<County: Cambridgeshire>
<Code: L0698>
<MS reference: Oxford, University College 45>
<Text: Piers Plowman A>
<Tranche 1>
<fol. 1r>IN a somer seson as y south wente
J schoop me in a schrowde as y a scheep were
Jn habite as an ermyte vnholy werkes
J wente wide in þis world wondr~s to here
But on a may mornynge on maluerne hilles
Me by-fel a ferly of fayrie me þoughte
J was wery for wandryd y wente me to reste
Vndir a brood banke by a bornes side
and as y lay and lened me and lokide on þe watr~s
slombride on a slepynge j sweuenyd so myrie
þan gan y to mete a merueylous sweuene
þat y was in wildernesse y wyste neuere where
but as y byheeld in þe eest vp to þe sonne
J <a?> saw a tour in a toft triely a-tired
A deep dale by-nethe a dungeoun þer-ynne
wiþ depe diches and derke dredful of sight
A fair feeld ful of folk fond J by-twene
Of alle manere of men þe mene and þe riche
wurchynge and wandrynge as þe world askith
Some putten hem to þe plow pleiden ful seelde
Jn seed tyme and sowynge þei swonken ful harde
and wonnen þt þese wastours wiþ glotenye destroien
Some putten hem to pride apperayled hem þer-aftir
Jn contenaunce of clothynge þei comen dysgysed
To preyeres and to penaunce putten hem manye
For þe loue of our lord lyueden ful streyte
Jn hope for to haue heuen riche blisse
As Ankres and ormytes þat holden hem in her~ selles
And coueyte noght in þe cuntre to carien aboute
For no lykerous lyflode here lykames to plese
And some chosen hem to chaffare þei cheuyde þe betere
As it es seen in our sight þat siche men thryuen
And some myrthes to make as mynstralis cunne
Gete gold wiþ here gle synneles J trowe
Ac iaperis and iangleres Judases children
Gon fynden hem fantasyes and foles hem maken
& han wit at here wille to wurche what hem liketh
þt<?> þat poul prechith of hem y wol noght prouen here
<fol. 1v><lat>Qui loquitur turpiloquium</lat> is Luciferes hyne
Beggeris and bydderes faste a-boute 3edyn
Til here belyes and here bagges were bredful crammyd
Þei fliten for here fode and foughten at þe nale
Jn glotenye god wot go þei to bedde
And risen vp with ribaudrie as Roberdes knaues
Sleep and slouthe sueth hem euere
Pilgrimes and palmeres plighten hem to-gidre
For to seke seint Jame and seyntes in Rome
wenten forth in here weye with many wise tales
And hadden leue to lye alle here lyues aftir
Ermytes on an heep with hokide stauys
wenten to walsyngham and here wenchis aftir
Grete lobyes and longe loth for to swynke
Clothide hem in copes to be knowe from oþere
y fond þere freris alle þe foure ordres
prechynge þe peple for profit of here wombes
Glosid þe gospell as hem good lykide
For couetyse of copes construed it as þei wolde
Manye of þese maistres mow clothen hem at lykynge
For here+moneye and here marchandise metyn to-gidre
Sithen charite haþ ben chapman & cheef to schryue lordes
Many ferlyes han fallen in a fewe 3eris
But holy chirche and he holde to-gidre
þe moste meschief on þis molde mountith vp faste
þer prechide a perdoner a prest as he were
And broughte forthe a bulle with bysschopes selys
And seide hym-selue myghte assoile hem alle
Of falsnesse of fastynge of a-vowes broken
Þe lewid men lyueden hym and likide wel his speche
and comen knelyng vp to kussen his bulle
he blessid hem wiþ his breuet and blerid here eyen
Raughte hym with his ragge-man broches and rynges
Þus 3e 3euen 3our gold glotonus to helpe
and lenyn it to loselis þat lechery haunten
<fol. 2r>But were þe bisschop y-blessid and worth boþe his eres
his seal schulde noght be sent to desceyue þe peple
y trowe it is noght for þe bisschop þat þe boye precheth .
