The Vision of William Concerning Piers the Plowman

Fader of falshed and founded it hym-selue.
Adam and Eue he egged to ille,

He is letter of loue and lyeth hem alle;

That trusten on his tresor · bitrayeth he sonnest.'

Thanne had I wonder in my witt what womman it were

Pat such wise wordes of holy writ shewed;

And asked hir on þe hieze name ar heo þennes zeode,
What she were witterli þat wissed me so faire ?

'Holicherche I am,' quod she 'pow ouztest me to knowe, I vnderfonge pe firste⚫ and þe feyth tauzte,

And to loue me lelly · þe while pi lyf dureth.'

Thanne I courbed on my knees and cryed hir of grace, And preyed hir pitousely prey for my synnes,

And also kenne me kyndeli· on criste to bileue,

That I mizte worchen his wille þat wrouzte me to man; 'Teche me to no tresore but telle me pis ilke,

How I may saue my soule · þat seynt art yholden ?'

'Whan alle tresores aren tried,' quod she 'trewthe is be best;

I do it on deus caritas to deme pe sope;

It is as derworth a drewery as dere god hym-seluen.

Who-so is trewe of his tonge & telleth none other,
And doth be werkis per-with and wilneth no man ille,
He is a god bi þe gospel · agrounde and aloft,
And ylike to owre lorde bi seynte lukes wordes.
pe clerkes pat knowep pis· shulde kenne it aboute,
For cristene and vncristne clamep it vchone.

Kynges & kniztes · shulde kepe it bi resoun, Riden and rappe down · in reumes aboute,

And taken trangressores · and tyen hem faste,

Til treuthe had ytermyned her trespas to pe ende.

And þat is pe professioun appertly⚫ þat appendeth for knyztes
And nouzt to fasten a fryday in fyue score wynter;

But holden wip him & with hir· þat wolden al treuthe,
And neuer leue hem for louene for lacchyng of syluer.
For Dauid in his dayes dubbed kniztes,

And did hem swere on here swerde⚫ to serue trewthe euere
And who-so passed þat poynte was apostata in pe ordre.
But criste kingene kynge knizted ten,

Cherubyn and seraphin suche seuene and an othre,
And 3af hem my3te in his maieste · þe muryer hem þouzte;
And ouer his mene meyné · made hem archangeles,

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To be buxome at his biddyng • he bad hem nouzte elles. 110
Lucifer wip legiounes lerned it in heuene,

But for he brake buxumnesse his blisse gan he tyne,
And fel fro þat felawship in a fendes liknes,

In-to a depe derke helle to dwelle pere for eure;

And mo powsandes wip him þan man couthe noumbre 11
Lopen out wip Lucifer in lothelich forme,

For þei leueden vpon hym⚫ þat lyed in pis manere :

Ponam pedem in aquilone, et similis ero altissimo.

And alle pat hoped it mizte be so · none heuene mizte hem
holde,

But fellen out in fendes liknesse nyne dayes togideres,
Til god of his goodnesse gan stable and stynte,

And garte pe heuene to stekye and stonden in quiete.

Whan thise wikked went out wonderwise þei fellen,
Somme in eyre, somme in erthe · & somme in helle depe;
Ac lucifer lowest lith of hem alle;

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For pryde þat he pult out his peyne hath none ende; 125
And alle þat worche with wronge· wenden hij shulle

After her deth day and dwelle wip pat shrewe.
Ac po þat worche wel as holiwritt telleth,

And enden, as I ere seide in treuthe, pat is þe best,

Mowe be siker þat her soule shal wende to heuene,
Per treuthe is in Trinitee · and troneth hem alle.
For-pi I sey, as I seide ere · bi sizte of þise textis,
Whan alle tresores arne ytried· treuthe is þe beste.
Lereth it pis lewde men for lettred men it knowen,
Pat treuthe is tresore⚫ pe triest on erpe.'

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135

'Jet haue I no kynde knowing,' quod Izet mote ze kenne me better,

dont translate = any fodq]

3y what craft in my corps it comseth, and where.
'Pow doted daffe,' quod she 'dulle arne þi wittes;
To litel latyn pow lernedest lede, in pi 3outhe;

Heu michi, quod sterilem duxi vitam iuuenilem!
It is a kynde knowyng,' quod she'þat kenneth in pine

herte

No dedly synne to do dey pouz pow sholdest:

This I trowe be treuthe who can teche þe better,

Loke pow suffre hym to sey and sithen lere it after.
For thus witnesseth his worde

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worche pow pereafter; 145

For trewthe tellep pat loue is triacle of heuene;

May no synne be on him sene · þat vseth þat spise,

And alle his werkes he wrouzte · with loue as him liste;

And lered it Moises for pe leuest þing and moste like to heuene,

And also pe plante of pees⚫ moste precious of vertues.

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For heuene myzte nouzte holden it it was so heuy of hym-self,

Tyl it hadde of pe erthe⚫ yeten his fylle.

And whan it haued of his folde⚫ flesshe & blode taken,

Was neuere leef vpon lynde lizter per-after,

And portatyf and persant as þe poynt of a nedle,

That myžte non armure it lette · ne none heiz walles.
For-pi is loue leder of pe lordes folke of heuene,
And a mene, as þe Maire is · bitwene þe kyng and

comune;

Rizt so is loue a ledere and pe lawe shapeth,

Vpon man for his mysdedes pe merciment he taxeth.
And for to knowe it kyndely · it comseth bi myght,

And in þe herte þere is þe heuede · and þe heiz welle ;
For in kynde knowynge in herte · þere a myzte bigynneth

And þat falleth to þe fader · þat formed vs alle,

Loked on vs with loue • and lete his sone deye

Mekely for owre mysdedes · to amende vs alle;

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And get wolde he hem no woo· þat wrouzte hym þat peyne, But mekelich with mouthe· mercy he bisouzte

To haue pite of þat poeple pat peyned hym to deth.
Here myztow see ensamples in hym-selue one, a
That he was miztful & meke · and mercy gan graunte
To hem þat hongen him an heiz and his herte pirled.
For-thi I rede 30w riche · haueth reuthe of þe pouere ;
Thouz ze be myztful to mote · beth meke in 30wre werkes.
For þe same mesures þat ze mete · amys other elles,
3e shullen ben weyen þer-wyth · whan ze wende hennes;
Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis, remecietur vobis.
For pouz ze be trewe of 30wre tonge and trewliche
And as chaste as a childe · þat in cherche wepeth,
But if ze louen lelliche · and lene þe poure,
Such goed as god 30w sent · godelich parteth,
3e ne haue na more meryte · in masse ne in houres,
Pan Malkyn of hire maydenhode · þat no man desireth.
For Iames þe gentil · iugged in his bokes,
That faith with-oute pe faite is rizte no pinge worthi,
And as ded as a dore-tree · but 3if þe dedes folwe;