quoth our Hoste but that prooueth not that they aâ—e woorth fiftie points sauing vnto him that were as mad to â—uy them of you as you bought them at their hands that sâ—lde them vnto you But or you méet with any such chapman I beléeue you will be weary of kéeping them With that Pieâ—ce began to be half offended Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoste fiue pound is a small matter betwéen vs twain you sâ—all haue it vpon your woord But as for your Books héer dâ—elleth a Lady not far hence carie them to her for they are fâ—r fet and déer bought and such things men say are good for Ladies ¶ Pierce findeth it strange that men should pay so â—eer for things which in their hands are so vile and little woorth as concerning their return Chap. 3. NEighbour Simon quoth Pierce I can put vp that mock at your hands for I knowe ye meane me no euil but good therby but verily me thinketh it standeth hardly with their existimation that will be holden and termed woorshipfull yea honorable to take so extremly for things wherof no better returne is to be made yet must wée pay them with great attendaunce with cap in hand and all reuerence Great reason quoth our Hoste for they are woorshipfull and right woorthy of all those duties Then haue I béen in an errour a long time quoth Pierce for I haue alwaies hetherto thought that woorship and honor had stood in geuing not in taking in helping reléeuing and dooing good and not in their contraries and this séemeth vnto mée both reasonable and also common experience for we honor God at whose hands we receiue all goodnes and therfore properly vnto him is all honor and woorship due and vnto men but so far foorth as they approchen vnto God in qualitie of vertue iustice mercy and other goodnes wherfore in all reason he ought to be moste honorable and woorshipfull that dooth the moste good and vnto the greatest number for surely in my discretion the woorship and the gaine ought to bée deuided and he that gayneth or is reléeued and is holpen ought to honor and woorship him by whom he gayneth is holpen and reléeued for otherwise why dooth the Seruant woorship his Maister and not e conuerso Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoste our honorable reuerend forefathers with great wisdome and discretion assessed these Fées and charges and that for the great zeale and looue which they bare vnto Godlines and vertue and to the persons quallified therwith With P that ierce clapped his hand vpon the boord I make God a vow quoth hée whatsoeuer he was that first praised a shéet of paper with twelue lines written therin at eight pence nay at xij pence for I am sure I haue CC. that cost me after that rate he was neither fréend to godlynes ne vertue to God neither to good man or woman Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoste this is but the errour of your Iudgement and that shall appéere vnto you so euidently that your self shall confesse that these fées and charges which you â—hink so great and so exccessiue had so great reason in their beginning as that greater had neuer any ciuil ordinance or coÌ„sâ—itution Whether yée will regarde the honor and glory of Gâ—d or the preseruation of the common Welth which chéefly deâ—endeth therupon That séemeth wunderfull strange vnto mâ— quoth Pierce that in such extreme taking and so small rendring there should lye hidden so great mistery of good meaning and therfore gladly would I heare your reasons therupon Very well Neighbour Pierce quoth hée then I will take in hand to prooue it vnto you which I trust I shall doo sufficiently if I can prooue these are no proper nor priuate gain or proffit but a publique and a common treasure to the ease and reléef of the whole common welth and of the best and godliâ—st Members of the same yea verily quoth Pierce very well quoth our Hoste ¶ Simon approoueth their great Fees and charges as things ment to be a reward and nurishment of Knowledge learâ—ing and Vertue and punishment of vngodlines and vice and therfore true and iust Chap. 4. FIrst I think yée will graunt quoth hâ—e that Maiestrates and Officers are the Deputies and Liuetenaunts of GOD héerin Earth high and honorable for that they are â—n very déed the hand and mouth of the Lawe and in fewe and plain woords the speaking aâ—d woorking Law for by them the law commandeth and forbiddeth So that their end and purpose is that God may be honored and glorified good and godly People