University of Virginia Library

THE VISION OF WILLIAM CONCERNING “PIERS THE PLOWMAN.”

Incipit liber de Petro Plowman.

[Prologus.]

A mous þat moche good couthe, as me thouȝte,
Stroke forth sternly and stode biforn hem alle,
And to þe route of ratones reherced þese wordes;
“Thouȝ we culled þe catte ȝut sholde þer come another,
To cracchy vs and al owre kynde þouȝ we croupe vnder benches.
For-þi I conseille alle þe comune to lat þe catte worthe,
And be we neuer so bolde þe belle hym to shewe;
For I herde my sire seyn is seuene ȝere ypassed,
Þere þe catte is a kitoun þe courte is ful elyng;
Þat witnisseth holiwrite who-so wil it rede,

Ve terre vbi puer rex est, &c.

For may no renke þere rest haue for ratones bi nyȝte;
Þe while he caccheþ conynges he coueiteth nouȝt owre caroyne,
But fet hym al with venesoun defame we hym neuere.
For better is a litel losse þan a longe sorwe,
Þe mase amonge vs alle þouȝ we mysse a schrewe.
For many mannus malt we mys wolde destruye,
And also ȝe route of ratones rende mennes clothes,
Nere þat cat of þat courte þat can ȝow ouerlepe;
For had ȝe rattes ȝowre wille ȝe couthe nouȝt reule ȝowre-selue.
I sey for me,” quod þe mous “I se so mykel after,
Shal neuer þe cat ne þe kitoun bi my conseille be greued,
Ne carpyng of þis coler þat costed me neure.
And þouȝ it had coste me catel biknowen it I nolde,
But suffre as hym-self wolde to do as hym liketh,
Coupled & vncoupled to cacche what thei mowe.
For-þi vche a wise wiȝte I warne wite wel his owne.”—

PASSUS I. Passus Primus de visione.

For loth in his lifdayes for likyng of drynke,
Dede bi his douȝtres þat þe deuel lyked;
Delited hym in drynke as þe deuel wolde,
And lecherye hym lauȝt and lay bi hem boþe;
And al he witt it wyn þat wikked dede.

Inebriamus eum vino, dormiamus que cum eo, Vt seruare possimus de patre nostro semen.

Thorw wyn and þorw women þere was loth acombred,
And þere gat in glotonye gerlis þat were cherlis.
For-þi drede delitable drynke and þow shalt do þe bettere;
Mesure is medcyne þouȝ þow moche ȝerne.
It is nauȝt al gode to þe goste þat þe gutte axeþ,
Ne liflode to þi likam [þat leef is to þi soule.
Leue not þi likam] for a lyer him techeth,
That is þe wrecched worlde wolde þe bitraye.
For þe fende and þi flesch folweth þe to-gidere,
This and þat [sueth] þi soule and seith it in þin herte;
And for þow sholdest ben ywar I wisse þe þe beste.”
Lucifer wiþ legiounes lerned it in heuene,
But for he brake buxumnesse his blisse gan he tyne,
And fel fro þat felawship in a fendes liknes,
In-to a depe derke helle to dwelle þere for eure;
And mo þowsandes wiþ him þan man couthe noumbre,
Lopen out wiþ Lucifer in lothelich forme,
For þei leueden vpon hym þat lyed in þis manere:

Ponam pedem in aquilone, et similis ero altissimo.

“Þow doted daffe,” quod she “dulle arne þi wittes;
To litel latyn þow lernedest lede, in þi ȝouthe;

Heu michi, [quod] sterilem duxi vitam iuuenilem!

For þe same mesures þat ȝe mete amys other elles,
Ȝe shullen ben weyen þer-wyth whan ȝe wende hennes;

Edem mensura qua mensi fueritis, remecietur vobis.

For Iames þe gentil iugged in his bokes,
That faith with-oute þe faite is riȝte no þinge worthi,
And as ded as a dore-tre but ȝif þe dedes folwe;

Fides sine operibus mortua est, &c.

PASSUS II. Passus secundus de visione, vt supra.

And Mede is manered after hym riȝte as kynde axeth;

Qualis pater, talis filius; [bona] arbor bonum fructum facit.

I auȝte ben herre þan she I cam of a better.
And what man taketh Mede myne hed dar I legge,
That he shal lese for hir loue a lappe of caritatis.
How construeth dauid þe kynge of men þat taketh Mede,
And men of þis molde þat meynteneth treuthe,
And how ȝe shal saue ȝow-self þe Sauter bereth witnesse,

Domine, quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo, &c.

Ac Symonye and cyuile and sisoures of courtes
Were moste pryue with Mede of any men, me þouȝte.
Ac fauel was þe first þat fette hire out of boure,
And as a brokour brouȝte hir to be with fals enioigned.
Whan Symonye and cyuile seiȝ here beire wille,
Thei assented for siluer to sei as bothe wolde.
Thanne lepe lyer forth, and seide “lo here! a chartre,
That gyle with his gret othes gaf hem togidere,”
And preide cyuile to se and symonye to rede it.
Thanne Symonye and cyuile stonden forth bothe,
And vnfoldeth þe feffement þat fals hath ymaked,
And þus bigynneth þes gomes to greden ful heiȝ:—

“Sciant presentes & futuri, &c.

PASSUS III. Passus tertius.

For-þi I lere ȝow, lordes leueþ suche werkes,
To writen in wyndowes of ȝowre wel dedes,
Or to greden after goddis men whan ȝe delen doles;
An auenture ȝe han ȝowre hire here and ȝoure heuene als;

Nesciat sinistra quid faciat dextra.

Lat nouȝte þi left half late [ne] rathe,
Wyte what þow worchest with þi riȝt syde;
For þus bit þe gospel gode men do here almesse.
Salamon þe sage a sarmoun he made,
For to amende Maires and men þat kepen lawes,
And tolde hem þis teme þat I telle thynke;

Ignis deuorabit tabernacula eorum qui libenter accipiunt munera, &c.

Amonge þis lettered ledes þis latyn is to mene,
That fyre shal falle, and [brenne] al to blo askes
The houses and þe homes of hem [þat] desireth
Ȝiftes or ȝeresȝyues bi-cause of here offices.
“Nay,” quod conscience to þe Kynge and kneled to þe erthe,
“There aren two manere of Medes my lorde, with ȝowre leue.
Þat one, god of his grace graunteth in his blisse
To þo þat wel worchen whil þei ben here.
The prophete precheth þer-of and put it in þe sautere,

Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo?

‘Lorde, who shal wonye in þi wones and with þine holi seyntes,
Or resten on þi holy hilles?’ þis asketh dauid;
And dauyd assoileth it hym-self as þe sauter telleth,

Qui ingreditur sine macula, & operatur iusticiam,

Tho þat entren of o colour and of on wille,
And han wrouȝte werkis with riȝte and with reson;
And he þat ne vseth nauȝte þe lyf of vsurye,
And enfourmeth pore men and pursueth treuthe;

Qui pecuniam suam non dedit ad vsuram, & munera super innocentem, &c.

And alle þat helpeth þe innocent and halt with þe riȝtful,
With-oute mede doth hem gode and þe trewthe helpeth—
Suche manere men, my lorde shal haue þis furst Mede
Of god at a grete nede whan þei gone hennes.
There is an-other Mede mesurelees þat maistres desireth;
To meyntene mysdoers Mede þei take;
And þere-of seith þe sauter in a salmes ende,

In quorum manibus iniquitates sunt, dextera eorum repleta est muneribus;

And he þat gripeth her golde so me god helpe!
Shal abie it bittere or þe boke lyeth!
Prestes and parsones þat plesynge desireth,
That taketh Mede and [moneie] for messes þat þei syngeth,
Taketh here mede here as Mathew vs techeth;

Amen, amen, [receperunt] mercedem suam.

Alle þat bereth baslarde brode swerde or launce,
Axe [other] hachet or eny wepne ellis,
Shal be demed to þe deth but if he do it smythye
In-to sikul or to sithe to schare or to kulter;

Conflabunt gladios suos in vomeres, &c.;

Eche man to pleye with a plow pykoys or spade,
Spynne, or sprede donge or spille hym-self with sleuthe.
Kynges courte and comune courte consistorie and chapitele,
Al shal be but one courte and one baroun be iustice;
Thanne worth trewe-tonge a tidy man þat tened me neuere.
Batailles shal non be ne no man bere wepne,
And what smyth þat ony smyt[h]eth be smyte þer-with to dethe,

Non leuabit gens contra gentem gladium, &c.

And er þis fortune falle fynde men shal þe worste,
By syx sonnes and a schippe and half a shef of arwes;
And þe myddel of a mone shal make þe iewes to torne,
And saracenes for þat siȝte shulle synge gloria in excelsis, &c.,
For Makomet & Mede myshappe shal þat tyme;

For, melius est bonum nomen quam diuicie multe.”

Also wroth as þe wynde wex Mede in a while,
“I can no latyn,” quod she “clerkis wote þe sothe.
Se what Salamon seith in Sapience bokes,
That hij þat ȝiueth ȝiftes þe victorie wynneth,
& moche worschip had þer-with as holiwryt telleth,

Honorem adquiret qui dat munera, &c.”

PASSUS IV. Passus quartus de visione, vt supra.

Ac þere is loue and lewte þei wil nouȝte come þere;

Contricio & infelicitas in vijs eorum, &c.

Þei ne gyueth nouȝte of god one gose wynge,

Non est timor dei ante oculos eorum.

For, wot god, þei wolde do more for a dozeine chickenes,
Or as many capones or for a seem of otes,
Þan for loue of owre lorde or alle hise leue seyntes.
For-þi, resoun, lete hem ride þo riche, bi hem-seluen,
For conscience knoweth hem nouȝte ne cryst, as I trowe.
And þanne resoun rode faste þe riȝte heiȝe gate,
As conscience hym kenned til þei come to þe kynge.

PASSUS V. Passus quintus de Visione.

The kyng and his knightes to the kirke wente
To here matynes of þe day and þe masse after.
Þanne waked I of my wynkynge and wo was with-alle,
Þat I ne hadde sleped sadder and yseiȝen more.
Ac er I hadde faren a fourlonge feyntise me hente,
That I ne myȝte ferther a-foot for defaute of slepynge;
And sat softly adown and seide my bileue,
And so I babeled on my bedes þei brouȝte me a-slepe.
And þanne saw I moche more þan I bifore tolde,
For I say þe felde ful of folke þat I bifore of seyde,
And how resoun gan arrayen hym alle þe reume to preche,
And with a crosse afor þe kynge comsed þus to techen.
He preued þat þise pestilences [were] for pure synne,
And þe southwest wynde on saterday at euene
Was pertliche for pure pryde and for no poynt elles.
Piries and plomtrees were puffed to þe erthe,
In ensample, ȝe segges ȝe shulden do þe bettere.
Beches and brode okes were blowen to þe grounde,
Torned vpward her tailles in tokenynge of drede,
Þat dedly synne at domesday shal fordon hem alle.
Of þis matere I myȝte mamely ful longe,
Ac I shal seye as I saw so me god helpe!
How pertly afor þe poeple resoun gan to preche.
He bad wastoure go worche what he best couthe,
And wynnen his wastyng with somme manere crafte.
And preyed peronelle her purfyle to lete,
And kepe it in hir cofre for catel at hire nede.
Thomme stowue he tauȝte to take two staues,
And fecche [felice] home fro þe wyuen pyne.
He warned watt his wyf was to blame,
Þat hire hed was worth halue a marke his hode nouȝte worth a grote.
And bad bette kut a bow other tweyne,
And bete betoun þer-with but if she wolde worche.
And þanne he charged chapmen to chasten her childeren;
Late no wynnynge hem forweny whil þei be ȝonge,
Ne for no pouste of pestilence plese hem nouȝte out of resoun.
“My syre seyde so to me and so did my dame,
Þat þe leuere childe þe more lore bihoueth,
And Salamon seide þe same þat Sapience made,

Qui parcit virge, odit filium.

Þe Englich of þis latyn is who-so wil it knowe,
Who-so spareth þe sprynge spilleth his children.”
And sithen he preyed prelatȝ and prestes to-gideres,
“Þat ȝe prechen to þe peple preue it on ȝowre-seluen,
And doth it in dede it shal drawe ȝow to good;
If ȝe lyuen as ȝe leren vs we shal leue ȝow þe bettere.”
And sithen he radde Religioun here reule to holde—
“Leste þe kynge and his conseille ȝowre comunes appayre,
And ben stuwardes of ȝowre stedes til ȝe be ruled bettre.”
And sithen he conseilled þe kynge þe comune to louye,
“It is þi tresore, if tresoun ne were and triacle at þi nede.”
And sithen he prayed þe pope haue pite on holicherche,
And er he gyue any grace gouerne firste hym-selue.
“And ȝe that han lawes to kepe late treuthe be ȝowre coueytise,
More þan golde or other gyftes if ȝe wil god plese;
For who-so contrarieth treuthe he telleth in þe gospel,
That god knoweth hym nouȝte ne no seynte of heuene, Amen dico vobis, nescio vos.
And ȝe þat seke seynte James and seintes of Rome,
Seketh seynt treuthe for he may saue ȝow alle;
Qui cum patre & filio þat feire hem bifalle
Þat suweth my sermon;” and þus seyde resoun.
Thanne ran repentance and reherced his teme,
And gert wille to wepe water with his eyen.

SUPERBIA.

Peronelle proude-herte platte hir to þe erthe,
And lay longe ar she loked and “lorde, mercy!” cryed,
And byhiȝte to hym þat vs alle made,
She shulde vnsowen hir serke and sette þere an heyre
To affaiten hire flesshe þat fierce was to synne:
“Shal neuere heiȝe herte me hente but holde me lowe,
And suffre to be myssayde— and so did I neuere.
But now wil I meke me and mercy biseche,
For al þis I haue hated in myne herte.”

LUXURIA.

Þanne lecchoure seyde “allas!” and on owre lady he cryed,
To make mercy for his mis-dedes bitwene god and his soule,
With þat he shulde þe saterday seuene ȝere þere-after,
Drynke but myd þe doke and dyne but ones.

INUIDIA.

IRA.

AUARICIA.

Thow art an vnkynde creature I can þe nouȝte assoille,
Til þow make restitucioun and rekne with hem alle,
And sithen þat resoun rolle it in þe regystre of heuene,
That þow hast made vche man good I may þe nouȝte assoille;

Non dimittitur peccatum donec restituatur ablatum, &c.

For alle þat [haue] of þi good haue god my trouthe!
[Ben] holden at þe heighe dome to helpe þe to restitue.
And who so leueth nouȝte þis be soth loke in þe sauter glose,
In miserere mei deus where I mene treuthe,

Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti, &c.

Thanne wex þat shrewe in wanhope and walde haue hanged him-self,
Ne hadde repentaunce þe rather reconforted hym in þis manere,
“Haue mercye in þi mynde and with þi mouth biseche it,
For goddes mercye is more þan alle hise other werkes;

Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius, &c.

And al þe wikkednesse in þis worlde þat man myȝte worche or thynke,
Ne is no more to þe mercye of god þan in þe see a glede;

Omnis iniquitas quantum ad misericordiam dei, est [quasi] sintilla in medio maris.

GULA.

ACCIDIA.

Now god,” quod he, “þat of þi goodnesse gonne þe worlde make,
And of nauȝte madest auȝte and man moste liche to þi-selue,
And sithen suffredest for to synne a sikenesse to vs alle,
And al for þe best, as I bileue what euere þe boke telleth,

O felix culpa! o necessarium peccatum ade! &c.

For þourgh þat synne þi sone sent was to þis erthe,
And bicam man of a mayde mankynde to saue,
And madest þi-self with þi sone and vs synful yliche,

Faciamus hominem ad ymaginem et similitudinem nostram;

Et alibi: qui manet in caritate, in deo manet, & deus in eo;

And sith with þi self sone in owre sute deydest
On godefryday for mannes sake at ful tyme of þe daye,
Þere þi-self ne þi sone no sorwe in deth feledest;
But in owre secte was þe sorwe and þi sone it ladde,

Captiuam duxit captiuitatem.

Þe sonne for sorwe þer-of les syȝte for a tyme
Aboute mydday whan most liȝte is and mele tyme of seintes;
Feddest with þi fresche blode owre forfadres in derknesse,

Populus qui ambulabat in tenebris, vidit lucem magnam;

And thorw þe liȝte þat lepe oute of þe lucifer was blent,
And blewe alle þi blissed in-to þe blisse of paradise.
Þe thrydde daye after þow ȝedest in owre sute,
A synful Marie þe seighe ar seynte Marie þi dame,
And al to solace synful þow suffredest it so were:

Non veni vocare iustos, set peccatores ad penitenciam.

And al þat Marke hath ymade mathew, Johan, and lucas,
Of þyne douȝtiest dedes were don in owre armes.

Verbum caro factum est, et habitauit in nobis.

And bi so moche, me semeth þe sikerere we mowe
Bydde and biseche if it be þi wille,
Þat art owre fader and owre brother be merciable to vs,
And haue reuthe on þise Ribaudes þat repente hem here sore,
Þat euere þei wratthed þe in þis worlde in worde, þouȝte, or dedes.”
Þanne hent hope an horne of deus, tu conuersus viuificabis [nos,]
And blew it with Beati quorum remisse sunt iniquitates,
Þat alle seyntes in heuene songen at ones,

Homines & iumenta saluabis, quemadmodum multiplicasti misericordiam tuam, deus, &c.

And so boweth forth bi a broke beth-buxum-of-speche,
Tyl ȝe fynden a forth ȝowre-fadres-honoureth,

Honora patrem & matrem, &c.:

Wadeþ in þat water and wascheth ȝow wel þere,
And ȝe shul lepe þe liȝtloker al ȝowre lyf tyme.
And so shaltow se swere-nouȝte- but-if-it-be-for-nede-
And-namelich-an-ydel- þe-name-of-god-almyȝti.
Biddeth amende-ȝow meke him til his maistre ones,
To wayne vp þe wiket þat þe womman shette,
Tho Adam and Eue eten apples vnrosted;

Per euam cun[c]tis clausa est, & per mariam virginem [iterum] patefacta est;

PASSUS VI. Passus Sextus.

