them leuest And þat was wonne with wrong with wicked men be dispendid For were I frier of þe house ther good feith & chariti is I nold cope vs wyth thy cattel ne oure brike amende Ne haue a penye to mi pettaunce so God my soul help For þe best boke in our house , bryght golde if it were , And I wyst wetterlie thou were such as thou tellest . Seruus es alterius cum fercula pinguia queris pane tuo potius vescere liber eris Thou art an vnkynde creature I can the not assoile Tyl thou make restitusion and rekenyng with them al And syth that reason rolle it in the regester of heauen That þou hast made eche man good , I may þe not assoyle . Non demititur peccatum nisi[donec]donec restituatur ablatum For al that haue of thy good haue God my trouth Bene holden at the heygh dome to help the to restitue Whoso leueth not this be soth loke in þe psalter clause In miserere mei deus whether I mene truthe Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti & cetera . Shal neuer workeman in this worlde thriue with that thou winest Cum sancto sanctus eris Constru me that in englysh , Than The vision ofFol.xxv. Than wax þat shrew in wanhop & wold hang him-selfe Ne had repentaunce þe rather reconforted him in this maner Haue merci in thy minde & with thi mouth beseh it For Gods mercy is more than al hys other workes And al wikednes in þe world þat man mai work or think Is no more , to þe mercie of God than in þe sea a glied Omnis iniquitas quantum ad misericordiam dei Est quasi scintilla in medio maris Therfore haue þou merci in mind & merchandise leue it , For thou hast no good ground to get therwith wastell But if it were wyth thy toung or else with thy two hands For the good þat thou hast gotten , began all with falshed And as long as þou liuist therwith þou paist not but borowst And if þou wyt neuer to which ne to whome to restore Bere it to the byshop and byd hym of hys grace Biset it hymselfe as best is for thy soulle . For he shall answere for the at the heygh dome For the & for manie moo þat man shall giue a reckening What he lerned you in lent , leue you none other And þat he lent you of oure lord god to let you from sinne Gloton Now begynneth Gloton for to go to shryfte  And carieth him to the kyrkward hys coppe to shew And Beton the bruster bad hym god morowe And asked of hym with that , whetherwarde he wolde To holy churche quod he , for to here masse And sythen I woulde be shreuen and syn no more . I haue good ale gossip quod he , Gloton wold þou assay Hast thou ought in thy purse any hote spices ? I haue pepper & piones quod he , & a pound of garlyk And a farthing worth of fennel sede for fasting dayes Than goeth Gloton in and greate othes after Sus the souteres sat on the benche G.i.Wat Pierce Ploughman . Wat the warner and hys wyfe bothe Tyme the tynker and tweine of hys prentices Hycke the hackeney man , and Hughe the medler Claryse of Cockeslane , and the clerke of the church Dawe the diker and a dosen other Saint Pierce of Pridy , and Pernell of Flaunders A Ribibour , a ratoner , a rakier of chepe , A Roper , a reding king , and rose the disheris Godfray of garlyke-hyue , and Gryffin the walshe And vpholders an heape early by the morrowe Geuen Gloton wyth glade chere good ale to hansell , Clement the cobler cast of hys cloke And at the newe fayre , he nempned it to sell Hycke the hackeney man hytte his hode after , And bade Bete the bocher be on hys syde There were chapmen ichose thys chaffer to prayse Who-so hath þe hood should haue amendes of þe cloke Two rysen vp in rape , and rouned togythers And praysed these penyworthes aparte by the selfe They could not by their conscience accorden in truthe Tyll Robyn the roper arose by the south And named him for an vmper that no debate nere Hycke the hosteler hadde the cloke In couenaunt that Clement should the cuppe fyl And haue Hyckes hodde hostler , & holden him serued And who-so repented rathest should aryse after And greten syr gloton with a gallon of ale , There were laughyng & lourynge , & let go the cuppe And sytten so tyl euensonge , and songen somewhyle Tyll glotton had ygolped a galon and a gyle , His guttes began to gothlen as two gredy sowes He pyssed a pottell in a Pater noster whyle , And The vision ofFol.xxvi And blew his round rewet at his rugge bones ende That al that harde that horne , helde his nose after And wished it had bene wyped with a wyspe of firses He might neyther stepe nor stand , or he a staffe had And than gan he to go , lyke a glewe mans bytch Sometyme a-syde , and sometyme a-rere As who-so layeth lynes for to latche foules And whan he drough the dore than dimmed his eyen He stombled on þe threshold , & threwe to the earth Clement the cobler caught hym by the myddle Forto lyft hym a lofte , and laied him vpon his knees And Gloton was a great churle & a gryme in þe lifting And kought vp a candleca[u]dle in Clementes lappe There is none so hongry hounde in Herforte-shere Durst lap of tho leuinges , so vnlouely they smaught With al the wo of thys world , his wife & hys wench Bare hym home to hys bedde & brought him therin And after al this excesse he had an accidie That he slope saturday & sonday , til sunne went to rest Than waked he of hys wynking , & wyped hys eyes , The first word that he warped was , wher is þe bolle Hys wife gan edwite him tho , how wickedly he liued And Repentaunce right so rebuked hym that tyme . As with words & workes thou wroughst yll in thy lyfe Shriue þe & be ashamed therof , & shew it with thi mouth I Gloton quod the grome , gyltye me yelde That I haue trespaced with my tong , I can not tel howe Sworne gods soule , & so god me helpe & þe holidome There no nede was nyne hundred tymes And ouer se me at my soupe , and sometyme at nones That I Gloton gyrte vp , ere I had gone a mile . And I-spilt þat might be spared & spent on some hungrye G.ii.Ouer Pierce Ploughman . Ouer delicatly on fasting daies dronken and eaten both And sat sumtime so long there þat I slept & eate at once For loue of tales in tabernsta[v]ernsis this sic/corr necessary??? see OED entry for tabern to drink þe more I dined And hied to þe mete er none whan fasting daies were This shoing shrift quod repentaunce , shal be merit to þe And than gan gloton gred and great dole to make For hys lewde lyfe that he lyued had And vowed to fast for honger and for thurste Shal neuer fishe on friday diffien in my wombe Tyl abstynence myne aunt haue gyuen me leue And yet haue I hated her al my lyfe-tyme Than came Sloth al beslabered with two slymy eyne I must sit sayde the Segge or els I must nedes nap I maye not stand ne stoupe ne with-out mi stole knele Were I brought abed but if my talende it made Sould no ringing do me ryse or I were ripe to dine He began Benedicite with a belke and hys brest knoked And raskled and rored and rutte at the last What wake reukre[n]k quod repentaunce , & rape þe to shrift If I should dye by thys daye me lyst not to loke I can not parfitly mi pater noster as þe preist it singeth But I can ryms of Robenhode & Rand ofRand[olf] erl of chester But of our lorde or our lady , I lerne nothyng at all . I haue made vowes .xl.forty & forgotten them on þe morowe I performed neuer penaunce as the preist me hyght Ne right sorie for my sinnis yet was I neuer And if I byd any bedes but if yt be wrath That I tel with my tounge is two mile from my herte I am occupied euery daye holy daye and other Wyth Idle tales at the ale and otherwhile in church Gods payne & his passion full selde thynke I theron I vysited neuer feble men ne fettred folke in puttes I haue The vision ofFol.xxvii I haue leuer here an harlotry , or a somers game Or leasynges to laughe at , and bilye my neighbours Then all þat euer marke made , Mathi , Iohn , & Lucas . And vigiles and fastynge dayes , al these let I passe And lye in bedde in lent , & my lemman in myne armes . Tyl mattens & masse be done , & than go I to þe fryers Come I to Ite missa est , I holde me serued , I am not shryuen sometyme , but if sickenes it make Not twyse in two yere , and than vp gosse I shriue me I haue ben prieste and person passynge thyrty winter Yet can I nether solfe ne singe , ne sayntes lyues read But I can find in a field , or in a furlong an hare , Better than in Beatus vir , or in Beati omnes , Construe one clause well , & kenne it to my parishens I can holde loue-dayes , and here a reues rekenynge , And in Cannon or in decretals , I can not read a lyne If I begge & borowe ought , but if it be tayled I forget it as yerne , as if men me it aske Syxe sythes or seuen , I forsake it wyth othes And thus tene I a true man ten hundred tymes And my seruauntes somtymes their salary is behind Ruth is to here þe rekning , whan we shal make acounts So with wicked wil and with wrath , mi workemen I pay If any do me a benifite , or helpe me at nede I am vnkind against his curtesy , & can not vnderstand it For I haue & haue had somedeale haukes maners I am not lured with loue , but ought be vnder þe thombe That kindnes that mine euenchristen kyd me ferther Syxe sythes I slougth , haue forgotten it syth In spence , & in sparing of spence , I-spilt many a time Both fleshe and fyshe , and many other vitailes Both breade and ale , butter mylke and chese G.iii.For Pierce Ploughman . For-slouthed in my seruice tyll it myght serue no man I ranne aboute in youth , and gaue me not to lerning And euer sith haue ben beggery for my foule slouth Heu mihi quia sterilem duxi vitam iuuenilem Repentest þou quod repentaunce , & ryght with he swowned Tyll Vigilate the veile set water at hys eyes And flat it on hys face , and fast on hym cried , And sayde ware the , for wanhope wyl the betray I am sory for my synnes , say to thy-selfe And beat thy-selfe on þe brest , & byd god of grace , For is no gylte here so greate but þat hys goodnes is more Than sate Sloth vp , & fayned hym Swith And made a vowe tofore god , for his soule Slothe , Shal no Sonday be this seuen yere , but sikenes it let That I ne shal do me or day , to the dere church And here mattens and masse , as I a monke were Shall no ale after mete hold me thence Tyll I haue euensong harde I behote to the Roode And yet woll I yelde agayne , if I so muche haue All that I wyckely wan , sythen I wytte had . And thoughe my liuelode lake , letten I nell That eche man ne shall haue his or I hence wend And wyth the residue and the remnaunt by þe rode of Chester I shal seke Truth erst , or I see Rome Robert the robber , on Reddite , loked , And for there was not wherof , he wept swyth sore And yet the synfull shrewe sayde to hym-selfe Christe that on Caluerie apon the crosse didest Tho Dismas my brother besought you of grace And haddest mercy on that man for Memento , sakethe comma after memento appears to be an error So Rue on thys robber that Reddere , ne hath , the comma after reddere appears to be an error; possibly also the one after hath -- KD does not have a comma at the end of that line Ne neuer wene to wynne wyth craft that I knowe , But The vision ofFol.xxviii But for thy mykyl mercy mitigation I beseche Ne dapmedampne me not at domisday for þat I dyd so yll . What befel on this felowe , I can not fayre shewe Well I wot he wept fast water wyth hys eyen And knowleged his gilt , to Christ yet eft-sones That Penitentia hys Pryck , he shoulde polishe newe And leap wyth hym ouer lande all hys lyfe- tyme For he had leyne by Latro Lucifers aunte And than Repentaunce Ruth , & radde hem al to knele For I shall besech for al sinful our Sauiour of grace To amende vs of our misdedes and mercy to vs all , Now god quod he , þat of thi goodnes coud þe world make And of naught madest ought , & man most like thi-selfe And sythen suffredest for synne , a sekenes to vs all And al for þe best as I leue what-euer þe boke telleth . O felix culpa . O necessarium peccatumnecessarium peccatum Ade , & cetera . For that synne thy sonne sent was to the earth And became man of a mayde , mankynde to saue And makest thy-selfe with thy sonne , & vs synful ylyche . Faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram , Etalibi . Qui manet in charitate in deo manet , et deus in eo . And sythe with thy selfe sonne in our suite didestdi[e]dest , On good Fryday for mans sake , at full tyme of þe day There thy-selfe in thy sonne , no sorow in death feled . But in our sect was the sorowe , and thy son it ladde . Captiuam duxit captiuitatem . The sonne for sorowe therof , lost light for a tyme , At middaie whan most light is , & meletime of saintes . Feddest with thi fresh bloud our forefathers in darknes Populus qui ambulabat in tenebris , vidit lucem magnam . And by þe lyght þat leaped out of þe , Lucifer was blind And blewe all thy blessed into þe blysse of Paradyse , The Pierce Ploughman . The thyrde daye after thou yeldest into our sute . A synful Mary the sawe , er saynt Mary thy dame , And al to solace synful , thou suffredest it soner . Non veni vocare iustos , sed peccatores ad penitenciam . And al that Marcke made , Mathew Iohn & Lucas Of thy doubty dedes were done in our Armes . Verbum caro factum est , et habitauit in nobis . And by so muche me semeth the siker we may Bidde and beseche if it be thy wyll , That art our father & our brother , be merciful to vs And haue ruth on these ribauds þat repent hem-selfs sore . That euer they warped the in this worlde in wordeadd a comma??? thought , or dede .Cr1.5.519: This line appears as two lines, split in half between "worlde" and "in." Than hent Hope an horn of Deus tu conuersus viuificabis nos . And blew it with Beati quorum remisse sunt iniquitates . That all Sayntes in heauen songen at once , Homines et Iumenta saluabis quemadmodum multiplicasti , misericordiam tuam deus A thousand of men tho throngencheck MS -- looks like througen -- sic/corr? -- KD doesn't note the reading, but it looks pretty clear to me, FWTW togither Criden vpwarde to Christe , & to hys cleane mother To haue grace to go wyth hem , Truth to seken . And there was none so wyse , the way thyther could But blusterynge forth as beastes ouer bankes & hils Tyll late was and longe , that they a lade mette Appareld as a Paynime in pylgrymes wyse . He bare a burden bounden with a brode lyste In a wythe wandes wyse bounden aboute A bole and a bagge he bare by hys syde , An hundred Amples on hys hatte sette Sygnes of Sinay , and Shelles of Calice And many a crouch on his cloke and kayescheck MS -- mark after kayes?? of Rome And the vernicle before for men should knowe . And Pierce Ploughman , Fol.xxix And se by hys signes , whome he sought hadde , Thys folke frained him fyrst , from whence he came . From Sinay he seid , and from our Lords sepulchre . In Bethlem and in Babilon , I haue bene in both , In Ermonie and Alexander , and many other placis . Ye maye see by my signis , that be set on my hatte That I haue walked full wyde , in wette auda[n]d in drye And sought many good Seints , for my soulis helpe Knoweste thou not a corssent , that men call truth ? Coudst þou not wishnot wis[sen]wissen vs þe wai , where þat wight wonnith ? Naye so me God helpe , seyd that gome than I saw neuer Palmer wyth poke nor wyth scrippe Aske after hym ere , tyll nowe in thys place . Peter , quod a plowe-man , and put forth hys heade I knowe hym as kyndly , as clerke doeth hys bokes Conscience and kynd wytte , kennid me to his place , And dyd me suren hym sykerly , to serue hym for euer Both to sowe and to set , the whyle I swinke myght . I haue ben hys folower , all thys fifty wynter Boeth sowen his seed and sued hys beastes Wythin and wythoute , I-wayted his profite . I dyke and delue and do that truth hoteth Some tyme I sowe and some tyme I thresh In Tailars and tinkars craft , what truth can deuise I wene and I wynde and do what truth hoteth . For though I sey it my-self , I serue hym to paye . Iche haue myne hyre well and other-whyles more . He is prestiste payar that pore men knoweth , He ne withhalt none helk his hire , þat he ne hath it at euen He is as lowe as a lambe , and louely of spech . And if ye wyll wytte where he wonnith : I shall wysh you witterly , the hye waye to his placeSee KD. Not sure how to tag this line. . H.i.Ye The vision of Yea leue Pers quod these pilgrams & proferd him hyre For to wende with them to Truths dwellyng place Nay bi my souls helth quod piers & gan for to swere I nold fong a ferthing for saynt Thomas shrine Treuth wold loue me þe worse long time therfor after And if you wil to wend wel this is the way thither How piers teachethe the waye to trewth Ye must go through mekenes both men & wiues Til you cume in to Conscience that Christ wit the soth That ye louen oure lorde God leuest of al thyngs And that youre neybours next in no wyse appeyre Otherwise than thou woldest he wroght to thy-selfe . And so boweth furth bi a broke beeth buxome of spech Tyll you fynden a forde your fathers honoreth Honora patrem et matrem & cetera . Wade in that water and wash you wel there And you shal leape the lyghter al your lyfe after And so shalt thou see , Swere not but if it be for nede And namely on Idle the name of God almyghtie Than shaltþoushalt þou come by a croft but come thou not therin That croft hight Couet not mens catel ne her wiues Ne none of hyr saruants that noyen hem might Loke ye breken no bows[v]ows there but if thei be your own Two stocks ther stonden , and stynt you not ther Thei hight Stele not , ne Sle not strike forth bi both And leue them on the left hande & loke not thereafter And holde wel thie holyday heigh till euen Than shalt thou blensh at a berch , bere no false witnes He is frithed in Florens and other foes manye Loke thou pluck no plant there for perels of thi soule Than shal ye see Seysoth so it be to done In no maner els not , for no mans byddynge Than shalt thou come to a court as clere as the sun The Pierce Ploughman , Fol.xxx. The mote is of mercie the maner a-bowte And al the walles bene of wyt to holden wil oute And kerneled wyth christendome , mankinde to saue Botrased with beleue so or thou beest not saued And al the houses bene hyled hales and chambres With no lead but with loue & louespech as bretherne The bryge is of bide well the better may thou spede Euery piller is of pennaunce of praiers of saynts Of almes deds are þe hokes that the gates hangen on Grace hyghunique, acc. to KD -- sic/corr??? the Gate warde a good man forsothe His man hight Amend you , for many men hym knowith Telleth hym thys token that truth wyt the soth I performed the penaunce that the priest me enioyned And am full sorie for my sinnes & so shal I euer Whan I thinke theron though I were a pope Beddeth amende you meken hym , tyl his master once To wayneway[u]e vp the wyket that the woman shute Tho Adam and Eue eten apples vnrosted . PenaPe[r Euam]Per Euam cunctis clausa est , et per virginem Mariam patefacta est For he hath the keye & the clicket though þe Kyng slepe And if grace graunt to the to come in thys wyse Thou shalt see in thie-selfe Truth in thyne herte In a cheyne of charytie as thou a childe were To suffer hym and se not agaynst thy Siers wyll And beware thou of Wrath that is a wyked shrewe He hath Enuye to hym that in thy hert sitteth And poketh for pride to praise thy-selfe The boldnes of the benefites maketh the blynde than And than wast þou dryuen oute as dewe & the dore closede Keyed and clyketted to kepe the wyth-oute Happilye an hundred wynter er thou eft entre H.ii.Thus The vision of Thus mightest þou lesen his loue , to let wel by thy-selue And neuer happily efte enter , but grace if thou haue . And there are seuen systerne that seruen truth euer And are porters of the posterns , that to þe place bilong That one of hem hight Abstinence , Humilitie an other Charitie and chastitie , bene the chiefe maydens there . Pacience and Peace , do much people helpe Largenes the Ladye , lettith in full many She hath holpe an hundred out of the deuils pinfold And who is sybbe to these seuen , so me God helpe He is wonderly welcome , and fayre vnderfonge . And but ye be sybbe to some of these systers seuen It is ful hard , bi my head , quod Piers , for any of you al To get ingong at any gate there , but grace be þe more Now by Christ quod a cutpurs than , I haue no kyn there Nor I quod an apewarde , by ought þat I can knowe . Wyt God quod a wafrester , wyst I this forsoth Shuld I neuer furdir a fote for ani friers preaching . Yis quod Piers þe plowman , & pokid hem al to good Mercie is a mayden there , hath myght ouer them all And she is sybbe to all synfull and her sonne also . And through the helpe of hem two , hope ye none other Thou might get grace therby , so thou go bytyme . Bi saint Paul quod a pardoner , on a-venture I be not knowen there I wyll go fetch my boxe with my brenetsbre[u]ets al . And also a bull wyth a Byshops letters . By Christ , quod a common woman , thy company wil I folow Thou shalt saye I am thy sister , I ne wote whether thei be gon Passus quintussextus de visione . Thys Pierce Ploughman .Fol.xxxi. THis were a wickid way , but if we had a gide That wold wende with vs ech a fote , & þe wei tel Quod perkin þe plowman , bi saint Peter of rome I haue an halfe acre to erie by þe hygh waye Had I eried thys halfe acre , and sowed it after I woulde wend wyth you , and the way teach . How Pi ers assign eth women to worke . Thys were a longe lettyng quod a lady in a Skleyre What should we women worke in the meane whyle Some shal sow the sacke quod Pierce for sheding of the wheate And ye louely ladies with your long fyngers That ye haue silke and sandel to sow whan tyme is Chesibles for chaplaynes churches to honour Wyues and widdowes wolle and flaxe spinneth Make cloth I counsell you , & ken so your doughters The nedy and the naked , nimeth hede how they liggen And cast hem clothes , for so commaundeth Truth For I shall leuele[n]e hem liuelode , but if the lande fayle Fleshe and breade both to ryche and to pore As long as I lyue , for the lordes loue of heauen And al maner of men þat through meat & drinke libbeth Helpe him to worke wightly that winneth your fode By Christ quod a knight tho , he kenneth vs þe best And on the teme truly taught was I neuer And ken me quod the knight & by Christ I wyl assaye By saint Paule quod Perkin ye profer me fayre That I shall swynke and swete , & sowe for vs bothe Piers prayeth a knyght to helpe to kepe holy church . And other labours do for thy loue al my lyfe-tyme In couenaunt that thou kepe holy kyrke & my-selfe From wasters & from wycked men þat this world destroyeth And go hunt hardely to hares and to foxes To bores & to brocks þat breken adowne my hedges And go affayte the fawcons wylde foles to kyll H.iii.For The vision of For such cumeth to my croft and croppeth mi whete Curteslye the knyght than comsed these wordes By my power Pers quod he , I plight the my trouth To fulfill thys forwarde though I fyght shoulde As longe as I lyue I shal the mayntaine how piers councelleth þe knight wisely . Yea and yet a poynt quod Pers , I prai you of more Loke ye teme no tenaunt , but truthe wol assent And though ye may amarcie him , let merci be taxour And mekenes thie master , mauger Medes chekes And though pore men proffre you presents and gyfts Nym it not on a-ventureis this s-h needed? see KD ye maye it not deserue For ye shal yelde it agayne at one yers ende In a ful parilous place Purgatori it hight And misbed not thy bond-men þat better mighmight þou spede Though he be thi vnderling here , wel it may happen in heauen That he were worthier set & with more blis Amice ascende superius For in þe charnel at churche cherls be ful euel to know Or a knight from a knaue there , know this in thi hert And þat thou be true of thy toung , & tales þat thou hate But if thei be of wisdom or of wit thi workmen to chasten Holde wyth no harlots ne here not her tales And namelie at the meate suche men eschwesch[e]wIs the sic/corr necessary here? For it be the deuills dyssours I do the to vnderstonde I assent by saint Iame sayde the knyght thanne For to work bi thy wordes þe while my life endureth And I shal aparel me quod Parken in pilgrems wise And wend with you I wyl tyl we finde truthe And cast on my clothes clouted and hole My cokers and mi cuffes for colde on my nailes And hang my hoper at my hals in stede of a scripe A bushel of brede-corne bring me therein For Pierce Ploughman . Fol.xxxii. For I wolde sowe it my-selfe and syth wyl I wende To pylgramages as palmers done pardon for to haue And who-so helpeth me to eyrie and sowe or I wend Shal haue leue bi our lord god to glene here in heruist And maken hem merri ther , maugre who-so bigrudge it And al kynne crafti men that can lyue in truthe I shall fynde hem fode that faythfullie lybbeth Saue Iake the Iugloure and Ionet of the stewes And Daniell the dyspleyer and Denot the bawde And fryer faytor and folke of hys order , And Robyn the Rybauder for his rustie wordes Truth tolde me once and bad me tel it after Deleantur de libro viuentium . I shoulde not deale with hym For holy churche is hote , of hem no tithe to take Quia cum Iustis non scribantur . They be escaped good auenture , God hem amende , Dame werche whan tyme is Piers wyfe hyghtKD hyphenates the long names of Piers' wife, son, and daughter His daughter hight Do right so , or þe dame shal þe beat His sonne hight Suffre thy souerains to haue her will Deme them not for if thou dost thou shalt it dere abye Let god worke wyth all for so hys worde teacheth For nowe I am olde & hore and haue of mine owne To pennaunce & to pilgrimag I wil passe with these other Therefore I wyl or I wende do write my bequest How Pi erce ma keth hys testament . IN DEI NOMINE amen I make it mi-selfe . He shal haue mi soule that best hath deseruid it And from the fende it defende for so I beleue Tyl I com to my counts as my Credo me telleth To haue a relesse and a remission , on that rental I leue The kyrke shal haue my carene , and kepe my bones , For of my corne and cattel she craued my tythe I payde it hym prestlie for peryle of my soule Therfore The vision of 31v and 32r are repeated on the microfilm and perhaps in the printing it was taken from - exact duplicates. Therfore is he holden I hope , to mind me in his masse And mengen in hys memory among all christen My wife shal haue of þat I wan with Truth & no more , And deale among my doughters and my dear children For though I dye to-day my dettes are quyte I bare home that I borrowed or I to bedde yede And with the residue & the remnaunt by þe rode of Lukes I wyll worshyp therwyth Truthe by my life And ben his Pilgraime at þe plowe for pore mens sake Mi plow fote shal be mi pikstaf , & pitch atosic/corr to "atwo"? See KD þe rootes And helpe my culter to kerue and clense þe forowes . Nowe is Perkin & hys pilgraymes to þe plow faren To erie this halfe acre helpen him many , Dikers and deluers dygged vp the balkes Therwith was Perkin apaied , & praysed hem fast Other workemen were there that wrought ful yerne Euery man in hys maner , made hym-selfe to done And some to please Perkin pycked vp the wedes . At high prime Pierce let the plowe stonde To ouer-se hem him-selfe , and who-so best wroughte He should be hyred therafter whan heruest time came , And than satten some and songe at the nale , And holpen erie his halfe acre wyth hey trolly lolly Now by þe peril of my soule quod Pierce , al in pure tene . KD ends this line with a comma But ye arise the rather , and rape you to werke Shal no graine that growen serue you at nede And though ye dye for dole , þe deuyl haue that retche . Tho were faytors aferd , and feyned hem blind , Some layde her legges a-lyrye as such losels can And made her mone to Pierce , and prayed of grace For we haue no lims to labour with , lord graced be ye , And we pray for you Pierce , & for your plowe both , That The vision ofFol.xxxiii That God of hys grace your grayne multiply And yelde you for your almes that ye gyue vs here For we can nether swink ne swet , such sicknes vs ailith If it be soth quod Pierce þat ye sayne , I shal it sone espy Ye be wasters I wot well , and Truth wot the soth And I am his olde hyne , and height him to warne Which they wer in this world , hys workemen apered Ye wast þat men wynnen with trauayle and with tene And Truthe shall teach you his teme to dryue Or ye shall eat barly bread , and of the broke drynke . But if ye be blind or brokenleggid , or bolted with yrons , Ye shall eate wheate breade and drinke with my-selfe , Till God of hys goodnes amendment you sende . And ye might trauel as Truth would , & take meat & hyre To kepe kine in the field , þe corne from the beasts Diken or deluen or dingen apon sheues Or helpe make morter , or beare mucke a-felde . In Lechery and in lustengerye ye liue , & in slouthe And all is through sufferaunce , that vengeaunce you ne taketh And Ankers & hermits þat eate but at nones And no more or morow my almes shal not they haue And of cattel to kepe hem with þe haue cloysters & churches And Robert runabout shall not haue of mine Ne apostles but thei prech can , & haue bishops power They shal haue pane & potage , & make hir-self at ease No reasonable religion hath right nought of certen . And than gan a wastour to wrath him , & would haue fought And to Piers þe plouman he proferd his gloue A Bretoner , a bragger , aCr1.6.157: a , "he." bosted Pierce also And bade him go pysse with his plowe , forpined shrew Wylt thou , or nelt thou , we wil haue our wyl Of thy flour & of thy flesh , fetch whan vs lyketh , I.i.And The vision of And maken vs merye there-myd , maugre thy chekes Pierce pleinith to þe knyght . Than Pierce þe Plowman playned him to þe knighte To kepe him as couenaunt from cursed shrewes And from these wastors wolueskins , þat make þe world dere For tho wasten & win nought , & that ilke while Worth neuer plenty among þe puple , þe while mi plow liggeth Curtesly the knight than , as his kind would Warned wastour , and wished him better , Or þou shalt abie by the lawe , by thorder þat I beare I was not wont to work quod wastor , & now wil I not begin And let light of the lawe , & lesse of the knight , And set Pierce at a pese , and his plowe bothe And manaced Pierce and his men , if thei met eft-sone Now bi þe peril of mi soul quod piers , I shal apeir you al Pierce preide hon ger to re ueng hym . And whouped after Hunger , þat heard him at the first Awreke me of these wastors quodCr1.6.176: This word was printed upside down. he , þat this world shendeth Hunger in hast tho hent , wastour by the maw And wrong him so bi the wombe , þat his eies watred , He buffeted the breton about the chekes , That he loked like a lanterne al his life after He beat hem so both , he brake nere her guttes , Ne had Pierce with a pese lof prayed Hunger to cease They had ben doluen , ne deme thou none other . Suffer hem liue he said , & let hem eat with hogges , Or els beanes and branne , baken togythers Faitors worke for fear of hon ger . Or els milke or meane ale thus prayed Pierce for hem . Faytours for feare hereof , flowen into barnes And flappen on with flailes , from morow til euen That Hunger was not so hardy , on hem for to loke , For a potte-full of pese , that Pierce had ymaked An heape of Hermittes hent hem spades And kyt her copes , and courtepies hem made And Pierce Ploughman , Fol.xxxiiii. And wenten as workemen wyth spades & with shouels , And doluen and diggen to dryue away hunger , Blinde and bedriden were botened a thousande That sytten to begge syluer , sone were healed For bread baken for baierds , was bote for mani hongri And ech pore man wel apaied to haue pesen for his hire And what Pierce prayed hem to do , as prest as a hauke And therof was Pierce proude , & put hem to worke . And gaue hem meat as he might ford , & mesurable hire Than had Pierce pity , & prayed hunger to wende , Home vnto his owne yard , and holden him there For I am wel awroke of wasters , by thi might nowe And I pray the yer thou passe quod Pierce to honger Of beggers and bydders , what best to be done? For I wot wel be thou went , they wil worch full yll , For Mischiefe it maketh , they be so meke now , And for defaut of her fode , this folke is at my wyll They ar mi bloudy brether quod Pierce , for god bought vs all Truth taught me once to loue hem ech one And helpen hem of all thyng , aye as hem nedeth And now would I wyt of the what were the beste How beg ers mai be made to worke . And how I might mastren hem , and make hem worke Aeare[H]eare now quod Hunger , and hold it for wisedome , Bolde beggers & bygge , that may her bread swinke , With houndes bread , & horsebread , hold vp her herts Abate hem with beanes , for bowing of hyr wombe And if her gommes grutche , bind hem to swynke And he shal soupe sweter , whan he it hath deserued And if thou find any Freke þat fortune hath apaired Or any maner false men , found thou suche to knowe Confort him with thy cattell , for Christes loue of heuen , Loue hem , and leueleneunique, acc. to KD hem , so the law of God teacheth . I.ii.Alter Pierce Ploughman . Alter alterius onera portate . And al maner of men that thou might espye , That nedy ben and naughty , help hem with thi goodes Loue and lacke hem nought , lest god take þe vengeaunce Though they do euil , let God worch , Mihi vindictam , et ego distribuam[re]tribuamretribuam . If þou wilt be gracious to do good as þe gospel techith And biloue þe among low men : so shalt thou latch grace Facite vobis amicos de mammone iniquitatis . I nolde greue God quod Pierce for al þe good on ground , Might I sinles do as þou seist , said Pierce than Yea I behote the quod Hongry or els the bible lieth God to Genesis the giant , the engendrour of vs al In Sudore and swynke , þou shalt thy meat tylye And labour for our lyuelode , and so our lord hygh And Sapientie sayth the same , I sawe it in the byll Piger prepr[o]pro frigore no feylde woulde tylye And therefore he shal begge & bidde , & no man bate his hungre Mathew with mans face mouthed these words That Seruus nequam had a besauntMnam , & for he nolde chaffer He had maugre of his maister , & euer-more after And byname him his Mnam for he wold not worke And gafe that Mnam to him that ten Mnams had And wyth that he said that holy kirke it had He that hath shal haue , and helpe there it nedeth And he þat hath not shal not haue , ne no man him helpe , And þat he weneth wel to haue , I wil it him bereue . Kynd witte would that ech a wight wrought Or in dikynge or in deluynge , or trauayle in prayers , Contemplatiue life , or actiue life , Christe would they wrought The psalter saith in psalms of Beati omnes The freke that fedeth him-self with his faithful laboure Be The vision ofFol.xxxv Be blessed by the boke in bodye and soule . Labores manuum tuarum . &cetera . Yet I pray you quod Pierce praye Charitie & ye canne , How Pi ers pray eth hunger to teche him a lich chraft for hym and for hys seruantes Any leche-crafte lere it me my deare For some of my seruauntes and my-selfe bothe Of al a weke worke not , so our wombeakethwombe aketh , I wote well quod Hunger , what sikenes you ayleth Ye haue manged ouer muche , & þat maketh you grone , And I hote the quod Hunger , as thou thy hele wilneste That thou drinke no day , ere thou dyne somewhat Eate not I hote the , ere Hunger the take , And send the of hys sauce to sauour wyth thy lyppes And kepe some tyll souper time , and sytte not to long And ryse vp ere appetite haue eaten his fyll Lette not syr Surfet syt on thy borde Leue him not for he is lecherours & licorous of tong And after mani maner of meat his maw is a-hungred And if thou diet the thus , I dare laye my eares That phisike shal his furred hodde , for his foode sell And hys cloke of Calabrye , with al his knaps of golde , And be fayne by my fayth his phisike to lette And lerne to laboure with hond , for lyuelode is swete , For murtherers are many leches lorde hem amende . They do men dye by their drinkes yer destiny it wolde By Saint Paule quod Pierce these ar profitable wordes Wend þou honger when þou wylt , þat wel be thou euer For this is a louely lesson , Lord it the foryeld , Bihote god quod honger , hence ne wil I wende Til I haue dined by this day , and dronken both . I haue no peny quod Pierce , polettes for to bie Ne neither gose ne grys , but two grene cheses A fewe curdes and creame , and an hauer cake I.iii.And The vision of And two loues of beanes & branne bake for mi folke And yet I say by my soule , I haue no salt bacon Ne no cokeney by Christe , coloppes for to make , And I haue perceley and porets , & many cole plantes , And eke a cowe and a calfe , and a cart mare To draw a-field my dung þe while þe drawghtstray mark after this word lasteth And bi this liuelod , I must liue til Lammas time By that I hope to haue heruest in my croft , And than I may dyght my dyner , as my dere lyketh , And al the pore people tho , Pescoddes fet , Beanes and baken apples , they brought in her lappes Pore folk fede hun ger . Chyboles and chernellcher[u]ell , and rype cheries many , And proferd Pierce thys presente to please with hunger All honger eate in haste , and asked after more , Than pore folke for feare , fedde hunger yerne With grene poret & pesen , to poison him thei thought By þat it neghed to haruest , new corne came to cheping Than was folke fayne , and fedde hungre with the beste With good ale as Gloton taught , & gart hungre a slepe And tho would waster no work , but wandren aboute , Ne no begger eate breade , that beanes in were But of Coket and Clermatyne , or els of cleane wheat Ne no halfepeny ale in no wyse drynke But of the best & of þe browneste þat in burth is to sell . Laborers þat haue no land to liue on , but her handes Deyned not to dyne a-daye nyght-oldsee KD -- are the shadow hyphens needed here? wortes , May no penyale hem paye , nor no pece of bacon But if it be freshe flesh , other fyshe fried ether or bake And þe chaud , or plus chaud , for chilling of her maw But if he be hyghlye hyered , else wyll he chyde And þat he was workeman wrought , waile the tyme Agaynst Catons counsell , comseth he to iangle . Pau= Pierce Ploughman . Fol.xxxvi. Paupertatis onus patienter ferre memento . He greueth him against god , & grutcheth against reson And than curseth he the king , and all hys counsel after , Suche lawes to loke , labourers to greue . While hunger gafe hem hier , not one of hem wold chide , Ne striuen agaynst his statute , so sternely he loked