cherished shorâ—ly that peace and concord may be maintained I graunt you all this quoth Pierce you will graunt quoth hée that she way and meane to woork all these things is to punish and chastice the wicked and the vngodly and to giue as little fauour vnto sinne as is possible that is very true also quoth Pieâ—ce Yée will graunt quoth our Hoste that the wayes and meanes to punish sinnes and wickednes are diuers according to the qualitie of the offence as some by death some by other punnishment of the body greater or smaller And that there is also a pecuniall punishment by the pursse as by fine and ransome and such like I graunt you all this quoth Pierce You will graunt me also quoth hée that all punishments are gréeuous vnto the sufferers therof neither are or ought to be pleasant vnto the dooers and executors That is very true also quoth Pierce except they be wicked persons both the sufferer and the executor Then quoth our Hoste séeing all punishments are fearfull and gréeuous vnto the sufferer therof no pleasure but rather sorrowe and gréef of hart vnto the executors therof such and so must néeds be the first causes and occasion therof That is very true quoth Pierce You know quoth our Hoste that the causes and occasions of punishment is sin wickednes and misgouernment of life for the woord of God telleth vs that the reward of sinne is death All that is very true quoth Pierce Very well then quoth our Hoste these Propositions which you haue graunted doo suffise for the matter which I haue taken in hand to prooue which is that these great Fées and charges were neuer ment nor yet are receiued or conuerted into priuat or proper vse I pray you Neighbour quoth Pierce let me heare how it is prooued for I promise you faithfully for any thing I haue yet heard your prooues are farther to fet You know quoth our Hoste that the nature of the vngodly is to be quarelous and contencious and dayly prouoking one an other and also to take no wrong and do no right That is very true quoth pierce You know quoth our Hoste that the common weapon wherwith they wil be aueÌ„ged vpon eche other is the Law which indéed is the Magistrate as ye haue already graunted so that vpon the matter hée is made the executor of their wilfunes and vengeaunce which they will néeds
doo vpon eche other which thing you haue already confessed to be gréeuous and vnpleasant to euery good man Therfore hath it euer béen and yet is thought and that very wisely and truely that the likeliest way meane to disswade their wilfulnes which no reason looue nor feare of GOD could disswade was to make their wilfulnes as déere and as heauy vnto them as reasonably might be doon to the â—nd that they should not so lightly and for euery trifle vex and trouble both the Magistrate one an other which effect although it failed to woork that their madnes would not be resâ—rayned therby that yet their vngodlynes might return to the profit and reléefe of others their neighbours Brethern that were better affected so by one selfe and same mean the â—ngodly punished fléeced and the godly amended inriched herby that this was their meaning that was the first assessors therof common experience teacheth vs for in néedfull and necessary actions as debt detinew and account and such like the charges are so reasonable as that no man would in conscience giue lesse The reason is for that they are actions of common right and such as must néeds day by day arise betwéen a man and his Brother neither doo they dishonest either of the â—arties which I dare not affirme vpon actions vpon cases neither did they so iudge of them as I verily beléeue and therfore did they set double and treble charges thereupon for greater is the charges in a brabble for a woord spoken then fâ—r thrée hundred pound of honest debt So that the Magistrate who for such Ale-house â—ctions and brabbles should otherwise neuer be at rest except he should deny them his help which might be slaunderâ—us and perillous to the whole estate The Magistrate I say of pure pittie and compassiâ—n was forced to set great charges vpon them for the small fauour that he bare vnto them vnto their first causes occasions The greatnes of all which charges not withstandâ—ng yet doo we dayly sée how the vngodly run togither by heaâ—s like brute beasts and yet I dare safely say that by the greatnes of these charges and the terrour therof many a brabling matter hath béen and is dayly put vp without