"What!" quod the preest to Perkyn, "Peter! as me thynketh, Thow art lettred a litel:-- Who lerned thee on boke?" "Abstynence the abbesse," quod Piers, "Myn a.b.c. me taughte; And Conscience cam afterward, And kenned me muche moore." 4760 {147} "Were thow a preest," quod he, "Thou myghtest preche where thou sholdest, As divinour in divinité, With _Dixit insipiens_ to thi teme." "Lewed lorel!" quod Piers, "Litel lokestow on the Bible; On Salomons sawes Selden thow biholdest: _Ejice derisores et jurgia cum eis, ne crescant, etc._" 4770 The preest and Perkyn Opposeden either oother. And I thorugh hir wordes a-wook, And waited aboute, And seigh the sonne in the south Sitte that tyme, Mete-lees and monei-lees On Malverne hulles, Musynge on this metels, And my wey ich yede. 4780 Many tyme this metels Hath maked me to studie Of that I seigh slepynge, If it so be myghte, And also for Piers the Plowman Ful pencif in herte, And which a pardon Piers hadde Al the peple to conforte, And how the preest impugned it With two propre wordes. 4790 Ac I have no savour in songewarie, For I se it ofte faille; Caton and canonistres Counseillen us to leve {148} To sette sadnesse in songewarie, For _sompnia ne cures_. Ac for the book Bible Bereth witnesse How Daniel divined The dreem of a kyng, 4800 That was Nabugodonosor Nempned of clerkes. Daniel seide, "Sire kyng, Thi dremels bitokneth That unkouthe knyghtes shul come Thi kyngdom to cleyme; Amonges lower lordes Thi lond shal be departed." And as Daniel divined, In dede it fel after; 4810 The kyng lees his lordshipe, And lower men it hadde. And Joseph mette merveillously How the moone and the sonne And the ellevene sterres Hailsed hym alle. Thanne Jacob jugged Josephes swevene. "Beau fitz," quod his fader, "For defaute we shullen, 4820 I myself and my sones, Seche thee for nede." It bifel as his fader seide, In Pharaoes tyme, That Joseph was justice Egipte to loke; It bifel as his fader tolde, Hise frendes there hym soughte, And al this maketh me {149} On this metels to thynke. 4830 And how the preest preved No pardon to Do-wel, And demed that Do-wel Indulgences passed, Biennals and triennals, And bisshopes lettres; And how Do-wel at the day of dome Is digneliche underfongen, And passeth al the pardon Of seint Petres cherche. 4840