Laborers that have no land

To lyve on but hire handes,

Deyned noght to dyne a day

Nyght-olde wortes;

May no peny ale hem paye,

Ne no pece of bacone, 4420

But if it be fresshe flessh outher fisshe,

Fryed outher y-bake,

And that _chaud_ and _plus chaud_,

For chillynge of hir mawe;

And but if he be heighliche hyred;

{136}

Ellis wole he chide,

And that he was werkman wroght

Waille the tyme,

Ayeins Catons counseil

Comseth he to jangle. 4430

_Paupertatis onus patienter ferre memento._ =

He greveth hym ageyn God,

And gruccheth ageyn Reson,

And thanne corseth he the kyng,

And al his counseil after,

Swiche lawes to loke

Laborers to greve.

Ac whiles Hunger was hir maister,

Ther wolde noon of hem chide, 4440

Ne stryven ayeins his statut,

So sterneliche he loked.

Ac I warne yow, werkmen,

Wynneth whil ye mowe,

For Hunger hiderward

Hasteth hym faste.

He shal a-wake with water

Wastours to chaste;

Er fyve be fulfilled,

Swich famyn shal a-ryse, 4450

Thorugh flodes and thorugh foule wedres

Fruytes shul faille,

And so seide Saturne,

And sente yow to warne.

Whan ye se the sonne a-mys,

And two monkes heddes,

And a mayde have the maistrie,

And multiplie by eighte,

Thanne shal deeth with-drawe,

{137}

And derthe be justice, 4460

And Dawe the dykere

Deye for hunger;

But God of his goodnesse

Graunte us a trewe. 4464

* * * * *

{138}

_Passus Septimus de Visione, ut supra._

Treuthe herde telle her 4465

And to Piers he sente,

To maken his teme

And tilien the erthe,

And purchaced hym a pardone

_A poena et a culpa_, 4470

For hym and for hise heires,

For evere moore after,

And bad hym holde hym at home,

And erien hise leyes.

And alle that holpen hym to erye,

To sette or to sowe,

Or any oother mestier

That myghte Piers availle,

Pardon with Piers Plowman

Truthe hath y-graunted. 4480

Kynges and knyghtes,

That kepen holy chirche,

And rightfully in remes

Rulen the peple,

Han pardon thorugh purgatorie

To passen ful lightly,

With patriarkes and prophetes

In paradis to be felawe.

{139}

Bysshopes y-blessed,

If thei ben as thei sholde, 4490

Legistres of bothe lawes,

The lewed therwith to preche,

And in as muche as thei mowe

Amenden alle synfulle,

Arn peres with the Apostles,

This pardon Piers sheweth,

And at the day of dome

At the heighe deys sitte.

Marchauntz in the margyne

Hadde manye yeres, 4500

Ac noon _a poena et a culpa_

The pope nolde hem graunte,

For thei holde noght hir hali-dayes

As holy chirche techeth,

And for thei swere by hir soule,

And so God moste hem helpe,

Ayein clene Conscience,

Hir catel to selle.

Ac under his secret seel

Truthe sente hem a lettre, 4510

That thei sholde buggen boldely

That hem best liked,

And sithenes selle it ayein,

And save the wynnyng,

And amende meson-dieux thermyd,

And mys-eise folk helpe,

And wikkede weyes

Wightly amende,

And do boote to brugges

That to-broke were, 4520

Marien maydenes,

Or maken hem nonnes,

{140}

Povere peple and prisons

Fynden hem hir foode,

And sette scolers to scole,

Or to som othere craftes,

Releve religion,

And renten hem bettre;

"And I shal sende yow myselve

Seint Michel myn archangel, 4530

That no devel shal yow dere,

Ne fere yow in youre deying,

And witen yow fro wanhope,

If ye wol thus werche,

And sende youre soules in saufté

To my seintes in joye."

Thanne were marchauntz murie,

Manye wepten for joye,

And preiseden Piers the Plowman,

That purchaced this bulle. 4540

Men of lawe leest pardon hadde,

That pleteden for Mede;

For the Sauter saveth hem noght,

Swiche as take giftes,

And nameliche of innocentz

That noon yvel ne konneth.

_Super innocentem munera non accipies._ =

Pledours sholde peynen hem

To plede for swiche and helpe; 4550

Princes and prelates

Sholde paie for hire travaille.

_A regibus et principibus erit merces eorum._ =

Ac many a justice and jurour

Wolde for Johan do moore

{141}

Than _pro Dei pietate_,

Leve thow noon oother.

Ac he that spendeth his speche,

And speketh for the povere 4560

That is innocent and nedy,

And no man apeireth,

Conforteth hym in that caas

Withouten coveitise of giftes,

And sheweth lawe for oure Lordes love,

As he it hath y-lerned,

Shal no devel at his deeth day

Deren hym a myte,

That he ne worth saaf and his soule,

The Sauter bereth witnesse: 4570

_Domine, quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo?_ =

Ac to bugge water, ne wynd,

Ne wit, ne fir the ferthe,

Thise foure the fader of hevene

Made to this foold in commune.

Thise ben Truthes tresores

Trewe folk to helpe,

That nevere shul wexe ne wanye,

Withouten God hymselve. 4580

Whan thei drawen on to deye,

And indulgences wolde have,

Hir pardon is ful petit

At hir partyng hennes,

That any mede of mene men

For hir motyng taketh.

Ye legistres and lawieres,

Holdeth this for truthe,

That if that I lye,

Mathew is to blame, 4590

{142}

For he bad me make yow this,

And this proverbe me tolde,

_Quodcunque vultis ut faciant vobis

homines, facite eis._

Alle libbynge laborers

That lyven with hir hondes,

That treweliche taken,

And treweliche wynnen,

And lyven in love and in lawe,

For hir lowe hertes 4600

Haveth the same absolucion

That sent was to Piers.

Beggeres ne bidderes

Ne beth noght in the bulle,

But if the suggestion be sooth

That shapeth hem to begge.

For he that beggeth or bit,

But if he have nede,

He is fals with the feend,

And defraudeth the nedy; 4610

And also he bi-gileth the gyvere,

Ageynes his wille;

For if he wiste he were noght nedy,

He wolde gyve that another

That were moore nedy than he,

So the nedieste sholde be holpe.

Caton kenneth me thus,

And the clerc of stories;

_Cui des videto_,

Is Catons techyng. 4620

And in the stories he techeth

To bistowe thyn almesse.

_Sit elemosina tua in manu tua,

donec studes cui des._

{143}

Ac Gregory was a good man,

And bad us gyven alle

That asketh for his love

That us al leneth.

_Non eligas cui miserearis, ne forte

prætereas illum qui meretur 4630

accipere. Quia incertum est

pro quo Deo magis placeas._

For wite ye nevere who is worthi,

Ac God woot who hath nede;

In hym that taketh is the trecherie,

If any treson walke.

For he that yeveth, yeldeth,

And yarketh hym to reste;

And he that biddeth, borweth,

And bryngeth hymself in dette. 4640

For beggeres borwen evere mo,

And hir borgh is God almyghty,

To yelden hem that yeveth hem,

And yet usure moore.

_Quare non dedisti pecuniam meam

ad mensam, ut ego veniam cum

usuris exigere?_

For-thi biddeth noght, ye beggeres,

But if ye have gret nede;

For who so hath to buggen hym breed, 4650

The book bereth witnesse,

He hath y-nough that hath breed y-nough,

Though he have noght ellis.

_Satis dives est, qui non indiget pane._

Lat usage be youre solas,

Of seintes lyves redyng,

The book banneth beggerie,

{144}

And blameth hem in this manere:

_Junior fui, et jam senui, et non vidi

justum derelictum, nec semen 4660

ejus, etc._

For ye lyve in no love,

Ne no lawe holde;

Manye of yow ne wedde noght

The womman that ye with deele,

But as wilde bestes with 'wehee!'

Worthen uppe and werchen,

And bryngen forth barnes,

That bastardes men calleth;

Or the bak or som boon 4670

He breketh in his youthe,

And siththe goon faiten with youre fauntes

For evere moore after.

Ther is moore mys-shapen peple

Amonges thise beggeres,

Than of alle manere men

That on this moolde walketh.

And thei that lyve thus hir lif,

Mowe lothe the tyme

That evere thei were men wroght, 4680

Whan thei shal hennes fare.

Ac olde men and hore,

Than help-lees ben of strengthe,

And wommen with childe

That werche ne mowe,

Blynde and bed-reden,

And broken hire membres,

That taken thise myschiefs mekeliche,

As mesels and othere,

Han as pleyn pardon 4690

As the plowman hymselve.

{145}

For love of hir lowe hertes,

Oure Lord hath hem graunted

Hir penaunce and hir purgatorie

Here on this erthe.

"Piers," quod a preest thoo,

"Thi pardon moste I rede;

For I wol construe ech clause,

And kenne it thee on Englisshe."

And Piers at his preiere 4700

The pardon unfoldeth;

And I by-hynde hem bothe

Biheld al the bulle,

And in two lynes it lay,

And noght a leef more,

And was writen right thus,

In witnesse of Truthe:

_Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam eternam. =

Qui vero mala, in ignem eternum._ 4710

"Peter," quod the preest thoo,

"I kan no pardon fynde,

But do wel and have wel,

And God shal have thi soule,

And do yvel and have yvel,

Hope thow noon oother,

But after thi deeth-day

The devel shal have thi soule."

And Piers for pure tene

Pulled it a-tweyne, 4720

And seide _Si ambulavero in medio

umbræ mortis, non timebo mala,

quoniam tu mecum es._

"I shal cessen of my sowyng," quod Piers, =

{146}

"And swynke noght so harde,

Ne aboute my bely joye

So bisy be na-moore;

Of preieres and of penaunce

My plough shal ben herafter, 4730

And wepen whan I sholde slepe,

Though whete-breed me faille.

"The prophete his payn eet

In penaunce and in sorwe,

By that the Sauter seith,

So dide othere manye;

That loveth God lelly,

His liflode is ful esy.

_Fuerunt mihi lacrimæ meæ panes

die ac nocte._ 4740

"And but if Luc lye,

He lereth us by foweles,

We sholde noght be to bisy

Aboute the worldes blisse;

_Ne soliciti sitis_,

He seith in the Gospel,

And sheweth us by ensamples

Us selve to wisse.

The foweles in the feld,

Who fynt hem mete at wynter? 4750

Have thei no gerner to go to,

But God fynt hem alle."

"What!" quod the preest to Perkyn,

"Peter! as me thynketh,

Thow art lettred a litel:--

Who lerned thee on boke?"

"Abstynence the abbesse," quod Piers,

"Myn a.b.c. me taughte;

And Conscience cam afterward,

And kenned me muche moore." 4760

{147}

"Were thow a preest," quod he,

"Thou myghtest preche where thou sholdest,

As divinour in divinité,

With _Dixit insipiens_ to thi teme."

"Lewed lorel!" quod Piers,

"Litel lokestow on the Bible;

On Salomons sawes

Selden thow biholdest:

_Ejice derisores et jurgia cum eis, ne

crescant, etc._" 4770

The preest and Perkyn

Opposeden either oother.

And I thorugh hir wordes a-wook,

And waited aboute,

And seigh the sonne in the south

Sitte that tyme,

Mete-lees and monei-lees

On Malverne hulles,

Musynge on this metels,

And my wey ich yede. 4780

Many tyme this metels

Hath maked me to studie

Of that I seigh slepynge,

If it so be myghte,

And also for Piers the Plowman

Ful pencif in herte,

And which a pardon Piers hadde

Al the peple to conforte,

And how the preest impugned it

With two propre wordes. 4790

Ac I have no savour in songewarie,

For I se it ofte faille;

Caton and canonistres

Counseillen us to leve

{148}

To sette sadnesse in songewarie,

For _sompnia ne cures_.

Ac for the book Bible

Bereth witnesse

How Daniel divined

The dreem of a kyng, 4800

That was Nabugodonosor

Nempned of clerkes.

Daniel seide, "Sire kyng,

Thi dremels bitokneth

That unkouthe knyghtes shul come

Thi kyngdom to cleyme;

Amonges lower lordes

Thi lond shal be departed."

And as Daniel divined,

In dede it fel after; 4810

The kyng lees his lordshipe,

And lower men it hadde.

And Joseph mette merveillously

How the moone and the sonne

And the ellevene sterres

Hailsed hym alle.

Thanne Jacob jugged

Josephes swevene.

"Beau fitz," quod his fader,

"For defaute we shullen, 4820

I myself and my sones,

Seche thee for nede."

It bifel as his fader seide,

In Pharaoes tyme,

That Joseph was justice

Egipte to loke;

It bifel as his fader tolde,

Hise frendes there hym soughte,

And al this maketh me

{149}

On this metels to thynke. 4830

And how the preest preved

No pardon to Do-wel,

And demed that Do-wel

Indulgences passed,

Biennals and triennals,

And bisshopes lettres;

And how Do-wel at the day of dome

Is digneliche underfongen,

And passeth al the pardon

Of seint Petres cherche. 4840

Now hath the pope power

Pardon to graunte the peple,

Withouten any penaunce

To passen into hevene;

This is oure bileve,

As lettred men us techeth:

_Quodcumque ligaveris super terram,

erit ligatum et in coelis, etc._ =

And so I leve leelly, 4850

Lordes forbode ellis!

That pardon and penaunce

And preieres doon save

Soules that have synned

Seven sithes dedly;

Ac to truste to thise triennals,

Trewely me thynketh,

Is noght so siker for the soule,

Certes, as is Do-wel.

For-thi I rede yow, renkes, 4860

That riche ben on this erthe,

Upon trust of youre tresor

Triennals to have,

Be ye never the bolder

{150}

To breake the .x. hestes;

And namely ye maistres,

Meires and jugges,

That have the welthe of this world

And for wise men ben holden,

To purchace yow pardon 4870

And the popes bulles.

At the dredful dome,

Whan dede shulle rise,

And comen alle to-fore Crist

Acountes to yelde,

How thow laddest thi lif here,

And hise lawes keptest,

And how thow didest day by day,

The doom wole reherce.

A poke ful of pardon there, 4880

Ne provincials lettres,

Theigh ye be founde in the fraternité

Of alle the foure ordres,

And have indulgences double-fold,

But if Do-wel yow helpe,

I sette youre patentes and youre pardon

At one pies hele.

For-thi I counseille alle Cristene

To crie God mercy,

And Marie his moder 4890

Be oure meene bitwene,

That God gyve us grace here,

Er we go hennes,

Swiche werkes to werche

While we ben here,

That after oure deeth-day

Do-wel reherce

At the day of dome,

We dide as he highte. 4899

* * * * *

{151}

_Passus Octavus de Visione, et incipit Do-wel._

Thus y-robed in russet 4900

I romed aboute

Al a somer seson

For to seke Do-wel;

And frayned ful ofte

Of folk that I mette,

If any wight wiste

Wher Do-wel was at inne;

And what man he myghte be

Of many man I asked.

Was nevere wight, as I wente, 4910

That me wisse kouthe

Where this leode lenged,

Lasse ne moore;

Til it bi-fel on a Friday

Two freres I mette,

Maistres of the menours,

Men of grete witte.

I hailsed hem hendely,

As I hadde y-lerned,

And preide hem _par charité_, 4920

Er thei passed ferther,

If thei knewe any contree

Or costes, as thei wente,

{152}

"Where that Do-wel dwelleth

Dooth me to witene."

For thei be men of this moolde

That moost wide walken,

And knowen contrees and courtes,

And many kynnes places,

Bothe princes paleises 4930

And povere mennes cotes,

And Do-wel and Do-yvele

Wher thei dwelle bothe.

"Amonges us," quod the Menours,

"That man is dwellynge,

And evere hath, as I hope,

And evere shal herafter."

"_Contra_," quod I as a clerc,

And comsed to disputen,

And seide hem soothly, 4940

"_Septies in die cadit justus._

Sevene sithes, seith the book,

Synneth the rightfulle;

And who so synneth," I seide,

"Dooth yvele, as me thynketh;

And Do-wel and Do-yvele

Mowe noght dwelle togideres.

_Ergo_ he nys noght alwey

Amonges yow freres;

He is outher while ellis where 4950

To wisse the peple."

"I shal seye thee, my sone,"

Seide the frere thanne,

"How seven sithes the sadde man

On a day synneth;

By a forbisne," quod the frere,

"I shal thee faire shewe.

{153}

Lat brynge a man in a boot

Amydde the brode watre,

The wynd and the water 4960

And the boot waggyng

Maketh the man many a tyme

To falle and to stonde;

For stonde he never so stif,

He stumbleth if he meve,

Ac yet is he saaf and sound,

And so hym bihoveth.

For if he ne arise the rather,

And raughte to the steere,

The wynd wolde with the water 4970

The boot over throwe;

And thanne were his lif lost,

Through lachesse of hymselve.

"And thus it falleth," quod the frere,

"By folk here on erthe;

The water is likned to the world

That wanyeth and wexeth;

The goodes of this grounde arn lik

To the grete wawes,

That as wyndes and wedres 4980

Walketh aboute;

The boot is likned to oure body

That brotel is of kynde,

That thorugh the fend and the flesshe

And the frele worlde

Synneth the sadde man

A day seven sithes.