any râ—uenge sought therof and many a one hauing pursued and â—ecouered in his action yet haue his charges so gallded him that he hath béen easier to deale with all his life after And so by this meane many a wilfull body brought to knowe him self and to honor God therby I cannot tell Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce but I my self haue had two or thrée brabbles that haue kept me dooing these seuen yéeres in which time I am suer I haue spent abooue fiftie pound beside my charges to and fro losse of time and my hinderance at home And what haue ye gotten for all this quoth our Hoste These papers quoth he Wel woorth fiftie points quoth our hoste I think verily quoth our Hoste if any honest Neighbour had néeded to haue borowed ten pound therof you would not haue it so ready to haue pleasured him withall If I should say truely quoth Pierce I think the very same What are you assessed vnto the poore in your Parish quoth our Hoste A peny a wéek quoth Pierce And think you that enough quoth our Hoste Yea verily quoth Pierce Loe Sir quoth our Hoste whether commeth this vnto my saying and maintenaunce of these great Fées and charges or not Who can deny the excellency of this institution wherby the Couetuous and vngodly men are shot one against an other and doo punish eche other and wherby also so plentiful prouision is made for the godly poore at their charges and yet no thank to them therfore and that those things from the which they would depart vnto any Honest or godly vse or purpose with as good will as from their eyes to be plucked out of their heads or their tripes out of their bellyes by this meane vndesired of their owne accord they bring it in by handfuls and so as it hath béen said plentiful prouision made for their godly Neighbours at their charges and yet no thank vnto them therfore Call you this a prouiding for the poore Neighbour quoth Pierce I would I had giuen you the best horse in my Plough to make this saying true and I sweare to you quoth he prooue it true and you shall haue him yet or this day Seuen night for that would ease my hart if I might perceiue that any godly person hath fared the better or were amended by any parte of all my great expences For then yet should I think that I haue doone some good with all the losse of my money Why Neighbour Pierce quoth Simon doo you doubt that all these summes or the greatest part therof commeth not to the vse of the common wealth and to the reliefe and sustenance of the godly poore and other easements of common things in maintenaunce of the common Wealtâ— Nay Neighbour Simon quoth he I doubt it not for I am fully perswaded the contrary Truely Neighbour Pierce quoth he this is an vncharitable and a very erronious opâ—inion and that I will proue vnto you by reasons manifest â—nd apparant and such as your self haue alredy graunted câ—nfessed I pray you neighbour Simon quoth Pierce let me heaâ—e how ¶ Simon approoueth these fees and charges as publiâ—ue and not priuat by argument taken from effects vnto theiâ— causes Chap. 5. WHosoeuer he be that Coueteth priuately to gaine and profit by any thing quoth our Hoste coueteth the thing wherby he gayneth and profiteth this is so true quoth he that I will not desire you to graunt t vnto me for it is a necessary argument from the effect vnto the cause and therfore if ye wil affirm â—hat the Magistrate and officer coueteth these great fées and â—harges and priuately to thriue and wax rich therby you musâ— necessarily conclude that he fauoureth all the first meaâ— causes therof which were a horrible a fearfull conclusion â— yet as I haue said followeth necessarily vpon the premises gâ—aunted therfore is couetise so much more odious detestaâ—le in a Magistrate then in a common person for couetise as he excéedeth all other vices simply considered euen so respectiâ—ely he excéedeth him self I say respectiuely to wit qualifieâ— by the person in whome he dwelleth for in a priuat person he is but a priuat sin extendeth vnto his M. only but in a Magistrate he is a publique and general corruptioÌ„ of al the people for ther 's no couetoê° person béeing but a priuate man or womaÌ„ that wisheth any other to be such as they theÌ„ selues are the reâ—son is for that the Couetise of others is nothing whereby they should gayne or be aduaunced but rather lose therby Therfore could they be content that there were few or no others such as they are wherby it apéereth that couetise in a priuate Person neither
