The Plowman's Tale/Part I

PART I.

A sternë stryf is stered newe
In many stedes in a stounde,
55Of sondry sedes that ben sewe;
It semeth that som ben unsounde.
For some be grete growen †on grounde,
Some ben souple, simple and small;
Whether of hem is falser founde,
60The falser, foul mote him befall!

That oon syde is, that I of tell,
Popes, cardinals, and prelates,
Parsons, monkes, and freres fell,
Priours, abbottes of grete estates;
65Of heven and hell they kepe the yates,
And Peters successours they ben all;
This is denied by oldë dates;
But falshed, foul mote it befall!

The other syde ben poore and pale,
70And people put [al] out of prees;
And semë caytifs sore a-cale,
And ever in oon without encrees,
†I-cleped lollers and londlees;
Who toteth on hem, they been untall.
75They ben arayed all for the pees;
But falshed, foul mote it befall!

Many a countrey have I sought,
To know the falser of these two;
But ever my travail was for nought,
80All so fer as I have go.
But as I wandred in a wro,
In a wode besyde a wall,
Two foules saw I sitte tho;
The falser, foul mote him befall!

85That oon did plede on the Popes syde,
A Griffon of a grim stature.
A Pellicane withouten pryde
To these lollers layde his lure;
He mused his matter in mesure,
90To counsayl Christ ever gan he call.
The Griffon shewed as sharp as fyre,
But falshed, foul mote it befall!

The Pellican began to preche
Both of mercy and of mekeness;
95And sayd, that “Christ so gan us teche,
And meke and merciable gan bless.
The Evangely bereth witness
A lamb, he lykneth Christ over-all,
In tokening that he mekest was,
100Sith pryde was out of heven fall.

And so shulde every Christned be;
Preestes, Peters successours,
Beth lowlich and of low degree,
And usen none erthly honours,
105Neyther crown, ne curious cove[r]tours,
Ne †pelure, ne other proudë pall;
Ne nought to cofren up greet tresours;
For falshed, foul mote it befall!

Preest[e]s shuld for no cattel plede,
110But chasten hem in charitè;
Ne to no batail shuld men lede
For inhaunsing of hir own degree;
Nat wilnë sittings in hy see,
Ne soverayntè in hous ne hall;
115All worldly worship defye and flee;
For who willeth highnes, foul shal fall!

Alas! who may such sayntes call
That wilneth welde erthly honour?
As lowe as Lucifer such shal fall,
120In baleful blacknesse y-builde hir bour;
That eggeth the people to errour,
And maketh hem to hem [be] thrall;
To Christ I hold suche oon traytour,
As lowe as Lucifer such shal fall.

125That willeth to be kinges peres,
And hygher than the emperour;
Some that were but pore freres
Now wollen waxe a warryour.
God is nat hir governour,
130That holdeth no man his †peragall;
Whyl covetyse is hir counsaylour,
All such falshed mot nedë fall.

That hye on horse willeth ryde
In glitterand golde of grete aray,
135I-paynted and portred all in pryde;
No commun knight may go so gay.
Chaunge of clothing every day,
With golden girdles grete and small;
As boystous as is bere at bay;
140All such falshed mot nedë fall.

With prydë †punysheth the pore,
And somë they sustayn with sale;
Of holy churche maketh an hore,
And filleth hir wombe with wyne and ale;
145With money filleth many a male,
And chaffren churches when they fall,
And telleth the people a lewed tale;
Such falsë faytours, foul hem fall!

With chaunge of many maner metes,
150With song and solace sitting long,
And filleth hir wombë, and fast fretes,
And from the metë to the gong;
And after mete with harp and song,
And ech man mot hem lordes call;
155And hotë spyces ever among;
Such falsë faytours, foul hem fall!

And myters mo than oon or two,
I-perled as the quenes heed;
A staf of golde, and †perrey, lo!
160As hevy as it were mad of leed;
With cloth of gold both newe and reed,
With glitterand †gown as grene as gall,
By dome will dampnë men to deed;
All suche faytours, foul hem fall!

165And Christes people proudly curse
With brode bokes, and braying bell;
To putte pennyes in hir purse
They woll sell both heven and hell;
And in hir sentence, and thou wilt dwell,
170They willen gesse in hir gay hall;
And though the soth thou of hem tell,
In greet cursinge shalt thou fall.

