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WILLIAM LANGLAND

PIERS THE PLOWMAN

PASSUS VII

fol. 33v

Incipit Passus Septimus

 fol. 34r

♫ Ire wit / hadde a wif / was klepid dame stodye.
Þat leene was of leere / & of lycame boþe.
She was wondirful wroþ / þat wit me tawhte.
& al sterne starynge / & startlynge she seyde.
Wel art þou wyȝs quod she / ony wisdom to telle.
To flatereris & folis / þat feble are of wittys.
& blamed hym bustously / & bad hym be stylle.
With swiche wise wordis / to wissyn ony sottys.
& seyȝde man / noli mittere / Margerye perlys.
By-fore hoggis þat hetyn hawis / at hoom at here wille.
Þey don but dravele þere-on / draf were hem bettre.
Þan al þe precious perre / þat in paradyȝs wexeþ.
I sey it / be swiche quod she / þat shewe be here werkys.
Þat hem were leuere lond / & lordshepe here.
Þan alle þe soþe sawis / þat salomon seyde euere.
For now wit & wisdom / ys not worþ a kerse
But it be Cardyd with coueytise / as kytte kembeþ wolle.
Who can contrive deseytys / & conspyren wrongys.
& ledyn forþ a loveday / & lettyn euere trewthe.
Ioob þat ys so Ientyl / in his Iestys tellyþ.
Þat wikkede men welden / welthys on moolde.
& þey þat ben lordis of leedis / as owtlawys þei lybbe.
& owt of oure Lordis lawe / þat leneþ hem þat welthe.
& þynke not who it oweþ / þat þei wasten heere.
Quare ergo Impij viuunt sulleuati sunt diuicijs.
The sawter seyþ þe same / be swiche þat doon Ille.
Ecce ipsi peccatores habundantes in seculo
Loo  seyþ holy lettrure / wiche lordis be þese shrewis.
Þo þat god moost greve mest good he hem deleþ.
& most vnkynde to þe comoun be / hem moost catel sendiþ
Qve perfecisti destruxerunt . Iustus autem.
Harlotis for here harlotryȝe / shulle have here goodis
As Iaperis & Iogeloures / & Iangleres of Iestys.
But he þat haþ holy wryt / ay in his mowthe.
& can tellyn of Tobye / & of þe xije apostlys.
Or prechen of þe penaunce / þat Pilat to crist wrouhte.
Or of Ientil Iesu / þat Iewis dyde on roode.
He is lytyl lovid now / þat swich a lessoun sheweth.
Er deyntely drawe forþ / y do it on ȝoure-selue.                           [34v]
But þo þat feyne hem foolys / & with faytynge lybbe.
A-geyn þe lawe of oure lord / & lyȝe on hem-selue.
Þey spyttyn & spewen / & speke foule wordis.
& drynkyn / & dravelyn / & do men to gape.
Þey lykne men / & lyȝen / þat leene hem no ȝiftys
Þey kunne no more menstralsy / ne musyk men to glade
Þan Munde þe Mellere / on of multa fecit deus
Ne were here vile harlotriȝe / have god my trewþe.
Sholde neyþir kyng ne knyght / ne þe comoun peple.
Ȝeve hem / to here ȝirysȝeve / þe worþ of a groote.
But merthe with Menstralsy / a-mongis men nowt ys.
But Leccherye be leyȝd / in loselys talys.
& glotenyȝe & grete oþis / þat ys good merthe.
But if þey carpyn of crist / þese clerkis to lewede.
At mete in Merthis / whan menstralis be stille.
Þan talketalke [þei] of þe trynnyte / a tale or tweyne.
& brynge a ballyd resoun forþ / & take bernard wittnesse.
& pitte forþ a qwestioun / & preve it for-soþe.
Þus þey dravele / at þe deyȝs / þe dyte to knowe.
& gnawe god with here gorge / whan here guttys be fulle.
But þe kareful may criȝen / & mys-karyȝe at þe ȝate.
Boþe for hunger & þurst / & for chele qwake.
Þere ys non to nempne hym neer / his noyȝ to a-mende.