And mysbede nouȝte þi bonde-men þe better may þow spede;
Þowgh he be þyn vnderlynge here wel may happe in heuene,
Þat he worth worthier sette and with more blisse,
[Þan þow, bot þou do bette And lyue as þow shulde;]

Amice, ascende superius.

For in charnel atte chirche cherles ben yuel to knowe,
Or a kniȝte fram a knaue þere knowe þis in þin herte.
And þat þow be trewe of þi tonge and tales þat þow hatie,
But if þei ben of wisdome or of witte þi werkmen to chaste.
Holde with none harlotes ne here nouȝte her tales,
And nameliche atte mete suche men eschue;
For it ben þe deueles disoures I do þe to vnderstande.”
Saue Iakke þe iogeloure and Ionet of þe stues,
And danyel þe dys-playere and denote þe baude,
And frere þe faytoure and folke of his ordre,
And Robyn þe Rybaudoure for his rusty wordes.
Treuthe tolde me ones and bad me tellen it after,
Deleantur de libro viuentium I shulde nouȝte dele with hem;
For holicherche is hote of hem no tythe to take,

Quia cum iustis non scribantur;

They ben ascaped good auenture now god hem amende!”
And if þow fynde any freke þat fortune hath appeyred,
Or any maner fals men fonde þow suche to cnowe;
Conforte [hem] with þi catel for crystes loue of heuene,
Loue hem and lene hem so lawe of god techeth:—

Alter alterius onera portate.

And alle maner of men þat þow myȝte asspye,
That nedy ben, and nauȝty helpe hem with þi godis,
Loue hem and lakke hem nouȝte late god take þe veniaunce;
Theigh þei done yuel late þow god [y-worþe]:—

Michi vindictam, & ego retribuam.

And if þow wil[t] be graciouse to god do as þe gospel techeth,
And [biloue] þe amonges low men so shaltow lacche grace,

Facite vobis amicos de mamona iniquitatis.”

Kynde witt wolde þat eche a wyght wrouȝte
Or in dykynge or in deluynge or trauaillynge in preyeres,
Contemplatyf lyf or actyf lyf cryst wolde men wrouȝte.
Þe sauter seyth in þe psalme of beati omnes,
Þe freke þat fedeth hym-self with his feythful laboure,
He is blessed by þe boke in body and in soule:

Labores manuum tuarum, &c.”

And but if he be heighlich huyred ellis wil he chyde,
And þat he was werkman wrouȝt waille þe tyme,
Aȝeines catones conseille comseth he to iangle:—

Paupertatis onus pacienter ferre memento.

PASSUS VII. Passus vijus. de visione, vt supra.

Men of lawe lest pardoun hadde þat pleteden for Mede,
For þe sauter saueth hem nouȝte such as taketh ȝiftes,
And namelich of innocentz þat none yuel ne kunneth;

Super innocentem munera non accipies.

Pledoures shulde peynen hem to plede for such, an helpe,
Prynces and prelates shulde paye for her trauaille;

A regibus & pryncipibus erit merces eorum.

Ac many a iustice an iuroure wolde for Iohan do more,
Þan pro dei pietate leue þow none other!
Ac he þat spendeth his speche and spekeþ for þe pore
Þat is Innocent and nedy and no man appeireth,
Conforteth hym in þat cas with-oute coueytise of ȝiftes,
And scheweth lawe for owre lordes loue as he it hath lerned,
Shal no deuel at his ded-day deren hym a myȝte,
Þat he ne worth sauf and his sowle þe sauter bereth witnesse;

Domine, quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo, &c.

Whan þei drawen on to deye and Indulgences wolde haue,
Her pardoun is ful petit at her partyng hennes,
Þat any Mede of mene men for her motyng taketh.
Ȝe legistres and lawyeres holdeth þis for treuthe,
Þat, ȝif þat I lye Mathew is to blame,
For he bad me make ȝow þis and þis prouerbe me tolde,

Quodcumque vultis vt faciant vobis homines, facite eis.

Beggeres ne bidderes ne beth nouȝte in þe bulle,
But if þe suggestioun be soth þat shapeth hem to begge.
For he þat beggeth or bit but if he haue nede,
He is fals with þe fende and defraudeth þe nedy,
And also he bigileth þe gyuere ageines his wil.
For if he wist he were nouȝte nedy he wolde ȝiue þat an other,
Þat were more nedy þan he so þe nediest shuld be hulpe.
Catoun kenneth men þus and þe clerke of þe stories,
Cui des, videto is catounes techynge,
And in þe stories he techeth to bistowe þyn almes;

Sit elemosina [tua] in manu tua, donec studes cui des.

Ac Gregori was a gode man and bad vs gyuen alle
Þat asketh, for his loue þat vs alle leneth:—

Non eligas cui miserearis, ne forte pretereas illum qui meretur accipere. Quia incertum est pro quo [Deo] magis placeas.

For wite ȝe neuere who is worthi ac god wote who hath nede,
In hym þat taketh is þe treccherye if any tresoun wawe;
For he þat ȝiueth, ȝeldeth and ȝarketh hym to reste,
And he þat biddeth, borweth and bryngeth hym-self in dette.
For beggeres borwen euermo and her borghe is god almyȝti,
To ȝelden hem þat ȝiueth hem and ȝet vsure more:

Quare non dedisti peccuniam meam ad mensam, vt ego veniens cum vsuris [exegissem illam?]

For-þi biddeth nouȝt, ȝe beggeres but if ȝe haue gret nede;
For who-so hath to buggen hym bred þe boke bereth witnesse,
He hath ynough þat hath bred ynough þough he haue nouȝt elles:

Satis diues est, qui non indiget pane.

Late vsage be ȝowre solace of seyntes lyues redynge,
Þe boke banneth beggarie and blameth hem in þis manere:

Iunior fui, etenim senui; et non vidi iustum derelictum, nec semen eius [querens panem.]

And pieres at his preyere þe pardoun vnfoldeth,
And I bihynde hem bothe bihelde al þe bulle.
Al in two lynes it lay and nouȝt a leef more,
And was writen riȝt þus in witnesse of treuthe:

Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam eternam; Qui vero mala, in ignem eternum.

And pieres for pure tene pulled it atweyne,

And seyde, “si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis, non timebo mala; quoniam tu mecum es.

Þe prophete his payn ete in penaunce and in sorwe,
By þat þe sauter seith so dede other manye;
Þat loueth god lelly his lyflode is ful esy:

Fuerunt michi lacrime mee panes die ac nocte.

“Lewed lorel!” quod Pieres “litel lokestow on þe bible,
On salomones sawes selden þow biholdest,

[Eice] derisores et iurgia cum eis, ne crescant, &c.”

Now hath þe pope powere pardoun to graunte þe peple
With-outen eny penaunce to passen in-to heuene;
Þis is owre bileue as lettered men vs techeth,

Quodcumque ligaueris super terram, erit ligatum et in celis, &c.

And so I leue lelly (lordes forbode ellis!)
Þat pardoun and penaunce and preyeres don saue
Soules þat haue synned seuene sithes dedly.
Ac to trust to þise triennales trewly me þinketh,
Is nouȝt so syker for þe soule certis, as is dowel.

PASSUS VIII. (INCIPIT DO-WEL.) Passus octauus de visione [Petri Plowman. Incipit Dowel, Dobet, & Dobest.]

“Dowel and dobet and dobest þe thridde,” quod he,
“Aren three faire vertues and beth nauȝte fer to fynde.
Who-so is trewe of his tonge and of his two handes,
And þorugh his laboure or þorugh his londe his lyflode wynneth,
And is trusti of his tailende taketh but his owne,
And is nouȝt dronkenlew ne dedeignous dowel hym folweth.
Dobet doth ryȝt þus ac he doth moche more;
He is as low as a lombe and loueliche of speche,
And helpeth alle men after þat hem nedeth;
Þe bagges and þe bigurdeles he hath to-broken hem alle,
Þat þe Erl auarous helde, and his heires;
And þus with Mammonaes [moneie] he hath made hym frendes,
And is ronne in-to Religioun and hath rendred þe bible,
And precheth to þe poeple seynt Poules wordes,

Libenter suffertis insipientes, cum sitis ipsi sapientes,

‘And suffreth þe vnwise with ȝow for to libbe,
And with gladde wille doth hem gode for so god ȝow hoteth.’

PASSUS IX. (DO-WEL I.) Passus nonus [de visione; et primus de dowel.]

“Kynde,” quod witte, “is a creatour of alle kynnes þinges;
Fader and fourmour of al þat euere was maked;
And þat is þe gret god þat gynnynge had neuere,
Lorde of lyf and of lyȝte of lysse and of peyne.
Angeles and al þing aren at his wille.
Ac man is hym moste lyke of marke and of schafte;
For þorugh þe worde þat he spake wexen forth bestes,

Dixit, & facta sunt;

Moche wo worth þat man þat mys-reuleth his Inwitte,
And þat be glotouns globbares her god is her wombe;

Quorum deus venter est.

For þei seruen sathan her soule shal he haue;
Þat liueth synful lyf here her soule is liche þe deuel.
And alle þat lyuen good lyf aren like god almiȝti,

Qui manet in caritate, in deo manet, &c.

Allas! þat drynke shal for-do þat god dere bouȝte,
And doth god forsaken hem þat he shope to his liknesse;

Amen dico vobis, nescio vos: & alibi: et dimisi eos secundum desideria eorum.

Bisschopes shul be blamed for beggeres sake;
He is worse þan Iudas þat ȝiueth a iaper siluer,
And biddeth þe begger go for his broke clothes:

Proditor est prelatus cum Iuda, qui patrimonium christi minus distribuit: & alibi: Perniciosus dispensator est, qui res pauperum Christi inutiliter consumit.

He doth nouȝt wel þat doth þus ne drat nouȝt god almiȝty,
Ne loueth nouȝt salamones sawes þat sapience tauȝte;

Inicium sapiencie, timor domini:

Þat dredeth god, he doth wel; þat dredeth hym for loue,
And nouȝt for drede of veniaunce doth þer-fore þe bettere;
He doth best, þat with-draweth hym by day and bi nyȝte
To spille any speche or any space of tyme;

Qui offendit in [vno], in omnibus est reus.

To alle trew tidy men þat trauaille desyren,
Owre lorde loueth hem and lent loude other stille,
Grace to go to hem and agon her lyflode;

Inquirentes autem dominum non minuentur omni bono.

Ac fals folke faithlees theues and lieres,
Wastoures and wrecches out of wedloke, I trowe,
Conceyued ben in yuel tyme as caym was on Eue.
Of such synful shrewes þe sauter maketh mynde,

Concepit in dolore, et peperit iniquitatem, &c.:

And alle þat come of þat caym come to yuel ende.
For god sent to seem and seyde bi an angel,
Þyne issue in þyne issue I wil þat þei be wedded,
And nouȝt þi kynde with caymes ycoupled ne yspoused.
Ȝet some, aȝein þe sonde of owre saueoure of heuene,
Caymes kynde & his kynde coupled togideres,
Tyl god wratthed for her werkis and suche a worde seyde,
‘Þat I maked man now it me athynketh,

Penitet me fecisse hominem.’

Bestes þat now ben shulle banne þe tyme,
Þat euere þat cursed caym come on þis erthe;
Alle shal deye for his dedes bi dales and bi hulles,
And þe foules þat fleeghen for[th] with other bestes,
Excepte oneliche of eche kynde a couple,
Þat in þi shyngled shippe shul ben ysaued.’
Here abouȝt[e] þe barne þe belsyres gultes,
And alle for her forfadres þei ferden þe worse.
Þe gospel is here-ageine in o degre, I fynde,

Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris, & pater non portabit iniquitatem filii, &c.

Impe on an ellerne and if þine apple be swete,
Mochel merueile me þynketh & more of a schrewe,
Þat bryngeth forth any barne but if he be þe same,
And haue a sauoure after þe sire selde seestow other;

Numquam [colligimus] de spinis vuas, nec de tributis fycus.

And þus þourw cursed caym cam care vppon erthe;
And al for þei wrouȝt wedlokes aȝein goddis wille.
For-þi haue þei maugre for here mariages þat marye so her childeren;
For some, as I se now soth for to telle,
For coueitise of catel vnkyndeliche ben wedded.
As careful concepcioun cometh of suche mariages,
As bifel of þe folke þat I bifore of tolde.
Whan ȝe haue wyued, bewar and worcheth in tyme;
Nouȝt as Adam & Eue whan caym was engendred.
For in vntyme, trewli bitwene man & womman,
Ne shulde no bourde on bedde be; but if þei bothe were clene
Bothe of lyf and of soule and in parfyte charitee,
Þat ilke derne dede do noman ne sholde.
And if þei leden þus her lyf it [likeþ] god almiȝti;
For he made wedloke firste and him-self it seide;

Bonum est vt vnusquisque vxorem suam habeat, propter fornicacionem.

PASSUS X. (DO-WEL II.) Passus decimus de visione, & secundus [de] dowel.

Iob þe gentel in his gestes witnesseth,
Þat wikked men, þei welden þe welthe of þis worlde,
And þat þei ben lordes of eche a londe þat oute of lawe libbeth;

Quare impij viuunt? bene est omnibus, qui preuaricantur & inique agunt?

Þe sauter seyth þe same bi suche þat don ille,

Ecce ipsi peccatores habundantes; in seculo optinuerunt diuicias.

‘Lo!’ seith holy letterrure ‘whiche lordes beth þis shrewes!’
Þilke þat god moste gyueth leste good þei deleth,
And moste vnkynde to þe comune þat moste catel weldeth;

Que perfecisti, destruxerunt; iustus autem [quid fecit?]

Harlotes for her harlotrye may haue of her godis,
And iaperes and iogeloures and iangelers of gestes.
Ac þe careful may crye and carpen atte ȝate,
Bothe afyngred and a-thurst and for chele quake;
Is none to nymen hym nere his noye to amende,
But [hoen] on hym as an hounde and hoten hym go þennes.
Litel loueth he þat lorde þat lent hym al þat blisse,
Þat þus parteth with þe pore a parcel whan hym nedeth.
Ne were mercy in mene men more þan in riche,
Mendinantȝ meteles miȝte go to bedde.
God is moche in þe gorge of þise grete maystres,
Ac amonges mene men his mercy and his werkis;
And so seith þe sauter I haue yseye it ofte,

Ecce audiuimus eam in effrata, inuenimus eam in campis silue.

Clerkes and other kynnes men carpen of god faste,
And haue [hym] moche in þe mouthe ac mene men in herte.
Freres and faitoures han founde suche questiouns
To plese with proude men sithen þe pestilence tyme,
And prechen at seint poules for pure enuye of clerkis,
Þat folke is nouȝte fermed in þe feith ne fre of her goodes,
Ne sori for her synnes so is pryde waxen
In religioun and in alle þe rewme amonges riche & pore,
Þat preyeres haue no power þe pestilence to lette.
And ȝette þe wrecches of þis worlde is none ywar bi other,
Ne for drede of þe deth withdrawe nouȝt her pryde,
Ne beth plentyuous to þe pore as pure charite wolde,
But in gaynesse and in glotonye for-glotten her goode hem-selue,
And breken nouȝte to þe beggar as þe boke techeth,

Frange esurienti panem tuum, &c.

And þe more he wynneth and welt welthes & ricchesse,
And lordeth in londes þe lasse good he deleth.
Thobye telleth ȝow nouȝt so take hede, ȝe riche,
How þe boke bible of hym bereth witnesse:

Si tibi sit copia, habundanter tribue; si autem exiguum, illud impertiri stude libenter:—

Who-so hath moche, spene manliche so meneth Thobie,
And who-so litel weldeth reule him þer-after;
For we haue no lettre of owre lyf how longe it shal dure.
Suche lessounes lordes shulde louie to here,
And how he myȝte moste meyne manliche fynde.
Here lyeth ȝowre lore’ þise lordes gynneth dispute,
‘Of þat ȝe clerkes vs kenneth of cryst by þe gospel;

Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris, &c.

Whi shulde we þat now ben for þe werkes of Adam
Roten and to-rende? resoun wolde it neuere;

Vnusquisque portabit onus suum, &c.’

Suche motyues þei moeue þis maistres in her glorie,
And maken men in mysbileue þat muse moche on her wordes;
Augustyne to suche argueres he telleth hem þis teme,

Non plus sapere quam oportet.

Wilneth neuere to wite whi þat god wolde
Suffre Sathan his sede to bigyle,
Ac bileue lelly in þe lore of holicherche,
And preye hym of pardoun and penaunce in þi lyue,
And for his moche mercye to amende ȝow here.
For alle þat wilneth to wyte þe weyes of god almiȝty,
I wolde his eye were in his ers and his fynger after,
Þat euere wilneth to wite whi þat god wolde
Suffre sathan his sede to bigile,
Or iudas to þe iuwes ihesu bytraye.
Al was as þow wolde lorde, yworschiped be þow,
And al worth as þow wolte what so we dispute!
In other science it seyth I [seigh] it in catoun,
Qui simulat verbis, [nec] corde est fidus amicus,
Tu quoque fac simile, sic ars deluditur arte.
Who-so gloseth as gylours don go me to þe same,
And so shaltow false folke and faythlees bigyle,
Þis is catounes kennyng to clerkes þat he lereth.
Ac theologye techeth nouȝt so who-so taketh ȝeme,
He kenneth vs þe contrarye aȝein catones wordes;
For he bit vs be as bretheren and bidde for owre enemys,
And louen hem þat lyen on vs and lene hem whan hem nedeth,
And do good aȝeines yuel god hym-self it hoteth,

Dum tempus habemus, operemur bonum ad omnes, maxime autem ad domesticos fidei.

