Piers Plowman Electronic Archive

Piers Plowman Electronic Archive

Cambridge MS B.15.17 (W)

Passus 4

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Passus quartus de visione vt supra

W4.1CEsseþ seiþ þe kyng · I suffre yow no lenger
W4.2 Ye shul sauȝtne for-soþe · and serue me boþe
W4.3 Kis hire quod þe kyng · Conscience I hote

W4.4Nay by crist quod Conscience · congeye me er for euere96
W4.5 But Reson rede me þer-to · raþer wol I deye

W4.6 And I comaunde þee quod þe kyng · to Conscience þanne
W4.7 Rape þee to ryde · and Reson þow fecche
W4.8 Comaunde hym þat he come · my counseil to here
W4.9 For he shal rule my Reaume · and rede me þe beste
W4.10 And acounte wiþ þee Conscience · so me crist helpe
W4.11 How þow lernest þe peple · þe lered and þe lewed

W4.12 I am fayn of þat foreward · seide þe freke þanne
W4.13 And ryt riȝt to Reson · and rouneþ in his ere
W4.14 And seide as þe kyng bad · and siþen took his leue

W4.15 I shal arraye me to ryde quod Reson · reste þee awhile
W4.16 And called Caton his knaue · curteis of speche
W4.17 And also Tomme trewe tonge · tel me no tales
W4.18 Ne lesynge to lauȝen of · for I loued hem neuere
W4.19 And set my Sadel vp-on suffre · til I se my tyme

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W4.20 And lat warroke hym wel · wiþ witty wordes gerþes
W4.21 And hange on hym þe heuy brydel · to holde his heed lowe
W4.22 For he wol make wehee · twies er he be þere
W4.23 Thanne Conscience vp-on his capul · carieþ forþ faste
W4.24 And Reson wiþ hym ryt · rownynge togideres
W4.25 Whiche Maistries Mede · makeþ on þis erþe

W4.26 Oon waryn wisdom · and witty his feere
W4.27 Folwed hym faste · for þei hadde to doone
W4.28 In thescheker and in þe Chauncerye · to ben descharged of þynges
W4.29 And riden faste for Reson sholde · rede hem þe beste
W4.30 For to saue hem for siluer · from shame and from harmes
W4.31 And Conscience knew hem wel · þei loued coueitise
W4.32 And bad Reson ryde faste . and recche of hir neiþer
W4.33 Ther are wiles in hire wordes . and with Mede þei dwelleþ
W4.34 Ther-as wraþe and wranglynge is · þer wynne þei siluer           97(n)
W4.35 Ac where is loue and leautee · þei wol noȝt come þere           98(n)
W4.36Contricio & infelicitas in viis eorum &c

W4.37 Thei ne yeueþ noȝt of god · one goose wynge
W4.38Non est timor dei ante oculos eorum &c

W4.39 For woot god þei wolde do moore · for a dozeyne chiknes           99(n)
W4.40 Or as manye capons · or for a Seem of Otes
W4.41 Than for þe loue of oure lord · or alle hise leeue Seintes
W4.42 For-þi Reson lat hem ride · þo riche by hem-selue
W4.43 For Conscience knoweþ hem noȝt · ne crist as I trowe
W4.44 And þanne Reson rood faste · þe riȝte heiȝe gate
W4.45 As Conscience hym kenned · til þei come to þe kynge

W4.46 Curteisly þe kyng þanne · com ayeins Reson
W4.47 And bitwene hym-self and his sone · sette hym on benche

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W4.48 And wordeden wel wisely · a gret while togideres
W4.49 And þanne com pees in-to parlement · and putte forþ a bille
W4.50 How wrong ayeins his wille · hadde his wif taken
W4.51 And how he rauysshede Rose · Reignaldes looue
W4.52 And Margrete of hir maydenhede · maugree hire chekes
W4.53 Boþe my gees and my grys · hise gadelynges feccheþ
W4.54 I dar noȝt for fere of hem · fiȝte ne chide
W4.55 He borwed of me bayard · he brouȝte hym hom neuere
W4.56 Ne no ferþyng þer-fore · for ouȝt I koude plede
W4.57 He maynteneþ hise men · to murþere myne hewen
W4.58 Forstalleþ my feires · and fiȝteþ in my Chepyng
W4.59 And brekeþ vp my bernes dore · and bereþ awey my whete
W4.60 And takeþ me but a taille · for ten quarters of Otes
W4.61 And yet he beteþ me þer-to · and lyþ by my mayde
W4.62 I am noȝt hardy for hym · vnneþe to loke

W4.63 The kyng knew he seide sooþ · for Conscience hym tolde
W4.64 That wrong was a wikked luft · and wroȝte muche sorwe