"Ac dedly synne doth he noght,

For Do-wel hym kepeth;

And that is charité the champion, 4990

Chief help ayein synne;

{154}

For he strengheth men to stonde,

And steereth mannes soule,

And though the body bowe

As boot dooth in the watre,

Ay is thi soule saaf,

But if thow wole thiselve

Do a deedly synne,

And drenche so thi soule,

God wole suffre wel thi sleuthe, 5000

If thiself liketh.

For he yaf thee a yeres-gyve,

To yeme wel thiselve,

And that is wit and free-wil,

To every wight a porcion,

To fleynge foweles,

To fisshes and to beestes;

Ac man hath moost therof,

And moost is to blame,

But if he werche wel therwith, 5010

As Do-wel hym teacheth."

"I have no kynde knowyng," quod I,

"To conceyven alle youre wordes;

Ac if I may lyve and loke,

I shal go lerne bettre."

"I bikenne thee Crist," quod he,

"That on cros deyde!"

And I seide, "The same

Save yow fro myschaunce,

And gyve yow grace on this grounde 5020

Goode men to worthe!"

And thus I wente wide wher

Walkyng myn one,

By a wilde wildernesse,

{155}

And by a wodes side;

Blisse of the briddes

Broughte me a-slepe,

And under a lynde upon a launde

Lened I a stounde,

To lythe the layes 5030

Tho lovely foweles made.

Murthe of hire mouthes

Made me ther to sleple;

The marveillouseste metels

Mette me thanne

That ever dremed wight

In world, as I wene.

A muche man, as me thoughte,

And lik to myselve,

Cam and called me 5040

By my kynde name.

"What artow?" quod I tho,

"That thow my name knowest."

"That thou woost wel," quod he,

"And no wight bettre."

"Woot I what thow art?"

"Thought," seide he thanne;

"I have sued thee this seven yeer,

Seye thow me no rather."

"Artow Thought," quod I thoo, 5050

"Thow koudest me wisse,

Where that Do-wel dwelleth,

And do me that to knowe."

"Do-wel and Do-bet,

And Do-best the thridde," quod he,

"Arn thre fair vertues,

And ben noght fer to fynde.

Who so is trewe of his tunge,

{156}

And of his two handes,

And thorugh his labour, or thorugh his land, 5060

His liflode wynneth,

And is trusty of his tailende,

Taketh but his owene,

And his noght dronklewe ne dedeynous,

Do-wel hym folweth.

"Do-bet dooth right thus:

Ac he dooth muche moore;

He is as lowe as a lomb,

And lovelich of speche,

And helpeth alle men 5070

After that hem nedeth.

The bagges and the bigirdles,

He hath to-broke hem alle,

That the erl Avarous

Heeld and hise heires.

And thus with Mammonaes moneie

He hath maad hym frendes,

And is ronne to religion,

And hath rendred the Bible,

And precheth to the peple 5080

Seint Poules wordes:

_Libenter suffertis insipientes, cum

sitis ipsi sapientes._

"And suffreth the unwise

With yow for to libbe;

And with glad wille dooth hem good,

For so God yow hoteth.

"Do-best is above bothe,

And bereth a bisshopes crosse,

Is hoked on that oon ende 5090

To halie men fro helle;

A pik is on that potente,

{157}

To putte a-down the wikked

That waiten any wikkednesse

Do-wel to tene.

And Do-wel and Do-bet

Amonges hem han ordeyned,

To crowne oon to be kyng

To rulen hem bothe;

That if Do-wel or Do-bet 5100

Dide ayein Do-best,

Thanne shal the kyng come

And casten hem in irens,

And but if Do-best bede for hem,

Thei to be ther for evere.

"Thus Do-wel and Do-bet,

And Do-best the thridde,

Crouned oon to the kyng

To kepen hem alle,

And to rule the reme 5110

By hire thre wittes,

And noon oother wise

But as thei thre assented."

I thonked Thoght tho,

That he me thus taughte.

"Ac yet savoreth me noght thi seying;

I coveite to lerne

How Do-wel, Do-bet, and Do-best

Doon among the peple."

"But Wit konne wisse thee," quod Thoght, 5120

"Wher tho thre dwelle,

Ellis woot I noon that kan

That now is alyve."

Thoght and I thus

Thre daies we yeden,

Disputyng upon Do-wel

{158}

Day after oother;

And ere we were war,

With Wit gonne we mete.

He was long and lene, 5130

Lik to noon other;

Was no pride on his apparaille,

Ne poverte neither;

Sad of his semblaunt,

And of softe chere.

I dorste meve no matere

To maken hym to jangle,

But as I bad Thoght thoo

Be mene bitwene,

And pute forth som purpos 5140

To preven hise wittes,

What was Do-wel fro Do-bet,

And Do-best from hem bothe.

Thanne Thoght in that tyme

Seide thise wordes:

"Where Do-wel, Do-bet,

And Do-best ben in londe,

Here is Wil wolde wite,

If Wit koude teche hym;

And wheither he be man or womman

This man fayn wolde aspie,

And werchen as thei thre wolde,

Thus is his entente." 5153

* * * * *

{159}

_Passus Nonus de Visione, ut supra, et Primus de Do-wel_

"Sire Do-wel dwelleth," quod Wit, 5154

"Noght a day hennes,

In a castel that Kynde made

Of four kynnes thynges;

Of erthe and of eyr it is maad,

Medled togideres,

With wynd and with water 5160

Witterly enjoyned.

Kynde hath closed therinne

Craftily withalle

A lemman that he loveth

Lik to hymselve;

_Anima_ she hatte.

Ac envye hir hateth,

A proud prikere of Fraunce,

_Princeps hujus mundi_,

And wolde wynne hire awey 5170

With wiles, and he myghte.

"Ac Kynde knoweth this wel,

And kepeth hire the bettre,

And dooth hire with sire Do-wel,

Is duc of thise marches.

"Do-bet is hire damyselle,

Sire Do-weles doughter,

{160}

To serven this lady leelly

Bothe late and rathe.

"Do-best is above bothe, 5180

A bisshopes peere;

That he bit moot be do,

He ruleth hem alle.

_Anima_, that lady,

Is lad by his leryng.

Ac the constable of that castel,

That kepeth al the wacche,

Is a wis knyght withalle,

Sire Inwit he hatte,

And hathe fyve faire sones 5190

Bi his firste wyve;

Sire Se-wel, and Sey-wel,

And Here-wel the hende,

Sire Werch-wel-with-thyn-hand,

A wight man of strengthe,

And sire Godefray Go-wel;

Grete lordes, for sothe.

Thise fyve ben set

To kepe this lady _Anima_,

Til Kynde come or sende 5200

To saven hire for evere."

"What kynnes thyng is Kynde?" quod I,

"Kanstow me telle?"

"Kynde," quod Wit, "is a creatour

Of alle kynnes thynges,

Fader and formour

Of al that evere was maked;

And that is the grete God

That gynnyng hadde nevere,

Lord of lif and of light, 5210

Of lisse and of peyne.

{161}

Aungeles and alle thyng

Arn at his wille;

Ac man is hym moost lik

Of marc and of shafte;

For thorugh the word that he spak

Woxen forth beestes.

_Dixit et facta sunt._

"And made man likkest

To hymself one, 5220

And Eve of his ryb-bon,

Withouten any mene,

For he was synguler hymself;

And seide _faciamus_,

As who seith moore moot herto

Than my word oone,

My myght moot helpe

Forth with my speche.

Right as a lord sholde make lettres,

And hym lakked parchemyn, 5230

Though he koude write never so wel,

If he hadde no penne,

The lettre, for al the lordshipe,

I leve were nevere y-maked.

"And so it semeth by hym,

As the Bible telleth,

There he seide _Dixit et facta sunt_,

He moste werche with his word,

And his wit shewe.

And in this manere was man maad, 5240

Thorugh myght of God almighty,

With his word and werkmanshipe,

And with lif to laste.

And thus God gaf hym a goost,

Thorugh the godhede of hevene,

{162}

And of his grete grace

Graunted hym blisse,

And that is lif that ay shal laste

To al his lynage after.

And that is the castel that Kynde made, 5250

_Caro_ it hatte,

And is as muche to mene

As man with a soule;

And that he wroghte with werk,

And with word bothe,

Thorgh myght of the magesté

Man was y-maked.

"Inwit and alle wittes

Closed ben therinne,

For love of the lady _Anima_, 5260

That lif is y-nempned;

Over al in mannes body

He walketh and wandreth.

And in the herte is hir hoom

And hir mooste reste.

"Ac Inwit is in the heed,

And to the herte he loketh;

What _Anima_ is leef or looth,

He lat hire at his wille;

For after the grace of God, 5270

The gretteste is Inwit.

"Muche wo worth that man

That mys-ruleth his Inwit;

And that ben glotons glubberes,

Hir God is hire wombe.

_Quorum deus venter est._

"For thei serven Sathan,

Hir soules shal he have.

That lyven synful lif here,

{163}

Hir soule is lich the devil; 5280

And alle that lyven good lif

Are lik to God almyghty,

_Qui manet in caritate, in Deo manet, etc._ =

"Alas! that drynke shal for-do

That God deere boughte,

And dooth God forsaken hem

That he shoop to his liknesse.

_Amen dico vobis, nescio vos. Et alibi:

Et dimisi eos secundum desideria 5290

eorum._

"Fools that fauten Inwit,

I fynde that holy chirche

Sholde fynden hem that hem fauted,

And fader-lese children,

And widewes that han noght wherwith

To wynnen hem hir foode,

Madde men, and maydenes

That help-lese were,

Alle thise lakken Inwit, 5300

And loore bihoveth.

"Of this matere I myghte

Make a long tale,

And fynde fele witnesses

Among the foure doctours;

And that I lye noght of that I lere thee,

Luc bereth witnesse.

"God-fadres and god-modres,

That seen hire god-children

At mys-eise and at myschief, 5310

And mowe hem amende,

Shul have penaunce in purgatorie

But thei hem helpe.

{164}

For moore bilongeth to the litel barn,

Er he the lawe knowe,

Than nempnynge of a name,

And he never the wiser.

Sholde no cristene creature

Cryen at the yate,

Ne faille payn ne potage, 5320

And prelates dide as thei sholden.

A Jew wolde noght se a Jew

Go janglyng for defaute,

For alle the mebles on this moolde,

And he amende it myghte.

"Alas! that a cristene creature

Shal be unkynde til another;

Syn Jewes, that we jugge

Judas felawes,

Eyther of hem helpeth oother 5330

Of that that hem nedeth.

Whi nel we cristene

Of Cristes good be as kynde

As Jewes, that ben oure lores-men?

Shame to us alle!

The commune for hir unkyndenesse,

I drede me, shul abye.

"Bisshopes shul be blamed

For beggeres sake.

He is wors than Judas, 5340

That gyveth a japer silver,

And biddeth the beggere go,

For his broke clothes.

_Proditor est prælatus cum Juda,

qui patrimonium Christi mimis

distribuit. Et alibi: Perniciosus

dispensator est, qui res

{165}

pauperum Christi inutiliter

consumit._

"He dooth noght wel that dooth thus, 5350

Ne drat noght God almyghty;

He loveth noght Salomons sawes,

That sapience taughte.

_Initium sapientiæ, timor Domini._

"That dredeth God, he dooth wel;

That dredeth him for love,

And noght for drede of vengeaunce,

Dooth therfore the bettre.

"He dooth best that with-draweth hym

By daye and by nyghte, 5360

To spille any speche

Or any space of tyme.

_Qui offendit in uno, in omnibus est reus._ =

"Lesynge of tyme,

Truthe woot the sothe,

Is moost y-hated upon erthe

Of hem that ben in hevene;

And siththe to spille speche,

That spicerie is of grace, 5370

And Goddes gle-man,

And a game of hevene.

Wolde nevere the feithful fader

This fithele were un-tempred,

Ne his gle-man a gedelyng,

A goere to tavernes.

"To alle trewe tidy men

That travaille desiren,

Oure Lord loveth hem and lent

Loude outher stille 5380

{166}

Grace to go to hem,

And of-gon hir liflode.

_Inquirentes autem Dominum non

minuentur omni bono._

"Trewe wedded libbynge folk

In this world is Do-wel,

For thei mote werche and wynne,

And the world sustene.

For of hir kynde thei come

That confessours ben nempned, 5390

Kynges and knyghtes,

Kaysers and cherles,

Maidenes and martires,

Out of o man come.

The wif was maad the weye

For to helpe werche;

And thus was wedlok y-wroght

With a mene persone,

First, by the fadres wille,

And the frendes conseille; 5400

And sithenes by assent of hemself,

As thei two myghte acorde.

And thus was wedlok y-wroght,

And God hymself it made

In erthe and in hevene,

Hymself bereth witnesse.

"Ac fals folk feyth-lees,

Theves and lyeres,

Wastours and wrecches,

Out of wedlok, I trowe, 5410

Conceyved ben in yvel tyme,

As Caym was on Eve;

Of swiche synfulle sherewes

The Sauter maketh mynde:

{167}

_Concepit in dolore, et peperit iniquitatem, etc._ =

"And alle that come of that Caym,

Come to yvel ende.

And God sente to Seem,

And seide by an aungel, 5420

'Thyn issue in thyn issue

I wol that thei be wedded,

And noght thi kynde with Caymes

Y-coupled nor y-spoused.'

"Yet some, ayein the sonde

Of oure Saveour of hevene,

Caymes kynde and his kynde

Coupled togideres,

Til God wrathed for hir werkes,

And swich a word seide, 5430

'That I makede man

It me for-thynketh.'

_Poenitet me fecisse hominem._

"And com to Noe anon,

And bad hym noght lette:

'Swith go shape a ship

Of shides and of bordes;

Thyself and thi sones,

And sithen youre wyves,

Busketh yow to that boot, 5440

And bideth ye therinne,

Til fourty daies be fulfild,

That the flood have y-wasshen

Clene awey the corsed blood

That Caym hath y-maked.

"'Beestes that now ben

Shul banne the tyme

That evere that cursed Caym

{168}

Coom on this erthe;

Alle shul deye for hise dedes, 5450

By dales and by hulles,

And the foweles that fleen

Forth with othere beestes,

Excepte oonliche

Of ech kynde a couple,

That in thi shyngled ship

Shul ben y-saved.'

Here a-boughte the barn

The bel-sires giltes,

And alle for hir fadres 5460

Thei ferden the werse;

The Gospel is her ayein,

In o degré, I fynde:

_Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris,

et pater non portabit iniquitatem

filii, etc._

"Ac I fynde if the fader

Be fals and a sherewe,

That som del the sone

Shal have the sires tacches. 5470

"Impe on an ellere,

And if thyn appul be swete,

Muchel merveille me thynketh;

And moore of a sherewe

That bryngeth forth any barn,

But if he be the same,

And have a savour after the sire;

Selde sestow oother.

_Nunquam colligitur de spinis uva,

nec de tribulis ficus._ 5480

"And thus thorugh cursed Caym

Cam care upon erthe;

{169}

And al for thei wroghte wedlokes

Ayein Goddes wille.

For-thi have thei maugré of hir mariages

That marie so hir children.

For some, as I se now,

Sooth for to telle,

For coveitise of catel

Un-kyndely ben wedded; 5490

As careful concepcion

Cometh of swiche mariages,

As bi-fel of the folk

That I bifore of tolde,

Therfore goode sholde wedde goode,

Though thei no good hadde;

'I am _via et veritas_,' seith Crist,

'I may avaunce yow alle.'

"It is an uncomly couple,

By Crist! as me thynketh, 5500

To yeven a yong wenche

To an old feble,

Or wedden any wodewe

For welthe of hir goodes,

That nevere shal barn bere

But if it be in hir armes.

Many a peire, sithen the pestilence,

Han plight hem togideres,

The fruyt that brynge forth

Arn foule wordes, 5510

In jelousie joye-lees,

And janglynge on bedde,

Have thei no children but cheeste,

And clappyng hem bitwene.

And though thei do hem to Dunmowe,

But if the devel helpe,

{170}

To folwen after the flicche,

Fecche thei it nevere;

And but thi bothe be for-swore,

That bacon thei tyne. 5520

"For-thei I counseille alle cristene

Coveite noght be wedded

For coveitise of catel,

Ne of kyn-rede riche;

Ac maidenes and maydenes

Macche yow togideres,

Wodewes and wideweres

Wercheth the same;

For no londes, but for love,

Loke ye be wedded, 5530

And thanne gete ye the grace of God,

And good y-nough to lyve with.

"And every maner seculer

That may noght continue,

Wisely goo wedde,

And ware hym fro synne;

For lecherie in likynge

Is lyme-yerd of helle.

Whiles thow art yong,

And thi wepene kene, 5540

Wreke thee with wyvyng,

If thow wolt ben excused.

_Dum sis vir fortis,

Ne des tua robora scortis;

Scribitur in portis,

Meretrix est janua mortis._

"Whan ye han wyved, beth war

And wercheth in tyme;

Noght as Adam and Eve,

Whan Caym was engendred. 5550

{171}

For in un-tyme, trewely,

Bitwene man and womman,

Ne sholde no bourde or bedde be;

But if thei bothe were clene

Bothe of lif and of soule,

And in perfit charité,

That ilke derne dede do

No man ne sholde.