Poule preched þe peple þat parfitnesse loued,
To do good for goddes loue and gyuen men þat asked,
And nameliche to suche þat sueth owre bileue.
And alle þat lakketh vs or lyeth vs owre lorde techeth vs to louye,
And nouȝt to greuen hem þat greueth vs god hym-self for-badde it,

Michi vindictam, & ego retribuam.

For-þi loke þow louye as longe as þow durest,
For is no science vnder sonne so souereyne for þe soule.
“It is a comune lyf,” quod clergye “on holycherche to bileue,
With alle þe artikles of þe feithe þat falleth to be knowe.
And þat is to bileue lelly bothe lered and lewed,
On þe grete god þat gynnyng had neuere,
And on þe sothfaste sone þat saued mankynde
Fro þe dedly deth and þe deueles power,
Þorwgh þe helpe of þe holy goste þe whiche goste is of bothe;
Three [propre] persones ac nouȝt in plurel noumbre,
For al is but on god and eche is god hym-selue;

Deus pater, deus filius, deus spiritus sanctus;

God þe fader, god þe sone god holigoste of bothe,
Maker of mankynde and of bestes bothe.
Austyn þe olde here-of he made bokes,
And hym-self ordeyned to sadde vs in bileue.
Who was his autour? alle þe foure euangelistes;
And cryst clepid hym-self so þe ewangelistes bereth witnesse:—

Ego in patre & pater in me est; &, qui videt me, videt et patrem meum.

Alle þe clerkes vnder cryst ne couthe þis assoille,
But þus it bilongeth to bileue to lewed þat willen dowel.
For had neuere freke fyne wytte þe feyth to dispute,
Ne man had no merite myȝte it ben yproued:

Fides non habet meritum, vbi humana racio prebet experimentum.

Þanne is dobet to suffre for þi soules helth,
Al þat þe boke bit by holycherche techyng;
And þat is—‘man, bi þi miȝte for mercies sake,
Loke þow worche it in werke þat þi worde sheweth;
Suche as þow semest in syȝte be in assay y-founde;

Appare quod es, vel esto quod appares:

And lat no body be bi þi beryng bygyled,
But be suche in þi soule as þow semest with-oute.’
Þanne is dobest to be bolde to blame þe gylty,
Sithenes þow seest þi-self as in soule clene;
Ac blame þow neuere body and þow be blame-worthy:
Si culpare velis culpabilis esse cauebis,
Dogma tuum sordet cum te tua culpa remordet.
God in þe gospel grymly repreueth
Alle þat lakken any lyf and lakkes han hem-selue:

Quid consideras festucam in oculo fratris tui, trabem in oculo tuo [non vides?]

Why meuestow þi mode for a mote in þi brotheres eye,
Sithen a beem in þine owne ablyndeth þi-selue?

Eice primo trabem de oculo tuo, &c.,

Whiche letteth þe to loke lasse other more.
Ac it semeth now sothly to þe worldes syght,
Þat goddes worde worcheth nauȝte on lered ne on lewede,
But in suche a manere as Marke meneth in þe gospel,

Dum cecus ducit cecum, ambo in foueam cadunt.

For-þi, ȝe corectoures, claweth her-on and corecteth fyrst ȝow-seluen,
And þanne mowe ȝe saufly seye as dauid made þe sauter:

Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis: arguam te, & statuam contra faciem tuam.

And þanne shal borel clerkes ben abasched to blame ȝow or to greue,
And carpen nouȝte as þei carpen now and calle ȝow doumbe houndes,

Canes non valentes latrare,

And drede to wratthe ȝow in any worde ȝowre werkemanship to lette,
And be prestiore at ȝowre prayere þan for a pounde of nobles;
And al for ȝowre holynesse haue ȝe þis in herte.
Ac þere shal come a kyng and confesse ȝow religiouses,
And bete ȝow as þe bible telleth for brekynge of ȝowre reule,
And amende monyales monkes and chanouns,
And putten hem to her penaunce ad pristinum statum ire,
And Barounes with Erles beten hem þorugh beatus virres techynge,
Þat here barnes claymen and blame ȝow foule:

Hij in curribus, [et] hij in equis; ipsi obligati sunt, &c.

That þis worth soth, seke ȝe! þat oft ouer-se þe bible:

Quomodo cessauit exactor, quieuit tributum; contriuit dominus baculum impiorum, et virgam dominancium cedencium plaga insanabili, &c.

Poule preueth it inpossible riche men [to] haue heuene,
Salamon seith also þat syluer is worst to louye:

Nichil iniquius quam amare peccuniam.

And caton kenneth vs to coueiten it nauȝt but as nede techeth,
Dilige denarium, set parce dilige formam.
And patriarkes and prophetes and poetes bothe
Wryten to wissen vs to wilne no ricchesse,
And preyseden pouerte with pacience; þe apostles bereth witnesse,
Þat þei han heritage in heuene and bi trewe riȝte,
Þere riche men no riȝte may clayme but of reuthe and grace.”
Ac crysten men with-oute more may nouȝt come to heuene,
For þat cryst for cristen men deyde and confermed þe lawe,
Þat who-so wolde and wylneth with cryste to aryse,

Si cum Christo surrexistis, &c.,

He shulde louye & leue and þe lawe fulfille.
Þat is—‘loue þi lorde god leuest aboue alle,
And after, alle crystene creatures in comune, eche man other,’
And þus bilongeth to louye þat leueth to be saued.
And but we do þus in dede ar þe daye of dome,
I[t] shal bisitten vs ful soure þe siluer þat we kepen,
And owre bakkes

[_]

i. panni.

þat moth-eten be and sen beggers go naked,
Or delyte in wyn and wylde foule and wote any in defaute.
For euery cristene creature shulde be kynde til other,
And sithen hethen to helpe in hope of amendement.
God hoteth bothe heigh and lowe þat no man hurte other,
And seith, ‘slee nouȝt þat semblable is to myne owen liknesse,
But if I sende þe sum tokne’; and seith, non mecaberis,
Is, slee nouȝt, but suffre and al for þe beste.

[For, Michi vindictam, & ego retribuam.]

‘For I shal punysshen hem in purgatorie or in þe putte of helle,
Vche man for his mysdedes but mercy it lette.’”
“Þis is a longe lessoun,” quod I “and litel am I þe wyser;
Where dowel is, or dobet derkelich ȝe shewen;
Many tales ȝe tellen þat theologye lerneth;
And þat I man made was and my name yentred
In þe legende of lyf longe er I were,
Or elles vnwriten for somme wikkednesse as holywrit wytnesseth,

Nemo ascendit ad celum, nisi qui de celo de[s]cendit.

Ac of fele witty in feith litel ferly I haue,
Þough her goste be vngraciouse god for to plese.
For many men on þis molde more sette here hertis
In good þan in god for-þi hem grace failleth,
At here moste myschief whan þei shal lyf lete.
As Salamon dede, and such other þat shewed gret wittes,
Ac her werkes, as holy wrytte seyth was euere þe contrarye.
For-þi wyse witted men and wel ylettred clerkes,
As þei seyen hem-self selden done þer-after,

Super cathedra[m] moysy, &c.

God leue it fare nouȝt so bi folke þat þe feith techen
Of holicherche, þat he[r]berwe is and goddes hous to saue,
And shelden vs fram shame þer-inne as noes shippe did bestes;
And men þat maden it amydde þe flode adreynten.
Þe culorum of þis clause curatoures is to mene,
Þat ben carpenteres holykirke to make for crystes owne bestes,

Homines & iumenta saluabis, domine, &c.

[At domes-day þe [diluuye] worth of deth and [fyr] at ones;
For-þi I conseil ȝow clerkes of holy cherche þe wriȝtes,
Wercheth ȝe werkes as ȝe seen I-write lest ȝe worth nauȝt þer-inne.]
And þo þat wisely wordeden and wryten many bokes
Of witte and of wisdome with dampned soules wonye.
Þat salamon seith, I trowe be soth and certeyne of vs alle,

[Sunt] iusti atque sapientes & opera eorum in manu dei sunt, &c.;

Clergye þo of crystes mouth commended was it litel,
For he seyde to seynt Peter and to suche as he loued,

Dum steteritis ante Reges et presides, &c.;

Þough ȝe come bifor kynges and clerkes of þe lawe,
Beth nouȝte abasched for I shal be in ȝoure mouthes,
And ȝyue ȝow witte at wille and kunnynge to conclude
Hem alle þat aȝeines ȝow of crystenedome disputen.
Þe doughtiest doctour and deuynoure of þe trinitee,
Was Augustyn þe olde and heighest of þe foure,
Sayde þus in a sarmoun I seigh it writen ones,

Ecce ipsi idioti rapiunt celum, vbi nos sapientes in inferno mergimur:

And is to mene to englisshe men more ne lasse,
Aren none rather yrauysshed fro þe riȝte byleue
Þan ar þis cunnynge clerkes þat conne many bokes;
I se ensamples my-self and so may many an other,
Þat seruauntes þat seruen lordes selden falle in arrerage,
But þo þat kepen þe lordes catel clerkes and reues.
Riȝt so lewed men & of litel knowynge,
Selden falle þei so foule and so fer in synne,
As clerkes of holikirke þat kepen crystes tresore,
Þe which is mannes soule to saue as god seith in þe gospel:

Ite vos in vineam meam.”

PASSUS XI. (DO-WEL III.) Passus xjus.

Thanne scripture scorned me and a skile tolde,
And lakked me in latyne and liȝte by me she sette,

And seyde, “multi multa sciunt, & seipsos nesciunt.”

Þo wepte I for wo and wratth of her speche,
And in a wynkyng wratth wex I aslepe.
A merueillouse meteles mette me þanne,
Þat I was rauisshed riȝt þere and fortune me fette,
And in-to þe londe of longynge allone she me brouȝte,
And in a myroure þat hiȝt mydlerd she mad me to biholde.
Sitthen she sayde to me “here myȝtow se wondres,
And knowe þat þow coueytest and come þer-to, par aunter.”
Coueytyse-of-eyes cam ofter in mynde
Þan dowel or dobet amonge my dedes alle.
Coueytise-of-eyes conforted me ofte,
And seyde, “haue no conscience how þow come to gode;
Go confesse [þe] to sum frere and shewe hym þi synnes.
For whiles fortune is þi frende Freres wil þe louye,
And fecche þe to her fraternite and for þe biseke,
To her priour prouyncial a pardoun forto haue,
And preyen for þe, pol bi pol ȝif þow be pecuniosus.”

Set pena pecuniaria non sufficit pro spiritualibus delictis.

By wissynge of þis wenche I wrouȝte here wordes were so swete,
Tyl I forȝat ȝouthe and ȝarn in-to elde.
And þanne was fortune my foo for al hir faire biheste,
And pouerte pursued me and put me lowe,
And þo fonde I þe Frere aferde and flyttynge bothe,
Aȝeines owre firste forward for I seyde I nolde
Be buryed at her hous but at my parisshe cherche.
For I herde onys how conscience it tolde,
Þat þere a man were crystened by kynde he shulde be buryed,
Or where he were parisshene riȝt þere he shulde be grauen.
And for I seyde þus to freres a fool þei me helden,
And loued me þe lasse for my lele speche.
Ac ȝet I cryed on my confessoure þat helde hym-self so kunnynge,
“By my feith, frere,” quod I “ȝe faren lyke þise woweres,
Þat wedde none wydwes but forto welde here godis;
Riȝte so, by þe Rode rouȝte ȝe neuere
Where my body were buryed bi so ȝe hadde my siluer.
Ich haue moche merueille of ȝow and so hath many an other,
Why ȝowre couent coueyteth to confesse and to burye,
Rather þan to baptise barnes þat ben catekumelynges.
Baptizyng and burying bothe ben ful nedeful,
Ac moche more merytorie me þynke[þ] it is to baptize.
For a baptized man may as maistres telleth,
Þorugh contricioun come to þe heigh heuene;

Sola contricio [delet peccatum.]

Ac a barne with-oute bapteme may nouȝt so be saued;

Nisi quis renatus fuerit [ex aqua, &c.;]

Loke, ȝe lettred men whether I lye or do nouȝte.”
And lewte loked on me and I loured after.
“Wherfore lourestow?” quod lewte and loked on me harde,
“Ȝif I durste,” quod I, “amonges men þis meteles auowe!”
“Ȝe, bi peter and bi poule,” quod he “and take hem bothe to witnesse,

Non oderis fratres secrete in corde tuo, set publice argue illos.”

“Þei wol alleggen also,” quod I “and by þe gospel preuen,

Nolite iudicare quemquam.”

“And wher-of serueth lawe,” quod lewte “if no lyf vndertoke it,
Falsenesse ne faytrye; for sumwhat þe apostle seyde,

Non oderis fratrem.

And in þe sauter also seithe dauid þe prophete,

Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis, &c.

It is licitum for lewed men to segge þe sothe,
If hem lyketh and leste eche a lawe it graunteth,
Excepte persones and prestes and prelates of holy cherche,
It falleth nouȝte for þat folke no tales to telle,
Þough þe tale were trewe and it touched synne.
Þinge þat al þe worlde wote wherfore shuldestow spare
[To] reden it in Retoryke to arate dedly synne?
Ac be neuere more þe fyrste þe defaute to blame;
Þouȝe þow se yuel, sey it nouȝte fyrste be sorye it nere amended.
No þinge þat is pryue publice þow it neuere,
Neyther for loue laude it nouȝt ne lakke it for enuye;

Parum lauda, vitupera parcius.”

Al for tene of her tyxte trembled myn herte,
And in a were gan I waxe and with my-self to dispute,
Whether I were chosen or nouȝt chosen; on holicherche I þouȝte,
Þat vnderfonge me atte fonte for one of goddis chosen;
For cryste cleped vs alle come if we wolde,
Sarasenes and scismatikes and so he dyd þe iewes,

O vos omnes scicientes, venite, &c.;

And badde hem souke for synne saufly at his breste,
And drynke bote for bale brouke it who so myȝte.
“Þanne may alle crystene come,” quod I “and cleyme þere entre,
By þe blode þat he bouȝte vs with and þorugh baptesme after,

Qui crediderit & baptizatus fuerit, &c.

For þough a crystene man coueyted his crystenedome to reneye,
Riȝtfulliche to renye no resoun it wolde.
“Þat is soth,” seyde scripture “may no synne lette
Mercy alle to amende and mekenesse hir folwe,
For þey beth as owre bokes telleth aboue goddes werkes,

Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius.”

[Þis matir is merke for mani of ȝow ac, men of holy cherche,
Þe legende sanctorum ȝow lereth more larger þan I ȝow telle!
Ac þus lele loue and lyuynge in treuthe
Pulte oute of pyne a paynym of rome.
I-blessed be treuthe þat so brak helle ȝates,
And saued þe Sarasyn fram Sathanas and his power,
Þere no clergie ne couthe ne kunnynge of lawes.
Loue and leute is a lele science;
For þat is þe boke blessed of blisse and of ioye:—
God wrouȝt it and wrot hit with his on fynger,
And toke it moyses vpon þe mount alle men to lere.]
‘Lawe with-outen loue,’ quod troianus ‘leye þere a bene,
Or any science vnder sonne þe seuene artz and alle,
But if þei ben lerned for owre lordes loue loste is alle þe tyme:’—
For no cause to cacche siluer þere-by ne to be called a mayster,
But al for loue of owre lorde and þe bet to loue þe peple.
For seynte Iohan seyde it and soth aren his wordes,

‘Qui non diligit, manet in morte—

And exciteth vs bi þe euangelye þat, when we maken festes,
We shulde nouȝte clepe owre kynne þer-to ne none kynnes riche;

‘Cum facitis conuiuia, nolite inuitare amicos;

Ac calleth þe careful þer-to þe croked and þe pore,
For ȝowre frendes wil feden ȝow and fonde ȝow to quite
Ȝowre festynge and ȝowre faire ȝifte; vche frende quyteth so other.
Ac for þe pore I shal paye and pure wel quyte her trauaille,
Þat ȝiueth hem mete or moneye and loueth hem for my sake.’
For þe best ben somme riche and somme beggers and pore.
For alle are we crystes creatures and of his coffres riche,
And bretheren as of o blode as wel beggares as erles.
For on caluarye of crystes blode crystenedome gan sprynge,
And blody bretheren we bycome þere of o body ywonne,
As quasi modo geniti and gentil men vche one,
No beggere ne boye amonges vs but if it synne made;

Qui facit peccatum, seruus est peccati, &c.

In þe olde lawe as holy lettre telleth,
Mennes sones men called vs vchone,
Of adames issue and Eue ay til god-man deyde;
And after his resurreccioun Redemptor was his name,
And we his bretheren, þourgh hym ybouȝt bothe riche and pore.
For-þi loue we as leue bretheren shal and vche man laughe vp other,
And of þat eche man may forbere amende þere it nedeth,
And euery man helpe other for hennes shal we alle;

Alter alterius onera portate.

And be we nouȝte vnkynde of owre catel ne of owre kunnynge neyther,
For noet no man how neighe it is to be ynome fro bothe.
For-þi lakke no lyf other þough he more latyne knowe,
Ne vnder-nym nouȝte foule for is none with-oute faute.
For what euere clerkis carpe of crystenedome or elles,
Cryst to a comune woman seyde in comune at a feste,
Þat fides sua shulde sauen hir and saluen hir of alle synnes.
Þanne is byleue a lele helpe aboue logyke or lawe;
Of logyke ne of lawe in legenda sanctorum
Is litel allowaunce made but if bileue hem helpe.
For it is ouerlonge ar logyke any lessoun assoille,
And lawe is loth to louye but if he lacche syluer.
Bothe logyke and lawe þat loueth nouȝte to lye,
I conseille alle crystene cleue nouȝte þer-on to sore.
For sum wordes I fynde ywryten were of faithes techynge,
Þat saued synful men as seynt Iohan bereth wytnesse;

Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis, remecietur vobis.