But hoen on hym / as an hound / & hote hym go his gate.
Lityl loveþ he þat lord / þat lente hym al þat blysse.
Þat departeþ not with þe pore / a parcel whan hem nediþ.
Ne were Mercy with mene men / more þan in ryche.
Manye mendynauntis meteles / myȝhte gon to bedde.
God is mychil in here gorgis / of þese grete Maystris.
But a-mongis mene men / his mercy is / & hise werkys.
& so seyþ seyþseyþ / þe sawter book / y have seyn it ofte.
Ecce audiuimus eum in effrata inuenimus eum in campis silue.
Clerkis & oþere men / carpen of goddis face.
& have hym myche in here mowþ / but mene men in herte.
But freris þo faytoures / have founde faire questionis.
To plese with prouhde men / sytthe þe pestylence.
& prechen at poulis cros / for pure envyȝe of clerkis.
Þat folk isis [not] fermed in þe feyþ / ne free of here goodis.
Ne sory for here synnys / so priȝde so hyȝe is waxe.
In Relygyon & in þis rewme / amongis ryche & pore.                              [35r]
Þat prayeris have no powher / þese pestylencys to lette.
For god is def / on þese dayes / & deyȝneþ not vs to here.
Þe gystys for here giltys / he for-griynt hem alle.
& ȝit no wrecche in þis world / is war be oþir.
Ne for drede of þe deþ / with-draweth hem fram priȝde.
Ne plentevousere to þe pore / as pure charite wolde.
But in gaynesse & glotenye / þei for-glutte hem-selue.
& breke no breed to þe beggere / as þe book hem techiþ.
Frange esurienti panem tuum
& þe more he wynnyþ / & welt / of welthis & rycchesse.
Euere as he loondiþ of londe / þe lasse good he deliþ.
But Thobye techiþ not so / takþ hede ȝee ryche.
Hou þe byble book / of hym beriþ wytnesse.
Si tibi sit copia habundanter tribue.
Si autem exiguum illud impertire libenter stude.
Who-so haþ myche good / spende it manly seyþ thobye.
& who þat lytil weldiþ / rewle hym þere-after.
For we have no lettre / of oure lyf / hou longe þat we dure.
Swyche lovely lessonys / lordis sholde here.
& how he myghte most meyghne manly[/] manly fyȝnde.
Nout to faren as a fythelere / for to fyȝnde festis.
& ben hoomly at here hows / & hatyn his owe.
Ful elenge is þe halle / ech day of þe wyke.
Þere þe lord ne þe lady / ne lykiþ not in to sytte.
Nou haþ ech renke / a rewle / to etyn by hym-selue.
In a prive parlour / for pore mennys sake.
Or in a Chambre / with chymne / & leve his cheef halle.
Þat was maad for men / melys to etyn Inne.
& al to sparen þe powndes / þat spendyn shal a-noþir.
I have herd ryȝt hyȝe men / etynge at þe table.
Carpid as þey clerkis were / of crist & hise myghtis.
& leyȝd defawte on þe fadir / þat formed vs alle.
& carpedyn a-geyn clerkis / swiche crabbede wordis.
Why wolde our saviour suffre / swich a worm in blysse.
Þat by-gilede þe womman / & þe man after.
Þorghȝ wiche wilis & wordis / þei wentyn boþe to helle.
& alle here seed / for here synne / þe same deþ suffreden.
They lyen in here loore / þat þese wordis meven.
For þe clerkys þus vus kennyþ / of cristes owne gospel.
Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris . nec pater iniquitatem filij.                 [35v]
Why sholde / þat nou be / for þe werkis of Adam.
Oure soulis / Ragman rende / resoun wolde it neuere.
Vnusquisque . onus suum portabit
Swiche mocyonys þei meve / þo maistris in here glorie.
& make men in mysbeleve / þat mewsen on here wordis.
Ymagenatyf her-afterwarde / shal answere to ȝour purpos.
Seynt Austyn to swiche argueres / he telliþ hem þis teme.
Non plus sapere quam oportet sapere.
Wilneþ neuere to wete / why þat god wolde.