And if thei leden thus hir lif,

It liketh God almyghty; 5560

For he made wedlok first,

And hymself it seide:

_Bonum est ut unusquisque uxorem

suam habeat, propter

fornicationem._

"And thei that other gates ben geten

For gedelynges arn holden,

As fals folk fondlynges,

Faitours and lieres,

Ungracious to gete good 5570

Or love of the peple,

Wandren and wasten

What thei cacche mowe,

Ayeins Do-wel thei doon yvel,

And the devel serve;

And after hir deeth day

Shul dwelle with the same,

But God gyve hem grace here

Hemself to amende.

"Do-wel my frend is, 5580

To doon as lawe techeth;

To love thi frend and thi foo,

Leve me, that is Do-bet;

To gyven and to yemen

{172}

Bothe yonge and olde,

To helen and to helpen,

Is Do-best of alle.

"And Do-wel is to drede God,

And Do-bet to suffre,

And so cometh Do-best of bothe, 5590

And bryngeth adoun the mody,

And that is wikked wille

That many a werk shendeth,

And dryveth awey Do-wel

Thorugh dedliche synnes." 5595

* * * * *

{173}

_Passus Decimus de Visione, et Secundus de Do-wel._

Thanne hadde Wit a wif, 5596

Was hote dame Studie,

That lene was of lere,

And of liche bothe;

She was wonderly wroth 5600

That Wit me thus taughte;

And al starynge dame Studie

Sterneliche loked.

"Wel artow wis," quod she to Wit,

"Any wisdomes to telle

To flatereres or to fooles,

That frenetike ben of wittes."

And blamed hym and banned hym,

And bad hym be stille,

With swiche wise wordes 5610

To wissen any sottes.

And seide, "_Noli mittere_, man,

Margery perles

Among hogges, that han

Hawes at wille;

Thei doon but dryvele theron,

Draf were hem levere

Than al the precious perree

That in paradis wexeth.

{174}

I seye it by swiche," quod she, 5620

"That sheweth by hir werkes,

That hem were levere lond

And lordshipe on erthe,

Or richesse, or rentes,

And reste at hir wille,

Than alle the sooth sawes

That Salomon seide evere.

"Wisdom and wit now

Is noght worth a kerse,

But if it be carded with coveitise, 5630

As clotheres kemben hir wolle.

Who so can contreve deceites

And conspire wronges,

And lede forth a love-day

To lette with truthe,

He that swiche craftes can

To counseil is cleped.

Thei lede lordes with lesynges,

And bi-lieth Truthe.

"Job the gentile 5640

In his gestes witnesseth,

That wikked men thei welden

The welthe of this worlde;

And that thei ben lordes of ech a lond

That out of lawe libbeth.

_Quare impii vivunt, bene est omnibus

qui prævaricantur et inique

agunt._

"The Sauter seith the same

By swiche that doon ille: 5650

_Ecce ipsi peccatores abundantes in

sæculo obtinuerunt divitias._

"Lo! seith holy lettrure,

{175}

Whiche beth thise sherewes?

Thilke that God gyveth moost,

Leest good thei deleth;

And moost un-kynde to the commune

That moost catel weldeth.

_Quæ perfecisti destruxerunt, justus

autem, etc._ 5660

"Harlotes for hir harlotrie

May have of hir goodes,

And japeris and jogelours,

And jangleris of gestes.

"Ac he that hath holy writ

Ay in his mouthe,

And kan telle of Tobye,

And of twelve apostles,

Or prechen of the penaunce

That Pilat wikkedly wroghte 5670

To Jhesu the gentile,

That Jewes to-drowe;

Litel is he loved

That swich a lesson sheweth,

Or daunted or drawe forth,

I do it on God hymselve.

"But thoo that feynen hem foolis,

And with faityng libbeth,

Ayein the lawe of oure Lord,

And lyen on hemselve, 5680

Spitten and spuen,

And speke foule wordes,

Drynken and drevelen,

And do men fer to gape,

Likne men, and lye on hem,

That leneth hem no giftes;

Thei konne na-moore mynstralcie

{176}

Ne musik men to glade,

Than Munde the millere

Of _Multa fecit Deus_. 5690

Ne were hir vile harlotrye,

Have God my trouthe!

Sholde nevere kyng ne knyght,

Ne chanon of seint Poules,

Gyve hem to hir yeres-gyve

The gifte of a grote.

"Ac murthe and mynstralcie

Amonges men is nouthe

Lecherie, losengerye,

And losels tales, 5700

Glotonye and grete othes,

This murthe thei lovyeth.

"Ac if thei carpen of Crist,

Thise clerkes and thise lewed

At mete in hir murthe,

Whan mynstrals beth stille,

Thanne telleth thei of the Trinité

A tale outher tweye,

And bryngen forth a balled reson,

And taken Bernard to witnesse, 5710

And putten forth a presumpcion

To preve the sothe.

Thus thei dryvele at hir deys

The Deitee to knowe,

And gnawen God with the gorge,

Whanne hir guttes fullen.

"Ac the carefulle may crie

And carpen at the yate,

Bothe a-fyngred and a-furst,

And for chele quake; 5720

Is ther noon to nyme hym neer,

{177}

His anoy to amende,

But hunten hym as an hound,

And hoten hym go thennes.

Litel loveth he that Lord

That lent hym al that blisse,

That thus parteth with the povere

A percell whan hym nedeth.

Ne were mercy in meene men

Moore than in riche, 5730

Mendinauntz mete-lees

Myghte go to bedde.

God is muche in the gorge

Of thise grete maistres,

Ac amonges meene men

His mercy and hise werkes.

And so seith the Sauter,

I have seighen it ofte:

_Ecce audivimus eam in Effrata, invenimus

eam in campis silvæ._ 5740

"Clerkes and othere kynnes men

Carpen of God faste,

And have hym muche in the mouth;

Ac meene men in herte.

"Freres and faitours

Han founde swiche questions,

To plese with proude men,

Syn the pestilence tyme;

And prechen at seint Poules

For pure envye of clerkes; 5750

That folk is noght fermed in the feith,

Ne free of hire goodes,

Ne sory for hire synnes;

So is pride woxen,

In religion and in al the reme,

{178}

Amonges riche and povere,

That preieres have no power

The pestilence to lette.

And yet the wrecches of this world

Is noon y-war by oother; 5760

Ne for drede of the deeth

With-drawe noght hir pride;

Ne beth plentevouse to the povere,

As pure charité wolde;

But in gaynesse and in glotonye

For-glutten hir good hemselve,

And breketh noght to the beggere

As the Book techeth:

_Frange esurienti panem tuum, etc._

And the moore he wynneth and welt 5770

Welthes and richesse,

And lordeth in londes,

The lasse good he deleth.

"Tobye telleth yow noght so,

Taketh hede, ye riche,

How the book Bible

Of hym bereth witnesse.

_Si tibi sit copia, abundanter tribue.

Si autem exiguum, illud impertiri

stude libenter._ 5780

"Who so hath muche, spende manliche,

So seith Tobye;

And who so litel weldeth,

Rule hym therafter.

For we have no lettre of oure lif,

How longe it shal dure,

Swiche lessons lordes sholde

Lovye to here,

And how he myghte moost meynee

{179}

Manliche fynde. 5790

"Nought to fare as a fithelere or a frere,

For to seke festes

Homliche at othere mennes houses,

And hatien hir owene.

Elenge is the halle

Ech day in the wike,

Ther the lord ne the lady

Liketh noght to sitte.

Now hath ech riche a rule

To eten by hymselve 5800

In a pryvee parlour,

For povere mennes sake,

Or in a chambre with a chymenee,

And leve the chief halle

That was maad for meles,

Men to eten inne,

And al to spare to spende

That spille shal another.

"I have y-herd heighe men,

Etynge at the table, 5810

Carpen, as thei clerkes were,

Of Crist, and of hise myghtes;

And leyden fautes upon the fader

That formede us alle,

And carpen ayein clerkes

Crabbede wordes,

Why wolde oure Saveour suffre

Swich a worm in his blisse,

That bigiled the womman,

And the man after, 5820

Thorugh whiche wiles and wordes

Thei wente to helle,

And al hir seed for hir synne

{180}

The same deeth suffrede.

"Here lyeth youre lore,

Thise lordes gynneth dispute,

Of that the clerkes us kenneth

Of Crist by the Gospel:

_Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris,

etc._ 5830

"Why sholde we that now ben,

For the werkes of Adam,

Roten and to-rende?

Reson wolde it nevere.

_Unusquisque portabit onus suum, etc._

"Swiche motyves thei mene,

Thise maistres in hir glorie,

And maken men in mys-bileve

That muse muche on hire wordes,

Ymaginatif herafterwarde 5840

Shal answere to hir purpos.

"Austyn to swiche argueres

Telleth this teme:

_Non plus sapere quam oportet._

"Wilneth nevere to wite

Why that God wolde

Suffre Sathan

His seed to bigile;

Ac bileveth lelly

In the loore of holy chirche, 5850

And preie hym of pardon

And penaunce in thi lyve,

And for his muche mercy

To amende yow here.

For alle that wilneth to wite

The weyes of God almyghty,

I wolde his eighe were in his ers,

{181}

And his fynger after,

That evere wilneth to wite

Why that God wolde 5860

Suffre Sathan

His seed to bigile,

Or Judas to the Jewes

Jhesu bitraye.

Al was as thow woldest,

Lord, y-worshiped be the!

And al worth as thow wolt,

What so we dispute.

"And tho that useth thise hanylons

To blende mennes wittes, 5870

What is Do-wel fro Do-bet,

That deef mote he worthe,

Siththe he wilneth to wite

Whiche thei ben bothe,

But if he lyve in the lif

That longeth to Do-wel.

For I dar ben his bolde borgh,

That do-bet wole he nevere,

Theigh Do-best drawe on hym

Day after oother." 5880

And whan that Wit was y-war

What dame Studie tolde,

He bicom so confus,

He kouthe noght loke,

And as doumb as deeth,

And drough hym arere;

And for no carpyng I kouthe after,

Ne knelyng to the grounde,

I myghte gete no greyn

Of his grete wittes. 5890

But al laughynge he louted,

{182}

And loked upon Studie

In signe that I sholde

Bi-sechen hire of grace.

And whan I was war of his wille,

To his wif gan I loute,

And seide, "Mercy, madame,

Youre man shal I worthe

As longe as I lyve,

Bothe late and rathe, 5900

For to werche youre wille

The while my lif dureth,

With that ye kenne me kyndely

To knowe what is Do-wel."

"For thi mekenesse, man," quod she,

"And for thi mylde speche,

I shal kenne thee to my cosyn

That Clergie is hoten.

He hath wedded a wif

Withinne thise sixe monthes, 5910

Is sib to seven artz,

Scripture is hir name.

They two, as I hope,

After my techyng,

Shullen wissen thee to Do-wel,

I dar it undertake."

Thanne was I al so fayn,

As fowel of fair morwe,

And gladder than the gle-man

That gold hath to gifte; 5920

And asked hire the heighe wey

Where that Clergie dwelte,

"And tel me som tokene," quod I,

"For tyme is that I wende."

"Aske the heighe wey," quod she,

{183}

"Hennes to Suffre-

Both-wele-and-wo,

If that thow wolt lerne,

And ryd forth by Richesse,

Ac rest thow noght therinne; 5930

For if thow couplest thee therwith,

To Clergie comestow nevere.

"And also the likerouse launde

That Lecherie hatte,

Leve it on thi left half

A large myle or moore,

Til thow come to a court,

Kepe-wel-thi-tunge-

Fro-lesynges-and-lither-speche-

And-likerouse-drynkes. 5940

"Thanne shaltow se Sobretee,

And Sympletee-of-speche,

That ech wight be in wille

His wit thee to shewe;

And thus shaltow come to Clergie,

That kan manye thynges.

"Seye hym this signe,

I sette hym to scole,

And that I grete wel his wif,

For I wroot hire manye bokes, 5950

And sette hire to Sapience,

And to the Sauter glose;

Logyk I lerned hire,

And manye othere lawes,

And alle musons in musik

I made hire to knowe.

"Plato the poete

I putte first to boke,

Aristotle and othere mo

{184}

To argue I taughte. 5960

"Grammer for girles

I garte first to write,

And bette hem with a baleys,

But if thei wolde lerne,

"Of alle kynne craftes

I contreved tooles,

Of carpentrie, of kerveres,

And compased masons,

And lerned hem level and lyne,

Though I loke dymme. 5970

"Ac Theologie hath tened me

Ten score tymes;

The moore I muse therinne

The mystier it seemeth,

And the depper I devyne

The derker me it thynketh.

It is no science, for sothe,

For to sotile inne;

A ful lethi thyng it were,

If that love nere; 5980

Ac for it leteth best bi-love,

I love it the bettre.

For there that love is ledere,

Ther lakked nevere grace.

Loke thow love lelly,

If thee liketh Do-wel;

For Do-bet and Do-best

Ben of Loves kynne.

"In oother science it seith,

I seigh it in Caton: 5990

_Qui simulat verbis, nec corde est fidus amicus,

Tu quoque fac simile, sic ars deluditur arte._

{185}

"Who so gloseth as gylours doon,

Go me to the same;

And so shaltow fals folk

And feith-lees bigile.

This is Catons kennyng

To clerkes that he lereth.

"Ac Theologie techeth noght so,

Who so taketh yeme; 6000

He kenneth us the contrarie,

Ayein Catons wordes.

For he biddeth us be as bretheren,

And bidde for our enemys.

And loven hem that lyen on us,

And lene hem whan hem nedeth,

And do good ayein yvel,

God hymself it hoteth.

_Dum tempus habemus, operemur

bonum ad omnes, maxime autem 6010

ad domesticos fidei._

Poul preched the peple

That perfitnesse lovede,

To do good for Goddes love,

And gyven men that asked,

And namely to swiche

As suwen oure bileve,

And alle that lakketh us, or lyeth,

Oure Lord techeth us to lovye.

And noght to greven hem that greveth us, 6020

God hymself forbad it,

_Mihi vindictam, et ego retribuam._

"For-thi loke thow lovye,

As longe as thow durest;

For is no science under sonne

So sovereyn for the soule.

{186}

"Ac astronomye is an hard thyng,

And yvel for to knowe;

Geometrie and geomesie,

So gynful of speche, 6030

Who so thynketh werche with tho two

Thryveth ful late,

For sorcerie is the sovereyn book

That to tho sciences bilongeth.

"Yet ar ther fibicches in forceres

Of fele mennes makyng,

Experimentz of alkenamye

The peple to deceyve;

If thow thynke to do-wel,

Deel therwith nevere. 6040

"Alle thise sciences I myself

Sotilede and ordeynede,

And founded hem formest

Folk to deceyve.

Tel Clergie this tokene,

And Scripture after,

To counseille thee kyndely

To knowe what is Do-wel."

I seide, "Graunt mercy, madame,"

And mekely hir grette; 6050

And wente wightly awey

Withoute moore lettyng,

And til I com to Clergie

I koude nevere stynte;

And grette the goode man,

As Studie me taughte,

And afterwardes the wif,

And worshiped hem bothe,

And tolde hem the tokenes

That me taught were. 6060

{187}

Was nevere gome upon this ground,

Sith God made the worlde,

Fairer under-fongen,

Ne frendlier at ese,

Than myself, soothly,

Soone so he wiste

Than I was of Wittes hous,

And with his wif, dame Studie.

I seide to hem soothly

That sent was I thider, 6070

Do-wel and Do-bet

And Do-best to lerne.

"It is a commune lyf," quod Clergie,

"On holy chirche to bileve,

With alle the articles of the feith

That falleth to be knowe;

And that is to bileve lelly,

Bothe lered and lewed,

On the grete God

That gynnyng hadde nevere, 6080

And on the soothfast Sone

That saved mankynde

Fro the dedly deeth

And devel's power,

Thorugh the help of the Holy Goost,

The which goost is of bothe,

Thre persones, ac noght

In plurel nombre;

For al is but oon God,

And ech is God hymselve. 6090

_Deus pater, Deus filius, Deus spiritus sanctus._ =

God the fader, God the sone,

God holy goost of bothe,

{188}

Makere of mankynde,

And of beestes bothe.

"Austyn the olde

Herof made bokes,

And hymself ordeyned

To sadde us in bileve. 6100

Who was his auctour?

Alle the foure euvangelistes,

And Crist cleped hymself so,

The euvangelistes bereth witnesse.

"Alle the clerkes under Crist

Ne koude this assoille;

But thus it bi-longeth to bileve

To lewed that willen do-wel.

For hadde nevere freke fyn wit

The feith to dispute, 6110

Ne man hadde no merite,

Myghte it ben y-preved.

_Fides non habet meritum, ubi humana

ratio præbet

experimentum._

"Thanne is Do-bet to suffre

For the soules helthe,

Al that the book bit

Bi holi cherches techyng;

And that is, man, bi thy myght, 6120

For mercies sake.