And I warne you worckemen , win while ye may For Hunger hytherwarde hasteth hym-selfe He shall awake wyth water , wastours to chast Ere fyue be fulfylled such famine shal aryse Through floudes and fowle weder fruite shal faile , And so sayd Saturne and sent you to warne , And when ye se the sunne amisse , & two monkes heades And a maid haue the maistrye , & multiply by eight . Than shall death with-drawe , and derth bye iustice And Dawe the Diker shall dye for hunger . But if God of his goodnes graunt vs a treue . Passus septimus de visione . TRuth hearde tell herof , and to Pierce sente , To make his teme , and tile the earth PiercisPardon . And purchased a pardone , A pena et culpa For hym & for his heyres for euermore after And bade hym holde him at home , and erye his laies And al that helpe him to erye , to sette , and to sowe Or any other mistery that might Pierce auaile , Pardon with Pierce Plowman Truth hath graunted Knyghtes and kynges that kepeth holy kyrke , And ryghfullyryghtfully in realmes ruleth the people Haue pardon through purgatorie to passe ful lightly With patriarks & prophets , in Paradice to be felow Byshops blessebblesse[d] , if they bene as they shoulde , Legisters Pierce Ploughman . Legisters of both lawes the lewde therwith to preach , And in as much as they may amend all sinful Are peers with thapostles , such pardon Pierce sheweth And at the day of dome , at the hygh deyse to sitte Marchauntes in the mergen had many yeres And none A pena et culpa , the Pope wyll hem graunt For thei hold not her holi daies , as holi kirke techeth And for they swere by her soul , & so god must hem help Agayne clene conscience , her catell to sell . And vnder his secrete seale Truth sent hem a letter That they shoulde bugge boldly that hem best liked And sythen sell it againe , and saue the wynnynge And amend Mesondieux her mede , & misease folk helpe And wycked wayes wyghtly amende , And do boote to Brugges that to-broke were . Marien maydens or maken hem Nunnes . Pore people and prisons fynden hem her fode And set scholers to schole , or to some other craftes Releue religion , and reuten him better , And I shal send you Saint Mihel myne archangelle , That no deuil shal you dere , ne fere you in your doing And wytten you from wanhope if ye wyl thus worke , And send your soules in safety to my saintes in Ioye , Than were marchauntes mery , many wept for Ioye And praysed Pierce the Plowman þat purchased þe bul Men of law least pardon had , that pleden for Mede For the psalter saueth hem not , such as taken giftes , And namely of Innocent that no euyl ne canneth Super innocentem munera non accipies , Pleders shoulde peine hem to pleade for such in helth Princes & prelates should pay for her trauell . A regibus et principibus erit merces eorum . And The vision ofFol.xxxvii Lawyarsshuld takeno money And mani a Iustice and Iurour would for Iohn do more Than Pro dei pietate , leue you no other And he that spendeth hys speche & speaketh for þe pore That is innocent & nedy , and no man appeyreth Conforteth him in that case , without couetise of giftes , And spekith law for our lords loue as he hath lernid Shal no deuyl at his deathes daye deren him a mite That he ne worth salfe & his soule , þe psalter beareth wytnes Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo ?The printer could not center this line of Latin text because the word wytnes carried down from the preceeding line got in the way. This happens elsewhere in the MS as well. And to bugge water ne wind , ne wit , ne fire þe ferth These four the father of heuen made to this fold in commen These be Truthes treasures , true folk to help That neuer shal wexe ne wane without God hym-selfe . Whan they drawen one to die , & indulgence wold haue Their pardon is full petit at their partyng hence That any mede of meane men for their mooting take Ye Legisters and lawyers hold thys for Truthe , That if I lye , Mathewe is to blame , For he bade me tel you this , & this prouerbe me told Quodcumque vultis vt faciant vobis homines facite eis . Al lyuynge laborers that liuiden with her handes That truly taken , and truly wynnen , And liuen in loue and in lawe for their lowe hertes Of geuyng of Almes . Haueth the same absolution that sent was to Pierce Beggers & bidders ne be not in the bulle , But if the suggestion be south , þat shapeth hem to begge . For he that beggeth one byt , but if he haue nede He is false wyth the fende , and defraudeth the nedy And also he begileth the gyuer , agaynst his wyll For if he were not nedy , he would giue þat to an other That were more nedy than he , so þe nedest shold be holpen Caton kenneth me thus , & the clerke of Stories K.i.Cui The vision of Cui des videto , is Catons teachinge And in the stories he teacheth to bestowe your almes Sit elimosina tua in manu tua donec studes cui des , And Gregory was a good man , & bade vs geuen all That asketh for his loue , that vs all leuethle[n]eth Non eligas cui miserearis ne forte pretereas illum qui meretur accipere . Quia incertum est pro quo deo magis placeas . For ye wit not who is worthi & god knowth the nedi In hym that taketh is þe trechery , if any treson walke For he that geueth yeldeth and yarketh hym to rest And he þat biddeth boroweth , & bringeth him-self in det For beggers borowen euer , & their bowgh is god almighty To yeld hem þat geueth hem , & yet vsure more Quare non dedisti pecuniam meam ad mensam , vt ego meum cum vsuris exigere.mexigerem . Therfore byd not , o ye begers , but if it be great nede For he þat must nedis begen bred , þe boke bereth witnes He hath inough þat hath bred , though he haue nought else . Satis diues est qui non indiget pane . Let vsage be your solace of saintes lyues readynge The boke banneth begery , & blameth hem in this maner Iunior fui etenim senui et non vidi iustum derelictum nec semen eius querens panem . For ye lyue in no loue , ne no lawe holde , Many of you ye wed not the women þat ye with deale But as wild beasts with wehe , worthen vp & worchen And bringen forth barnes , that bastardes men callen , Or the backe or some bone , he breaketh in his youth And sithe gone fayten with your seruannts for euer after There is more mishappe puple among these beggers Than of al maner of men that on thys molde walketh And they that lyue thus her lyfe , may loth the tyme That Pierce Ploughman , Fol.xxxviixxxviii. That euer they were men wrought , whan he shal hence fare And olde men & hore that helples be of strength And women with chylde that worke ne maye Blynd & bedreden and broke there membres That taken the myscheues mekely as mesels & other Haue as pleyne pardon as the plowman hym-selfe For loue of her low herts oure lord hath them graunted Their penaunce and their purgatorie here on this erth Piers quod a priest tho thy pardon must I reade For I wyl construe ech clause & kenne it þe in inglysh And Piers at hys prayer that pardon vnfoldeth And I behinden hem bothe behelde al the bulle All in two lynes it laye and not a leefe more And was wrytten ryght thus in wytnes of truthe Et qui bona egerunt ibunt in vitam eternam Qui vero mala in ignem eternametern[u]m . Peter quod the prieste tho , I can no pardon fynde But do well and haue wel , & god shal haue thy soule And do yll and haue yll hope thou none other But after thy deaths day , þe deuil shal haue thy soule And Pierce for pure tene , pulled it in twaine . And sayde Si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis Non timebo mala quoniam tu mecum es . I shal cease of my sowinge quod pierce , & swinke not so hard Ne about my bealy ioy , so busy be no more Of praiers & of penaunce , my plowe shalbe hereafter , And wepe whan I shold slepe , though whet bread me faile The prophet his pane eat , in penaunce & sorow By that the psalter sayth , so dyd other many , That loueth god lelly , hys lyuelode is full easye Fuerunt mihi lachrime mee panes die ac nocte . And but if Luke lye , he learneth vs by fowles K.ii.We Pierce Ploughman . We should not be busye about the worldes blysse Ne soliciti sitis he sayeth in the gospell , And sheweth vs by examples vs-selfe to wysse The foules in þe field , who findes hem meat in winter? Haue they no garner to go to , but god fedes hem all , What quod the prieste to Perkin , Peter as me thynketh Thou art lettered a lyttle , who learned the on boke? Abstinence þe Abbes quod Pierce mine . a .b . c . me taught And conscience came afterward , & kenned me much more Were þou a priest quod he , þou mightst preach wher þou shold , As diuinor in diuinitie , with Dixit insipiens to thy teme , Lewd lorel quod Pierce , litle lokest thou on þe byble On Solomons sawes , seldome thou beholdest Ecce derisores et iurgia cum eis ne crescant . The prieste and Perkin apposed either other And I through their words awoke , & waited about And sawe the sunne in the south syt that tyme , Meatles and mouelesmo[n]eles on Maluerne hylles Musyng on thys metales , and my way eche yede . Many tymes this metels hath made me study , Of that I see sleapynge , if that so be myght And also for Pierce the Plowman full pensife in herte And which a pardon Pierce had al þe puple to conforte And how þe priest impungned it , with two propre words And I haue no sauery in songwary , for I se it oft fayle Caton and canonistres counsel vs to leaue To set sadnes in songwarye for Sompnia ne cures . How Daniel dimiddiuinedþe dreamisof Nabugodonosor . And for the boke bible beareth wytnes , Howe Daniel dimneddiuined the dreames of a kinge That was Nabugodonosor named of clerkes Daniel sayde syr kinge , thy dreames betoken , That vnkougth knights shal come , thi kingdome to cleime The vision ofFol.xxxix Amongst lower lords thy land shalbeshal be departed And as Daniel dimneddiuined in dede , it fell after The kynge lost his lordeshyp and lower men it had And Ioseph met marueilously how þe mone & þe sunne Of þe dremes of Iosephe . And the .xi.eleven starres halsed hem all , Than Iacob iudged Iosephes swyuen , Beau fitz quod hys father , for defaute we shall I my-selfe and my sonnes seche the for nede . It befell as hys father said in Pharaos tyme That Ioseph was Iustice Egypte to loken It befel as his father told , his frends ther him sought And al this maketh me on this metals to thinke And how the priest preued no pardon to do-well , And demed that do-well indulgences passed , Biennales and triennales , and Bishops letters And how do-wel at þe day of dome , is dignly vnder=foungen And passeth al þe pardon of saint Peters church Now hath þe Pope power pardon to graunt the puple Without any penaunce to passe into heuen ,? This is our beleue , as lettered men do vs teach , Quodcumque ligaueris super terram erit ligatum et in celis And so leue lelly Lordes , forbode els That pardon and penaunce , and prayers done saue , Soules that haue sinned seuen sythes deadly And to trust to these triennales truly me thynketh , Is not so siker for the soules as to do well , Therfore I red you reuksre[n]ks þat rich be on thys earth , Apon truste of your treasure , triennales to haue , Be ye neuer the bolder to breke the ten hestes And namely ye maisters , mayres , and iudges , That haue þe wealth of this world , & for wise men be holden To purchase you pardons & the Popes buls K.iii.At The vision of At the dreadfull dome , whan the dead shall aryse And commen all tofore Christe , accountes to yede How þou leadest thy lyfe here , and his lawes kepest And how þou didest day by day the dome wil reherse , A poke-full of pardon ther , ne prouincial letters Though ye be founden in þe fraternitie of the .iiii.four orders I beset your patentes & your pardons , at one pese hele Therfore I counsell all christen to crye God mercy , And make Christ our meane , that hath made emends That god giue vs grace here , or we go hence Suche worckes to worcke , while we be here , That after our deathes day , do-wel rehearse At the day of dome , we dyd as he hyght . Passus octauus de visione .Et hic incipit inquisitio prima de dowell . THus throbedunique to Cr, acc. to KD in russet , I runned about All a Somer season for to seke Dowel And freyned full oft , of folke that I mete If any wight wist wher dowel was at inne And what man he might be , of many man I asked , Was neuer wyght as I went , that me wyshe could Where thys ladde lenged , lasse or more , Tyll it befel on Fryday , two Fryers I mette , Maisters of the Menours , men of greate wytte I halsed hem hendly , as I had lerned , And prayed hem for charitie , or they passed further If they knew any contrye or cost as they went Where that dowel dwelleth , do me to wyt , For they be men of this mold that most wyde walken . And Peirce Ploughman . Fol.xxxix..xl. And knowen contries & courtes , & many kings places Both princes palaces , and pore mens cotes And do-wel & do-euil , where they dwel both . Amongest vs quod the menours , that man is dwellinge And euer hath as I hope , and euer shall hereafter , Contra quod I , as a clarke , and cumsed to disputen And sayde hym sothlye , Septies in die cadit iustus Seuen sythes sayeth the boke , synneth the ryghtfull , And who-so synneth I say , doth euyl as me thinketh And do-well and do-euyl , may not dwell togither , Ergo he is not alway among you Fryers He is otherwhyle els-where , to wyshen the people . I shall say the my sonne , sayde the Frier than , Howe seuen sithes the sadde man on a day synneth , By a forbisne quod the Fryer , I shal the faire shewe Let bryng a man in a boote , amyd the broke water The wynde and the water , and the bote waggyng Make a man many tyme to fall , and to stande For stand he neuer so styffe , he stumbleth if he meue And yet is he safe and sounde , and so hym behoueth , For if he ne aryse the rather , and raght to the stere , The wind would with the water the boote ouerthrow And than were his life lost through latches of him-self And thus it falleth quod þe Frier by folk here on erth The water is likned to þe world þat waueth & wexeth The goods of this world ar likened to þe gret waues That as windes and wethers walken about , The boote is likened to our body , þat brotil is of kynd That through the fleshe and the frayle worlde , Synneth the sadde man a day seuen tymes And deadly synne dothe he not , for dowel him kepeth And þat is charitie þe champion , chiefe helpe agayne sinne For Pierce Ploughman . For he strenthed man to stand , & stirreth mans soule And thoughe they bowe as boote doth in the water , Aye is thy soule safe , but if thou wylt thy-selfe Do a deadlye sinne , and drenche so thy soule , God wyll suffer wel thy slouth , if thy-selfe lyketh For he gafe the two yeresyeftis to teme wel thy-selfe And þat is Witte & Frewil to euery wight a portion To flyinge fowles , to fishes , and to beastes And man hath moste therof , and most is to blame But if he worch wel therwith , as do-wel hym teacheth . I haue no kind knoyng quod I , to conceiue all your wordes And if I may liue & loke , I shal go learne better I bikenne the Christ , that on the crosse dyed . And I said the same saue you from mischaunce And giue you grace on this ground good men to worth And thus I went wide-wher , walking mine one By a wyde wildernes , and by a brookes syde , Blisse of the birdes brought me on slepe , And vnder a lynde on a land , lened I a stounde To lyth the layes , tho louely fowles made , Myrthe of her mouthes made me there to slepe The maruelousest metelles mette me than , That euer dremed wyght in worlde as I wene . A much man as me thought , and like to my-selfe , Came and called me by my kinde name , What art þou quod I tho , thou þat my name knoweste ? That thou wottest wel quod he , and no wight better Wote I what thou art ? Thought sayd he than , I haue sued the this seuen yeres , se þou me no rather ? Art thou Thought quod I tho , thou couldest me wyshe Wher þat Dowel dwelleth , & do me that to knowe Dowel , & Dobetter , & Dobest the thirde quod he Are The vision ofFol.xli Are thre fayre vertues and be not farre to fynde Who-so is true of hys tonge and of hys two handis And through his labor & his lond his lyuelod winneth And is trusty of hys tayland , taketh but hys owne And is no dronkelewe ne dedigyous dowel him foloweth Do-bet doth right thus , & he doth much more He is as lowe as a lambe and louelye of speche And helpeth al men after that hem nedith , The bagges & the bigirdles he hath to-broken hem all That the Erle Auarous helde and hys heyrs And thus with mammons money he hath made him frends And is ronne to religion and hath rendred the bible And precheth to the people saynt paules wordes Libenter suffertis Insipientes cum sitis ipsi sapientes And suffreth the vnwise with you for to lyue And with glad wil doth hem good for so god you hoteth , Dobest is aboue both , and bereth a bishopes crosse Is hoked on that one ende to halie men from hel A pyke is on þat potent to pul downe the wicked , That wayten any wyckednes Dowell to tene And Dowel & dobet amoungest hem haue ordained To coroune one to be Kynge to rule hem boeth That if dowel and dobetter dyd againe dobest , Than shal the Kyng come and cast hem in Irons , And but if dobest beede for hem they be there for euer Thus dowel and dobet and dobest the thirde Crounned vnto them a Kynge to kepe hem all And to rule the realme by her thre wyttes And none otherwyse but as they thre assentyd , I thanked Thought tho that he me thus taught And yet fauoreth[s]auoreth me not thy saying , I coueit to lerne How dowel dobest & dobetter done among þe people L.i.But The vision of But witte can wish the quod thought where tho .iiithree dwell Els wot I none that , can se that now is a-lyue , Thought and I thus thre dayes we yeden Disputing vpon dowel daye after other . And er we wer ware with witte ganne we mete He was long and leane lyke to none other Was no pride on hys apparell ne pouertie neither Sad of his semblaunt and of soft chere I durst not moue no mater to make hym to Iangle But as I bade thought tho , be meane betwene And put forth sum purpose to preue his wittes What was dowel fro dobet & dobeste from them bothe Than thought in that tyme sayde these wordes Whether dowel dobet and dobest bene in lande Here is wyl wolde witte , if witte coude teche hym And whether he be man or woman , this man fain wold espy And worken as they thre wold thus is his entent Passus nonus de visione. Et primus de dowel HEre dowel dwellith quod wit not a day hence In a castel þat kind made of four kins things Of erth & ayre is it made medlid to-gethers Wyth wynde and wyth water wytterly enioyned Kynde hath closed therin craftely with-all A leman that he louethe lyke to hym-selfe ANIMA she hyght , and enuie her hateth A proude pricker of fraunce , Princeps huius mundi , And wolde wyn her awaye with wyles and he might And kynd knoweth thys well and kepith her þe better And doth her with syr Dowel , is duke of thys marches Dobet is hir damsel syr dowels daughter To serue this ladie lelly both late and rathe Dobest Pierce Ploughman , Fol.xxxviiixlii Dobest is aboue bothe a Byshops pere That he byd muste be do he ruleth them all Anima that lady is led by hys lerneing And þe constable of þat castell that kepith al þe wache Is a wyse knyght with-al syr Inwit he hyght And hath fyue fayre souls by his fyrst wyfe Syr Seewel and Saywel and hearewell the hende Syr Workewel with thy hand a wight man of strengthe And syr Godfray Gowel , gret lords for sothe These fyue ben set to saue thys ladie Anima Tyl Kynde cum or sende to saue her for euer What kins thing is kinde quod I , canst thou me tel ? Kynd quod witte is a creator of al kinnis thyngs Father and former of all that euer was made And that is the grete god that begynning had neuer Lorde of lyfe and of lyght of blis and of payne Angels and althing are at his wyl And man is hym most lyke of marke and of shape For through þe worde that he spake wexen forth bestes Dixit et facta sunt . And made Adam lykest to hym-selfe one And Eue of hys rybbe bone withouten any meane For he was synguler hym-selfe and sayde faciamus . As who saye more must herto than mi worde one My myght must helpe now with my speche Euen as a lord shuld make leters , & he lakid parchment Though he coud write neuer so wel if he had no pen The lettre for al his lordship I leue wer neuer maked And so it semith by him as the bible tellyth There he sayde . Dixit et facta sunt , He must worke wyth hys worde and his wit shewe And in this maner was man made by might of god almighty L.ii. Pierce Ploughman . Wyth his word & his workmanship and with life to last And thus god gaue him a goost of þe godhed of heauen And of hys grete grace graunted hym blysse And þat is lyfe that aye shal last to al our linage after And that is the castel þat kynde made Caro it hyght And is as much to meane as man wyth a soule And that he wyth worke and with worde both Through might of the maiestie in Adam was maked Inwit and al wits closed bene therin For loue of the ladie Anima that lyfe is named Ouer al in mans bodie she walketh and wandreth And in the hert is hir home and hir most rest And Inwyt is in þe head and to the hert loketh What Anima is leefe or loth , he ledyth hir at his wil For after the grace of god the gretest is Inwitte Much woo worth þat man that misruleth his Inwitte And that bene glotons glubberys , her god is her wombe Quorum deus venter est , For seruen they Sathan there souls shal he haue They liue in sinfull life here , their soule is like þe deuill And al that liuen good life are like to god almyghtie Qui manet in charitate , in deo manet . Alas that drynke shal fordo that god dere bought And doth god forsake hem þat he shope to his likenes ? Amen dico vobis , nescio vos , et alibi , et dimisi eos secundum desideratadesideri[]adesideria eorum . Fooles that fauten Inwytte , I finde þat holie churche Shulde fynde hem that faute and fatherles children And wydowes þat haue not wherewith to wyn hem her foode Mad men and maydens that helpeles were Al these lacke Inwitte , and lore behoueth . Of thys matter I might make a longe tale And The vision ofFol.xliii And fynde fel wytnesses among the foure doctors That I lye not on þat I lerne þe , Luke bereth witnes God fathers & godmothers þat sene her god childrene At misease and at myschyfe and might hem amende Shal haue penaunce in purgatorie but they hem help For more belongeth to þe litle barne or he þe lawe know Than nempned of a name and he neuer the wyser Aagynstepriestes Sholde no chrysten creature crie at the gate Ne fayle payne ne potage & prelats dyd as they shuld A Iewe wol not see a Iewe go iangling for defaute For al þe mouables on this mold , & he amende it might Alas þat a christen creature shalbeshal be vnkynde to an other Sythen Iewes that we iudge Iudas felowes Eche of hem helpeth other of þat that hem nedeth Why wil we not christen , of Christes good be as kynd As Iewes that be oure lores-men , shame to vs al . The Commune for hyr vnkindnes I drede me shal abie Byshops shalbeshal be blamed for beggers sake He is worse than Iudas that giueth a Iaper syluer And byddeth the begger go for hys broken clothes Proditor est prelatus cum Iuda qui patrimonium Christi minus distribuit , et alibi , perniciosus dispensator est quires pauperum Christi in vtiliterinvtiliter consumit . He doth not wel þat doth so , ne dredeth God of might He loueth not Salomons sawes that sapience taught Initium Sapientie timor domini . That dredeth god he doth wel þat dredeth him for loue And nought for dred of vengeaunce doth therfore þe beter He doth best that withdraweth him by daye & by nyght To spyl any speche or any space of tyme Qui offendit in vno , in omnibus est reus . Lesynge of time truth wootes the sothe L.iii.Is The vision of Is moste hated apon earth of hem that be in heauen And sithen to spill speach that enspired is of grace And gods gleman , and a game of heauen , Would neuer þe faithful father his fidle were vntemperd Ne hys gleman a gedlyng a goer to tauerne . To all true tidy men , that trauell desyren , Our Lord loueth hem , & lente land to other styll , Grace to go to hem , and of-gone her lyfelode . Inquirentes autem dominum , non minuentur omni bono . True wedding liuinge folke , in this world is dowel , For they most worke & wynne , & the world susteine , For of his kind they come , that confessour be named Kynges and knightes , Caysers , and cherles , Maydens and martires out of one man come The wyfe was made the way to helpe to worch And thus was wedlocke wrought with a meane person Firste by the fathers wyll , and the frendes counsell , And sithen by the assent of hem-self as thei might accord And thus was wedlocke wrought , & god him-selfe it made In erth & in heuen , him-selfe was the wytnes , And false folke faythles , theues and lyers , Wastours and wretches out of wedlocke I trowe , Conceiued ben in ill tyme , as Cayne was on Eue , Of suche synfull shrewes , the psalter maketh minde , Concepit in dolore et peperit iniquitatem . And al that come of that Cayne , come to euil ende For god sent to Sem , and sayd by an aungell Thine issue in thine issue I wyll that they be wedded , And not thy kind in Caines kind , coupled nor spoused Yet Sem agayne the sound of our sauioure of heuen . Caines kinde and hys kynde coupled togythers Til god wrothed for her works , & such a word said . That Pierce Ploughman .Fol.xlxliv That I made man , nowe it me forthynketh . Penitet me fecistifecissefecisse hominem . And came to Noe anone , and bade hym not let Swythe go shape a shyppe , of shydes and of bordes Thi-selfe and thy sonnes thre , and sithen your wiues Buske you to that bote , and byde ye therein , Tyll forty daies be fulfiled , that floude haue washed Cleane away þe cursed bloude that Cayne hath made Beastes that now bene , shall banne the tyme , That euer that cursed Cayne come on thys earth All shall dye for hys dedes by dales and by downes , And the fowles that flowe forth , with other beastes Except onely of euery kynde a couple , That in thy shyngled shyppe shall be saued , Here abode the barne , the belsyres gyltes , And all for hyr fathers fared they worse , The gospel is here agayne , in one degre I fynde . Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris , Et pater non portabit iniquitatem filii . And I fynde , if the father be false , and a shrewe , That somdeale the sonne shal haue the syres tutches Impe on an elderne , and if thyne apple be swete , Muchel maruaile me thynketh , and more of a shrew That bringeth fourth any barne , but it be þe same . And haue a sauour after þe sire , seeld seeste thou other . Nunquam colligitur de spinis vua , nec de tribulis ficus . And thus through cursed Caine came care apon earth Therfore haue þe maugre of her mariages þat mary so her children For some as I se , now sothe for to tel , For couetous of catcelcat[t]elcatel , vnkindely be wedded "catcel" could be "cateel." As carefull conception commeth of such mariages As befell of the folke , that I before tolde . For Pierce Ploughman . For good shuld wed good though they non good had I am Via et veritas , sayth , Christ I maie auaunce all It is an vncomly couple by Christ as me thinketh To geue a young wenche to an olde feble Or wedden anye wydowe for welth of here goodes That shal neuer barne beare , but if it be in armes Mani apaire sithen þe pestilence hath plyght hem together The fruite that they bring furth ar fowle wordes In Ielousie Ioyeles and Ianglen a bed Haue thei no children but chests & clapping them betwen And though thei gone to donmow but if þe deuyl help To followe after the fliche , fetche they it neuer And but they both be forsworne that bacon they tine Therfore I councel al christen couet not to be weddid For couetis of cattel ne of kynred ryche And maydens and maydens mache you togythers Wydowes and wydowes worke the same For no landes but for loue loke ye be wedded And than get ye þe grace of god & good I-nough to liue wyth And euerie man seculer that may not contynue Wyselye goo wed and ware hym from synne For lecherie in lykynge is lime yarde of hel Whiles thou arte younge and thy wepon kene Wreke the with wyueyng yf thou wylt be excused Dum sis vir fortis , ne des tua robora scortis Scribitur in portis meretrix est Ianua mortis . Whan ye haue wyued beware and warke in tyme Not as Adame & Eue whan Cayne was Ingendred For in one tyme trulie betwene man and woman Ne shold no bourd on bed be , but if they bothe were cleane Both of lyfe & of soule and in perfyt charitie That ylke derne dede , do no man ne shoulde And The vision ofFol.xlixlv And if they lead thus theyr life , it liketh god almighty For he made wedlocke firste , and hym-selfe . Bonum est vt vnusquisque vxorem suam habeat , propter fornicationem . And they þat other-gates ben geten , for gedlings ben hold As false folke , foundlinges , faytours and liers Ungratious to get good , or loue of the people Wandren and wasten , what they catche maye , Agayne do well they do euyl , & the deuyl serue , And after their deathes daye , shal dwel with the same But god giue hem grace here , hem-selues to amend , Dowell my frende , is to done as lawes techen , To loue thy frend and thy foe , leue me þat is dobet , To gyue vnto menne bothe yonge and olde , To healen and to helpen , is do-best of all , And dowell is to dreade god , and dobette to suffer And so cometh dobest of both , & bringeth adown the modie And þat is wicked will , þat many work shendeth And dryueth awaye dowell , through deadly sinnes . Passus decimus de visione .Et secundus de dowell . spot after 'dowell' may not actually be a point? THan had Wit a wife , was hote dame Study That leuele[n]e was of lere , and of liche both She was wonderli wrought , wit me so techid And al staring dame study , sternely sayd Wel art þou wyse quod she to wyt any wysdomes to tell To Flatterers or to foles that frentyke be of wyttes And blamed him and banned hym , & bade him be styl Wyth suche wyse wordes to wyshe any sottes , And sayd , Noli mittere , man Margarite Pearles Amonge hogges that haue hawes at wyll , They do but driuel theron , draufe were hem leuer , Than al precious Pirre , that in paradice wexeth M.i.I saye Pierce Ploughman . I say it by such , quod she , þat shew it by her works That hem were leuer land , and lordshyp on earth , Or ryches or rentes , and rest at her wyll , Than al the soth sawes , that Salomon sayde euer Wysedome and wytte nowe is not worth a kerse , But if it be garded with couetise , as clothers kemb her woule Who-so can contryue deceites , & conspyre wrongs And lead forth a loue-daye , to let wyth truth He that such craftes can , is oft cleped to counsell , They lede Lords wyth lesinges , and belieth Truth , Iob the gentle in hys gestes wytnesseth , That wicked men they welden , þe welth of this world And þat they be lordes of ech land , þat out of law lyueth . Quare impii viuunt , bene est omnibus qui preuaricantur et inique agunt . The Psalter sayeth the same , by such as done euyl . Ecce ipsi peccatores habundantes in seculo obtinuerunt diuitias Lo sayth holy lecture , whych be these shrewes Thylke that god geueth moste , leest good they deleth And most vnkind be to þe commen , þe most cattel weldeth Que perfecisti destruxerunt , iustus autemautem & cetera , Harlots for her harlotry , may haue of her goodes And Iapers and Iuglers , and ianglers of gestes , And he that hath holy wryte aye in hys mouth , And can tell of Tobie , & of the twelue Apostles Or preachen of þe penaunce , þat Pilate falsely wrought , To Iesu the gentle , that Iewes to-drawe , Cr1.10.38: Kane-Donaldson's 10.36 is omitted in all B manuscripts. Lytle is he loued that suche a lesson sheweth Or daunten or draw forth , I do it on god hym-selfe . But tho that fayne hem foles , & wyth faytinge liueth Agayne the lawe of our lorde , and lyen on hem-selfe , Spiten and spuen , and speake foule wordes Drynkinge and driuelyng , and do men for to gape Lyken The vision ofFol.xlvi. Lyken men , & lye on hem , þat leneth hem no gyftes They can no more minstrelsy ne musyke men to glad , Than Maude the mulier , of Multa fecit deus Ne were hir vyle harlotry , haue god my trouth Shoulde neuer kynge ne knyght , ne canon of Poules Gyue hem to her yeres gyfte , ne gift of a grote , And myrth of minstrelsy amongest men is nought Lechery , losenchery , and losels tales , Glotony and greate othes is mirthe they loueth , And if they carpen of Christ , these clerkes & these lewd At the meat in her myrth , whan minstrelles ben styll Than telleth they of the trinitie a tale or twayne And bringeth forth a balde reason , & taken Bernard to witnes And put forth a presumption to preue þe soth , Thus they dreuell at her dayse , the deitie to knowe And gnawen god with hyr gorge , whan hyr guts fallen And the carfull may crye , and carpen at the gate Both a-hungerd and a-furste , and for chels quake Is none to nymen hym nere , hys noy to amend But hunten hym as a hounde , & hoten hym go hence , Litle loueth he that Lorde , that lent hym all þat blysse , That thus parteth , with the pore , a percel whan him nedeth Ne were mercy in mene men more than in rych Mendynauntes meatles , myght go to bedde . God is much in the gorge , of these greate maisters , And amonges meane men his mercy & hys worckes And so sayeth the psalter , I haue sene it oft . Ecce audiuimus eume[a]meam in effrata , in veniemus eume[a]meam in campis silue . Clarkes and other kinnes men carpen of god fast And haue hym much in þe mouth , & meane men in hert Fryers and faytors haue founden such questions To please wyth the proud men sith the pestilence time M.ii.And Pierce Ploughman . And preachen at Saint Paules for pure enuy of clarkes That folke is not firmed in the faythe , ne freer of her goodes Ne sory for her synnes , so pride waxen , In religion , & in al the realme , amongest rich & pore That prayers haue no pore the pestilence to lette And yet þe wretches of this worlde , is none ware by other Ne for dreade of þe death , withdraw not her prid Ne ben plentuous to the pore , as pure charitie wold But in gaines & in glotony , forgloten her goods hem-self And breketh not to the begger , as the boke teacheth . Frange esurienti panem tuum . &cetera . And the more he wynneth , & wexeth welthy in ryches And lordeth in landes , the lesse good he dealeth Tobie telleth you not so , take hede ye ryche Howe the byble boke of hym beareth wytnes Si tibi sit copia habundanter tribueSi autem exiguum illud Impertiri stude libenter Who-so hath much spend manly , so meaneth Tobie And who-so lytle weldeth , rule hym thereafter , For we haue no letter of our lyfe , how long it shal endure , Suche lessons lordes shoulde loue to heare , And howe he myght most meyny manly fynde , Not to fare as a fideler , or a frier to seke feastes , Homely at other mens houses , and haten her owne . Elenge is the hall euery day in the weke There the Lorde ne the ladye lyketh not to sytte Nowe hath eche ryche a rule , to eaten by him-selfe In a priuie parler for poore mens sake , Or in chambre wyth a chymney , and leaue the chiefe hall That was made for meeles men to eate in , And all to spare to spende , that spyll shall an-other I haue hearde heigh men eatynge at the table Carpen The vision ofFol.xliiixlvii Carpen as they clerkes were , of Christ , & of his might And leiden fautes apon the father that formed vs al , And carpen agaynste clarkes crabbed wordes , Why would our sauiour suffer such a worme in hys blysse That begiled the woman , & the man after , Through which wyles and wordes they went to hel And al her sede for her sinne , þe same death suffred , Here lieth your lore , these lords beginneth to dispute Of that þe clarkes vs kenneth of Christ by the gospell . Filius non portabit iniquitatem patrispatris & cetera . Why should we that now be for the workes"e" not legible in "workes" of Adam Roten and to reade , reason woulde it neuer Unusquisque portabit onus suumonus suum & cetera . Such motiues they moue these masters in her glory And make men in misbeleue , þat musen of her wordes Imaginatyue hereafterwarde shal answere to youre purpose Austen to such arguers he telleth this tene . Non plus sapere quam oportet . Wylneth neuer to wytte , whye that God woulde Suffered Sathan hys sede to begyle , And beleue lelly in the loore of holye kyrke And praye hym of pardon , and penaunce in thy lyfe And for hys muche mercy to amende you here For who þat wylneth to wyt , þe waies of god almight I would hys eye were in his ars & his finger after , That euer wylneth to wytte , why that god woulde , Suffer Sathan hys sede to begyle , Or Iudas to the Iewes Iesu betraye , Al was as thou wouldest lord , worshyp be thou And al worth as thou wold , what-so we dispute And tho þat vseth these hanylones to blinden mens wits What is dowell fro dobet & defe mote be worthe , M.iii.Sithe Pierce Ploughman . Sith he wylneth to wit which they be bothe But if he lyue in the life that longeth to dowell For I dare be his bold borowe þat dobet wil he neuer Though dobest draw on hym day after other And whan þat wytte was ware , what dame studie told He became so confuse he cunneth not loke And as dome as death and drow hym arere And for no carping I colde after ne kneling to therth I myght get no grayne of hys grete wyttis But al laughynge he louted and loked apon studye In sygne that I shulde besechen hyr of grace And whan I was war of his wil to his wife I loutid And sayde mercie madame your man shal I worthe As longe as I lyue both late and rathe For to worchen your will the whyle my life endureth With þat that ye kenne me kindly to know what is dowel For thie mekenes man quod she , & for thi milde spech I shal ken the to my cosen that clergye is hote He hath weddyd a wyfe with in these syx monthes Is syb to the seuen artes Scripture is hyr name Thew two as I hope after my teachinge Shal wishen the dowel I dare vnder-take Than was I as fayne , as foule of fayr morowe And glader then the gleman that golde hath to gyfte And asked hyr the high way , wher that clergie dwelt And tel me some token quod I , for tyme is that I wend Aske the hygh waye quod she , hence to suffre Both wel and woo if that thou wylt learne And ryde forthe by riches , and rest thou not therein For if þou couplest þe therwith to clergie commest þou neuer And also the lycores lande that lechery hight Leue it on thy lefte halfe a large mile and more Tyll