Suffre sory sathan / his seed to by-gyle.
But be-leveþ leelly / in holy chirche loore.
& praye god / of pardoun / & do penaunce in þi lyve.
Þat of his mychil mercy / he a-mende ȝou heere.
For alle þo / þat wilneþ to wete / þe weyȝes of hevene.
I wolde his hond / were in his ers / && [his] elbowe after.
Þat euere wilneþ to wete / why þat god wolde.
Suffre sory sathan / his seed to be-gyle.
Er Iudas þe Iewh / Iesu to be-traye.
For al was as he wolde / be he worchepid euere.
& al worþ as he wille / what-euere we dispute.
& þus with swiche Auelonys / to blynde men þey axe
What is dowel fram dobet . now deef mote þei woxe.
Sytthe þei wilne to wete / wiche þey ben alle.
If he lyve in þe lyȝue / þat longeþ to Dowel
I dar been his borwhȝ / in Dobet komeþ he neuere.
Þey Dobest drawe / on hym / day after oþir.
ANd whan wit was war / how dame Stodye tolde.
He be-cam so confus / he cowhde vneþes loke.
& wex as deef / as dore-nail / & drow hym on syȝde.
& for no carpynge y cowhde / ne knelynge on grounde.
I myghte no[gete] no greyn / of hise grete wittys.
But al lawynge he lowtede / & lokede on dame stodye
In sygne / þat y sholde / be-sekne hire / of grace.
& whan y was war of his wille / to his wif gan y lowte.
& seyde Mercy Madame / ȝoure man shal y worthe.
As longe as y lyve / boþe late & rathe.
& for to wirche ȝoure wille / whil my lyf endureþ.
So ȝee kenne me kendely / to knowe what ys Dowel.
For þy meeknesse man quod she / & for þy myȝlde speche.
I shal kenne þe to myn cosyn / þat klergye is named.                   [36r]
He haþ weddid a wif / with-Inne þis sixe wykis.
& she is sybbe þe[to] þe vij ars / Scripture is hire name.
& þey two / as y hope / & þou do after my techynge.
Þey wil wisshe þe to Dowel / I dar it vndirtake.
¶  Þan was y fayn / as foul on fair morwe.
& gladdere þan a gleman / þat gold gadred at festis.
& asked hire þe hyȝe wey / were Clergye dwellyde.
Tel me quod y sum tokne / for tyme ys þat y wende.
¶  Aske þe wey quod she þo / hens vnto Suffre.
Boþe in wele & in woo / if þat þou wilt leerne.
& rayke forþ þoru rycchesse / but reste not þer-Inne.
For if þou be cumbred þer-with / to crist comest þou neuere.
Be war of þe Lycourous lawnde / þat Leccherye is hote.
Leve it on þi left half / a large myle or more.
Þan shalt þou kome to a court / keep wel þyn tunge.
Fram loselys / & lythir speche / & lykerouse drynkis.
Þere shalt þou see / Sobrete / ful symple of berynge.
& euery wyȝt be in wille / his wit þe / to shewe.
& þus shalt þou komekome [to] Clergyȝe / þat can manye þyngis.
& telle hym þis tokne / how y sette hym to skole.
& also grete wel his wif / þat y wroot hire bookys.
& sette hire Sapiense[to] Sapiense / & to þe sawter glose.
& Logyȝk y lerned hire / & þe lawys manye.
& alle þe Musones in Musyk / y made hire to knowe.
Plato þat poete / y pitte hym fyrst to booke.
& Aristotle & oþire / to Argue / hem y tawhte.
& gramere for gerlys / y gart first wrytyn.
& beet hem with a baleyȝs / but þei wolde leerne.
& to alle kenne craftys / y countrefetide toolys.
Of Ca[r]penteris & kerverys / & cumpases to Masonis.
I lerned hem to levele be lyne / þey y looke dymme.
But Theologye þat teneþ me / ten skore tymes.
Þe More y mvse þere-Inne / þe Mystyere it semeþ.
& þe deppere y delue / þe derkere me þynkeþ.
It is no sciense for-soþe / for to sawhtle Inne.