For-þi lerne we þe lawe of loue as owre lorde tauȝte,
And as seynte Gregory seide for mannes soule helthe,

Melius est scrutari scelera nostra, quam naturas rerum.

Martha on Marye magdeleyne an huge pleynte she made,
And to owre saueour self seyde þise wordes,

Domine, non est tibi cure quod soror mea reliquit me sola[m] ministrare, &c.?

And hastiliche god answered and eytheres wille folwed,
Bothe Marthaes and Maries as Mathew bereth witnesse,
Ac pouerte god put bifore and preysed it þe bettre;

Maria optimam partem elegit que non [auferetur ab ea.]

Al þough salamon seide as folke seeth in þe bible,

Diuicias nec paupertates, &c.,

Wyser þan salamon was bereth witnesse and tauȝte,
Þat parfyte pouert was no possessioun to haue,
And lyf moste lykynge to god as luke bereth witnesse,

Si vis perfectus esse, vade & vende, &c.;

And is to mene to men þat on þis molde lyuen,
Who so wil be pure parfyt mote possessioun forsake,
Or selle it, as seith þe boke and þe syluer dele
To beggeres þat gone and begge and bidden good for goddes loue.
For failled neuere man mete þat myȝtful god serued;

[Non vidi iustum derelictum, nec semen eius querens panem;]

As dauid seith in þe sauter to suche þat ben in wille
To serue god godeliche ne greueth hym no penaunce,

Nichil inpossibile volenti,

Ne lakketh neuere lyflode lynnen ne wollen,

Inquirentes autem dominum non minuentur omni bono.

If prestes weren parfyt þei wolde no syluer take
For masses ne for matynes nouȝte her mete of vsureres,
Ne neither kirtel ne cote þeigh þey for colde shulde deye,
And þei her deuo[i]r dede as dauid seith in þe sauter,

Iudica me, deus, & discerne causam meam.

Spera in deo speketh of prestes þat haue no spendyng syluer,
Þat ȝif þei trauaille trewlich and trusten in god almiȝti,
Hem shulde lakke no lyflode noyther wollen ne lynnen.
And þe title þat [ye] take ordres by telleth ȝe ben auaunced;
Þanne nedeth nouȝte ȝow to take syluer for masses þat ȝe syngen.
For he þat toke ȝow ȝowre tytle shulde take ȝow ȝowre wages,
Or þe bisshop þat blesseth ȝow if þat ȝe ben worthy.
So is it a goky, by god þat in his gospel failleth,
Or in masse or in matynes maketh any defaute,

Qui offendit in vno, in omnibus est reus, &c.

And also in þe sauter seyth dauyd to ouerskippers,

Psallite deo nostro, psallite; quoniam rex terre deus israel; psallite sapienter.

Þe bisshop shal be blamed bifor god, as I leue,
Þat crouneth suche goddes kniȝtes þat conneth nouȝt sapienter
Synge ne psalmes rede ne segge a messe of þe day.
Ac neuer neyther is blamelees þe bisshop ne þe chapleyne,
For her eyther is endited and þat of ‘ignorancia
Non excusat episcopos nec idiotes prestes.’
[Holy writt,” quod þat weye “wisseth men to suffre;

Propter deum subiecti estote omni creature.

Frenche men and fre men affeyteth þus her childerne,
Bele vertue est soffrance mal dire est pety[t] veniance,
Bien dire et bien soffrir fait lui soffrant a bien venir.
For-þi I rede,” quod reson “rewle þi tonge bettere,
And ar þow lakke [eny] lyf loke if þow be to preyse!
For is no creature vnder criste can formen hym-seluen;
And if a man miȝte make hym-self goed to þe poeple,
Vch a lif wold be lakles leue þow non other.
Ne þow schalt fynde but fewe fayne for to here
Of here defautes foule by-for hem rehersed.]
Þe wyse and þe witty wrote þus in þe bible,

De re que te non molestat, [noli] certare.

For be a man faire or foule it falleth nouȝte for to lakke
Þe shappe ne þe shafte þat god shope hym-selue;
For al þat he did was wel ydo as holywrit witnesseth,

Et vidit deus cun[c]ta que fecerat, et erant valde bona;

“Haddestow suffred,” he seyde “slepyng þo þow were,
Þow sholdest haue knowen þat clergye can and conceiued more þorugh resoun;
For resoun wolde haue reherced þe riȝte as clergye saide.
Ac for þine entermetyng here artow forsake;

Philosophus esses, si tacuisses.

PASSUS XII (DO-WEL IV). Passus duodecimus.

“I am ymagynatyf,” quod he “Idel was I neuere,
Þouȝe I sitte bi my-self in sikenesse ne in helthe.
I haue folwed þe in feithe þis fyue and fourty wyntre,
And many tymes haue moeued þe to þinke on þine ende,
And how fele fernȝeres are faren and so fewe to come,
And of þi wylde wantounesse þo þow ȝonge were,
To amende it in þi myddel age lest miȝte þe faylled
In þyne olde elde þat yuel can suffre
Pouerte or penaunce or preyeres bidde;

Si non in prima vigilia, nec in secunda, &c.

Amende þe while þow myȝte þow hast ben warned ofte
With poustees of pestilences with pouerte and with angres;
And with þise bitter baleyses god beteth his dere childeren,

Quem diligo, castigo.

And dauid in þe sauter seith of suche þat loueth Ihesus,

‘Virga tua & baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt, &c.

Al-þough þow stryke me with þi staffe with stikke or with ȝerde,
It is but murth as for me to amende my soule.’
And þow medlest þe with makynges and myȝtest go sey þi sauter,
And bidde for hem þat ȝiueth þe bred; for þere ar bokes ynowe
To telle men what dowel is dobet, and dobest bothe,
And prechoures to preue what it is of many a peyre freres.”
“Poule in his pistle,” quod he “preueth what is dowel;

Fides, spes, caritas; & maior horum, &c.

Feith, hope, and charitee and alle ben good,
And sauen men sundry tymes ac none so sone as charite.
For he doth wel with-oute doute þat doth as lewte techeth;
Þat is, if þow be man maried þi make þow louye,
And lyue forth as lawe wole while ȝe lyuen bothe.
And riche renkes riȝt so gaderen and sparen,
And þo men þat þei moste haten mynistren it atte laste;
And, for þei suffren & se so many nedy folkes,
And loue hem nouȝt as owre lorde byt lesen her soules;

Date & dabitur vobis, &c.

[So catel and kende wit acombreth ful many;
Wo is hym þat hem weldeth but if he hem [wel] despende;

Scientes et non facientes varijs flagellis vapulabunt;

Sapience, seith þe boke swelleth a mannes soule,

Sapiencia inflat, &c.;]

And ricchesse riȝt so but if þe Rote be trewe;
Ac grace is a grasse þer-of þo greuaunces to abate.
Ac grace ne groweth nouȝte but amonges lowe;
Pacience and pouerte þe place is þere it groweth,
And in lele lyuynge men and in lyf holy,
And þorugh þe gyfte of þe holygoste as þe gospel telleth,

Spiritus vbi vult spirat, &c.

Clergye and kynde witte comth of siȝte and techynge,
As þe boke bereth witnesse to buirnes þat can rede,

Quod scimus, loquimur; quod vidimus, testamur.

Of quod scimus cometh clergye and connynge of heuene,
And of quod vidimus cometh kynde witte of siȝte of dyue[r]se peple.
Ac grace is a gyfte of god and of gret loue spryngeth;
Knewe neuere clerke how it cometh forth ne kynde witte þe weyes,

Nescit aliquis vnde venit, aut quo vadit, &c.

Ac ȝit is clergye to comende and kynde witte bothe,
And namely clergye, for crystes loue þat of clergye is rote.
For Moyses witnesseth þat god wrote for to wisse þe peple,
In þe olde lawe, as þe lettre telleth þat was þe lawe of iewes,
Þat what woman were in auoutrie taken were she riche or pore,
With stones men shulde hir stryke and stone hir to deth.
A womman, as we fynden was gulty of þat dede,
Ac cryste of his curteisye þorw clergye hir saued;
For þorw carectus þat cryst wrot þe iewes knewe hemseluen
Gultier as afor god and gretter in synne
Þan þe woman þat þere was and wenten awey for schame.
Þe clergye þat þere was conforted þe womman.
Holykirke knoweth þis þat crystes writyng saued;
So clergye is conforte to creatures þat repenten,
And to mansed men myschief at her ende
For goddes body myȝte nouȝte be of bred, with-outen clergye,
Þe which body is bothe bote to þe riȝtful,
And deth and dampnacioun to hem þat dyeth yuel.
As crystes carecte conforted and bothe coupable shewed
Þe womman þat þe iewes brouȝte þat Ihesus þouȝte to saue;

Nolite iudicare, et non iudicabimini, &c.

Riȝt so goddes body, bretheren but it be worthily taken,
Dampneth vs atte daye of dome as þe carectes dede þe iewes.
For-þi I conseille þe for cristes sake clergye þat þow louye,
For kynde witte is of his kyn and neighe cosynes bothe
To owre lorde, leue me; for-þi loue hem, I rede;
For bothe ben as miroures to amenden owre defautes,
And lederes for lewed men and for lettred bothe.
[Saul, for he sacrifised sorwe hym be-tydde,
And his sones al-so for þat synne myscheued,
And many mo other men þat were on leuites,
Þat with archa dei ȝeden in reuerence and in worchippe,
And leyden honde þer-on to liften it vp and loren hir lif after.
For-þi I conseil alle creatures no clergie to dispise,
Ne sette schort be here science what so þei don hemselue.
Take we her wordes at worthe for here witnesse be trewe,
And medle we nauȝt muche with hem to meuen any wrathe,
Lest cheste chafen vs to choppe vche man other;

Nolite tangere christos meos, &c.]

Patriarkes and prophetes repreued her science,
And seiden, her wordes ne her wisdomes [was] but a folye;
As to þe clergye of cryst counted it but a trufle;

Sapiencia huius mundi, stulticia [est] apud deum.

For þe heihe holigoste heuene shal to-cleue,
And loue shal lepe out after in-to þis lowe erthe,
And clennesse shal cacchen it and clerkes shullen it fynde;

Pastores loquebantur ad inuicem.

He speketh þere of riche men riȝt nouȝt ne of riȝt witty,
Ne of lordes þat were lewed men but of þe hexte lettred oute,

Ibant magi ab oriente, &c.

If any frere were founde þere Ich ȝif þe fyue shillynges;
Ne in none beggares cote was þat barne borne,
But in a burgeys place of bethlem þe best;

Set non erat locus [eis] in diuersorio; & pauper non habet diuersorium.

“Riȝt so,” quod þe Renke “resoun it sheweth,
Þat he þat knoweth clergye can sonner aryse
Out of synne and be sauf þough he synne ofte,
If hym lyketh and lest þan any lewed lelly.
For if þe clerke be konnynge he knoweth what is synne,
And how contricioun with-oute confessioun conforteth þe soule,
As þow seest in þe sauter in psalme one or tweyne,
How contricioun is commended for it caccheth awey synne;

Beati quorum remisse sunt iniquitates, & quorum tecta sunt [peccata,] &c.

And þis conforteth vch a clerke and keuereth hym fram wanhope,
In which flode þe fende fondeth a man hardest;
Þere þe lewed lith stille and loketh after lente,
And hath no contricioun ar he come to shryfte & þanne can he litel telle,
And as his lores-man leres hym bileueth & troweth;
And þat is after person or parisch prest and, parauenture, [bothe]
Vnconnynge to lere lewed men as luk bereth witnesse,

Dum cecus ducit cecum, [ambo in foueam cadunt.]

Wo was hym marked þat wade mote with þe lewed!
Wel may þe barne blisse þat hym to boke sette;
Þat lyuynge after letterure saued hym lyf and soule!
Dominus pars hereditatis mee is a meri verset,
Þat has take fro tybourne twenti stronge þeues;
Þere lewed theues ben lolled vp loke how þei be saued!
Þe thef þat had grace of god on gode fryday as þow speke,
Was, for he ȝelte hym creaunt to cryst on þe crosse & knewleched hym gulty,
And grace axed of god [þat to graunten it is] redy
[To hem] þat boxomeliche biddeth it and ben in wille to amenden hem.
Ac þough þat þef had heuene he hadde none heigh blisse,
As seynt Iohan and other seyntes þat asserued hadde bettere.
Riȝt as sum man ȝeue me mete and sette me amydde þe flore,
Ich haue mete more þan ynough ac nouȝt so moche worship
As þo þat seten atte syde table or with þe souereignes of þe halle,
But sitte as a begger bordelees bi my-self on þe grounde.
So it fareth bi þat feloun þat a gode fryday was saued;
He sit neither with seynt Iohan Symonde, ne Iude,
Ne wyth maydenes ne with martires confessoures ne wydwes,
But by hym-self as a soleyne and serued on þe erthe.
For he þat is ones a thef is euermore in daungere,
And as lawe lyketh to lyue or to deye;

De peccato propiciato, noli esse sine metu.

And forto seruen a seynt and such a thef togyderes,
It were noyther resoun ne riȝt to rewarde hem bothe aliche.
And riȝt as troianus þe trewe knyȝt tilde nouȝt depe in helle,
Þat owre lorde ne had hym liȝtlich oute so leue I þe thef be in heuene.
For he is in þe lowest of heuene if owre bileue be trewe,
And wel loselyche he lolleth þere by þe lawe of holycherche,

Quia reddit vnicuique iuxta opera sua, &c.

And why þat one thef on þe crosse creaunt hym ȝelt
Rather þan þat other thef þough þow wolde appose,
Alle þe clerkes vnder cryst ne couthe þe skil assoille;

Quare placuit, quia voluit.

And so I sey by þe þat sekest after þe whyes,
And aresonedest resoun a rebukyng as it were,
And of þe floures in þe fryth and of her feire hewes,
Where-of þei cacche her coloures so clere and so briȝte,
And willest of briddes and of bestes and of hire bredyng to knowe,
Why somme be alowe and somme alofte þi lykyng it were,
And of þe stones and of þe sterres þow studyest, as I leue,
How euere beste or brydde hath so breme wittes:
“Contra,” quod ymagynatyf þo and comsed for to loure,

And seyde, “saluabitur vix iustus in die iudicij.

Ergo saluabitur,” quod he and seyde namore latyne.
“Troianus was a trewe knyȝte and toke neuere cristendome,
And he is sauf, so seith þe boke and his soule in heuene.
For þere is fullyng of fonte and fullyng in blode shedynge,
And þorugh fuire is fullyng and þat is ferme bileue;

Aduenit ignis diuinus, non comburens, sed illuminans, &c.

Ac trewth þat trespassed neuere ne transuersed aȝeines his lawe,
But lyueth as his lawe techeth and leueth þere be no bettere,
And if þere were, he wolde amende and in suche wille deyeth,
Ne wolde neuere trewe god but treuth were allowed;
And where it worth or worth nouȝt þe bileue is grete of treuth,
And an hope hangyng þer-inne to haue a Mede for his treuthe.

For, Deus dicitur quasi dans vitam eternam suis, hoc est, fidelibus; et alibi: si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis, [&c.]

Þe glose graunteth vpon þat vers a gret mede to treuthe,
And witt and wisdome,” quod þat wye “was somme tyme tresore,
To kepe with a comune no katel was holde bettere,
And moche murth and manhod:”—and riȝt with þat he vanesched.

PASSUS XIII (DO-WEL V). Passus terciodecimus.

Conscience called after mete and þanne cam scripture,
And serued hem þus sone of sondry metes manye,
Of austyn, of ambrose of alle þe foure euangelistes;

Edentes & bibentes que apud eos sunt.

Ac þis maister ne his man no manere flesshe eten,
Ac þei ete mete of more coste mortrewes and potages;
Of þat men mys-wonne þei made hem wel at ese.
Ac her sauce was ouer soure & vnsauourely grounde,
In a morter, post-mortem of many bitter peyne,
But if þei synge for þo soules and wepe salt teres:

Vos qui peccata hominum comeditis, nisi pro eis lacrimas & orationes effunderitis, ea que in delicijs comeditis, in tormentis euometis.

Conscience ful curteisly þo comaunded scripture
Bifor pacience bred to brynge and me þat was his macche.
He sette a soure lof to-for vs and seyde, “agite penitenciam,”
And sith he drough vs drynke [diu]-perseuerans.
“As longe,” quod I, “as I lyue and lycame may dure!”
“Here is propre seruice,” quod pacience “þer fareth no prynce bettere;”
And þanne had pacience a pitaunce pro-hac-orabitad-te-omnis-sanctus-in-tempore-oportuno;
And conscience conforted vs and carped vs mery tales,

Cor contritum & humiliatum, deus, non despicies.

Pacience was proude of þat propre seruice,
And made hym muirth with his mete ac I morned euere,
For þis doctoure on þe heigh dese dranke wyn so faste;

Ve vobis qui potentes estis ad bibendum vinum!

He eet many sondry metes mortrewes and puddynges,
Wombe-cloutes and wylde braune & egges yfrved with grece.
Þanne seide I to my-self so pacience it herde,
“It is nouȝt foure dayes þat þis freke bifor þe den of poules,
Preched of penaunces þat poule þe apostle suffred,
In fame & frigore and flappes of scourges;

Ter cesus sum, & a iudeis quinquies quadragenas, &c.

Ac o worde þei ouerhuppen at ech a tyme þat þei preche,
Þat poule in his pistel to al þe peple tolde;

Periculum est in falsis fratribus.

Holywrit bit men be war I wil nouȝt write it here
On englisch, an auenture it sholde be reherced to ofte,
And greue þere-with þat good men ben ac gramarienes shul rede;

Vnusquisque a fratre se custodiat, quia, vt dicitur, periculum est in falsis fratribus.

