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And some to plese perkyn · piked vp þe wedes.

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At heighe pryme peres · lete pe plowe stonde,

To ouersen hem hym-self; · and who-so best wrouzte,
He shulde be huyred per-after whan heruest-tyme come.
And þanne seten somme· and songen atte nale,

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And hulpen erie his half acre with 'how! trolli-lolli!' 'Now, bi pe peril of my soule!' quod Pieres al in pure tene,

'But

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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!'

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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!

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Ac we preye for 30w pieres and for 30wre plow bothe, Pat god of his grace 30wre grayne multiplye,

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And zelde 30w of 30wre almesse · þat ze ziue vs here;

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For we may nouzte swynke ne swete suche sikenesse vs eyleth.'

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'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

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Which pei were in pis worlde his werkemen appeyred.

3e wasten þat men wynnen

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Ac treuthe shal teche 30w his teme to dryue,

Or

зе shal ete barly bred and of pe broke drynke.

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But if he be blynde or broke-legged or bolted with yrnes, He shal ete whete bred and drynke with my-selue,

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Ac ze myzte trauaille as treuthe wolde

huyre

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and take mete &

To kepe kyne in þe felde pe corne fro pe bestes,
Diken or deluen or dyngen vppon sheues,

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Or helpe make morter or bere mukke a-felde.

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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.

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Ac robert renne-aboute⚫ shal nowzte haue of myne,

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Ne posteles, but þey preche conne⚫ and haue powere of þe

bisschop ;

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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—

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Of þi flowre and of þi flessche · fecche whan vs liketh,
And make vs myrie per-myde maugre pi chekes!'

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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:

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'For po waste and wynnen nouzte and þat ilke while Worth neuere plente amonge pe poeple per-while my plow liggeth.'

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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 !'

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And sette Pieres at a pees and his plow bothe,

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And manaced pieres and his men · 3if þei mette eft sone.

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Now, by pe peril of my soule!' quod pieres 'I shal apeyre 30w alle!'

And houped after hunger þat herd hym atte firste:
A-wreke me of pise wastoures,' quod he 'þat þis worlde

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He buffeted þe Britoner aboute pe chekes,

Pat he loked like a lanterne · al his lyf after.

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He bette hem so bothe⚫ he barste nere here [ribbes;]
Ne hadde Pieres with a pese-lof· preyed hunger to cesse,
They hadde ben doluen bothe • ne deme pow non other.
'Suffre hem lyue,' he seyde · 'and lete hem ete with hogges,
Or elles benes and bren · ybaken togideres,

Or elles melke and mene ale' pus preyed pieres for hem. 185
Faitoures for fere her-of⚫ flowen in-to bernes,

And flapten on with flayles · fram morwe til euen,

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That hunger was nouzt so hardy on hem for to loke,
For a potful of peses pat peres hadde ymaked.

An heep of heremites

henten hem spades,

And ketten here copes

and courtpies hem made,

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And wenten as werkemen with spades and with schoueles, And doluen and dykeden to dryue aweye hunger.

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Blynde and bedreden were botened a bousande,

Pat seten to begge syluer · sone were pei heled.

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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,

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to haue pesen for hi

And what pieres preyed hem to do as prest as a sperhauke

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And 3af hem mete as he myzte aforth and mesurable huyre

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Treuthe tauzte me ones to louye hem vchone,
And to helpen hem of alle þinge· ay as hem nedeth.
And now wolde I witen of pe⚫ what were pe best,
And how I my3te amaistrien hem and make hem to
worche.'

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'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,

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Abate hem with benes for bollyng of her wombe; !
And if þe gomes grucche bidde hem go swynke,
And he shal soupe swettere whan he it hath deseruid.

And if pow fynde any freke⚫ þat fortune hath appeyred,
Or any maner fals men · fonde pow suche to cnowe;
Conforte hem with þi catel for crystes loue of heuene,

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Alter alterius onera portate.

And alle maner of men · þat þow my3te asspye,

That nedy ben, and nauzty helpe hem with pi godis,

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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,
And biloue pe amonges low men so shaltow lacche grace,
Facite vobis amicos de mamona iniquitatis.'

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'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,

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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,

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and for he wolde nouzte chaf

He had maugre of his maistre for euermore after;

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And binam hym his Mnam · for he ne wolde worche,
And 3af þat Mnam to hym þat ten Mnames hadde,
And with þat he seyde pat holicherche it herde,
"He þat hath shal haue

and helpe pere it nedeth,

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And he þat nouzt hath, shal nou3t haue · and no man hym

helpe;

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And þat he weneth wel to haue I wil it hym bireue."

Kynde witt wolde pat eche a wyght wrouzte

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