A ful lethy þyng it were / if þat love ne were.
But for it is . led be love / y love it þe bettre.
For þere þat love is ledere / ne lakkede neuere grace.
þerfore love þou leelly / love / if þou þynke to dowel.
& Dobet & Dobest / þey ben of lovis kynne.                                  [36v]
& to þis same sentence / y seyȝ in Catoun onys.
Qvi similat verbis
Tu quoque fac simile / sic ars deluditur arte.
Who-so gloseþ / as gyloures doon / goo fram here sawis
& so shalt þou fals folk / & feyþles by-gyle.
Þis is Catonys kennynge / to clergonys þat leerne.
But Theologye techiþ not so / who þat takþ heede.
He kenneþ vs þe contrarie / a-geyn Catonys wordis.
For he biddis vs be bretheryn / & bydde for oure enemyȝs.
& love hem / þat lyȝen on vs / & lene hem whan hem nedeth.
& doon good / a-geyn evil / god hym-selue so hootiþ.
Dum tempus est operemur bonum ad omnes / maxime autem ad domesticos fidei
Poul prechede þe peple / þat parfyȝtnesse lovede.
To doon good / for goddis love / & gyve hem þat aske it.
& namely to swiche men / þat sheweth oure beleve.
& alle þat lakke or lyȝe on vs / oure lord biddis vs love hem.
& not to greve hem þat greveþ vs / It is not goddis wille.
Michi vindictam . & ego retribuam / god seide hym-selue.
For-þy loke þou love as longe / as þou lengyst heere.
For þere isis [no] salue vndir sunne / so souereyn for þe soule.
But Astronomye is hard þyng / & evil for to knowe.
Geometriȝe & Geomesye / is gynful of spechis.
Who þynkiþ wirche with þo two / he thryviþ ful late.
For sorceryȝe is þe souereyn sekt / þat to þo sciencis longiþ.
Ȝit are þere fybycchis / of fele folkys makynge.
Experimentis & Alkenemyȝe / þe peple to disseyve.
If þou þynke to dowel / deyle þou þer-with neuere.
& alle þese sciencis y my-selue / y-sotilde & ordeynede
& fond hem formest / folk to disseyve.
Now telle Clergye þese toknys / & to scripture after.
Þat þey conseyle þe kendely / for to knowe Dowel.
Grant mercy quod y Madame / & Meekly hire grette.
Tyl y com to Clergye / cowhde y neuere stynte.
& grete þe goode man / as þe Ientil lady me tawhte.
& afterwarde his wif / y worchepede hem boþe.
& tolde hem þe toknes / þat me tawht wore.
Was neuere gome vpon grounde / syþ god þis world made.
FaireFair[er]e vndir-fongyn / ne frenlokere at esea tese.
As was my-selue soþly / as soone as he wiste.
Þat yy [was of] wittys hous / & with his wif dame stodye.
Þanne y seyȝde hem soþly / þat y was sent þidir                                  [37r]
For Dowel / & Dobet / & Dobest to leerne.
It is comoun quod Clergye / on holy chirche beleve.
With alle þe artyklis / of þe feiþ / þat falle to be knowe.
Þou must beleve leelly / boþe lewede men & lered.
Vpon þe grete god / þat by-gynnyng hadde neuere.
& on þe soþfast sone / þat savede mankyȝnde.
Fram þe dedly deeþ / & þe develis powher.
Þoruh þe helpe of þe holy gost / þe wiche is of boþe.
& þey ben þre persones / but not in plurel numbre.
For al is but o god / & ech is god / by his one.
Deus pater / deus filius / deus spiritus sanctus.
Non tres dij sed vnus est deus.
God is þe fadir / god is þe sone / god ys þe holy goost.
Makere of Mankende / & of al þe Mounde boþe.
Seynt Austyn þat holy man / here-of he made bokis
& ordeynede hym-selue / to sadde vs in beleve.
Who was his autoure / but þe foure Ewangelyes.
How crist seyde hym-selue so / þe wangelye beriþ witnesse.
Ego in patre / & pater in me  & qui me videt  & patrem meum videt.
Alle þe Clerkis vndir crist / ne cun þis a-soyle.
