Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century -- Sources

For we may nouȝte swynke ne swete, suche sikenesse vs eyleth.'
        'If it be soth,' quod Pieres, 'þat ȝe seyne, I shal it sone
            asspye.
      Ȝe ben wastoures, I wote wel, and Treuthe wote þe sothe,
      And I am his olde hyne, and hiȝte hym to warne                 125
      Which þei were in þis worlde his werkemen appeyred.
      Ȝe wasten þat men wynnen with trauaille and with tene,
      Ac Treuthe shal teche ȝow his teme to dryue,
      Or ȝe shal ete barly bred and of þe broke drynke.
      But if he be blynde, _or_ broke-legged, or bolted with
          yrnes,                                                     130
      He shal ete whete bred and drynke with myselue,
      Tyl God of his goodnesse amendement hym sende.
      Ac ȝe myȝte trauaille as Treuthe wolde, and take mete
          and huyre
      To kepe kyne in þe felde, þe corne fro þe bestes,
      Diken, or deluen, or dyngen vppon sheues,                      135
      Or helpe make morter, or bere mukke afelde.
      In lecherye an in losengerye ȝe lyuen, and in sleuthe,
      And al is þorw suffrance þat veniaunce ȝow ne taketh.
        Ac ancres and heremytes, þat eten but at nones,
      And namore er morwe, myne almesse shul þei haue,               140
      And of my catel to cope hem with þat han cloistres and
          cherches.
      Ac Robert Renne-aboute shal nouȝe haue of myne,
      Ne posteles, but þey preche conne, and haue powere of þe bisschop;
      They shal haue payne and potage, and make hemself at ese,
      For it is an vnresonable religioun þat hath riȝte
          nouȝte of certeyne.'                                       145
      And þanne gan a Wastoure to wrath hym, and wolde haue
          yfouȝte,
      And to Pieres þe plowman he profered his gloue;
      A Brytonere, a braggere, abosted Pieres als:—
      'Wiltow or neltow, we wil haue owre wille
      Of þi flowre and of þi flessche, fecche whan vs liketh,        150
      And make vs myrie þermyde, maugré þi chekes!'
        Thanne Pieres þe plowman pleyned hym to þe knyȝte,
      To kepe hym, as couenaunte was, fram cursed shrewes,
      And fro þis wastoures wolues-kynnes, þat maketh þe worlde
          dere:
      'For þo waste, and wynnen nouȝte, and þat ilke while           155
      Worth neuere plenté amonge þe poeple þerwhile my plow
          liggeth.'
        Curteisly þe knyȝte þanne, as his kynde wolde,
      Warned Wastoure, and wissed hym bettere,
      'Or þow shalt abugge by þe lawe, by þe ordre þat I bere!'
        'I was nouȝt wont to worche,' quod Wastour, 'and now
            wil I nouȝt bigynne',                                    160
      And lete liȝte of þe lawe, and lasse of þe knyȝte,
      And sette Pieres at a pees, and his plow bothe,
      And manaced Pieres and his men ȝif þei mette eftsone.
        'Now, by þe peril of my soule!' quod Pieres, 'I shal apeyre
            ȝow alle!'

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century -- Sources

For we may nouȝte swynke ne swete, suche sikenesse vs eyleth.'
        'If it be soth,' quod Pieres, 'þat ȝe seyne, I shal it sone
            asspye.
      Ȝe ben wastoures, I wote wel, and Treuthe wote þe sothe,
      And I am his olde hyne, and hiȝte hym to warne                 125
      Which þei were in þis worlde his werkemen appeyred.
      Ȝe wasten þat men wynnen with trauaille and with tene,
      Ac Treuthe shal teche ȝow his teme to dryue,
      Or ȝe shal ete barly bred and of þe broke drynke.
      But if he be blynde, _or_ broke-legged, or bolted with
          yrnes,                                                     130
      He shal ete whete bred and drynke with myselue,
      Tyl God of his goodnesse amendement hym sende.
      Ac ȝe myȝte trauaille as Treuthe wolde, and take mete
          and huyre
      To kepe kyne in þe felde, þe corne fro þe bestes,
      Diken, or deluen, or dyngen vppon sheues,                      135
      Or helpe make morter, or bere mukke afelde.
      In lecherye an in losengerye ȝe lyuen, and in sleuthe,
      And al is þorw suffrance þat veniaunce ȝow ne taketh.
        Ac ancres and heremytes, þat eten but at nones,
      And namore er morwe, myne almesse shul þei haue,               140
      And of my catel to cope hem with þat han cloistres and
          cherches.
      Ac Robert Renne-aboute shal nouȝe haue of myne,
      Ne posteles, but þey preche conne, and haue powere of þe bisschop;
      They shal haue payne and potage, and make hemself at ese,
      For it is an vnresonable religioun þat hath riȝte
          nouȝte of certeyne.'                                       145
      And þanne gan a Wastoure to wrath hym, and wolde haue
          yfouȝte,
      And to Pieres þe plowman he profered his gloue;
      A Brytonere, a braggere, abosted Pieres als:—
      'Wiltow or neltow, we wil haue owre wille
      Of þi flowre and of þi flessche, fecche whan vs liketh,        150
      And make vs myrie þermyde, maugré þi chekes!'
        Thanne Pieres þe plowman pleyned hym to þe knyȝte,
      To kepe hym, as couenaunte was, fram cursed shrewes,
      And fro þis wastoures wolues-kynnes, þat maketh þe worlde
          dere:
      'For þo waste, and wynnen nouȝte, and þat ilke while           155
      Worth neuere plenté amonge þe poeple þerwhile my plow
          liggeth.'
        Curteisly þe knyȝte þanne, as his kynde wolde,
      Warned Wastoure, and wissed hym bettere,
      'Or þow shalt abugge by þe lawe, by þe ordre þat I bere!'
        'I was nouȝt wont to worche,' quod Wastour, 'and now
            wil I nouȝt bigynne',                                    160
      And lete liȝte of þe lawe, and lasse of þe knyȝte,
      And sette Pieres at a pees, and his plow bothe,
      And manaced Pieres and his men ȝif þei mette eftsone.
        'Now, by þe peril of my soule!' quod Pieres, 'I shal apeyre
            ȝow alle!'

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

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