“Dowel,” quod þis doctour “do as clerkes techeth,
And dobet is he þat techeth and trauailleth to teche other,
And dobest doth hym-self so as he seith & precheth:—

Qui facit et docuerit, magnus vocabitur in regno celorum.”

“I can nouȝt her-on,” quod conscience “ac I knowe wel pieres;
He wil nouȝt aȝein holy writ speken I dar wel vndertake;
Þanne passe we ouer til piers come and preue þis in dede.
Pacience hath be in many place and perauntre cnoweth
Þat no clerke ne can as cryst bereth witnesse;

Pacientes vincunt, &c.”

“At ȝowre preyere,” quod pacyence þo “so no man displese hym;
Disce,” quod he, “doce dilige inimicos.
Disce, and dowel doce, & dobet;
Dilige, and dobest þus tauȝte me ones
A lemman þat I loued loue was hir name.
‘With wordes and with werkes,’ quod she ‘and wille of þyne herte,
Þow loue lelly þi soule al þi lyf tyme;
And so þow lere þe to louye for þe lordes loue of heuene,
Þine enemye in al wyse euene forth with þi-selue.
Cast coles on his hed and al kynde speche,
Bothe with werkes and with wordes fonde his loue to wynne;
And lay on hym þus with loue til he la[u]ghe on þe;
And but he bowe for þis betyng blynde mote he worthe!
“Vndo it, late þis doctour deme if dowel be þer-inne;
For, bi hym þat me made miȝte neuere pouerte,
Miseise, ne myschief ne man with his tonge,
Colde, ne care ne compaignye of theues,
Ne noither hete, ne haille ne non helle pouke,
Ne noither fuire ne flode ne fere of þine enemy
Tene þe eny tyme and þow take it with þe;

Caritas nichil timet.

[And eek, haue god my soule! and þow wilt it craue,
Þere nys neyther emperour ne emperesse erl, kynge, ne baroun,
Pope, ne patriarch þat puyre reson ne schal make
Þe meyster of alle þo men þoruȝ miȝt of þis redeles;
Nouȝt thoruȝ wicche-crafte, but thoruȝ wit (& þow wilt þi-selue)
Do kynge and quene and alle þe comune after
Ȝyue þe alle þat þei may ȝiue as [for þe] best ȝemere,
And, as þou demest, wil þei do alle here dayes after;

Pacientes vincunt, &c.”]

Beggeres and bidderes of my bred crauen,
Faitoures and freres and folke with brode crounes.
I fynde payne for þe pope and prouendre for his palfrey,
And I hadde neuere of hym haue god my treuthe,
Noither prouendre ne parsonage ȝut of þe popis ȝifte,
Saue a pardoun with a peys of led and two pollis amydde!
Hadde iche a clerke þat couthe write I wolde caste hym a bille,
Þat he sent me vnder his seel a salue for þe pestilence,
And þat his blessyng & his bulles bocches miȝte destroye:

In nomine meo demonia [eicient], & super egros manus imponent, & bene habebunt.

And þanne wolde I be prest to [þe] peple paste for to make,
And buxome and busy aboute bred and drynke
For hym and for alle his fonde I þat his pardoun
Miȝte lechen a man as I bileue it shulde.
For sith he hath þe powere þat peter hym-self hadde,
He hath þe potte with þe salue sothly, as me þinketh:

Argentum & aurum non est mihi; quod autem habeo, [hoc] tibi do; in nomine domini, surge & ambula.

Baldest of beggeres a bostour þat nouȝt hath,
In towne and in tauernes tales to telle,
And segge þinge þat he neuere seigh and for soth sweren it;
Of dedes þat he neuere dyd demen and bosten,
And of werkes þat he wel dyd witnesse and seggen—
“Lo! if ȝe leue me nouȝt or þat I lye wenen,
Axeth at hym or at hym and he ȝow can telle,
What I suffred and seighe and some tymes hadde,
And what I couth and knewe and what kynne I come of.”
Al he wolde þat men wiste of werkes and of wordes,
Which myȝte plese þe peple and praysen hym-seluen:

Si hominibus placerem, Christi seruus non essem; Et alibi: nemo potest duobus dominis seruire.

And he torned hym as tyte and þanne toke I hede,
It was fouler by felefolde þan it firste semed.
It was bidropped with wratthe and wikked wille,
With enuye and yuel speche entysyng to fyȝte,
Lyinge and laughynge and leue tonge to chyde;
Al þat he wist wykked by any wiȝte, tellen it,
And blame men bihynde her bakke and bydden hem meschaunce;
And þat he wist bi wille tellen it watte,
And þat watte wiste wille wiste it after,
And made of frendes foes þorugh a false tonge,
“Or with myȝte of mouthe or þorugh mannes strengthe
Auenge me fele tymes other frete my-selue
Wyth-inne, as a shepster shere;”— I-shrewed men & cursed!

Cuius malediccione os plenum est, & amaritudine; sub lingua eius labor & dolor: & alibi: filij hominum, dentes eorum arma & sagitte, & lingua eorum gladius acutus:—

In halydayes at holicherche whan ich herde masse,
Hadde [I] neuere wille, wot god witterly to biseche
Mercye for my mysdedes þat I ne morned more
For losse of gode, leue me þan for my lykames giltes
As if I had dedly synne done; I dred nouȝt þat so sore,
As when I lened and leued it lost or longe ar it were payed.
So if I kydde any kyndenesse myn euen-cristene to helpe,
Vpon a cruel coueityse myn herte gan hange.
And if I sent ouer see my seruauntz to Bruges,
Or in-to Pruslonde my prentys my profit to wayten,
To marchaunden with monoye and maken her eschaunges,
Miȝte neuere me conforte in þe mene tyme,
Noither messe ne matynes ne none manere siȝtes,
Ne neuere penaunce perfourned ne pater-noster seyde,
Þat my mynde ne was more on my gode, in a doute,
Þan in þe grace of god and his grete helpes:

Vbi thesaurus tuus, ibi & cor tuum.”

[Ȝet [þe] glotoun with grete othes his [garnement] hadde soyled,
And foule be-flobered it as with fals speche;
Þere no nede ne was [tok] godes name an Idel,
Swore þere-by swithe ofte and al by-swatte his cote.
And more mete ete and dronke þen kende miȝt defie—
“And kauȝte seknesse sum-tyme for my sorfetes ofte;
And þanne I dradde to deye in dedlich synne”—
Þat in-to wanhope he [worthe] and wende nauȝt to be saued,
Þe whiche is sleuthe so slow þat may no slithes helpe it,
Ne no mercy amenden þe man þat so deyeth.]
Which ben þe braunches þat bryngeth a man to sleuth?
[Is whanne a man] morneth nouȝte for his mysdedes ne maketh no sorwe,
Ac penaunce þat þe prest enioigneth perfourneth yuel,
Doth none almes-dede dret hym of no synne,
Lyueth aȝein þe bileue and no lawe holdeth;
Vch day is haliday with hym or an heigh ferye;
And if he auȝte wole here it is an harlotes tonge.
Whan men carpeth of cryst or of clennesse of soule,
He wexeth wroth & wil nouȝte here but wordes of myrthe.
Penaunce and pore men and þe passioun of seyntes
He hateth to here þere-of and alle þat it telleth.
Þise ben þe braunches, beth war þat bryngeth a man to wanhope!
Ȝe lordes and ladyes and legates of holicherche,
Þat fedeth foles sages flatereres and lyeres,
And han likynge to lythen hem to do ȝow to lawghe;

Ve vobis qui ridetis, &c.:

And ȝiueth hem mete and Mede and pore men refuse,
In ȝowre deth-deyinge I drede me ful sore,
Lest þo thre maner men to moche sorwe ȝow brynge:

Consencientes & agentes pari pena punientur.

Patriarkes & prophetes and prechoures of goddes wordes
Sauen þorw her sarmoun mannes soule fram helle;
Riȝt so flater[er]es and foles aren þe fendes disciples,
To entice men þorw her tales to synne and harlotrye.
Ac clerkes þat knowen holywryt shulde kenne lordes,
What dauid seith of suche men as þe sauter telleth:

Non habitabit in medio domus mee, qui facit superbiam & qui loquitur iniqua:

Shulde none harlote haue audience in halle ne in chambres,
Þere wise men were witnesseth goddes wordes;
Ne no mysproude man amonges lordes ben allowed.
Clerkes and kniȝtes welcometh kynges ministrales,
And for loue of þe lorde litheth hem at festes;
Muche more, me thenketh riche men schulde
Haue beggeres byfore hem þe whiche ben goddes ministrales,
As he seyth hym-self seynt Iohan bereth witnesse:

Qui vos spernit, me spernit.

For-thi I rede ȝow riche reueles whan ȝe maketh
For to solace ȝoure soules suche ministrales to haue;
Þe pore, for a fol sage syttynge at þe heyȝ table,
And a lered man, to lere þe what oure lorde suffred,
For to saue þi soule fram Sathan þin enemy,
And fithel þe, with-out flaterynge of gode friday þe storye;
And a blynd man for a bourdeoure or a bedrede womman,
To crie a largesse by-for oure lorde ȝoure gode loos to schewe!
Þise thre maner ministrales maketh a man to lawhe,
And, in his deth-deyinge þei don him grete conforte,
Þat bi his lyue lythed hem and loued hem to here.
Þise solaseth þe soule til hym-selue be-falle
In a wel [gode] hope, [for he wrouȝte so] amonges worthi seyntes.]

PASSUS XIV (DO-WEL VI). Passus xiiijus.

“I haue but one [hool] hatere,” quod haukyn “I am þe lasse to blame
Þough it be soiled and selde clene I slepe þere-inne on niȝtes;
And also I haue an houswyf hewen and children—

Vxorem duxy, & ideo non possum venire—

Þat wolen bymolen it many tyme maugre my chekes!
“And I shal kenne þe,” quod conscience “of contricioun to make,
Þat shal clawe þi cote of alkynnes filthe,

Cordis contricio, &c.:—

Dowel [shal] wasshen it and wryngen it þorw a wys confessour,

Oris confessio, &c.:—

Dobet shal beten it and bouken it as briȝte as any scarlet,
And engreynen it with good wille and goddes grace to amende þe,
And sithen sende þe to satisfaccioun for to sowen it after,

Satisfaccio dobest.

“And I shal purueye þe paste,” quod pacyence “þough no plow erie,
And floure to fede folke with as best be for þe soule,
Þough neuere greyne growed ne grape vppon vyne.
Alle þat lyueth and loketh lyflode wolde I fynde,
And þat ynough shal none faille of þinge þat hem nedeth.
We shulde nouȝt be to busy a-bouten owre lyflode,

Ne solliciti sitis, &c.: volucres celi deus pascit, &c.: pacientes vincunt, &c.”

Firste þe wylde worme vnder weet erthe,
Fissch to lyue in þe flode and in þe fyre þe crykat,
Þe corlue by kynde of þe eyre moste clennest flesch of bryddes,
And bestes by grasse and by greyne and by grene rotis,
In menynge þat alle men myȝte þe same
Lyue þorw lele byleue and loue, as god witnesseth;

Quodcumque pecieritis a patre in nomine meo, &c.: & alibi, Non in solo pane viuit homo, set in omni verbo, quod procedit de ore dei.”

For þorw his breth bestes wexen and abrode ȝeden,

Dixit & facta sunt, &c.:

Ergo þorw his breth mowen men & bestes lyuen,
As holywrit witnesseth whan men segge her graces,

Aperis tu manum tuam, & imples omne animal benediccione.

And lyueden with-oute lyflode and atte laste þei woken,
And if men lyued as mesure wolde shulde neuere more be defaute
Amonges cristene creatures if crystes wordes ben trewe.
Ac vnkyndnesse [caristia] maketh amonges crystene peple,
And ouer-plente maketh pruyde amonges pore & riche;
Ac mesure is so moche worth it may nouȝte be to dere,
For þe meschief and þe meschaunce amonges men of sodome,
Wex þorw plente of payn & of pure sleuthe;

Ociositas & habundancia panis peccatum turpissimum nutriuit.

For þei mesured nouȝt hem-self of þat þei ete and dronke,
Diden dedly synne þat þe deuel lyked,
So vengeaunce fel vpon hem for her vyle synnes;
Þei sonken in-to helle þo citees vchone.
Ac god is of a wonder wille by þat kynde witte sheweth,
To ȝiue many men his mercymonye ar he it haue deserued.
Riȝt so fareth god by some riche reuthe me it þinketh,
For þei han her hyre here an heuene as it were,
And is gret lykyng to lyue with-oute laboure of body;
And whan he deyeth, ben disalowed as dauid seith in þe sauter,

Dormierunt, & nichil inuenerunt;

And in an other stede also velud sompnum surgencium, domine, in ciuitate tua, & ad nichilum rediges.
Allas! þat ricchesse shal reue and robbe mannes soule
Fram þe loue of owre lorde at his laste ende!
So I segge by ȝow riche it semeth nouȝt þat ȝe shulle
Haue heuene in ȝowre here-beyng and heuene her-after;
Riȝt as a seruaunt taketh his salarye bifore & sitth wolde clayme more,
As he þat none hadde and hath huyre atte laste.
It may nouȝt be, ȝe riche men or matheu on god lyeth;

De delicijs ad delicias, [difficile] est transire.

Ac pore peple, þi prisoneres lorde, in þe put of myschief,
Conforte þo creatures þat moche care suffren
Þorw derth, þorw drouth alle her dayes here,
Wo in wynter tymes for wantyng of clothes,
And in somer tyme selde soupen to þe fulle;
Conforte þi careful cryst, in þi ryche,
For how þow confortest alle creatures clerkes bereth witnesse,

Conuertimini ad me, & salui eritis:

Þus, in genere of his [gentrice] Ihesu cryst seyde,
To robberes and to reueres to riche and to pore.
Þow tauȝtest hem in þe Trinitee to take baptesme,
And be clene þorw þat crystennynge of alle kynnes [synnes];
And [if] vs fel þorw folye to falle in synne after,
Confessioun, and [knowlechyng] & crauyng þi mercy
Shulde amende vs as many sithes as man wolde desire.
Ac if þe [pouke] wolde plede here-aȝeine and punyssh vs in conscience,
He shulde take þe acquitance as quik and to þe qued schewe it,

Pateat, &c., per passionem domini,

And putten of so þe pouke and preuen vs vnder borwe.
Ac þe perchemyn of þis patent of pouerte be moste,
And of pure pacience and parfit bileue.
Of pompe and of pruyde þe parchemyn decorreth,
And principaliche of alle peple but þei be pore of herte.
Ellis is al an ydel al þat euere we writen,
Pater-nostres and penaunce and pilgrimage to Rome.
But owre spences and spendynge sprynge of a trewe [wille],
Elles is al owre laboure loste; lo! how men writeth
In fenestres atte freres if fals be þe foundement;
For-þi crystene sholde ben in comune riche none coueitouse for hym-selue.
For seuene synnes þat þere ben assaillen vs euere,
Þe fende folweth hem alle and fondeth hem to helpe,
Ac wiþ ricchesse þat Ribaude rathest men bigyleth.
For þere þat richesse regneth reuerence folweth,
And þat is plesaunte to pryde in pore and in riche.
And þe riche is reuerenced by resoun of his richchesse,
Þere þe pore is put bihynde and par auenture can more
Of witte and of wysdom þat fer awey is better
Þan ricchesse or reaute and rather yherde in heuene.
For þe riche hath moche to rekene and riȝte softe walketh,
Þe heigh waye to-heuene-ward oft ricchesse letteth,

Ita [in]possibile diuiti, &c.,

Þere þe pore preseth bifor þe riche with a pakke at his rugge,

Opera enim illorum sequ[u]ntur illos.

Batauntliche as beggeres done and baldeliche he craueth,
For his pouerte and his pacience a perpetuel blisse;

Beati pauperes, quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum.

“Paupertas,” quod pacience “est odibile bonum,

Remocio curarum, possessio sine calumpnia, donum dei, sanitatis mater; Absque solicitudine semita, sapiencie temperatrix, negocium sine dampno; Incerta fortuna, absque solicitudine felicitas.”

“I can nouȝt construe al þis,” quod Haukyn “ȝe moste kenne [me] þis on englisch.”
“In englisch,” quod pacyence, “it is wel harde wel to expounen;
Ac somdel I shal seyne it by so þow vnderstonde.
Pouerte is þe first poynte þat pryde moste hateth,
Thanne is it good by good skil al þat agasteth pryde.
Riȝte as contricioun is confortable þinge conscience wote wel,
And a sorwe of hym-self and a solace to þe sowle,
So pouerte propreliche penaunce, and ioye,
Is to þe body pure spiritual helthe,

Ergo paupertas est odibile bonum,

And contricioun confort & cura animarum.
Selde [sit] pouerte þe sothe to declare,
Or as iustyce to iugge men enioigned is no pore,
Ne to be a Maire aboue men ne mynystre vnder kynges;
Selden is any pore yput to punysshen any peple;

Remocio curarum.

Ergo pouerte and pore men perfornen þe comaundement,

Nolite iudicare quemquam. Þe þridde:—

Selde is any pore riche but of riȝtful heritage;
Wynneth he nauȝt with weghtes fals ne with vnseled mesures,
Ne borweth of his neghbores but þat he may wel paye,

Possessio sine calumpnia.

Þe fierthe is a fortune þat florissheth þe soule
Wyth sobrete fram al synne and also ȝit more;
It affaiteth þe flesshe fram folyes ful manye,
A collateral conforte crystes owne ȝifte,

Donum dei.

Þe fyfte is moder of helthe a frende in alle fondynges,
And for þe land euere a leche a lemman of al clennesse,

Sanitatis mater.

Þe sexte is a path of pees ȝe, þorw þe pas of altoun
Pouerte myȝte passe with-oute peril of robbynge,
For þere þat pouerte passeth pees folweth after,
And euere þe lasse þat he bereth þe hardyer he is of herte;
For-þi seith seneca paupertas est absque solicitudine semita,
And an hardy man of herte amonge an hepe of þeues;

Cantabit [pauper] coram latrone viator.