But it longeth to be-leve / to lewede þat wille Dowel.
For hadde neuere ȝit freke wit / þe feyþ to dispute.
Ne man sholde have no mercy / myghte synnys be previd.
Fides non habet meritum
Vbi humana racio prebet experimentum.
Þanne is Dobet to suffre / for þy sowle helthe.
Al þat þe book biddis þe / by holy chirche techyng
& þat is mychil by goddis myȝht / for mercyes sake
Looke þou werche þy werk / as þe woord shewiþ.
Apare quod es aut esto quod apares.
& lete no-body be þyn berynge / here be by-gylyd.
But be þou swich in þy sowle / as þou semest with-owte.
& þanne is Dobest bold / to blame þe gelty.
Sytthe þou seest þy-selue / in þyn soule klene.
But blame þou neuere a-noþir / If þou be blame-worthy.
Si culpare velis / culpabilis te esse cauebis.
Dogma tuum sordet cum te tua culpa remordet.                [37v]
God in þe gospel / grevously repreviþ.
Þo þat lakken ony lyf / & lakkys have hem-selue.
Quid consideras festucam in oculo fratris tui  trabem autem in oculo tuo non vides.
Why mevis þou þy mood for a mote / in þy broþir yȝe.
Whan a beem is in þyn / þat ablendiþ þy-selue.
Þe wiche letteþ þe to loke / lasse oiþer more.
Eice primum trabem de oculo tuo.
I consayle ech blynd bosard / do boote to hym-selue.
Boþe prelatis & prioures / sholde punshe here sogettis.
& parsonys & parshe prestis / sholde preche & teche.
Alle manere of men / be hem / myghte a-mende.
Þis tixt was y-told ȝow / Be war er ȝee teche.
Þat ȝee were swych as ȝee teche / to salue wel oþire.
For goddis woord / wolde not be lost / for yt worchiþ euere.
If it a-vayle þe comoune not / it may a-vaile ȝour-selue.
But it semeþ not soþly / to þe worldis syghte.
Þat goddisgoddis [word] worchiþ owt[no]t / on lernede ne on lewede.
But in swich maner / as mark / meviþ in þe gospel.
Dum cecus ducit cecum  ambo in foueam cadunt.
A lewed man may lyȝkne ȝou / þe beem lyȝþ in ȝoure yȝes.
& þe festewe is fallyn / for ȝoure owe defawte.
Fram alle manere men / þorhȝ manshede preestis.
Looke Offyn & Fynees / for here coueytyse.
For Archa dei mys-happede / hely brak his nekke.
Ȝe correctoures claweth here-on / but correcte first ȝour-selue.
& þanne may ȝe soþly seyȝ / as dauid seiþ in þe sawhter.
Existimasti inique quod ero tui similis . arguam te & statuam contra faciem tuam.
& þanne shulle borel clerkis / be a-basshid ȝou to blame.
& carpen not as þei carpe nou / to calle ȝou cowardes.
& drede to wratthe ȝou / ȝoure Manshepe to lette.
& be prestere at ȝoure prayere / þan for a pound of noblis.
& al for ȝoure holynesse / have ȝee þis in herte.
A-mongis ryghtful relygous / þis rewle sholde be holde.
Seynt Gregory þe grete clerk / & þe goode pope.
Of Relygyonys rewle / he reersiþ in hise bookis.
& seyþ in exsomple / þat þeyhȝ sholde do þere-after.
Whan fysshis faile þe flood / & þe fressh water.                                 [38r]
Þey dyȝen for drowhte / whan þei dreyȝe lyȝe.
Ryght so quod Gregory / religioun trollyþ.
It steruyþ & stynkþ / & stelyþ lordis almesse
Þat owt of Couent & cloistre / coueytyn to lybbe.
For if hevene be in erthe / & ese to þe soule.
It ys in cloystre / or in skole / be fele skylys y fyȝnde.
For in Cloistre comeþ no man / to fyȝhte / ne to chyȝde.
But al is buxumnesse & bookis / to rede & to leerne.
In skole is a-noþir skyle / for skorn but he leerne.