The vision ofFol.xlviii. Tyl thou cum to a courte , kepe wel thy tounge From leasings and luthers speach & lycorous drinks Than shalt thou se Sobreite and simplicitie of spech That eche wyght be in wyll hys wyt the to shewe And thus shalt þou come to clargie that can mani things Say hym thys sygne I set hym to schole And þat I gret wel his wife for I wrot her mani boks And set hyr to sapyence & to the psalter glose Logicke I lerned hyr and manie other lawes And al the vnisons in musyck I made hyr to know Plato the poet I put hym fyrst to boke Aristotle and other mo to argue I taught Grammer for gyrls I gard fyrst to writte And bet hem wyth a bales but if they woulde learne Of al kynnes craftes I contriued tooles Of carpentre of karuers and compased masons And lerned them leuel and line , though I loke dimme And theologie hath tened me tenscore tymes The more I muse therin the mystier it semeth And the depper I dyuine the darkar me it thynkyth A ful lethy thyng it were , if that loue nere And for it leet best by loue I loue it the better For there as loue is Leder , ne lacketh neuer grace Loke thou loue lellie if the leketh Dowell For Dobet and Dobest bene of loues kynne In other science it sayth I sawe it in Caton Qui simulat verbis nec corde est fidus amicus tu quoque fac simile sic ars deluditer arte Who-so gloseth as Gylours done go me to the same And so shalt thou falsce folke and faiethles begyle Thys is Catons kenninge to clerckes that it lerneth And Theologye techeth not so who-so taketh them He Pierce Ploughman . He kenneth the contrary agayne Catons wordes , For he biddeth vs be as brethren , & bid for our enmies And loue hem þat lye on vs , & lend hem whan they nede , And do good agayne euyl , god hym-selfe hoteth Dum tempus habemus operemur bonum ad omnesMaxime autem ad domesticos fidei , Paule preached the people that perfitenes loued To do good for gods loue , and gyue men that asked And namely to suche that sueth our beleue , And al þat vs lacke or lye , our Lord techeth vs to loue And not to greue hem þat greue vs god him-self forbad it Mihi vindictam , et ego retribuam . Therefor loke thou loue as long as thou durest For is no science vnder þe sunne so souerain for thi soul And astronomi is a harde thing and euil for to know Gemetrie and geomansye so gylful of speache Who-so thinkith worch with tho two thriueth but late For Sorcerie is the souerenest boke þat to science longith Yet ar ther fybiches in forseeris of fel mens makyng Experimentes of alkinamie the people to deceiue Yf thou thinke to dowel , dele therwyth neuer Al these sciences I me selfemy-selfe soteled & ordeined And founded hem formest , folke to desceyue Tyl Clargy thys token and scripture after To councel the kyndlie to knowen what is dowel I sayde graund mercie madame & mekely her grete And went wightlie a-waye with-oute more letinge And til I comme to clergie I coulde neuer stinte And grete the goodman as study me taught And afterward the wyfe , and worshypped hem both And tolde them the tokens that me taught were Was neuer gom on this ground sith god made þe world Fayrer Pierce Ploughman , Fol.xlix. Fayrer vnderfongen ne frendlyer at ease Than my-selfe sothlye sone so he wyst That I was of wyttis house and with his wife dame studie I sayd to hem sothtlysothly that sent was I thyther Dowel and Dobet and Dobest to lerne It is commune lyfe quod clergie , on holy church to be-leue With al tharticles of þe fayth þat faleth to be knowen And that is to beleue lellie both lerned and lewed On the grete God that gynnyng had neuer And on the soothfast sone that sauid mankynde From the dedly deth and the dyuels power Through the help of þe holy goost þe which gost is of both Thre persons and not in plurel nombre For al is but one god and eche is god hym-selfe Deus pater , Deus filius , Deus spiritus sanctus God the father god the sonne god þe holy gost of both Maker of mankynde and of bestis bothe Austen the Olde hereof made bokes And hym-selfe Ordeinyd to saue vs in beleue Who was his autor ? al the foure Euangelistes And Christ cleped him-self so , þe Euangelists berythe wytnes Al þe clarks vnder Christ ne coud this assoile But this belongith to bilieue to lewed þat wold dowel For had neuer freke fyue wytte þe faith to dispute Ne man had no merit , myght it be preued . Fides non habet meritum , vbi humana ratio prebet experimentum Than is Dobet to suffer for the souls helth Al that the boke byt by holye churches teaching And that is man by thy myght for mercies sake Loke thou worke it in worke that thy word sheweth Such as thou semest in syght be in assaye founde Appare quod es , vel esto quodsmall mark between this word and the next appares N.i.And Pierce Ploughman . And let no-bodie be by thy bearynge begiled But be suche in thy soule , as thou semest wythout Than is dobest to be bolde to blame the gylty , Sithens thou seest thy-selfe as in soule cleane And blame thou neuer body , and þou be blame-worthy Si culpare velis culpabilis esse cauebis , Dogma tuum sordet , cum te tua culpa remordet . God in the gospell greuouslye repreueth , All that lacken any lyfe , and lackes haue hem-selfe . Quid consideras festucam in oculo fratris tui , trabem in oculo tuo & cetera . Why meuist þou thi mode for a mote in thi brother eies Sythen a beame in thyne owne blyndeth thy-selfe . Eiice primo trabem in oculo tuo . Whych letteth the to loke lesse or more I rede eche a blynde bosarde do boote to hym-selfe For abbots and for priers and for al maner prelates As persons & parysh priestes þat preach should & teach All maner men to amende by hyr myghte Thys text was tolde you to be ware ere ye taught That were such as ye said to salue with other For gods word wold not be lost , for þat worcheth euer If it auayled not þe commune it might auaile your-selfe And it semeth nowe sothly to worldes syght That gods word worketh not on learned ne on lewd Agaynsteleawdeprystes . But in suche maner as marke meneth in the gospel . Dum cecus ducit cecum , ambo in foueam cadunt . Lewde men may lyken you thus þat the beame lieth in your eye And the festu is fallen for your defaute In all maner men throughe mauzedma[n]zed prieste The bible beareth wytnes that all the folke of Israel Bytter aboute the gyltes of two bad priestes . Offyn The vision ofFol.l. Offyn and fynes for her couetyse Archa deian unusual instance of Latin text which is NOT in small font myshapped and Eli brake hys necke Forthi correctors claw hereon & correct first your-selfe And than mai ye safely say as Dauid þat made þe psalter Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis , arguam te , et statuam contra faciem tuam . Than shal burel clerks be bashid you to blame or greue And carpen not as they carpe now & call you domme houndes Canes non valentes latrare . And to lacke you with a word your workmanship to let . But be prester at your preier than for a pound of noblis And all for your holines haue you this in hert In schole there is skorne but if a clarke wyll learne And great loue & lyking for eche of hem loueth other Readethys . And nowe is religion a rider , a romer by streate A leder of loue-dayes and a loude beggerlo[n]de b[u]gger[e]londe buggere A prycker of a palfrey from Maner to Maner An heape of houndes at hys arse as he a lord were And but if hys knaue knele that shal hys cope brynge He loured on him & asked who taught him curtesie Litle had lordes to done to giue landes from her heyres To religious þat haue no ruth if it raine on her auters In many places there the persons be by hem-self at ease Of the pore haue they no pytye & that is her charitie And they letten hem as lordes her landes lye so brode . And ther shall come a king & confesse you religious And beat you as þe byble telleth for breking of your rule And amend monials monkes and chanons And put hem to her penaunce . Ad pristinum statum ire . And barons with erles beat hem through Beatus virs teching That her barons claymen & blame you foule Hii in curribus , et hii in equis ipsi obligati sunt . &cetera . N.ii.And The vision of And than friers in freytorhir freytor shal fynde a keye Of Constantynes cofers in whych is the cattel The Abbot of Abyngton That Gregories godchyldren had it dispended And than shal þe Abot of Abington & al his issue for euer Haue a knocke of a kynge and incurable the wounde That this worth soth seke ye , that oft ouer-see þe bible Quomodo cessauit exactor quieuit tributum contriuit dominusbaculum impiorum et virgam dominantium cedentium plaga in sauabilisa[n]abilinot sure this sic/corr is needed, given that the letter in question might well already be an "n" And ere that kinge come Cayne shal awake And Dowel shal ding him down , & distroi his might Than is Dowel & dobet quod I , dominus & knighthood I wyll not skorne quod scripture but if scriuiners lie Kynghoode ne knyghthoode by naught I can awaite Helpeth not to heuenwarde one heres end Ne ryches ryght naught ne ryaltie of lordes Paule preuith it impossible rych men to haue heuen Solomon sayth also that siluer is worst to loue . Nichil iniquius quam amare pecuniam And Caton kenneth vs to coueten it naught but as nede teacheth Dilige denarium sed parce dilige formam And patriarkes and prophets and poets bothe Wryten to wyshe vs to wyl no ryches And praise pouertie with pacience thapostils bere witnes That thei haue heritage in heuen , and by true right Ther rych men no ryght mai claim but of ruth & grace Contraanother example of Latin that isn't in smaller font quod , I by Christ that can I repreue And preuen it by Peter and by Paul bothe That is baptised be safe be he ryche or poore . That is in Extremis quod Scripture among saracens & Iewes They muste be sauyd so & þat is our beleue That an vnchrysten in that case may christen an heathen And for his lely beleue whan he the lyfe tyneth Haue Pierce Ploughman . Fol.li. Haue the heritage of heauen , as any man christen And christen men without more , may not come to heuen , For þat Christ for christen men died , & confirmed the law , That who-so wold and willeth with Christ to arise . Si cum Christo surrexistis . &cetera . He shoulde loue and leuele[n]e , and the lawe fulfyll That is loue thy lord god , leuest aboue al thyng , And after all christen creatures , in commen ech man other And thys longeth to loue , that leueth to be saued , And but we do thys in dede , ere the day of dome , It shall besitten vs ful sore , the syluer that we kepe And our backs þat moteaten ben , & se beggers go naked Or delite in wine , & wildfoule , & wot any in defaute For euery christen creature , shoulde be kinde to other , And sithen heathen to helpe in hope of amendement God hoteth both hygh & lowe , þat no man hurt other , And sayth slea not þat semblable is into my owne likenes But if I sende the some token , and saye , Non necabismecaberis ., Is slea not but suffer , and all for the beste , For I shall punyshe hem in purgatorye , or in þe pyt of hell Euery man for hys misdedes , but if mercy it let , Thys is a longe lesson quod I , and litle I the wyser Where dowell is or dobet , darkely ye shewen , Many tales ye tell , that Theology lerneth , And that I man made was , and my name entred In the legend of lyfe , longe ere I were , Or els vnwryten for some wyckednes , as holy wryte manaceth Nemo ascendit ad celum , nisi qui de celo descendit I leue it wel quod , I by our lord and no letter better , For Solomon the sage , that Sapience taught God gaue him grace of wyt , and al his goodes after He demed well and wysely as holy wryte telleth . N.iii.Aristotle Pierce Ploughman . Aristotle and he who wished men better ? Masters that of gods mercy , teachen men & preachen , Of her words they wish vs , for wissest as in her time And all holy kyrke holdeth hem both dampned , And if I shold worke bi her works to wyn me heuen That for hir workes and wyt , wonneth in payne Than wrought I vnwysely , what-so-euer ye preach And of fele wytty in fayth , lytle farly I haue , Thoughe her gost be vngracious god for to please For many men on this molde , more setten her hertes In good than in god , therfore hem grace fayleth At hyr moste mischiefe , whan they shall lyfe lete , As Solomon did & such other , þat shewed greate wyts They þatmadenoe a shipwere vnsaued . And her works as holy writesaithwrite saith , were euer þe contra-rye Therfore wyse witted men , & wel lettred clarkes As they say hem-selues , selde done therafter . SupraSuperSuper cathedram Moysi . & cetera . And I wene it worthes of manye as was in Noes time Tho he shoope that shyp of shydes & of bordes No wight þat wroght theron was salf , ne any workman els But birdes and beastes , and the blessed Noe , And hys wyfe with hys sonnes , & also her wyues , Of wights that it wrought , was none of hem saued God leue it fare not so by folke , that þe fayth teacheth Of holy kirke þat harborowe is , & gods house to saue And shilden vs from shame therin , as Noes shyp did beasts And men þat made it , amyd þe flood he drowned The Culornot small font of thys clause , curates is to meane That ben carpenters holy kyrke to make , for christes own beasts Homines et ium entaiumenta saluabis domine . On good Fryday I finde a felon was saued , That The vision ofFol.lii. That had liued all hys life , with leasinges & wyth thefte And for he bekened to þe crosse , & to Christ shroue him He was soner saued , than saint Iohn the Baptiste And or Adam or Isai , or any of the prophetis That had lyen wyth Lucifer , many longe yeres The thefwas saued beforeany of þeprophets A robber was raunsomed , rather than they all , Withouten any penaunce of purgatory , to perpetual blisse Than Mary Magdelen , what woman did worse Or who worse than Dauid , þat Urias death conspired Or Paule the Apostle , that no pity had , Muche christen kinde to put[kille]kille to death , And nowe be these souereines with sayntes in heuen Tho þat wrought wickedlest , in worlde tho they were , And tho that wysely worden , and writen many bokes Of wit and of wisedome , with dampned soules wonneth That Solomon saith I trow be soth , & certen of vs al Siue iusti atque sapientes et opera eorum in manu dei sunt . There are witty & wel learned , & her workes ben hid In the handes of almighty god , and he wot þe sothe Wherfore a man worth alowed ther , & his leli works Or els for his yll wil , and for enuy of herte , And be alowed as he liued , for bi yl men knowe good For how wist men what is white , if al thing blak were And who wer a good man , but if ther wer som shrew Therfore lyue we forth with other men , I leue fewe ben good For Qant oportet vient enplaceen place , il ny ad que pati . And he that may all amend , haue mercy on vs all For þe sothist word þat euer god said , was Nemo bonus , Cleargy tho of christes mouthe , commended it was litle For he sayd to saint Peter , and to such as he loued . Cum[D]umDum steteritis ante reges et presides . & cetera . Though ye come before kinges , & clarkes of þe lawe Be The vision of Be not abashed , for I shall be in your mouthes , And gyue you wytte and wyll , and conning to conclud Hem all that agaynst you , of christendome disputen . Dauid maketh mention , he spake amongest kinges , And might no king ouercome him , as bi cunuingcun[n]ing spech , But wyt and wysedome wan neuer the mastrye , Whan man was at mischiefe , without the more grace , The douteist doctour , & diuinour of the Trinitie , Was Austen the olde , and heighest of the foure , Sayd thus in a sermon , I see it wrytten once . Ecce ipsi idiote rapiunt celum , vbi nos sapientes in inferno mergimur . And is to meane to Englyshe men , more ne lesse , Are none rather rauished , from the ryght beleue Than are these cunnyng clarkes , that can many bokes Ne none soner saued , ne sadder of beleue , Than plowmen & pastorers , & pore commen laborers , Sowters and shepeherdes , suche lewde Iuttes Percen wyth a Pater noster , the paleys of heauen , And passen Purgatorie penaunceles , at her hence parting , Into the blysse of Paradice , for her pure beleue , That vnperfitly here knewe , and eke lyued , Yea , men knowe clarkes that cursed the tyme , That euer they could or knewe more than , Credo in deum And principalli her Pater noster , mani a person hath wished I se examples my-selfe , & so may many an-other That seruauntes þat seruen lords , seldom fal in arerages But tho that kepe the lordes catell , clarkes & reues , Ryght so lewde men , and of lytle knowynge , Selde fall they so foule , and so farre in synne , As clarkes of holy church , þat kepe Christes treasure , The which is mans soule to saue , as god saith in þe gospel . Ite vos in vineam meam . Passus The vision ofFol.lvliii.Passus vndecimus de visione THan scripture scornid me & a skile loked And lacked me in latyn & light be me she sette And sayd . Multi multa sciunt et seipsos nesciunt Tho wept I for woo & wrath of hir speche And in a wyncking wrath wexyd I a-slepe And maruellous mettels met me than That I was rauyshed ryght there & fortune me fette And in to the land of Longing , alone she me brought In a mirour hight Midleerth she made me to bihold Sithen she sayd to me here myghtest thou se wondres And know þat thou couetest & cum therto perauenture Of damsels offortuuefortune Than had fortune foloing hyr two faire damsels Concupiscencia carnis men called the elder mayde And Couetous of eyes called was the other Pride of perfet lyuinge pursued hem bothe And bad me for my countenaunce acount Clargie lyght Concupiscentia carnis colled me about the necke And sayde thou art young & yempye[e]pyeep & hast yers inowe For to lyue long and Ladies to loue And in thys myrror you myght see myghts ful many That leaden þe wylie wyse to lyking al thy life tyme The second said the same I shal sue thy wyll Tyl thou be a lorde and haue lande let the I nell That I ne shal follow thi felloweship if fortune it like He shal fynde me hys frend quod fortune therafter The freke that followed my wyll fayled neuer blysse Than was ther one þat hight Eld þat heuy was of chere Man quod he , if I mete with the by Marie of heuen Thou shalt fynde Fortune the fayle at thy most nede And Concupiscentia carnis clene the forsake Bitterly shalt thou banne hem bothe day and night , O.i.Couetise The vision of Couetyse of eye , that euer thou hyr knew And pryde of perfecte lyuinge , to much perill þe bring Ye rech þe neuer quod rechles , stand forth in raged clothes , Folow forth þat fortune wol , thou hast wel for til Eld A man may stoupe by time inoughe , whan shal tine the crowne Homo proponit , quod a Poete , & Plato he hyght , And Deus disponit , quod he , let god do hys wyll , If truth do wytnes it be wel done , fortune to folow Concupiscentia carnis , ne Couetise of eyes , Ne shal not greue the greatly , ne but þou wilt begile the Yea fare wel Phip quod Faunteltie , & forth gan me draw , Til Concupisentia carnis , accorded all my worckes . Alas Eighe quod Elde , and holines bothe , That wit shal turne to wretchednes , for wyll to haue his liking Couetise of eyes conforted me anone after , And folowed me fourty wynter , and a fistefifte more , That of dowell ne dobet , no deynty me thought . I had no liking leue me , if ye list of hem ought to know Couetise of eyes came ofter in mynde , Than dowell or dobet , amonge my dedes all , Couetyse of eyes conforted me ofte , And sayd haue no conscience how thou come to good Go confesse the to some fryer , & shewe hym thy sinnes , For while fortune is thy frend , Friers wil the loue And fetche the to their fraternitie , and for the beseche To her Prior prouinciall a pardon to haue , And pray for the pole by pole , if thou be pecuniosus , Sed pena pecuniaria non sufficit , pro spiritualibus delictis . By wishing of this wench I wrought , hir words wer so swete Til I forgate youth , and yarne into elde , And than was fortune my foe , for al hir faire behest And Pierce Ploughman , Fol.liiii. And pouertie pursued me , and put me lowe , And tho found I the Fryer aferde , and flytting bothe Agaynste our fyrste forwarde , for I sayde I nolde , Be buried at hyr house , but at my paryshe churche , For I heard once how consience it tolde , That kind wold men be biried , ther thei were christenid Or wher þat he were parishen , þat ther he shold be grauen And for I sayd thus to Fryers , a fole they me helden And loued me the lesse , for my lely speache , And yet I cryed on my confessour , þat helde him-self cun=ning By mi faith frier quod I , ye faren like these wowers That wed none widows , but for to weld hir goods Ryght so by the rode rought you neuer , Where my body were buried , by so ye had my siluer I haue muche maruaile of you , & so hath many other Why your couent coueteth to confesse and burye Rather than to baptise barnes that be catekinlinges Baptysynge and buriynge , bothe be neadfull And much more meritorie , me thinketh it is to baptise For a baptised man may , as these masters telleth Through contrition come to þe high heuen , sola contricionecontriciocontricio And barne wythout baptisme , may not be saued , Nisi quis renatus fuerit , loke ye lettred men , where I lye or do not And leauti loked on me , & I loured after , Wherfore lourest þou quod leauty , & loked on me hard If I durste quod I , amongeste men , these metels auowe Yes bi Peter & by Poule quod he , & toke hem both to witnes . Non oderis fratres in corde tuo secretesecrete in corde tuo sed publice argue illos . They will aledge also quod I , & by the gospel preuen Nolite iudicare quemquam . And wherof seruith law quod leuti , if no life vndertoke it O.ii.False= Pierce Ploughman . Falsenes ne flatterye , for somewhat thapostle sayd . Non oderis fratrem , & in the psalter also saith Dauid the prophet . Existimasti inique , quid eritquod eroquod ero tui similis ? It is licitum for lewde men to say the sothe , If hem liketh and lest eche a lawe that it graunteth , Except persons and priestes , & prelates of holy kyrke It falleth not for that folke , no tales to tell , Thoughe the tale were true , and it touched synne Thing þat al þe world wot , wherfore shouldest þou spare And reden it in Rethorike , to arate deadly sinne And be neuermore first , the defaute to blame , Though þou se yll , say it not first , be sory it nere amendid Nothyng that is pryuye , publishe thou it neuer Neyther for loue laude it not , ne lacke it for enuye Parum lauda vitupera percius . He sayth soth quod scripture tho , & scypte vp & preached And þe matter þat she meaned , if lewde men it knew , The lesse as I leue , louen it they woulde This was hyr theme , & her text , I toke ful good hede Multi to a mangery , and to the mete were sumpted Whan þe people were plener come , þe porter vnpind þe gate And plucked in Pauci , priuily , & let þe remnaunt go All for tene of her text trembled my herte , And in a were gan I wexe , & with my-selfe to dispute Whether I wer chose or not , on holi kirke I thoght That vnderfonged me at þe font for one of gods chosen For Christe cleped vs all , come if we woulde Saracyns & Scismatikes , and so he did the Iewes , O vos omnes sicientes venite . & . cetera . And badde hem sonkesouke for sinne , safely at hys breast And drynke bote for bale , brooke it who-so myght Than may all christen come quod I , & claime her enter , By The vision ofFol.lviilv. By þe bloude þat he bought vs with , & through baptisme after Qui crediderit , et baptisatus fuerit , For though a christen man coueted his christendome to renie Ryghtfullye to reney , no reason it woulde , For may no cherle charter , make ne hys catel sel Wythouten leue of hys Lorde , no lawe wil it graunt And he may runne in arerages , and runne so from home And as a reneyed kaytyfe , recheles runnen aboute And reason shal reken with hym , & cast him in arerage And put him after in a prison , in purgatory to brenne For his arerages rewarden hym there , tyl domes day But if contrition wyll come and crye by hys lyue Mercy for hys misdeades , wyth mouth or with hert . That is sothe sayde scripture , may no synne lette , Mercy all amende , and mekenes hyr felowe , For thei ben as our bokes telleth , aboue gods werks Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius . Yea bawe for bookes quod one , was broken out of hell , I Troyans a true knight , take witnes at a pope How I was dead & dampned to dwel in paine For an vnchristen creature , clerkes wytten þe sothe , That al þe clargi vnder Christ , ne might me cratch from hell But only loue & leauty , & my lawful domes . Gregory wyst wel thys , and wylned to my soule , Saluation for sothnes , that he se in my workes And after that he wepte , & wylned me were graunted , Grace without any bede bydding , his bone was vnderfogenvnderfongen And I saued as ye se , without synging of masses By loue and by learnynge , of my lyuyng in truth , Brought me from bitter payne , ther no bidding might Lo ye lords what leuty did by an emperour of rome That was an vnchristen creature as clarkes finde in bokes O.iii. The vision of Not through prayer of a pope , but for his pure truth Was þat sarazin saued , as saint Gregory beareth witnes , Wel oughten lords þat laws kepen , þat lesson hold in mynd And on troianus truth to thinke , & do truth to þe puple Lawe without loue quod Troianus , ley there a beane , Or any science vnder the sonne , the seuen artes and al But they be lerned for our lords loue , lost is thy time For no cause to catch syluer by , or be called a master But all for loue of our lord , & the bet to loue þe puple For saynt Iohn sayd it , and soth are hys wordes . Qui non diligit manet in morte . Who-so-euer loueth me not , he liueth in death diyng . And that all maner of men , enemies and frendes Loue eyther other , and leue hem as hem-selfe , Who-so leueth not , he loueth not , god wot the sothe , And commaundeth ech creature to conforme him to loue , And souerainely the pore puple , and her enmies after For hem that haten vs , is our merite to loue , And pore people to please , her prayers may vs helpe And our ioye , and our healthe , Iesu christe of heauen , In a pore mans apparayle , pursued vs after , And loked on vs in hyr likenes , & that with louely chere , To know vs by our kynde hert , & casting of our eien Whether we loue þe lords here , before the lord of blisse And exciteth vs by þe euangely , þat whan we make feasts We shold not clepen our kinne therto , ne none kynnes ryche Cum facitis conuiuia , nolite inuitare amicos . And call the carefull thereto , the croked & the pore , For your frendes wil feden you , & found you to quite Your festing & your fayr gift , ech frend quiteth so other . And for the pore I shal pay , & wel quite her trauayle That geue hem meat or monei , and loue hem for mi sake For Pierce Ploughman .Fol.lvi. For the best ben some ryche , & some beggers & pore , For we al ar Christes creatures , & of his cofers rich , And brether as of one blud as well beggers as erles For on Calueri of christis blud , christendome gan spryng And bloudy brethren we becom ther , of one bodi won As Quasi modo geniti , and gentilmen eche one , No begger ne no boy amongs vs , but if sinne it make Qui facit peccatum , seruus est peccati . In old lawe , as holy letter telleth , Mennes sonnes men called vs eche one , Of Adams issue and Eue , aye till God man dyed And after hys resurrection , Redemptor was his name , And we his brethren by him bought , both rich & pore Forthy loue we as leue brether , & ech man leue other And of that ech man may forbear , amend ther it nedeth And euery man helpe other , for hence shal we all , Alter alterius onera portate . And be we not vnkind of our cattel , ne of our kinning For wot no man how nye it is , to be bynome from both Therfore lacke no others life , though he more latine know Ne vndernime not foul , for is none without faut , For what euer clarkes carpe , of christendome or els , Christ to a commen woman sayd , in commune at þe feste , That Fides sua , should saue hir , & saluen her of al sinnes Than is beleue a lelly helpe , aboue logike or law , Of logyke or of lawe , in Legenda sanctorum Is lyttle alowaunce made , but if bileue hem helpe For it is ouer long or logyke , any lesson assoyle And lawe is lothe to loue , but if he lacke syluer Both logyke and lawe , that loueth not to lye , I counsel all christen , cleue not theron to sore For some words I find write , wer of faiths teching That Pierce Ploughman . That saued sinful men , as saynt Iohn bereth witnes Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis remecietur vobis Therfore lerne we þe law of loue , as our lord taught And as saynt Gregory sayd , for mans soule health Melius est scrutari scelera nostra , quam naturas rerum . Why I meane this matter is most for the pore For in her likenes our Lord oft hath bene knowen Wytnes in Paske weke , whan he yede to Emaus Cleophas ne knewe him not , that he Christ were For hys pore apparell , and pylgrames wedes , Tyll he blessed , and brake the breake that they eaten , So by these workes they wyste , that he was Iesus , And bi clothing thei knew him not , ne by carpinge of tonge And all was in example , to vs synfull here That we shoulde be lowe and louely of speach And apparel vs not proudly , for pilgrimes are we al And in the apparel of a pore man , & pilgrymes lyknes Many times god hath ben met among nedy people , There neuer segge him see , in sette of the ryche Saint Iohn & other sayntes were sene in pore clothynge And as pore pilgrames prayden mens goodes Iesu Christ on a Iews daughter light , gentle though she were Was a pore maid , & on a pore man weddid Martha on Marye Magdalen , an hudge plainet she made And to our sauiour selfe , sayd these wordes Domine non est tibi cure quod soror mea reliquit me solamministrare ? And hastely god answered & eythers wyll folowed , Bothe Marthaas & Maries as Mat. bereth witnes And pouerty god put before , & praysed that better . Maria obtimamo[p]timam partem elegit que non . &cetera . And all þe wise that euer were , by ought I can espye , Praysen pouerty for best lyfe , if patience folowe , And Pierce Ploughman , Fol.lvii. And both better , & blesseder , by many fold than ryches And thoughe it be soure to suffer , yet after commeth swete As on a walnut without is a bitter barke , And after that bytter barke , be the shell awaye Is a kirnell of conforte lyfe to restore , So is after pouertie and penaunce , patiently taken For it maketh a man to haue mind in god , & a gret wil To wepe and to well byd , wherof wexeth mercy Of whych Christ is a kernel to confort the soule , And well syker he slepeth the man that is pore And lesse he dreadeth death , and darke to be robbed Than he that is ryght ryche , reason beareth wytnes Pauper ego ludo dum tu diues meditaris . Although Solomon saith as folke seeth in the bible . Diuitias nec paupertates . Wiser than Solomon was , bereth witnes & taught That perfecte pouertie was , no possession to haue And lyfe most likinge to god , as Luke bereth witnes Si vis perfectus esse , vade et vende . &cetera . And is to meane men that on this molde lyuen , Who-so will be pure perfect , must possessions forsake Or sell it as sayeth the boke , and the siluer deale To begers þat gone & beg & bidden good for gods loue For failed neuer man meat , that mightful god serueth As Dauid sayeth in the psalter to such þat ben in wyll , To serue god goodlyche , ne greth hem no penaunce , Nihil impossibile volenti . Ne lacketh neuer lyuelode , linnen ne wollen . Inquirentes autem dominum non minuentur omni bono . If priestes were perfite , they woulde no syluer take , For masses ne for matens , ne her meate of vsurers Ne nether kirtle ne cote , though thei for cold shold die P.i.And The vision of And thei her deuour dyd as Dauid sayth in the psalter . Iudica me deus et discerne causam meam . Spera in deo , speketh of priests þat haue no spending siluer Than if thei trauel truly , & trusten in god almighti Hem should lacke no lyuelode , nether wollen nor linnen And þe title thei toke orders by , telleth thei be auanced Than nede not you to take siluer , for masses þat ye syng For he þat toke ye your title , shold pai you your wagis Or þe bishop that blessed you , if that ye be worthy For made neuer king a knight , but he had catel to spend As befell for a knight , or founde him for his strenght It is a carefull knight , & of a kaytife kynges making That hath no land ne linage riche ne good loos of hys handes The same I say forsoth , by al such priestes , That haue nether cunning ne kynne , but a crowne one And a title a tale of nought , to liue by at his mischife He hath more beleue I leue , to latch through crown Cure than for kennynge , or knowen for clene beryng I haue wonder why , and wherfore the byshop Maketh such priestes that lewde men betrayen . A charter is chalencheable , before a chiefe iustice If false laten be in that letter , the lawe is impugne Or painted pentrelniarie , or percell ouerskipped The gome þat gloseth so charters , for a goky is holden So it is a goky by god , that in hys gospel fayleth Or in masse or mattens , maketh anye defaute . Qui offendit in vno , in omnibus est reus . Also in the psalter sayeth Dauid to ouerskyppesouerskyppe[ri]souerskipperis . Psallite deo nostro psallite , quoniam rex terre deus Israell , psallite sapienter . The bishop shalbe blamed before god as I leue , That crowneth such gods knightes þat can not sapienter Synge Pierce Ploughman , Fol.lviii. Synge ne psalme read , ne say a masse of the daye , And neuer nether is blamles , the bishop or þe chaplen For here ether is indited , & that is ignorantia Non excusat episcopos nec idiotes priestes , This loking on lewd priests I am leapt from pouerti Which I praise , her patience is more perfit than riches And much more in meting thus , with me gan one dispute And slepyng I se all thys , and sythen came kynd And named me by my name , and bade me nimen hede And through the wonders of this world , wyt to take And on a mountain þat mydle erth hight as me thought I was fette forth by ensamples to knowe Through ech a creature & kynde my creatour to loue . I se the sunne & the sea , and the sonde after And where that byrdes & beastes by her makes they yeden Wyld wormes in woodes & wonderful fowles Wyth fleked fethers , and of fell colours , Man and hys make , I myght bothe behold Pouertye and plentye , bothe peace and warre Blysse and bale bothe , I se all at once And howe men toke mede , and mercye refuced , Reason I see sothlye , sewen all beastes In eatyng & drynkyng , & in engendryng of kynde , And after course of conception none toke kepe of other As whan they had ryden in rote tyme , right anone aftir Males draw hem to males , a-mornings bi hem-selfe And in eueninges also , the males ben from the females There ne was cowe ne cowe kinde , þat conceiued had , That wold bellow after boles , ne bore after sowe Both horse and houndes , & all other beastes , Medled not wyth her makes , that with fole were , Byrdes I behelde , that in bushes made nestes , P.ii.Had The vision of Had neuer wryght wytte to worke the leste , I had wonder at whom , and where the pye learned , To lygge the styckes in whiche she layeth & breadeth Nis wright as I wene cold worch hir nestis to paye If ani mason made a mold therto , much wonder it wer And yet me marueiled more howe many other birds Hydden and hylden her egges full derne , In maryes and mores , for men should hem not fynd And hydden her egges , whan they therefro went , For feare of other fowles , and for wylde beastes And some troden her makes , and on trees bredden And broughten forth hyr byrds so , all aboue þe ground And some byrds at þe byl , through brething conceiued And some cauked I toke kepe howe pecocks breaden , Muche marueyled me , what master they had And who taught hem on trees to tymbren so hyghe , That neither barne ne beast , maye hyr byrdes rechen And sithen I loked on the sea , & so forth apon þe starres Many selkoughes I see , be not to see nowe I see floures in the frythe , and her fayre colours , And how among þe grene gras , growed so many huis And some soure , & some swete , selkough me thought Of her kindes & of her colours , to carpen it wer to long And that most meued me , and my mode chaunged , That reason rewarded , and ruled al beastes , Saue man and hys make , manye tyme and ofte , No reason hem folowed , and than I rebuked Reason , and right tyll hym-selfe I sayde I haue wonder of the quod I , that wyttye art holden Whi þou ne suiste man & his make , þat no misfeat hem folow And reason arated me , and sayd reche the neuer , Why I suffer or not suffer , thy-selfe hast not to do Amende Pierce Ploughman . Fol.lix. Amende þou it if thou myght , for my tyme is to abide Suffraunce is a suffran vertue , and a swifte vengeaunce Who suffreth more than god quod he , no gome as I leue He might amend in a minute while , al þat amise standeth And he suffreth for some mans good , & so is our better The wyse and the witty wrote thus in the byble . De re que te non molestat noli certare . For be a man fayre or foule , it falleth not for to lacke , The shampe ne the shape , that god shope hym-selfe , For al þat he did was wel do , as holy write witnesseth Et vidit deus cuncta que fecerat et erant valde bona . And bade euery creature in hys kynde encrease , All to myrthe with man that most woth holye In foundynge of the fleshe , and of the fende bothe For man was made of suche a matter , he may not well astart That ne somtime him bited , to folowen his kind Caton accordeth therwith , Nemo sine crimine viuit . Tho caught I colour anone , & comsed to be ashamed , And awaked therewyth , wo was me than That I in metelles ne myght more haue knowen And than sayde I to my-selfe , and chyde that tyme , Now do I ken dowel quod I , by dere god as me think And as I cast vp my eyen , one loked on me & asked Of me what thynge it were , I wysh syr I sayd To se much and suffer more , certes quod I is dowell Haddest thou suffred he said , slepyng tho thou were , Then hadst þou kende þat clergi came , & kend more bi reson For reson wold haue rehearsed þe , right as cleargi said And for thy intermittinge , here art thou forsake , Philosophus esses si tacuisses . &cetera . Adam whyle he spake not had paradise at wyll But whan he mamelid about mete & entermittid to know P.iii.The The vision of The wisedome and þe wit of god , he was put from blis