first seke to knowe them selues That Fortune wyth hyr damosels perswade man to lyue licenciouslye That Age wyll cause them all to forsake him That Fryers couet to burye men for their goodes That manye be called and fewe chosen That the obseruation of the commaundementes of god is of value before god so it springe of loue Howe we should feaste That faith ioyned wyth charitie is moste souerayne salue That eche man shoulde beare with other and search his owne fautes That Pouertye is the beste and sureste lyfe That Priestes neglecte knoweledge Howe Nature teacheth manne by the naturall creatures That man ought not to searche why god doeth or suffereth thynges That all the Lordes Creatures be good That our owne fantisie deceiueth vs shame is the thyng that sonest driueth a drunckard from his vyce The twelfe parte called Passus duodecimus The twelfe parte begynneth in the laste syde of the lix leafe and endeth in the last side of the lxiiii leafe It declarith that GOD chastisith such as he loueth That charitie is dowell That manye talke well but do the contrary That true Cleargye is mercifull and ought to be loued that the holye goste is the autor of bokes That learned men may through their knoledge better eschue sinne than the vnlearned men may That god only knoweth the causes of thynges That rych men be like Pecockis And that there be thre sortes of Baptisme The thyrtenth parte called Passus decimus tertius The thyrtenth parte begynneth on the laste syde of the .lxiiii. leafe and endeth in the firste syde of the .lxxi. leafe It rehearseth much that was spoken before declarith the excesse of the Cleargy That Clargy hath .vii. sonnes That Cleargy hath neyther conscience nor Patience That Patience passeth a packe of bokes That the Plowman findeth vs breade What fautes reigne in labourynge men And what a wordlyng is The fourtenth parte called Passus decimus quartus The fourtenth parte begynneth in the firste syde of the lxxi and endeth in the firste syde of the leafe .lxxvii. It declarith how the labourynge man excuseth hym selfe of hys sinne That god prouideth fode for al hys creatures That Idlenes is cause of synne That satisfaction killeth synne that all men haue ioye here or els where That the mercifull rych shall haue heauen What a christen mans patent is Howe blessed a lyfe pouertie is And that Patience fedeth pouertie ☞ The fyftenth parte called Passus decimus quintus The .xv. part begynneth in the fyrst syde of the leafe lxxvii and endeth in the laste side of the leafe .lxxxvi. It declareth what the soule is And howe of diuerse offices it hath diuerse names That we sholde not search gods secretes The preachers dutye What shall become of euyll gotten goodes The true pylgrimage What compeny charitie haunteth That we shoulde take no gyftes of wicked men That it is sacrilege to spende the tythes otherwise than vpon the pore That no course is certayne Whan and howe Makometes lawe began That the Apostles turned all the worlde to the fayeth That chyldrene differ not frome wylde beastes tyll they be instructed in Christe That couetise of the cleargy wyll destroye the church That possession poysoned the church What the bishops dutye is And that Christe was declared by his miracles to be Messias ¶ The syxtenth parte called Passus decimus sextus The xvi parte begynneth in the last syde of the leafe lxxxvi endeth in the fyrste syde of the leafe lxxxxi It describeth charitie Declareth the Christe deliuered mā out of the thralde me of synne The maner of the betraying of Christ What the Trinitie is and the fayeth of Abraham The seuententh parte called Passus decimus septimus The seuententh parte begynneth in the firste syde of the leafe lxxxxi and endeth in the laste syde of the leafe lxxxxvi It declarith the old law to be abrogate That Christe the Samaritan hath deliuered vs and geuen vs a newe lawe Christes resurrection That the Trinitie is lyke an hande The holy goste by similitudes That a good man is lyke a torche And thre thinges that dryue a man out of hys house The eyghtenthe parte called Passus decimus octauus The .xviii. parte begynneth in the laste syde of the leafe lxxxxvi and endeth in the laste syde of the leafe Ciii It declareth Christes comming into Ierusalem Hys iudgemēt and death That god curseth vsurers That Christe triumphed euer deathe and hell That wealthe is knowne by woe and lyke of all other contraries Howe Christe vanquiseth Lucifer Howe Christe satisfied the lawe And that god is mercifull ☞ The nyntenthe parte called Passus decimus nonus The nintenth parte begynneth in the laste syde of the leafe Ciii and endeth in the laste syde of the leafe Cxi It declareth Christes victorye The gyftes that the thre kynges gaue hym That Christe is shewed to be god by hys myracles Why Christe appeared first to a woman What Pierces pardon is The gyftes of the holye goste Pierces office