& love & lykynge ys þere gret / for ech man loveþ oþir.
But nownow [is] relygyoun a rydere / a rennere be stretys.
A ledere of Lovedayes / & a lond byggere.
A prikere on palfreys / fram maner to maner.
With an heep of houndis at his hers / as he a lord were
& but if his knave knele / þat shal his cuppe brynge.
He lowryþ loþly on hym / & lythirly hym thretyþ.
Lytil hadde lordis to done / to ȝeeve here londis fram hem.
To relygious þat have no rewþe / þei it regne on þe awter.
In places þere þey parsonys be / be hem-selue at esea tese.
On poore haue þey no pyte / & þat ys here pure charge.
For þey letyn hem-selue lordis / here londis lyȝn so brode.
But þere shal comen a kyng / & constreyne þe relygious.
& beete ȝow as þe book seyþ / for brekynge of ȝoure rewle.
& a-mendyn Monyalis / & Munkys & Chanonys.
& pytte hem to here penaunce / ad pristinum statum ire.
& Baronys shulle betyn hem / þorghȝ Beatus vir techyng.
& seyn here barnys cleyme of ȝow / & blame ȝou foule.
Hij in curribus & hij inequisin equis . ipsi obligati sunt & ceciderunt.
& þanne Freris in here Freytour / shulle fyȝnden a keyȝe.
Of Constancius coffres / In wiche ys þe catel.
Þat Gregories goodegod children / have evele dispendid.
Þan shal þe Abbot of Abyndoun / & al his isseu for euere.
Have a knok of a kyng / & Incurable þe wounde.
Þat þis is soþ / seeke ȝee / þat ofte haue seen þe byble.
Quomodo cessauit exactor quieuit tributum . Contriuit dominus baculum impiorum & virgam dominancium . cedencium plaga insanabili.
But erst er þat kyng come / Caym shal a-wake.
But Dowel shal dynge hym doun / & distroye his powher.
Þanne is Dowel / & Dobet quod y  Dominus & knyght yholdeknyght-ho[d]e                  [38v]
I wil not skorne quod scripture / but skryvenys / lyȝen.
Kynghod & knyghthod / be not in þese dayes.
For þey helpe no man to heuene-warde / so realte ouer-renneþ.
Poul previþ it inpossible / þat ryche men haven hevene.
Salomon seiþ also / þat syluer god most hateþ.
Nichil iniquius quam amare peccuniam.
Catoun kenneþ vs to coueyte it nowht / but in gret nede.
Dilige denarium sed parce diligere formam
Þese Patriachis & prophetis / & oþere poetis manye.
Þey wrytyn to wissen vs / to wilne to no rycchesse.
Þey preyse wel pouerte / þe apostlys bere witnesse.
Þat þey have herytage of hevene/ by ryȝt & be trewþe.
For þere may no man ryght cleyme / but of goddis grace.
Contra quod y  be crist  þat clause can y repreve.
& preve it be Peter / & Poul boþe.
Þey þat been baptyzed be saaf / be þey ryche or pore.
Þat is in extremys quod scripture / of sarsynes & Iewis.
Þey may be savid so / & þat is oure be-leve.
Þat a cristene man in þat caas / may cristne an heþene.
& for his leel by-leve / whan he his lyf tyneþ.
Shal have þe herytage of hevene / as ony man y-cristned.
But to cristne a man / with-outyn more / he may not wynne hevene.
For crist for cristene men dyede / & confermede þe lawe.
Þat who-so wolde / & wilnede / with crist vp a-ryse.
He sholde love hym leelly / & þe lawe fulfylle.
& after alle cristenne creaturis / in comoun ech a-lyche.
& þus it longiþ to love crist / þat be-leven to be savid.
& þus but we doon in dede / er þe day of dyȝeng
It shal syttyn vs ful sour / þe syluer þat we kepyn
For oure bak mote be betyn / we cloþe no beggere nakyd.
& delyȝte vs in wyȝnys stronge / & whot hem in defauhte.
For euery cristene creature / sholde be kyȝnde to oþir.
& sytthe heþene to helpe / in hope of a-mendement.
