"That oon hatte Abstinence, And Humilité another; Charité and Chastité 3750 Ben hise chief maydenes; Pacience and Pees Muche peple thei helpeth; Largenesse the lady, She let in ful manye, Heo hath holpe a thousand out Of the develes punfolde; And who is sib to thise sevene, So me God helpe! He is wonderly welcome, 3760 And faire underfongen. And but if ye be sibbe To some of thise sevene, It is ful hard, by myn heed!" quod Piers, "For any of yow alle To geten in-going at any gate there, But grace be the moore." "Now by Crist!" quod a kutte-purs "I have no kyn there." "Nor I," quod an ape-ward, 3770 "By aught that I kan knowe." "Wite God!" quod a wafrestere, "Wiste I this for sothe, Sholde I nevere ferther a foot, For no freres prechyng." "Yis," quod Piers the Plowman, And poked hem alle to goode, "Mercy is a maiden there {116} Hath myght over alle; And she is sib to alle synfulle, 3780 And hire sone also, And thorugh the help of hem two Hope thow noon oother, Thow myght gete grace there, So thow go bi-tyme." "Bi seint Poul!" quod a pardoner, "Peraventure I be noght knowe there; I wol go fecche my box with my brevettes, And a bulle with bisshopes lettres." "By Crist!" quod a commune womman, "Thi compaignie wol I folwe; Thow shalt seye I am thi suster, I ne woot where thei bicome." 3793 * * * * * {117} _Passus Sextus de Visione, ut supra._ "This were a wikkede wey, 3794 But who so hadde a gyde, That wolde folwen us ech a foot;" Thus this folke hem mened. Quod Perkyn the Plowman, "By seint Peter of Rome! I have an half acre to erie 3800 By the heighe weye; Hadde I eryed this half acre, And sowen it after, I wolde wende with yow, And the wey teche." "This were a long lettyng," Quod a lady in scleyre, "What sholde we wommen Werche the while?" "Somme shul sowe the sak," quod Piers, 3810 "For shedyng of the whete; And ye, lovely ladies, With youre longe fyngres, That ye have silk and sandel To sowe, whan tyme is; Chesibles for chapeleyns, Chirches to honoure. {118}