And some to plese perkyn · piked vp þe wedes. At heighe pryme peres · lete pe plowe stonde, To ouersen hem hym-self; · and who-so best wrouzte, 115 And hulpen erie his half acre with 'how! trolli-lolli!' 'Now, bi pe peril of my soule!' quod Pieres al in pure tene, 'But зе arise þe rather and rape 30w to worche, Shal no greyne þat groweth glade 30w at nede; ncis And pough ze deye for dole pe deuel haue pat reccheth!' 120 Tho were faitoures aferde · and feyned hem blynde, Somme leyde here legges aliri · as suche loseles conneth, And made her mone to pieres and preyde hym of grace: 125 'For we haue no lymes to laboure with lorde, y-graced be ze! Ac we preye for 30w pieres and for 30wre plow bothe, Pat god of his grace 30wre grayne multiplye, And zelde 30w of 30wre almesse · þat ze ziue vs here; For we may nouzte swynke ne swete suche sikenesse vs eyleth.' 130 'If it be soth,' quod pieres, 'þat ze seyne I shal it sone asspye! Je ben wastoures, I wote wel⚫ and treuthe wote pe sothe! And I am his olde hyne and hizte hym to warne Which pei were in pis worlde his werkemen appeyred. 3e wasten þat men wynnen Ac treuthe shal teche 30w his teme to dryue, Or зе shal ete barly bred and of pe broke drynke. But if he be blynde or broke-legged or bolted with yrnes, He shal ete whete bred and drynke with my-selue, Ac ze myzte trauaille as treuthe wolde huyre and take mete & To kepe kyne in þe felde pe corne fro pe bestes, Or helpe make morter or bere mukke a-felde. In lecherye and in losengerye 3e lyuen, and in sleuthe, 145 And al is porw suffrance · þat veniaunce 30w ne taketh. Ac ancres and heremytes þat eten nozt but at nones, And namore er morwe myne almesse shul þei haue, And of my catel to cope hem with þat han cloistres and cherches. Ac robert renne-aboute⚫ shal nowzte haue of myne, 150 Ne posteles, but þey preche conne⚫ and haue powere of þe bisschop ; They shal haue payne and potage and make hem-self at ese, For it is an vnresonable Religioun þat hath rizte nouzte of certeyne.' And þanne gan a wastoure to wrath hym⚫ and wolde haue yfouzte, And to Pieres pe plowman he profered his gloue; A Brytonere, a braggere · a-bosted pieres als— 155 Of þi flowre and of þi flessche · fecche whan vs liketh, 160 Thanne Pieres pe plowman · pleyned hym to þe knyzte, To kepe hym, as couenaunte was fram cursed shrewes, And fro pis wastoures wolueskynnes · þat maketh þe worlde dere: 'For po waste and wynnen nouzte and þat ilke while Worth neuere plente amonge pe poeple per-while my plow liggeth.' 165 Curteisly þe knyzte þanne · as his kynde wolde, Warned wastoure and wissed hym bettere, Or þow shalt abugge by þe lawe by pe ordre pat I bere!' 'I was nouzt wont to worche,' quod wastour and now wil I nouzt bigynne !' And sette Pieres at a pees and his plow bothe, And manaced pieres and his men · 3if þei mette eft sone. Now, by pe peril of my soule!' quod pieres 'I shal apeyre 30w alle!' And houped after hunger þat herd hym atte firste: He buffeted þe Britoner aboute pe chekes, Pat he loked like a lanterne · al his lyf after. 180 He bette hem so bothe⚫ he barste nere here [ribbes;] Or elles melke and mene ale' pus preyed pieres for hem. 185 And flapten on with flayles · fram morwe til euen, That hunger was nouzt so hardy on hem for to loke, An heep of heremites henten hem spades, And ketten here copes and courtpies hem made, 190 And wenten as werkemen with spades and with schoueles, And doluen and dykeden to dryue aweye hunger. Blynde and bedreden were botened a bousande, Pat seten to begge syluer · sone were pei heled. 19 unse For þat was bake for bayarde was bote for many hungry, And many a beggere for benes · buxome was to swynke, And eche a pore man wel apayed huyre, to haue pesen for hi And what pieres preyed hem to do as prest as a sperhauke 20 And 3af hem mete as he myzte aforth and mesurable huyre Treuthe tauzte me ones to louye hem vchone, 'Here now,' quod hunger • ‘and holde it for a wisdome: Bolde beggeres and bigge⚫ þat mowe her bred biswynke, With houndes bred and hors bred holde vp her hertis, Abate hem with benes for bollyng of her wombe; ! And if pow fynde any freke⚫ þat fortune hath appeyred, 214 220 Alter alterius onera portate. And alle maner of men · þat þow my3te asspye, That nedy ben, and nauzty helpe hem with pi godis, 225 Loue hem and lakke hem nouzte late god take pe veniaunce; Theigh pei done yuel · late pow god y-worpe:- ve Michi vindicta, & ego retribuam. And if pow wilt be graciouse to god do as pe gospel techeth, 231 'I wolde nouzt greue god,' quod piers for al þe good on grounde; Mizte I synnelees do as pow seist?' seyde pieres panne. 'je, I bihote pe,' quod hunger 'or ellis þe bible lieth; Go to Genesis pe gyaunt þe engendroure of vs alle; In sudore and swynke pow shalt þi mete tilye, And laboure for þi lyflode" and so owre lordè hyzte. And sapience seyth þe same I seigh it in þe bible; ·Piger pro frigore no felde nolde tilye, 235 And perfore he shal begge and bidde· and no man bete his hunger." Mathew with mannes face Pat seruus nequam had a nam fare, mouthed pise wordes, 240 and for he wolde nouzte chaf He had maugre of his maistre for euermore after; And binam hym his Mnam · for he ne wolde worche, and helpe pere it nedeth, 245 And he þat nouzt hath, shal nou3t haue · and no man hym helpe; And þat he weneth wel to haue I wil it hym bireue." Kynde witt wolde pat eche a wyght wrouzte |