his oxen his sede that he soweth That Iustice leaueth no sinne vnpunished The fundation of the churche That pride enuieth the church How to withstand prid Who they be that neuer repent How lucre causeth mē to forsake the truth The answer of a blynde curate Howe the plowman foloweth the example of god And what Land lordes and kynges maye take of their tenauntes subiectes The twentieth parte called Passus visecimus The twentieth parte begynneth in the laste syde of the leafe Cxi and endeth in the laste leafe of the boke It declareth what a manne may do when nede compelleth hym That temperaunce is the chiefe vertue Who receyued Antichrist fyrst How Antichrist doth seduce many good men The maner of gods visitatiō The maner of men whan plages cease That couetise and simony make prelats That Life Fortune beget Slouth That Slouth marieth dispaire That Age killeth both phisitian surgian That Nature wolde haue vs to loue That the .vii. capital sinnes besieged Cōsciēce The answere of an Irysh prieste That Curates ought to haue a cōpotent liuinge certaine That Friers haue no nūbre That such as wēt to the Fryers to shrift be like saintuary mē That Hypocrisy woūdeth many prechers The negligence of patrons and bishops And what penauce gostly fathers were wōt to enioye their gostly children Finis IN a somer season when set was the sunne I shope me into shroubs as I a shepe were In habite as an harmet vnholy of werkes Went wyde in thys world wōders to here And on a May morning on Maluerne hilles Me befell a ferly of fayry me thought I was wery of wandering and went me to rest Vnder a brode banke by a bourne side And as I lay and leanid and lokid on the water I slombred into a sleping it swyzed so merye Than gan I to meten a meruelouse swiuen That I was in a wildernes I wyst neuer where As I beheld into theaste on highe to the sunne I saw a tower on a toft
mastry And your fraÌ„ches that fre was falleÌ„ is in thraldome And ye Cherles your childreÌ„ chiuen shall you neuer Ne haue Lordeshyppe in lande ne no lande tyll The lord accurseth vsurers But all bareyne be and vsurye vsen Whyche is lyfe that our Lorde in all lawes accurseth Now your good daies ar done as Dani. prophecied WhaÌ„ Christ come her kiÌ„gdome croune shuld cease Dani. ix Cum venerit sanctus sanctorum tunc cessabit vnctio vestra What for feare of the farlye and of the false Iewes I drowe me in that darkenes to Descendit ad inferna And there I sawe sothlye Secundum scripturas Out of the west cost a wenche as me thought Came walkynge in the waye to helward she loked Mercye hyght that mayde a meke thynge wythall A ful benyngne byrde and boxome of speach Hyr syster as it semed came worthelye walkynge Euen out of the east and westwarde she loked A full comelye creature Trueth she hyght For the vertue that her folowed afered was she neuer When these maydens mette mercye and trueth Eyther asked other of thys greate meruayle Of the dyn and of the darcknes how the day renned And what a syght and a leme laye before hell I haue farly of this fare in fayth sayd truth And am wendinge to wit what this woÌ„der meaneth Haue no meruayle quod mercy myrthe it betokeneth A mayde that hight Marye and mother wtout feling Of any kynnes creature conceiued through speach And grace of the holye gost weâ—t greate wyth chylde Without wembe into this world she brought hym And that my tale be true I take God to wytnes Syth this barne was borne be thyrty wynter paste Which died death tholed this day about myddaye And that is cause of this clipse the closed now the suÌ„ne In meaning that man shal from merkenes be draweÌ„ The which this light this leem shal Lucifer ablind For Patriarks Prophets haue preached it often That man shall man saue through a maydens helpe And that was tyne throughe tree tree shal it wynne And that death downe brought death shall releue That thou tellest quod truth is but a tale of waltrot For Adam and Eue Abraham and other Patriarkes and Prophetes that in payne lyggen Leue thou neuer that yon lyght hem may aloft bring Ne haue hem out of hell hold thy tonge mercy It is but a trifle that thou tellest I truth wote the soth For that is once in hell out commeth he neuer Iob the prophet patriarke repungneth thy sawes Quia in inferno nulla est redemptio Iob. vii Than mercy full mekelye mouthed these wordes Through experience ê™ she I hope I shall be saued For venine for doth venine that I proue by reason For of all venimes foulest is the Scorpion May no medicine helpe the place there he styngeth Tyll he be deade and do therto the euil he destroyeth The first venime moyst Poyson expelleth poyson through venime of him selfe So shall thys death for do I dare my lyfe lygge Al that death did fyrst throughe the deuils entisynge And as throughe gyle man was begiled So shall grace that began make a good sleyght Ars vt artem falleret Nowe suffer we sayde