But þe periche preest and þe perdoner perten þe siluer
þat þe pore peple schuld haue if þat þei ne were
Persones and persche prestis pleynen hem to here bysschop
þat here peryschenes ben pore sithen þe pestilence tyme
To haue a+licence and a+loue at london to duelle
To syngen for symonye for siluer is swete
þere houyd an hundrid in howues of selk
Seriant3 þei semeden pletiden at þe barre
þei pletide for pens and poundide þe lawe
Ac non for þe loue of our lord openyd his lippes
þou myghtest betere mete myst on maluerne hilles
þan gete a mom of her~ mouth til mone be schewed
J saw þer erchebisschopes bolde and bacheleris of deuyn
Bycome clerkes of a-counte þe kyng for to serue
Y saw þere erchedeknes and denes þat dignite hauen
To prechen þe peple<exp>n</exp> and pore men to fede
þei ben lopen to londone þurwe leue of her~ bisschop
And ben clerkes of þe kynges bench þe contre to schende
Barouns burgeys and bondages also
J saw in þat semble as 3e schul heren aftir
Bakeris and bocheres and breusteres boþe
wullen webster~s weueres of lynnene
Taillours toucheris and tolleris boþe
Masouns mynours and many oþer craftis
and dikeres and delueres þt don her~ werk ille
þt dryuen forþ þe longe day with deu sa dam emme
Cokes and here knaues criden hote pyes hote
Gode gees and grys go+we dyne go+we
Tauerneris tollid hem and tolde hem þe same
wiþ white wyn of oseye and gascoyne
Of þe ryn and of þe rochil þe rost to dyffye
þis saw J my-selue slepynge & seuen sith-es more
<fol. 2v><lat>passus primis de visione <ill><3 words></ill></lat>
what þis monteyne may mene & þe derke dale
and eek þe feld ful of folk fair~ y schal 3ow schewe
A louely lady of lere in lynnene was clothid
Com doun fro þe clyf and callide me faire
And seide sone slepistow seest þu þis peple
How bysy þei ben a-boute þe mase
þe moste pertie of þe peple þat passith vppon erthe
Haue þei worschepe of þe world kepe þei no betere
Of oþer heuene þan here holde þei no tale
J was a-ferid of her~ face þoghe sche fayr were
and seide merci ma-dame what may þis by-mene
þe tour in þe toft qd sche treuthe is þer-ynne
þat wolde þat 3e wroghten as his word techith
For he is fadir of feyth þat fourmyde 3ow alle
Bothe wiþ fel and wiþ face and 3af 3ow fyue wyttes
For to wurschipen hym þer-with whiles 3e ben here
& þer-fore he bad 3ow eche ˆ [on] helpen oþer
Of wollene and lynnene to lyflode At nede
Jn mesurable manere to make 3ow at ese
And comandide of his curtesye in comon@ þr~ þinges
Arn non nedful but þei to nempne hem y thenke
And rekne hem 3ow by resoun reherce 3e hem aftir
þe ton is vesture verrailiche fro cold 3ow to saue
þe toþer is mete at 3our meel for myschief of 3ow selue
drynk whan 3ow drieth but do it noght out of reson@
So þt 3e wurche þe werse whan 3e swynke scholde
For loth in lyf dayes for lykynge of drynke
Dide by his doughter~ þat þe deuyl likyde
Delyted hym in drynke as þe deuel wolde
And lecherye hym laughte & lay by hem bothe
And al he witede wyn þat wikkede dede
Dreed delitable drynk and þou schalt do þe betere
<fol. 3r>But hold with hym and with hir~ þt asken . þe treuthe
& neither leef hem for loue ne for lakkynge of siluer
& who so passith þis poynt is apostata in his ordre
And kyng kyngene kyng knyhtide tene
Cherubyn and seraphyn and siche mo oþere
And 3af hem myghte in his maieste þe myrier~ hem þoughte
And ouer al his meyne made hem archaungelis
And tau3te hem þurw þe trinite þe treuthe to knowe
And be buxum at his heste he bad hem noght elles
Lucifer with legiones lernyd it in heuene
þat was þe louelyst of sight aftir our lord
Til he brak buxumnesse þurw bost of him-selue
þan fel he with his felawes and feendes by-come
Out of heuene in-to helle hoblide þei faste
Some in eyr some in erthe some in helle depe
Ac lucifer+lowest light of hem alle
For þe pride he putte out his peyne hath non ende
And alle þat worken with wrong wende þei schulle
Aftir here deth day and duelle with þat schrewe
Ac þo þat wurchen þe word þat holy writ techith .