And ryght so fared reson with the , thou with thy rude spech Lakedst & losedst thyng that longed not to be done , Tho had he no lykyng for to learne the more . Pryd now & presumption peraduenture wol me appele , That cleargy thy company , ne kepeth not to shew , Shal neuer chalengyng ne chydyng chast a man so sone As shal shame and shenden hym , & shape hym to amend For let a dronken daffe in a dyke fall , Let hym ligge , loke not on hym , tyl hym lyst to aryse For though reson rebuked him than , it wer but pure sin And whan nede nimeth hym vp for doubt lest he sterue And shame shaketh hys clothes , & hys skyn washeth Than wot the dronken daffe , wherfore he is to blame . Ye sayen sothe quod I , iche haue isene it ofte There smyte nothyng so smarte , ne smelleth so soure , As shame ther he shewith him , for ech man him shonith Why ye wysh me thus quod I , was for I rebuked reason Certes quod he that is sothe , and shope hym for to waken And I arose vpright with that , and folowed hym after And prayed hym of hys curtesye , to tel me hys name . Passus duodecimus de visione . I Am Imaginatiue quod he , idle was I neuer Though I sit bi mi-selfe , in sikenes & in helth I haue folowed þe in fayth , thys .xlv.forty-five KD has "five and fourty"wynter And ofttimes haue meued þe to think on thin end And how fele fernies are faren , & so few to comen And of thy wild wantonnes , though thou yong were To amenden it in thy myddle age , lest might the fayled In thyne olde Elde that euil can suffer , Pouertye or penaunce or prayer bydde , Si Pierce Ploughman . Fol.lx. Si non in prima vigilia , nec in secunda . Amend the while thou may , thou hast ben warned oft With poustees of pestilences , with pouerty & with angres And with these bitter baleises , god beateth his dere children Quem diligo castigo . And Dauid in þe psalter saith , of such þat loueth Iesus Virga tua et baculus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt . Althoughe thou stryke with thy staffe or with sticke , or with yerde It is but mirth , as for me to amend my soule , And þou medlist with makings & mightist go sai thi psalter And bidden for hem that giue þat bread , for ther ar bokes inow To tel me what dowel is , dobet , & dobest both And prechers to preuen what it is of many apeyre friers I se wel he sayd me soth , & somwhat me to excuse Sayd Caton conforted me his sonne , þat clarke though he were To solace him somtime , as I do whan I make . Interpone tuis interdum gaudia curis . And of holy men I hard quod I , how they otherwhyle , Pleyden , the perfitter to ben in many places , And if there were any wyght that would me tel What were dowel & dobet , & dobest at the last Would I neuer do werke , but wend to holy church , And ther bid my beades , but whan ech eat or slepe Poule in his pistle quod he , preueth what is dowel Fides spes charitas et maior horum . & cetera . Fayeth hope and charitye , and all be good And sauen men sondry tymes , & none so sone as charitye For he doth wel withouten dout , þat doth as leuty techeth That is if thou be man maryed , thy make thou loue And lyueforth as lawe wyll , whyle you lyuen both Ryght so if thou be religious , ren thou neuer further To Rome ne Rochmador , but as thy rule teacheth . And The vision of And holde the vnder obedience , þat heigh way is to heuen And if thou be maiden to mary , & might wel continue , Seke neuer no saint further , for thi soules health , For what made Lucifer to lese the hyghe heauen , Or Solomon hys sapience , or Sampson his strength , Iob the Iewe hys ioye , deare he it bought , Aristotle and other mo , Hypocrates and Uirgil , Alexander that all wan , elenglyche endeth Catell and kinde wytte , was combrauucecombrau[n]ce to hem all Felice hyr fayrnes , fell hyr all to slaunder , And Rosamonde ryght so , rufully to beleue , The beauty of hyr body in badnes she dispended Of many suche I may reade , of men and women That wyse wordes wold shewe , & worch the contrary Sunt homines nequam , bene de virtute loquentes . And ryche reukes ryght so , gaderen and sparen , And tho men þat they moste haten , minister it at þe last And for they suffren and se so many neady folkes And loue hem not as our lorde byd , lesen hyr soules , Date et dabitur vobis . And ryches ryght so , but if the rote be true , And grace is a grasse thereof , tho greuaunce to abate , And grace ne groweth not , but amonges lowe , Patience & pouertye , the place is there it groweth And in lelly liuyng men , and in lyfe holye , And through þe gift of þe holy gost , as þe gospel telleth Spiritus vbi vult spirat . Cleargy and kind wyt commeth of sight & teachyng As the boke bereth witnes to barnes that can reade . Quod scimus loquimur , quod vidimus testamur . Of quod scimus cometh Cleargy , and cunning of heuen And of quod vidimus , cometh kind wyt , of sight of dyuerse puple The vision ofFol.lxi. And grace is a gyfte of god , & great loue springeth Knew neuer clark how it comth , ne kind wit þe waies Nescit aliquis vnde venit , aut quo vadit . And yet is cleargy to commend , and kinde wit bothe And namly clergy for christis loue , þat of clergi is rote For Moses witnesseth þat god wrote , þe puple to wish In thold law as þe leter telleth , þat was þe law of Iues That what woman were taken in auoutri , rich or pore With stones men should strike hir , & stone hir to death , A woman as we finden was gilty of that death And Christ of his curtesy through cleargy hir saued , And through caracts þat Christe wrought , the Iewes knew hem-self Giltier as afore god , & greater in sinne , Than the woman þat there was , & went away for shame The cleargy that there was , conforted the woman Holy kyrk knoweth this , þat christs writing saued hir So cleargy is confort to creatures that repenten And to mansede men mischiefe at her ende , For bread of gods body myght not be without cleargy The which bread is both boote to the rightful , And death and dampnation to hem that dye euill And christis caracts confortid , & both culpable shewid The woman that þe Iews brought , þat Iesus thought to saue . Nolite iudicare , et non iudicabimini . Right so gods body brethren , but it be worthely take Damnith vs at þe dai of dome , as þe caracts did þe Iwis Therfore I counsel the for christes sake , clergy þat thou loue For kind wyt is of his kin , & nygh cosins both , To our Lord leue me , therfore loue hem I read , For both ben as myrrours , to amend our defautes , And leaders for lewde men , and for lettred both Therfore lacke þou neuer logyke , law ne his customes , Q.i.Ne Pierce Ploughman . Ne countrepled clarkes I counsel the for euer , For as a man may not see , that misseth hys eyen , No more can no clarke , but if he caughte it fyrste by boks Although men made bokes , god was þe master And saint Spirite the samplare & sayd what men should wryte Right so leadeth letture , lewde men to reason And as a blinde man in battel beareth wepen to fight And hath no happe with hys axe hys enemy to hytte No more can a kind witted man , but clarkes him teach Come for al his kinde wyt , to christendome & be saued Whych is þe coffer of christes treasure , & clarks kepe þe kaies To vnlock it at her liking , & to þe lewd puple , Gyue mercy for her misdedes , if men wyll it aske Buxomly and benignely , and bydden it of grace . Archa dei in the olde lawe , Leuites it kepten , Had neuer lewde man leue , to liggen hand on þat cheste , But he were priest or priestes sonne , patriarke or prophet For Clargy is keper vnder Christ of heuen , Was there neuer knight , but Cleargy hym made And kynde commeth of al kyndes syght , Of byrdes & of beasts , of tastes , of truth & of deceits Lyuers aforne vs , vseden to make , Seldome that they sene her sonnes for to teach , And helden it an hyghe Science , her wyttes to know And through her science sothly , was neuer no soule saued Ne brought by her bokes to blysse , ne to ioye , For al her kind knowings , come but of diuerse sights Patriarkes and prophetes , repreueden hir science And sayd her words ne her counsell , was but foly As to þe Cleargy of Christ , counted it but a trifle . Sapientia huius mundi , stulticia apud deum . For the hyghe holy gost , heauen shall to-cleaue , And The vision ofFol.liiiilxii And loue shall lepen out after into thys low earth And cleannes shall catche it , & clarkes shall it fynde Pastores loquebantur ad inuicem . He speakith nought ther of rych men , ne of right witty And of lords þat were lewde men , but of þe hieste lettred oute Ibant Magi ab oriente . Yf any fryer were found ther , I giue you fiue shillings Ne in no beggers cote , was that barne borne But in burgeis place , in Bethleem the beste . Sed non erat ei locus in diuersio , et pauper non habet diuersorium . To pastours and to poets , appeared the angell And bade hem go to Bethleem gods birth to honour And songen a song of solace , Gloria in excelsis deo , Clarkes knewe it well , & commen with her presentes And dyd homage honorably , to him þat was almighty Why I haue told al thys , I toke full good hede , Howe thou contriuedest Cleargy with crabbed wordes How þat lewde men lyghtlucker , than lettred were saued Than clarkes or kinde witted men of christen puple , And tho saydest soth of some , & se in what maner , Take two stronge men , in Temes cast hem , And both naked as a nedle , ther non sikerer than other The one hath cunnynge , and can swymme and dyue , Thother is lewd of þat laboure , lerned neuer to swym Which trowest þou of those two , in Temese is most in dred He þat neuer diued , ne nought can of swymmyng Or the swymmer that is safe , be so him-self lyke , There hys felow flete forth , as the flowd liketh And is in dread to drench , that neuer dyd swymme ? That swymme can not I sayd , it semeth to my wyts Ryght so quod the reuke , Reason sheweth That he that knoweth cleargy can soner aryse Q.ii.Out Pierce Ploughman . Out of sinne and he be safe , thoughe he sinne oft , If him liketh and lyst , than any lewde lellye For if the clarke be cunnyng , he knoweth what is sinne And how contricion without confession , conforteth mi soule As thou seest in the psalter , in psalmes one or twaine How contrition is commendid , for it catcheth away sinne Beati quorum remisse sunt iniquitates et quorum tecta sunt . & cetera . And this conforteth ech a clark , & couereth him from wanhope In which floode þe fend fondeth a man hardest , There the lewde lieth still , & loketh after lent , And repenteth not before shrift , & than can he litle tell , And as his lores man lerneth him , beleueth & troweth And that is after person & parishe priest , & paraduenture Uncunnyng to lerne lewd men , as Luke bereth witnes Dum cecus , ducit cecum . &cetera Wo was him marked , that wade must with the lewde Well may the barne blysse , that him to boke set That liuing after letture , saueth him both life & soule Dominus pars hereditatis mee . is a mery versicle , That hath taken from Tiburne .xx.twenty stronge theues . Ther leud theuis ben lollid vp , loke how thei be sauid The thef þat had gods grace on goodfridai as þou spake Was for he knew Christ on þe cros , & knowlegid his sinne And grace asked of god , & he is euer redy , That buxomlyche byddeth it , & ben in wyl to amend hem And thoughe þat thefe had heuen he had no hye blisse , As saynt Iohn & other saintes , þat deserued had better Right as if a man giue me meat , & set me amid þe flore I haue meat more then inough , & not so much worship As thei þat sit at side tables , or with souereignis of þe hal But sit as a begger bordles , by my-selfe on þe ground So it fareth bi þat felon , that on good friday was saued He The vision ofFol.lxiii. He sytteth neither with saint Iohn , Simon ne Iude , Ne with maydens , ne with martyrs , confessours ne widows But by him-selfe as a soleyn , and serued on earth For he that is once a thefe , is euermore in daunger And as lawe lyketh to lyue or dye . De peccato propitiato noli esse sine metu . And for to seruen a saynt , and such a thefe togithers , It were nether reason ne right , to reward hem both ilike And as Troianus þe tru knight , dwelt not so dep in hel But our lord had him lightli out , so leue I þe thif be in heuen For he is in þe lowist heuen , if our beleue is true , And well loselleche he lolleth there by þe lawe of holy church Qui reddit vnicuique iuxta opera sua . And why þat one thefe on þe crosse , creant gan him yeld Rather than þe other thefe , though þou woldest oppose All the clarkes vnder Christ , ne could þe skil assoile . Quare placuit ? quia voluit . And so I saye by the that sekest after the weyes And resonest reason a rebukinge as it were , And of flowers in the frithe , and of fayre hewis Wherof they catche her colours , so cleare & so bright And willest of birds & beasts , & hir breding to know Why some be a lowe & some a loft , thy likin it were And of þe stones & of the sterres , þou studiest as I leue Howe euery beaste and byrde , hath sobrenne wittes , Cleargy ne kinde wytte , ne knewe neuer the cause And kind knoweth the cause him-selfe , no creature els He is the Pies patron , and put it in hir eare That there the thornes is thickest , to builde & brede And kind kenneth the Pecoke , to canken in such a kinde And kenned Adam to knowe his priuy membres And taught him and Eue , to hyll hem with leaues Q.iii.Lewde Pierce Ploughman . Lewed men many times masters they apposen , Why Adam ne hilled not first his mouth þat eat þe apple Rather than his likam alowe , lewde after thus clarkes Kynd knoweth why he did so , & no clarkes els And of byrdes and of beastes , men by olde time Ensamples token and termes , as tellen the poets And that the fayrest foule , foulest engendreth , And feblest fowle of flight is , þat flyeth or swymmeth , And þe Pecock & the pehen , proud rich men they betoken For the Pecock & men pursue him , he may not fly hygh For the traylyng of hys tayle , ouertake is he sone , And hys fleshe is fowle fleshe , and his fete both And vnlouely of leden , and layeth for to heare , Ryght so the ryche , if he hys ryches kepe , And deleth it not til his deths day , þe taile of al sorow Right as þe pens in þe pecock paineth him in his flight So is possession payne of pence , and of nobles To all hem that it holdeth , tyl her taile be plucked And though the rych repent than , and byrue þe tyme That euer he gathered so great , & gaue therof so lytle Thoughe he cry to Christ than , with keene wyll I leue , His leden be in our lords eare , lyke a pies chattering And whan his carion shal come , in caue to be buried I leue it flowme full fowle , the folde all about And al þe other there it lyeth , enuenimed through hys By þe posete is vnderstande , as I haue lerned in Auinet Executors , false frendes , that fulfyll not hys wyll That was written & thei witnes , to werk al þat it wold And thus þe poet preueth þat the pecock for his fethers is reuerenced Ryght so the rych by reson of hys goods The larke þat is a lesse fowle , is more louely of ledene And wyll away of winge swyfter than the pecocke , And The vision ofFol.lvilxiiii. And of fleshe by fell folde , fatter and sweter To lowe lyuynge men is resembled the larke Arystotle the great clarke , suche tales he tayleth Thus he likeneth in hys logyke , the lest fowle out , And whether he be safe or not , the soth wot no clergie Ne of Sortes ne of Solomon , no scripture can tel And god is so good I hope , þat sith he gaue hem wits To wissen vs waies therwith , that wissen vs to be saued And the better for her bokes , to bydden we ben holden That god of hys grace , gyue hyr soules reste For lettred men were lewde men yet , ne were lore of her bokes All these clarkes quod I tho , þat on Christ leuen Seithen in her sermons , þat nether saracines ne Iewes Ne creture of Christis likenes , worth salf vnchristenid Contra quod imaginatyue tho , & comsed for to loure And sayd Saluabitur vix iustus in die iudicii . Ergo saluabitur , quod he , and sayde no more laten , Troianus was a true knighte , & toke neuer christendome And he is safe saith þe boke , & his soule in heuen For there is fullyng of fout , & fulling in blud sheding And through fyre is fullyng , that is , firme beleue Aduenit ignis diuinus non comburens sed illuminans . & cetera . And truth þat trespaced neuer , ne transuersed against his law But liuith as þat techith , & leuith ther be no beter And if ther were he wold amend , and in such wyl dye Ne would neuer true god , but truthe were alowed And wher it worth or it worth not , belife of it is gret And an hope hanging therin , to haue mede for his truth For Deus dicitur quasi dans vitam eternam suis hoc est fidelibus Et alibi , si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis , The glose graunteth apon þat verse , a gret mede to truth And wyt & wisdome quod þe wight , was somtime treasure To Pierce Ploughman . To kepe with a commune , ne cattell was hold better And much mirthe & manhode , & right with that he vanished Passus .xiii.tredecimus de visione ANd I awaked therewith witles nerehand And as a freke þat fre were , forth gan I walke In maner of a mendinaunt , many a yere after And of this meting many time , much thoght I had Fyrst how Fortune me failed at mi most nede And howe þat Elde manaced me , myght we euer meten And how the Fryers folowed folke that was ryche And folke that was pore , at litle price they set And no cors in hir kyrkeyard , nor kirke was buried But quik he bequeth hem oght , or quite part of hir dets And howe that couetise ouercame clarkes & priestes And how þat lewde men be ladde , but our lord hem help Through vncunning creatures , to incurable paines And how that imaginatiue in dreames me tolde Of kind & of his cunning , & how curtise he is to beasts And how louing he is to beasts on lande & on water Leneth he no lyfe lesse ne more . The creatures that crepen of kinde they be engendred And sithen how imaginatiue sayde , Uix saluabitur , And when he had sayde so how sodenly he passed I laye longe in thys thoughte , and at the last I slepte And as Christ wold conscience came to confort me þat time And bade come in his court , with cleargy shold I dyne And for conscience of clergy spake , I came wel þe rather And ther I se a master , what man he was I nist That lowe he lowted , and louelye to scripture Conscience knew him well and welcomed hym fayre They washen and wypen and went to the dyner And The vision ofFol.lxiilxv And patience in the palaice stode in pilgrimes clothes And prayed meate for charitie , for a pore hermite , Conscience called hym in , and curtesly sayd , Welcome wyght , go and washe , þou shalt sit sone Thys maister was made sit , as for the most worthy And than Cleargy & Conscience , & Patience came after Patience and I were put to be matches , And sitten by our-selfe at the syde borde , Conscience called after meate , and than came scripture And serued them thus sone , of sondrye meates manye Of Austen of Ambrose , and of the four Euangelistes Edentes et bibentes , que apud eos sunt . And thys maister and hys man no maner fleshe eaten And they eate meate of more cost , mortreux & potage Of that men miswonne , they made hem well at ease And their sause was ouer sour , and vnsauerly ground , In a morter Post mortem , of many bytter paynes But if they singe for the soules & wepe salt teares Uos qui peccata hominum commeditis , nisi pro eis lachrimaset orationes effunderitis , ea que in delitijs comeditis , intormentis euometis . Conscience full curteslye tho commaunded scripture , Before patience bread to bring , & me þat was his match He set a soure lofe before vs and sayd , Agite penitentiam , And sythe he brought vs dryncke , diaperseueraunce As longe quod I as I lyue , and lykam man endure . Here preti seruice quod Patience , no prince can fare better Then brought he forth a mes , of meat of Miserere meimei deus And he brought vs of Beati quorum , of Beatus virs makynge Et quorum tecta sunt peccata . in a dishe , Of dernes Shrifte Dixi , and Confitebor tibi , Brynge Patience some pitaunce priuily quod conscience , R.i.And Pierce Ploughman . And than had Patience a pitaunce .Pro hac orabit ad te . & ceteraad te omnis sanctus in tempore oportuno . And Conscience conforted vs , & carped vs mery tales Cor contritum et humiliatum deus non despicies Patience was proude , of that proper seruice , And made him merye with hys meat , & I mourned euer For this doctor on the hye deese dranke wyne so faste . Ue vobis qui potentes estis , ad bibendum vinum . He eate many sondry meates mortrix & poddynges Wombe cloutes & wyld brawne , & egs fried with grese Then sayd I to my-selfe so , Patience it harde It is not four dayes that this freke before þe deane of Pouls Preched of penaunce , þat Poul thapostle suffred In fame et frigore , and flappes of scourges Ter Cesus sum et a Iudeis quinquies quadragenas , And one word they ouerhypped at ech time that they preach That Poule in hys pistle to al the puple told Periculum est in falsis fratribus . Holy wryte byd men beware , I will not write it here In englyshe on auenture , it should be rehearsed to oft And greue therwith good men , & gramarians shold read . Unusquisque a fratre se custodiat quia vt dicitur periculum estin falsis fratribus . And I wyst neuer freke þat as a frier yead before men in english Take it for her theme , & tel it without glosyngs They preach that penaunce is profitable to the soule And what mischefe & male-ease , Christ for man tholed , And thys gods gloton quod I , with hys greate cheakes Hath no pitye on vs pore , he perfourmeth euyl That he preacheth he preueth not , to Patience I told And wyshed full wytterly with wyll full egre That dyshes and doublers before thys ilke doctour Were molten lead in hys mawe , & Mahound amydst I shall iangle to thys Iurdan , with hys iuste wombe To tel me what penaunce is , of which he preched rathe Pa The vision ofFol.lxvi Patience perceiued what I thought , & winked on me And said þþ[ou] shalt se thus soone , whan he may no more He shal haue a penaunce in his paunch , & puf at ech word And than shal his guttes gottilen , & he shal gulpen after For now he hath dronke so depe , he woll diuine sone And preuen it by her pocalyps , & passion of saint Auareis That nether bacon ne browne , blacke mangerbla[n]cke-mangerblancmanger ne mortreux Is neyther fyshe ne flesh , but fode for a penaunt And than shall he testifie of trinitie , & take his felow to witnes What he found in a fraile , after a fryers liuing And but he fyrst lyue by leasinges , leue me neuer after And than is tyme to take , and to oppose thys doctour Of dowel & of dobet , & if dobest be any penaunce · And I sate styl as Patience sayd , & thus sone this doctour As ruddy as a rose rubbed hys chekes Coughed and carped , and Conscience hym hearde And tolde hym of a Trinitie , and toward vs he loked What is dowel sir doctor quod I , is dowel any penaunce Dowell quod this doctour , & toke the cup & drancke Is do no euyll to thyne euen-christen not by thy power By this daye syr doctour quod I than , ye be not in dowel For ye haue harmed vs two , in þat ye eaten the pudynge Mortreux and other meate , and we no morsel had And if ye fare so in your farmery , ferly me thynketh But chest be ther chariti shold be , & children durst pleine I wold permute mi penaunce with you , for I am in point to do wel Than Conscience curtesli a countenaunce made And preynt apon Patience to praye me to be styll And sayde hym-selfe syr doctour , and it be your will What is dowell and dobet , ye diuinours knowe Dowell quod thys doctour , is do as clarkes teache And dobet is he þat teacheth , & traueleth to teach other R.ii.And Pierce Ploughman . And dobeste doth hym-selfe so , as he sayth & precheth , Qui facit et docuerit , magnus vocabitur in regno celorum . Now þou Cleargy & conscience , carpest what is dowell , I haue seuen sonnes he sayd seruen in a castell , Ther the lord of lyfe wonneth to learne what is dowel Tyll I see the seuen and my-selfe accorden , I am vnhardy quod he , to any wyght to preue it For one Pierce the Ploughman hath impungned vs al , And set al sciences at a Soupe , saue loue onelyeone And no text ne taketh to mayntayne hys cause But Dilige deum , And Domine quis habitabit , And sayeth that dowell and dobet , are two infinites Whyche infinites wyth fayeth fynde oute dobest , Which shal saue mans soul , thus saith Pierce plowman I can not here one quod Conscience , & I knowe well Pierce He wil not gaine saie holi writ , I dare wel vndertake Than passe we ouer til Pierce come , & preue it in dede , Patience hath ben in many places , & peraduenture mouthed That no clarke ne can , as Christ beareth witnes Patientes vincunt & . cetera . And your praier quod Pacience tho , so no man displese him Disce quod he , Doce , and Dilige inimicos , Disce and dowell , Doce , and dobet , Dilege , and do-beste , Thus taught me once , A lemman that I loued , loue was hyr name , With wordes & with workes quod she , & wil of thy hert Thou loue lelly thy soule , all thy lyfe-tyme , And so þou learne the to loue , for the lordes loue of heuen Thyne enimies in all wyse , euen forth with thy-selfe Cast coles on hys heade , of all kynde of speache Both with works & with wordes , found hys loue to wyn , And lay on hym thus with loue , tyl he laughe on the And The vision ofFol.lxvlxv[ii] And but he bowe for this beating , blind might he be And for to fare thus with thy frynde folye it were , For he that loueth the lellye , lytle of thyne coueteth Kynde loue coueteth not no cattell but speache Wyth halfe a lumpe in latine , Ex vi transitionis , I beare therin aboute faste bounde Dowell , In a sygne of the saturday , that set fyrst the Kalender . And al the wyt of the wenisday , of þe next weke after The middle of the mone , as the myght of bothe And therwyth I am welcome , there I haue it with me . Undo it let thys doctour deme if dowell be therin For by hym that me made , myght neuer pouertye Myse-ase ne mischiefe ne man wyth hys tonge Colde ne care ne company of theues , Ne nether heate ne hayle , ne none helle Powke , Ne neyther fyre ne floude , ne feare of thyne enemye Tene the any tyme , and thou take it wyth the . Charitas nihil timet . It is but a Dido quod thys doctour a disertesdis[ou]rsdisours tale , All the wyt of thys worlde and wight mens strength Can not confirme a peace betwene þe pope , & his enmies Ne betwene .ii.two christen kings , can no wight peace make Profitable to either people , & put the table from hym , And toke cleargy and conscience to counsel as it were That patience þou muste passe for pilgrimes can well lye And Conscience carped loude , and curteslye sayd , Frendes fare well , and fayre spake to cleargy , For I wyl go with this gomme , if god wil giue me grace And be pilgraime with Patient til I haue preued more , What quod cleargy to conscience , are ye couetouse nowe After yeresegyft or gyftes , or yernen to read ryddels , I shall brynge you a byble , a boke of the olde lawe , R.iii.And Pierce Ploughman . And learne you if you lyke , the least poynt to know That Patience the pylgryme , perfitlye knewe neuer Nay by Christ quod Consience to Cleargy , god þe foryelde For al that Patience me profereth , proude am I lyttle And the wyll of the wye , and the wyll of folke here Hath meued my mode to mourne for my synnes The good wyll of a wyght was neuer bought to the full For there is no treasure therto , to a true wyll Had not Magdalen more for aboxea boxe of salue Than zecheus for he said , Dimidium bonorum meorum do pauperibus And the pore wydowe for a payre of mites Than all tho that offred into Gazophilacium , Thus curtessyecurteslyecurteisliche conscience conged fyrst the fryer And sythen softlye he sayd in cleargies eare , Me were leuer by our lord , and I lyue shoulde Haue Patience perfectly , then halfe thy pack of bokes Cleargy of Consience , no congye would take But sayd full soberlye , thou shalt se the tyme Whan thou arte werye for walking , wyl me to counsel That is sothe sayd Conscience , so me god helpe If Patience be our parting selow[f]elow , & preuye with vs both There nys wo in thys world , that we ne should amend And confirmen kynges to peace , and al kynnes londs Sarazens and Surre , & so forth al the Iewes Turne into the true fayth , and into one beleue That is soth quod Cleargye , I se what thou meanest I shall dwel as I do , my deuour to shewen And cofyrmen fauntekyns , and other folke learned Tyll Patience haue preued the and perfect the maked Conscience tho with patience , passed pilgrymes as it wer Than had patience as pilgrimes haue , in his poke vitail Sobrietie and simple speach , & soth-fast beleue To The vision ofFol.lxviii. To confort hym and Conscience , if they come in place There vnkindnes & couetous is , hongry countres both And as they went by the way , of dowell they carped They met wyth a mynstrell , as me tho thought Patience posed him fyrst , and prayed he should tel To Conscience what craft he culd , & whither he woulde I am mynstrell quod that man , my name is Actiua vita , All idle iche hate , for all actyue is my name A wafrer well ye wyt , and serue manye Lordes And fewe roobes I song , or furred gownes Can I lye to do men laughe , than lachen I should Other mantell or money , amonges lords or minstrels And for I can nether taber ne trumpe , ne tell no gests Farten ne fyslen at feastes , ne harpen Iape ne iuggle , ne gentilly pype Ne nether saylen ne saute , ne syng to the gyterne I haneha[u]e no good gyftes of these greate lordes For no bred þat I bring forth , saue a venison on þe sundai Whan þe priest praieth the puple , þe Paternoster to saie For Pierce the plouman , and that hym profit wayten And that am I actyue that idlenes hate For al true trauelers , and tyllers of the earth From Myghelmas to Mighelmas , I find hem with my wafers Beggers and bydders of my bread crauen Faytours and friers , & folke with brode crownes I fynd paine for the pope , & prouender for his palfrey And I had neuer of hym , haue god my truth Nether prouender ne parsonage , yet of the popes gift Saue a pardon with a piece of lede , & two poles amids Had ich a clarke þat could wryte , I wold cast him a byll That he sent me vnder his seale , a salue for þe pestilence And þat his blessing & his buls botches might destroy In Pierce Ploughman . In nomiuenomi[n]e meo demonia eiicient , et super egros manus imponent , et bene habebunt . And then wold I be priest to þe puple , paast for to make And buxome and busie about bread and drynke For hym and for all hys , found I that hys pardon Myght lechen a man , as I beleue it shoulde For sith he hath the power , that Peter hym-selfe had He hath the pot with the salue sothely as me thynketh Argentum et aurum non est mihi , quod autem habeo tibi do . In nomine domini surge et ambula . And if mighte of miracle him faile , it is for men be not worth To haue grace of god , & no gilt of the Pope For may no blessing done vs bote , but if we wil amend Ther may no man make peace among christen people Til pride be purely fordo , & through paine defaut For ere I haue breade , a meale of mote I swete Of þe dereyere . And er þe common haue corne inough , mani cold morning So ere my wafers ben wrought much wo I tholye All London I leue lyketh well my wafers And loure whan they lacke hem , it is not long passed Ther was a careful common , when no cart came to towne With bread from Stratford tho gonnen beggers wepe And workmen were agast a litle this woll be thought longe In date of our dryght in a drye Apriell A thousande and thre hundred twyse twenty & ten My wafers ther wer geisen whan Chicester was Mair I toke good kepe bi Christ and Conscience both Of Hankyn Apparently there are seven instances of this spelling in Cr1, and one of "Haukyn".the actyue man , and how he was clothed He had a cote of christendome as holye kyrke beleueth And it was moled in mani places with mani sondry plots Of prid here a plotte , & ther a plot of vnboxome spech Of schorning & of schoffinge , & of vnskilful bearinge As in apparel & in power proud among the puple Other The vision ofFol.lxix Otherwise then he hath with hert or sight shewings Him willyng þat al men wend he were that is not For why , he bosteth & braggeth with many bold othes And is vnobedient to ben vndernome of any lyfe liuing And none so singuler by hym-selfe , nor so pope-holye Hated as an hermet , an order by hym-selfe Religion sans rule , and vnreasonable obedience Lacked lettred men , and lewde men bothe In lykinge of lele lyfe , and a lyer in Soule , With inwyt and out wyt , imaginen and studie As beste for hys bodye be , to haue a bad name , And entermeten hym ouer all , there he hath not to do Wylnynge that men wend , hys wytte were the beste And if he giue ought to pore goms , tel what he delith Pore of possession in purse and in cofer bothe And as a Lyon on to loke , and Lordely of speach Boldest of beggers , a boster that nought hath , In towne and in tauernes , tales to tell And saye thyng þat he neuer se , and forsoth swere it , Of dedes that he neuer dyd , demen and bosten , And of warkes that he well dyd , wytnes and siggen , Looe if ye leue me not , or that I lye wenen Aske at hym or at hym , and he the can tell What I suffred and see , and sometymes had And what I coulde and knew , & what kyn I came of Al he would þat men wyste , of werkes and of wordes , Whyche myght please the puple , & prayse him-selfe . Si hominibus placerem Christi seruus non essem , Et alibi , Nemo potest duobus dominis seruire . By Christ quod Conscience tho , thy best cote Hankyn Hath many moles and spottes , it must be washed Yea , who-so toke hede quod HaukynThis is the only place in which the name is spelled with a u instead of an n , bihinde & bifore S.i.What Pierce Ploughman . What on back & what on body halfe , & bi þe two sides Men shold fynd many fowle sides , & mani fowle plots And he turned hym as Tit , and than toke I hede It was fowler by fell folde , than it fyrst semed It was bydropped wyth wrath , and wycked wyll Wyth Enuy and euyll speache , entysynge to fyght Lyinge and laughynge , and lefe tonge to chyde All that he wyste wycked by anye wyght , tellen it And blame men behynd her back , & bidden hem mischaunce And that he wyst by Wyll , tellen it to Watte , And that Watte wyst , Wyll wyste it after And made of frendes fooes through a false tonge Or with might of mouth , or through mans strength Auenge me fell tymes , other frete my-selfe Within as a shepesters shere , I shrewed men & cursed . Cuius maledictione os plenum est , et amaritudine , sub lingua eius labor et dolor , et alibi : filii hominum dentes eorumarma et sagitte , et lingua eorum gladius accutnsaccut[u]s . There is no lyfe that me loueth lastyng any whyle For tales that I tel , no man trusteth to me And whan I may not haue þe maistry , such melancholye I take That I catch þe crampe , þe cardiacle sometyme Or an ague in suche an anger , and sometyme a feuer That taketh me all a tweluemoneth , til that I despise Lechcrafte of our lorde , and leue of a wytche And say that no clarke ne can , ne Christ as I leue To þe sortry of Southwarke , or of short dytch dame Eme And segge þat no gods word , gaue me neuer bote But throughe a charme had I chaunce , & many chiefe heale I wayted wisloker , and than was it soyled Wyth lykynge of lechery , as by loking of his eyghe For ech a maid that he met , he made hir to sygne Se= The vision ofFol.lxx. Semyng to synnewarde , and sometyme he gan taste About the mouth or beneth , begynneth to croppe Tyll eythers wyll waxeth kene , & to the werke yeden As well on fastynges & frydayes , & forboden nightes And as well in lent as out of lent , all tymes ylyke Suche werkes wyth hem were neuer out of season Tyll they myght namour , and than mery tales And how that lechoure louen , laughen and iapen And of her harlotry and horedome , in her age tellen Than patience perceyued of poyntes of thys cote Was colomy throughe couetouse , & vnkind desiryng More to good than to god , the gomme his loue caste And imagined howe he it myght haue With false measures and mete , and with false wyghtes Lened for loue of the wedde , & lothe to do trouthe And awayte bi whych waye he myght begyle And menged hys marchandise , & made a good maistry The worst within was a great wyt I leete it And if my neyghbour had any hynde , or any beast els More profitable than myne , many sleyghtes I made Howe I myght haue it , all my wyt I caste And but if I had by other way , at the lest I stole it Or priuily his purse shoke , vnpiked hys lockes Or by nyght or by day , about was iche euer Throughe gyle to gadren , the good that ich haue If I yede to the ploughe , I pynched so narrow That a fote lande or a furowe fetche I woulde Of my next neyghbour , nymen of hys earth And if I repe ouerrechen , or gaue hem reade that repen And sese to me with her sycle , that I sewed neuer And who-so borowed of me , aboughte the tyme Wyth presentes priuilye , or payed some certayne S.ii.So Pierce Ploughman . So would he or not woulde he , wynnen I woulde , And both to kyth and to kynne , vnkinde of þat iche had And who-so cheped my chaffer , chyden I would But he profered to paye a penye or twayne , More than it was worth , & yet woulde I swere That it coste me muche more , swore many othes In holy dayes at holy churche , when iche hard masse , Hadde I neuer wyll wote god wytterly to beseche Mercye of my misdeades , that I ne mourned more , For loste of good , leue me , than for my likam gyltes As if I had deadlye synne done , I dread not þat so sore , And whan I lenned & leued it lost , or long er it wer paied So if I kydde any kindnes , mine euen-christen to helpe , Apon a cruell couetous myne herte gan hange , And if I sent ouer sea , my seruauntes to Bryges Or into Pruceland my prentise , mi profit to waiten To marchaundein with money , & make her exchaunges Myght neuer me conforten , in the meane whyle Nether masse ne mattens , ne none maner sightes Ne neuer penaunce perfourmed , ne Pater noster saide That my minde was more on my good in a doubt Than in the grace of god , and in his greate helpe Ubi thesaurus tuus ibiibi [et]ibi et cor tuum , Which ben the braunches that brynge a man to slouth He þat mournith not for his mysse , ne maketh no sorowe And penaunce that the priest inioyneth perfourmeth ill Doth no almesdedes , dreade hym of no synne Lyueth agayne the beleue , and no lawe holdeth Eche day is holye daye with hym or an hyghe fery And if he ought wyll heare , it is an harlots tonge Whan men carpen of Christ , or of clennes of soules He waxeth wroth & wil not hear , but words of mirth Pe= The vision ofFol.lxi..lxxi. Penaunce & pore men , & the passion of saintes He hateth to here therof , and al that he telleth These ben þe braunches beware , þat bringeth a man to wanhope The lordes & the ladyes , & legates of holy kyrk That feden foles sages , flatterers and lyers And haue liken to lithen hem , to do you to laugh Ue vobis qui ridetis , And giue hem meat and mede , and pore men to refuse In your death diynge , I feare me full sore Lest tho thre maner of men to much sorow you bryng , Consencientes et agentes pari pena punientur , Patriarkes & prophetes , & preachers of gods words Sauen through her sermons mans soule from hell Ryght so flatterers and foles , arne þe fendes disciples To entise men throughe hyr tales , to sinne & harlotry And clarkes that knowen holy wryte , shold ken lords What Dauid sayth of suche men , as the psalter telleth . Non habitabit in medio domus mee , qui facit superbiam , et qui loquitur iniqua , Shoulde no harlote haue audience in hall ne in chambre There wyse men were , wytnessen goddes words Ne no misproude man , amonge lordes ben alowed And flatterers and fooles , through her lewde words Leden tho that loue hem , to Lucifers feaste With Turpiloquio , a lay of sorow & lucifers fidle Thus Hankyn the actiue man had soyled hys cote Til Conscience acouped him therof in a curteis maner Why he had washed it or wyped it with a brushe . Passus ,xiiii,quattuordecimus de visione , S.iii.I Pierce Ploughman . The capital is ofset in the margin to the left .I Haue but one hole hatir quod Hankin , I am þe les to blame Thow it be soiled & seld clene , I slepe therin on nights And also I haue an huswife , ewen & children Uxorem duxi et ideo non possum venire . That wollen by-molen it , many adayes maugry my chekes It hath ben laued in lente , & out of lente both With the soupe of sickenes , that seketh wonder depe , And with the losse of cattell , loth for to a gylt God or any good man , by ought that I wiste And was shriuen of a priest , that gafe me for my sinnes To penaunce Patience , and pore men to fede Al for couetis of my christendome , in clennes to kepe it And could I neuer by Christ , kepe it cleane an houre That I ne soyled it with sight , or with some idle speach Or through work or through word , or wil of my hert That I ne slober it foule , from morowe tyll euen And I shall kenne the quod Conscience , of contrition to make That shal claw thy cote , of al kinds of filth . Cordis contritio . &cetera . Dowel shal wash it & wryng it , through a wyse confessoure Oris confessio , Dobet shal beat it & bonke it as bryght as any scarlet And engrauen it with good wyl , & gods grace to amend þe And sithen send the to satisfaction , for to sowen it after . Satisfactio dobeste , Shal neuer chest bymolen it , ne mough after byte it Ne fende ne false man , defoulen it in thy lyfe Shall no heraude ne harper , haue a fayrer garmente Than Hankin the actyue man , & thou do by my teaching Ne no minstrel be more worthe , amonge pore & ryche Than Hankyns wyfe the waferer , with hys actiua vita And I shal puruey þe paast & patience , though no plow erye The vision ofFol.lxxii..lxxiii. And floure to fede folke withal , as best be for þe soule Thoughe neuer grene growed , nor grape apon vyne All that lyueth and loketh lyuelode woulde I fynde And that inough shal none faile , of thing þat hem nedeth We should not be to busy aboute oure lyuelode Ne soliciti sitis . &cetera , Uolucres celi deus pascit , &cetera , patientes vincunt , Than laughed Hankyn a lytle , and lyghtly gan swere Who-so leueth you bi our lord , I leue not he be bleste No quod Conscience Patiently , and out of his poke hent Uytailes of greate vertues for all maner beastes And sayd looe here liuelode inoughe , if oure beleue be true For lent neuer was life , but liuelode were shapen Wherof or wherfore , or wherby to lyue Fyrste the wylde worme vnder wete earth Fyshe to lyue in the floude , and in the fyre the creket The kurlew by kind of hem are clenest flesh of byrds And beastes by grasse and by grene , & by grene rotes In meanynge that all men might the same do , Lyue through lele beleue , & loue as god wytnesseth . Quodcumque petieritis a patre meo inin nomine meo , & cetera , Et alibi Non solo pane viuit homo , sed in omni verbo quodprocedit de ore meo , And I loked what liuelod it was , þat patience so praised Haue Hanken quod Patience , & eate thys whan þe hungreth Or whan thou clomsest for colde , or clyngest for drye Shall neuer gyues the greue , ne great lordes wrathe And it was a piece of þe Pater noster , Fiat voluntas tua Prison ne payne , for Patientes vincunt , By so that thou be sobre of syght and of tonge In eatyng , & in handelyng , and in all thy fyue wyttes : Darst thou neuer care for corne , ne lynen cloth ne wollen Ne for drynke ne death dreade , but dye as god lyketh Or Pierce Ploughman . Or through honger or through heate , at hys wil be it For if thou liue after hys lore , the shorter life þe better . Si quis amat Christum , mundum non diligit istum . For through his breath beastes waxed & abrode yeden Dixit et facta sunt . Ergo throughe hys breath may men and beast liuen As holy wryte wytnesseth whan men sein her graces Aperis tu manum tuam et imples omne auimala[n]imal benedictione . It is found that forty winter folke liued without tilling And out of þe flint spronge the floud þat folke and beastes dronke And in Helies time heauen was closed That no raine ne ronne , thus reade men in bokes That many wynter men lyued , & no meate ne tiliden Seuen slept as sayth the boke , seuen hundred wynter And lyued without lyuelode and at the last they woken If men liuid as mesure wold , shud neuer mor be defaut Amonge christen creatures if christes wordes be true And vnkindnes Charistiam , maketh amonge christen puple And ouer plenty maketh pryde amonges pore & rych Therfor mesure is so mich worth it mai not be to dere For the mischife & the mischaunce amongs men of Sodom Wext throughe plenty of payne and of pure Slouth Ociositas et habundantia panis , peccatum turpissimumnutriuit . For they measured not hem-selfe of þat they eat & drancke They dyd deadly synne that the deuyll lyked So vengeaunce fel apon hem for her vyle synnes They sonken into hell the cityes eche one Therfore mesure we vs wel & make faith our feltron And through fayth cometh contrition Conscience wot wel Whych dryueth away deadly syn & doth it to veniall And though a man might not spek contrition might saue And bring his soul to blisse , be so þe fayth were witnes That The vision ofFol.lxxiii. That while he liued he beleued in þe lore of holy kyrke Ergo contrition fayth & conscience , is kindly dowel And surgeons for dedly sin , whan shrift of mouth faileth And shrift of mouth more worthi is , if man be lik contrit For shryft of mouth sleeth sinne , be it neuer so deadly . Per confessionem to a prieste , peccata occiduntur , Ther contrition doth driue downe into veniall synne As Dauid sayth in the psalter , Et quorum secta[t]ectatecta sunt peccata And satisfaction seketh oute the rote And bothe slepe and voydeth And as it neuer had ben to nought , bringeth dealydea[d]ly sin That eft it is not sene ne sore , but semith a wound helid Where wonith chariti quod Hankin , I wist neuer in mi lyfe Man that wyth hym spake , as wyde as I haue passed That perfit trouth & pore herte is , & Patience of tong There is charitie þe chiefe chamberer for God hym-selfe Wher patient porti quod Hankin be mor plesant to our dright Than ryches rightfully wonne , & resonably dispended Ye quis est ille quod Patience , quyke laudabimus eum Though men read of ryches , right to the worlds end I wist neuer reukere[n]ke þat rych was , þat whan he reken should When he drough to his dethes day , þat he ne drad him sore And that at þe rekening in arerage fel , rather then out of dette There þe pore dare plete & preue by pure reason To haue alowaunce of his lord , bi þe law he it claimeth Ioy that neuer ioy had , of ryghtfull iudge he asketh And seeth so byrdes and beasts þat no blys ne knoweth And wild worms in woods by winters yow greuith And maketh hem welnyghe meke , & milde for defaute And after þou sendest hem somer , that is hir souerayn ioye And blysse to that bene bothe wylde and tame Than may beggers as beastes after bote wayten T.i.That Pierce Ploughman . That all hir lyfe haue lyued , in langour and in defaute But god sent hem sometime , some maner ioye Or here or els where , kynde woulde it neuer For to wrotherhele was he wroght , that neuer was ioy shapen Angels þat in hel now ben , had ioye sometime And Diues in dentis lyued , and in Douce vie Ryght so reason sheweth that the men that were rych And her makes also , liued her lyues in myrth And god is of a wonderous wil , by þat kind wit shewith To giue mani man mercimonie , er he it hath deseruid Right so fareth god by some rich , ruth me it thinketh For they haue her hyre here , and heuen as is were And great lykyng to lyue , without laboure of the bodye And when he dyeth , he disalowed , as Dauid said in the psalter Dormierunt et nihil inuenieruntinueneruntinuenerunt . And in an other stede also , Uelut sompnum surgentium domine In ciuitate tua et ad nichillum rediges , Alas that ryches shal reue , and robbe mans soule From the loue of oure lord , at his last ende Hewen that haue her hyre afore , are euermore nedy And seld dieth he out of det , that dineth or he deserue it And tyll he haue done hys deuour , & hys dayes iorney For whan a workman hath wrought , than men say þe soth What he were worthy for his worke , & what he hath deserued And not to sing before , for dred of disanulling So I say by you ryche , it semeth not that ye should Haue heauen in your here beryng , and heuen hereafter Right as a seruant taketh his salary before , & sith wold claim more As he that none had , & hath hire at þe last It may not be the rych men , or Mathew on god lieth De delitiis ad delitias difficile est transire And if the ryche haue ruth , and reward well the pore And The vision ofFol.lxxiiii. And lyue as lawe teacheth , done leauty to hem all Christ of hys curtesy shal confort you at the last And reward you al double ryches , þat ruful hert haue And as an hyne that had hys hyre , ere he begone Whan he hath done his deuour wel , men do him ouirbount Giue him a cote aboue hys couenaunt , right so Christe geueth heuen Both to rych & not rich , þat rufully liueth And al þat done her deuour wel , haue double hire for hir trauel Here forgiuenes for her sins , & heuen blis after And it is but seld sene , as by sayntes bokes That god rewarded double rest to any rych man For much myrth is among rych , as in meat & clothes And much myrth in May is amongest wylde beastes And so forth the while somer lasteth , her solace dureth And beggers aboute mydsomer , breadles they soupe And yet is winterforwinter for hem worse , for wetshode thei gang A-furst sore , and a-fyngred , and fowle rebuked And rated of ryche men , that ruth is to heare Nowe Lorde sende hem somer , and some maner ioye Heuen after her hence goyng , þat here haue such defaute For all myghtest þou haue made , none meaner than other And lyke wytty and wyse , if the well had lyked And saue ruth of these rich men , þat reward not thy prisoners Of the good that þou hem giuest , ingrati ben many And god of thy goodnes giue hem grace to amende For may no derth ben hem dear , drough ne wete hem greue Ne neyther heate ne haile , haue they her heale , Of that they wyl and would , wanteth hem not here And pore puple thi prisoners lord in þe put of mischefe Confort the creatures , that much care suffren Through death through drough , all her dayes here Woo in wyntertymes , for wantynge of clothes T.ii.And Pierce Ploughman . And in somer tyme selde soupen to the full Conforte thy carefull Christe in thy ryches For how þou confortest all creatures clarkes bereth witnes Conuertimini ad me , et salui eritis . Thus In genere , of gentryes Iesu Christ sayde To robbers and to reuers , to rych and to pore Thou taughtest hem in thy trinitie to take baptisme And be cleane through þat christening of all kins sinnes And if vs fyll through foly to fall in synne after Confession and knowledginge , and crauing thy mercy Shal amend vs as many sythes as man would desire And if the Pope would plede here-agayne and punyshvs in conscience He should take the acquitaunce as quycke And to the queed shew it , Pateat &cetera. per passionem domini And put of so the pouke , and preuen vs vnder borow And the parchmin of the Patente , of pouerty be most And of pure patiente and perfect beleue Of pompe and of pryde , the parcemyn declareth And principalitie of al people , but they be pore of hert Els is all idle , and all that euer we wryten Paternoster and penaunce , and pilgrimages to Rome But our spenses and spending sprynge of true wyl Els is all our labour loste , lo howe men wryteth In fenestres at the Fryers , if false be the fundament Therfore christen shold be in commen rych , none couetise for him-self For seuen synnes þat ther be assailen vs euer The fend foloweth hem al , and foundeth hem to help And with ryches that rybaude , he rathest men begileth For there that ryches raygneth , reuerence foloweth And that is pleasaunt to pryde in pore and in rych And the rych is reuerenced , by reason of hys ryches And The vision ofFol.lxxv. And the pore is put behynd , & peraduenture can more Of wyt and of wisedome , that farre awaye is better Than ryches or rialtye , and rather hard in heuen For þe rych hath much to reken , & right ofte him þat walketh The hye way to heuenward , ryches hym letteth Ita possibile diuiti , &cetera There the pore praiseth before þe rych with a pake at his rygge Opera enim illorum sequntur illos , Batauntly as begers done , & boldly he craueth For hys pouerty and his patience , a perpetual blysse . Beati pauperes , quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum And pryde in riches raygneth , rather than in pouertye Erst in the master or in þe man , some mantion he haueth And in pouerty there patience is , pryde hath no might Ne none of the seuen synnes , syt ne may there longe Ne haue power in pouertye , if patience it folowe For the pore is aye preste , to please the ryche And buxome at hys byddyng , for hys broke loues And buxomnes and bost are euermore at warre And either hateth other in all maner workes If wrath wrestle with the pore , he hath the worse ende And if they both pleyne , the pore is but feble And if he chyde or chatter , hym cheueth the worse And if couetise catch the pore , they mai not come togithers And by þe nek nameli , ther none mai hent other For men knowen well that couetouse is of kene wyll And hath handes and armes of a longe length Pouerti is but a petit thing , apperith not to his nauel And louelike was yet neuer bitwene , þe long & þe short Though auarice wold angry þe pore , he hath but litle might For poreti hath but pokis , to put in his goods Their auarice hath almaries , and iron bound cofers T.iii.And Pierce Ploughman . And whether be lyhgter to breake , & lasse bost maketh A beggers bagge , than an yron bound cofer Lechery loueth hym not , but he geueth but litle siluer Ne doth hym not dyne delicatlye , ne drynke wyne ofte A straw for the Stewes , it stode not I trowe Had thei nothing but of pore men , her houses stod vntild And though slouth sue pouerty , & serue not god to pay Myschiefe is hys master , and maketh hem to thyncke That god is hys greatest helpe , and no gome els And he hys seruaunt as he sayth , and of his sute both And whether he be or be not , he bereth þe sygne of ponertypo[u]erty And in þat secte our sauioure , saued al mankynd Therfore all pouertie that patient is , may claime and asken After her endynge here , enlyche blysse . Much hardier mai he aske , þat here might haue his wil In londe and in lordeshyp , and in lykinge of body And for gods loue leueth all , and liueth as a begger And as a mayd for mans loue , hir mother forsaketh Hyr father and all hyr frendes , & foloweth hyr make Much more is the loue of hym , that such one taketh Than a mayden is , that is maried through brocage As by assent of sundry parties , and siluer to bote More for couetous of good , than kynde loue of bothe So it fareth by eche parson , that possession forsaketh And put hym to be patiente , & pouerty weddeth Such is sybbe to god hym-selfe , and so to hys sayntes Haue god my trouth quod Hankyn , ye praise fast pouerty What is pouerty with Paticience quod he properly to mene Paupertas quod Patience , Est odibile bonum ,Remotio curatumcura[r]umcurarum , possessio sine calumpnia , Donum dei , Sanitas mater , Absque solicitudine semita. Sapientie temperatrix , negocium sine damno , incerta fortuna , absque solicitudinefelicitas , I The vision ofFol.lxxvi. I can not construe al this quod Hankyn , ye must ken this in english In english quod patience , it is wel hard to expound And somedeale I shal say it , by so thou vnderstande Pouerty is the fyrst poynt , that pryd most hateth Than it is good by good skyll , all that agasteth pride Ryght & contricion is a confortable thing , Conscience wot it wel And sorowe of hym-selfe , & solace to the soule So pouerty properly , penaunce and ioye Is to the bodye pure spirituall leche . Ergo Paupertas est odibile bonum , And contrition conforteth , and Cura animarum , Selde syt pouertye , the soth to declare For as iustice to iudge men , enioyned is no pore Ne to be mayre aboue men , ne minister vnder kinges Selde is any pore put to punyshe any people . Remotio curarum , Ergo pouerty & pore men performen the commaundemente Nolite iudicare quemquam , the thyrde Selde is any pore men rych , of ryghful heritage Winneth he not with weight false , ne with vnseled mesures Ne boroweth of his neighbors , but that he may wel paye Possessio sine calumpnia , The fourth is a fortune that florisheth the soule With sobrietie from al synne , and also yet more It afayteth the fleshe from foles full many A collaterall conforte , Christes owne gyfte . Donum dei , The fift is mother of health , a frende in all fondinges And for the lande euer a leche , a lemman of al clennes . Sanitas mater , The syxte is a path of peace , ye through þe paas of alton Pouertye myght passe without peryll of robbing For Pierce Ploughman . For there that pouerty passeth , peace foloweth after And euer the lesse that he bereth , þe harder he is of hert Therfore saith Seneca , Paupertas est absque sollicitudine And an hardy man of hert , amonge a heape of theues . CantabatCantab[i]tCantabit paupertas coram latrone viatoreviatorviator The seuenth is wel of wysdome , & few words sheweth Therfore lords alow him litle , or lysten to his reasone For he tempereth his tong to truthward , and no treasour coueteth Sapientie temperatrix , Theght is a lely labourer , and lothe to take more Than he well deserueth in somer or in wynter And if he chaffreth he chargeth no lose , may he charity winne Negotium sine damno The nynth is swete to the soule , no suger is sweter For Patience is payne , for pouerty hym-selfe And sobrety swete drynke , and good lech in syckenes , Thus lerned me a lettred man , for our lords loue of heuen Saint Austen a blessed lyfe wythout busines ladde For body and for soule , Absque solicitudine felicitas Now god that al good geueth graunt hys soule reste That this first wrote to wissen men , what pouerty was Alas quod Hankin þe actiue man tho , þat after my christendome I ne had be dead and doluell , for dowels sake So harde it is quod Hankyn to lyue , & to do no synne Synne sueth vs euer quod he , and sory gan wepe And wept water with hys eyen , and wayled the time That euer he dyd dede that dere god displeased Swowned and sobbed , and syghed full oft That euer he had lond lordshyp lesse or more Or maistry ouer any man , mo than of hym-self I were not worthy wotte god quod Hankyn to were anye clothes Ne nether shyrt ne show , saue for shame only To The vision ofFol.lxxvii. To couer my caroen qnodq[u]od he , and crien mercy fast And wepte and wayled , and therwyth I waked Passus ,xv,quindecimus finit de dowell , et incipit dobet ANd after my wakyng , it was wonder long Ere I could kyndly know what was dowel And so my wyt wexe & waued , til I a fole wer And some lacked me self , allowed it few And letten me for a lorell , and loth to reuerencen Lordes or Ladyes , or any lyfe els And persons in pelure , wyth pendantes of siluer To sargeauntes ne to suche , sayde I not once God loke you lordes , ne louted fayre That folke helden me a fole , & in that foly I reygned Tyll reason had ruthe on me , and rocked me a-slepe Tyll I se as it sorcery were , a sotle thyng wyth-all One wythouten tong & teth , told me whither I shold And wherof he came , and of what kynde , I coniuredhym at laste If he were christes creature , anon me to tellen I am christes creature quod he , & christen in many a place In christes courte I-knowe wel , & of hys kyn a party Is nether Peter the porter , ne Poule with his faucheon That wyll defende me the dore , dynge I neuer so late At mydnyght at midday , my voyce is so know , That ech a creature of his court , welcommeth me faire What ar ye called quod I in þat court , among christs puple The whils I quicken þe course quod he , callid am I Anima And whan I wyll and wold , Animus iche hate And for that I can and knowe , called am I Mens And whan I make mone to god , Memoria is my name And whan I deme domes , and do as trouth teacheth U.i.Than Pierce Ploughman , Than is Rasio my right name , reason on Englishe And when I fele þat folke tellith , my first name is sensus , And that is wit and wisdome the well of all craftes , And when I chalenge or chalenge not , chepe or refuse Than am I conscience called , gods clerke & his notary And when I loue lelly our lord and all other Than is Leliloue my name , and in latin Amor , And when I flee from the flesh and forsake the caroin Than am I spirite specheles , spiritus than iche hate Austin and Isodorus eyther of them bothe Named me thus to name , now thou might chese , How þou couetist to cal me , now þou knowst al mi names Anima pro diuersis actionibus , diuersa nomina sortitur , dum viuificat corpus , anima est , dum vult animus est , dum scit mensest , dum recolit memoria est dum iudicat racio est , dum sentit , sensus est , dum amat amor est , dum negat , vel consentit , consciencia est , dum spirat spiritus est Ye bene as a bysshop quod I , all bourdinge þe time For bisshops blessed , they beare many names , Presull and Pontifex , and metopolitanus , And other names an hepe , Episcopus and Pastor . That is soth sayd he , now. I se thy will , Thou woldest know & ken þe cause of al their names , And of mine if thou mightest me thinke by thi speach Ye sir I sayde , by so no man were greued , All the sciences vnder sunne and all the suttel craftes , I wold I knew and coud kindly in mine harte , Than arte þou imperfit quod he and one of prids knightes For such a lust and liking lucyfer fell from heauen Ponam pedempedem [meum]pedem meumpedem in aquilone , et simulis ero altissimo . It were agaynst kind quod he , and kinnes reason , That any creature shuld kenne all , except Christ one , Agayne The vision ofFol.lxxviii Agayne such Salomon speaketh , & dispiseth her wits And sayth Sicut qui mel comedet multum , non est ei bonumSic qui scutator est maiestatis opprimitur a gloria , To English this is to mene þat mowen speake & heare The man þat much hony eateth , his maw it englemith And the more þat a man of good matter heareth , But he do therfore it doth him doble scaeth , Beatus est sayth saint Barnard qui scripturam legit Et verba vertit in opera , fully to his power Couetise to ken and to knowe science Put out of ParadseParad[i]se Adam and Eue , Sciencie appetitus hominem immortalitatis gloria spoliauit And right as honi is iuel to defy & englimeth þe maw Right so he þat through reason , wold þe rote know , Of God & of his great mights , his graces it letteth , For in the liking lyeth a prid and likames couetyse , Against Christs counsel , and al clerkes teaching That is. Non plus sapere quam oportet sapere Friers & fel other masters þat to þe lewd men preachen , Ye mouen matters inmesurable to tel of the trynyty , That oftimes þe lewd people of their beliefe douten , Better beleue where many docters such teaching And tel men of ten commaundements , & touchen þe seuen sinnis And of þe branches þat budde of them , & bringen men to Hell And how that folke in folies mispend their fiue wyttes As well friers as other folke , folilish spenen , In housing in hatering & into high clergie shewinge More for pompe then for pure charitie , þe peple wote þe soth That I lye not so , for lords they plesen , And reuerencen the rather for their siluer . Confundantur omnes qui adorant sculptilia , Et alibi vt quid diligitis vanitatem et queritis mendacium ? U.ii.Go Pierce Ploughman , Go to the glose of the verse , the greate Clarkes If I lye on you to my lewed wit , leade me to brenning For as it semeth ye forsake no mans almes , Of vsurers of hoores of auarous chapmen And louten to these lordes , that maye lene you nobles , Agayn your rule and religion I take record at Iesus That saide to his disciples Ne sitis personarum acceptores Of thys mater I might make a longe byble And of curats of christen peple , as clerks bear witnes . I shal tellen it for truths sake , takehedtake hed who-so lykith , As holines & honesti out of holychurch spredith , Through lelly liuing men , that Gods lawe teachen Ryght so out of holychurch al euels spredith . Ther inperfite presthode is prechers and techers . I se it by ensample in sommertime on trees , There some bowes bene leued , and some bere none . There is a mischefe in þe moore of such maner bowes Right so of parsons & pristes & prechers of holichurch That are roote of the right fayth to rule the people And there the roote is rotten reason wote the soth , Shal neuer floure ne frute ne fayre leafe be grene , Therfore wold ye lettred men leaue þe licheri of clothing And be kind as befel for clerkes & curteis of Christs , goods , True of your tong and of your tayle both And hate to her harlotrie , and not to vnderfonge Tithes but of true thing tilyed or chafferid , Both were lewede men , but they your lore folowed . And amenden hem þat misdone , more for your ensamples Than to preache and proue it not , hypocrisie it semeth , For hipocrisie in laten is lykened to donghyll , That were besnewed with snowe and snakes within Or to a walle were whittimed & were foule within , Right The vision ofFol.lxxix. Right so many priestes preachers and prelates , Ye were enblanched with Belopolis & with clothes also And your works & your words therunder are ful vnlouely Iohannes Chrisostomus , of clerks spekith & prists Sicut de templo omne bonum progreditur : sic de templo omne malum procedit . Si sacerdotium incorruptumintegrum fuerit : tota floret Ecclesia . Si autem corruptum fuerit : omnium fides marcida est , si sacerdotium fuerit in peccatis : totus populus conuerteturconuertitur ad peccandum . Sicut cum videris Arborem palidam et marcidam inteligesintel[l]ig[i]sintelligis quod vicium habet , in radice : Ita cum dideris[v]iderisvideris populum indisciplinatum et irreligiosum , sine dubio sacerdotium eius non est sanum . If lewde men wist what this latin meaneth , And who was mine auctour , much wonder me thin= but if mani prists bere for hir base lords & their bro= A payre of bedes in their hands , & a booke vnder their arme , Sir Iohn & sir Ieffery hath a girdle of siluer A baselard or a ballocke knife , with bottons ouergilt And a portus þat shuld be his plow , Placebo to synge . Had he neuer seruice to saue siluer therto , seith it with ydle wil Alas ye lewde men much lese ye on priests And a thing that wickedly is won , & with false sleights Wold neuer wit of witty God , but wickid men it had , The which are prists imperfit & prechers after siluer Executores & sodemes , samoners & their lemmans , That þat with gyle was gotten vngraciously is spended , So harlots and hoores are holpen with such goods And Gods folks for defaute therof for-faren & spillen , Curatours of holy kyrke as clerkes þat bene warous , Lightly that they leuen osels[l]osels it habbeth , Or dyeth intestat and the bisshop entreth , And makith mirth their-midde and his men bothe , And siggen he was an nigarde þat no good might spare To frende ne to fremid the finde haue his soule T.iii.For Pierce Ploughman . For a wretched house he healed , all his life time , And þat he spared and disperid , spende we in mirthe . By learned and by lewde that loth is to spend , Thus gone their goods , be the ghoost faren And for good men GodwotGod wot , great dowel men maken , And bemeaneth good meatgeuers , & in mind haueth In prayers and in penance , and in perfit charitie , What is charitie quod I tho ? a childish thing he sayd , Nisi efficiamini sicut paruuli nouno[n] intrabitisintrabitis [in]intrabitis inintrabitis regnum celorum Without fauteltie or folie , fre liberall will , Wher shuld men find such a frind with so fre a herte , I haue lyued in longe quod he , my name is long wyll , And founde I neuer full charitie before ne behynde Men be merciable to mendinauntes and to pore And wollen lene there they leue , lelly to be payed Chariti þat Poul praisith best , most plesing to our Lord Is Non inflatur non est ambitiosa , non querit que sua sunt I se neuer suche a man so god me helpe That he ne would aske after hys , & otherwhyle couet Thynge that neded hym not , & nyme it if he myght Clarkes kenne me that Christe is in all places And I se him neuer sothly , but as my-selfe in a myrror . In enigmate , tunc facie ad faciem , And so I trowe trulye bi that men tell of charitie It is not champions fyght , ne chaffer as I trowe Charitie quod he chaffreth not , ne chalengeth ne craueth As proude of a peny , as of a pounde of golde And is as glade of a gowne of graye russet As of a tunicle of tars , or of tried scarlet , He is glade with all glade , and good to all wycked And leueth and loueth all that our lorde made Curseth no creature , ne he can beare no wrath Ne The vision ofFol.lxxx. Ne no likinge hath to lye , ne laughe men to scorne All that men sayne he lete it soth , & in solace taketh And all maner mischiefe , in mildenes he suffreth . Coueteth he no earthly good , but heuenlych blysse Hath he any rentes or riches , ne retcheth he neuer For a frend þat findeth him , fayleth him neuer at nede Fiat voluntas tua , fynde hym euermore And if he souped , eateth but a soupe of Spera in deo , He can portrey wel þe Pater noster , & paint it with Pitie . And otherwhyle he is wonne to wend on pilgrymage There pore men & prisoners ligged , her pardon to haue Though he bear hem no bread , he bear sweter liuelod Louith him as our lord bade , & lokith howe thei fare And whan he is wery of þat worcke , than wold he somtime Laboure in lauendrye , well the length of a myle And yerne into youth , and yepely speake Pryde with all thappertenaunces , & pake hem togithers And bonden hem at hys brest , and beate hem cleane And liggen on long with Laboraui in gemitu meo , And with warme water at hys eyen , washen hem after And than he syngeth whan he doth so , And sometyme sayth wepynge , Cor contritum et humiliatum deus non despicies By Christ I would I knew him quod I , no creature leuer Wythout the helpe of Pyerce Ploughman quod he Hys person seest thou neuerKD notes only MS R as having this mid-line break following he Where clarkes knowe hym quod I , þat kepen holy kyrke , Clerks haue no knowing quod he , bi works & bi words And Pierce the Plowman , parceyueth more depelye What is the wyll & wherfore , þat many wight suffreth Et vidit deus cogitationes eorum , For there are full proude herted men patient of tong And Pierce Ploughman . And boxome as of beringe , to burgeis and to Lords And to pore people haue pepper in the nose , And as a Lyon he loketh , there men lacke his workes For there are beggers & bydders , bedemen as it were Loken as lambren , and semen lyue holye And it is more to haue her meat , with such an easi maner Than for penaunce or perfitnes , þe penaunce þat such taketh Therfore by colour ne by cleargy , know shalt þou neuer Nether through works nor words , but through wil one And þat knoweth no clarke , ne creatnrecreat[u]re on earth , But Pierce the Ploughman , Petrus id est ChristnsChrist[u]s , For he is not in lolliers , ne in landelyppers hermettes Ne in ancres there a boxe hangeth al such they fayten Fye on faytours , and infautoresin fautores suos , For charitie is gods champion , & as a good child hend And the meriest of mouth , at meat wher he setteth The loue þat lieth in his hert , maketh him light of spech And is compaignable and confortatyue , as Christ byd him-selfe Nolite fieri sicut hypocrite tristes . For I haue sene hym in sylke , and somtyme in russet Both in graye and in gryse , and in gylt harneys And as gladly he it gaue to gommes that it neded Edmunde and Edwarde eyther were kynges And saintes sette , for charitye hem folowed I haue sene charitye also syngen and reden Ryden and runnen in ragged weddes And bydden as beggers behelde I hym neuer And in ryche robes rathest he walketh Called and Crimised and hys crowne shaue And in a Fryers froke he was found once And it is ferne ago , in saynt Frances tyme In that sect syth to selde , hath he be knowe Riche The vision ofFol.lxxxi. Riche men he recommendeth & of their robes taketh , That withouten wyles ledeth her lyues Beatus est diues qui . et cetera . In kings court he cometh oft ther the councel is true And if couetis be of councell , he wil not come therin , In court amonges iapers , he commeth not but selde , For brauling & bacbiting and bearinge false wytnes , In þe consistori before þe comissari he comith not ful oft For their law dureth ouerlong , but if they lachen siluer And matrimony for money maken and vnmaken , And that conscience and Christ hath knilte fast , They vndone it vnworthely the docters of lawe , And I ne lacke no lyue , but lorde amend vs all , And geue vs grace good God charitie to followe For who-so might mete with himsuchhim such maners him ayleth Neither he blameth ne banneth , bosteth ne prayseth Lacketh he ne loseth , ne loketh vp sterne , Craueth ne couetith ne crieth after more , In pace in idipsum dormiam et requiescam The most liuelod he liuith by , is loue in gods passion Nether he biddeth ne beggeth , ne boroweth to yelde , Misdoth he no man ne with his mouth greueth , Amongest christen men this mildnes shuld last , In all maner angers haue this in herte , That though heCr1.15.263: Cr's reading is unique , reflecting Crowley's failure to recognize the he form as "they." sufferid all this , God sufferid for vs more In example we shuld do so , & taken no vengeaunce , Of our foes þat done vs falsenes , þat is our fathers wil For wel may euery man wit if God had wold him-self Shuld neuer Iudas ne Ieu haue Iesus done on rode Ne haue martrid Peter ne Paule , ne in prison holden , And he suffred in example that we shulde suffre also , And sayd to such þat suffre wold that Patientes vincunt . X.i.Uerbi Pierce Ploughman . Uerbi gracia quod he , and veray examples manye In legenda sanctorunsanctoru[m] , the life of holy saynctes , What penance & pouertie and passion they suffered , In hongre in heat in all maner angers . Anthony and Egidie and other holy fathers Wending in wyldernes among wylde beastes , Monkes and mendynantes men by them-selfe In spekes & spelunkes selden speaken togethers And nether Anthoni nor Egidine heremit that time , Of lyons ne of leoperds , ne lyuelode to take But of foules that flyeth this fynden men in bookes : Except that Egidie after an hinde cryed And through the milke of that milde beastethebeaste the manwas susteyned , And day by day had neuer nought his hongre to slake , But seld & sundry tymes as saith the boke & techeth . Anthony a dayes about none time Had a byrde þat brought him breade that he by lyued , And though the gome had a gest , God found hem both Poule primus hermita had prorokedp[ar]rokedparroked hym-selfe That no man myght hym se for mosse and for leaues , Fowles hym fed felle winters wythall Till he founded fryres of Austens ordre Poule after his preaching , panyars he made , And wan with his handes that his wombe neded . Peter fyshed for hys foode and hys fellowe Andrewe Some they sold & some they soth , & so they liued both And also Mary maudlen by moores lyued & dewes , And most through deuocion & mind of God almighti I shulde not these seuen dayes seggen them all That liued thus for our lordes loue many long yeres , And ther ne was lyon ne leoperd that on landes went Neyther The vision ofFol.lxxxii Neyther bere ne bore ne other beastes wilde That ne fell to their fete & fawned with their tales , And if they coud haue carped , by Christe as I trowe , They wold haue fed that folke before wylde fowles , And God sent them foode by foules & by no fierse bestes In mening that meke thing mild thing shulde fede As who say religious rightfull men shuld finde , And lawfull men to lyfholy men lyuelode bryng , And than wold lordes and ladies belothbe loth to agilte , And to taken of their tenaunts more then truth wolde , Found they that friers wolde forsake their almes , And bidden them bere it , there it was borowed For we bene Gods fowles and a-biden alway , Tyll byrdes bring vs that we shuld lyue by , For had ye potage & pane inough , & peniale to drinke And a mes there amyde of one maner kynde , Ye had right inough ye religious so your rule me told Nunquam ( dicit Iob ) rugit Onager cum herbam habueritAut mugiet bos , cum ante plenum presepe steterit . Brutorumanimalium natura te condempnat . quia cum eis pabulum commune sufficitsuffici[a]tsufficiat , ex adipe prodiit iniquitas tua . If lewde men knew this laten they wold lok whom they geue And aduise them afore a fyue dayes or syxe , Er they amortised to monkes or chanons theyr rentes Alas lordes and ladies lewde councell haue ye To giue from