That is blessed, that they blesse,
And cursed, that they cursë woll;
175And thus the people they oppresse,
And have their lordshippes at full;
And many be marchauntes of woll,
And to purse penyes woll come thrall;
The porë people they all to-pull,
180Such falsë faytours, foul hem fall!

Lordes mote to hem loute,
Obeysaunt to hir brode blessing;
They ryden with hir royall route
On a courser, as it were a king;
185With saddle of golde glitt[e]ring
With curious harneys quayntly crallit,
Styroppes gaye of gold-mastling;
All suche falshed, foul befall it!

Christes ministers †cleped they been,
190And rulen all in robberye;
But Antichrist they serven clene,
Attyred all in tyrannye;
Witnesse of Johns prophecye,
That Antichrist is hir admirall,
195Tiffelers attyred in trecherye;
All suche faytours, foul hem fall!

Who sayth, that some of hem may sinne,
He shal be †demed to be deed;
Some of hem woll gladly winne
200All ayenst that which god forbed;
“All-holyest” they clepen hir heed,
That of hir rulë is regall;
Alas! that ever they eten breed;
For all such falshed woll foul fall.

205Hir heed loveth all honour,
And to be worshipped in worde and dede;
Kinges mot to hem knele and coure;
To the apostles, that Christ forbede;
To popes hestes such taketh more hede
210Than to kepe Christes commaundëment;
Of gold and silver mot ben hir wede,
They holdeth him hole omnipotent.

He ordayneth by his ordinaunce
To parish-preestes a powére;
215To another a greter avaunce,
A greter poynt to his mystere;
But for he is hyghest in erth here,
To him reserveth he many a poynt;
But to Christ, that hath no pere,
220Reserveth he neither opin ne joynt.

So semeth he above[n] all,
And Christ aboven him nothing;
Whan he sitteth in his stall,
Dampneth and saveth as him think.
225Such pryde tofore god doth stink;
An angell bad John to him nat knele,
But only to god do his bowing;
Such willers of worship must evil fele.

They ne clepen Christ but sanctus deus,
230And clepen her heed Sanctissimus;
They that such a sect[ë] sewis,
I trowe, they taken hem amisse.
In erth[ë] here they have hir blisse,
Hir hye master is Belial;
235†Christ his people from hem wisse!
For all such false will foul fall!

They mowë both[ë] binde and lose,
And all is for hir holy lyf;
To save or dampne they mowë chose,
240Betwene hem now [ther] is gret stryf.
Many a man is killed with knyf,
To wete which of hem have lordship shall;
For such, Christ suffred woundes fyve;
For all such falshed will foul fall.

245Christ sayd: Qui gladio percutit
With swerdë shall [he surely] dye;
He bad his preestes pees and grith,
And bad hem not drede for to dye;
And bad them be both simple and slye,
250And carkë not for no cattail,
And †truste on god that sitteth on hye;
For all [such] falsë shull foul fall.

These wollen makë men to swere
Ayenst Christes commaundëment;
255And Christes membres all to-tere
On rode as he wer newe y-rent.
Suche lawes they make by commun assent,
Ech on it choweth as a ball;
Thus the pore be fully shent,
260But ever falshed foule it †fall!

They usen [never] no symonye,
But sellen churches and prioryes;
Ne [yet] they usen no envye,
But cursen all hem contraryes;
265And hyreth men by dayes and yeres
With strength to holde hem in hir stall;
And culleth all hir adversaryes;
Therefor, falshed! foul thou fall!

With purse they purchase personage,
270With purse they paynen hem to plede;
And men of warrë they woll wage,
To bringe hir enemyes to the dede.
And lordes lyves they woll lede,
And moche take, and give but small;
275But he it so get, from it shall shede,
And make such falsë right foul fal!

They halowe nothing but for hyre,
Churchë, font, ne vestëment;
And make[n] orders in every shyre,
280But preestes paye for the parchement;
Of ryatours they taken rent,
Therwith they smere the shepes skall;
For many churches ben oft suspent;
All such falshed, yet foul it fall!

285Some liveth nat in lecherye,
But haunten wenches, widdowes, and wyves,
And punisheth the pore for putrye;
Them-selfe it useth all their lyves.
And but a man to them [him] shryves,
290To heven comë never he shall;
He shal be cursed as be captyves,
To hell they sayn that he shall fall.