truth I se as me thynketh Out of the nyppe of the north not full farre hence Ryghtwisenes come rennynge reste we the whyle For he wotteth more then we he was ere we both That is soth sayd mercye and I se here by south Where peace cometh playinge in patience clothed Loue hath coueted hir longe leue I none other But he sent hir some letter what this light bemeneth That ouerhoueth hell thus she vs shall tell WhaÌ„ peace in patieÌ„ce clothed thus aproched nygh heÌ„ twain Rightfulnes hir reuereÌ„ced for hir rich clothiÌ„g And prayed peace to tel her to what place she would And in her gaye garment whom she grete thought The talke betwene Iustice c Peace My wyl is to wend ê™ she and to welcome hem all That many a day myght not se for merknes of synne Adam and Eue and other moe in hell Moses and many moe mercy shall haue And I shall daunce the reto do thou so syster For Iesus iusteth well ioye begynneth to dawe Psal xxx Ad vesperum demorabitur fletus et ad matutinuÌ„ leticia Loue that is my lemman suche letters me sent That mercy my syster and I mankynd shoulde saue And that god hath forgeueÌ„ grauÌ„ted me peace mercy To be mans meinpernour for euermore after Lo here the patent quod Peace In pace in idipsum And that this dede shall dure Dormiam et requiescam What rauest thou ê™ rightwisenes or the art right dronke Leuest thou that yon lyght vnlocke might hell And saue mans soule sister wene it neuer At the begynnynge God gaue the dome him selfe That Adam and Eue and all that hem sewed Shoulde dye downe ryght and dwell in payne after If that they touched a tree and the fruite eaten Adam afterwarde agaynste his defence Frete of that fruite and forsoke as it were The loue of our Lorde and his lore boeth And folowed that the fende taught hys felowes wyll Agaynst reasoÌ„ rightwisâ—es record thus with truth That their payne be perpetuall no prayer theÌ„ help Therfore let them cheue as they chose chide we not sisters For it is boteles bale the byt that they eaten And I shal proue ê™ peace theyr payne must haue end And we into weale must wende at last For had thei wyst of no wo weale had thei not know For no wight wotes what weale is CoÌ„trarâ—es are knowen bi tâ—â— coÌ„trarie that neuer wo suffred Ne what is whote huÌ„gre that neuer had defaut If no night nere no man as I leue Should wyte witerly what day is to meane Should neuer ryght rychman the liueth in rest and ease Wyte what wo is ne were the death of kinde So God that began all of his good wyll Became man of a mayd mankinde to saue And suffer to be sold to se the sorow of dyinge The which vnknytteth all care and comsing is of rest For tyl modicum met with hym I may it well avowe Wote no wight as I wene what is inough to mean Therfore God of his goodnes the first gome Adam Set him in solace and in souereine myrth And syth he suffred him sinne sorowe to fele To wyt what weale was kyndly to knowe it And after God aueÌ„tred him selfe toke Adams kynd To wyt what he had suffred in thre sundry places Both in heauen and in earth and to hel he thinketh To wyt what al wo is that wote of all ioye So it shal fare by thys folke their foly their synne Shal lerne hem what langor is lyfe wythout end Wote no wyght what warre is ther the peace reineth Ne what is witerly weale till welaweye hym teache Bokes be bolde Than was there a wight wyth two brode eyen Boke hyght that beaupier
Iesus the Iewes he iustified taught heÌ„ The lawe of life that laste shall euer And defende from foule euiles feuers and fluxes And from fendes that in them were false beleue Tho was he Iesus of Iewes called geÌ„tle prophete And king of her kingdome crowne bare of thorns And tho conquered he on crosse as coÌ„querour noble Might no death him fordo ne adowne bryng That he naroos and raygned and rauished hell And tho was he conquerour called of quick of dead For he gaue Adam and Eue and othermoe blyssed That longe had layne before as Lucifers cherles And sythen he gaue largelye all hys lelly lieges Places in paradice at her partinge hence He may wel be called coÌ„queror that is Christ to mene And the cause that he cometh thus with crosse of passion Is to wishen vs therw t that wheÌ„ that we be teÌ„pted Therw t to fight fend vs froÌ„ fallyng into sinne And se by hys sorowe that who so loueth ioye To penaunce and to pouerty he must put him selfe And much wo in thys world willen and suffren And for to carpe more of Christ how he came to the name Faithly to speake his first name was Iesus Tho he was borne in Bethlem as the boke telleth And came to take mankinde kynges and angels Reuerenced him faire wyth ryches of this earth Angels out of heauen came knelinge and songe Gloria in excelsis deo The gyftes that the iii. kyngâ— offered Kynges commen after knelinge and offred Myrre and much golde wythout mede askinge Or ani kins catel but knowledging him soueraigne Both of sonde sunne and sea