Þe seueneth is welle of wisdome and fewe wordes sheweth,
For lordes alloweth hym litel or lysteneth to his reson,
He tempreth þe tonge to-treuthe-ward and no tresore coueiteth;

Sapiencie temperatrix.

The eigteth is a lele laborere and loth to take more
Þan he may wel deserue in somer or in wynter,
And if [he] chaffareth, he chargeth no losse mowe he charite wynne;

Negocium sine dampno.

PASSUS XV (PROLOGUE TO DO-BET). Passus xvus: finit dowel, & incipit dobet.

“What ar ȝe called,” quod I, “in þat courte amonges crystes peple?”
“Þe whiles I quykke þe corps,” quod he “called am I anima;
And whan I wilne and wolde animus ich hatte;
And for þat 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 treuthe techeth,
Þanne is racio my riȝt name resoun an englisshe;
And whan I fele þat folke telleth my firste name is sensus,
And þat is wytte and wisdome þe welle of alle craftes;
And whan I chalange or chalange nouȝte chepe or refuse,
Þanne am I conscience ycalde goddis clerke and his notarie;
And whan I loue lelly owre lorde and alle other,
Þanne is lele loue my name and in latyn amor;
And whan I flye fro þe flesshe and forsake þe caroigne,
Þanne am I spirit specheles and spiritus þanne ich hatte.
Austyn and ysodorus ayther of hem bothe
Nempned me þus to name; now þow myȝte chese,
How þow coueitest to calle me now þow knowest alle my names.

Anima pro diuersis actionibus diuersa nomina sortitur: dum viuificat corpus, anima est; dum vult, animus est; dum scit, mens est; 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.”

“Þanne artow inparfit,” quod he “and one of prydes knyȝtes;
For such a luste and lykynge lucifer fel fram heuene:

Ponam pedem meum in aquilone, & similis ero altissimo.

It were aȝeynes kynde,” quod he “and alkynnes resoun,
Þat any creature shulde kunne al excepte cryste one.
Aȝein such salomon speketh and dispiseth her wittes,
And seith, sicut qui mel comedit multum, non est ei bonum: Sic qui scrutator est maiestatis, opprimitur a gloria.
To englisch men þis is to mene þat mowen speke & here,
Þe man þat moche hony eteth his mawe it engleymeth;
And þe more þat a man of good mater hereth,
But he do þer-after it doth hym double scathe:
Beatus est, seith seynt Bernard qui scripturas legit,
Et verba vertit in opera fullich to his powere.
Coueytise to kunne and to knowe science
Pulte out of paradys Adam and Eue,

Sciencie appetitus hominem inmortalitatis [gloria] spoliauit.

And riȝte as hony is yuel to defye and engleymeth þe mawe,
Riȝt so þat þorw resoun wolde þe rote knowe
Of god and of his grete myȝtes his graces it letteth.
For in þe lykyng lith a pryde and a lycames coueitise,
Aȝein crystes conseille and alle clerkes techyng,

That is, non plus sapere quam oportet sapere.

Freres and fele other maistres þat to þe lewed men prechen,
Ȝe moeuen materes inmesurables to tellen of þe Trinite,
Þat ofte tymes þe lewed peple of hir bileue douten.
Bettere byleue were mony doctoures such techyng,
And tellen men of þe ten comaundementz and touchen þe seuene synnes,
And of þe braunches þat burgeouneth of hem and bryngeth men to helle,
And how þat folke in folyes myspenden her fyue wittes,
As wel freres as other folke folilich spenen
In housyng, in haterynge and in-to hiegh clergye shewynge,
More for pompe þan for pure charite þe poeple wote þe sothe
Þat I lye nouȝt, loo! for lordes ȝe plesen,
And reuerencen þe riche þe rather for her syluer;

Confundantur omnes qui adorant scul[p]tilia; & alibi:

Vt quid diligitis vanitatem, & queritis mendacium?

Go to þe glose of þe verse ȝe grete clerkes;
If I lye on ȝow to my lewed witte ledeth me to brennynge!
For as it semeth, ȝe forsaketh no mannes almesse,
Of vsureres, of hores of auarous chapmen,
And louten to þis lordes þat mowen lene ȝow nobles,
Aȝeine ȝowre reule and Religioun I take recorde at Ihesus,
Þat seide to his disciples ne sitis personarum acceptores.
Iohannes crysostomus of clerkes speketh and prestes,

Sicut de templo omne bonum progreditur, sic de templo omne malum procedit.

Si sacerdocium integrum fuerit, tota floret ecclesia; si autem coruptum fuerit, omnium fides marcida est. Si sacerdocium fuerit in peccatis, totus populus co[n]uertitur ad peccandum. Sicut cum videris arborem pallidam & marcidam, inteligis quod vicium habet in radice, Ita cum videris populum indisciplinatum & irreligiosum, sine dubio sacerdocium eius non est sanum.

“What is charite?” quod I þo “a childissh þinge,” he seide;

“Nisi efficiamini sicut paruuli, non intrabitis in regnum celorum;

With-outen fauntelte or foly a fre liberal wille.”
Ac charite þat poule preyseth best and most plesaunte to owre saueoure,

As non [inflatur,] non [est] ambiciosa, non querit que sua sunt,

I seigh neuere such a man so me god helpe,
That he ne wolde aske after his and otherwhile coueyte
Þinge þat neded hym nouȝt and nyme it if he myȝte!
Clerkis kenne me þat cryst is in alle places;
Ac I seygh hym neuere sothly but as my-self in a miroure,

It[a] in enigmate, tunc facie ad faciem.

And so I trowe trewly by þat men telleth of charite,
It is nouȝt championes fyȝte ne chaffare, as I trowe.”
And whan he is wery of þat werke þanne wil he some tyme
Labory in a lauendrye wel þe lengthe of a myle,
And ȝerne in-to ȝouthe and ȝepliche speke
Pryde with al þe appurtenaunce and pakken hem togyderes,
And bouken hem at his brest and beten hem clene,
And leggen on longe with laboraui in gemitu meo,
And with warme water at his eyghen wasshen hem after.
And þanne he syngeth whan he doth so & some tyme seith wepyng,

Cor contritum & humiliatum, deus, non despicies.”

“Clerkes haue no knowyng,” quod he “but by werkes and bi wordes.
Ac piers þe plowman parceyueth more depper
What is þe wille and wherfore þat many wyȝte suffreth,

Et vidit deus cogitaciones eorum.

For þere ar ful proude-herted men paciente of tonge,
And boxome as of berynge to burgeys and to lordes,
And to pore peple han peper in þe nose,
And as a lyoun he loketh þere men lakketh his werkes.
Þere-fore by coloure ne by clergye knowe shaltow hym neuere,
Noyther þorw wordes ne werkes but þorw wille one.
And þat knoweth no clerke ne creature in erthe,
But piers þe plowman petrus, id est, christus.
For he ne is nouȝte in lolleres ne in lande-leperes hermytes,
Ne at ancres, þere a box hangeth alle suche þei faiten.
Fy on faitoures and in fautores suos!
For charyte is goddis champioun and as A good chylde hende,
And þe meryest of mouth at mete where he sitteth.
Þe loue þat lith in his herte maketh hym lyȝte of speche,
And is [companable] and confortatyf as cryst bit hymselue,

Nolite fieri sicut ypocrite, tristes, &c.

For I haue seyn hym in sylke and somme tyme in russet,
Bothe in grey and in grys and in gulte herneys,
And as gladlich he it gaf to gomes þat it neded.
Riche men he recomendeth and of her robes taketh,
Þat with-outen wyles leden her lyues,

Beatus est diues, qui, &c.

Ac I ne lakke no lyf but lorde, amende vs alle,
And gyue vs grace, good god charite to folwe!
For who so myȝte mete with hym such maneres hym eyleth,
Noyther he blameth ne banneth bosteth, ne prayseth,
Lakketh, ne loseth ne loketh vp sterne;
Craueth, ne coueiteth ne crieth after more,

In pace in id-ipsum dormiam, &c.

Þe moste lyflode þat he lyueth by is loue in goddis passioun,
Noyther he biddeth, ne beggeth ne borweth to ȝelde;
Misdoth he no man ne with his mouth greueth.
Poule primus heremita had parroked hym-selue,
Þat no man miȝte hym se for mosse and for leues;
Foules hym fedde fele wynteres with alle,
Til he founded freres of austines ordre.
Poule, after his prechyng panyers he made,
And wan with his hondes þat his wombe neded.
Peter fisched for his fode and his felawe andrewe;
Some þei solde and some þei sothe and so þei lyued bothe.
And also Marie Magdeleyne by mores lyued and dewes,
Ac moste þorw deuocioun and mynde of god almiȝty.
I shulde nouȝt þis seuene dayes seggen hem alle,
Þat lyueden þus for owre lordes loue manye longe ȝeres.
Ac þere ne was lyoun ne leopart þat on laundes wenten,
Noyther bere, ne bor ne other best wilde,
Þat ne fel to her feet and fauned with þe tailles.
And if þei couth han ycarped by cryst, as I trowe,
Þei wolde haue felde þat folke bifor wilde foules.
[For alle þe curteisie þat bestes kunne þei kidde þat folke ofte
In likkyng and in lowynge þere þei on laundes ȝede.]
Ac god sent hem fode bi foules and by no fierse bestes,
In menynge þat meke þinge mylde þinge shulde fede;
As who seith, religious ryȝtful men shulde fynde,
And lawful men to lyf-holy men lyflode brynge.
And þanne wolde lordes and ladyes be loth to agulte,
And to take of her tenauntz more þan treuth wolde,
Fonde þei þat Freres wolde forsake her almesses,
And bidden hem bere it þere it was yborwed.
For we ben goddes foules and abiden alwey,
Tyl briddes brynge vs þat we shulde lyue by.
For had ȝe potage and payn ynough and peny-ale to drynke,
And a messe þere-mydde of o manere kynde,
Ȝe had riȝt ynough, ȝe Religious and so ȝowre reule me tolde:

Nunquam, dicit Iob, rugi[e]t [onager] cum herbam habuerit? aut mugiet bos cum ante plenum presepe steterit? brutorum animalium natura te condempnat, quia cum eis pabulum commune sufficiat; ex adipe prodijt iniquitas tua.

Who perfourneth þis prophecye of the peple þat now lybbeth,

Dispersit, dedit pauperibus, &c.?

If any peple perfourme þat texte it ar þis pore freres!
For þat þei beggen abouten in buildynge þei spene,
And on hem-self sum and such as ben her laboreres,
And of hem þat habbeth þei taken and ȝyue hem þat ne habbeth!
Ac Religious þat riche ben shulde rather feste beggeres
Þan burgeys þat riche ben as þe boke techeth;

Quia sacrilegium est res pauperum non pauperibus dare. Item, peccatoribus dare, est demonibus immolare. Item, monache, si indiges et accipis, pocius das quam accipis. Si autem non eges, & accipis, rapis. Porro, non indiget Monachus, si habeat quod nature sufficit.

For-þi I conseille alle cristene to confourmen hem to charite;
For charite with-oute chalengynge vnchargeth þe soule,
And many a prisone fram purgatorie þorw his preyeres he delyu[e]reth.
Ac þere is a defaute in þe folke þat þe faith kepeth;
Wherfore folke is þe feblere and nouȝt ferme of bilieue.
As in lussheborwes is a lyther alay and ȝet loketh he lyke a sterlynge,
Þe merke of þat mone is good ac þe metal is fieble;
And so it fareth by some folke now þei han a faire speche,
Croune and crystendome þe kynges merke of heuene,
Ac þe metal, þat is mannes soule with synne is foule alayed;
Bothe lettred and lewede beth allayed now with synne,
That no lyf loueth other ne owre lorde, as it semeth.
For þorw werre and wykked werkes and wederes vnresonable
Wederwise shipmen and witti clerkes also
Han no bilieue to þe lifte ne to þe lore of philosofres.
Ancres and hermytes and monkes and freres
Peren to apostles þorw her parfit lyuynge.
Wolde neuere þe faithful fader þat his min[i]stres sholde
Of tyrauntz þat teneth trewe men taken any almesse,
But done as Antony did Dominik and Fraunceys,
Benet & Bernarde þe which hem firste tauȝte
To lyue bi litel & in lowe houses by lele mennes almesse.
Grace sholde growe & be grene þorw her good lyuynge,
And folkes sholde fynde þat ben in dyuerse sykenesse,
Þe better for her byddynges in body and in soule.
Her preyeres and her penaunces to pees shulde brynge
Alle þat ben at debate and bedemen were trewe;

Petite & accipietis, &c.

Salt saueth catel seggen þis wyues;

Vos estis sal terre, &c.

Þe heuedes of holicherche and þei holy were,
Cryst calleth hem salt for crystene soules;

Et si sal euanuerit, in quo salietur.

Ac fresshe flesshe other fisshe whan it salt failleth,
It is vnsauory, for soth ysothe or ybake.
So is mannes soule sothly þat seeth no good ensaumple
Of hem of holycherche þat þe heigh weye shulde teche,
And be gyde, and go bifore as a good baneoure,
And hardy hem þat bihynde ben and ȝiue hem good euydence.
Ȝe [mynnen] wel how matheu seith how a man made a feste;
He fedde hem with no venysoun ne fesauntes ybake,
But with foules þat fram hym nolde but folwed his whistellynge;

Ecce altilia mea & omnia parata sunt, &c.;

And wyth calues flesshe he fedde þe folke þat he loued.
Þe calfe bytokeneth clennesse in hem þat kepeth lawes.
Ac who beth þat excuseth hem þat aren persounes and prestes,
Þat heuedes of holycherche ben þat han her wille here,
With-oute trauaille, þe tithe del þat trewemen biswynkyn,
Þei wil be wroth for I write þus ac to witnesse I take
Bothe Mathew and Marke and Memento-domine-dauid;

[Ecce audiuimus eam in effrata, &c.]

What Pope or prelate now perfourneth þat cryst hiȝte,

Ite in vniversum mundum & predicate, &c.?

To be pastours and preche þe passioun of Ihesus,
And as hym-self seyde so to lyue and deye;

Bonus pastor animam suam ponit, &c.;

And seyde it in sauacioun of sarasenes & other.
For crystene & vncristene cryst seide to prechoures,

Ite vos in vineam meam

And sith þat þis sarasenes scribes, & Iuwes
Han a lippe of owre byleue þe liȝtloker, me thynketh,
Þei shulde torne, who so trauaille wolde to teche hem of þe Trinite,

Querite & inuenietis, &c.

It is reuth to rede how riȝtwis men lyued,
How þei defouled her flessh forsoke her owne wille,
Fer fro kitth and fro kynne yuel yclothed ȝeden,
Badly ybedded no boke but conscience,
Ne no richchesse but þe Rode to reioyse hem Inne;

Absit nobis gloriari, nisi in cruce domininostri, &c.

Wyte ȝe nouȝt, wyse men how þo men honoured
More tresore þan treuthe? I dar nouȝt telle þe sothe;
Resoun & riȝtful dome þo Religious demed.
Riȝt so, ȝe clerkes for ȝowre coueityse, ar longe,
Shal þei demen dos ecclesie and ȝowre pryde depose,

Deposuit potentes de sede, &c.

Ȝif knyȝthod & kynde wytte and comune conscience
Togideres loue lelly leueth it wel, ȝe bisshopes,
Þe lordeship of londes for euere shal ȝe lese,
And lyuen as leuitici as owre lorde ȝow techeth,

Per primicias & decimas.

Whan þe heye kynge of heuene sent his sone to erthe,
Many miracles he wrouȝte man for to turne;
In ensaumple þat men shulde se þat by sadde resoun
Men miȝt nouȝt be saued but þoruȝ mercy and grace,
And thoruȝ penaunce and passion and parfit byle[f];
And by-cam man of a mayde and metropolitanus,
And baptised and [bishoped] with þe blode of his herte
Alle þat wilned, and [wolde] with inne-wit by-leue it.
Many a seint sytthen hath soffred to deye,
Al for to enforme þe faith in fele contreyes deyeden,
In ynde and in alisaundre in ermonye and in Spayne,
In delfol deth deyeden for there faith sake;
In sauacion of þe fayth seynt thomas was ymartired,
Amonges vn-kende cristene for cristes loue he deyede,
And for þe riȝt of al þis reume and al reumes cristene.
Holy cherche is honoured heyȝliche þoruȝ his deynge,
He is a forbysene to alle bishopes and a briȝt myroure,
And souereyneliche to suche þat of surrye bereth þe name,]
Þat hippe aboute in Engelonde to halwe mennes auteres,
And crepe amonges curatoures [and] confessen ageyne þe lawe,

Nolite mittere fulcem in messem alienam, &c.

Many man for crystes loue was martired in Romanye,
Er any crystendome was knowe þere or any crosse honoured.
Euery bisshop þat bereth crosse by þat he is holden,
Thorw his prouynce to passe and to his peple to shewe hym,
Tellen hem and techen hem on þe Trinite to bileue,
And feden hem with gostly fode [and nedy folke to fynden.
Ac ysaie of ȝow speketh and osyas bothe,
Þat no man schuld be bischope but if he hadde bothe,
Bodily fode and gostly fode] and gyue þere it nedeth;

In domo mea non est panis neque vestimentum, et ideo nolite constituere me regem.

Ozias seith for such þat syke ben and fieble,

Inferte omnes decimas in oreum meum, vt [sit] cibus in domo mea.

And ȝit knewe þei cryst þat crystendome tauȝte,
For a parfit prophete þat moche peple saued
Of selcouth sores þei [seyen] it ofte,
Bothe of myracles & meruailles and how he men fested
With two fisshes an fyve loues fyue thousande peple;
And bi þat maungerye men miȝte wel se þat Messye he semed.
And whan he luft vp lazar þat layde was in graue,
And vnder stone ded & stanke with styf voys hym called,

Lazare, veni foras,

Dede hym rise and rowme riȝt bifor þe iuwes.
Ac þei seiden and sworen with sorcerye he wrouȝte,
And studyeden to stroyen hym and stroyden hem-self;
And þorw his pacyence her powere to pure nouȝt he brouȝte,

Pacientes vincunt.