There was more mercy in Maximien,
And in Nero, that never was good,
295Than [there] is now in some of †hem
Whan he hath on his furred hood.
They folowe Christ that shedde his blood
To heven, as bucket in-to the wall;
Suche wreches ben worse than wood;
300And all such faytours, foule hem fall!

They give hir almesse to the riche,
To maynteynours, and to men of lawe;
For to lordes they woll be liche,
An harlottes sone nat worth an hawe!
305Sothfastnessë suche han slawe,
They kembe hir crokets with cristall;
And drede of god they have down drawe;
All suche faytours, foul hem fall!

They maken parsons for the penny,
310And canons of hir cardinals;
Unnethes amongest hem all any
That he ne hath glosed the gospell fals!
For Christ made never no cathedrals,
Ne with him was no cardinall
315Wyth a reed hatte as usen mynstrals;
But falshed, foul mote it befall!

†Hir tything, and hir offring both,
They cle[y]meth it by possessio[u]n;
Thérof nill they none forgo,
320But robben men as [by] raunsoun.
The tything of Turpe lucrum
With these maisters is meynall;
Tything of bribry and larson
Will makë falshed full foul fall!

325They taken to fermë hir sompnours
To harme the people what they may;
To pardoners and false faytours
Sell hir seles, I dar well say;
And all to holden greet array,
330To multiply hem more metall,
They drede full litell domes day
Whan all such [falsë] shall foul fall.

Suche harlottes shull men disclaunder
For they shullen make hir gree,
335And ben as proude as Alexaunder,
And sayn to the pore, “wo be ye!”
By yere ech preest shall paye his fee
To encrese his lemmans call;
Suche herdes shull well yvell thee,
340And all such falsë shull foul fall!

And if a man be falsly famed,
And woldë make purgacioun,
Than woll the officers be agramed,
And assigne him fro town to town;
345So nede he must[e] paye raunsoun
Though he be clene as is cristall,
And than have an absolutioun;
But all such falsë shull foul fall!

Though he be gilty of the dede,
350And that he [yet] may money pay,
All the whyle his purse woll blede
He may use it fro day to day!
These bishoppes officers goon full gay,
And this game they usen over-all;
355The pore to pill is all †hir pray;
All such falsë shull foul fall!

Alas! god ordayned never such lawe,
Ne no such craft of covetyse;
He forbad it, by his sawe,
360Such governours mowen of god agryse;
For all his rules †ben rightwyse.
These newe poyntes ben pure papall,
And goddes lawë they dispyse;
And all such faytours shul foul fall!

365They sayn that Peter had the key
Of hevin and hell, to have and hold;
I trowe Peter took no money
For no sinnes that he sold!
Such successours ben to bold,
370In winning all their wit they wrall;
Hir conscience is waxen cold;
And all such faytours, foule hem fall!

Peter was never so great a fole
To leve his key with such a lorell,
375Or to take such cursed such a tole
He was advysed nothing well.
I trowe, they have the key of hell;
†Hir maister is of that place marshall;
For there they dressen hem to dwell,
380And with fals Lucifer there to fall.

They ben as proude as Lucifer,
As angry, and as envious;
From good fayth they ben full fer,
In covetyse they ben curious;
385To catche catell as covytous
As hound, that for hunger woll yall;
Ungoodly, and ungracious;
And nedely, such falshed shal foul fall!

The pope, and he were Peters heyr,
390Me think, he erreth in this cas,
Whan choyse of bishoppes is in dispeyr,
To chosen hem in dyvers place;
A lord shall write to him for grace,
For his clerke †pray anon he shall;
395So shall he spede[n] his purchas;
And all such falsë, foule hem fall!

Though he †conne no more good,
A lordes prayer shal be sped;
Though he be wild of will or wood,
400Nat understanding what men han red,
A boster, and (that god forbede!)
As good a bishop †as my hors Ball,
Suche a pope is foule be-sted,
And at [the] lastë woll foul fall!

405He maketh bishops for erthly thank,
And nothing for Christes sake;
Such that ben ful fatte and rank,
To soulë hele non hede they take.
Al is well don what ever they make,
410For they shal answere at †ones for all;
For worldes thank, such worch and wake,
And all such falsë shall foul fall!

Suche that †connë nat hir Crede
With prayer shull be mad prelates;
415Nother †conne the gospell rede,
Such shull now welde hye estates.
The hye goodes frendship hem makes,
They toteth on hir somme totall;
Such bere the keyes of hell-yates,
420And all such falsë shall foul fall.