God byddis hyȝe & lowe / no man sholde hurte oþir.
But y sende þe sum tokne / god seyþ Non mechaberis.
God seiþ y sleeslee not / but suffre / & al is for þe beste.
For Michi vindictam & ego retribuam.
For y punshe in purgatorie / or in þe pit of helle.
Ech man for hise mysdedis / but my mercy / it lette.
This is a long lessoun quod y & lytyl y am þe wisere.
Where Dowel is / or Dobet / derkely ȝe me shewe.
Manye talys ȝee telle / þat Theologye lyȝeþ.                                              [39r]
Þat y man maad was / & myn name is entryd.
In þe legende of lyf / longe / er y bore were.
Or ellis y-wrytyn for wikkydnesse / as holy writ telliþ.
Nemo ascendit ad celum nisi qui descendit de celo.
For i be-leve on oure lord / & on no lettrure bettre.
For salomon þe sage / þat sapience tawhte.
GoodGod gaf hym grace of wit / & of alle goodis after.
To rewle his rewme wel / & hym ryche make.
He demede wel & wyȝsly / as holy writ tellyþ.
Boþe Arystotle & he / who wisshede men bettre.
& nou Maistris þoru goddis mercy / teche men & preche.
Of here wordis þey wisshe vs / for wisest in here tyme.
& al holy cherche / holde hem dampned boþe.
If y sholde wirche be here werkis / to wynne me hevene.
Þat for here werkis & here wit / þey wone nou in peyȝne.
Þan wrouht y vnwyȝsly / what-so-euere ȝee preche.
But of here wittis in fayþ / lytil ferly y have.
Þowh here goost be vn-gracious / god for to plese.
For man on þis moolde / moore set in herte.
On erly good / þan on god / for-þy grace hem fayleþ.
At here moost myscheef / whan lyf þei shulle lete.
As salomon & oþire dede / þat sheweden grete wisdom
But here werkis / as seyþ þe book / was euere þe contrarye.
For-þy  wise wittyd men / & wel lettride clerkis.
As þey seyn hem-selue / ful selde do þei þere-after.
But y wene it worþ of manye / as was in Noes tyme.
Þo þat he shoop his shyp / of shyȝdis / & of boordys.
Was no wryghte savid after / ne non oþir werkman.
But beestis & bryddis / in bynnys y-closed.
& Noe & his wif / weryn þe ship with-Inne.
& here sones / & here wyvis / weryn alle to-gydre.
But of wryghtis / þat it wrouhte / was non y-savid.
God leve it fare not so nou / be folk þe feyþ techiþ.
Of holy chirche / þat herborw is / & goddis hous to save.
He shelde vs fram shame þere-Inne / as þe ship dide beestis.
& alle þe men þat made it / a-myddis þe flood weryn drenklyd.
Þe Conclusioun of þis clause / of curaturis is þe menyng.
Þey be clepid Carpenteres / to saven cristis beestis.
At domes-day / þe flood worþ / of watur & feer at onysa tonys.
For-þy y conseyle ȝou klerkis / of holy chirche wryghtis.                            [39v]
Werke ȝee / as ȝee seen wrete / o lest ȝe worþ y-drenklid.
For on good fryday / y fyȝnde / a feloun was y-savid.
Þat hadde lyvid al his lyf / with lesyngis & þefte.
& for he be-knew it on þe crois / & to crist shrof hym.
He was sunnere savid / þan seyn Iohan þe Baptist.
Or ysaak / or ysaye / or onye of þe prophetis.
Þat leyȝen lowe with lucyfer / manye longe ȝeeres.
Þat robbere was y-ransomed / rathere þan þey alle.
With-outyn penaunce in purgatorie / to perpetuel blysse.
& also Marie Maudelyn / what womman dide worse.
Or þan dyde dauid . þat vries deþ conspired.
Or Poul þe apostle / þat no pyte hadde.
& ben nou as sovereynes / with seyntis in hevene.
& oþire þat wrouhtyn werst here / be heyest nou in hevene.
& þo þat wyȝsly wordede / & wrete manye bookis.