Loke thow werche it in werk,

That thi word sheweth,

Swich as thow semest in sighte

Be in assay y-founde.

_Appare quod es, vel esto quod appares._ =

"And lat no body be

{189}

By thi beryng bigiled,

But be swich in thi soule 6130

As thow semest withoute.

"Thanne is Do-best to be boold

To blame the gilty,

Sythenes thow seest thiself

As in soule clene;

Ac blame thow nevere body,

And thow be blame worthy.

_Si culpare velis,

Culpabilis esse cavebis;

Dogma tuum sordet, 6140

Cum te tua culpa remordet._

"God in the Gospel

Grevously repreveth

Alle that lakketh any lif,

And lakkes han hemselve.

_Qui consideras festucam in oculo

fratris tui, trabem in oculo tuo, etc._ =

"Why menestow thi mood for a mote

In thi brotheres eighe, 6150

Sithen a beem in thyn owene

A-blyndeth thiselve.

_Ejice primo trabem in oculo tuo, etc._ =

Which letteth thee to loke

Lasse outher more.

"I rede ech a blynd bosarde

Do boote to hymselve,

For abbotes and for priours,

And for alle manere prelates, 6160

As persons and parisshes preestes

That preche sholde and teche

{190}

Alle maner men to amenden

Bi hire myghtes.

"This text was told yow,

To ben y-war, er ye taughte,

That ye were swiche as ye seye,

So salve with othere;

For Goddes word wolde noght be lost,

For that wercheth evere; 6170

If it availled noght the commune,

It myghte availle yowselve.

"Ac it semeth now soothly

To the worldes sighte,

That Goddes word wercheth noght

On lered ne on lewed,

But in swich a manere

As Marc meneth in the gospel:

_Dum cæcus ducit cæcum, ambo in

foveam cadunt._ 6180

"Lewed men may likne yow thus,

That the beem lith in youre eighen;

And the festu is fallen

For youre defaute,

In alle maner men,

Thorugh mansede preestes.

The Bible bereth witnesse

That the folk of Israel

Bittre a-boughte the giltes

Of two badde preestes, 6190

Offyn and Fynes,

For hir coveitise,

_Archa Dei_ mys-happed,

And Ely brak his nekke.

"For-thi ye corectours claweth heron.

And corecteth first yowselve

{191}

And thanne mowe ye safly seye,

As David made in the Sauter,

_Existimasti inique quod ero tui

similis, arguam te, et statuam 6200

contra faciem tuam._

"And thanne shul burel clerkes ben abasshed

To blame yow or to greve,

And carpen noght as thei carpe now,

Ne calle yow doumbe houndes.

_Canes non valentes latrare._

And drede to wrathe yow in any word,

Youre werkmanshipe to lette,

And be prester at youre preiere,

Than for a pound of nobles. 6210

And al for youre holynesse,

Have ye this in herte.

"In scole there is scorn,

But if a clerk wol lerne,

And gret love and likyng,

For ech of hem loveth oother.

"Ac now is Religion a rydere,

A romere aboute,

A ledere of love-dayes,

And a lond-buggere, 6220

A prikere on a palfrey

Fro manere to manere,

An heepe of houndes at his ers

As he a lord were.

And but if his knave knele

That shal his coppe brynge,

He loureth on hym, and asketh hym

Who taughte hym curteisie.

"Litel hadde lordes to doon,

{192}

To gyve lond from hire heires 6230

To religiouse, that han no routhe,

Though it reyne on hir auters.

"In many places ther thei ben persons,

By hemself at ese

Of the povere have thei no pité;

And that is hir charité.

Ac thei leten hem as lordes

Hire londes lyen so brode.

"Ac ther shal come a kyng,

And confesse yow religiouses, 6240

And bete yow as the Bible telleth

For brekynge of youre rule;

And amende monyals,

Monkes and chanons,

And puten to hir penaunce

_Ad pristinum statum ire_;

And barons with erles beten hem,

Thorugh _Beatus-virres_ techyng,

That hir barnes claymen

And blame yow foule. 6250

_Hi in curribus et hi in equis ipsi

obligati sunt, etc._

"And thanne freres in hir fraytour

Shul fynden a keye

Of Costantyns cofres,

In which is the catel

That Gregories god-children

Han yvele despended.

"And thanne shal the abbot of Abyngdone =

And al his issue for evere, 6261

Have a knok of a kyng,

And incurable the wounde.

{193}

"That this worth sooth, seke ye

That ofte over-se the Bible:

_Quomodo cessavit exactor, quievit

tributum, contrivit Dominus

baculum impiorum et virgam

dominantium cædentium plaga

insanabili._ 6270

"Ac er that kyng come,

Caym shal awake.

But Do-wel shal dyngen hym adoun,

And destruye his myghte."

"Thanne is Do-wel and Do-bet," quod I,

"_Dominus_ and knyghthode."

"I nel noght scorne," quod Scripture,

"But if scryveynes lye;

Kynghod ne knyghthod,

By noght I kan a-wayte, 6280

Helpeth noght to hevene-ward

Oone heris ende;

Ne richesse right noght,

Ne reautee of lordes.

Poul preveth it impossible

Riche men to have hevene.

Salomon seith also

That silver is worst to lovye:

_Nihil iniquius quam amare

pecuniam._ 6290

And Caton kenneth us to coveiten it

Naught but as nede techeth,

_Dilige denarium, sed parce dilige formam._ =

And patriarkes and prophetes,

And poetes bothe,

Writen to wissen us

{194}

To wilne no richesse,

And preiseden poverte with pacience;

The apostles bereth witnesse 6300

That thei han eritage in hevene,

And by trewe righte;

Ther riche men no right may cleyme,

But of ruthe and grace."

"_Contra_," quod I, "by Crist!

That kan I repreve,

And preven it by Peter,

And by Poul bothe,

That is baptized beth saaf,

Be he riche or povere." 6310

"That is _in extremis_," quod Scripture,

"Amonges Sarzens and Jewes,

They mowen be saved so,

And that is oure bileve,

That an un-cristene in that caas

May cristen an hethen;

And for his lele bileve,

Whan he the lif tyneth,

Have the heritage of hevene

As any man cristene. 6320

"Ac cristene men withoute moore

Maye noght come to hevene;

For that Crist for cristene men

Deide and confermed the lawe,

That who so wolde and wilneth

With Crist to arise,

_Si cum Christo surexistis, etc._

He sholde lovye and leve,

And the lawe fulfille.

That is, love thi lord God 6330

Levest aboven alle;

{195}

And after, alle cristene creatures

In commune, ech man oother;

And thus bi-longeth to lovye,

That leveth be saved.

And but we do thus in dede,

At the day of dome

It shal bi-sitten us ful soure

The silver that we kepen;

And oure bakkes that mothe-eten be, 6340

And seen beggeris go naked;

Or delit in wyn and wilde fowel,

And wite any in defaute.

For every cristene creature

Sholde be kynde til oother,

And sithen hethen to helpe,

In hope of amendement.

"God hoteth heighe and lowe

That no man hurte oother;

And seith, 'Slee noght that semblable is 6350

To myn owene liknesse,

But if I sende thee som tokene;'

And seith '_Non moechaberis_.

Is slee noght, but suffre,

And al for the beste;

For I shal punysshe hem in purgatorie

Or in the put of helle,

Ech man for hise mysdedes,

But mercy it lette.'"

"This is a long lesson," quod I, 6360

"And litel am I the wiser;

Where Do-wel is or Do-bet,

Derkliche ye shewen.

Manye tales ye tellen

{196}

That Theologie lerneth;

And that I man maad was,

And my name y-entred

In the legende of lif

Longe er I were,

Or ellis un-writen for som wikkednesse, 6370

As Holy Writ witnesseth:

_Nemo ascendit ad coelum, nisi qui

de coelo descendit._

"I leve it wel," quod I, "by oure Lord!

And on no lettrure bettre.

For Salomon the sage,

That Sapience taughte,

God gat hym grace of wit,

And alle hise goodes after;

He demed wel and wisely, 6380

As Holy Writ telleth.

Aristotle and he,

Who wissed men bettre?

Maistres that of Goddes mercy

Techen men and prechen,

Of hir wordes thei wissen us

For wisest as in hir tyme,

And al holy chirche

Holdeth hem bothe y-dampned.

"And if I sholde werche by hir werkes 6390

To wynne me hevene,

That for hir werkes and wit

Now wonyeth in pyne,

Thanne wroughe I un-wisly,

What so evere ye preche.

"Ac of fele witty, in feith,

Litel ferly I have,

Though hir goost be un-gracious

{197}

God for to plese.

For many men on this moolde 6400

Moore setten hir hertes

In good than in God;

For-thi hem grace failleth

At hir mooste meschief,

Whan thei shal lif lete.

As Salomon dide, and swiche othere

That shewed grete wittes;

Ac hir werkes, as holy writ seith,

Were evere the contrarie.

For-thi wise witted men, 6410

And wel y-lettrede clerkes,

As thei seyen hemself,

Selde doon therafter.

_Super cathedra Moysi, etc._

"Ac I wene it worth of manye,

As was in Noes tyme,

Tho he shoop that shipe

Of shides and of bordes;

Was nevere wrighte saved that wroghte theron, =

Ne oothir werkman ellis, 6421

But briddes, and beestes,

And the blissed Noe,

And his wif with hise sones,

And also hire wyves;

Of wightes that it wroghte

Was noon of hem y-saved.

"God leve it fare noght so bi folk

That the feith techeth

Of holi chirche, that herberwe is, 6430

And Goddes hous to save,

And shilden us from shame therinne,

{198}

As Noes ship dide beestes;

And men that maden it

A-mydde the flood a-dreynten.

The culorum of this clause

Curatours is to mene,

That ben carpenters holy kirk to make

For Cristes owene beestes:

_Homines et jumenta salvabis, Domine, etc._ =

"On Good Friday I fynde 6442

A felon was y-saved,

That hadde lyved al his lif

With lesynges and with thefte;

And for he beknede to the cros,

And to Crist shrof him,

He was sonner y-saved

Than seint Johan the Baptist;

And or Adam or Ysaye, 6450

Or any of the prophetes,

That hadde y-leyen with Lucifer

Many longe yeres,

A robbere was y-raunsoned

Rather than thei alle,

Withouten any penaunce of purgatorie,

To perpetuel blisse.

"Than Marie Maudeleyne

What womman dide werse?

Or who worse than David, 6460

That Uries deeth conspired?

Or Poul the apostle,

That no pité hadde

Muche cristene kynde

To kille to dethe?

And now ben thise as sovereyns

With seintes in hevene,

{199}

Tho that wroughte wikkedlokest

In world tho thei were.

And tho that wisely wordeden, 6470

And writen manye bokes

Of wit and of wisedom,

With dampned soules wonye.

That Salomon seith, I trowe be sooth

And certein of us alle:

_Sunt justi atque sapientes et opera

eorum in manu Dei sunt, etc._

"Ther are witty and wel libbynge,

Ac hire werkes ben y-hudde

In the hondes of almyghty God, 6480

And he woot the sothe,

Wherfore a man worth allowed there,

And hise lele werkes,

Or ellis for his yvel wille,

And for envye of herte,

And be allowed as he lyved so;

For by the luthere men knoweth the goode.

"And wherby wiste men which were whit,

If alle thyng blak were?

And who were a good man, 6490

But if ther were som sherewe?

For-thi lyve we forth with othere men,

I leve fewe ben goode;

For _quant_ oportet _vient en place_,

_Il n'y ad que_ pati.

And he that may al amende,

Have mercy on us alle!

For sothest word that ever God seide

Was tho he seide _Nemo bonus_.

"Clergie tho of Cristes mouth 6500

Comended was it litel;

{200}

For he seide to seint Peter,

And to swiche as he lovede,

_Cum steteritis ante reges et præsides, etc._ =

Though ye come bifore kynges

And clerkes of the lawe,

Beth noght abasshed,

For I shal be in youre mouthes,

And gyve yow wit and wille, 6510

And konnyng to conclude

Hem alle that ayeins yow

Of Cristendom disputen.

"David maketh mencion,

He spak amonges kynges,

And myghte no kyng over-comen hym

As by konnynge of speche,

But wit and wisedom

Wan nevere the maistrie,

Whan man was at meschief, 6520

Withoute the moore grace.

"The doughtieste doctour

And devinour of the Trinitee

Was Austyn the olde,

And heighest of the foure,

Seide thus in a sermon,

I seigh it writen ones:

_Ecce ipsi idiotæ vi rapiunt coelum, ubi

nos sapientes in inferno

mergimur._ 6530

"And is to mene to men,

Moore ne lesse,

Arn none rather y-ravysshed

Fro the righte bileve,

Than are thise konnynge clerkes

That konne manye bokes.

{201}

"Ne none sonner saved,

Ne sadder of bileve,

Than plowmen and pastours,

And othere commune laborers; 6540

Souteres and shepherdes,

And othere lewed juttes,

Percen with a pater-noster

The paleys of hevene,

And passen purgatorie penaunce-lees

At her hennes partyng

Into the blisse of paradis,

For hir pure bileve,

That imparfitly here knewe,

And ek lyvede. 6550

"Ye men knowe clerkes,

That han corsed the tyme

That evere thei kouthe or knewe moore

Than _Credo in Deum patrem_;

And principally hir pater-noster

Many a persone hath wisshed.

"I se ensamples myself,

And so may manye othere,

That servauntz that serven lordes

Selde fallen in arerage, 6560

And tho that kepen the lordes catel,

Clerkes and reves.

"Right so lewed men,

And of litel knowyng,

Selden falle thei so foule

And so fer in synne,

As clerkes of holy chirche

That kepen Cristes tresor,

The which is mannes soule to save,

As God seith in the Gospel:

_Ite vos in vineam meam._" 6571

* * * * *

{202}

_Passus Undecimus._

Thanne Scripture scorned me 6572

And a skile tolde,

And lakked me in Latyn,

And light by me she sette,

And seide "_Multi multa sciunt

Et seipsos nesciunt._"

Tho wepte I for wo

And wrathe of hir speche;

And in a wynkynge wrathe 6580

Weex I a-slepe.

A merveillous metels

Mette me thanne,

That I was ravysshed right there,

And Fortune me fette,

And into the lond of longynge

Allone she me broughte,

And in a mirour that highte middel-erthe

She made me to biholde.

"Sone," she seide to me, 6590

"Here myghtow se wondres,

And knowe that thow coveitest,

And come therto, peraunter."

Thanne hadde Fortune folwynge hire

Two faire damyseles;

{203}

_Concupiscentia-carnis_

Men called the elder mayde,

And Coveitise-of-eighes

Y-called was that oother.

Pride-of-parfit-lyvynge 6600

Pursued hem bothe,

And bad me for my contenaunce

Acounten Clergie lighte.

_Concupiscentia-carnis_

Colled me aboute the nekke,

And seide, "Thow art yong and yeepe,

And hast yeres y-nowe

For to lyve longe,

And ladies to lovye;

And in this mirour thow myght se 6610

Myghtes ful manye,

That leden thee wole to likynge

Al thi lif tyme."

The secounde seide the same,

"I shal sewe thi wille;

Til thow be a lord and have lond,

Leten thee I nelle,

That I ne shal folwe thi felawshipe,

If Fortune it like."

"He shal fynde me his frend," 6620

Quod Fortune therafter;

"The freke that folwede my wille

Failled nevere blisse."

Thanne was ther oon that highte Elde,

That hevy was of chere;

"Man," quod he, "if I mete with thee,

By Marie of hevene!

Thow shalt fynde Fortune thee faille

At thi mooste nede,

{204}

And _Concupiscentia-carnis_ 6630

Clene thee forsake.

Bittrely shaltow banne thanne

Bothe dayes and nyghtes

Coveitise-of-eighe,

That evere thow hir knewe,

And Pride-of-parfit-lyvynge

To muche peril thee brynge."

"Ye, recche thee nevere," quod Rechelesnesse,

Stood forthe in raggede clothes,

"Folwe forth that Fortune wole, 6640

Thow hast wel fer til Elde;

A man may stoupe tyme y-nogh,

Whan he shal tyne the crowne.

"_Homo proponit_ quod a poete,

And Plato he highte,

And _Deus disponit_ quod he,

Lat God doon his wille.

If Truthe wol witnesse it be wel do

Fortune to folwe,

_Concupiscentia-carnis_, 6650

Ne Coveitise-of-eighes,

Ne shal noght greve thee gretly,

Ne bigile, but if thow wolt thiselve."

"Ye, fare wel Phippe and Faunteltee,"

And forth gan me drawe,

Til _Concupiscentia-carnis_

Acorded alle my werkes.

"Alas! eighe," quod Elde

And Holynesse bothe,

"That wit shal torne to wrecchednesse, 6660

For wil to have his likyng."

Coveitise-of-eighes

{205}

Conforted me anoon after,

And folwed me fourty wynter

And a fifte moore,

That of Do-wel ne Do-bet

Ne deyntee me thoughte.

I hadde no likyng, leve me if thee list,

Of hem ought to knowe.

Coveitise-of-eighes 6670

Com ofter in mynde

Than Do-wel or Do-bet,

Among my dedes alle.