Danyel of her vndoynge deuyned and seyde,

Cum sanctus sanctorum veniat, cessabit vnxio vestra.

And ȝet wenen þo wrecches þat he were pseudo-propheta,
And þat his lore be lesynges and lakken it alle,
And hopen þat he be to come þat shal hem releue,
Moyses eft, or Messye here maisteres ȝet deuyneth.
Ac pharesewes and sarasenes Scribes & Grekis
Aren folke of on faith þe fader god þei honouren;
And sitthen þat þe sarasenes and also þe iewes
Konne þe firste clause of owre bileue credo in deum patrem omnipotentem,
Prelates of crystene prouynces shulde preue, if þei myȝte,
Lere hem litlum & lytlum & in ihesum christum filium,
Tyl þei couthe speke and spelle et in spiritum sanctum,
And rendren it & recorden it with remissionem peccatorum,

Carnis resurreccionem, et vitam eternam; amen.”

PASSUS XVI. (DO-BET I.) Passus xvjus, & primus de dobet.

“For wyndes, wiltow wyte,” quod he to witen it fram fallynge;

Cum ceciderit iustus, non collidetur; quia dominus supponit manum suam;

And, in blowyng-tyme, abite þe floures but if þis piles helpe.
Þe worlde is a wykked wynde to hem þat wolden treuthe,
Coueityse cometh of þat wynde and crepeth amonge þe leues,
And forfret neigh þe frute þorw many faire siȝtes.
Þanne with þe firste pyle I palle hym down þat is, potencia dei patris.
Þe flesshe is a fel wynde and in flourynge-tyme
Þorw lykyng and lustes so loude he gynneth blowe,
Þat it norissheth nice siȝtes and some tyme wordes,
And wikked werkes þer-of wormes of synne,
And forbiteth þe blosmes riȝt to þe bare leues.
Þanne sette I to þe secounde pile sapiencia dei patris,
Þat is, þe passioun and þe power of owre prynce Ihesu.
Þorw preyeres and þorw penaunces and goddes passioun in mynde,
I saue it til I se it rypen & somdel y-fruited.
And þanne fondeth þe fende my fruit to destruye,
With alle þe wyles þat he can and waggeth þe rote,
And casteth vp to þe croppe vnkynde neighbores,
Bakbiteres breke-cheste brawleres and chideres,
And leith a laddre þere-to of lesynges aren þe ronges,
And feccheth away my floures sumtyme afor bothe myn eyhen.
Ac liberum arbitrium letteth hym some tyme,
Þat is lieutenant to loken it wel by leue of my-selue;

Videatis qui peccat in spiritum sanctum, nunquam remittetur, &c.; Hoc est idem, qui peccat per liberum arbitrium non repugnat.

Ac whan þe fende and þe flesshe forth with þe worlde
Manasen byhynde me my fruit for to fecche,
Þanne liberum arbitrium laccheth þe thridde plante,
And palleth adown þe pouke purelich þorw grace
And helpe of þe holy goste and þus haue I þe maystrie.”
Þe mayde myldeliche þo þe messager graunted,
And seyde hendelich to hym “lo me, his handemayden,
For to worchen his wille with-outen any synne;”

Ecce ancilla domini; fiat michi [secundum verbum tuum], &c.

And in þe wombe of þat wenche was he fourty wokes,
Tyl he wex a faunt þorw her flesshe and of fiȝtyng couthe,
To haue y-fouȝte with þe fende ar ful tyme come.
And Pieres þe plowman parceyued plenere tyme,
And lered hym lechecrafte his lyf for to saue,
Þat þowgh he were wounded with his enemye to warisshe hym-self;
And did him assaye his surgerye on hem þat syke were,
Til he was parfit practisoure [if] any peril [felle],
And souȝte oute þe syke and synful bothe,
And salued syke and synful bothe blynde & crokede,
And comune wommen conuerted and to good torned;

Non est sanis opus medicus, set [infirmis], &c.

Bothe meseles & mute and in þe menysoun blody,
Ofte he heled suche he ne helde [it] for no maistrye,
Saue þo he leched lazar þat hadde yleye in graue,
Quatriduanus quelt; quykke did hym walke.
Ac as he made þe maistrye mestus cepit esse,
And wepte water with his eyghen þere seyen it manye.
Some þat þe siȝte [seyen] saide þat tyme,
Þat he was leche of lyf and lorde of heigh heuene.
Iewes iangeled þere-aȝeyne and iugged lawes,
And seide he wrouȝte þorw wicchecrafte & with þe deueles miȝte,

Demonium habes, &c.

“Þanne ar ȝe cherles,” quod [ihesus] “and ȝowre children bothe,
And sathan ȝowre saueoure ȝow-selue now ȝe witnessen.
For I haue saued ȝow-self,” seith cryst “and ȝowre sones after,
Ȝowre bodyes, ȝowre bestes and blynde men holpen,
And fedde ȝow with fisshes and with fyue loues,
And left baskettes ful of broke mete bere awey who so wolde;—”
And mysseide þe iewes manliche and manaced hem to bete,
And knokked on hem with a corde and caste adown her stalles,
Þat in cherche chaffareden or chaungeden any moneye,
And seyde it in siȝte of hem alle so þat alle herden,
“I shal ouertourne þis temple and adown throwe,
And in thre dayes after edifye it newe,
And make it as moche other more in alle manere poyntes,
As euere it was, and as wyde wher-fore I hote ȝow,
Of preyeres and of parfitnesse þis place þat ȝe callen;

Domus mea domus oracionis vocabitur.”

Enuye and yuel wille was in þe iewes;
Thei casten & contreueden to kulle hym whan þei miȝte,
Vche daye after other þeire tyme þei awaited.
Til it bifel on a fryday a litel bifor Paske,
Þe þorsday byfore þere he made his maundee,
Sittyng atte sopere he seide þise wordes—
“I am solde þorw one of ȝow he shal þe tyme rewe
Þat euere he his saueoure solde for syluer or elles.”
Þanne Ihesus to Iudas and to þe iewes seyde,
“Falsenesse I fynde in þi faire speche,
And gyle in þi gladde chere and galle is in þi lawghynge.
Þow shalt be myroure to manye men to deceyue,
Ac þe wors and þi wikkednesse shal worth vpon þi-selue;

Necesse est vt veniant scandala; ve homini illi per quem scandalum venit!

Þow I bi tresoun be ytake at ȝowre owne wille,
Suffreth my postles in pays & in pees gange.”
On a thoresday in thesternesse þus was he taken
Þorw iudas and iewes ihesus was his name;
Þat on þe fryday folwynge for mankynde sake
Iusted in ierusalem a ioye to vs alle.
On crosse vpon caluarye cryst toke þe bataille,
Aȝeines deth and þe deuel destruyed her botheres myȝtes,
Deyde, and deth fordid and daye of nyȝte made.
Miȝte is matrimoigne þat multiplieth þe erthe,
And bitokneth trewly telle if I dorste,
[Hym] þat firste fourmed al þe fader of heuene.
Þe sone, if I it durst seye resembleth wel þe wydwe,

Deus meus, deus meus, vt quid dereliquisti me?

Þat is, creatour wex creature to knowe what was bothe;
As widwe with-oute wedloke was neure ȝete yseye,
Na more myȝte god be man but if he moder hadde;
So wydwe with-oute wedloke may nouȝte wel stande,
Ne matrimoigne with-oute moillerye is nouȝt moche to preyse;

Maledictus homo qui non reliquit semen in israel, &c.

Þus in þre persones is perfitliche manhede,
Þat is, man & his make & moillere her children,
And is nouȝt but gendre of o generacioun bifor Ihesu cryst in heuene,
So is þe fader forth with þe sone and fre wille of bothe;

Spiritus procedens a patre & filio;

Which is þe holygoste of alle and alle is but o god.
Þus in a somer I hym seigh as I satte in my porche;
I ros vp and reuerenced hym & riȝt faire hym grette;
Thre men to my syȝte I made wel et ese,
Wesche her feet & wyped hem and afterward þei eten
Calues flesshe & cakebrede and knewe what I thouȝte;
Ful trewe tokenes bitwene vs is to telle whan me lyketh.
Firste he fonded me if I loued bettere
Hym, or ysaak myn ayre þe which he hiȝte me kulle.
He wiste my wille by hym he wil me it allowe,
I am ful syker in soule þer-of and my sone bothe.
I circumcised my sone sitthen for his sake;
My-self and my meyne and alle þat male were
Bledden blode for þat lordes loue and hope to blisse þe tyme.
Myn affiaunce & my faith is ferme in þis bilieue;
For hym-self bihiȝte to me and to myne issue bothe
Londe and lordship And lyf with-outen ende;
To me and to myn issue more ȝete he me graunted,
Mercy for owre mysdedes as many tyme as we asken;

Quam olim abrahe promisisti, & semini eius.

And sith he sent me to seye I sholde do sacrifise,
And done hym worshipe with bred and with wyn bothe,
And called me þe fote of his faith his folke forto saue,
And defende hem fro þe fende folke þat on me leueden.
Þus haue I ben his heraude here and in helle,
And conforted many a careful þat after his comynge wayten.
And þus I seke hym,” he seide “for I [herde] seyne late
Of a barne þat baptised hym Iohan Baptiste was his name,
Þat to patriarkes and to prophetes and to other peple in derknesse
Seyde þat he seigh here þat sholde saue vs alle;

Ecce agnus dei, &c.”

PASSUS XVII. (DO-BET II.) Passus xvijus, et secundus de do-bet.

Þanne plokked he forth a patent a pece of an harde roche,
Wher-on [were] writen two wordes on þis wyse y-glosed,

Dilige deum & proximum tuum, &c.

Þis was þe tixte trewly I toke ful gode ȝeme;
Þe glose was gloriousely writen with a gilte penne,

In hijs duobus mandatis tota lex pendet & prophetia.

For outlawes in þe wode and vnder banke lotyeth,
And may vch man se and gode merke take,
Who is bihynde and who bifore and who ben on hors,
For he halt hym hardyer on horse þan he þat is a fote.
For he seigh me, þat am samaritan suwen feith & his felaw
On my caple þat hatte caro (of mankynde I toke it),
He was vnhardy, þat harlot and hudde hym in inferno.
Ac ar þis day þre dayes I dar vndertaken,
Þat he worth fettred, þat feloune fast with cheynes,
And neure eft greue grome þat goth þis ilke gate;

[O mors, ero mors tua, &c.]

Þe fader was fyrst, as a fyst with o fynger foldynge,
Tyl hym loued and lest to vnlosen his fynger,
And profre it forth as with a paume to what place it sholde.
Þe paume is purely þe hande and profreth forth þe fyngres
To mynystre and to make þat myȝte of hande knoweth,
And bitokneth trewly telle who so liketh,
Þe holygost of heuene he is as þe paume.
Þe fyngres þat fre ben to folde and to serue,
Bitokneth sothly þe sone þat sent was til erthe,
Þat toched and tasted atte techynge of þe paume
Seynt Marie a Mayde and mankynde lauȝte;

Qui conceptus est de spiritu sancto, [natus,] &c.

Þe fader is þanne as a fust with fynger to touche,

Quia omnia traham ad me ipsum, &c.,

Al þat þe paume parceyueth profitable to fele.
Thus ar þei alle but one as it an hande were,
And þre sondry siȝtes in one shewynge.
Þe paume, for he putteth forth fyngres and þe fust bothe,
Riȝt so redily reson it sheweth,
How he þat is holygoste sire & sone preueth.
And as þe hande halt harde and al þynge faste
Þorw foure fyngres and a thombe forth with þe paume,
Riȝte so þe fader and þe sone & seynt spirit þe þridde
Halt al þe wyde worlde with-in hem thre,
Bothe welkne and þe wynde water and erthe,
Heuene & helle and al þat þere is Inne.
Þus it is, nedeth no man to trowe non other,
That thre þinges bilongeth in owre lorde of heuene,
And aren [serelepes] by hem-self asondry were neure,
Namore þan myn hande may meue with-outen fyngeres.
And as my fust is ful honde yfolde togideres,
So is þe fader a ful god formeour and shepper,

Tu fabricator omnium, &c.,

And al þe myȝte myd hym is in makyng of þynges.
Were þe myddel of myn honde ymaymed or ypersshed,
I shulde receyue riȝte nouȝte of þat I reche myȝte.
Ac þough my thombe & my fyngres bothe were to-shullen,
And þe myddel of myn hande with-oute male ese,
In many kynnes maneres I myȝte my-self helpe,
Bothe meue and amende þough alle my fyngres oke.
Bi þis skil, me þynke[th] I se an euydence,
Þat who so synneth in þe seynt spirit assoilled worth he neure,
Noither here ne elles-where as I herde telle,

Qui peccat in [spiritum sanctum, nunquam,] &c.,

For he prikketh god as in þe paume þat peccat in [spiritum sanctum].
For god þe fader is as a fuste þe sone is as a fynger,
The holy goste of heuene is, as it were, þe pawme.
So who so synneth in seynt spirit it semeth þat he greueth
God, þat he grypeth with and wolde his grace quenche.
Ac hew fyre at a flynte fowre hundreth wyntre,
Bot þow haue towe to take it with tondre or broches,
Al þi laboure is loste and al þi longe trauaille;
For may no fyre flaumbe make faille it his kynde.
So is þe holy gost god & grace with-outen mercy
To alle vnkynde creatures cryst hym-self witnesseth,

Amen dico vobis, nescio vos, &c.

Be vnkynde to þin euene-cristene and al þat þow canst bidden,
Delen & do penaunce day & nyȝte euere,
And purchace al þe pardoun of Pampiloun & Rome,
And indulgences ynowe & be ingratus to þi kynde,
Þe holy goste hereth þe nouȝt ne helpe may þe by resoun;
For vnkyndenesse quencheth hym þat he can nouȝte shyne,
Ne brenne ne blase clere for blowynge of vnkyndenesse.
Poule þe apostle preueth wher I lye,

Si linguis hominum loquar, &c.

For-thy beth war, ȝe wyse men þat with þe wo[r]lde deleth,
That riche ben & resoun knoweth reuleth wel ȝowre soule.
Beth nouȝte vnkynde, I conseille ȝow to ȝowre euenecrystene.
For many of ȝow riche men bi my soule, men telleth,
Ȝe brenne, but ȝe blaseth nouȝte þat is a blynde bekene;

Non omnis qui dicit domine, domine, intrabit, &c.

Ac ȝut in many mo maneres men offenden þe holygoste,
Ac þis is þe worste wyse þat any wiȝte myȝte
Synnen aȝein þe seynt spirit assenten to destruye,
For coueityse of any kynnes þinge þat cryst dere bouȝte.
How myȝte he axe mercy or any mercy hym helpe,
Þat wykkedlich & willefullich wolde mercy anynte?
Innocence is nexte god & nyȝte and day it crieth,
‘Veniaunce, veniaunce forȝiue be it neuere,
That shent vs & shadde owre blode forshapte vs, as it were;

Vindica sanguinem iustorum!’

Thus ‘veniaunce, veniaunce’ verrey charite asketh;
And sith holicherche & charite chargeth þis so sore,
Leue I neure that owre lorde wil loue þat charite lakketh,
Ne haue pite for any preyere þere þat he pleyneth.”
“Ȝus,” seide þe Samaritan “so wel þow myȝte repente,
Þat riȝtwisnesse þorw repentance to reuthe myȝte torne.
Ac it is but selden yseye þere sothenesse bereth witnesse,
Any creature þat is coupable afor a kynges iustice,
Be raunsoned for his repentaunce þere alle resoun hym dampneth.
For þere þat partye pursueth þe pele is so huge,
Þat þe kynge may do no mercy til bothe men acorde,
And eyther haue equite as holy writ telleth;

Numquam dimittitur peccatum, [donec restituatur ablatum.]

Þus it fareth bi suche folke þat falsely al her lyues
Euel lyuen & leten nouȝte til lyf hem forsake;
[Drede of desperacion dryueth a-weye þanne grace,
Þat mercy in her mynde may nauȝt þanne falle;]
Good hope, þat helpe shulde to wanhope torneth—
Nouȝt of þe nounpowere of god þat he ne is myȝtful
To amende al þat amys is and his mercy grettere
Þan alle owre wykked werkes as holiwrit telleth,

Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius—

Ac, ar his riȝtwisnesse to reuthe tourne some restitucioun bihoueth;
His sorwe is satisfaccioun for hym þat may nouȝte paye.
The reyne þat reyneth þere we reste sholde,
Ben sikenesses & sorwes þat we suffren oft,
As Powle þe Apostle to þe peple tauȝte,

Virtus in infirmitate perficitur, &c.

And þowgh þat men make moche deol in her angre,
And [ben] inpacient in here penaunce pure resoun knoweth,
Þat þei han cause to contrarie by kynde of her sykenesse.
And liȝtlich owre lorde at her lyues ende,
Hath mercy on suche men þat so yuel may suffre.

PASSUS XVIII (DO-BET III). Passus xviijus, et tercius de dobet.

Þanne was faith in a fenestre and cryde “a! fili dauid!”
As doth an Heraude of armes whan [auntrous] cometh to iustes.
Olde iuwes of ierusalem for ioye þei songen,

Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini.

“Nay,” quod he, “þe foule fende and fals dome & deth.
Deth seith he shal fordo and adown brynge
Al þat lyueth or loketh in londe or in watere.
Lyf seyth þat he likth and leyth his lif to wedde,
Þat for al þat deth can do with-in þre dayes,
To walke and fecche fro þe fende piers fruite þe plowman,
And legge it þere hym lyketh and lucifer bynde,
And forbete and adown brynge bale [&] deth for euere:

O mors, ero mors tua!