& hadde wit & wisdom / with dampned soulis dwelle.
Sunt iusti atque sapientes . & opera eorum in manu dei sunt.
Summe be witty & wel lyvynge / but here werkis be hedde.
In þe hondis of god / for he whot al the sothe.
Wher he worþ a-lowid / for love of hise werkys.
Or ellis for his evil wil / þoruh envye of his herte.
He worþ a-lowid of his lyf / fro lyþirnesse is knowe þe goode.
For who were a good man / but þere weryn summe wikke.
For-þy lyve we furþ with lythir men / y leve fewe be goode.
For quantz oporetopor[t]et vin en place . yl ne ad que pati.
& he þat may al a-mende / have mercy on vs alle.
For þe sothest word þat god euere spak / was Nemo bonus.
Clergye þo of cristis mowþ / comendid was þan lyte.
For he seyde to seynt Peter . / & to hise postlis alle.
Dum steteritis ante reges & presides nolite cogitare.
Þeyhȝ ȝee kome by-fore kyngis / & clerkis of þe lawe.
Beþ not a-basht / for y shal be / buxum in ȝoure mowthis.
& gyve ȝow wit at wille / & konynge to concluden.
Alle hem / þat a-geyn ȝow / goddis lawe dispute.
Dauid makþ mencioun / where he spekþ of kyngis.
Þere myghte no kyng ouer-come hym / by conynge of speche.
But wit & wisdom / whan euere[n]euere / þe Mayȝstryȝe.
Wan man was / at myschef / with goddis grace plentyvous.
Þe dowtyest doctour / & dyvynour of dyvinite.                                                  [40r]
Was seynt Austyȝn / þe olde / & heyȝest of þe foure.
He seyþ þus in a sermoun / y seyȝ it wretyn ones.
Ecce ipsi ydiote rapiunt celum ubi nos sapientes in inferno mergimur.
Þis is to meene to meene[englyshȝ] men / neyþir more ne lasse.
Þere are noone sunnere ravisshid / fram þe ryght be-leve.
Þan are þese konynge Clerkys / þat know fele bookys.
Ne none sunnere y-savid / ne sadere / of by-leve.
Þanne trewe plowhmen ben / & poore comoun peple.
As sowteres & shepperdys / & swiche lewede Ioppis.
Swiche persen with here pater noster / þe paleyȝs of hevene.
& þey passyn þoru purgatorie / at here lyvis departyng.
In-to þe pleyn paradyȝs / þoruhȝ here pure by-leve.
Þo þat in parfyȝt lyf here / & in clennesse lyvede.
Men knowe summe Clerkis / þat þey haue cursed þe tyme.
Þat euere þey knewe more / þan credo in deum patrem.
& principaly þe pater noster / manye have þis dysyred.
I see ensamplis my-selue / & so may many a-noþir.
Þat men þat seruyn Lordis / fallyn selden in reragys.
But [þo] þat kepyn here catel / by here a-countys þey falle.
Ryght so Lewed men / of a lytyl conynge.
Selde falle so foule / & so feer in synne.
As Clerkis of holy kyrke / þat kepyn cristis tresor.
Þe wiche is mannys soule / as seiþ goddis gospel.
Ite vos in vineam meam & quod iustum fuerit . dabitur vobis.
Þanne scripture skornede me / & a skele me tolde.
For me lakkede latyn / lyght by me he sette.
& seyde multi multa sciunt . & seipsos nesciunt.
Þo for sorwe y wepte / & was wrothȝ of hire speche.
& of myn wynkynge y a-wook / & wondrede þanne
Of alle þe dremes þat y drempte / so daungerous þei were.
& turned me on þe oþir syde / for to take myn eese.

Explicit Passus Septimus de Dowel.

GO TO PASSUS VIII

Much of this research is based on my 1974 Berkeley doctoral dissertation, which went into three editions as a published book, The Pilgrim and the Book: A Study of Dante, Langland and Chaucer, https://isbnsearch.org/isbn/0820420905, Bern:Peter Lang, 1992; its Dante sections also published in an Italian edition in De strata francigena XX/1, 2012.

 

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