"And thanne fondeth the fend My fruyt to destruye, With alle the wiles that he kan; And waggeth the roote, And casteth up to the crop Unkynde neighebores; 10880 Bakbiteris breke the cheste, Brawleris and chideris, {333} And leith a laddre therto, Of lesynges are the ronges, And feccheth awey my floures som tyme Afore bothe myne eighen. Ac _liberum arbitrium_ Letteth hym som tyme, That is lieutenaunt to loken it wel, Bi leve of myselve. 10890 _Videatis qui peccat in spiritum sanctum nunquam remittetur, etc. Hoc est idem, qui peccat per liberum arbitrium non repurgatur._ "Ac whan the fend and the flessh Forth with the world Manacen bihynde me My fruyt for to fecche, Thanne _liberum arbitrium_ 10900 Laccheth the firste plante, And palleth adoun the pouke, Pureliche thorugh grace And help of the Holy Goost, And thus have I the maistrie." "Now faire falle yow! Piers," quod I, "So faire ye discryven The power of thise postes, And hire propre myghtes. Ac I have thoughtes a threve 10910 Of thise thre piles, In what wode thei woxen, And where that thei growed; For alle are thei aliche longe, Noon lasse than oother, And to my mynde, as me thinketh, {334} On o more thei growed, And of o greetnesse, And grene of greyn thei semen." "That is sooth," quod Piers, 10920 "So it may bifalle; I shal telle thee as tid What this tree highte. The ground there it groweth, Goodnesse it hatte; And I have told thee what highte the tree, The Trinité it meneth." And egreliche he loked on me; And therfore I spared To asken hym any moore therof, 10930 And bad hym ful faire To discryve the fruyt That so faire hangeth. "Heer no bynethe," quod he tho, "If I nede hadde, Matrimoyne I may nyme, A moiste fruyt withalle; Thanne continence is neer the crop, As kaylewey bastard, Thanne bereth the crop kynde fruyt, 10940 And clennest of alle, Maidenhode aungeles peeris And rathest wole be ripe, And swete withouten swellyng, Sour worth it nevere." I preide Piers tho to pulle a-doun An appul, and he wolde, And suffre me to assaien What savour it hadde.