Coveitise-of-eighes

Conforted me ofte,

And seide, "Have no conscience

How thow come to goode.

Go confesse thee to som frere,

And shewe hym thi synnes;

For whiles Fortune is thi frend 6680

Freres wol thee lovye,

And fecche thee to hir fraternitee,

And for the biseke

To hir priour provincial

A pardon for to have,

And preien for thee pol by pol,

If thow be _pecuniosus_."

_Sed poena pecuniaria non sufficit pro

spiritualibus delictis._

By wissynge of this wenche I wroughte, 6690

Hir wordes were so swete,

Til I for-yat youthe,

And yarn into elde.

And thanne was Fortune my foo,

For al hir faire speche;

{206}

And poverte pursued me,

And putte me lowe.

And tho fond I the frere a-fered,

And flittynge bothe

Ayeins oure firste for-warde; 6700

For I seide I nolde

Be buried at hire hous,

But at my parisshe chirche.

For I herde ones

How Conscience it tolde,

That there a man were cristned

Be kynde he sholde be buryed;

Or where he were parisshen,

Right there he sholde be graven.

And for I seide thus to freres, 6710

A fool thei me helden,

And loved me the lasse

For my lele speche.

Ac yet I cryde on my confessour,

That heeld hymself so konnyng;

"By my feith! frere," quod I,

"Ye faren lik thise woweris

That wedde none widwes

But for to welden hir goodes.

Right so, by the roode! 6720

Roughte ye nevere

Where my body were buryed,

By so ye hadde my silver.

"Ich have muche merveille of yow,

And so hath many another,

Whi youre covent coveiteth

To confesse and to burye,

Rather than to baptize barnes

That ben catecumelynges.

{207}

Baptizynge and buryinge 6730

Bothe beth ful nedefulle;

Ac muche moore meritorie,

Me thynketh it is to baptize.

For a baptized man may,

As thise maistres telleth,

Thorugh contricion come

To the heighe hevene.

_Sola contritio, etc._

Ac barn withouten bapteme

May noght so be saved. 6740

_Nisi quis renatus fuerit._

Loke ye, lettred men,

Wheither I lye or do noght."

And Lewté loked on me,

And I loured after.

"Wherfore lourestow?" quod Lewtee,

And loked on me harde.

"If I dorste," quod I, "amonges men

This metels avowe!"

"Yis, by Peter and by Poul!" quod he, 6750

And took hem bothe to witnesse.

"_Non oderis fratres secrete in corde

tuo, sed publice argue illos._"

"They wole aleggen also," quod I,

"And by the Gospel preven:

_Nolite judicare quemquam._"

"And wherof serveth lawe?" quod Lewtee,

"If no lif undertoke it,

Falsnesse ne faiterie,

For som what the apostle seide, 6760

_Non oderis fratrem._

{208}

And in the Sauter also

Seith David the prophete,

_Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis, etc._ =

"It is _licitum_ for lewed men

To sigge the sothe,

If hem liketh and lest,

Ech a lawe it graunteth;

Excepte persons and preestes, 6770

And prelates of holy chirche,

It falleth noght for that folk

No tales to telle,

Though the tale be trewe,

And it touche synne.

"Thyng that al the world woot,

Wherfore sholdestow spare

To reden it in retorik

To a-rate dedly synne?

Ac be nevere moore the firste 6780

Defaute to blame;

Though thow se yvel, seye it noght first,

Be sory it nere amended.

No thyng that is pryvé,

Publice thow it nevere;

Neither for love preise it noght,

Ne lakke it for envye.

_Parum lauda, vitupera parcius._"

"He seith sooth," quod Scripture tho,

And skipte an heigh, and preched. 6790

Ac the matere that she meved,

If lewed men it knewe,

The lasse, as I leve,

Lovyen it thei wolde.

{209}

This was hir teme and hir text,

I took ful good hede;

_Multi_ to a mangerie

And to the mete were sompned;

And whan the peple was plener comen,

The porter unpynned the yate, 6800

And plukked in _Pauci_ pryveliche,

And leet the remenaunt go rome.

Al for tene of hir text

Trembled myn herte;

And in a weer gan I wexe,

And with myself to dispute

Wheither I were chosen or noght chosen.

On holi chirche I thoughte,

That under-fonged me atte font

For oon of Goddes chosene. 6810

For Crist cleped us alle,

Come if we wolde,

Sarzens and scismatikes,

And so he dide the Jewes.

_O vos omnes sitientes, venite, etc._

And bad hem souke for synne

Safly at his breste,

And drynke boote for bale,

Brouke it who so myghte.

"Thanne may alle cristene come, quod I," =

"And cleyme there entree 6822

By the blood that he boughte us with

And thorugh bapteme after.

_Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit, etc._ =

{210}

For though a cristen man coveited

His cristendom to reneye,

Rightfully to reneye

No reson it wolde. 6830

"For may no cherl chartre make,

Ne his catel selle,

Withouten leve of his lord;

No lawe wol it graunte.

Ac he may renne in arerage,

And rome so fro home,

And as a reneyed caytif

Recchelesly rennen aboute.

And Reson shal rekene with hym,

And casten hym in arerage, 6840

And putten hym after in a prison

In purgatorie to brenne,

For hise arerages rewarden hym there

To the day of dome;

But if Contricion wol come,

And crye, by his lyve,

Mercy for hise mysdedes,

With mouthe and with herte,"

"That is sooth," seide Scripture;

"May no synne lette 6850

Mercy al to amende,

And mekenesse hir folwe.

For thei beth, as oure bokes telleth,

Above Goddes werkes."

_Misericordia ejus super omnia opera ejus._ =

"Ye, baw for bokes," quod oon

Was broken out of helle,

Highte Trojanus, hadde ben a trewe knyght,

Took witnesse at a pope, 6860

{211}

How he was ded and dampned

To dwellen in pyne,

For an uncristene creature;

"Clerkes wite the sothe,

That al the clergie under Crist

Ne myghte me cracche fro helle,

But oonliche love and leautee,

And my laweful domes.

"Gregorie wiste this wel,

And wilned to my soule 6870

Savacion for soothnesse

That he seigh in my werkes;

And after that he wepte,

And wilned me were graunted

Grace; withouten any bene biddyng

His boone was under-fongen,

And I saved, as ye see,

Withouten syngynge of masses.

By love and by lernyng

Of my lyvynge, in truthe, 6880

Broughte me fro bitter peyne

Ther no biddyng myghte."

Lo! ye lordes, what leautee dide

By an emperour of Rome,

That was an uncristene creature,

As clerkes fyndeth in bokes.

Nought thorugh preiere of a pope,

But for his pure truthe,

Was that Sarsen saved.

As seint Gregorie bereth witnesse. 6890

Wel oughte ye, lordes, that lawes kepe,

This lesson to have in mynde,

And on Trojanus truthe to thenke,

{212}

And do truthe to the peple.

"Lawe, withouten love," quod Trojanus,

"Ley ther a bene,

Or any science under sonne,

The sevene artz and alle,

But thei ben lerned for oure Lordes love,

Lost is al the tyme;" 6900

For no cause to cacche silver therby,

Ne to be called a maister,

But al for love of oure Lord,

And the bet to love the peple,

For seint Johan seide it,

And sothe arn hise wordes.

_Qui non diligit, manet in morte._

Who so loveth noght, leve me,

He lyveth in deep deyinge;

And that alle manere men, 6910

Enemyes and frendes,

Love hir eyther oother,

And leve hem, as hemselve,

Who so leveth noght, he loveth noght,

God woot the sothe!

Crist comaundeth ech a creature

To conformen hym to lovye,

And sovereynly the povere peple,

And hir enemyes after.

For hem that haten us 6920

Is oure merite to lovye,

And povere peple to plese,

Hir preieres maye us helpe.

And oure joye and oure heele

Jhesu Crist of hevene

In a povere mannes apparaille

Pursued us evere;

{213}

And loketh on us in hir liknesse,

And that with lovely chere,

To knowen us by oure kynde herte 6930

And castynge of oure eighen,

Wheither we love the lordes here

Bifore the Lord of blisse;

And exciteth us by the Euvangelie

That whan we maken festes,

We sholde noght clepe oure kyn therto,

Ne none kynnes riche.

_Cum facitis convivia, nolite invitare amicos._ =

"Ac calleth the carefulle therto, 6940

The croked and the povere.

For youre frendes wol feden yow,

And fonde yow to quyte

Youre festynge and youre faire gifte;

Ech frend quyteth so oother.

"Ac for the povere I shal paie,

And pure wel quyte hir travaille,

That gyveth hem mete or moneie,

Or loveth hem for my sake."

For the beste ben som riche, 6950

And some beggeres and povere.

For alle are we Cristes creatures,

And of his cofres riche,

And bretheren as of oo blood,

As wel beggeres as erles.

For on Calvarie of Cristes blood

Cristendom gan sprynge,

And blody bretheren we bicomen there

Of o body y-wonne,

As _quasi modo geniti_, 6960

And gentil-men echone;

{214}

No beggere ne boye amonges us,

But if it synne made.

_Qui facit peccatum, servus est peccati._

"In the olde lawe,

As holy lettre telleth,

Mennes sones

Men callen us echone,

Of Adames issue and Eve,

Ay til God man deide; 6970

And after his resurexcion

_Redemptor_ was his name,

And we hise bretheren thorugh hym y-brought,

Bothe riche and povere.

"For-thi love we as leve bretheren,

And ech man laughe of oother;

And of that ech man may forbere

Amende there it nedeth;

And every man helpe oother,

For hennes shul we alle. 6980

_Alter alterius onera portate._

"And be we noght un-kynde of oure catel, =

Ne of oure konnyng neither.

For woot no man how neigh it is

To ben y-nome fro bothe.

For-thi lakke no lif oother,

Though he moore Latyn knowe;

Ne under-nyme noght foule;

For is noon withoute defaute. 6990

For what evere clerkes carpe

Of cristendom or ellis,

Crist to a commune womman seide,

In commune at a feste,

{215}

That _fides sua_ sholde saven hire,

And salven hire of synnes.

"Thanne is bileve a lele help,

Above logyk or lawe.

Of logyk or of lawe

In _Legenda Sanctorum_ 7000

Is litel alowaunce maad,

But if bileve hem helpe.

For it is over longe er logyk

Any lesson assoille;

And lawe is looth to lovye,

But if he lacche silver.

Bothe logyk and lawe,

That loveth noght to lye,

I conseille alle cristene

Clyve noght theron to soore; 7010

For some wordes I fynde writen,

That were of feithes techyng,

That saved synful men,

As seint Johan bereth witnesse.

_Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis,

remetietur vobis._

"For-thi lerne we the lawe of love,

As oure Lord taughte,

And as seint Gregorie seide

For mannes soule helthe: 7020

_Melius est scrutari scelera nostra,

quam naturas rerum._

"Why I meve this matere,

Is moost for the povere;

For in hir liknesse oure Lord

Ofte hath ben y-knowe.

Witnesse in the Pask wyke

Whan he yede to Emaüs;

{216}

Cleophas ne knew hym noght

That he Crist were, 7030

For his povere apparaille,

And pilgrymes wedes,

Til he blessede and brak

The breed that thei eten;

So bi hise werkes thei wisten

That he was Jhesus,

Ac by clothyng thei knewe hym noght,

Ne by carpynge of tunge.

And al was in ensample

To us synfulle here, 7040

That we sholde be lowe

And loveliche of speche,

And apparaille us noght over proudly,

For pilgrymes are we alle.

"And in the apparaille of a povere man,

And pilgrymes liknesse,

Many tyme God hath ben met

Among nedy peple,

Ther nevere segge hym seigh

In secte of the riche. 7050

"Seint Johan and othere seintes

Were seyen in poore clothyng,

And as povere pilgrymes

Preyed mennes goodes.

"Jhesu Crist on a Jewes doghter lighte,

Gentil womman though she were,

Was a pure povere maide,

And to a povere man y-wedded.

"Martha on Marie Maudeleyne

An huge pleynt made, 7060

And to oure Saveour self

Seide thise wordes:

{217}

_Domine, non est tibi curæ quod

soror mea reliquit me solam

ministrare._

"And hastily God answerde,

And eitheres wille folwed,

Bothe Marthaes and Maries,

As Mathew bereth witnesse;

Ac poverte God putte bifore, 7070

And preised that the bettre.

_Maria optimam partem elegit, quæ non, etc._ =

"And alle the wise that evere were,

By aught I kan aspye,

Preiseden poverte for best lif,

If pacience it folwed,

And bothe bettre and blesseder

By many fold than richesse.

For though it be sour to suffre, 7080

Therafter cometh swete;

As on a walnote withoute

Is a bitter barke,

And after that bitter bark,

Be the shelle aweye,

Is a kernel of confort

Kynde to restore.

"So is after poverte or penaunce

Paciently y-take;

For it maketh a man to have mynde 7090

In God, and a gret wille

To wepe and to wel bidde,

Wherof wexeth mercy,

Of which Crist is a kernelle

To conforte the soule.

And wel sikerer he slepeth,

{218}

The man that is povere,

And lasse he dredeth deeth,

And in derke to ben y-robbed,

Than he that is right riche, 7100

Reson bereth witnesse.

_Pauper ego ludo, dum tu dives meditaris._ =

"Al though Salomon seide,

As folk seeth in the Bible,

_Divitias nec paupertates, etc._

Wiser than Salomon was

Bereth witnesse and taughte

That parfit poverte was

No possession to have, 7110

And lif moost likynge to God,

As Luc bereth witnesse:

_Si vis perfectus esse, vade et vende._

"And is to mene to men

That on this moolde lyven,

Who so wole be pure parfit

Moot possession forsake,

Or selle it, as seith the Book,

And the silver dele

To beggeris that goon and begge 7120

And bidden good for Goddes love.

For failed nevere man mete

That myghtful God serveth,

As David seith in the Sauter

To swiche that ben in wille

To serve God goodliche,

Ne greveth hym no penaunce:

_Nihil inpossibile volenti._

Ne lakketh nevere liflode,

Lynnen ne wollen. 7130

{219}

_Inquirentes autem Dominum non

minuentur omni bono._

"If preestes weren parifite,

Thei wolde ne silver take

For masses ne for matyns,

Noght hir mete of usureres,

Ne neither kirtel ne cote,

Theigh thei for cold sholde deye,

And thei hir devoir dide,

As David seith in the Sauter: 7140

_Judica me, Deus, et decerne causam meam._ =

"_Spera-in-Deo_ speketh of preestes

That have no spendyng silver,

That if thei travaille truweliche

And truste in God almyghty,

Hem sholde lakke no liflode,

Neyther lynnen ne wollen.

And the title that ye take ordres by

Telleth ye ben avaunced; 7150

Thanne nedeth yow noght to take silver

For masses that ye syngen.

For he that took yow youre title,

Sholde take yow youre wages,

Or the bisshop that blessed yow,

If that ye ben worthi.

"For made nevere kyng no knyght,

But he hadde catel to spende

As bifel for a knyght,

Or foond hym for his strengthe. 7160

It is a careful knyght,

And of a caytif kynges makyng,

That hath no lond ne lynage riche,

Ne good loos of hise handes.

{220}

"The same I segge, for sothe,

By alle swiche preestes

That han neither konnynge ne kyn,

But a crowne one,

And a title, a tale of noght,

To his liflode at his meschief. 7170

He hath moore bileve, as I leve,

To lacche through his croune

Cure, than for konnyng,

Or knowen for clene berynge.

I have wonder for why

And wherefore the bisshope

Maketh swiche preestes,

That lewed men bitrayen.

"A chartre is chalangeable

Bifore a chief justice; 7180

If fals Latyn be in the lettre,

The lawe it impugneth,

Or peynted parentrelynarie,

Or percelles over-skipped;

The gome that gloseth so chartres

For a goky is holden.

"So is it a goky, by God!

That in his gospel failleth,

Or in masse or in matyns

Maketh any defaut. 7190

_Qui offendit in uno, in omnibus est reus._ =

"And also in the Sauter

Seith David to over-skipperis,

_Psallite Deo nostro, psallite, quoniam

rex terræ Deus Israel,

psallite sapienter._

"The bisshop shal be blamed

{221}

Bifore God, as I leve,

That crouneth swiche Goddes knyghtes 7200

That konneth noght _sapienter_

Synge, ne psalmes rede,

Ne seye a masse of the day.

And never neither is blame-lees

The bisshope ne the chapeleyn;

For hir either is endited,

And that is, _ignorantia

Non excusat episcopos

Nec idiotes_ preestes.

"This lokynge on lewed preestes 7210

Hath doon me lepe from poverte,

The which I preise ther pacience is

Moore perfit than richesse."

Ac muche moore in metynge thus

With me gan oon dispute;

And slepynge I seigh al this.

And sithen cam Kynde,

And nempned me by my name,

And bad me nymen hede,

And thorugh the wondres of this world 7220

Wit for to take.

And on a mountaigne that myddel-erthe

Highte, as me thoughte,

I was fet forth

By ensamples to knowe

Thorugh ech a creature and kynde

My creatour to lovye.

I seigh the sonne and the see,

And the sond after;

And where that briddes and beestes 7230

{222}

By hir makes yeden;

Wilde wormes in wodes,

And wonderful foweles

With fleckede fetheres

And of fele colours.