sithen they wenten Into their kingdome kyth by counsel of angels And ther was the word fulfilled the which thou of spake Omnia celestia terrestria flectaÌ„tur in hec nomine Iesu Phili. ii For al the angels of heauen at hys byrth kneled And all the wyt of the worlde was in tho thre kinges Reason rightuousnes and â—uthe they offered Wherfore and why wyse men that tyme Maisters and lettred men Magi hem called That one kinge came with reason couered vndersence The second kynge sothly sithens he offered Ryghtuousnes vnder redde golde reasons felowe Golde is likened to leauty that last shall euer And reason to ryche golde to ryght and to truth The thyrd kynge tho came knelyng to Iesu And presented hym wyth pitye apperynge to mirre For myrre is mercy to meane mild speach of tong Thre in like honest things were offred thus at once Throughe thre kinne kinges knelinge to Iesus And for al these precious preseÌ„ts our lord priÌ„ce Iesus Was nether king ne coÌ„queror til he gaÌ„ to wâ—xe In the maner of a man and that by much sleght As becoÌ„meth a conquerour to konne many slightes And many willes and wytte that woll be a leader And so did Iesus in those daies who so had time to tell it Somtime he suffred somtyme he hid him And somtime he fought fast and fle other while And somtime he gaue good graunted heale both Lyfe and lyme as he lyste he wrought As kinde is of a conquerour so comsed Iesu Tyll he hadde all them that he for bledde In his inuente this Iesus at the Iewen feast Christ worketh miracles Water into wyne turned as holy wryte telleth And there began God of his grace to dowel For wine is likened to lawe and life of holines And law lacked tho for meÌ„ loued not her enmies And Christ couÌ„celeth thus commauÌ„deth also Both to lerned to lewde to loue our enemies So at the feaste fiâ—ste as I before sayde Began god of his grace of his goodnes to dowell And tho was he cleped called not only Christ but Iesu A faunt fine ful of wytte Filius Marie Before his mother Mary made he that wonder That she firste and formoste ferme should beleue That he through grace was get no gome els He wrought that by no wit but by word onely After the kynd that he came of there coÌ„sed he to dowell And wheÌ„ he was wexeÌ„ more in his mothers absence He made lame to leape and gaue light to blynd And fedde with two fyshes and wyth fyue loues Sore afingered folke mo than fyue thousande Thus he coÌ„forted the carefull and caught a greate name The which was dober wher that we went For defe through his doiÌ„gs to hear doÌ„b to speake he made And al he heled helpt that hiÌ„ of grace asked And tho was he called in coÌ„try of the coÌ„mon people For the dedes that he did Fili Dauid Iesus For Dauid was doutiest of dedes in hys time The birds tho soÌ„g Saul interfecit mille â— Keâ— 1â— Dauid x. mi. Therfore the coÌ„try ther Iesu came called hiÌ„ fili Dauid And named him of Nazareth no man so worthy To be Cayser or kynge of the kyngdome of Iuda Ne ouer Iewes iustice as Iesu was hem thought Wherof Cayphas had enuy other of the Iewes And for to do hym to death day nyght they casten Kylled hym on crossewyse at caluery on a Frydaye And sithen buried his body beden that meÌ„ should Kepe it from night commers with knyght armed For no frendes shold him fetch for prophets heÌ„ tolde That that blessed bodye of buriels should aryse And gone into Galile and gladden his apostles And his mother marye thus men before demed The knightes that kept it beknewe it hem selues That angels and archangels ere the day spronge Came kneling to the corps song Christus resurgens Verye man before hem all forth with hem he yede The Iewes praydeÌ„ peace besoughte the knyghtes Tel the coÌ„men that ther came a coÌ„panye of his apostles And bewiched hem as they wokeÌ„ away stolleÌ„ him And Marye Magdalen met hym by the waye Goynge toward Galile in godhead and manhead A lyue and lokynge and she a lowde cryed In eche a company there she came Christus resurgens Thus came it out the Christ ouercame recouered and lyued Sic oportet Christum pati et intrare Luke 24 Why Christ appeared fyrste to a woman For that women wytteth may not well be counsell Peter perceyued this and pursued after Both Iames and Iohn Iesu for to seke Thade and ten moe wyth Thomas of Inde And as these wise wyes weren togythers In an house al be shette and the dores barred Christe came in and all closed both dores and gates To Peter and to his apostles saide Pax vobis And toke Thomas bi the hand taught him to grope And fele wyth his fingers his fleshye herte Thomas Didimus Iohn xx Thomas touched it and with his tonge sayde Dominus mâ—us et deus meus Thou art my Lord I beleue god lorde Iesu Thou diedst and death tholedst and deme shall vs all And now art liuing and lokynge last shalt euer Christe carped than and curteslye sayde Thomas for thou trowest it and trulye beleuest it Blessed might