your heyres that your ayles you lefte , And giue it to byd for you to suche as bene ryche And bene founden and fed eke to byd for other , Who performeth this prophecy of þe peple that now liueth Dispersit dedit pauperibus . If any penplepeople performe þat text , it are these pore freres , For that they begge about , in building they spend it , X.ii.And Pierce Ploughman . And on hem-selfe some , and such as ben her laborers And of hem þat haueth not they take , & geueth hem þat haueth And clarkes and knightes , & communers that ben rych Fell of you fareth , as if I a forest had That were full of fayre trees , and I found a cast Howe I myght moo therin amonge hem set Ryght so ye ryche , ye robbe that ben ryche And helpeth hem that helpeth you , & geueth there no nede is And who-so fylleth a tunne of a fresh ryuer , And went forth with that water , to woke with temese Ryght so the ryche ye robbe and fedde Hem that haue as ye haue , hem ye make at ease And religious þat ryche ben , should rather fest beggers Than Burgesis þat rich ben , as the boke telleth . Quia sacrilegium est res pauperum non pauperibus dare Item peccatoribus dare est demonibus Immolare , Item Monache , si indigeseges et accipis , potius das quam accipis , Si autem non indiges et accipis , rapis . Porro non Indiget Monachus , si habeat quod nature sufficit . Therfore I counsel al christen to conforme hem to charitye For charitie without chalengynge , vnchargeth þe soule And mani prisoner by his praierhepraier he pulith from paine And there is a defaut in the folke , þat the faith kepeth Wherfore folke is the febler , and not firme of beleue As in Lushburgh is aluther alay , yet lokith like sterling The mark of þat mony is good , & þe metle is feble So farith it bi some folk now , thei haue a faire spech Crowne and christendome , the kings marke of heuen And the metal þat is mans soule , with sinne is foule alaied Both lettred and lewde , ben alayed now with sinne That no lyfe loueth other , ne our lord as it semeth For by war & wicked works & weders vnresonable We= The vision ofFol.lxxxiii. Wether wysheppers , and wytty clarkes also Haue no beleue to þe lift ne to þe lore of Philosophers Astronomers aldaye in her herte faylen That whilome warned before , what should fal after Shipmen & shepheardes , þat wyth shyp & shepe wenten Wyshen by the welken what shoulde betyde As of weders and wyndes , they warned men oft Tyllers that tylled the earth tolde hyr masters By the seed that they sewe , what they sell myght And what to leue & what to liue bi , þe land was so true Now faileth þe folke of þe floode , & of the lande bothe Shepeheardes and shypmen , and so do these tyllers Nether they canneth ne knoweth one course before an-other Astronomers also are at her wyttes ende Of þat was calculed of thelement , the contrary thei finde Grammer the ground of all , begileth now the children For it is non of these new clarks , who-so nimeth hede Not one among a hundred that an auter can construe Ne read a letter in ani langage , but in laten or in english Go now to any degre , and but if gyle be mayster And flatterers his felowe vnder hym to fourmen Much wonder me thynketh amonge vs all Doctours of degrees , and of diuinitie maisters That should kenne and knowe all kynnes cleargy And answere to argumentes , and also to a Quod libet I dare not say it for shame , if such were apposed They shold fayle of her philosophy , & in phisike both Therfore I am afrayed of folke of holy kyrke Lest thei ouerhipen as other done , in officis & in houris And if thei ouirhip as I hope not , our bileue sufficeth As clarkes in Corpus Christi feaste , singen and reden That Sola fides sufficit , to saue with lewde people X.iii.And Pierce Ploughman . And so may Saracines be saued , scribes and Iewes Alas than but our lores men , lyued as they lerne vs And for her liuyng þat lewde men be , þe lother god a gylt For Saracines haue somwhat seming to our beleue For they loue and beleue , one god almyghtye And we lerned and lewed , in one god beleue . And one Mahomet a man , in misbeleue brought Saracines of Surrey , and se in what maner . At the first he was christen , & for he might not be pope Into Surrey he sought , & throughe hys sottle wyts Daunted a doue , and daye and nyght her fed The corne that she cropped he cast in hys eare And if he among the puple preched , or in places come Than woulde the Culuer come , to the clarkes eare Mening as after meat , thus Mahomet hir enchaunted Than did folke fal on knes , for he swore in his preching That the Culuer that came so , came from god of heuen , As messenger to Mahomet , men for to teache And thus through wyles of his wyt , & a white doue Mohomet in misbeleue , men and women brought That liued tho there and liuen yet , leuing on his lawes And sith our sauiour suffred , þe Saracines so begiled Through a christen clarke , accursed in hys soule For dread of death , I dare not tell truth How englyshe clarkes a Culuer fede , þat couetise hate And bene maner of Mahomet , þat no man vseth truth Ancres and hermets , monkes and friers Peren to Apostles through her perfit liuynge Wold neuer the faithful father , þat his ministers shold Of tyrantes that teneth true men , take any almes But done as Anthony did , Dominike & Frauncis Benet and Barnarde , the which hem first taught To The vision ofFol.lxxxiiii To lyue by lytle & in low houses , by lely mens alms Grasse should growe and be grene , through her good liuing And folkes shold fynd þat ben in diuerse sikenes The better for her biddynges , in body and in soule Their prayers & their penaunces , to peace shold bring All that ben at debate , and bedmen were true . Petite et accipietis . & cetera . Salte saue thy cattel sayen the wyues . Uos estis sal terre . The henedeshe[u]edes of holy churche , and they holy were Christe calleth hem salt , for christen soules Et si sal euanuerit in quo salietur ? For freshe fleshe other fyshe , whan it salt fayleth It is vnsauery forsoth sodde or baked So is mans soule sothly , that seeth no good exemple Of hem of holy kyrke , þat the heigh way should teache And be gyde and go before , as a good rauenour And harden hem þat behind ben , & giue hem good euidence , AlenuenAleuen holy men , all the worlde turned Into lelly beleue , the lyghtloker me thynketh Shoulde all maner men , we haue so many maysters Priestes and preachers , and a Pope aboue That gods salte shoulde be , to saue mans soule All was heathennes sometyme , Englande & wales Tyll Gregory garde clarkes to go here & preach Austen at Canturbury christened the kynge And bi miracles as men mai rede , al þe marsh he turnid To Christe and to christendome , & crosse to honoure And fulled folke faste , and the fayth taught More through myracles , than through much preching As wel through works , as through his holy words And said hem what fullinge , and faith was to meane Clothe Pierce Ploughman . Cloth that commeth from the weuing is not comely to wear Til it be fulled vnder fote , or in fullyng stocks Washen well wyth water , and with tasels cratched Touked and teynted , and vnder taylours hande And so it fareth bi a barne , that borne is of a wombe Til it be christnid in christs name , confirmid of þe bishop It is heathen as to heauenward , & helples to þe soule Heathen is to meane , after heth and vntilled earth , As in wylde wyldernes , waxeth wylde beastes Rude and vnreasonable , runnyng wythout cropers Ye menen wel how Mathew saith , how a man made a feast He fed hem with no venison , ne Fesauntes baked But with fowls þat from hym nold , but folowed hys whistelinge Ecce altilia mea , et omnia parata sunt . And wyth calues fleshe he fedde þe folke that he loued The calfe betokeneth clennes in hem that kepeth lawes For as þe cow through kind milke , þe calfe nourisheth til an Oxe So loue & leauty lely men susteyneth And maydens and mylde men mercy desiren Ryght as the cowe calfe coueteth swete mylke So done ryghtfull men mercye and truth And who be þat excuseth hem , that ar persons & priests That henedshe[u]eds of holy kyrke ben , that haue her wil here Without trauel þe tyth deale , that true men beswinken Thei wold wroth for I write this , & to witnes take Both Mathew & Marke , and Memento domine Dauid What Pope or prelate nowe perfourmeth þat Christe hight Ite in vniuersum mundum , et predicate euangelium . Alas that men so longe , on Makometh should beleue So many prelates to preache , as the Pope maketh Of Nazareth of Niniue , of Nepthalim & Damasce , That they ne went as Christ wysheth , sithen they wyll haue name The vision ofFol.lxxxv. To be pastour and preache the passion of Iesus And as hym-selfe sayd , so to liue and dye . Bonus pastor animam suam ponit . & cetera . And said it in saluation to Saracines and other , For christen and vnchristen , Christ sayd to preachers Ite vos in vineam meam . And sith that these Saracins scribes and Iewes Haue a lyppe of our beleue , the lyghtlier me thynketh They shoulde turne who-so traueled , to teach hem of the trinitye Querite et inuenietis . & cetera . It is ruth to rede howe ryghtwyse men lyued Howe they defowled her fleshe , forsoke hyr own will Farre fro kyth and from kinnnekinne ill clothed yeden Badly bedded , no boke but Conscience Ne no ryches but the rode , to reioyce hem therin Absit vos gloriari nisi in cruce domini nostri . &cetera . And tho was plenty and peace , among pore & ryche And now is ruth to rede how the redde noble How couetise ofþe cleargywyll destroy thechurch . Is reuerenced or the rode , & receiued for the worthier Than christes crosse þat ouercame death & deadly sinne And now is warre and woo , and who-so why asketh For couetise after crosse , the crowne standes in golde Both rych and religious , that rode they honour That in grotes is grauen , and in golde nobles For couetous of that crosse , men of holy kyrke Shall turne as templers did , the time approcheth nere Wyt ye not ye wyse men , how tho men honoured More treasure than throuth , I dare not tell the sothe Reason and ryghtfull dome , the religious demed Ryght so you clarkes for your couetise er longe Shal they deme Dos ecclesie , and your prid depose . Deposuit potentes de sede , &cetera . Y.i.If Pierce Ploughman , If knyghode and kynde wyt , & commune by conscience To-gyther loue lelly , leueth it well ye byshoppes The lordshyps of landes , for euer shall ye lese And lyue as Leuitici , as our Lorde you teacheth . Per primitias et decimas . &cetera . Whan Constantyne of curtesy , holy kyrke dowed Wyth landes and leades , lordshyps and rentes An angell men harden on hyghe at Rome crye Dos ecclesie , thys daye hath dranke venyme And they that haue Peters power , are poysoned all A medicine muste therto , that may amend prelates That Should praye for peace , possession hem letteth Take her landes ye lordes , & let hem lyue by demes If possession be poyson , and imperfit hem make Good were it to discharge , hem for holy kyrkes sake And purge hem of poyson , ere more peryll fal . If priesthode were perfect , the people should amend That contrarien Christes law , & christendome despise For all Paynymes prayeth , and perfectly beleueth In the holy great god , and his grace they asken And make her mone to Mahomet , her message to shewe Thus in fayth liue that folke , & in a false meane And þat is ruth of ryghtfull men , þat in realme wonneth And a peril of the Pope , and prelates that he maketh That bear bishops names , of Bethlem , & of Babilon That hip about in Englande , to hallow mens auters And crepen among curatours , confessen agayne the law Nolite mittere falcem , in messem alienam . Mani a man for christes loue , was martyred in Rome Er any christendome was knowne ther , or any crosse honored Eueri bishop þat bereth cros , bi þat he is holden Through his prouince to passe , & to his puple to shew Tellen The vision ofFol.lxxxvi Tellen hem and teachen hem on the trinitie to bileue And feden hem with gostly fode , & gyue ther it nedeth In domo mea non est panis , neque vestimentum . Et ideo nolite , constituere me regem . Ozias sayth for such that sycke be and feble . Inferte omnes decimas in horreum meum , vt sit cibus in domo mea . And we christian creatures that on the crosse beleuen Are fyrme as in the fayth , gods forbod else And haue clarkes to kepe vs therin , & hem þat come after And Iewes liuen in lelli loue , our lord wrote it him-self In stone for it stedefast was and stand shal euer Dilige deum et proximum , is perfect Iewes lawe And toke it to Moyses to teach men , til Messias come And on that lawe they leue yet , and leten it the best And yet knewe they Christ , that christendome taught For a perfit prophet , that much people saued Of selkoughe sores , they sawe it oft Both of myracles & meruailes , & howe he men feasted With two syshesfyshes & fyue loues , fyue thousand puple And by þat mangery men might se , þat Messias he semed And whan he lift vp Lazar , that layed was in graue And vnder stone and stanke with styfe voyce him called . Lazare veni foras . Dyd him rise and Roome ryght before the Iewes And they said and swore with Sorcery he wrought And studed to destroy hym , and stroyed hem-selues And throughe his patience her power to naughte he brought Uincunt patientesPacientes vincunt . Daniell of her doynge diuined and sayde . Cum sanctus sanctorum veniat cessabit vnctio vestra . And wenen tho wretches þat he were pseudopropheta And that hys lore be lesynges and lacken it all Y.ii.And Pierce Ploughman , And hopen that be to come , that shall hem releue Moyses eft or Messie , her masters yet diuineth And Phariseis and Sarasins , scribes and Grekes , Are folke of one fayth , the father god they honouren And sithen that the Sarasins and also the Iewes Konne the fyrst clause of our beleue , Credo in deum Prelats of christen prouinces shold preue if thei might To learne hem lytle & lytle , Et in Iesum christum filium , Tyl they could speake and spel , Et in spiritum sanctum . And reade it and record it with remissionem peccatorum . Carnis resurrectionem , et vitam eternam. Amen . Passus xvisedecimus et primus de dobet . NOw fair fal you quod I tho , for your fair shewyng For Hankens loue þe actiue man euer I shal you loue And yet I am in a were þat chariti is to meane It is a full tried tree , quod he truly to tell Mercy is þe moore therof , the middle stocke is ruth The leaues ben lelly words , the law of holy kyrke The blossomes ben buxome speach , & benygn loking Patience hight the pure tre , & pure simple of herte And so through god & good men , growth þe frut chariti I wold trauel quod I , thys tre to se , twenty .C.hundred myle And for to haue mi fil of þat frut , forsake al other salue Lord quod I if any wight wyt , whither out it groweth It groweth in a garden quod he , that god made him-self Amiddes mans bodi , the moore is of that stock Hert hight the herbor , that it in groweth And Liberum arbitrium , hath the lande to farme Under Pierce the ploughman , to pyke it & to wede it Pierce the Plowman quod I tho , & al for pure ioye That I hard nempe his name , anone I swoned after And The vision ofFol.lxxxvii. And lay longe in a lonelo[u]eloue dreame , & at laste me thought That Pierce the Plowman , all the place me shewed And bade me to totre on þe tree , one crop & one rote With .iii.three piles was it vnderpight , I perceiuid it sone Pierce quod I , I praye the , why stond these pyles here ? For windes wylt þou wyt quod he , to wyten it from fallinge . Cum ceciderit iustus non collidetur , quia dominus supponit manum suam . In blowing time byte þe flours , but if thes piles help The world is a wicked wind , to hem that wyl trouth Couetise comith of þat wind , & crepith among the leaues And forfretith nigh þe fruit , through mani faire sights Than with þe first pile , I pale him down , þat is Potentia Dei Patris The flesh is a fel wynde , & in flouryng tyme Through liking and lustes , so loud gynneth to blow That it nourisheth nye sightes , & sometime words And wycked workes thereof , wormes of synne And forbyteth the blosomes , euen to the bare leaues Than set I to the seconde pyle , Sapientia dei Patris That is the passion and the power of our prince Iesu Through prayers & throughe penaunce , & gods passion in mynde I saue it til I se it ripen , & some-dele fruted And than fondeth the fend , my frute to destroye Wyth all the wyles that he can , & waggeth the rote And casteth vp the crompe vnkynde neyghbours Backbyters breake the chest , brawlers & chiders And leyeth a ladder therto , of lesynges are þe roundes And fetcheth a-way mi flours , somtime afore both mine eies And Liberum arbitrium , letteth hym sometyme , That is leuetenaunt to loken it well , bileue of mi-selfe Uideatis qui peccat in spiritum sanctum numquam remittetur Hoc est idem qui peccat per liberum arbitrium non repurgaturrepu[gnat]repugnat And whan the find & the flesh forth with the worlde Y.iii.Ma Pierce Ploughman . Manacen behinde me my frute for to fetche , Than liberum arbitrium latcheth the first polante , And palleth a doune the pouke purely through grace And helpe of the holyghost , & thus haue I þe mastrie . Now fayre fall you piers quod I , so fayre ye driscriuen , The power of these postes and their propre mighte , And I haue thought a threwe of these thre pyles In what wood thei wopen , & where that they growed For all ar they a-lyke long , no lesse than other And to mi mind as me thinketh on a more they growed And of greatnes and grene of greyne thei semen That is soth quod pyers so it may befall I shall tell the as tite what this tree hyght , The ground there it groweth , goodnes it hight And I haue told þe what hight þe tre , þe trinitie it meaneth And egerly he loked on me , & therfore I spared To aske him any more therfore & bad him full fayre , To descryue the frute that so fayre hangeth , Here now beneth quod he tho , if I nede had Matrimony I may name , a moist frute with-all , Than continence is nere the crop as cayleway bastard Than beareth the crop kinde frute and clenest of all , Maidenhod angelles pere , and rathest wilbe ripe And swete without swelling , soure worth it neuer , I prayed pyers to pull downe an appull and he wold And suffre me to assaye what sauour it had And piers cast to the crop and than comsed it to crye , And waged widowhead , and it wept after , And whan it meued matrimony it made a full noyse , I had ruth whan Piers ragged , it grad so ruthfully For euer as they dropped downe , þe deuel was ready And gathered them altogether both great & smalle , Adam The vision ofFol.lxxxviii Adam and Abraham and Esay the prophete Sampson Samuell and saynct Iohn the Baptist Bare hem forth boldly , no body him let And made of holy men his horde , In limbo inferni . There is darckenes and drede and the deuell mayster And pyers of pure tene of that apple he caught He hit oft at him , hit if it might , Filius , by the faders wil and frenes of , Spiritus sancti , To go rob that rageman and reue the frute from him , AndAnd þannespeke , Spiritus sanctus , in gabriels mouth , To a mayde that hight marie a meke thinge withall That one Iesus a Iustice sonne must ionkenio[u]keiouke in hir wombe Till Plenitudo temporis , fully commen were That pyers frute flored and fyll to rype , And shuld Iesus iust therfore by iudgment of armes Whether shuld song the fruet the fend or him-selfe . The mayd mildly tho the messenger grated , And sayd hendly to him , lo me his handmaden , For to worke his will without any sinne . Ecce ancilla domini , fiat mihi . &cetera . And in the wombe of þat wenche was he forty wekes , Till he wexe a fainct through hir flesh & of fyghtinge coud To haue fought with þe fend er ful time come And pyers the plowman perceiued plener time , And learned him lechecraft his life for to saue , That woundid with his enmy , he might warish him-selfe And did him assay his surgery on them that seke were Till he was perfit practiser if any perill fell , And sought out the seke and sinfull both , And salued seke and sinful both blind and croked , And common women conuerted and to good turned . Non est sanis opus medico sed . &cetera . Both Pierce Ploughman . Both messels and mute and in the menison bloudye Oft he heled such , he ne held it for no masterie , Saue tho he heled Lazar that had ley in graue , QuatridianusQuatrid[u]anusQuatriduanus , Quelt quicke . did him wake . And as he made the mastiriee Mestus cepit esse And wept water with his eien there seighen it manie Some that he sight , sighen ayde that tyme , That he was leche of lyfe , and lorde of heigh heauen , Iewes iangle there agayne , and iudged lawes And sayd he wrought through wychcraft , & with the deuils might Demonium habes . Than are ye cherls quod I , and your children both And Satan your sauiour , your-selfe now ye wytnes For I haue saued your-selfe saith Christ , & your sons after Your bodyes your beastes , & blynd men holpen And fedde you with two fishes , & wyth fyue loues And left baskets ful of broken meat , bear awai þat wold And missayd the Iewes manly , & manaced hem to bete And knocked on hem with a corde , & cast down her stals That in church chafferden , or chaungeden any money And sayd it in sight of hem all , so that al hearden I shal ouerturne thys temple , and adowne throwe And in three dayes after edifie it newe And make it as muche or more , in al maner poyntes As euer it was and as wyde , & therfore I hote you Of prayers and of perfitnes , thys place that ye cal Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur . Enuye and euyl wyll was in the Iewes They casten & contriueden to kil him whan they might Eche day after other , her tyme they awayted Tyll it befell on a fryday , a little before paske The thursday before there he made hys maundy . Sit= The vision ofFol.lxxxix Sitting at the supper he sayd these wordes I am sold through one of you he shall the time rue , That euer he his sauiour sold for siluer or elles Iudas iangled there agayn , and Iesus him tolde , It was him-selfe sothly and sayde Tu dicis , Than went furth that wicked man & with þe Iewes met And told them a token how to know Iesus , And which token to this day to much is vsed , That is kissing and fayre contenance & vnkind will , And so was wyth Iudas tho , that Iesus betrayed , Aue rabi quod that ribaud and right to hym he yede , And kist him to be caught therby & killed of þe Iewes Than Iesus to Iudas and to the Iewes sayde Falsenes I finde in thy fayre speche And gyle in the glade chere and gal in the laughinge Thou shalt be mirrour to many men to deceyue , And þe work & thy wickednes shal worth vpon thi-self Necesse est vt veniant scandala , ve homini illi per quem scadalumsca[n]dalum venit , KD does not list this variant. Though I by treason be take at your owne will Suffre mine apostles in pease and in paise gange , On a thursday in the sterns thus was he take Through Iudas and Iewes Iesus was his name , That on the fryday following for mankind sake In stede in Ierusalem a ioy to vs all On crosse vpon Caluerie Christ toke the battell Against death & the deuel destroyed both her mights Died and death fordid , and day of night made , And I awaked therwith & wiped mine eyne And after pyers the plowman pried and stared , Estward and westward , I wated after fast And yede furth as an Idiote in contry to espye , z.i.After Pierce Ploughman . After Pierce the Plowman , many a place I sought And than met I wyth a man , a midlenten sonday As hore as a Hathorne , and Abraham he hyght I frayned him firste from whence he came And from whence he were , & whether that he thought . I am faith quod that freke , it falleth not to lie And of Abrahams house an heraude of armes I seke after a segge that I se once A full bolde bachiler , I knewe him by hys blasen What bereth that burne quod I tho , so blisse the betide Thre leodes in one lyth , none lenger than other Of one Michel and might , in mesure and in length That one doth al doth , and ech doth bi his owne The first hath might and maiestie , maker of al things Pater is hys propre name , a person by him-selfe The seconde of that sire is sothfastenes Filius , Warden of that wit hath , was euer without ginning The thirde hight the holy goste , a person by him-selfe The light of all that life hath , a lond and a water Confortour of creatures , of him commeth all blysse So thre belongeth to a lord that lordeshyp claymeth Might and a meane to know his might Of him and of his seruant , & what they suffer both So god that ginning haddeneuerhadde neuer , but tho him good thought Sent forth his sonne as for seruaunt þat time To occupy him here , till issue were spronge That is children of charity , and holy kirke the mother Patriarkes and prophetes & apostles were þe children And Christ and christendome , and christen holy kirke In mening that man must in one god beleue And there him liked & loued , in one person him shewed And that it may be so and soth , manhode it sheweth Wedlocke and wydowhead , with virginitie nempned In The vision ofFol.lxxxx In tokeninge of trinitie , was out of man taken Adam our olde father , Eue was of him-selfe And thissue that they had , it was of hem both And either is others ioye , in thre sondrye persons And in heauen and in earth , one singuler name And thus is mankind or manhode , of matrimony sprong And betokeneth the trinitie , and true beleue Mighty is matrymonye , and multyplieth the earth And betokeneth truly , tell if I durste Hym that firste formed al , the father of heauen The sonne if I durst saye , resembleth wel the wydow . Deus meus deus meus , vt quid dereliquisti me . That is creator was creature , to know what was both As wydow without wedlocke was neuer yet se No more might god be man , but if he mother had So widowe without wedlocke , may not wel stonde Ne matrimony without mulier is not much to praise Maledictus homo qui non reliquit semen in Israel . Thus in thre persons is perfitly manhode That is man and his make , and mulier children And is not but gender of generation , bifore Iesu Christ So is the father forthwith the sonne , & frewilfre wil of hem both Spiritus procedens a patre et filio . Whiche is the holy goste of all , and is but one god Thus in a somer I him se , as I sate in my perche I rose vp and reuerenced him , & right faire him grete Thre men at my sight , I made well at ease Washe her fete and wiped hem , & after they eaten , Calues fleshe & cakebread , & knewe what I thought Ful true tokens betwene vs ben , to tell whan me liketh Fyrst he fonded me , whether I loued better Him or Isaac myne heire , which he high me to kill z.ii.He Pierce Ploughman . He wyst my wyll by hym , he woll me it alowe I am full syker in soule therof , and my sonne boeth I circumcised my sonne sithen , for hys sake My-selfe and my meyny , and all that male were Bled bloud for þat lordes loue , & hope to blysse þe tyme Mine affiance and my fayth is firme in thys beleue For him-selfe behyght to me , & to myne issue both Londe and lordeshyppe , and life wythout ende To me and to myne issue , more yet he me graunted Mercy of our misdedes , as many tymes as we aske . Quam olim Abrahe promisisti et semini eius . And syth he sent me to see , I shoulde do sacrifice And done him worship with bread & with wine both And called me fote of hys faith , his folke for to saue And defend him from the fend , folke that on me leueden Thus haue I ben his Heraude , here and in hell And conforted many a careful , þat after his comming waiten And thus I seke him he said , for I heard say late Of a barn þat baptised him , I. IohnIs this an expansion? Baptist was his name That to patriarkes & to prophetes , & to other people in darknes Said that he se here , þat should saue vs al . Ecce agnus dei . &cetera . I had wonder of his wordes , and of his wyde clothes For in his bosome he bare a thing , þat he blessed euer And I loked in hys lappe , a Lazare lay therin Among patriarkes and prophetes , pleying togyders What awaytest thou quod he , & what wouldest þou haue I would wit quod I tho , what is in your lappe Lo quod he and let me se , lord mercy I said This is a present of mich price , what prince shal it haue It is a precious present quod he , & þe pouk hath it atachid And me thermid quod þat man , ther may no wed me quite Ne The vision ofFol.lxxxxi Ne no barne be our borow , ne bring vs from his danger Out of þe powkes pinfold , no mainprice may vs fetch Tyl he come that I carpe of , Christ is hys name That shal deliuer vs some dai , out of þe deuils powr And better wede for vs ligge than we be all worthy That is life for life , or lygge thus euer Lollinge in my lappe , til such a lorde vs fetche . Alas I said that sinne so longe shall lette The myght of gods mercy , that might vs wel amend I wept for his wordes , with that I saw an other Rapelych renne forth , the ryght way he went I frained hym firste , from whence he came And what he hyghte , & whether he wold , & wighlywigh[t]lywightly he tolde Passus .xvii.septemdecimus de visione . I Am Spes quod he , and spye after a knyght That toke me a mandement vpon þe mont Sinai To rule al realmes with , I bear þe wryte here It is ensealed I said , many men se the letters Nay he sayd I seke him , that hath the seale to kepe And þat is crosse & christendome , & Christ theron to hang And whan it is ensealed so , I wot wel the soth Than Lucifers Lordeshyp , shall last no lenger Let vs se the letters quod I , we myght the lawe knowe Than pulled he forth a patent , a piece of a hard roche Wherin were written these words , on this wise iglosed Dilige deum , et proximum tuum . &cetera . This was the text truly , I toke full good yeme The glose was glorious , written with a gylt penne . In hiis duobus mandatis , tota lex pendet et prophete . Be here al thy Lords laws , quod I , yea leue me he sayd And who-so worcheth after this write , I wyl vndertake z.iii. Pierce Ploughman . Shal neuer deuil you dere , ne death in soule greue For thoughe I saye it my-selfe , I haue saued with thys charme Of men & women , many score thousandes He saith soth said this heraude , I haue it found oft Lo here in my lappe , that leued on that charme Iosue and Iudith , and Iudas Machabeus Yea and .vi.six thousand beside forth , þat ben not sene here Your words are wonderful quod I tho , whiche of you is truest ? And lelest to leue on , for life and for soule Abraham sayth , that he se wholy the trinitie Thre persons in percels , ech departable from other And al thre but one god , thus Abraham me taught And hath saued that beleued so , & sory for her synnes He can not se the commune , and some are in his lappe What neded it than , a newe lawe to beginne Sith the first sufficeth to saluation and blysse And now commeth Spes , & speaketh þat hath espied the law And tellith not of þe triniti , þat toke him his letters To beleue and loue in our Lorde almyghty And sith right as my-selfe , so loue all the people The gome þat goth with a staffe , he semeth in great heale Than he that goth with two staues , to sight of vs al And ryght so by the rode , reason me sheweth It is lighter to lewde men , one lesson to knowe Than for to teach hem two , & to hard to learne the leste It is full harde for any man on Abraham bileue And wel away worse yet for to loue a shrewe It is lighter to leue in thre louely persons Than for to loue and leue as wel lorelles as lelly Go thy gate quod I to Spes , for so me god helpe Tho that learne thy lawe , wel litle while vsen it And as we wenten in þe way , thus wording togithers Than The vision ofFol.lxxxxii Than se we a Samaritan ryding on a mule Rydinge well rapely , the right way we yeden Cumming from a contrye men call Iericho To a Iustice at Ierusalem he chaseth away fast Both the heraude and hope , and he met at once Where a man was wounded , and with theues taken He might neither steppe ne stand , ne stirre fote ne hand Ne helpe him-self sothly , for Semiuife he semed And as naked as a nedle , & no helpe about him Fayth had first syght of him , and he fle a-syde And would no nyghen him by nine landes length Hope came hippinge after , that had so bosted Howe he with Moses maundement , had many men holpen And whan he hadde sight of þat segge , aside he gan hym draw Dredfully by this day , as duck doth from faucon And so sone this Samaritan had syght of this leode He lyght downe of liarde , and ladde him in his hand And to the wye he went , his woundes to beholde And perceiued by hys pulse , he was in perel to dye And but he had recouered the rather , þat rise shoulde he neuer With wine and with oyle his woundes he washed Enbaumid him & bound his hed , & in his lap him laide And lad him so forth on lyard to Lex Christi , a graunge Wel sixe miles or seuen beside the newe market Herberd him at an hostry , and to the hostler called And sayd haue kepe thys man , til I come from the iustis And lo here siluer he sayd , for salue for his woundes And he toke him two pence for liuelode as it were And said who-so spend more , I make it good heraftir For I may not let quod that leode , & liarde he bestrideth And raped him to Ierusalem the right way to ryde Fayeth folowed after faste , and fonded to meten hym And Pierce Ploughman . And Spes spaklich him sped , spede if he might To ouertaken him & talke to him , er he to towne come And whan I se this I soiourned not , but shope me ren And sewed that samaritane , that was so ful of pytye And graunted him to be his grome , gramercy he said And thy frend & thy felow , thou findest me at nede And I thanked him tho , and syth I him tolde How that fayth fle away , & Spes & his felow both , For sight of þe sorowful man , þat robbed was with theues Haue hem excused quod he , her helpe may little auayle May no medicine on molde , the man to heale brynge Neither faith ne fyne hope , so festred be his woundes Without the bloude of a barne , borne of a mayden And he be bathed in that bloude , baptised as it were Than plastered with penaunce , & passion of that baby He shold stand & step , & stalworth worth he neuer Til he haue eaten all the barne , & his bloude dronken For went neuer wye in this world through þat wildernes That he ne was robbed or rifled , wode he or yed Saue fayth and his felowe , Spes , and my-selfe And thy-selfe nowe , and suche as suen our workes For outlawes in the woode , and vnder banke loutith And may ech man see , and good marke take , Who is behinde & who before , & who-so ben on horse For he halt him hardier on horse , than him þat is on fote For he se me þat am Samaritan , suen faith & his felow On my caple that hight Caro , of mankind I toke it He was vnhardy that harlot , & had him in inferno And er this day thre dayes I dare vndertaken That he worthe fettred that felon , faste with chaines And neuer eft greue gome , that goeth this ilke gate And than shal faith be fosterforsterforsterVariant not listed in KD. here , & in this frith walke And The vision ofFol.lxxxxiii. And kennen out common men , that knowen not the contry Which is the wai þat I went , and wherfore to Ierusalem And Hope þe hostilers man , shal be ther þe man lieth in healing And al , þat feble & faint be , þat faith mai not tech Hope shall leade hem for loue , as his lore teacheth And hostelen hem & heale , through holy kirkes beleue Tyll I haue salue for al sycke , & than shal I returne And come agayne by this contrie , & conforten all sycke That craueth it or coueteth it , and crieth therafter For þe barne was borne in Bethlem , þat with his blode shal saue Al þat liuen in faith , & folowe his felowes teching A swete sir sayd I tho , whether shal I beleue As Fayth and hys felowe , enfourmed me both In thre persons depertable , that perpetual wer euer And all thre but one god , thus Abraham me taught And hope afterward he bade me to loue One god with all my good , and al gomes after Loue hem lyke my-selfe , and our lord aboue al . After Abraham quod he , that heraude of armes Set fast thy faythe , and fyrme beleue And as hope hyghe the , I hote the that thou loue Thyne euen-chresten euermore , euen-forth with thy-selfe And if conscience carpe ther-againe , or kind wit other Or heritikes with argumentes thine hand þou him shewe For god is after an hand , here nowe and know it The father was first as a fyst , with one fynger holdyng Tyll hym loued and lust , to vnlosen hys fynger And put it forth as with a paum , to what place it shuld The paume is pureli þe hand , & proferith forth þe fingers To minister & to make , þat might of hande knoweth And betokeneth truly , tell who-so lyketh The holy goste of heauen he is as the pawme Aa.i.The Pierce Ploughman , The fyngers that fre be , to folde and to serue Betokeneth sothly the sonne , þat sent was to the earth That touched and tasted , at techinge of the pawme Saynt Mary a maide , and mankinde laught . Qui conceptus est de spiritu sancto . The father is than as a fiste , with finger to tonchto[u]chKD does not note this variant -- perhaps the letter actually is a blurred u after all? Quia omnia traham ad me ipsum . All that pawme perceiueth profitable to fele Than are they all but one , as it an hande were And thre sondry syghtes in one shewynge The pawme , for he putteth forth fyngers & fist both Ryght so reddily reason it sheweth , That he that is holy goste , syre and sonne preueth And as the hande holdes harde , & all thinges fast Through four fingers & a thombe , forth with þe pawme Right so the father & the sonne , & saint Spirite þe thyrd Wythin hem thre the wyde worlde holden , Both the welken and the wynd , water and earth Heauen and hell , and all that therin is Thus it is , nedeth no man trow none other That thre thynges belongeth in our lorde of heauen And are Serelopes bi hem-self , a-sonder were they neuer No more than my hand may , moue without my fingers And as my fiste is full , hand folden togythers So is the father a full god , former and maker . Tu fabricator omnium . &cetera And all that myght myd him , is in making of thinges The fingers formen a full hand , to purtrey & to paynte Caruynge and compassinge , is craft of the fingers Ryght so is the sonne , the science of the father And full god as is the father , no febler nor no better The paume þat is pureli þe hand , hath power bi him-self Otherwise than þe wretchen fist , or workmanship of fingers The vision ofFol.lxxxxiiii For the pawme hath power to put out all