Man and his make

I myghte bothe biholde;

Poverte and plentee;

Bothe pees and werre;

Blisse and bale bothe 7240

I seigh al at ones;

And how men token mede,

And mercy refused.

Reson I seigh soothly

Sewen alle beestes,

In etynge, in drynkynge,

And in engendrynge of kynde;

And after cours of concepcion,

Noon took kepe of oother

As whan thei hadde ryde in rotey tyme, 7250

Anoon right therafter

Males drowen hem to males

A-morwenynges by hemselve,

And in evenynges also

The males ben fro femelles.

Ther ne was cow ne cow-kynde

That conceyved hadde,

That wolde belwe after boles,

Ne boor after sowe;

Bothe hors and houndes, 7260

And alle othere beestes,

Medled noght with hir makes

That with fole were.

Briddes I biheld

{223}

That in buskes made nestes,

Hadde nevere wye wit

To werche the leeste.

I hadde wonder at whom

And wher the pye lerned

To legge the stikkes 7270

In whiche she leyeth and bredeth.

Ther nys wrighte, as I wene,

Sholde werche hir nestes to paye;

If any mason made a molde therto,

Muche wonder it were.

Ac yet me merveilled moore,

How many othere briddes

Hidden and hileden

Hir egges ful derne

In mareys and moores, 7280

For men sholde hem noght fynde;

And hidden hir egges,

Whan thei therfro wente,

For fere of othere foweles,

And for wilde beestes.

And some troden hir makes,

And on trees bredden,

And broughten forth hir briddes so

Al above the grounde;

And some briddes at the bile 7290

Thorugh brethyng conceyved;

And some caukede; and took kepe

How pecokkes bredden.

Muche merveilled me

What maister hem made,

And who taughte hem on trees

To tymbre so heighe,

Ther neither burn ne beest

{224}

May hir briddes rechen.

And sithen I loked upon the see, 7300

And so forth upon the sterres;

Manye selkouthes I seigh,

Ben noght to seye nouthe.

I seigh floures in the fryth,

And hir faire colours;

And how among the grene gras

Growed so manye hewes,

And some soure and some swete,

Selkouth me thoughte;

Of hir kynde and hir colour 7310

To carpe it were to longe.

Ac that moost meved me

And my mood chaunged,

That Reson rewarded

And ruled alle beestes,

Save man and his make;

Many tyme and ofte

No reson hem folwede.

And thanne I rebukede

Reson, and right 7320

Til hymselven I seyde:

"I have wonder of thee," quod I,

"That witty art holden,

Why thow ne sewest man and his make,

That no mysfeet hem folwe."

And Reson a-rated me,

And seide, "Recche thee nevere;

Why I suffre or noght suffre,

Thiself hast noght to doone.

Amende thow it, if thow myght, 7330

For my tyme is to abide.

Suffraunce is a soverayn vertue,

{225}

And a swift vengeance.

Who suffrede moore than God?" quod he;

"No gome, as I leeve.

He myghte amende in a minute while

Al that mys-standeth;

Ac he suffreth for som mannes goode,

And so it is oure bettre,

The wise and the witty 7340

Wroot thus in the Bible:

_De re quæ te non molestat, noli certare._

"For be a man fair or foul, =

It falleth noght for to lakke

The shap ne the shaft

That God shoop hymselve;

For al that he dide was wel y-do,

As holy writ witnesseth:

_Et vidit Deus cuncta quæ fecerat, et 7350

erant valde bona._

"And bad every creature

In his kynde encreesse;

Al to murthe with man,

That moste wo tholie

In fondynge of the flessh,

And of the fend bothe.

For man was maad of swich a matere,

He may noght wel a-sterte

That ne som tyme hym bitit 7360

To folwen his kynde.

Caton a-cordeth therwith,

_Nemo sine crimine vivit._"

Tho caughte I colour anoon,

And comsed to ben ashamed,

And awaked therwith.

{226}

Wo was me thanne,

That I in metels ne myghte

Moore have y-knowen.

And thanne seide I to myself, 7370

And chidde that tyme,

"Now I woot what Do-wel is," quod I,

"By deere God! as me thynketh."

And as I caste up myne eighen,

Oon loked on me and asked

Of me, what thynge it were:

"Y-wis, sire," I seide,

"To se muche and suffre moore,

Certes," quod I, "is Do-wel."

"Haddestow suffred," he seide, 7380

"Slepynge tho thow were,

Thow sholdest have knowen that Clergie kan,

And contreved moore thorugh reson.

For Reson wolde have reherced thee

Right as Clergie seide.

Ac for thyn entre-metynge,

Here artow forsake.

_Philosophus esses, si tacuisses._

"Adam, whiles he spak noght,

Hadde paradis at wille; 7390

Ac whan he mamelede aboute mete,

And entre-metede to knowe

The wisedom and the wit of God,

He was put fram blisse.

"And right so ferde Reson bi thee;

Thow with thi rude speche

Lakkedest and losedest thyng

That longed the noght to doone.

Tho hadde he no likyng

For to lere the moore. 7400

{227}

"Pryde now and presumpcion

Peraventure wol thee appele,

That Clergie thi compaignye

Kepeth noght to suwe.

Shal nevere chalangynge ne chidynge

Chaste a man so soone,

As shal shame, and shenden hym,

And shape hym to amende.

For lat a dronken daffe

In a dyk falle, 7410

Lat hym ligge, loke noght on hym,

Til hym liste aryse.

For though Reson rebuked hym thanne,

It were but pure synne.

Ac whan nede nymeth hym up

For doute lest he sterve,

And shame shrapeth hise clothes,

And hise shynes wassheth.

Thanne woot the dronken daffe

Wherfore he is to blame." 7420

"Ye siggen sooth," quod I;

"Ich have y-seyen it ofte,

Ther smyt no thyng so smerte,

Ne smelleth so soure,

As shame, there he sheweth hym;

For every man hym shonyeth.

Why ye wisse me thus," quod I,

"Was for I rebuked Reson."

"Certes," quod he, "that is sooth;"

And shoop hym for to walken. 7430

And I aroos up right with that,

And folwed hym after,

And preyde hym of his curteisie

To telle me his name. 7434

* * * * *

{228}

_Passus Duodecimus, etc._

"Iam Ymaginatif," quod he, 7435

"Ydel was I nevere,

Though I sitte by myself,

In siknesse nor in helthe.

I have folwed thee, in feith!

Thise fyve and fourty wynter, 7440

And manye tymes have meved thee

To thynke on thyn ende,

And how fele fernyeres are faren,

And so fewe to come;

And of thi wilde wantownesse

Tho thow yong were,

To amende it in thi middel age,

Lest myght the failled

In thyn olde elde,

That yvele kan suffre 7450

Poverte or penaunce,

Or preyeres to bidde.

_Si non in prima vigilia, nec in secunda, etc._ =

"Amende thee, while thow myght;

Thow hast ben warned ofte

With poustees of pestilences,

With poverte and with angres;

{229}

And with thise bittre baleises

God beteth his deere children. 7460

_Quem diligo, castigo._

"And David in the Sauter seith

Of swiche that loveth Jhesus:

_Virga tua et baculus tuus ipsa me consolati sunt._ =

"Al though thow strike me with thi staf,

With stikke or with yerde,

It is but murthe as for me,

To amende my soule.

And thow medlest thee with makynges, 7470

And myghtest go seye thi Sauter,

And bidde for hem that gyveth thee breed,

For ther are bokes y-knowe

To telle men what Do-wel is,

Do-bet and Do-best bothe,

And prechours to preven what it is

Of many a peire freres."

I seigh wel he seide me sooth;

And som what me to excuse,

Seide Caton conforted me his sone, 7480

That clerk though he were,

To solacen hym som tyme,

As I do whan I make:

_Interpone tuis interdum gaudia curis._

"And of holy men I herde, quod I," =

"How thei outher while

Pleyden the parfiter,

To ben in manye places,

Ac if ther were any wight 7490

That wolde me telle

What were Do-wel and Do-bet

{230}

And Do-best at the laste,

Wolde I nevere do werk,

But wende to holi chirche,

And ther bidde my bedes,

But whan ich ete or slepe."

"Poul in his pistle," quod he,

"Preveth what is Do-wel:

_Fides, spes, caritas, et major horum, etc._ =

Feith, hope, and charité; 7502

And alle ben goode,

And saven men sondry tymes;

Ac noon so soone as charité.

For he dooth wel withouten doute,

That dooth as lewté techeth;

That is, if thow be man maryed,

Thi make thow lovye,

And lyve forth as lawe wole, 7510

While ye lyven bothe.

"Right so if thow be religious,

Ren thow nevere ferther

To Rome ne to Rochemador,

But as thi rule techeth;

And hold thee under obedience,

That heigh wey is to hevene.

"And if thow be maiden to marye,

And myght wel continue,

Seke thow nevere seint ferther 7520

For no soule helthe.

For what made Lucifer

To lese the heighe hevene?

Or Salomon his sapience,

Or Sampson his strengthe?

Job the Jew his joye

{231}

Ful deere a-boughte;

Aristotle and othere mo,

Ypocras and Virgile;

Alisaundre, that al wan, 7530

Elengliche ended.

Catel and kynde wit

Was combraunce to hem alle.

"Felice hir fairnesse

Fel hire al to sclaundre;

And Rosamounde right so,

Reufulliche to bileve,

The beauté of hir body

In baddenesse she despended.

Of manye swiche I may rede, 7540

Of men and of wommen,

That wise wordes wolde shewe,

And werche the contrarie.

_Sunt homines nequam bene de virtute loquentes._ =

"And riche renkes right so

Gaderen and sparen,

And tho men that thei moost haten

Mynistren it at the laste.

And for thei suffren and see 7550

So manye nedy folkes,

And love hem noght as oure Lord bit,

Thei lesen hir soules.

_Date et dabitur vobis._

"And richesse right so,

But if the roote be trewe.

Ac grace is a gras therof

Tho grevaunces to abate.

Ac grace ne groweth noght

But amonges lowe; 7560

{232}

Pacience and poverte

The place highte ther it groweth,

And in lele lyvynge men,

And in lif holy,

And thorugh the gifte of the Holy Goost,

As the Gospel telleth.

_Spiritus ubi vult spirat._

"Clergie and kynde wit

Cometh of sighte and techyng;

As the book bereth witnesse 7570

To burnes that kan rede.

_Quod scimus loquimur, quod vidimus testamur._ =

"Of _quod scimus_ cometh clergie

And konnynge of hevene;

And of _quod vidimus_ cometh kynde wit,

Of sighte of diverse peple.

Ac grace is a gifte of God,

And of greet love spryngeth;

Knew nevere clerk how it cometh forth, 7580

Ne kynde wit the weyes.

_Nescit aliquis unde venit, aut quo vadit, etc._ =

"Ac yet is clergie to comende,

And kynde wit bothe;

And namely clergie, for Cristes love

That of clergie is roote.

For Moyses witnesseth that God wroot

For to wisse the peple

In the olde lawe, as the lettre telleth, 7590

That was the lawe of Jewes,

That what womman were in avoutrye taken,

Were she riche or poore,

With stones men sholde hir strike,

{233}

And stone hire to dethe.

"A womman, as I fynde,

Was gilty of that dede.

Ac Crist of his curteisie

Thorugh clergie hir saved;

And thorugh caractes that Crist wroot, 7600

The Jewes knewe hemselve

Giltier as a-fore God,

And gretter in synne,

Than the womman that there was,

And wenten awey for shame.

"The clergie that there was,

Conforted the womman.

Holy kirke knoweth this,

That Cristes writyng saved hire.

So clergie is confort 7610

To creatures that repenten,

And to mansede men

Meschief at hire ende.

"For Goddes body myghte noght ben

Of breed, withouten clergie;

The which body is bothe

Boote to the rightfulle,

And deeth and dampnacion

To hem that deyeth yvele,

As Cristes caracte confortede, 7620

And bothe coupable shewed,

The womman that the Jewes broughte,

That Jhesus thoughte to save.

_Nolite judicare, et non judicabimini._

Right so Goddes body, bretheren,

But if it be worthili taken,

Dampneth us at the day of dome,

{234}

As the caractes dide the Jewes.

"For-thi I counseille thee, for Cristes sake,

Clergie that thow lovye. 7630

For kynde wit is of his kyn,

And neighe cosynes bothe

To oure Lord, leve me;

For-thi love hem, I rede.

For bothe ben as mirours

To amenden oure defautes,

And lederes for lewed men

And for lettred bothe.

"For-thi lakke thow nevere logik,

Lawe ne hise custumes; 7640

Ne countreplede clerkes,

I counseille thee for evere.

For as a man may noght see,

That mysseth hise eighen;

Na-moore kan no clerk,

But if he caughte it first thorugh bokes.

Al though men made bokes,

God was the maister,

And seint spirit the samplarie,

And seide what men sholde write. 7650

"Right so ledeth lettrure

Lewed men to reson;

And as a blynd man in bataille

Bereth wepne to fighte,

And hath noon hap with his ax

His enemy to hitte,

Na-moore kan a kynde witted man,

But clerkes hym teche,

Come for al his kynde wit

To cristendom, and be saved. 7660

{235}

Which is the cofre of Cristes tresor,

And clerkes kepe the keyes

To unloken it at hir likyng,

And to the lewed peple

Gyve mercy for hire mysdedes,

If men it wolde aske

Buxomliche and benigneliche,

And bidden it of Grace.

"_Archa Dei_ in the olde lawe

Levytes it kepten; 7670

Hadde nevere lewed man leve

To leggen hond on that cheste,

But he were preest or preestes sone,

Patriark or prophete.

For clergie is kepere

Under Crist of hevene.

Was ther nevere no knyght,

But clergie hym made.

Ac kynde wit cometh

Of alle kynnes syghtes, 7680

Of briddes and of beestes,

Of tastes of truthe and of deceites.

"Lyveris to-forn us

Useden to marke

For selkouthes that thei seighen,

Hir sones for to teche;

And helden it an heigh science

Hir wittes to knowe.

Ac thorugh hir science soothly

Was nevere no soule y-saved, 7690

Ne broght by hir bokes

To blisse ne to joye;

For alle hir kynde knowynges

Come but of diverse sightes.

{236}

"Patriarkes and prophetes

Repreveden hir science,

And seiden hir wordes and hir wisdomes

Nas but a folye;

And to the clergie of Crist

Counted it but a trufle. 7700

_Sapientia hujus mundi stultitia est apud Deum._ =

"For the heighe Holy Goost

Hevene shal to-cleve,

And love shall lepen out after

Into the lowe erthe;

And clennesse shal cacchen it,

And clerkes shullen it fynde.

_Pastores loquebantur ad invicem._

"He speketh there of riche men right noght, 7710

Ne of right witty,

Ne of lordes that were lewed men,

But of the hyeste lettred oute.

_Ibant magi ab oriente._

"If any frere were founde there,

I gyve thee fyve shillynges;

Ne in none burgeises cote

Was that barn born;

But in a burgeises place

Of Bethlem the beste. 7720

_Sed non erat ei locus in diversorio, et

pauper non habet diversorium._

"To pastours and to poetes

Appered the aungel,

And bad hem go to Bethlem

Goddes burthe to honoure;

And songe a song of solas,

_Gloria in excelsis Deo!_

{237}

"Clerkes knewen it wel,

And comen with hir presentz, 7730

And diden homage honurably

To hym that was almyghty.

"Why I have tolde al this,

I took ful good hede

How thow contrariedest Clergie

With crabbede wordes,

How that lewde men lightloker

Than lettrede were saved,

Than clerkes or kynde witted men

Of cristene peple; 7740

And thow seidest sooth of somme,

Ac se in what manere.

"Tak two stronge men,

And in Themese cast hem,

And bothe naked as a nedle,

Her noon sikerer than oother;

That oon hath konnynge and kan

Swymmen and dyven;

That oother is lewed of that labour,

That lerned nevere swymme; 7750

Which trowestow of tho two

That is in moost drede?

He that nevere ne dyved,

Ne noght kan of swymmyng?

Or the swymmere that is saaf

By so hymself like,

Ther his felawe fleteth forth

As the flood liketh,

And is in drede to drenche,

That nevere dide swymme?" 7760

"That swymme kan noght," I seide,

"It semeth to my wittes."

{238}

"Right so," quod the renk.

"Reson it sheweth,

That he that knoweth clergie

Kan sonner arise

Out of synne, and be saaf,

Though he synne ofte,

If hym liketh and lest,

Than any lewed leelly. 7770

For if the clerk be konnynge,

He knoweth what is synne,

And how contricion withoute confession

Conforteth the soule;

As thow seest in the Sauter,

In Salmes oon or tweyne,

How contricion is comended,

For it cacheth awey synne.

_Beati quorum remissæ sunt iniquitates,

et quorum tecta sunt, etc._ 7780

"And this conforteth ech a clerk,

And covereth hym fro wanhope.

In which flood the fend

Fondeth a man hardest.