W4.65 Wrong was afered þanne · and wisdom he souȝte
W4.66 To maken pees with hise pens · and profred hym manye
W4.67 And seide100(p) hadde I loue of my lord þe kyng · litel wolde I recche
W4.68 Theiȝ pees and his power · pleyned hym euere

W4.69 Tho wente Wisdom · and sire waryn þe witty
W4.70 For þat wrong hadde ywroȝt · so wikked a dede
W4.71 And warnede wrong þo · with swich a wis tale
W4.72 Who-so wercheþ by wille · wraþe makeþ ofte           101(n)
W4.73 I seye it by my-self · þow shalt it wel fynde
W4.74 But if Mede it make · þi meschief is vppe
W4.75 For boþe þi lif and þi lond · lyþ in his grace

W4.76 Thanne wowede wrong · wisdom ful yerne

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W4.77 To maken pees wiþ his pens · handy-dandy payed
W4.78 Wisdom and wit þanne · wenten togidres
W4.79 And token Mede myd hem · mercy to wynne

W4.80 Pees putte forþ his heed · and his panne blody
W4.81 Wiþ-outen gilt god it woot · gat I þis scaþe
W4.82 Conscience and þe commune · knowen þe soþe

W4.83 Ac wisdom and wit · were aboute faste
W4.84 To ouercomen þe kyng · wiþ catel if þei myȝte

W4.85 The kyng swor by crist · and by his crowne boþe
W4.86 That wrong for hise werkes · sholde wo þolie
W4.87 And comaundede a Constable · to casten hym in Irens
W4.88 And lete hym noȝt þise seuen yer · seen his feet ones

W4.89 God woot quod wisdom · þat were noȝt þe beste
W4.90 And he amendes mowe make · lat maynprise hym haue
W4.91 And be borȝ for his bale · and buggen hym boote
W4.92 And so amenden þat is mysdo · and euere-moore þe bettre           102(n)

W4.93 Wit acorded þer-wiþ · and seide þe same
W4.94 Bettre is þat boote · bale adoun brynge
W4.95 Than bale be ybet · and boote neuer þe bettre

W4.96 And þanne gan Mede to mengen hire · and mercy she bisouȝte
W4.97 And profrede Pees a present · al of pure golde
W4.98 Haue þis man of me quod she · to amenden þi scaþe
W4.99 For I wol wage for wrong · he wol do so namoore

W4.100 Pitously Pees þanne · preyde to þe kynge
W4.101 To haue mercy on þat man · þat mysdide hym so ofte
W4.102 For he haþ waged me wel · as wisdom hym tauȝte

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W4.103 And I forgyue hym þat gilt · wiþ a good wille
W4.104 So þat þe kyng assente · I kan seye no bettre
W4.105 For Mede haþ me amendes maad · I may namoore axe           103(n)
W4.106 Nay quod þe kyng þo · so me crist helpe
W4.107 Wrong wendeþ noȝt so awey · erst wole I wite moore           104(n)
W4.108 For lope he so liȝtly · lauȝen he wolde
W4.109 And eft þe boldere be · to bete myne hewen
W4.110 But Reson haue ruþe on hym · he shal reste in my stokkes
W4.111 And þat as longe as he lyueþ · but lowenesse hym borwe

W4.112 Som men radde Reson þo · to haue ruþe on þat shrewe
W4.113 And for to counseille þe kyng · and Conscience after
W4.114 That Mede moste be maynpernour · Reson þei bisouȝte

W4.115 Reed me noȝt quod Reson · no ruþe to haue           105(n)
W4.116 Til lordes and ladies · louen alle truþe
W4.117 And haten alle harlotrie · to heren or to mouþen it

W4.118 Til pernelles purfille · be put in hire hucche
W4.119 And childrene cherissynge · be chastynge wiþ yerdes
W4.120 And harlottes holynesse · be holden for an hyne

W4.121 Til clerkene coueitise be · to cloþe þe pouere and fede
W4.122 And Religiouse Romeris · Recordare in hir cloistres
W4.123 As Seynt Beneyt hem bad · Bernard and Fraunceis
W4.124 And til prechours prechynge · be preued on hem-selue

W4.125 Til þe kynges counseil · be þe commune profit
W4.126 Til Bisshopes Bayardes · ben beggeris Chaumbres
W4.127 Hire haukes and hire houndes · help to pouere Religious

W4.128 And til Seint Iames be souȝt · þere I shal assigne106(c)
W4.129 That no man go to Galis · but if he go for euere