x.l. and behinde him was trussed a fat Buck which he presented vnto the Gentlemen by one of his seruants To be short he was willed â—o come in to the M. into a close little Parlor whether were called also this olde farmer and I my self whom it pleased hiâ— to vouch safe all curtesie and humanitie both in this and also in other matters so that only we foure were there sauing a yong man attendant vpon his person This doon the Gentleman began fréend quoth he what accusation doo you bring against this poore man pointing him to the Farmer Sir ê™ he none I doo not know the man No quoth the Gentleman except ye can accuse him of euel ye haue already condemned your self therof and would doo me Why so sir quoth he Mary Sir quoth the Gentleman for he cannot be guiltlesse of euil that séeketh the destruction and death of a guiltlesse man Sir quoth the fellowe ye charge me wrongfully I neuer sought any mans death Sir quoth the Gentleman he that séeketh to take away the sustenaunce of a mans life that man say I séeketh his death that by so much a more cruel mean as it is a more cruell and fearfull death to starue of hunger or colde then it is to be quickly and readily dispatched and murthered and so soon rid out of pain Ye haue quoth hée desired to take this poore mans farme from him béeing his only stay and haue so bidden for it that I know he may not liue but in extreme misery if he take it at your hands Sir ê™ he yée are the first great purchaser that euer I heard of this opinion I haue six Farmes quoth he taken all after this maner at their hands that doo think them-selues both wise and woorshipfull yet was there neuer put vnto me such a problem as this by any of them yet drink In C. â— a yéer by them aboue all charges Fréend quoth the Gentleman other mens dooing are no president vnto me further then they stand with my dutie vnto God and with the discharging of my calling for he hath bidden vs by his prophet to stand vp and enquire after the olde waies and if they be good then to goe in them or els not which béeing spoken generally vnto all estates how much more vnto them of my calling and therfore admitting that such hard extreme dealing might stand with the dutie of euery priuat person either vnto God or vnto their Cuntry and common welth or els with their owne assuraÌ„ce-which I vtterly deny yet could it not stand with my dutie nor of any man of my calling First for the priuat person to reproue that such extreme dealing staÌ„deth not with his dutie towards God of his â—â—mandements dâ— manifâ—â—ly prooâ—â— wherin he so straightly commaâ—â—â—eth vnto vs â—hâ—re is loue benignitiâ— one towards an other wtout the which maÌ„ dare not â—ay â—haâ— hée looueth God whom he neuer saw neither thâ—â— he hath any faith now what loue or â—harâ—tie in there in him that letteth vnto his Neighbour a lease of hunger â—â—nt â—ll misery calametie so â—hole â—â—th ytâ—â—n which God forbad to doo vnto the Oxe The next to witâ— it standeth noâ— with his dutie to the common welth the very woord coâ—â—â— welthe doth sufficiently showe for if a man liue in the coÌ„mon-welth he must haue some of the ioyes and fruits therof or els it is to him no common welth namely traueling and laboâ—ring sore therin neither wil he that a man bearâ— any good wâ—l toward that common welth wherin the ioyes and sorowes welth wee are so vnequally deuided and this standeth noâ— with the assurance of the common welth which increaseth by the vniâ—ie looue concord falleth â— decayeth by their â—on â—aryeâ— These the two first béeing prooue 〈◊〉 resteth 〈◊〉 to pâ—ooue that such extreme taking exacting standeth all with thâ— assurance of the very partie himself euery priuate mans câ—se this séemeth stranger and harder to prooue then the resâ—due hath béen but it is not so namely vnto him that goeth with the Prophet Dauid into the house of God therâ—â—nquiâ—eth therof for there hee shall plainly vnderstand that all is â—ot cleerly gotten that is put into the pursse for I my selfe haâ—e known a number quoth he that haue raised iiij times double the reuenues that their ancesters liued welthily woorshipful vpon yea and before their death would fain haue solde land if they had had any The cause wherof is for that God who is not pâ—esent nor called to councell in such extreme taking wil neuer be present nor giue counsel or aduise in the bestowing 〈◊〉 spending of the same