Ther the lewed lith stille,

And loketh after lente,

And hath no contricion er he come to shrifte,

And thanne kan he litel telle,

But as his lores-man lereth hym

Bileveth and troweth; 7790

And that is after person or parissh preest,

The whiche ben peraventure

Unkonnynge to lere lewed men,

As Luc bereth witnesse:

_Dum cæcus ducit cæcum, etc._

"Wo was hym marked

{239}

That wade moot with the lewed!

Wel may the barn blesse that man

That hym to book sette,

That lyvynge after lettrure 7800

Saveth hym lif and soule.

_Dominus pars hereditatis meæ_,

Is a murye verset,

That hath take fro Tybourne

Twenty stronge theves;

Ther lewed theves ben lolled up,

Loke how thei be saved.

"The thef that hadde grace of God

On Good-friday, as thow spekest,

Was for he yald hym creaunt to Crist on the cros, 7810

And knewliched hym gilty,

And grace asked of God,

That to graunten it is redy

To hem that buxomliche biddeth it,

And ben in wille to amenden.

Ac though that theef hadde hevene,

He hadde noon heigh blisse,

As seint Johan and othere seintes

That deserved hadde bettre.

"Right as som man yeve me mete, 7820

And a-mydde the floor sette me,

And hadde mete moore than y-nough,

Ac noght so muche worshipe

As tho that seten at the syde table,

Or with the sovereynes of the halle;

But sete as a beggere bord-lees

By myself on the grounde.

So it fareth by that felon

{240}

That a Good-friday was saved.

He sit neither with seint Johan, 7830

Symond ne Jude,

Ne with maydenes ne with martires,

Confessours ne wydewes;

But by hymself as a soleyn,

And served on erthe.

For he that is ones a thef

Is evere moore in daunger,

And, as lawe liketh,

To lyve or to deye.

_De peccato propitiato, noli esse sine metu._ =

And for to serven a seint 7842

And swich a thef togideres,

It were neither reson ne right

To rewarde hem bothe y-liche.

"And right as Trojanus the trewe knyght

Dwelte noght depe in helle,

That oure Lord ne hadde hym lightly out,

So leve I the thef be in hevene.

For he is in the loweste of hevene, 7850

If oure bileve be trewe;

And wel loselly he lolleth there,

By the lawe of holy chirche.

_Qui reddit unicuique juxta opera sua, etc._ =

"And why that oon theef on the cros

Creaunt hym yald

Rather than that oother theef,

Though thow woldest appose,

Alle the clerkes under Crist 7860

Ne kouthe the skile assoille.

_Quare placuit, quia voluit._

{241}

"And so I seye by thee

That sekest after the whyes,

And a-resonedest Reson

A rebukynge as it were;

And of the floures in the fryth,

And of hire faire hewes,

Wherof thei cacche hir colours

So clere and so brighte; 7870

And willest of briddes and of beestes,

And of hir bredyng, to knowe,

Why some be a-lough and some a-loft,

Thi likyng it were;

And of the stones and of the sterres

Thow studiest, as I leve;

How evere beest outher brid

Hath so breme wittes.

"Clergie ne kynde wit

Ne knew nevere the cause; 7880

Ac kynde knoweth the cause hymself,

And no creature ellis.

He is the pies patron,

And putteth it in hir ere

There the thorn is thikkest

To buylden and brede.

And kynde kenned the pecok

To cauken in swich a kynde;

And kenned Adam

To knowe his pryvé membres, 7890

And taughte hym and Eve

To helien hem with leves.

"Lewed men many tymes

Maistres thei apposen,

Why Adam ne hiled noght first

His mouth that eet the appul,

{242}

Rather than his likame a-logh;

Lewed asken thus clerkes.

"Kynde knoweth whi he dide so,

Ac no clerk ellis, 7900

Ac of briddes and of beestes

Men by olde tyme

Ensamples token and termes,

As telleth the poetes;

And that the faireste fowel

Foulest engendreth,

And feblest fowel of flight is

That fleeth or swymmeth;

And that the pecok and the pehen

Proude riche men bitokneth; 7910

For the pecok, and men pursue hym,

May noght flee heighe,

For the trailynge of his tail

Overtaken is he soone,

And his flessh is foul flessh,

And his feet bothe,

And un-lovelich of ledene,

And looth for to here.

"Right so the riche,

If he his richesse kepe, 7920

And deleth it noght til his deeth-day,

The tail of alle sorwe

Right so as the pennes of the pecok

Peyneth hym in his flight.

So is possession peyne

Of pens and of nobles,

To alle hem that it holdeth,

Til hir tail be plukked.

"And though the riche repente thanne

And bi-rewe the tyme 7930

{243}

That evere he gadered so grete,

And gaf therof so litel;

Though he crye to Crist thanne

With kene wil, I leve,

His ledene be in oure Lordes ere

Like a pies chiteryng.

And whan his caroyne shal come

In cave to be buryed,

I leve it flawme ful foule

The fold al aboute, 7940

And alle the othere ther it lith

Envenymeth thorugh his attre.

"By the po feet is understande,

As I have lerned in Avynet,

Executours false frendes

That fulfille noght his wille

That was writen and thei witnesse

To werche right as it wolde.

Thus the poete preveth that the pecok

For hise fetheres is reverenced, 7950

Right so is the riche

By reson of hise goodes.

"The larke, that is a lasse fowel,

Is moore lovelich of ledene,

And wel a wey of wynge

Swifter than the pecok,

And of flessh by fele fold

Fatter and swetter;

To lowe libbynge men

The larke is resembled. 7960

"Aristotle the grete clerk

Swiche tales he telleth.

Thus he likneth in his logik

The leeste fowel oute,

{244}

And wheither he be saaf or noght saaf

The sothe woot no clergie,

Ne of Sortes ne of Salomon

No scripture kan telle.

Ac God is so good, I hope,

That siththe he gaf hem wittes 7970

To wissen us weyes therwith

That wissen us to be saved,

And the bettre for hir bokes

To bidden we ben holden,

That God for his grace

Gyve hir soules reste.

For lettred men were lewed men yet,

Ne were loore of hir bokes."

"Alle thise clerkes," quod I tho,

"That in Crist leven, 7980

Seyen in hir sermons

That neither Sarsens ne Jewes

Ne no creature of Cristes liknesse

Withouten cristendom worth saved."

"_Contra_," quod Ymaginatif thoo,

And comsed for to loure;

And seide "_Salvabitur

Vix justus in die judicii.

Ergo salvabitur_," quod he,

And seide na-moore Latyn. 7990

"Trojanus was a trewe knyght,

And took nevere Cristendom,

And he is saaf, so seith the book,

And his soule in hevene.

For ther is fullynge of font,

And fullynge in blood shedyng,

And thorugh fir is fullyng,

And that is ferme bileve.

{245}

_Advenit ignis divinus non comburens,

sed illuminans, etc._ 8000

"Ac Truthe that trespased nevere,

Ne traversed ayeins his lawe,

But lyveth as his lawe techeth,

And leveth ther be no bettre;

And if ther were, he wolde amende,

And in swich wille deieth,

Ne wolde nevere trewe god,

But truthe were allowed,

And wheither it be worth or noght worth,

The bileve is gret of truthe, 8010

And an hope hangynge therinne

To have a mede for his truthe.

For _Deus dicitur quasi dans vitam

æternam suis, hoc est fidelibus.

Et alibi: Si ambulavero in

medio umbræ mortis._

"The glose graunteth upon that vers

A greet mede to Truthe,

And wit and wisdom," quod that wye,

"Was som tyme tresor 8020

To kepe with a commune,

No catel was holde bettre,

And muche murthe and manhod;"

And right with that he vanysshed. 8024

* * * * *

{246}

_Passus Decimus Tertius, etc._

And I awaked therwith 8025

Wit-lees ner-hande,

And as a freke that fre were

Forth gan I walke

In manere of a mendinaunt

Many a yer after, 8030

And of this metyng many tyme

Muche thought I hadde.

First how Fortune me failed

At my mooste nede;

And how that Elde manaced me,

Myghte we evere mete;

And how that freres folwede

Folk that was riche,

And folk that was povere

At litel pris thei sette; 8040

And no corps in hir kirk-yerde

Nor in his kirk was buryed,

But quik he biquethe aught

To quyte with hir dettes;

And how this Coveitise over-com

Clerkes and preestes;

And how that lewed men ben lad,

But oure Lord hem helpe,

{247}

Thorugh un-konnynge curatours,

To incurable peynes. 8050

And how that Ymaginatif

In dremels me tolde

Of Kynde and of his konnynge,

And how curteis he is to bestes,

And how lovynge he is to briddes

On londe and on watre.

Leneth he no lif

Lasse ne moore.

The creatures that crepen

Of kynde ben engendred. 8060

And sithen how Ymaginatif seide,

_Vix salvabitur_;

And whan he hadde seid so,

How sodeynliche he passed.

I lay doun longe in this thoght,

And at the laste I slepte.

And as Crist wolde, ther com Conscience

To conforte me that tyme,

And bad me come to his court,

With Clergie sholde I dyne; 8070

And for Conscience of Clergie spak,

I com wel the rather.

And there I seigh a maister,

What man he was I nyste,

That lowe louted

And loveliche to Scripture.

Conscience knew hym wel,

And welcomed hym faire.

Thei wesshen and wipeden,

And wenten to the dyner. 8080

And Pacience in the paleis stood

In pilgrymes clothes,

{248}

And preyde mete _par charité_

For a povere heremyte.

Conscience called hym in,

And curteisliche seide,

"Welcome! wye; go and wasshe;

Thow shalt sitte soone."

This maister was maad sitte,

As for the mooste worthi. 8090

And thanne Clergie and Conscience

And Pacience cam after.

Pacience and I

Were put to be macches,

And seten bi oureselve

At the side borde.

Conscience called after mete;

And thanne cam Scripture,

And served hem thus soone

Of sondry metes manye, 8100

Of Austyn, of Ambrose,

And of the foure Euvangelistes,

_Edentis et bibentis quæ apud eos sunt._ =

Ac this maister nor his man

No maner flesshe eten;

Ac thei eten mete of moore cost,

Mortrews and potages

Of that men mys-wonne

Thei made hem wel at ese. 8110

Ac hir sauce was over sour,

And unsavourly grounde

In a morter _post mortem_

Of many a bitter peyne,

But if thei synge for tho soules,

And wepe salte teris.

{249}

_Vos qui peccata hominum comeditis,

nisi pro eis lacrimas et orationes

effunderitis, ea quæ in

deliciis comeditis, in tormentis 8120

evometis._

Conscience ful curteisly tho

Comaunded Scripture

Bifore Pacience breed to brynge

And me that was his macche.

He sette a sour loof to-forn us,

And seide, "_agite pænitentiam_."

"As longe," quod I, "as I lyve,

And lycame may dure."

"Here is propre service," quod Pacience, 8130

"Ther fareth no prince bettre,"

And thanne he broughte us forth a mees of oother mete,

Of _Miserere mei, Deus_,

And he broughte us of _Beati quorum_,

Of _Beatus-virres_ makyng.

_Et quorum tecta sunt peccata_ in a disshe,

Of derne shrifte _Dixi et confitebor tibi_.

"Bryng Pacience som pitaunce,"

Pryveliche quod Conscience.

And thanne hadde Pacience a pitaunce. 8140

_Pro hac orabit ad te omnis sanctus

in tempore oportuno._

And Conscience conforted us,

And carped us murye tales.

_Cor contritum et humiliatum Deus non despicies._ =

{250}

Pacience was proud

Of that propre service,

And made hym murthe with his mete;

Ac I mornede evere, 8150

For this doctour on the heighe dees

Drank wyn so faste.

_Væ vobis qui potentes estis ad bibendum vinum!_ =

He eet manye sondry metes,

Mortrews and puddynges,

Wombe-cloutes and wilde brawen,

And egges y-fryed with grece.

Thanne seide I to myself so

Pacience it herde, 8160

"It is noght foure dayes that this freke

Bifore the deen of Poules

Preched of penaunces

That Poul the apostle suffrede,

_In fame et frigore_

And flappes of scourges."

_Ter cæsus sum, et a Judeis quinquies

quadragenas, etc._

Ac o word thei over-huppen

At ech a tyme that thei preche, 8170

That Poul in his Pistle

To al the peple tolde:

_Periculum est in falsis fratribus._

Holi writ bit men be war,

I wol noght write it here

In Englisshe, on aventure

It sholde be reherced to ofte,

And greve therwith goode men,

Ac gramariens shul redde.

_Unusquisque a fratre se custodiat, 8180

{251}

quia, ut dicitur, periculum est

in falsis fratribus._

Ac I wiste nevere freke that as a frere yede

Bifore men on Englisshe

Taken it for his teme,

And telle it withouten glosyng.

They prechen that penaunce is

Profitable to the soule,

And what meschief and _male ese_

Crist for man tholede. 8190

"Ac this Goddes gloton," quod I,

"With hise grete chekes,

Hath no pité on us povere,

He perfourneth yvele;

That he precheth he preveth noght,"

To Pacience I tolde,

And wisshed ful witterly,

With wille ful egre,

That disshes and doublers

Bifore this ilke doctour 8200

Were molten leed in his mawe,

And Mahoun amyddes.

"I shal jangle to this jurdan

With his juste wombe,

To telle me what penaunce is,

Of which he preched rather."

Pacience perceyved what I thoughte,

And wynked on me to be stille,

And seide, "Thow shalt see thus soone,

Whan he may na-moore, 8210

He shal have a penaunce in his paunche,

{252}

And puffe at ech a worde;

And thanne shullen his guttes gothele,

And he shal galpen after.

For now he hath dronken so depe,

He wole devyne soone,

And preven it by hir Pocalips

And passion of seint Avereys,

That neither bacon ne braun,

Blancmanger ne mortrews, 8220

Is neither fissh nor flesshe,

But fode for a penaunt

And thanne shal he testifie of the Trinité,

And take his felawe to witnesse,

What he fond in a frayel,

After a freres lyvyng;

And but he first lyve be lesyng,

Leve me nevere after.

And thanne is tyme to take,

And to appose this doctour 8230

Of Do-wel and Do-bet,

And if Do-wel be any penaunce."

And I sat stille, as Pacience seide,

And thus soone this doctour,

As rody as a rose,

Rubbede hise chekes,

Coughed and carped;

And Conscience hym herde,

And tolde hym of a Trinité,

And toward us he loked. 8240

"What is Do-wel, sire doctour?" quod I,

"Is it any penaunce?"

"Do-wel," quod this doctour,

And took the cuppe and drank,

"Is do noon yvel to thyn even-cristen

{253}

Nought by thi power."

"By this day! sire doctour," quod I,

"Thanne be ye noght in Do-wel;

For ye han harmed us two,

In that ye eten the puddyng, 8250

Mortrews and oother mete,

And we no morsel hadde.

And if ye fare so in youre fermerye,

Ferly me thynketh,

But cheeste be ther charité sholde be.

And yonge children dorste pleyne,

I wolde permute my penaunce with youre,

For I am in point to Do-wel."

Thanne Conscience curteisly

A contenaunce made, 8260

And preynte upon Pacience

To preie me to be stille;

And seide hymself, "Sire doctour,

And it be youre wille,

What is Do-wel and Do-bet,

Ye dyvynours knoweth."

"Do-wel," quod this doctour,

"Do as clerkes techeth;

And Do-bet is he that techeth,

And travailleth to teche othere; 8270

And Do-best doth hymself so,

As he seith and precheth."

_Qui facit et docuerit, magnus vocabitur

in regno coelorum._

"Now thow, Clergie," quod Conscience,

"Carpest what is Do-wel.

I have sevene sones," he seide,

"Serven in a castel,

{254}

Ther the lord of lif wonyeth,

To leren what is Do-wel; 8280

Til I se tho sevene

And myself acorde,

I am un-hardy," quod he,

"To any wight to preven it.

For oon Piers the Plowman

Hath impugned us alle,

And set alle sciences at a sope,

Save love one;

And no text ne taketh

To mayntene his cause, 8290

But _Dilige Deum_,

And _Domine quis habitabit_.

And seith that Do-wel and Do-bet

Arn two infinités,

Whiche infinités, with a feith!

Fynden out Do-best,

Which shal save mannes soule;

Thus seith Piers the Plowman."

"I kan noght heron," quod Conscience,

"Ac I knowe wel Piers; 8300

He wol noght ayein holy writ speken,

I dar wel undertake.

Thanne passe we over til Piers come,

And preve this in dede.

Pacience hath be in many place,

And peraunter mouthed

That no clerk ne kan,

As Crist bereth witnesse:

_Patientes vincunt, etc._"

"Ac youre preiere," quod Pacience tho, 8310

"So no man displese hym.

_Disce_," quo he, "_Doce_,

{255}

_Dilige inimicos_.

_Disce_, and Do-wel;

_Doce_, and Do-bet;

_Dilige_, and Do-best;

Thus taughte me ones

A lemman that I lovede,

Love was hir name:

"With wordes and with werkes," quod she, 8320

"And wil of thyn herte,

Thow love leelly thi soule

Al thi lif tyme,

And so thow lere the to lovye,

For oure Lordes love of hevene,

Thyn enemy in alle wise

Evene forth with thiselve.