And enden as y er seide in profita<?>ble werkes
Mowe ben siker here soules schul wende to heuene
þer treuthe is in trynite tre tryeste of alle
þer-fore y seye as y seide er by sighte of þese textes
Whan alle tresours arn tried treuthe is þe beste
lerith it lewid men for lettride it knowen
þt treuthe is tresour þe trieste on erthe
3it haue y no kynde knowynge 3e mot me betere kenne
By what kynne craft in my cors it comseth &whare
þou dotyd daffe qd sche dulle ben þi wyttys
Jt is a kynde knowynge þat comseth in þin herte
For to loue þi lord betere þan þi-selue
No dedly synne to do þoghe þou deye schuldest
þis y trowe be treuthe who can teche þe betere
loke þou suffre hym to seye and sithe lerne it aftir
<fol. 3v>For þus witnessith his word wurche þou þer-aftir
þat loue is þe leueste thyng þat our lord askith
& also plante of pees put it in þin herte
þer~ þou art myrye at þe mete whan men bydde þer 3edden
For by kynde knowynge þer comseth it right
And þat fallith to þe fadir þat formyde vs alle
þt lokide on vs wiþ loue and leet his sone deye
Mekeliche for our mysdedes to amende vs alle
And 3it wolde he hym no þat wroughte hym þat pyne
But mekeliche be mouthe merci by-soughte
To haue pite on þe peple þat pyned hym to dethe
Here myght se ensamples in hym-selue one
þat he was myghtful and meke & merci gan grauntyn
To hem þat hyngen hym by & his herte thirlide
þer-fore y rede þe riche to haue reuthe on þe pore
þoghe 3e ben myghti to mote beþ meke of 3our werkes
For þe same mesure 3e metyn her~ amys oþer elles
3e schullen be wey3en þer-with whan þat 3e gon hennys
For þeighe 3e be trewe of 3our tunge & trewliche wynne
And eek as [a] child þat in cherche wepith
But 3e loue lely and lene þe pore
Of swiche good as god haþ sent goodliche perteth
3e ne haue na more meryt in matyne ne in oures
þan malkyn of here maydenhed þat no man desired
For James þe gentil Jugged in his book
þat feith wiþouten werk is feblere þan noght
and deed as a dorenayl but þe 3if þe dede folwe
Chastite wiþouten charite wurþ schryued in helle
þt is as lewed as a lampe þt no light is ynne
Now many chapeleyns arn chaste but charite is a-weie
Arn none harder~ þan þei whan þei ben auaunced
Vnkynde to her~ kyn and eek to alle cristene
Chiwen here charite & chiden aftir more
Wich chastite wiþouten charite wurþ schryued in helle
<Tranche 2>
<fol. 16r>þe kyng acordide be crist to resouns sawes
& reherside þat resoun had rightfulliche schewid
Ac it is wol hard be myn heued it þer-to to brynge
Alle my lige ledes to leden hem þus euene
By hym þat raughte on þe rode qd resoun to þe king
But y reule þus þi rewme rend of my ribbes
3if it be so þat buxumnesse be of myn assent
And y assente qd þe king by seinte marie my lady
Be my conseil y-comen of clerkes & of erles
Ac redily resoun þou schalt not riden henne
For as longe as y lyue loue þe y wille
J am redi qd reson to reste wiþ 3ou euere
So conscience be of our conseil kepe y no betere
J graunte qd þe king goddis forbode he failed .