They forsake, for Christes love,
Traveyl, hunger, thurst, and cold;
For they ben ordred ever all above
Out of youthe til they ben old.
425By the dore they go nat in-to the fold,
To helpe †hir sheep they nought travail;
Hyred men all suche I holde,
And all such falsë, foule hem fall!

For Christ hir king they woll forsake,
430And knowe him nought for his povert;
For Christes lovë they woll wake,
And drink pyment [and] ale apart.
Of god they seme nothing a-ferd;
As lusty liveth, as Lamuall,
435And dryve hir sheep into desert;
All such faytours shull foul fall!

Christ hath twelve apostels here;
Now say they, ther may be but oon,
That may nat erre in no manere;
440Who leveth nat this, ben lost echoon!
Peter erred, so dide nat John;
Why is he cleped the principall?
Christ cleped him Peter, but himself the stoon;
All falsë faytours, foule hem fall!

445Why cursen they the croysery,
Christes Christen crëatures?
For bytwene hem is now envy
To be enhaunsed in honours.
And Christen livers, with hir labours,
450For they leve on no man mortall,
†Ben do to dethe with dishonours;
And all such falsë, foule hem fall!

What knoweth a tillour at the plow
The popes name, and what he hat?
455His crede suffyseth him y-now,
And knoweth a cardinall by his hat.
Rough is the pore, unrightly lat,
That knoweth Christ his god royall;
Such maters be nat worth a gnat;
460But such false faytours, foule hem fall!

A king shall knele and kisse his sho;
Christ suffred a sinfull kisse his feet.
Me thinketh, he holdeth him hye y-now,
So Lucifer did, that hye †seet
465Such oon, me thinketh, him-self foryet,
Either to the trouth he was nat call;
Christ, that suffred woundes wet,
Shall makë such falshed foul fall!

They layeth out hir largë nettes
470For to take silver and gold,
Fillen coffers, and sackes fettes,
There-as they soules cacche shold.
Hir servaunts be to †hem unhold,
But they can doublin †hir rentall
475To bigge hem castels, and bigge hem hold;
And all such falsë, foule hem fall!

Here endeth the first part of this tale, and herafter
foloweth the seconde part.

53. stryfe. 55. bene. 57. great; vngrounde (!). 58. souble (error for souple). 60. foule. 61. one. 63. freers. 64. great. 65. heuyn. 68. foule mought. 70. Supply al; prease. 71. caytyffes. 72. one; encrease. 73. I-clepeth (!); londlese. 74. bene. 75. peace. 76. foule. 78. knowe. 79. trauayle. 80. ferre. 82. wodde. 83. sawe.

85. one. 86. grymme. 89. measure. 90. counsayle. 91. sharpe. 92. foule. 93. preache. 94. mekenesse. 95. teache. 96. blesse. 97. beareth wytnesse. 98. lambe; lykeneth. 99. tokenynge. 103. lowlyche; lowe. 105. crowne; couetours (read covertours). 106. pylloure (for pelure). 107. great treasours. 108. foule. 109. Preests shulde. 111. bateyle shulde. 112. her owne. 113. syttynges; hye. 114. souerayntie; house. 115. worshippe. 116. Who so (omit so); foule shall.

117. suche. 118. erthlye. 119. suche shall. 120. y-buylden her boure. 122. them to hem; supply be. 123. holde; one. 124. suche one shall (om. one). 125. peeres. 127. poore freers. 128. Nowe. 129. her. 130. noman; permagall. 131. Whyle; her. 132. suche; mote. 134. glytterande; great araye. 136. commen; maye; gaye. 137. daye. 138. great. 139. baye. 140. suche; mote. 141. punyshed (!); see l. 143. 142. sustayne. 144. her. 147. leude. 148. Suche; foule them befall (see ll. 156, 164).

149. meates. 150. songe; syttynge longe. 151. her. 152. meate; gonge. 153. meate; harpe; songe. 154. eche; mote. 155. amonge. 156. Suche; foule. 157. one. 159. staffe; pyrrey; read perrey. 160. made; lead. 161. golde; redde. 162. glytterande; golde (repeated from l. 161; read gown). 164. foule. 167. her. 168. hel. 169. her. 170. her gaye. 172. great. 179. poore. 180. Suche; foule.