Cast coles on his heed

Of alle kynde speche,

Bothe with werkes and with wordes 8330

Fonde his love to wynne;

And leye on him thus with love,

Til he laughe on the.

And but he bowe for this betyng,

Blynd mote he worthe.

"Ac for to fare thus with thi frend,

Folie it were.

For he that loveth thee leelly,

Litel of thyne coveiteth.

Kynde love coveiteth noght 8340

No catel but speche.

With halfe a laumpe lyne,

In Latyn, _Ex vi transitionis_,

I bere therinne aboute

Faste y-bounde Do-wel,

In a signe of the Saterday

{256}

That sette first the kalender,

And al the wit of the Wodnesday

Of the nexte wike after,

The myddel of the moone, 8350

As the nyght of bothe,

And herwith am I welcome

Ther I have it with me,

"Undo it, lat this doctour deme

If Do-wel be therinne.

For, by hym that me made!

Myghte nevere poverte

Misese ne meschief,

Ne no man with his tonge,

Coold ne care, 8360

Ne compaignye of theves,

Ne neither hete ne hayl,

Ne noon helle pouke,

Ne fuyr ne flood,

Ne feere of thyn enemy,

Tene thee any tyme,

And thow take it with the.

_Caritas nihil timet, etc._"

"It is but a dido," quod this doctour,

"A disours tale; 8370

Al the wit of this world,

And wight mennes strengthe,

Kan noght conformen a pees

Bitwene and hise enemys,

Ne bitwene two cristene kynges

Kan no wight pees make

Profitable to either peple;"

And putte the table fro hym,

And took Clergie and Conscience

To conseil, as it were, 8380

{257}

That Pacience thow most passe,

For pilgrymes konne wel lye.

Ac Conscience carped loude,

And curteisliche seide,

"Frendes, fareth wel;"

And faire spak to Clergie,

"For I wol go with this gome,

If God wol yeve me grace,

And be pilgrym with Pacience,

Til I have preved moore." 8390

"What!" quod Clergie to Conscience,

"Ar ye coveitous nouthe

After yeres-geves, or giftes,

Or yernen to rede redels?

I shal brynge yow a Bible,

A book of the olde lawe,

And lere yow, if yow like,

The leeste point to knowe,

That Pacience the pilgrym

Parfitly knew nevere." 8400

"Nay, by Crist!" quod Conscience

To Clergie, "God thee for-yelde;

For al that Pacience me profreth

Proud am I litel.

Ac the wil of the wye,

And the wil of folk here,

Hath meved my mood

To moorne for my synnes.

The goode wil of a wight

Was nevere bought to the fulle. 8410

For ther nys no tresour, for sothe,

To a trewe wille.

"Hadde noght Maudeleyne moore

For a box of salve,

{258}

Than Zacheus for he seide

_Dimidium bonorum meorum do pauperibus?_ =

And the poore widewe

For a peire of mytes,

Than alle tho that offrede 8420

Into _gazophilacium_?"

Thus curteisliche Conscience

Congeyed first the frere,

And sithen softeliche he seide

In Clergies ere,

"Me were levere, by oure Lord!

And I lyve sholde,

Have pacience perfitliche,

Than half thi pak of bokes."

Clergie of Conscience 8430

No congie wolde take,

But seide ful sobreliche,

"Thow shalt se the tyme

Whan thow art wery of-walked,

Wille me to counseille."

"That is sooth," quod Conscience,

"So me God helpe!

If Pacience be oure partyng felawe,

And pryvé with us bothe,

Ther nys wo in this world 8440

That we ne sholde amende,

And conformen kynges to pees,

And alle kynnes londes;

Sarsens and Surré,

And so forth alle the Jewes,

Turne into the trewe feith,

And intil oon bileve."

"That is sooth," quod Clergie,

{259}

"I se what thow menest;

I shal dwelle as I do, 8450

My devoir to shewe,

And confermen fauntekyns,

And oother folk y-lered,

Til Pacience have preved thee,

And parfit thee maked."

Conscience tho with Pacience passed,

Pilgrymes as it were.

Thanne hadde Pacience, as pilgrymes han,

In his poke vitailles,

Sobretee and symple speche, 8460

And soothfast bileve,

To conforte hym and Conscience,

If thei come in place

There un-kyndenesse and coveitise is,

Hungry contrees bothe.

And as the wente by the weye,

Of Do-wel thei carped;

Thei mette with a mynstral,

As me tho thoughte.

Pacience apposed hym first. 8470

And preyde he sholde hem telle

To Conscience what craft he kouthe,

And to what contree he wolde.

"I am a mynstrall," quod that man,

"My name is _Activa-vita_;

Al ydelnesse ich hatie,

For of actif is my name;

A wafrer, wol ye wite,

And serve manye lordes,

And fewe robes I fonge, 8480

Or furrede gownes.

Couthe I lye to do men laughe,

{260}

Thanne lacchen I sholde

Outher mantel or moneie

Amonges lordes or mynstrals.

Ac for I kan neither taboure ne trompe,

Ne telle no gestes,

Farten ne fithelen

At festes, ne harpen,

Jape ne jogele, 8490

Ne gentilliche pipe,

Ne neither saille ne saute,

Ne synge with the gyterne,

I have no goode giftes

Of thise grete lordes.

For no breed that I brynge forth,

Save a benyson on the Sonday

Whan the preest preieth the peple

Hir pater-noster to bidde

For Piers the Plowman, 8500

And that hym profit waiten;

And that am I actif,

That ydelnesse hatie;

For alle trewe travaillours

And tiliers of the erthe,

Fro Mighelmesse to Mighelmesse

I fynde hem with my wafres.

"Beggeris and bidderis

Of my breed craven,

Faitours and freres, 8510

And folk with brode crounes.

I fynde payn for the pope,

And provendre for his palfrey;

And I hadde nevere of hym,

Have God my trouthe!

Neither provendre ne personage

{261}

Yet of popes gifte,

Save a pardon with a peis of leed

And two polles amyddes.

Hadde ich a clerc that couthe write, 8520

I wolde caste hym a bille,

That he sente me under his seel

A salve for the pestilence,

And that his blessynge and hise bulles

Bocches myghte destruye.

_In nomine meo dæmonia ejicient, et

super ægros manus imponent, et

bene habebunt._

"And thanne wolde I be prest to the peple

Paast for to make, 8530

And buxom and busy

Aboute breed and drynke

For hym and for alle hise,

Founde I that his pardon

Mighte lechen a man,

As I bileve it sholde.

For sith he hath the power

That Peter hymself hadde,

He hath the pot with the salve,

Soothly as me thynketh. 8540

_Argentum et aurum non est mihi;

quod autem habeo tibi do: in

nomine Domini surge et

ambula._

"Ac if myght of myracle hym faille,

It is for men ben noght worthi

To have the grace of God,

And no gilt of pope.

For may no blessynge doon us boote,

But if we wile amende, 8550

{262}

Ne mannes masse make pees

Among cristene peple,

Til pride be pureliche for-do,

And thorugh payn defaute.

For er I have breed of mele,

Oft moot I swete;

And er the commune have corn y-nough,

Many a cold morwenyng.

So er my wafres be y-wroght,

Muche wo I tholye. 8560

"At Londone, I leve,

Liketh wel my wafres;

And louren whan thei lakken hem.

It is noght long y-passed,

There was a careful commune,

Whan no cart com to towne

With breed fro Stratforde;

Tho gonnen beggeris wepe,

And werkmen were agast a lite;

This wole be thought longe. 8570

In the date of oure Drighte,

In a drye Aprille,

A thousand and thre hundred

Twies twenty and ten,

My wafres there were gesene

Whan Chichestre was maire."

I took good kepe, by Crist!

And Conscience bothe,

Of Haukyn the actif man,

And how he was y-clothed. 8580

He hadde a cote of Cristendom,

As holy kirke bileveth;

Ac it was moled in many places

With manye sondry plottes;

{263}

Of pride here a plot,

And there a plot of unbuxome speche,

Of scornyng and of scoffyng,

And of unskilful berynge,

As in apparaill and in porte

Proud amonges the peple, 8590

Oother wise than he hym hath

With herte or sighte shewynge,

Hym willyng that alle men wende

He were that he is noght.

For-why he bosteth and braggeth

With manye bolde othes,

And inobedient to ben undernome

Of any lif lyvynge;

And noon so singuler by hymself,

Ne so pomp holy, 8600

Y-habited as an heremyte,

An ordre by hymselve,

Religion saunz rule

Or resonable obedience,

Lakkynge lettrede men

And lewed men bothe

In likynge of lele lif,

And a liere in soule,

With inwit and with outwit

Ymagynen and studie, 8610

As best for his body be

To have a badde name,

And entremetten hym over al

Ther he hath noght to doone,

Willynge that men wende

His wit were the beste.

And if he gyveth ought to povere gomes,

Telle what he deleth,

{264}

Povere of possession in purs

And in cofre bothe. 8620

And as a lyoun on to loke,

And lordlich of speche,

Boldest of beggeris,

A bostere that noght hath,

In towne and in tavernes

Tales to telle,

And segge thyng that he nevere seigh,

And for sothe sweren it,

Of dedes that he nevere dide

Demen and bosten 8630

And of werkes that he wel dide

Witnesse, and siggen--

"Lo! if ye leve me noght,

Or that I lye wenen,

Asketh at hym or at hym,

And he yow kan telle

What I suffrede and seigh

And som tymes hadde,

And what I kouthe and knew,

And what kyn I com of." 8640

Al he wolde that men wiste

Of werkes and of wordes

Which myghte plese the peple,

And preisen hymselve.

_Si hominibus placerem, Christi

servus non essem. Et alibi:

Nemo potest duobus dominis

servire._

"By Crist!" quod Conscience tho,

"Thi beste cote, Haukyn, 8650

Hath manye moles and spottes,

It moste ben y-wasshe."

{265}

"Ye, who so toke hede," quod Haukyn,

"Bihynde and bifore,

What on bak and what on body half,

And by the two sydes,

Men sholde fynde manye frounces,

And manye foule plottes."

And he torned hym as tyd,

And thanne took I hede, 8660

It was fouler bi fele fold

Than it first semed.

It was bi-dropped with wrathe

And wikkede wille,

With envye and yvel speche,

Entisynge to fighte,

Liynge and laughynge,

And leve tonge to chide,

Al that he wiste wikked

By any wight tellen it, 8670

And blame men bihynde hir bak,

And bidden hem meschaunce,

And that he wiste by Wille

Tellen it Watte,

And that Watte wiste

Wille wiste it after,

And make of frendes foes

Thorugh a fals tonge,

Or with myght or with mouth,

Or thorugh mennes strengthe 8680

Avenge me fele tymes,

Other frete myselve

Withinne as a shepsteres shere,

Y-sherewed man and cursed.

_Cujus maledictione os plenum est

et amaritudine, sub lingua ejus

{266}

labor et dolor. Et alibi: Filii

hominum, dentes eorum arma

et sagittæ, et lingua eorum

gladius acutus._ 8690

"Ther is no lif that me loveth

Lastynge any while;

For tales that I telle,

No man trusteth to me.

And whan I may noght have the maistrie,

Swich malencolie I take,

That I cacche the crampe,

And the cardiacle som tyme,

Or an ague in swich an angre,

And som tyme a fevere 8700

That taketh me al a twelve monthe,

Til that I despise

Lechecraft of oure Lord,

And leve on a wicche,

And seye that no clerc ne kan,

Ne Crist, as I leve,

To the soutere of Southwerk,

Or of Shordyche dame Emme;

And seye that no Goddes word

Gaf me nevere boote, 8710

But thorugh a charme hadde I chaunce

And my chief heele."

I waitede wisloker,

And thanne was it soilled

With likynge of lecherie,

As by lokynge of his eighe.

For ech a maide that he mette

He made hire a signe

Semynge to synne-warde,

And some tyme he gan taste 8720

{267}

Aboute the mouth, or bynethe

Bigynneth to grope,

Til eitheres wille wexeth kene,

And to the werke yeden,

As wel in fastyng dayes and Fridaies

As forboden nyghtes,

And as wel in Lente as out of Lente,

Alle tymes y-liche.

Swiche werkes with hem

Were nevere out of seson, 8730

Til thei myghte na-moore;

And thanne murye tales,

And how that lecchours lovye

Laughen and japen,

And of hir harlotrye and horedom

In hir elde tellen.

Thanne Pacience perceyved

Of pointes of this cote,

That were colomy thorugh coveitise

And unkynde desiryng; 8740

Moore to good than to God

The gome his love caste,

And ymagynede how

He it myghte have

With false mesures and met,

And with fals witnesse;

Lened for love of the wed,

And looth to do truthe;

And awaited thorugh which

Wey to bigile, 8750

And menged his marchaundise,

And made a good moustre;

"The worste withinne was,

A greet wit I let it,

{268}

And if my neghebore hadde any hyne,

Or any beest ellis,

Moore profitable than myn,

Manye sleightes I made

How I myghte have it,

Al my wit I caste. 8760

And but I it hadde by oother wey,

At the laste I stale it;

Or priveliche his purs shook,

And unpikede hise lokes;

Or by nyghte or by daye

Aboute was ich evere,

Thorugh gile to gaderen

The good that ich have.

"If I yede to the plowgh,

I pynched so narwe, 8770

That a foot lond or a forow

Fecchen I wolde

Of my nexte neghebore,

And nymen of his erthe.

And if I repe, over-reche,

Of yaf hem reed that ropen

To seise to me with hir sikel

That I ne sew nevere.

"And who so borwed of me,

A-boughte the tyme 8780

With presentes prively,

Or paide som certeyn;

So he wolde or noght wolde,

Wynnen I wolde,

And bothe to kith and to kyn

Unkynde of that ich hadde.

"And who so cheped my chaffare,

Chiden I wolde,

{269}

But he profrede to paie

A peny or tweyne 8790

Moore than it was worth;

And yet wolde I swere

That it coste me muche moore,

And swoor manye othes.

"On holy daies at holy chirche

Whan ich herde masse,

Hadde I nevere wille, woot God,

Witterly to biseche

Mercy for my mysdedes,

That I ne moorned moore 8800

Nor losse of good, leve me,

Than for my likames giltes.

As if I hadde dedly synne doon,

I dredde noght that so soore,

As when I lened, and leved it lost,

Or longe er it were paied.

So if I kidde any kyndenesse

Myn even cristen to helpe,

Upon a cruwel coveitise

Myn herte gan hange. 8810

"And if I sente over see

My servauntz to Brugges,

Or into Pruce-lond my prentis,

My profit to waiten,

To marchaunden with moneie,

And maken hire eschaunges,

Mighte nevere me conforte.

In the mene while

Neither masse ne matynes,

No none maner sightes; 8820

Ne nevere penaunce perfournede,

Ne pater-noster seide,

{270}

That my mynde ne was moore

On my good in a doute,

Than in the grace of God,

And hise grete helpes.

_Ubi thesaurus tuus, ibi et cor tuum._

"Whiche ben the braunches

That bryngen a man to sleuthe?

He that moorneth noght for hise mysdedes, 8830

Ne maketh no sorwe,

And penaunce that the preest enjoyneth

Perfourneth yvele,

Dooth noon almesse,

Dred hym of no synne,

Lyveth ayein the bileve,

And no lawe holdeth,

Ech day is holy day with hym,

Or an heigh ferye;

And, if he aught wole here, 8840

It is an harlotes tonge.

Whan men carpen of Crist,

Or of clennesse of soules,

He wexeth wroth and wol noght here

But wordes of murthe;

Penaunce of povere men,

And the passion of seintes,

He hateth to here therof,

And alle that it telleth.

Thise ben the braunches, beth war, 8850

That bryngen a man to wanhope.

"Ye lordes and ladies,

And legates of holy chirche,

That fedeth fooles sages,

Flatereris and lieris,

And han likynge to lithen hem

{271}

To do yow to laughe,

_Væ vobis qui ridetis, etc._

And gyveth hem mete and mede,

And povere men refuse; 8860

In youre deeth deyinge,

I drede me ful soore

Lest tho thre manner men

To muche sorwe yow brynge.

_Consentientes et agentes pari poena punientur._ =

"Patriarkes and prophetes,

And prechours of Goddes wordes,

Saven thorugh hir sermons

Mannes soule fro helle. 8870

Right so flatereris and fooles

Arn the fendes disciples

To entice men thorugh hir tales

To synne and to harlotrie.

Ac clerkes, that knowen holy writ,

Sholde kenne lordes

What David seith of swiche men,

As the Sauter telleth.

_Non habitabit in medio domus meæ,

qui facit superbiam, et qui 8880

loquitur iniqua._

"Sholde noon harlot have audience

In halle nor in chambre,

Ther wise men were,

Witnesseth Goddes wordes,

Ne no mys-proud man

Amonges lordes ben allowed.

"Ac flaterers and fooles

Thorugh hir foule wordes

Leden tho that loven hem 8890

{272}

To Luciferis feste,

With _Turpiloquio_, a lady of sorwe,

And Luciferis fithele."

Thus Haukyn the actif man

Hadde y-soiled his cote,

Til Conscience acouped hym therof

In a curteis manere,

Why he ne hadde whasshen it,

Or wiped it with a brusshe. 8899

* * * * *