"And then get ye the grace of God; _And goods enough, to live with_." The touch of shrewd humor in the last line finds its counterpart in many other passages. Thus, when the dreamer sits down to rest by the wayside, his iteration of the prescribed prayers makes him drowsy:-- "So I babbled on my beads; They brought me asleep." The Franciscan friars, his especial aversion, get a sly thrust when he says of Charity that "in a friar's frock He was founden once; _But it is far ago_, In Saint Francis's time: In that sect since Too seldom hath he been found." When Covetousness has confessed his numerous misdeeds, and is asked if he ever repented and made restitution, he replies, "Yes, once I was harbored With a heap of chapmen.[37] I rose when they were at rest And rifled their males[38]";-- and on being told that this was no restitution, but another robbery, he replies, with assumed innocence of manner, "I wened[39] rifling were restitution, quoth he, For I learned never to read on book; And I ken no French, in faith, But of the farthest end of Norfolk." Even the Pope is not exempt from a touch of satire:-- "He prayed the Pope Have pity on holy Church, And ere he gave any grace, _Govern first himself_." The prejudice against doctors and lawyers was as strong five hundred years ago as now, judging from Piers Plowman, who says, that "Murderers are many leeches, Lord them amend! They do men die through their drinks Ere destiny it would." Of lawyers he says they pleaded "for pennies And pounds, the law; And not for the love of our Lord Unclose their lips once. Thou mightest better meet mist On Malvern hills Than get a mum of their mouth Till money be showed." No class of people suffered more in the Middle Ages than the Jews. They were abhorred by the poor, despised by the wealthy, and cruelly oppressed by the powerful. But through all their sufferings and trials they were true to each other; and the monk holds up their fraternal charity as an example to shame Christians into similar virtues. He says:-- "A Jew would not see a Jew Go jangling[40] for default. For all the mebles[41] on this mould[42] And he amend it might. Alas! that a Christian creature Shall be unkind to another; Since Jews, that we judge Judas's fellows, Either of them helpeth other Of that that him needeth. Why not will we Christians Of Christ's good be as kind As Jews, that be our lores-men[43]? Shame to us all!" With one more curious passage, giving a glimpse of the belief of that age concerning the future state, we will close our extracts from "Piers Plowman." Discussing the condition of the thief upon the cross who was promised a seat in heaven, the dreamer says:--