182, 3 her. 184. kynge. 185. glyttryng (1550, glytteryng). 187. golde. 188. foule. 189. clepen (!); bene. 194. Antichriste; her. 196. foule. 198. done (but 1550, dome; read demed). 200. whiche. 201, 202. her. 204. suche; foule. 205. Her. 207. mote. 208. forbede (=forbēd). 209. suche. 211. mote; her.

215, 216. greater. 224. thynke. 225. Suche; stynke. 227. bowynge. 228. must nede euyll; I omit nede. 231. suche; sect sewys. 233. her. 234. Her. 235. Chrystes (!); read Christ his. 236. suche; foule. 238. her; lyfe. 240. Supply ther; great stryfe. 241. a knyfe (om. a). 243. suche. 244. suche; foule.

246. Supply he surely. 247. peace. 248. bade. 251. trusteth (!). 252. Supply such; foule. 256. roode. 257. commen. 258. Echeon. 259. poore. 260. befall; read fall. 261. Supply never. 263. Supply yet. 266. her. 267. her. 268. foule; falle. 272. her. 276. suche; foule.

282. shyppes (!); 1550, shepes. 283. ofte. 284. suche; foule. 287. poore. 289. Supply him. 292. sayne. 295. Supply there; nowe; them. 296. hoode. 297. blode. 298. buckette; (wall=well). 299. wode. 300. suche. 301. her. 302. Omit to? 304. sonne; worthe. 306. her crokettes; christall. 307. downe. 308. foule.

310. her. 315. Redde; vsyn. 316. falsshed foule. 317. Their (read Hir); her. 318. clemeth; see l. 525. 320. Supply by; rannsome. 324, 332, 340. foule. 324. to fall (omit to). 325. her. 328. her scales; dare. 329. great. 332. suche; supply false. 334. her. 336. sayne; poore. 337. eche preeste. 338. encrease. 339. heerdes; the. 340. suche.

341. falsely. 344. towne (twice). 345. raunsome. 346. christall. 348. suche. 348, 356, 364. foule. 349. gyltie. 350. Supply yet; maye. 352. maye. 353. gone. 355. poore; theyr (read hir). 356. suche. 357. suche. 358. suche crafte. 359. forbade. 360. Suche. 361. is (read ben). 363. dispyce. 364. suche. 365. sayne. 366. heuyn; holde. 367. toke. 368. solde. 369. Suche; bolde. 370. wytte. 371. colde. 372. suche.

374. leaue. 375. suche (twice). 378. Theyr (for Hir). 380. false Lucifere. 381. Lucifarre. 383. faythe; fane. 386. hounde; hungre. 387. vngratious. 388. suche. 388, 396, 404. foule. 389. heyre. 390. thynke; case. 391. dispeyre. 393. lorde. 394. anone pray. 395. purchase. 396. suche. 397. can (read conne). 398. spedde. 399. wylde. 400. redde. 401. leude boster (om. leude). 402. byshoppe; is (read as); horse. 403. be stedde. 404. Supply the; last.

405. byshoppes. 407. Suche; ranke. 408. heale none. 409. done. 410. one fors (!); misprint. 411. thanke suche. 412. suche. 412, 420, 436. foule. 413. canne; read conne; her. 414. made. 415. canne. 416. Suche; nowe. 418. her. 419. Suche. 420. suche. 422. Traueyle hungre; colde. 424. olde. 425. folde. 426. theyr (for hir); shepe. 428. suche. 429. her. 430. pouerte. 432. drynke; pyement; supply and; aparte. 433. a ferde. 434. as dyd (om. dyd). 435. dryuen her shepe; deserte. 436. suche.

437. xij. 438. Nowe; there; one. 440. echone. 443. stone. 447. nowe. 449. her. 450. leuyn. 451. But (read Ben). 452. suche. 453. plowe. 454. hate (!). 455. to hym (om. to); ynowe. 456. hatte. 457. poore; latte. 459. Suche; gnatte. 460. suche. 461. showe. 462. to kysse (om. to); fete. 463. ynowe. 464. sette; read seet (=sat). 465. Suche one; hym selfe foryete. 466. For call read tall (?); cf. l. 74. 467. wete. 468. suche; foule.

469. her. 470. golde. 472. catche sholde. 473. Her seruauntes; them (read hem); vnholde. 474. theyr (for hir). 475. holde. 476. suche.