As longe as y luye libbe we to-gidres
<lat>passus quintus de isione .</lat>
þe king and his knyghtis to þe cherche wenten
To here matyns & messe and sithe to mete aftir
þan wakid y of my wynkynge & wo was wiþ alle
þt J ne hadde slepe saddere and y-seie more
Er J hadde faren a furlong swiche fantesie me hente
þt y ne myghte ferþere a fote for defaute of slepynge
J sat softly a-doun & seide my byleue
and so J bablide on my bedes þei broughten me a-slepe
þan saw y moche more þan y by-fore tolde
J saw þe feld full of folk þat y by-fore nempnyd
And conscience wiþ a cros com for to preche
he prechide þe peple to haue pite on hem-selue
And proued þat þis pestilence was for pure synne
and þe south west wynd on saterday at euen
was apertly for synne and for nothyng elles .
pyries and plumtres were putte to þe erþe
Jn ensaumple seith god 3e schulde do þe betere
<fol. 16v>Beches & brode okes weren blowen to þe grounde
And turnyd vp þe tayl in toknynge of drede
þt deth er domes day schal for-don hem alle
Of þis matere myght y mamle wol longe
Ac y schal seie as y seide so me god helpe
How conscience with a cros com for to preche
he bad wastour go wirche what he best coude
And wynne þat he wastide wiþ som kynne crafte
He prechid pyrnel here purfil to leue
And kepe it in here cofre for catel at nede
Thomas he tau3te to take two staues
And fecche hom felice from heuene wyuene pyne
he warnyd watte his wif was to blame
þat here heued was wurþ a mark & his hood not a grote
He chargide chapmen to chastise here children
let no welthe for-wany hem whiles þat þei ben 3onge
he prechide prelatis and prestes to-gidres
þt þei preche þe peple and proue it hem-selue
And libben as 3e lerne vs for we wol loue 3ou þe betere
And sithen he radde religious here rewle to kepe
laste þe king and his conseil+3our comunes apeire
And be stiward in 3ore stede so þat 3e cheue þe betere
And 3e þat seken seint Jame and seintes in rome
Sekith seint treuþe for he mai saue 3ou alle
<lat>Qui cum patri<?> & filio</lat> þat faire 3ow mote byfalle
þan repentaunce rehercede his teme
And made wille to wepe watir wiþ his eien
Pirnel proud herte plat here to þe erthe
and lay longe er sche lokide & lord merci cride
And by-highte to him þat vs alle made
sche schulde vnsowe here serke & sette þer an heyre
To affayten here flesche þat fresch was to synne
Schal neuere hye herte me hende but holde me lowe
<fol. 17r>And suffre to be mysseyd and so dide y neuere
but now wil y meke me and merci by-seche
Of al þat y haue had enuye in myn herte
¶ Lechour seide allas & on our lady cride
to make amendes for his mysdede by-twene god & hym
Wiþ þat he schulde saterdayes vij 3er þer-aftir
Drynk but wiþ þe goss goos and dyne but onys
¶ Enuye wiþ heuy herte askid aftir schrifte
And carfulli his coupe he gynneþ to schewe
He was as pale as a pelat & palatik semyde
He was clothid in a caury-mawry J couthe hym not descrie
A kirtil & a courtepy a knyf be his side
Of a freris frogge were þe forme sleues
As a leek þat hadde y-leye longe in þe sonne
So lokide he wiþ lene chekis lourynge foule
His body was bolnyd for wroþ þat he boot his lippe
And wrothliche he wroþ his fyst to wreken hym he þou3te
wiþ werk or wiþ word whan he sey his tyme
Venym or vergeous or vynegre y trowe
walweþ in my wombe and waxeþ as J wene
J myght not many day do as a man myghte
siche wynd in my wombe wexith er y dyne
J haue a ney3bour ney me J haue noyed hym wol ofte
& blamyd hym behynd his bak to bryngen hym in fame
to apeiren hym with my power y pursuyed ofte