“Consummatum est,” quod cryst & comsed forto swowe,
Pitousliche and pale as a prisoun þat deyeth;
Þe lorde of lyf & of liȝte þo leyed his eyen togideres.
Þe daye for drede with-drowe and derke bicam þe sonne,
Þe wal wagged and clef and al þe worlde quaued.
Ded men for that dyne come out of depe graues,
And tolde whi þat tempest so longe tyme dured.
“For a bitter bataille” þe ded bodye sayde;
“Lyf and deth in þis derknesse her one fordoth her other;
Shal no wiȝte wite witterly who shal haue þe maystrye,
Er sondey aboute sonne rysynge” & sank with þat til erthe.
Some seyde þat he was goddes sone þat so faire deyde,

Vere filius dei erat iste, &c.

And somme saide he was a wicche “good is þat we assaye,
Where he be ded or nouȝte ded doun er he be taken.”
For ȝowre champioun chiualer chief knyȝt of ȝow alle,
Ȝelt hym recreaunt rennyng riȝt at ihesus wille.
For be þis derkenesse ydo his deth worth avenged,
And ȝe, lordeynes, han ylost for lyf shal haue þe maistrye,
And ȝowre Fraunchise, þat fre was fallen is in thraldome,
And ȝe, cherles, & ȝowre children chieue shal ȝe neure,
Ne haue lordship in londe ne no londe tylye,
But al bareyne be & vsurye vsen,
Which is lyf þat owre lorde in alle lawes acurseth.
Now ȝowre good dayes ar done as Danyel prophecyed,
Whan cryst cam, [of] her kyngdom þe croune shulde [cesse];

Cum veniat sanctus sanctorum, cessabit vnxio vestra.”

“Þat þow tellest,” quod treuth “is but a tale of waltrot;
For Adam & Eue & abraham with other
Patriarkes & prophetes þat in peyne liggen,
Leue þow neuere þat ȝone liȝte hem alofte brynge,
Ne haue hem out of helle holde þi tonge, mercy!
It is but a trufle þat þow tellest I, treuth, wote þe sothe.
For þat is ones in helle out cometh it neuere;
Iob þe prophete, patriarke reproueth þi sawes,

Quia in inferno nulla est redempcio.”

Þanne mercy ful myldly mouthed þise wordes,
“Thorw experience,” quod she “I hope þei shal be saued.
For venym for-doth venym & þat I proue by resoun.
For of alle venymes foulest is þe scorpioun,
May no medcyne helpe þe place þere he styngeth,
Tyl he be ded & do þer-to þe yuel he destroyeth,
Þe fyrst venymouste þorw venym of hym-self.
So shal þis deth for-do I dar my lyf legge,
Al þat deth [for]dyd furste þorw þe deuelles entysynge;
And riȝt as þorw gyle man was bigyled,
So shal grace þat bigan make a good sleighte;

Ars vt artem falleret.”

“My wille is to wende,” quod she “and welcome hem alle,
Þat many day myȝte I nouȝte se for merkenesse of synne,
Adam & Eue & other moo in helle.
Moyses & many mo mercy shal haue,
And I shal daunce þer-to do þow so, sustre!
For ihesus iusted wel ioye bygynneth dawe;

Ad vesperum demorabitur fletus, & ad matutinum leticia.

Loue, þat is my lemman suche lettres me sente,
That mercy, my sustre, & I mankynde shulde saue,
And þat god hath forgyuen & graunted me pees & mercy,
To be mannes meynpernoure for euere-more after.
Lo! here þe patent!” quod pees “in pace in idipsum—
And þat þis dede shal dure— dormiam & requiescam.”
Thanne was þere a wiȝte with two brode eyen,
Boke hiȝte þat beupere a bolde man of speche.
“By godes body,” quod þis boke “I wil bere witnesse,
Þat þo þis barne was ybore þere blased a sterre,
That alle þe wyse of þis worlde in o witte acordeden,
That such a barne was borne in bethleem Citee,
Þat mannes soule sholde saue & synne destroye.
And alle þe elementz,” quod þe boke “her-of bereth witnesse.
Þat he was god þat al wrouȝte þe walkene firste shewed;
Þo þat weren in heuene token stella comata,
And tendeden hir as a torche to reuerence his birthe;
Þe lyȝte folwed þe lorde in-to þe lowe erthe.
[Þe] water witnessed þat he was god for he went on it;
Peter þe apostel parceyued his gate,
And as he went on þe water wel hym knewe, & seyde,

Iube me venire ad te super aquas.

And lo! how þe sonne gan louke her liȝte in her-self,
Whan she seye hym suffre þat sonne & se

[_]

i. mare

made.
The erthe for heuynesse that he wolde suffre,
Quaked as quykke þinge and al biquasht[e] þe roche.
Lo! helle miȝte nouȝte holde but opened þo god þoled,
And lete oute symondes sones to seen hym hange on Rode.
And now shal lucifer leue it thowgh hym loth þinke;
For gygas þe geaunt with a gynne engyned
To breke & to bete doune þat ben aȝeines ihesus.
“And I, boke, wil be brent but ihesus rise to lyue,
In alle myȝtes of man & his moder gladye,
And conforte al his kynne & out of care brynge,
And al þe iuwen ioye vnioignen & vnlouken;
And but þei reuerencen his Rode & his resurexioun,
And bileue on a newe lawe be lost lyf & soule.”
“Suffre we,” seide treuth “I here & se bothe,
How a spirit speketh to helle & bit vnspere þe ȝatis,

Attollite portas, &c.”

A voice loude in þat liȝte to lucifer cryeth,
“Prynces of þis place vnpynneth & vnlouketh!
For here cometh with croune þat kynge is of glorie.”
Thanne syked sathan & seyde to hem alle,
“Suche a lyȝte, aȝeines owre leue Lazar it fette;
Care & combraunce is comen to vs alle.
If þis kynge come in mankynde wil he fecche,
And lede it þer hym lyketh & lyȝtlych me bynde.
Patriarkes & prophetes han parled her-of longe,
Þat such a lorde & a lyȝte shulde lede hem alle hennes.”
Þis þretty wynter, as I wene hath he gone & preched;
I haue assailled hym with synne & some tyme yasked
Where he were god or goddes sone? he gaf me shorte answere.
And þus hath he trolled forth þis two & thretty wynter,
And whan I seighe it was so slepyng, I went,
To warne pilates wyf what dones man was ihesus;
For iuwes hateden hym and han done hym to deth.
I wolde haue lengthed his lyf for I leued, ȝif he deyede,
That his soule wolde suffre no synne in his syȝte.
For þe body, whil it on bones ȝede aboute was euere,
To saue men fram synne ȝif hem-self wolde.
And now I se where a soule cometh hiderward seyllynge,
With glorie & with grete liȝte god it is, I wote wel.
I rede we flee,” quod he “faste alle hennes.
For vs were better nouȝte be þan biden his syȝte.
For þi lesynges, Lucifer loste is al owre praye.
Firste þorw þe we fellen fro heuene so heighe;
For we leued þi lesynges [we loupen oute alle with þe;
And now for thi last lesynge ] ylore we haue Adam,
And al owre lordeship, I leue a londe & a water;

Nunc princeps huius mundi eicietur foras.”

Thus ylyke a lusarde with a lady visage,
Theuelich þow me robbedest; þe olde lawe graunteth,
Þat gylours be bigiled & þat is gode resoun;

Dentem pro dente, & oculum pro oculo.

Ergo, soule shal soule quyte & synne to synne wende,
And al þat man hath mysdo I, man, wyl amende.
Membre for membre bi þe olde lawe was amendes,
And lyf for lyf also & by þat lawe I clayme it,
Adam & al his issue at my wille her-after.
And þat deth in hem fordid my deth shal releue,
And bothe quykke & quyte þat queynte was þorw synne;
And þat grace gyle destruye good feith it asketh.
So leue it nouȝte, lucifer aȝeine þe lawe I fecche hem,
But bi riȝt & by resoun raunceoun here my lyges:

Non veni soluere legem, sed adimplere.

Þow fettest myne in my place aȝeines al resoun,
Falseliche & felounelich; gode faith me it tauȝte,
To recoure hem thorw raunceoun & bi no resoun elles,
So þat with gyle þow gete þorw grace it is ywone.
Þow, Lucyfer, in lyknesse of a luther addere,
Getest by gyle þo that god loued;
And I, in lyknesse of a leode þat lorde am of heuene,
Graciousliche þi gyle haue quytte go gyle aȝeine gyle!
And as Adam & alle þorw a tre deyden,
Adam & alle þorwe a tree shal torne aȝeine to lyue;
And gyle is bigyled & in his gyle fallen:

Et cecidit in foueam quam fecit.

Now bygynneth þi gyle ageyne þe to tourne,
And my grace to growe ay gretter & wyder.
Þe bitternesse þat þow hast browe brouke it þi-seluen,
Þat art doctour of deth drynke þat þow madest!
Fendes and fendekynes bifor me shulle stande,
And be at my biddynge where so eure me lyketh.
And to be merciable to man þanne my kynde it asketh,
For we beth bretheren of blode but nouȝte in baptesme alle.
Ac alle þat beth myne hole bretheren in blode & in baptesme,
Shal nouȝte be dampned to þe deth þat is with-outen ende;

Tibi soli peccaui, &c.

It is nouȝt vsed in erthe to hangen a feloun
Ofter þan ones þough he were a tretour.
And ȝif þe Kynge of þat kyngedome come in þat tyme,
There þe feloun thole sholde deth or otherwyse,
Lawe wolde, he ȝeue hym lyf if he loked on hym.
And I, þat am kynge of kynges shal come suche a tyme,
There dome to þe deth dampneth al wikked;
And ȝif lawe wil I loke on hem it lithe in my grace,
Whether þei deye or deye nouȝte for þat þei deden ille.
Be it any þinge abouȝte þe boldenesse of her synnes,
I may do mercy þorw riȝtwisnesse & alle my wordes trewe.
And þough holiwrit wil þat I be wroke of hem þat deden ille,

Nullum malum inpunitum, &c.,

Thei shul be clensed clereliche & wasshen of her synnes
In my prisoun purgatorie til parce it hote,
And my mercy shal be shewed to manye of my bretheren.
For blode may suffre blode bothe hungry & akale,
Ac blode may nouȝt se blode blede, but hym rewe.”—

Audiui archana verba, que non licet homini loqui.—

“Ac my riȝtwisnesse & riȝt shal reulen al helle,
And mercy al mankynde bifor me in heuene.
For I were an vnkynde Kynge but I my kynde holpe,
And namelich at such a nede þer nedes helpe bihoueth;

Non intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo, [domine.]

Þus bi lawe,” quod owre lorde “lede I wil fro hennes
Þo þat me loued & leued in my comynge.
And for þi lesynge, lucifer þat þow lowe til Eue,
Thow shalt abye it bittre”— & bonde hym with cheynes.
Astaroth and al þe route hidden hem in hernes,
They dorste nouȝte loke on owre lorde þe boldest of hem alle,
But leten hym lede forth what hym lyked and lete what hym liste.
Many hundreth of angeles harpeden & songen,

Culpat caro, purgat caro; regnat deus dei caro.

“Thow seist soth,” seyde ryȝtwisnesse & reuerentlich hir kyste,
“Pees & pees here! per secula seculorum.”

Misericordia & veritas obuiauerunt sibi, iusticia & pax osculate sunt.

Treuth tromped þo, & songe te deum laudamus;
And þanne luted loue in a loude note,

Ecce quam bonum, & quam iocundum, &c.

PASSUS XIX (PROLOGUE TO DOBEST). Passus xixus; & explicit dobet, & incipit dobest.

Ac to carpe more of cryst And how he come to þat name,
Faithly forto speke his firste name was ihesus.
Tho he was borne in bethleem as þe boke telleth,
And cam to take mankynde kynges and aungeles
Reuerenced hym faire with richesse of erthe.
Angeles out of heuene come knelyng & songe,

Gloria in excelsis deo, &c.

Kynges come after kneled, & offred
Mirre & moche golde with-outen mercy askynge,
Or any kynnes catel but knowlechyng hym soeuereigne
Bothe of sonde, sonne, & see & sithenes þei went
In-to her kyngene kyth by conseille of angeles.
And there was þat worde fulfilled þe which þow of speke,

Omnia celestia, terrestria, flectantur in hoc nomine Ihesu.

For alle þe angeles of heuene at his burth kneled,
And al þe witte of þe worlde was in þo þre kynges;
Resoun & [riȝtwisnesse] & reuth þei offred,
Wherfore & whi wyse men þat tyme,
Maistres & lettred men Magy hem called.
Ac Marie Magdeleyne mette hym bi þe wey,
Goynge toward galile in godhed & manhed,
And lyues & lokynge & she aloude cryde,
In eche a compaignye þere she cam christus resurgens!
Þus cam it out þat cryst ouer-cam rekeuered & lyued;

Sic oportet christum pati, & intrare, &c.;

For [þat] þat wommen witeth may nouȝte wel be conseille!
Thomas touched it & with his tonge seyde,

‘Deus meus & dominus meus.

Thow art my lorde, I bileue god, lorde ihesu!
Þow deydest & deth þoledest and deme shalt vs alle!
And now art lyuynge & lokynge & laste shalt euere!’
Crist carped þanne and curteislich seyde,
‘Thomas, for þow trowest þis & trewliche bileuest it,
Blessed mote þow be & be shalt for euere.
And blessed mote þei alle be in body & in soule,
That neuere shal se me in siȝte as þow doste nouthe,
And lellich bileuen al þis I loue hem & blesse hem;

Beati qui non viderunt, [et crediderunt,] &c.’

And fals prophetes fele flatereres & glosers
Shullen come & be curatoures ouer kynges & erlis,
And pryde shal be pope prynce of holycherche,
Coueytyse & vnkyndenesse cardinales hym to lede.
For-þi,” quod grace, “er I go I wil gyue ȝow tresore,
And wepne to fiȝte with whan antecryst ȝow assailleth.”
And gaf eche man a grace to gye with hym-seluen,
That ydelnesse encombre hym nouȝt envye ne pryde,

Diuisiones graciarum sunt, &c.

And grace gaue pieres of his goodnesse, foure stottis,
Al þat his oxen eryed þey to harwe after.
On hyȝte Austyne & ambrose an-other,
Gregori þe grete clerke & Ierome þe gode;
Þise foure, þe feithe to teche folweth pieres teme,
And harwed in an handwhile al holy scripture,
Wyth two harwes þat þei hadde an olde & a newe,

Id est, vetus testamentum & nouum.

“That is my conseille,” quod conscience “& cardynale vertues,
Þat vche man forȝyue other and þat wyl þe paternoster,

Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, &c.,

And so to ben assoilled & sithen ben houseled.”
Inparfyt is þat pope þat al peple shulde helpe,
And sendeth hem þat sleeth suche as he shulde saue;
And wel worth piers þe plowman þat [pur]sueth god in doynge,
Qui pluit super iustos & iniustos at ones,
And sent þe sonne to saue a cursed mannes tilthe,
As bryȝte as to þe best man & to þe beste woman.
Riȝte so Pieres þe plowman peyneth hym to tulye
As wel for a wastour & wenches of þe stuwes,
As for hym-self & his seruauntz saue he is firste yserued;
And trauailleth & tulyeth for a tretour also sore
As for a trewe tydy man al tymes ylyke.
And worshiped be he þat wrouȝte al bothe good & wykke,
And suffreth þat synful be til some tyme þat þei repente.
And god amende þe pope þat pileth holykirke,
And cleymeth bifor þe kynge to be keper ouer crystene,
And counteth nouȝt þough crystene ben culled & robbed,
And fynt folke to fyȝte and cristene blode to spille,
Aȝeyne þe olde lawe & newe lawe as Luke þer-of witnesseth,

Non occides: michi vindictam, &c.

It semeth, by so hym-self hadd[e] his wille,
That he ne reccheth riȝte nouȝte of al þe remenaunte.
And cryst of his curteisye þe cardinales saue,
And tourne her witte to wisdome & to wele of soule!
For þe comune,” quod þis curatour “counten ful litel
Þe conseille of conscience or cardinale vertues,
But if þei [seiȝe] as by syȝte somwhat to wynnynge;
Of gyle ne of gabbynge gyue þei neuere tale.
For spiritus prudencie amonge þe peple, is gyle,
And alle þo faire vertues as vyces þei semeth;
Eche man sotileth a sleight synne forto hyde,
And coloureth it for a kunnynge and a clene lyuynge.”
“In condicioun,” quod conscience “þat þow konne defende
And rule þi rewme in resoun riȝt wel, & in treuth,
Take þow may in resoun as þi lawe asketh;

Omnia tua sunt ad defendendum, set non ad depredandum!”

Þe vyker hadde fer home & faire toke his leue,
And I awakned þere-with & wrote as me mette.

PASSUS XX (DO-BEST I). Passus xxus de visione, & primus de dobest.

And if ȝe coueyteth cure kynde wil ȝow teche,
That in mesure god made alle manere thynges,
And sette [hem] at a certeyne and at a syker noumbre,
And nempned names newe and noumbred þe sterres;

Qui numerat multitudinem stellarum, & omnibus eis [nomina vocat], &c.

And ȝit he lyeth, as I leue þat to þe lewed so precheth,
For god made to men a lawe and Moyses it tauȝte,

Non concupisces rem proximi tui.

And euele is þis yholde in parisches of engelonde,
For persones and parishprestes þat shulde þe peple shryue,
Ben curatoures called to knowe and to hele,
Alle þat ben her parisshiens penaunce to enioigne,
And shulden be ashamed in her shrifte; ac shame maketh hem wende,
And fleen to þe freres as fals folke to westmynstre,
That borweth and bereth it þider and þanne biddeth frendes
Ȝerne of forȝifnesse or lenger ȝeres [lone];