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W4.130And alle Rome renneres · for Robberes biyonde
W4.131 Bere no siluer ouer see · þat signe of kyng sheweþ
W4.132 Neiþer graue ne vngraue · gold neiþer siluer
W4.133 Vp-on forfeture of þat fee · who-so fynt it at Douere
W4.134 But if it be Marchaunt or his man · or Messager wiþ lettres
W4.135 Prouysour or preest · or penaunt for hise synnes
W4.136 And yet quod Reson by þe Rode · I shal no ruþe haue
W4.137 While Mede haþ þe maistrie · in þis moot halle
W4.138 Ac I may shewe ensamples · as I se ouþer-while
W4.139 I seye it by my-self quod he · and it so were
W4.140 That I were kyng with coroune · to kepen a Reaume
W4.141 Sholde neuere wrong in þis world · þat I wite myȝte
W4.142 Ben vnpunysshed in my power · for peril of my soule
W4.143 Ne gete my grace for giftes · so me god saue
W4.144 Ne for no Mede haue mercy · but mekenesse it make
W4.145 For Nullum malum · þe man · mette wiþ inpunitum           107(n)
W4.146 And bad Nullum bonum . be irremuneratum           108(n)

W4.147 Lat youre Confessour sire kyng · construe þis vnglosed
W4.148 And if ye werchen it in werk · I wedde myne eris109(c)
W4.149 That lawe shal ben a laborer · and lede afeld donge
W4.150 And loue shal lede þi lond · as þe leef likeþ

W4.151 Clerkes þat were Confessours · coupled hem togideres
W4.152 Al to construe þis clause · and for þe kynges profit
W4.153 Ac noȝt for confort of þe commune · ne for þe kynges soule
W4.154 For I seiȝ Mede in þe moot halle · on men of lawe wynke
W4.155 And þei lauȝynge lope to hire · and lefte Reson manye
W4.156 Waryn wisdom · wynked vp-on Mede
W4.157 And seide madame I am youre man · what so my mouþ Iangle
W4.158 I falle in floryns quod þat freke · and faile speche ofte110(c)

W4.159 Alle riȝtfulle recordede · þat Reson truþe tolde

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W4.160 And wit acorded þer-wiþ · and comendede hise wordes
W4.161 And þe mooste peple in þe halle · and manye of þe grete
W4.162 And leten Mekenesse a maister · and Mede a mansed sherewe
W4.163 Loue leet of hire liȝt · and leaute yet lasse
W4.164 And seiden it so heiȝe · þat al þe halle it herde
W4.165 Who-so wilneþ hire to wif · for welþe of hire goodes           111(n)
W4.166 But he be knowe for a Cokewold · kut of my nose           112(n)

W4.167 Mede mornede þo · and made heuy chere
W4.168 For þe mooste commune of þat court · called hire an hore
W4.169 Ac a Sisour and a Somonour · sued hire faste
W4.170 And a Sherreues clerk · bisherewed al þe route
W4.171 For ofte haue I quod he · holpen yow at þe barre
W4.172 And yet yeue ye me neuere · þe worþ of a risshe

W4.173 The kyng callede Conscience · and afterward Reson
W4.174 And recordede þat Reson · hadde riȝtfully shewed
W4.175 And modiliche vp-on Mede · wiþ myȝt þe kyng loked
W4.176 And gan wexe wroþ with lawe · for Mede almoost hadde shent it
W4.177 And seide þoruȝ lawe as I leue · I lese manye eschetes
W4.178 Mede ouer-maistreþ lawe · and muche truþe letteþ           113(n)
W4.179 Ac Reson shal rekene wiþ yow · if I regne any while
W4.180 And deme yow bi þis day · as ye han deserued
W4.181 Mede shal noȝt maynprise yow · by þe marie of heuene
W4.182 I wole haue leaute in lawe · and lete be al youre ianglyng
W4.183 And as moost folk witnesseþ wel · wrong shal be demed

W4.184 Quod Conscience to þe kyng · but þe commune wole assente
W4.185 It is ful hard by myn heed · her-too · to brynge it
W4.186 Alle youre lige leodes · to lede þus euene

W4.187 By hym þat rauȝte on þe Rode · quod Reson to þe kynge
W4.188 But if I rule þus youre Reaume · rende out my guttes

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W4.189 If ye bidden buxomnesse · be of myn assent
W4.190 And I assente seiþ þe kyng · by Seinte Marie my lady
W4.191 By my counseil commune · of clerkes and of Erles
W4.192 Ac redily Reson · þow shalt noȝt ride fro me
W4.193 For as longe as I lyue · lete þee I nelle

W4.194 I am al redy quod Reson · to reste wiþ yow euere
W4.195 So Conscience be of oure counseil · I kepe no bettre

W4.196 And I graunte quod þe kyng · goddes forbode ellis114
W4.197 Als longe as oure lyf lasteþ · lyue we togideres

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