þe ioyntes And to vnfold the folden fiste at the fingers wyll So is the holy goste god , neither greater ne lesse Than is the syre and the sonne , & the same myght And al ar they but one god , as is mi hand & mi fingers Unfolden and folden , my fist and my pawme All is but one hande , howe-so-euer I turne it And who-so is hurte in the hande , euen in the middes He may receyue ryght nought , reason it sheweth For the fingers that folde should , and the fist make For payne of the pawme , power hem fayleth To cratche or to clawe , to clyppe or to holde Were the middle of my hand maymed or perished I should receiue ryght uought[n]oughtAgain, KD doesn't cite this variant -- hard to tell with certainty which character it is. , of that I rech myght And though my thombe be & my fingers boeth were to-shullen And þe middle of my hand without malese In many kinnes maners , I might my-selfe helpe Both moue and amend , though all my fingers oke By thys skill me thinketh I se an euident That who-so sinneth in the saint Spirite , assoyled worth he neuer Nether here ne else-wher , as I here tell . Qui peccat in spiritum sanctum . &cetera . For he þathe pricketh god as in þe pawm , Quiþat peccat in spispi[ritum sanctum]spiritum sanctum . For god þe father is a fist , the sonne is a fynger The holy gost of heauen , is as it were the pawme And whoso sinneth in saint Spirite , it semeth þat he greueth God that he grypeth with , & would his grace quench And to a torche or a tapoure , the trinitie is lykened As waxe and a weeke were twyned togither And than a fyre flaminge forth out of both And as waxe and weeke and hote fyre togyther Fostren forth a flame , and a fayre laye . Aa.iiSo Pierce Ploughman , So done the sire and the sonne , & also Spiritus sanctus Fostren forth amonges folke , loue and beleue And all kinne christen , clenseth of synnes And as thou seest sometime , sodenly a torche The blasse therof blowen oute , yet burneth the weke Without ley or lyght , that the match brenneth So is the holy goste god , and grace without mercy To all vnkind creatures that couet to destroy Lelly loue or lyfe , that oure lorde shapte And as glowing gledes gladeth not these workemen That waken and worken in winter nyghtes As doth a kex or a candle , þat caught hath fire & blaseth No more doth sire ne sonne , ne saint spirite togythers Graunte no grace , ne forgeuenes of synnes Tyll the holy gost gynne to glowe and to blasse So that the holy gost gloweth but as a glede Till that lelly loue lygge on hym and blowe , And than flameth he as fyre , one father , & one Filius And melteth her myght into mercye , as men may se in winter Isicles & eueses , through heate of the sunne Melten in minute while , to mist and to water So grace of the holy gost , the great might of the trinitye Melteth to mercy , to merciable , & to no other And as waxe without more , and a warme glede Will brennen and blase all togythers And solacen hem that may see , that sate in darckenes So the father for-geueth , folke of milde hertes , That rufully repenten and restitution make In as much as they may amende and paye And if it suffice not for asseth uncited by Kane-Donaldson , þat in such a wil dyeth Mercy for his mekenes wold make good þe remnaunt And as the weeke and fire , wyl make a warme flame For The vision ofFol.lxxxxv. For to myrth men myd , that in the merke sytten So will Christe of his curtesye , & men cry him mercy Both forgeue and forget , and yet byd for vs To the father of heauen forgiuenes to haue , And hewe fire at the flynt four hundred wynter But thou haue towe to take it , with tinder or broches All thy labour is loste , and thy longe trauayle For maye no fyre flame make , fayle it his kinde So is the holy goste god and grace without mercye To all vnkinde creatures , Christ him-selfe witnesseth . Amen dico vobis nescio vos . Be vnkind to thine euenchristen , & al that þou canst bydde Deale and do penaunce daye and night euer And purchace al the pardon of Pampilon and Rome And indulgence inowe , & be ingratus to thy kynd The holy gost hereth the not , ne help may þe by reason , For vnkindnes quencheth him that he can not shine Ne brenne no blase cleare , for brennyng of vnkindnes Poule the apostle proueth whether I lye . Si linguis hominum loquar . &cetera . For beware ye wyse men that with the world dele . That rych ben & reason knoweth , rule wel your soules Be not vnkinde I connsellco[u]nsell you , to your euenchristen For many of you rych men , by my soule men telleth Ye brenne but ye blase not , that is a blynd becon . Non omnis qui dicit domine domine intrabit . &cetera . Diues died dampned for hys vnkindnes Of hys meate and of hys money , to men that it neded Eche a rych I rede , rewarde at hym take And giue your good to your god , þat grace of riseth For that be vnkind to his , hope I none other But they dwell there Diues is , daye without ende Aa.iii.Thus Pierce Ploughman . Thus is vnkindnes þe contrary þat quencheth as it were The grace of the holy gost , gods owne kynde For þat kind doth , vnkindnes fordoth as done thesen cursed theues Unkind christen men for couetise & enuye Sleue a man for his mouables , with mouth or with hands For þat the holi goste hath to kepe , tho harlots destroyeth The which is life & loue , þe leye of mans body For euery maner good man may be likened to a torche Or els to a tapour to reuerence the trinitie And who þat murdereth a good man , me thinketh by mi inwit He fordoth the leuest lighte , þat our lord loueth And yet in many moe maners , men offend the holy gost And this is the worst wise that any wyght myght Sinne against saint Spirite , assenten to destroyen For couetise any kynnes thyng , þat Christ dere bought Howe might he aske mercye , or any mercy him helpe That wicked and wilfully , woulde mercy anyent Innocence is nexte god , & night and day cryeth Uengeaunce vengeaunce , forgyue it neuer That shent vs & shed our bloud , forshapt vs as it wer Uindica sanguinem iustorum . Thus vengeaunce vengeaunce very charitie asketh And sith holy kyrke and charitie , chargeth this so sore Leue I neuer þat our lorde wil loue , þat charitye lacketh Ne haue pitie for any prayer , there that he pleynyth I pose I had sinned so , and shoulde nowe dye And am sory that I so the saynt spirite agylt Confesse me and crye his grace , god that all made And mildly his merci aske , might I not be saued Yes sayd the Samaritan , so well thou might repent That rightwisnes by repentance , to ruth might turne And it is but seldome sene , her sothnes bereth witnes Anye The vision ofFol.lxxxxvi Any creature that is culpable before a kinges iustice Be raunsomed before his repentaunce , ther al reason him damneth For ther þat pity pursueth , the plee is so huge That the kinge may do no mercy , til both men accord And eyther haue equitie , as holy write telleth Nunquam dimittitur peccatum . &cetera . Thus it fareth by such folke þat falsely al her liues Euil lyue and lyueth , tyll life hem forsake Good hope that helpe shoulde , to wanhope turneth Not of the nounpower of God , that he is mightful To amende all that amis is , and his mercy greater Than all our wicked workes as holy wryte telleth . Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius . And errightousneser rightousnes to ruth turn , some restitution bihouith His sorow is satisfaction for him , þat mai not pai Thre thinges there be , that done a man by strength For to flye his owne house , as holy write sheweth That one is a wicked wife , that wyl not be chastised Her fere flyeth frome hir , for feare of her tonge And if hys house be vntiled , and raine on his head He seketh and seketh , tyll he slepe drye And whan smoke and smolder , smight in his sight It dothe him worse than his wyfe , or wete to slepe For smolke and smolder smyteth in hys eyen Tyll he be bleard or blynde , and hoose in the throte Cougheth and curseth , that Christe gyue hem sorow That shold bring in better wood , or blow it til it bren These thre that I tel of ben thus to vnderstande The wife is our wicked flesh , that will not be chasted For kinde cleueth on him euer , to contrary the soule And though it fall , it fint skiles þat frelety it made And that is lightly forgyuen , and forgetten both To Pierce Ploughman . To man that mercy asketh , and amend thynketh . The rayne that reighneth there we reste shoulde Be sykenes and sorowes , that we suffren oft As Poule the apostle to the people tought Uirtus in infirmitate perficitur . And though that men make much dole in her anger And ben impatient in her penaunce , pure reason knoweth That they haue cause to contrari , bi kind of her siknes And lyghtly our Lord at her lyues ende Hath mercy on such men , that so euil may suffer And the smolke & the smolder , that smyte in our eien That is couetise & vnkindnes þat quencheth gods merci For vnkindnes is the contrary , of al kinnes reason For there nis sicke ne sorye , ne none so much wretch That he ne may loue if him like , & leue of his herte Good wyll and good word , boeth wishen and willen All maner of mercy and of forgiuenes And loue him like him-selfe , and his life amende I may no lenger let quod he , and lyard he pricked And went away as wynd , & therwith I waked . Passus .xviii.duodevicesimus de visione . WOlward & wetshode went I forth after As a rechles reukere[n]kerenk , that of no wo retcheth And yedeforthyede forth like a lorell , al my lyfe-tyme Til I waxt wery of þe world , & willed efte to slepe And lened me to a lenten , & longe tyme I slepte And of christes passion & penaunce , þe people þat of-raught Rest me ther and rut faste , till Ramis palmarum . Of gerles and of Gloria laus , greatly me dremed And howe Osanna , by Organy , olde folke songen One semblable to þe Samaritane , & somdeale to Pierce þe plowman The vision ofFol.lxxxxvii. Barefote on an asse backe , boteles came prickynge Without spore or speare , spackly he loked As is the kind of a knyght , that commeth to be dubbed To get him gilt spores , and galoches couped Than was faith in a fenester , and cried , O fili Dauid As doth an heraude of armes , whan auentrous commeth to iustice Old Iewes of Ierusalem for ioy they songen Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini . Than I frained at fayth , what all that fare bymente Who should iuste in Ierusalem , Iesus he sayde And fetch þat the fend claimeth , Pierce frute þe plowman Is Pierce in this place quod I , & he preint on me Thys Iesus of his gentry will iuste in Pierce armes In his helme & in his herbergeon , Humana natura That Christ be not knowne here , for consummatus deus In Pierce paltock the plowman , thys priker shal ride For no dynte shal him dere as in Deitate patris Who shall iuste with Iesus quod I , Iewes or scribes ? Nay quod he the foule fende , & false dome & death Death sayth he shall for-do , and adowne brynge All that lyueth or loketh , in londe or in water Lyfe sayth that he lieth , and layeth his life to wed That for all that death can do within thre dayes To walke & fetch from the fend , Pierce fruit þe plowman And laye it there him liketh , and Lucifer bind And for-beat and downe bringe , bale death for euer O Mors ero mors tua . Than came Pilate with mich puple , Sedens pro tribunali To se how doughty deth shold do , & deme her boths right The Iewes & iustice , againe Iesu they were And all the court vp and cried Crucifige sharpe Tho put him forth a pylour before pilate and said Bb.i.This Pierce Ploughman . This Iesus apon Iewes temple iaped & despised To fordo it on one daye , and in thre dayes after Edifie it eft newe , here he standes that saide it And yet make it as muche in all maner of poyntes Both as longe and as large , by loft and by grounde Crucifige quod a catche-pole , I warrant him a witche Tolle Tolle quod an other , and toke of kene thornes And began of kene thornes , a garlonde to make And set it sore on his heade , and sayde in enuy Aue Rabbi saide that rybaude , and threw redes at him Nayled him with thre nayles naked on the rode And poyson on a pole , they put vp to his lyppes And bidden him drinke his dethes euil , his daies were done And if that thou sotle be , helpe nowe thy-selfe If þou be Christ & kinges sonne , come downe of þe rode Than shold we leue þat life þe loueth , & wol not let þe dye Consummatum est , quod Christe , and comseth for to swonne Pitiously and pale as a prisoner , doth that dieth The Lord of life & of light tho , laied his eies togither The day for dread withdrew , & darck became þe sunne The wall wagged and clefte , & all the world quaued Dead men for that dine , came out of depe graues And tolde why that tempest so longe time endured For a bitter battel the dead body saide Life & deth in this darknes , here one fordoth þe other Shal no wight wit witterly , who shal haue maistrye Er sonday about sunne rising , & sanke with that to thearth Some said that he was gods sonne , þat so fayre dyed Uere filius dei erat iste . And some said he was a witch , good is that we assaien Whether he be dead or not dead , down er he be taken Two theues also tholed , death that tyme Be= The vision ofFol.lxxxxviii. Besides Christe apon a crosse , so was the commen lawe A catchpole came forth , and cragged both the legges And the armes after , of eyther of tho theues And was no boye so bolde , godes body to touch For he was knight & kings sonne , kind forgaue þat time That no harlot were so hardy , to lay hand apon hym And ther came forth a knight , with a kene spere ground Hight Longis as þe letter telith , & long had lost his sight BeforeP ilateBefore Pilate and other people , in the place he houed Maugre his many teth , he was made that time To take his spere in his hande , and iusten with Iesus For al they wer vnhardi , that houed on horse or stode To touch or to taste him , or taken downe of rode But thys blinde bachiler bare him throughe the hert The blud sprang doun bi þe spere , & vnsparrid his eine Than fell the knight apon knees , & cried him mercy Agayne my wyll it was lorde , to wound you so sore He sighed and said sore it me forthinketh For þe dede that I haue done , I do me in your grace Haue on me ruth rightfull Iesu , & right with þat he wept Than gan Fayth felly the false Iewes despise Called hem caytyfes accursed for euer For this fowle villany , vengeaunce to you all To do the blind bete him bound , it was a boyes counsel Cursed Caytifes knighode was it neuer To misdo a dead bodye by day nor by nyght The gre yet hath he gotten , for al hys greate wound For your champion chiualer chiefe knyght of you all Yelde hym recreant , runnyng right at Iesus wyll For by this darckenes do , hys death worth auenged And ye lurdens haue loste , for life shall haue þe mastry And your franchis that fre was fallen is in thraldome Bb.ii.And Pierce Ploughman . And ye Cherles & your chyldren chyuen shal you neuer Ne haue lordshyp in lande , ne no lande tyll . But all bareyne be and vsury vsen , Which is lyfe that our lord in all lawes accurseth , Now your good daies ar done as Daniel prophecied Whan Christ come of her kingdom þe croun shuld sease Cum veneritveniat sanctus sanctorum , tunc cessabit vnctio vestra . What for feare of the farly and of the false Iewes , I drowe me in that darkenes to Descendit ad inferna , And there I saw sothly , Secundum scripturas , Out of the west coste a wenche as me thought , Came walking in the way to helward she loked Mercy hyght that mayde , a meke thyng withall , A full benigne byrde and buxeome of speche , Hyr syster as it semed came worthely walking Euen oute of thest and westward she loked , A full comely creature Truth she hyght , For the vertue þat her folowed , afered was she neuer Whan these maydens met mercy and truth Eyther asked other of thys great meruell , Of the din & of the darkenes , & howe the daye raued And which a lyght and alemea leme laye before hell , I haue farly of thys fayth sayd trueth , And am wending to wit what this wonder meneth , Haue no merueyle quod mercy , myrth it betokeneth A mayd that hyght mary and mother without feling Of any kynnes creature conceyued through speche And grace of the holieghost wexe great with chylde , Without wembe into this worlde she brought hym And that my tale be true I take God to wytnes , Syth thys barne was borne be .xxx.thirty wynter past Which died & deth tholed thys day about middaye , And The vision ofFol.lxxxxix. And that is cause of this clipse þat closed now the sonne In meaning that man shal from merknes be drawen , The which this light & this leem shal Lucifer ablend For Patriarks & Prophets haue preched here often That man shall man saue throughe a womans helpe , And that was tynt through tree , tree shall it wynne , And that dethe downe brought , deth shall relieue , That thou tellest quod truth , is but a tale of waltrot For Adam and Eue , Abraham and other Patriarkes and prophetes yet in payne liggen , Leue thou neuer that youyo[n]yon lyght them may aloft bring , Ne haue them out of hell , holde thy tonge mercye , It is but a tryfle that þou tellest , I truth wote the soth , For that is once in hel outcometh he neuer , Iob the prophete patriarkes repugneth thy sawes , Quia in inferno nulla est redemptio . Than mercy full mekelye mouthed these wordes , Through experience quod he I hope they shalbe saued , For venime fordoth venime & that I proue by reason , For of all venimes foulest is the scorpion , May no medicine helpe the place there he styngeth Till he be dead and do thereto , the euil he destroyeth The firste venimuste through venime of him-selfe So shall thys fordo , I dare my life ligge All that death did firste , throughe þe deuils entisinge And right as through gile , man was begiled So shall grace that began , make a good sleight Ars vt artem falleret . Nowe suffer we said truth , I se as me thinketh Out of the nyppe of the north , not full farre hence Ryghtwysenes came runnynge , reste we the while For he wotteth more than we , he was er we both Bb.iii.That Pierce Ploughman . That is soth said mercy , and I se here by south Where peace cometh playing in pacience clothed Loue hath couetid hir long , leue I none other But he sent her some letter what this light bemeneth , What ouerhoueth hell thus , she vs shall tell , Whan peace in pacience clothed thus aproched nere them twain Rightfulnes hir reuerenced for hir rich clothing And prayed peace to tell her to what place she wold , And in hir gay germent whom she grete thought . My will is to wende quod she and to welcome them all , That many a day might not se for merknes of sinne , Adam and Eue and other mo in hell , Moses and manye mo mercy shall haue , And I shall daunce therto , do thou so syster For Iesus iusteth well , Ioye beginneth dawe , Ad vesperum demorabitur fletus ad matutinum leticia . Loue that is my lemmon such letters me sent , That mercye my sister and I mankinde shuld saue And þat God hath forgeuen & graunted me peace & mercy To be mans mainpernour for euer-more after , Lo here the patent quod peace , In pace in idipsum , And that dede shall dure Dormiam ere[t] requiescam . What rauest þou quod rightwisenes , or þou arte ryght dronk Leuest thou that yon light vnlocke might hell , And saue mans soule , sister wene it neuer , At the beginning God gaue the dome him-selfe That Adam and Eue and all that them sewed , Shuld dye downe right and dwell in pyne after , If that they touched a tree and the frute eaten , Adam afterwarde agaynst hys defence Freet of that frute , and forsoke as it were , The loue of our lord and his lore bothe , And The vision ofFol.C. And folowed þat the fende taught & hys felowes wyll Against reason & rightwisenes record thus with truth That their payne be perpetuall , & no prayer them help , Therfore let them cheue as they chose , & chide we not sisters For it is boteles bale theytheþe byt þat they eaten . And I shall proue quod peace their payne must haue end And we into waele must wende at last For had thei wist of no wo , weale had thei not know For no wighte wotes what weale is þat neuer wo suffred Ne what is whote hungre þat neuer had defaute If no might nere no man as I leue , Shuld wite witerly , what day is to meane , Should neuer right richman þat liuechliue[t]h in rest and ease Wyte what wo is , ne were the deth of kinde , So God that began all of his Good will Became man of a mayde mankinde to saue , And suffred to be sold to the sorowe of dyeng The which vnknitteth all care and comsing is of rest , For tyll modicum met mid vs I may it well avowe , Wote no wight as I wene what is inough to mene , Therfore God of his goodnes þe first gome Adam , Set him in solace and in souereyne myrth And syth he suffred him sinne , sorowe to fele , To wit what weale was kyndely to knowe it , And after God auentred him-selfe & toke Adams kind To wytt what he hath suffred in thre sundry places , Both in heauen and in earth and to hell he thinketh To wyt what all wo is that wote of all ioye , So it shall fare by this folke their foly & their synne Shal lerne them what langor is & lyfe without end , Wote no wight what warre is there þat peace reineth Ne what is witerly weale till , welaweye him teache , Than Pierce Ploughman . Than was there a wighte with two brodeeyenbrode eyen Boke hyght that beaupier , a bolde man of speach By gods body , quod thys boke , I wil bear witnes That tho this barne was borne , there blased a starre That al the wise men of this world in one wit accorden That suche a barne was borne , in Bethlems citye That mans soule shoulde saue , and synne destroy And al þe elementes saith the boke hereof bereth witnes That he was god þat al wrought , þe welken first shewed Tho ther were in heauen tooken , Stella comata And tindeden hir as a torche , to reuerence his byrth The light folowed the lorde , into the lowe earth The water witnessed þat he was god , for he went on it Peter the apostle perceiued his gate And as he went on the water , wel him knew & said Iube me venire ad te super aquas . And lo how the sunne gan lacke her light in her-selfe Whan she see him suffer that sunne and sea made The earth for heuines that he woulde suffer Quaked as quycke thing , and al to-quassed[bi]quass[h]edbiquasshed the roch Lo heuen myght not hold , but opened tho God tholed And let out Simons sonnes to se him hong on roode And now shal Lucifer leue it , though him loth think For Gygas the gyant , with a gynne engined To breake and to beate downe , þat ben agayne Iesus And I boke wolbe brente , but Iesus rise to lyue In al myghtes of man , and his mother glade And conforten all his kynne , & out of care brynge And all the Iewes ioye , vnioyne and vnloken And but if they reuerse his rode , and his resurrection And bileue on a newe lawe , be lost life and soule Suffer we sayd Truth , I heare and I se both Howe The vision ofFol.Ci. Howe a spirite speketh to hel , and byd vnspar þe gats Attollite portas & . cetera . A voyce loude in that lyght to lucyfer cryeth Princes in this place vnpinneth and vnlocketh For here commeth with crowne , that king is of glory Than sighed Sathan , and sayde to hem all Such a light againste our leaue , Lazar out fette Care and combraunce is commen to vs all If this kinge come in , mankinde wil he fetch And lead it there him liketh , and lightly me bind Patriarkes and prophetes haue proled hereof longe That suche a Lorde and a light , should lead hem al hence Listneth quod Lucifer , for I thys lorde knowe Both this Lord & this light , is long ago I knew it May no death him deare , ne no fendes quentise And wher he wil is his wai , & warne him of þe perels If he reue me of my right , he robbeth me by mastrye For by right and by reason , the reukesre[n]kesrenkes that ben here Body and soule be mine , both good and euil For him-selfe saide , that syre is of heauen If Adam eate the apple , all shoulde dye And dwell with vs deuels , this threatenyng he made And he that sothnes is , said these wordes And sithen he seased seuen hundred wynter I leue that lawe nil not , leaue him the least . That is sothe quod Satan , but I me sore dreade For thou gate hem with gile , and his garden brake And in semblaunce of a serpent , sate apon the apple tre And eggedest hem to eate , Eue by hir name And toldest hir a tale , of treason were thy words , And so thou haddest hem out , and hider at the last It is not graithly gayten , there gyle is the rote Cc.i.For Pierce Ploughman , For God will not be begiled quod Gobelyn , ne be iaped , We haue no tru title to them for bi treson wer thei damnid Certes I me dred quod the deuil , lest truth wil them fetch These .xxx.thirty wynter as I wene he hath gone preched I haue assayled him with synne , and somtime asked Wher he wer god or gods sonne , he gaue me short answer And thus he hath trolid fnrthf[u]rthAgain, KD doesn't cite a variant in Cr1. this xxxii.thirty-twoKD has "two and thirty" winter And when I se it was so , leaping I went , To warne Pilatus wyfe , what done man was Iesus For Iewes haten him and haue done him to death , I wolde haue lengthed his lyfe for I leued if he dyed That his soule shuld suffre no synne in his syght , For the body while it on bones yede about was euer To saue man from sinne if him-selfe wolde , And now I se wher a soul cometh hitherward sailing With glory and with great light God it is I wote wel I red we flee quod he faste all hence , For vs were better not be then abyde his syght For thy lesinges lucifer , lost is al our praye First through the we fell from heauen so hye , For we beleued on thi leasings ilorne we haue Adam And all oure lordships I leue on land and on water , Nunc princeps huius mundi eiicietur foras , Eft the light bad vnloke and Lucifer answered What lord art thou ? quod Lucifer , Quis est iste ? Rex glorie , The light soone sayd , And lord of might and of mayne & al maner vertues , Dominus virtutum . Dukes of this dimme place anon vndo the gates That Christ may come in , the kings sonne of heauen And with that breth hell brake with belialles barrs , For any wye or ward wide open the gates , Patriarks The vision ofFol.Cii Patriarkes and prophetes , PopnlusPop[u]lus in tenebris .Variant not cited in KD. Singing sainct Iesus songe , Ecce agnus dei , Lucifer loke ne might , so light him ablent , And tho that our lorde loued into his light laught And sayd to sathan lo here my soule to amendes For all sinful soules to saue that bene worthy , Myne they be & of me I may the better them clayme Although reason recorde and right of my-selfe , That if they eate the aple all should dye I behight them not here hell for euer For the dede þat they did thi disceyte it made , With gyle thou them got , agayne all reason For in my place paradise in person of an eddre , Falsely thou fettest there , thing that I loued Thus lyke a lysard with a ladyes visage Thefly thou me robbest the old lawe graunteth , That gilers be begyled and that is good reason , Dentem pro dente et oculum pro oculo . Ergo soule shall soule quite and sin to synne wende And all that man hath misdo I man will amende , Membre for membre in tholde lawe was amendes And lyfe for lyfe also and by that law I clayme it , Adam and all his issue at my will hereafter , And that death in them fordid , my deth shal releue And both quicken & quite þat queynt was through sinne , And that grace gyle destroyeth , good fayth it asketh , So leue I not Lucifer , agayne the lawe I fetche them , But by right and by reason , ransome here my liges Non ueni soluere legem , sed adimplere , Thou fettest mine in my place agaynst all reason Falsely and felously , good fayth me it taught To recouer them by ransome and by no reason els Cc.ii.So Pierce Ploughman , So that through gile þou gate , through grace it is won , Thou lucyfer in likenes of a luther eddre , Gatidst by gyle tho that God loued And in lykenes of a leode , that lorde am of heauen Graciously thy gyle haue quite , go gyle agayne gyle , And as Adam & all through a tree shulde turne agayne And gyle is gyled and in hys gyle fallen , Et cecidit in foueam quam fecit , Now begynneth thy gile agayne the to turne , And my grace grow aye greater and wyder The bytternes that þou hast brewed , brouke it thy-selfe , Thou arte doctor of deth , drinke that thou maydest , For I that am lord of lyfe , loue is my drynke , And for that drinke to day I dye apon earth If aught so me thrusteth yet for mans soule sake , May no drinke me moyst ne my thurst slake , Tyll the vendage fall in the vale of Psaphat[Io]saphatIosaphat That I drinke right rype must Resurrectio mortuorum . And than shall I come as a king crowned with angels , And haue out of hell all mens soules , Fendes and fendkins before me shall stande , And bene at my bidding , wheresoeuer me liketh , And to be mercyable to man than my kind it asketh , For we bene brethern of bloud , but not of baptim al , And all that bene my hole brethern in bloud & baptim shall not be dampned to death that is without ende , Tibi soli peccaui , et cetera It iti[s]KD does not cite this variant. not vsed in earth to hangen a felon , Ofter then once though he were a traytour And if the kinge of that kingdome come in that tyme , There the felon thole shuld death other els Lawe wold haue geue him lyfe if he loked on him . And The vision ofFol.Ciii. And I that am king of kinges shall on such a time There doome to the deth damneth all wycked And if lawe will I loke on them , it lieth in my grace , Whether they dye or dye not , for that they done ill Be it any thing about the boldnes of their sinnes , I do merci through right-wisnes & al mi words true And though holy write wil þat I bewroke of them þat did euyll . Nullum malum impunitum , et cetera . They shuld be clensed clerely & washen of their sinnes In my pryson purgatorye tyll Parce it hoote , And my mercy shalbe shewed to many of my brethren For bloud may suffre bloud bothe hungry and a cale , And bloud may not se bloud blede , but him rewe . Audiui arcana verba que non licet homini loqui . And my right-wisenes & right shall rule all hell , And mercy all mankind before me in heuen , For I were an vnkinde king , but I my kind helpe , And namely at such a nede , ther nedes help behouith Non intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo . Thus by lawe quod this lord , lead I wyl from hence Tho that me loued and leued in my comming And for thi lesing lucifer , that þou leigh till Eue , Thou shalt a-by it betterb[i]tterbittre , & bound him with cheynes Astaroth and all the rout hyd hem in hernes , Thei durst not loken on our lord the boldest of hem all , But letten him lead furth what him liked & let what him lyste Many hundred of angels harped and sange . Culpat caro purgat caro , regna deus dei caro Than pyped peace of poesie a note . Clarior est solito post maxima nebula phebus , post inimicitias After sharpe shoures quod peace , most sheene is the sonne Is no wether warmer then after watery cloudes , Cc.iiiNe Pierce Ploughman . Ne no loue leeuer , ne leuere frendes Than after warre & wo , whan loue & peace be masters Was neuer war in this world , ne wickednes so kene That loue and him luste , to laught ne brought And Peace through patience all perell stopped , Trewse quod Truth , thou tellest vs soth by Iesus Clyppe we in couenaunte , and eche of vs kisse other And let no people quod peace , perceiue þat we chyd For impossible is nothinge to him , that is almighty . Thou saist soth quod rightousnes , & reuerently him kissed Peace and peace here , Per omniaper secula seculorum , Misericordia et veritas obuiauerunt sibi . Iusticia et pax osculate sunt . Truth trumped tho , and songe , Te deum laudamus And than luted Loue in a loude note Ecce quam bonum et quam Iucundum . &cetera . Tyll the daye dawed these damosels daunced That men range to þe resurrection , & right with þat I waked And called Kit my wife , & Collet my daughter Arise and reuerence gods resurrection And crepe to þe crosse on knees , & kisse it for a Iewell For gods blessed body it bare for oure bote And it afereth the fende , for such is the myght May no gryslye goste glyde , there it shadoweth . Passus .xix.undevicesimus de visione . THus I walked & wrote what I had dremed And dight me derely , and did me to kirke To here wholy þe masse , & to be housled after In mids of the masse , men wente to offrynge I fell eftsones a-slepe , and sodainly me mette That Pierce the Plowman was paynted al bloudye And The vision ofFol. Ciiii And came in with a crosse before the commune people And ryght lyke in all lymmes to our lorde Iesus Than called I conscience , to kenne me the soth Is this Iesus þe iuster quod I , that Iewes did to death Or itit [is]it is Pierce the Plowman , who painted him so red ? Quod Conscience & kneled tho , these are Piers armes His colour & his cote armour , & he þat cometh so blody Is Christe with his crosse , conquerour of christendome Why cal ye him Christ quod I , syth Iewes call him Iesus Patriarkes and prophetes prophecied before That all kynnes creatures shoulde knele and bowe Anon as men named this highe name of Iesus Ergo is no name to the name of Iesusnot in small font Ne none so neadfull to name by nyght nor by daye For all the darke deuels are a-drade to here it And synfull are solaced and saued by that name And ye call hym Christe , for what cause tel me Is Christe more of myght , and more worthy name Than Iesu or Iesus , that all our ioye came of Thou knowest wel quod conscience , & þou can reason That knyght kynge conquerour may be one person To be called a knyght is fair , for men shal knele to him To be called kyng is fairer , for he mai knights make And to be conquerour called , þat cometh of special grace And of hardines of hert , and of hendines To make Lordes or ladyes , of land that he winneth And fre men foule thrales , that folow not his lawes The Iewes that were gentilmen , Iesu they despised Both his lore and his law , now are they low cherles As wide as the worlde is , wonneth none therin But vnder tribute and tallage , as tykes and cherles And tho that became christen , by counsel of the baptime Are Pierce Ploughman . Are frankelens fremen , through fullynge þat they toke And gentilmen wyth Iesu , for Iesus was fulled And apon Caluery on crosse , crowned king of Iewes It becommeth to a king to kepe and to defende As conquerour of conqueste , his lawes & his large And so did Iesus þe Iewes , he iustified & taught hem The lawe of life that laste shal euer And defende from foule euiles feuers and fluxes And from fendes that in them were , & false beleue Tho was he Iesus of Iewes called gentle prophete And kinge of kingdome , and crowne bare of thornes And tho conquered he on crosse , as conquerour noble Might no death him fordo , ne adowne brynge That he naroos and raygned and rauished hell And tho was he conquerour called of quick & of dead For he gaue Adam and Eue , and othermoe blysse That longe had layne before , as Lucifers cherles And syth he gaue largely , all hys lelly lieges Places in Paradice , at her partynge hence He may wel be caled conquerour , & þat is Christ to mene And the cause þat he cometh thus with crosse of þe passion Is to wishen vs therwith , that when þat wee be tempted Therwith to fight and fend vs , from falling into sinne And se by hys sorowe , that who-so loueth ioye To penaunce and to pouerty , he must put him-selfe And much wo in thys worlde willen and suffren And for to carpe more of Christe , & how he came to þat name Faithly for to speke , his first name was Iesus Tho he was borne in Bethlem as the boke telleth And came to take mankind , kynges and angels Reuerenced him fayre with riches of thys earth Angels out of heauen came , knelinge and songe Glo= The vision ofFol.Cv. Gloria in excelsis deo . Kynges commen after , kneled and offred , Myrre and much golde without mede askinge Or any kinnes cattel , but knowledge him soueraigne Both of londe sunne and sea , & sithen they wenten Into their kingdome kyth , by counsel of angels And ther was that word fulfilled þe which þou of spake Omnia celestia terrestria flectantur in hoc nomine Iesu . For all the angels of heauen at his byrth kneled And all the wyt of the worlde was in tho thre kinges Reason and rightuousnes , and Truthe they offered Wherfore and why , wyse men that tyme Maisters and lettred men , Magi hem called . That one king came with reason , couered vnder sence The second kynge sothly , sithens he offered Ryghtuousnes vnder redde golde , reasons felowe Golde is likened to leauty , that last shall euer And reason to ryche golde , to ryght and to truth The thyrde kynge tho came knelynge to Iesu And presented him with pity , apperynge to mirre For myrre is mercy to meane , & mild speach of tonge Thre in like honest thinges , were offred thus at once Throughe thre kinne kinges , knelinge to Iesus And for al these presious presents , our lord prince Iesus Was nether king ne conqueror , til he gan to wepe In the maner of a man , and that by much sleight As becommeth a conquerour to konne many sleightes And many wylles and wytte , that woll be a leder And so did Iesus in those dayes , who-so had time to tell it Somtime he suffred , & somtime he hyd him And sometime he fought faste , and fle other while And somtime he gaue good , and graunted heale both Dd.i.Life Pierce Ploughman . Lyfe and lyme , as he liste he wroghte As kinde is of a conqueroure , so comsed Iesu Tyll he hadde all them that he for bledde In his inuente , this Iesus at Iewen feast Water into wyne turned , as holy write telleth And there began god of his grace to do well For wyne is lykened to lawe , and life of holines And lawe lacked tho , for men loued not hir enemies And Christe councelleth thus , and commaundeth also Both to learned and to lewde , to loue our enemies So at the feaste firste , as I before sayde Began god of hys grace and his goodnes to dowelldo well And tho was he cleped & called not onely Christe but Iesu A faunt fine ful of witte , Filius Marie , Before his mother Mary , made he that wonder That she firste and formoste , ferme shoulde beleue That he through grace was get , & of no gome els He wrought that by no wyt , but by worde onely After þe kind that he came of , ther comsed he to doweldo wel And whan he was wexen more , in his mothers absence He made lame to leape , and gaue light to blynde And fedde wyth two fyshes , and with fiue loeslo[u]esloues Sore afingred folke , moe than fiue thousande Thus he conforted the carefull , & caught a great name The whiche was dobet , wher that he went For deffe through his doyngs to here , & dombe to spek he made And al he heled & helpt þat him of grace asked And tho was he called in contrye of the common people For the dedes that he dyd , Fili Dauid Iesus , For Dauid was doutiest of dedes in his time The birds tho song , Saul interfecit mille & Dauid .x.decem milia Therfore þe contri ther Iesus came , callid him fili Dauid And The vision ofFol.Cvi And named him of Nazareth , and no man so worthy To be kayser or kinge , of the kingedome of Iuda Ne ouer Iewes iustice , as Iesus was hem thought Wherof Cayphas had enuy , and other of the Iewes And for to do him to death , day & night they casten Killed him on crosse wise , at Caluery on a fryday And sithen buried his body , & beden that men should Kepe it from night commers wyth knightes armed For no frends shold him fetch , for prophets him told That , that blessed body , of buriels shoulde arise And gone into Galile , and gladden his apostles And his mother Mary , thus men before demed The knyghtes that kepe it , beknew it hem-selues That angels and archangels ere the day spronge Commen kneling to the corps & songen Christus resurgens , Uery man before hem all , & furth with hem he yede The Iewes praiden peace , and besought the knightes Tel þe commen that ther came a companie of his apostles And bewiched hem as thei woken , & away stollen him And Mary Magdalen met him by the way , Goynge to-warde Galile in godhead and manhead A-lyue and lokinge , and she a-lowde cried , In ech a company there she came Christus resurgens Thus came it out þat Christ ouer came , recouered & liued Sic oportet Christum pati et intrare . For that women witteth , may not well be counsel Peter perceyued thys , and pursued after Both Iames and Iohn , Iesu for to seke Thade and ten moe , with Thomas of Inde And as these wise wyes weren togythers In an house all be shette and the dores barred Christe came in and all closed both dore & gates Dd.ii.To Pierce Ploughman . To Peter and to his Apostles sayd paxepaxvariant not cited in KD vobis , And toke Thomas by the hand & taught him to grope And fele wyth his fingers his fleshy herte , Thomas touched it and with his tonge sayde Dominus meus et deus meus . Thou art my lorde I beleue God lord Ihesu , Thou diest & deth tholest , and deme shall vs all And now art liuing and loking and last shall euer , Christ carped than and curtesly sayde Thomas for thou trowest it , and truly beleuest it Blessed might thou be , and be shalte for euer , And blessed might they all be in body and in soule , That neuer shall se me , in sight as thou hast now And lellye beleue all this I loue them & blesse them Beati qui non viderunt . &cetera . And when this dede was done , Dobest he taught , And gaue piers power and perdon he graunted To all maner of men mercy and forgeuenes , Him might to assoile of all maner of sinnes , In couenant þat they come and knowledge to paye , To Piers pardon the plouman , Redde quod debes , Thus hath piers power be his pardon payde , To binde and vnbinde both here and els-where And assoylen men of all synnes saue of dette onelye Anone after an high vp into heuen He went and wonneth there , and wyl come at last And rewarde him right well that Reddit quod debet . Payeth perfitely as pure TrnethTr[u]ethCheck MS -- the corrected character could be a u after all. would And what person payeth it , not punish he thinketh And demen him at domesday bothe quicke and deade The good to the Godhead and to good ioye , The wicked to wone in wo without ende , Thus The vision ofFol.Cvii. Thus conscience of Christ and of the crosse carped , And counceled me to knele hereto , & than came me thoght One Spiritus paracletus to Piers and to his felowes In likenes of a lightening he light vpon hem all And made hem kon and knowe all kinne languages , I wondred what that was and wagged conscience , And was aferd of the light for in fyres lykenes , Spiritus paracletus , ouerspred them all Quod conscience and knelid , this is Christs messager And commeth from þe great God & grace is his name , KnelenowKnele now quod conscience and if thou canst sing Welcome him and worship him , Ueni creator spiritus Than sange I that song and so did many hundred , And cryed with conscience helpe vs God of grace , Than began grace to go with Piers plowman And councelled him & conscience þe comune to somen For I wyll deale to day and deuid grace To all kinne creatures that haue their fyue wittes Treasure to lyue by to their lyues ende And weapon to fight with that will neuer faile For Antichryst and his , all the world shall greue , And acombre the conscience but if Christ helpe And false Prophetes fell flatterers and glosers Shall come and be curatours , ouer kinges & Erles , And pryde shalbe pope , Prince of holy kyrke Couetyse and vnkindenes Cardinals hem to leade , Therfore quod grace er I go I will gyue you treasure , And wepon to fyght with when antichrist you assayleth , And giue eche man a grace to guyde with hym-selfe , That ydlenes encombre him not , enuy ne pryde Diuisiones graciarum sunt , To some he gaue wyt with wordes to shewe Wyt Pierce Ploughman . Wyt to win their lyuelod with , as the world asketh As preachers and priestes and prentises of lawe They lelly to lyue by labour of tong And by wit to wissen other as grace them wolde teache And some he kenned craft , and conning of sight With selling and bigging , theyr lyuelod to wynne And lerned to labour a lelly lyfe and a true , And some he taught to tyll , to diche and to thetche To wyn with their lyuelod by lore of hys teachinge , Some to diuine and deuide nombres to kenne And some to se and to say what shuld befall Both of well and of woe , tell it or it fell , As astronomers by astronomi , & philosophers wise And some to ride & to recouer þat vnrightfully was won He wished them win it agayn thrugh wightnes of hand And fetche it from false men with foule iuels lawes And some he lerned to liue , in longinge to be hence In pouertie and in penaunce to pray for all chrysten And all he lerned to be lelli , and ech a craft loue other And forbad them all debate þat none were among them Though some be clener then some , ye se wel quod grace That men of þe fairest craft to þe foulist I could haue put Think al quod grace þat grace cometh of my gyfte , Loke that none lacke other , but loue all as brethern And who þat moost masteries can , þe mildest of bering And crowne conscience king , & make craft your steward And after craftes counsell clothe you and fede , For I make pyers þe plowman my procuratour & my reue And register to receyue Redde quod debes , My power and my plowman pyers shalbe on earth , And for to tell truth a teme shall he haue , Grace gaue Pyers a temeCr1.19.262: The poorly printed letter t confused the annotator of the MS. fowre great oxen ,Check MS -- vertical line after comma? That The vision ofFol.Cviii That one was Luce a large beast & a low chered , And Marke & Mathie the thyrd mighty beasts both And ioyned to them one Iohn , most gentle of all The price nete of Pyers plow and passing al other , And grace gaue piers of his goodnes foure stottes , All that his oxen eried they to harow it after One hight Austen , and Ambrose an other Gregory the great Clarke , and Ierome the good These fowre the fayth to teach foloweth peers teme And harowed it in an handwhile all holy scripture , With two harowes that they had , an old and a newe Id est vetus testamentum et nouum , And grace gaue greynes the Cardinalle vertues , And sewe it in mans soule , & sithen he told her names Spiritus prudencie the firste sede hight , And who-so eateth that , ymagen he shoulde Er he did any dede , deuise well thende , And lerned men ladel be with longe stele , That cast for to kepe a crocke , to saue the fat aboue The secondsedesecond sede hight , Spiritus temperancie , He that eate of that sede had such a kynd Shuld neuer meate ne much drinke make him to swel Ne should no scorner ne scold , out of skill him bring Ne winning ne welth of worldly riches , Wast worde of ydlenes , ne wicked speche moue Shuld no curious cloth come on his rigge Ne no meate in hys mouth , þat mayster Iohan spiced The third sede þat piers sewe was Spiritus fortitudinis , And who-so eate of that sede hardy was euer To suffre all that God sent sekenes or angres Might no lesinges ne lyer , ne losse of worldly cattell , Make him for any mourning þat he nas merie in soule And Pierce Ploughman . And bolde and abidinge bismeres to suffer And playeth all with patience , and Parce mihi domine , And couereth him vnder counsel , of Caton the wyse Esto forti animo cum sis damnatus inique . The fourth sede that Pierce sewe was spiritus iusticie And he that eateth of that sede , shalbe euer true With god and not agaste , but of gyle one For Gile goth so priuely , that god sayth other while May not be espied fro spiritus iusticie , Spiritus iusticie , spareth not to spill , Them that be gyltye , and for to correcte The kynge if he fall in gylte or in trespace For counteth he no kinges wrath , when he court sitteth To demen as a domes man , adrad was he neuer Neither of Duke ne of death , that he ne dyd lawe For presentes ne for prayers , or any princes letters He did equitie for all , euen forth his power These four sedes Piers sewe , & sith he did hem harow With olde lawe and newe that loue might wexe Amonge the foure vertues and vices to destroy For communely in contries , came monkes Kane-Donaldson cites Cr1 as "monks". & wedes Fouleth the frute in the feld , ther they grow togiders And so done vices vertues worthy , Quod Piers harroweth al that konneth kind wytte , by counsel of these doctours And tilleth after her teachinge the cardinall vertues , Againe the graines quod grace , gynneth for to ripe Ordeine the an house quod Pierce to harber in þe corne By god Grace , quod Piers , ye might giuetimbregiue timbre And ordeyne that house or ye hence wende And Grace gaue him þe crosse with þe crowne of thornes That Christe apon caluery for mankinde on pined And The vision ofFol.Cix And of this baptisme and bloud that he bled on rode He made a maner mortare , and mercy it hight And therwith grace began , to make a good fundament And walled it & watled it with his paines & his passion And of all holy wryte he made a roufe after And called that house vnitie , holy churche in englysh And whan this dede was done , grace deuised A carte hight christendome , to cary Pierces theues And gaue him caples to his carte , contrition & confession And made priesthode hayward , while hym-selfe went As wide as the worlde is , with Pierce to tilly truth Nowe is Pierce to the plowe , & pride it spied And gadered him a greate host , to greue him he thinketh Conscience & all christen , and cardinale vertues Blow hem downe & breake hem , & bite atwo þe mores And sent forth Sarquidons , his sargeant of armes And his spye spill loue , one speake euil behynd These two comen to conscience , and to christen people And told hem tidinges , that tine they sholde the sedes That Pierce there had sowne , the cardinal vertues And Pierce barne were broken , & they þat be in vnitie Should come out , & conscience and your two caples Confession and contrition , and your cart the beleue Shalbe colored so queintly , & couered vnder your sophistry That conscience shal not know by contrition Ne by confession who is christen ne heathen Ne no maner marchant that with mony dealeth Whether he wyn with right or with wronge , or with vsurye With such colour and couetise , commeth pryd armed Wyth the lorde that liueth after the luste of his bodye To wasten on welfare , and on wicked kepynge All the worlde in a while through our wit quod Pryde Ee.i.Quod Pierce Ploughman , Quod conscience to al christen tho , my counsel is to wend Hastely into vnitie , and holde we vs there And prai we þat a peace wer in Pierces barne þe plowman For witterly I wot wel , þat we be not of strength To gone agayne pryde , but grace were with vs And than came kinde wytte , conscience to teache And cried and commaunded to all christen people For to delue and digge , depe aboute vnitie That holy kyrke stode in vnitie , as it a pyle were Conscience commaunded tho , all christen to delue And maken a much mote , that might be a strength To helpe holy kyrke , and hem that it kepeth Than all kynne christen saue commen women Repented and refused sinne , saue they onely And false men flatterers , vsurers and theues Lyers and questmongers that were forsworne oft Wyttingely and wilfully with the false holden And for syluer were forswore , sothly they wyst it There nas no christen creature , that kind wit had Saue shrewes onely , suche as I spake of That he ne halpe a quantitie , holines to waxe Some by bedes bidding , & some by pilgrimage . And other priui paines , & some through paines deling And than welled water for wicked workes Egrely ernynge out of mens eyen , Clennes of the commune , and clarkes cleane liuinge Made vnitie holy kirke , in holynes to stande I care not quod Conscience , though pride come now The lorde of lust shal be letted al this lent I hope Come quod Conscience , ye christen and dyne That haue laboured lelly , all thys lente tyme Here is breade blessed , and gods body therunder Grace The vision ofFol.Cx. Grace throughe gods worde , gaue Pierce power And might to make it , and men to eate it after In helpe of their heale , once in a monthe Or as oft as they had nede , tho that had payde To Pierces pardon the plowman , Redde quod debes Howe , quod all the common , þou councelest vs to yelde All that we owe any wight , er we go to housell That is my counsell quod conscience , & cardialcardi[n]alcardinal vertues That eche man forgiue other , & that will the Pater noster Et dimitte nobis debita nostra &cetera . And so to be assoyled and sythen houseled , Yea bawe quod a bruer , I wyll not be ruled By Iesus for your iangelynge , with Spiritus iusticie Ne after Conscience , by Christe while I can sell Both dragges and draffe , and drawe it at an hole Thycke ale and thine ale , for that is my kinde And not hacke after holines , hold thy tong Conscience Of Spiritus iusticie , thou speakest much on idle . Caytife quod Conscience cursed wretche Unblessed art thou bruer , but if the god helpe But if thou liue by lore , of SpiriiusSpiri[t]us iusticie , The chiefe sede þat Pierce sewe , saued worstow neuer But Conscience the commune fedde , & cardinal vertues Leue well they be loste , both life and soule Than is many a man loste , quod a lewde vycory That am a curatour of holi kyrke , & came neuer in mi tyme Men to me coulde tell , of cardinal vertues Or that counted Conscience at a cocks fether or an hens I ne knew neuer Cardinall , þat he ne came fro the pope And we clarks whan they come , for their commens paien For their pelures & palfreis meat , & pilors þat hem folowe The commune Clamat quotidie , ech a man to other Ee.ii.The Pierce Ploughman , The contrey is the cursseder that Cardinals commen in And there thei lig & lenge , most lechery there regneth Therfore quod this vicory by bery[v]ery God I wold That no Cardinall comme amonge the commen people But in their holynes helden them styll At Anyon among the Iewes Cum sancto sanctus eriteri[s]eris Or in Rome as they rule well , the relikes to kepe And thou Conscience in kings courte , and shuldest neuer come thense , And grace that thou gredest so of , gidar of al clerks , And Pyers with his newe plow & eke with his olde , Emperoure of all þe worlde þat all men were chrysten , Imperfit is that Pope þat all the worlde shulde helpe , And sendith hem that sleeth such as he shuld saue , And well worth pyers þe plowman þat persueth God in doynge Qui pluit super iustos et iniustos , attonce , And sent the sonne to saue a cursed mans tilthe As bright as to the best man or to the best woman Right so Pyers the Plowman peyneth him to tyl As well for a wastor and wenches of the stewes As for him-selfe & his seruaunts saue he is first serued And traueileth and tilleth for a traytor also sore , As for the true tidie men all tymes ylyke , And worshipid be he þat wroght al both good & wikid And suffreth þat sinfull be till some tyme þat they repent , And God amend the Pope that pylleth holy kyrke And claymeth before the kinge to be kepe of chrysten And countethnotcounteth not though christen be killed and robbed And find folke to fight and christen folke to spyll , Agayn thold law & new lawe as Luke therof witnesseth Non occides mihi vindiciamvindic[t]amvindictam , et cetera , It semeth by so him-selfe had hys wyll That The vision ofFol.Cxi. That he ne retche right nought of all the remnant And Christ of his curtesy the Cardinals frame , And turne their wit to wisdome , & weale of her soule For the comune quod this Curatoure counten full lytle , The counsell of ConscieneConscien[c]eConscience or Cardinall vertues , But if they see as by sight somwhat to winning Of gyle ne of gabing giue thou neuer tale , For , Spiritus prudentie among the people is gyle And all the foule vices as vertues they semed Eche man suttelleth a slight synne for to hide And coloureth it for a cunning and a cleane liuing Than laught there a lord , and by the light sayde I holde it right and reason , of my reue to take All that mine auditour or els my stewarde , Councelleth me by their account & by clerkes writinge With Spiritus intellectus , they seke the reues rollers And with Spiritus fortitudinis , fetchen it whole , And than came ther a kyng and by his crowne sayde , I am a king with crowne , þe commune to rule And holy kirke and clergy from cursed men to defend And if me lacketh to lyue by the law will I take it There I may moost hastely it haue for I am head of lawe For ye be but membres and I aboue all And syth I am your allerhedealler hede , I am your allerhelealler hele , And holy church chiefe helpe & chefest am of þe common . And what I take of you two I take it of þe teaching , Of Spiritus iusticie , for I iudge you all . So may I boldly be houseled , for I borowe neuer , Ne craue of my commune but as my kinde asketh , In condicion quod conscience that thou can defende , And rule thy realme by reason as right wyll & truth , Take thou mightmayst in reason , as thethithi law asketh Omnia Pierce Ploughman . Omnia tua sunt ad defendendum sed non ad depredandumdepre[hen]d[e]ndum , The vicar had far home and faire he toke hys leue , And I awaked therwith and wrote as me met , Passus .xx.vicesimus et primus de dobest . THan I went by þe waye whan I was thus awaked Heuy chered I yede and eleng in hert I ne wist where to eate ne at what place , And it nighed nye þe none , and with nede I met That afrounted me foule , and faitour me called Canst thou not excuse the as dyd the kyng and other That thou toke to thy bileue to clothes & to sustinance As by teachinge and by tellinge of spiritus temperancie , And thou nome namore then nede the taught And nede hath no law ne neuer shall fall in dette For thre thinges he taketh his lyfe for to saue , That is meat when men him warne & he no money welde Ne wight þat wil be his borow , & hath no wed to ligge And he caught in that case & came therto by sleyghtes He sinneth not sothely , that so wynneth hys fode And though he can so to a cloth & can no beter cheuisance Nede anone right , winneth him vnder mayne-prise , And if him lyst for to laye , the lawe of kynd wold , That he dronke at eche diche er he for thurst dyed , So nede at great nede may nimen as for hys owne , Without councel of conscience or Cardinall vertues , So that he sewe and saue , spiritus temperancie For is no vertue by fer , to spiritus temperancie , Neyther spiritus iusticie , ne spiritus fortitudinis , For spiritus fortitudinis forfeteth full oft He shall do more then measure many a tyme and ofte , And beate men ouer bytter and some of them to litel , And The vision ofFol.Cxii. And greueth men greater than good fayth it wolde , And Spiritus iusticie shall iudge will he nyll he , After the kinges counsell , and the commen lyke And spiritus prudencie , in many pointes shall fayle Of that he weneth wold faile , if his witte ne were Wening is no wisdome ne wise ymaginacyon , Homo proponit , deus disponit , & gouerneth al good vertues And nede is next him for anon he meketh him , And as low as a lambe , for lacking of þat him nedeth , Wise men forsoke weale , for they wold be nedye And weneden in wildernes and wold not be rich And God all his great ioye gostly he left , And came and toke mankind and became nedy So nedy he was as sayth the boke in many sondrye places , That he sayd in his sorow on the selfe roode Both foxe and foule may flee and to hole crepe And the fyshe hath fyn to flete with torestto rest , There nede hath innomed me þat I must nedes abide , And suffre sorowes ful soure , that shall to ioy turne , Therfore be nought abashed to byde and to be nedy , Ne neuer none so nedy ne poore died , Whan nede had vndone me thus anon I fell a-slepe , And met full maruelously þat in a mans forme Antichrist came than and all the croppe of trueth Turned vpsidoune , and ouer-tilt the rote , And false spring and spred and sped mens nedes In eche a contrey ther he came he cut away trueth , And garte gile growe there as he of God were , Frires folowed that fende , for he gaue hem copes And religious reuerenced him and rang their belles , And all the couent furth came to welcome that tirant , And all his as well as him , saue onely fooles Which Pierce Ploughman . Whiche foles were well leuer to dye than to lyue Lenger syth Leauty was so rebuked And a false fende Antechriste , ouer all folke raygned And þat were mild men & holy men , þou no mischiefe drede Defieden all falsenes , and folke that it vsed And what king þat hem conforted , knowing hem any while They cursed & her counsel , were it clarkes or lewde Antichrist had thus some hundredes at his banner And pride it bare boldly about where he yede Wyth a Lord that liueth after the likynge of his body That came agayne Conscience , þat keper was & gydour Ouer kinde christen , and cardinall vertues I counsell quod Conscience , come with me foles Into vnitie , holy church , and holde we vs there And cry we to kinde , that he come and defende vs Foles from these fendes lims , for Piers loue þe plowman And cry we to all the commune , þat they come to vnitie And there abide and biker , against Belials children . Kynd Conscience tho heard , & came out of the planetis And sent forth his forriours , feuers and fluxes Coughes and cardiacles , crampes and toth aches Reumes and radgondes , and raynous scalles Byles and botches , and burnynge agues Freneges and foule euill , foragers of kinde Hadden pricked and prayed polles of the people That largely a legion losten their liue sone There was harowe and helpe here commeth kinde With death that is dreadefull to vndone vs all The lorde that liued after lust , tho aloude cried After confort a knight , to come & beare his banner A-larme a-larme quod þat Lord , ech life kepe his own And than met these men , their mynstrels myght pype And The vision ofFol.Cxiii. And their heraudes of armes , had descriued Lordes Age the hoore he was in the vawwarde And bare þe banner before death , bi right he it claimed Kynde came after wyth many kene sores As pockes and pestilences , and much people shent So kinde through corruptions killed full many Death came driuynge after , and to dust pashed , Kynges and Kaysers , knightes and Popes Learned and lewde , he ne let no man stande That he hitte euen , he neuer stode after Many a louely Ladye , and lemmans of knights Swonden and swelten for sorow of deathes dyntes Conscience of his curtesye , to kinde he besought To cease and suffre , and se where they woulde Leue pryde priuelie , and be perfite christen And Kinde ceased tho , to se the people amende Fortune gan flatteren then , tho fewe that were alyue And hight hem longe life , and lechery she sent Amonges all maner men , wedded and vnwedded And gathered a great host , all agayne Conscience This Lechery layde on with a laughynge chere And with a priuye speache and paynted wordes And armed him in idlenes , and in hygh bearyng He bare a bowe in hys hand , & many bloudy arrowes Were fethered with faire behest , & many a false trueth Wyth hys vntidye tales , he tened full often Conscience and his company , of holy kirke þe techers Than came Couetise and caste howe he might Ouercome Conscience , and cardinall vertues And armed him in auarice , and hongrily lyued His wepen was all wiles , to wynnen and to hiden With glosinges & with glabbinges , he giled the people Ff.i.Simo= PiercePlo ughmanPierce Ploughman . Symony him sent to assayle conscience And preched to the people and prelates they maden , To hold with antichrist their temperalties to saue And came to kinges counsell as a kene baron , And kneled to conscience in court afore them all , AndgardeAnd garde good fayth flee and false to abyde , And boldly bare downe with many a bright noble , Much of the wit and wisedome of westminster hal He iustled tyll a Iustice , and iusted in his eare And ouertilt al his truth , will take this apon amendment And to the arches in hast he yede anone after , And turned cyuile into symoni & syth he toke thofficial For a mantell of miniuer he made lelly matrimonye , Departen er death came , and deuourse shaped Alas quod conscience tho wold Christ of his grace That couetise were a christen that is so kine a fighter , And bold and abiding while his bagge lasteth And than lough lyfe , and let dagge his clothes And armed him in hast in harlottes wordes , And held holines a Iape , and hendnes a waster , And lete leautie a cherle , and lyer a freman Conscience and councell he counted at foly , Thus leled lyfe for a lytle fortune , And priked furth with pride , praysed he no vertue , He careth not how kinde slouth shall come at last And kyll all earthely creatures , saue conscience onely Lyfe lept asede and caught him a lemman , Health and I quod he , and heauynes of herte Shall do the no drede nether death ne Elde , And to forget death and gyue nought of synne , Thys lyked lyfe and his lemman fortune , And gat in their glory a gadling at last , One The vision ofFol.Cxiiii One that much wo wrought slouth was his name , Slouth wexe wonder yerne , and sone was of age And wedded one wanhope a wench of the stewes , Hyr syre was a sysor that neuer swore trueth One Tomme twotong , atteint of ech a quest This Slouth was ware of warre , and a slyng made And threwe drede of dispayre , adozena dozen myles a-boute For care conscience tho cryed apon age , And bad him fend a sight and afere wanhope , And age hent good hope , and hastely he shyftes him And wained awaye wanhop , & with lyfe he fighteth , And lyfe fleeth for fere to phisike after helpe , And besought him of his succoure & of his salue had , And gaue him gold good wonne þat gladded his hart And they gaue him agayne a glasen howne , Lyfe leued that lechecraft let shulde Elde And driuen away death with dias and dragges , And Elde auentred him on lyfe , and at last he hyt A phisician with a furred hode that he fell in the palsy And their died that docter er thre dayes after , Now I see sayd lyfe that surgery ne phisike May not a myte auayle , to medle agayne Elde And in hope of his heale good harte he hente And rode so to reuell a rych place and a mery The company of comforth men clipped it some tyme And Elde anone after , and ouer my head she yedeCheck MS -- there's a vertical line between last two words. And made me bald before and bare on my crowne , So hard he yede ouer my heade þat it will be seue euer Syr euell taught Elde quod I , vnheende go wyth the , Sithe whan was the way ouer mens heades ? Haddest þou bene hende quod I , þou woldest haue asked leue Yea leaue lurden quod he , and layde on me with age , F.ii.And PiercePlo ugh manPierce Ploughman . And hit me vnder the eare , vnneth may ich heare He buffeted me about the mouth , and bet out my teth And gyued me in goutes , I may not go at large , And of the wo that I was in my wyfe had ruthe , And wished full witterly that I were in heauen , For the lyme that she loued me for , & leef was to feele On nightes namely when we naked were , I ne might in no maner make it at hyr will , So Elde and se sothely had forbeaten it , And as I satte in this sorowe I se kinde passed And death drewe nere me , for drede gan I quacke , And cryed to kinde out of care me bringe Lo Elde the hore hath me byfeye . Awreke me if your wilbewil be for I wold be hence , If thou wold be wroken , wend into vnitie And hold the there euer tyll I send for the , And loke thou konne some craft ere thou come thence Counsell me Kynd quod I , what craft is best to learne , Learne to loue quod kinde and leaue all other , Howe shall I come to cattel so , to cloth me & to fede ? And thou loue lelly quod he , lacke shall the neuer , Meat ne worldly wede , whyle thy lyfe lasteth , And there by counsell of kinde , I comsed to runner[om]erome Through contricion & confession till I came to vnitie , And there was conscience constable , christen to saue , And besieged Sothelie with senense[u]en great Gyantes That with antichrist holden harde agayn conscience , Sloth was his slyng and hard assawte made , Proude priests come with him mo then a thowsand , In paltoks and piked shoes and pisfers long kniues , Comen agayne conscience with couetyse they helden , By Mary quod a mansed priest of the march of Ireland , I The vision ofFol.Cxv. I count no more conscience , by so I catche siluer Than I do to drinke a draught of good ale , And so sayd sixty of the same contrey And shotten againe with shote many a shefe of othes And brode hoked arowes , Gods hert and his nailes , And had almost vnitye and holynes adowne Conscience cryed helpe clergy or els I fall , Through imperfite priests & prelates of holy church Fryers harde him crye and came him to helpe , And for thei coud not wel her craft , conscience hem forsoke Nede neighed tho nere , and conscience he tolde That they came for couetyse to haue cure of soule , And for thei are pore perauenter for patrimony hem failith They flatter to fare well folke that bene ryche , And syth they chosen chele and cheitif pouertie Let them chewe as they chosen , & charge them with no cure , For Lomer he lyeth that lyuelode might begge , Than he þat laboureth for liuelod & leneth it beggers , And sith fryers forsoke , the filicitie of the earth Let them be as beggers or lyue by Angels foode , Conscience of this councell tho comsed to laugh , And curtesly comforted him and called in al fryers , And sayd syrs sothely welcome be you all To vnitie and holy church , one thing I you praye Hold you in vnitie and haue no enuye , To lerned men ne to lewde , but lyue after your rule , And I will be your borow ye shall haue bred & cloth And other necessaryes ynowe ye shall nothing fayle , With that ye leaue lodgike and learne to loue , For loue lost the lordshyp , both land and schole Fryer Fraunces and dominike for loue to be holy , And if ye couet cure , kynd wyll you teache . That Pierce Ploughman . That in measure God made all maner thinges And set hem at a certen and a seker nombre , And nempned names newe and nommbred the sterres . Qui numerat multitudinem stellarum & omnibusomnibus eis &cetera . Kynges and knightes that kepen and defenden , Haue officers vnder hem , and eche of hem certen And if they wage men to war they write hem in nombre Or they wil no treasure hem pay , trauaile they neuer so sore For all other in battel , bene holden brybors Pylors and pikeharneis , in eche a place accursed , Monks and monyales and all men of relygion , Their order & their rule wold to haue a certen nombre Of lerned and of lewde , the lawe will and asketh , A certen for a certen , saue onely of Fryers . Therfore quod conscience , by Christ kinde witte me telleth It is wicked to wage you , ye wexe out of nombre , Heauen hath euen nombre , & hell is without nombre Therfore I wolde witterly þat ye were in þe registres , And your nombre vnder notaries signe & neither mo ne lesse Enuy hard this and bad fryers go to schole , And lerne logike and lawe , and eke contemplacion , And preache men of Plato , and prieue it by Seneca , That all thinges vnder heauen ought to be in commune And yet he lyeth as I leue þat to the lewde so precheth , For God made men a lawe , and Moses it taught , Non concupisses rem proximi tui , And euel is his holde in parishes of Englande , For parsons & parishe priestes þat shuld þe peple shriue Bene Curatuors called to know and to heale , To all þat bene their parishens penance to enioigne And shuld be ashamed in their shrift , & shame makith And flee to þe Fryers , as false folke to Westminster That The vision ofFol.Cxvi That boroweth & beareth thider , & then biddith frends Yerne of fogifenesfo[r]gifenes or lenger yeres loone And while he is in westminster he wilbe before , And make him mery with other mens goods And so it fareth with much folke þat to fryers shriueth As sisours & executours they will gyue the fryers , A percell to pray for them & make them-selfe merye , With þe residue & þe remnaunt þat other men be swonken , And suffre the dead in det to the day of dome , Enuy therfore hated conscience , And friers to philosiphy he found hem to schole , The while couetise and vnkindnes , conscience assayled In vnitie holy church , conscience healed him And made peace porter , to pinne the gates To all tale tellers and tutelers in ydell , Hypocrisy and he an harde assaute they made Hipocrisy at gate hard gan to feight , And wounded well wickedlye many a wyse teacher , That with conscience accorded , and Cardynall vertues Conscience called a leche that could wel shryue , Go salue tho þat sick ben , and through sinne wounded , Shrift shope sharpe salue and made hem do penance For their misdedes that they wrought hadden , And that piers were payde , Redde quod debes , Some lyked not this leche , and letters they sent , If any surgeon were in the sege , þat softer could plaster Syr life to liue in lechery laye there and groned , For fastyng of a fryday , he fared as he wold dye There is a surgeon in this sege that soft can handle And more of phisyke he can and fayrer he plastereth , One frier flatterer is phisician and surgeon , Quod contricion to conscience do him come to vnitie For Pierce Ploughman . For here is many a man hurt through hypocrisie We haue no nede quod Conscience , I wot no better lech Than person or parishe prieste , penitauncer or bishop Saue Pierce the plowman , þat hath power ouer hem al And indulgence may do , but if that dette let it I may wel suffer quod conscience , seinge ye desieren That Fryer flatterer befet , a phisike you seke The Fryer hereof harde , and hied full faste To a lorde for a letter , leaue to haue curen As a curatour he were , and came with hys letters Boldely to the byshop , and his briefe had , In contryes there he came in , confession to here And came ther Conscience was , & knocked at þe gate Peace vnpinned it , was porter of vnitie And in haste asked what hys wyll were I fayth quod this Frier , for profit and for health Carpe I wold with contrition , & therefore I came hither He is sicke sayde Peace , and so is many an other Hypocrisie hath hurt him , ful harde is he of couer I am surgion sayde the segge , and salues can make Conscience knoweth me wel , and what I can do both I praye the quod Peace tho , ere thou passe further What hightest thou I pray the , heale not thy name Certes sayd thys felowe , syr Penetrans domos . Go thy gates quod Peace , by god for all thy phisike But thou kenne some craft , thou commest not herein I knewe such one once , not eyght winters passed Came in thus coped , at a court wher I dwelled And was my lordes leche , and my ladies bothe And at laste this limitour , tho my lord was out He salued so our women , tyll some were with childe . Heende speach heete Peace to open the gates Let The vision ofFol.Cxvii. Let in the frier and his felowe , & make him fair chere He may se and heare , so it may befall That lyfe through his lore , shall leaue couetise And be a-drade of death , and withdrawe him from prid And accord with conscience , and kisse either other . Thus through hende speach , entred the fryer And came to Conscience , and curtesly him grete Thou art welcome quod Conscience , canst þou heale þe sick ? Here is contricion quod conscience , my cosin wounded Confort him quod conscience , & take kepe to his sores The playsters of þe person , and pouders beaten to sore He letteth hem ligge ouer long , & loth is to chaung hem From lenten to lenten , he let his playsters byten . That is ouerlong quod this Limitor , I leue I shal amend it And goth & gropeth contricion , & gaue him a plaister Of a pryuy payment , & I shal pray for you , And for all that ye bene holden to , all my lyue longe And make you my Ladye in masses and in mattens As Fryers of our fraternitie , for a litle siluer . Thus he goth & gadereth , & gloseth ther he shriueth Till contricion had cleaneforgotencleane forgoten to crye & to wepe And wake for his works , as he was wont to do For confort of hys confessour , Contricion he lost That is the souereynest salue , for all kinnes synnes Slouthe see that , and so dyd pride And commen with a kene wyll , conscience to assayle Conscience cryed out[ef]teft , and bade cleargy helpe him And also contricion , for to kepe the gate He lieth & dreameth said Peace , & so doth many other The fryer with his phisike , this folke hath enchaunted And plastred hem so easely , they dred no synne Bi Christ quod Conscience tho , I wol become a pilgrime Gg.i.And Pierce Ploughman , And walken as wyde as the world lasteth To seke Pierce the plowman , that pride may destroy And that Fryers had a finding , þat for no nede flatteren And contrepledeth me Conscience , now kind me aueng And send me hap & heale , til I haue Piers þe plowman And syth he grad after grace til , I gan awake . all of the trailer is centeredFinis . ¶Imprinted at London by Roberte Crowley , dwellyng in Elye rentes in Holburne . The yere of our Lord . M . D . L .Ornaments centered here, continuing triangulation of text above; includes stars, pointing hands, fleur-de-lis, flowers and leaf.