"And if thow diete thee thus, I dar legge myne eris, That Phisik shal hise furred hodes For his fode selle, 4340 And his cloke of Calabre, With alle the knappes of golde, And be fayn, by my feith! His phisik to lete, And lerne to laboure with lond, For liflode is swete. For murthereris are manye leches, Lord hem amende! They do men deye thorugh hir drynkes, Er destynee it wolde." 4350 "By seint Poul!" quod Piers, "Thise arn profitable wordes! Wend now, Hunger, whan thow wolt, That wel be thow evere! For this is a lovely lesson, Lord it thee for-yelde!" "Bi-hote God!" quod Hunger, {134} "Hennes ne wole I wende, Til I have dyned bi this day, And y-dronke bothe." 4360 "I have no peny," quod Piers, "Pulettes to bugge, Ne neither gees ne grys, But two grene cheses, A fewe cruddes and creme, And an haver cake, And two loves of benes and bran Y-bake for my fauntes; And yet I seye, by my soule! I have no salt bacon, 4370 Ne no cokeney, by Crist! Coloppes for to maken. "Ac I have percile and porettes, And manye cole plauntes, And ek a cow and a calf, And a cart mare To drawe a-feld my donge, The while the droghte lasteth; And by this liflode we mote lyve Til Lammesse tyme. 4380 And by that, I hope to have Hervest in my crofte, And thanne may I dighte thi dyner, As me deere liketh." Al the povere peple tho Pescoddes fetten, Benes and baken apples Thei broghte in hir lappes, Chibolles and chervelles, And ripe chiries manye, 4390 And profrede Piers this present {135} To plese with Hunger. Al Hunger eet in haste, And axed after moore. Thanne povere folk, for fere, Fedden Hunger yerne, With grene poret and pesen, To poisone hym thei thoghte. By that it neghed neer hervest, And newe corn cam to chepyng; 4400 Thanne was folk fayn, And fedde Hunger with the beste, With goode ale, as Gloton taghte, And garte Hunger go slepe. And tho wolde Wastour noght werche, But wandren aboute, Ne no beggere ete breed That benes inne were, But of coket and cler-matyn, Or ellis of clene whete; 4410 Ne noon halfpeny ale In none wise drynke, But of the beste and of the brunneste That in burghe is to selle.