either to his honor glory or els to their owne benefit but giueth them ouer to delight in vile and vaine pleasures and to be gainfull and benâ—ficiall vnto the Ministers of voluptuousnes and sensualitie and flatterâ—rs whose fréendship endeth when the tap leaâ—â—th running and when strange and â—â—â—uelous vnto you I will tell you another matter which is an true as this and of mine own experience also I pray you let mée heare Neighbour â—uoth Pierce ¶ An other tale by the Hoast of a yong Gentleman that had morgaged his Land comming to an other great Officer of the Law to whome hee offered to sel his land of whome hee had great comfort Chap. 16. IT fortuned an other time I was in Kent also at the house of an other great and rich Officer towards the Laws where I had occasion to soiourne certain daies during which time there câ—me thether a yong geÌ„tleman to offer his Land to sel and made an offer therof vnto this man in my presence vnto whome this Woorshipfull Lawyer spake in this maner Wherfore wil you fel your Lands quoth hée béeing an ancient possession and a fair liuing Sir quoth this yong man I am fallen into great det comming to my Lands before I was wise and haue morgaged any Land for two hundred pound which except I come within these ten dayes I vtterly lose any Land You haue brought your self into great extremitie quoth this Gentleman how be it to â—el your Land mée think a very â—arâ— remedie therof and great pittie if any other way mightie taken for 〈◊〉 that â—â—lleth away his Land felleth away his best and moste assured Frâ—â—â—d Besides that to sel away namely his â—â—cient Patremony and which hée neuer â—ought â—is both shamefull and slaunderous as to haue disherited deâ—â—â—yâ—â— his name house familie which is an odious thing â—t be thing which the good Nabothe the Israelite denyed thervnto the King of Israel for when Achab demaunded of him his Vineyard for as much as it was woorth God forbid 〈◊〉 the poore 〈◊〉 that I should sell thée my Fathers Inheritaunce â—éeing yet but a poore â—iniard yet did hiâ— deâ—â—â—â—d it is the 〈…〉 may read in the old Testament how greatly God himself fauored the maâ—ntenance and preseruation of Inheritaunce possession
ten pound fréely towards the erecting building of a bridge and that such charitable déeds as this are no new things vnto him I sooner wil beléeue this quoth Pierce hauing of a man learned in the Lawes and whom Vertue and Learning haue prefferred then of the others that Fishen for Offices with the golden hook and neuer wist what Learning ment Simons returne to his matter again declareth of an other rich Officer in the Law who had two Farmers one rich and the other poore and how he delt with them Chap. 20. WIth that our Hoste took holde again saying that hée had yet one other matter to tell and therwith he would conclude I was an other time quoth hée at the house of an other rich Officer towards the Law who dâ—elleth in Kent also and is a man of great wâ—lth and one time of my béeing at his house as I thank hiâ— I haue béen very many times There were two of his Tenaunts come to take new leases of their Farmes the landâ— béeing of equall rent value but yet the Farmers not equal in welth the one hauing béen blessed as it should seem abouâ— the other for the one of them was very welthie and vpheld hâ—s Tenament in very good repaire offered the Lord at the â—irst woord forty pound for a fine for one and twenty yéers The other was poore and yet his tenament in decay neâ—ther was hée able to giue fiue pounds for a fine wherof the Landlord hauing challenged him and warning him to look to it therafter willed the other to lay down his forty pounds which hée did without delay The Gentleman when hée had counted it put it into a bagge and fréely gaue it vnto the poor man with these woords one of you beare an others burdâ—n wherwith the other was so farr from béeing ill content that hée humbly praised God and gaue the Gentleman right hartie thanks therfore and so he sent them away bothe very well contented Since which time I héer of the poore man that hée is growen to great welth and of such benignitiâ— and hospitalitie as are not many Owners or Landlords dwelling néer him Thus quoth our Hoste I haue confirmed my first Assertion and haue sufficiently auoyded your reasons and examples alleadged in disproof of the same and these haue I doon by Example and demonstrations dothe moe in number then yours are and