and y ley on hym to lordes to don hym lese siluer
And don his frendis ben his fon þurw his false tunge
his grace and his gode happis greuyd me sore
By-twene hym & his meyne J haue mad ofte wratthe
boþe his lyme and his lif was lost þurw my tunge
whan y mette hym in market þat y most hatide
J hailsed hym as hendely as J his frend were
he is dou3tier þan J . J dar non harm don hym
<fol. 17v>Ac hadde J maistry oþer myght J wolde murthre hym for euere
Whan y come to þe chirche and knele a-fore þe rode
To preie for þe peple as þe prest me techith
Aftir þat J pray on my knees our lady 3yue hym sorwe
þat bar a-wey my bolle and my brode schete
Fro þe auter y turne myn ei3e and by-holde
how hayne haþ a newe cote y wysche it wer~ myn awen
and al þe wele þat he haþ greueth me wol sore
Of his lesynge y smyle and þer-of lawheþ myn herte
Ac of his wynnynge J wepe and waile þe tyme
J deme men þere y do ille and 3et J do werse
y wolde þat ech wight were my knaue
And who so haþ more þan y þat angrith myn herte
J wolde þat ech wight were my knaue
Þus y lyue loueles like a lither dogge
Þat al bolnyth my breste for biter of my galle
May no sucre ne swete þing swagen it an vnche
Ne no diapenydion driue it fro myn herte
Yf þat schrifte schulde it were a gret wondir
3ys redily qd repentaunce and radde hym to gode
Sorwe for synne saueþ wol manye
J am sory qd enuye y am but seldom oþer
Þt makith me so mad for J ne mai me venge
¶ Þan cam couetise y can noght descrye
So hungry and so holwe sir heruy him lokide
he was babirlippid and eek biter-browed
wiþ two blerid ey3en as a lethern purse
Jn a tore tabard of xij wynter age
But a lows coude lepe y mai it not trowe
þt he ne schulde slideren þer-on so was þred-bare
J haue louyd couetise al my lif tyme
J knowe it here by-fore crist & his clene modir
an for som tyme serued J symme at þe noke
and was his prentis aplight his profit to loke
First lernyde y to lye a+leef oþer tweye
<fol. 18r>wikkidly to wynne was my firste lessoun
To winchestre and to wy y wente to þe feire
wiþ many maner marchandise as my maister me tau3te
Ne hadde þe grace of ˆ <mrg>gile</mrg> god gon among my ware
Jt ˆ <mrg>had</mrg> ben vnsold þis vij . 3er so me god helpe
þan drow y me to draperis my donet to lere
To drawe þe lysour a-long þe lengere it semyth
Among þe riche raies y rendrid a lesson@
prochid hem wiþ a pak+nedle y pleyted hem to-gidre
putte hem in a pressour and pynned hem þer-ynne
my wif was a breustere & wollen clothe made
and spak to þe spynstere to spynnen it softe
þe pound þat sche weyed by was a quarter more
þan ony almesdede whan sche weyede treuthe
J boughte here barly sche brew it to selle
peny-ale and pile-whew sche pouride to-gidres
For labouros for loþ folk þat lyuen by hem-selue
Þe beste in my bedchambre lith by þe wowes
And who so bummed þer-of he bou3t it þer-aftir
A galon for a grote god wot no lesse
whan it cometh yn cuppemale þat craft my wif vsed
Rose þe regrater is here right name
Sche haþ holden osterye þis xj . wynter .
ac y swere now soþly þat synne schal y lete
Ne neuere wynne wykkidly ne no chaffar~ make
But wende to walsingham and my wif also
And bidde þe rode of bromholm to brynge vs out of dette
¶ Now begynneth glotoun for to go to schrifte
And caried him to chirche ward his synne for to schewe
And betoun þe breuster~ þere bad him gode morwe
And sche askid of him whiderward he wolde
To holi chirche qd he for to here messe
And sithen y wol be schryuen and synne na+more
J haue good ale qd sche glotoun wilt þu assaie