also more euident apt and propâ—r vnto the purpose That is not so Neighbour quoth pierce for admitting that your Examples were all or any of them true which for the moste parte I will not graunt yet are they perticuler and cannot make any generall Conclusion besides that you tender mée an issue vpon two affirmatiues which is against the grounds of law as I haue learned by mine owne experience déerly bought For I haue alleadged against you the penerall Corruption of liues and manners béeing the effect of libertie vnto excesse and dissolution which I also haue alleadged and prooued to be an effect of priuate desire to pouch to purchase and to wax rich from al which causes and effects conuertly my Argument is necessary and infallible and therfore béeing alleadged affirmatiuely it demaundeth a direct generall trauerse to the effects which effects béeing not disprooued the causes therof cannot be denied against all which matters you haue answered in the affirmatiue also alleadging the examples of some good men which whether they be true or not I doo not greatly force without a generall denyal of that which I haue alleadged although that for euery example alleadged you had brought fiftéen and so is my first Assertion maintained and standeth fast and yours vtterly disprooued The Conclusion of the Conference and the preparation to the Questions beeing the second Book Chap. 21. BY this time it was waxeÌ„ euen dark night and our Hoast speaking vnto Pierce said vnto him Neighbour Pierce quoth hée wée haue reasoned so very long to and fro that the night is stolen vpon vs and the purpose of your comming hither vtterly forgoten through our earnest disputation in these matters Truely Neighbour ê™ Pierce I cannot think this time ill spent I would I had neuer spent time wursse if it had pleased God and therfore quoth he if it please you â—o lend mée this v.l. I will be gon home for I knowe the way at midnight Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoste your v.l. is redy and ye shall haue it with you but not to nighâ— for hence shal ye not departe before to morowe God willing and namely for this strangers sake whome I wil desire yoâ— to accompany for this night for in his Cuntry I haue reâ—eiued many folde humanitie as partly ye haue heard and therfore I gladly would doo him some héere to my power and therfore this night or a conuenient part therof wée will inâ—euour our selues to spend together in honest mirth and exercises And therwithall I spake and geuing our Hoste harty â—hanks desired Pierce that it might so be Who at my requeâ—t did soone condiscend and was very wel contented therwithâ—ll Then quoth I séeing that we haue so wel speâ—t the fore part of the night wherin I my self haue doon nothing but harkened let vs agrée vpon some meane to passe the time with all after supper vntil bed time no wursse then we haue doon the time before Now verily Gentleman quoth our Hoste and that is very well spoken I be shrewe him that disagreeeth therunto if it be my self Amen quoth Pierce Plowman if it â—e I. Very well then quoth I this is my order if it may please you After Supper euery man shall put his question and â—el his tale in order by course wherunto eche of the others shall speak to wit vnto the question shall giue an answere of â—issolution of the saying and vnto the tale shall shew their good or il likeing and hée that telleth the best and wisest tale to wit of highest and best sentence and putteth the sharpest and â—isest question moste tending to vertue and edifying of the â—earers or giues the wisest and best solution hée shall haue his breakfast héer to morrow at the charges of the other twain Content withall my hart quoth our Hoste Content quâ—th Pierce Plowman But to whose Iudgement shal we stand héerin ê™ hée Truely ê™ I euen to the â—oome of our Hostesse fit please her to take it vpon her wherupon shée béeing calleâ— very wilingly vndertook it so was the matter fully agréeâ—d and on hands giuen there vpon And then was the fable couered for supper our Hoste hauing him sell first giueÌ„ thanks to God to supper wée went where wée fared right wel were mery and when wée had supped the Cloth béeing remooued and thanks likewise giuen After wée had sitten stil and reposed our selues a little while â— my self began as followeth The end of the first Book The Second Book declaring the Questions and Answers between the Author the Hoste and Pierce Plowman 1 THe