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Piers Plowman Electronic Archive

Cambridge MS B.15.17 (W)

Passus 8

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Passus octauus de visione & primus de Dowel

W8.1 (KD8.1)Thus yrobed in russet · I romed aboute
W8.2 (KD8.2) Al a somer seson · for to seke dowel
W8.3 (KD8.3) And frayned ful ofte · of folk þat I mette
W8.4 (KD8.4) If any wiȝt wiste · wher dowel was at Inne
W8.5 (KD8.5) And what man he myȝte be · of many man I asked

W8.6 (KD8.6)¶ Was neuere wiȝt as I wente · þat me wisse kouþe
W8.7 (KD8.7) Where þis leode lenged · lasse ne moore
W8.8 (KD8.8) Til it bifel on a Friday · two freres I mette
W8.9 (KD8.9) Maistres of þe Menours · men of grete witte
W8.10 (KD8.10) I hailsed hem hendely · as I hadde y-lerned
W8.11 (KD8.11) And preide hem par charite · er þei passed ferþer
W8.12 (KD8.12) If þei knewe any contree · or costes as þei wente
W8.13 (KD8.13) Where þat dowel dwelleþ · dooþ me to witene
W8.14 (KD8.14) For þei be men of þis moolde · þat moost wide walken
W8.15 (KD8.15) And knowen contrees and courtes · and many kynnes places
W8.16 (KD8.16) Boþe princes paleises · and pouere mennes cotes
W8.17 (KD8.17) And dowel and doyuele · wher þei dwelle boþe

W8.18 (KD8.18)¶ Amonges vs quod þe Menours · þat man is dwellynge
W8.19 (KD8.19) And euere haþ as I hope · and euere shal her-after

W8.20 (KD8.20)Contra quod I as a clerc · and comsed to disputen
W8.21 (KD8.20α) And seide hem sooþly · Sepcies in die cadit Iustus           266(n)

W8.22 (KD8.21)¶ Seuene siþes seiþ þe book · synneþ þe rightfulle
W8.23 (KD8.22) And who-so synneþ I seide · dooþ yuele as me þynkeþ
W8.24 (KD8.23) And dowel and doyuele · mowe noȝt dwelle togideres
W8.25 (KD8.24)Ergo he nys noȝt alwey · amonges yow freres
W8.26 (KD8.25) He is ouþerwhile ellis-where · to wisse þe peple

W8.27 (KD8.26)¶ I shal seye þee my sone · seide þe frere þanne
W8.28 (KD8.27) How seuen siþes þe sadde man · on a day synneþ
W8.29 (KD8.28) By a forbisne quod þe frere · I shal þee faire shewe

fol.45v

W8.30 (KD8.29) Lat brynge a man in a boot · amydde þe brode watre           267(n)
W8.31 (KD8.30) The wynd and þe water · and þe boot waggyng           268(n)
W8.32 (KD8.31) Makeþ þe man many a tyme · to falle and to stonde           269(n)
W8.33 (KD8.32) For stonde he neuer so stif · he stumbleþ if he meue           270(n)
W8.34 (KD8.33) Ac yet is he saaf and sound · and so hym bihoueþ           271(n)
W8.35 (KD8.34) For if he ne arise þe raþer · and rauȝte to þe steere           272(n)
W8.36 (KD8.35) The wynd wolde wiþ þe water · þe boot ouer-þrowe           273(n)
W8.37 (KD8.36) And þanne were his lif lost · þoruȝ lachesse of hym-selue           274(n)
W8.38 (KD8.37)¶ And þus it falleþ quod þe frere · by folk here on erþe           275(n)
W8.39 (KD8.38) The water is likned to þe world · þat wanyeþ and wexeþ           276(n)
W8.40 (KD8.39) The goodes of þis grounde arn lik · to þe grete wawes           277(n)
W8.41 (KD8.40) That as wyndes and wedres · walkeþ aboute           278(n)
W8.42 (KD8.41) The boot is likned to oure body · þat brotel is of kynde           279(n)
W8.43 (KD8.42) That þoruȝ þe fend and þe flessh · and þe frele worlde           280(n)
W8.44 (KD8.43) Synneþ þe sadde man · a day seuen siþes           281(n)

W8.45 (KD8.44)¶ Ac dedly synne doþ he noȝt · for dowel hym kepeþ
W8.46 (KD8.45) And þat is charite þe champion · chief help ayein synne
W8.47 (KD8.46) For he strengþeþ men282 to stonde · and steereþ mannes soule
W8.48 (KD8.47) And þouȝ þe body bowe · as boot dooþ in þe watre           283(n)
W8.49 (KD8.48) Ay is þi soule saaf · but if þow wole þi-selue284           285(n)
W8.50 (KD8.50) Do a deedly synne · and drenche so þi soule
W8.51 (KD8.51) God wole suffre wel þi sleuþe · if þi-self likeþ
W8.52 (KD8.52) For he yaf þee a yeresȝyue · to yeme wel þi-selue           286(n)
W8.53 (KD8.53) And þat is wit and free wil · to euery wiȝt a porcion           287(n)
W8.54 (KD8.54) To fleynge foweles · to fisshes and to beestes           288(n)
W8.55 (KD8.55) Ac man haþ moost þer-of · and moost is to blame           289(n)
W8.56 (KD8.56) But if he werche wel þer-wiþ · as dowel hym techeþ           290(n)

W8.57 (KD8.57)¶ I haue no kynde knowyng quod I · to conceyuen alle youre wordes
W8.58 (KD8.58) Ac if I may lyue and loke · I shal go lerne bettre

W8.59 (KD8.59)¶ I bikenne þee crist quod he · þat on cros deyde

fol.46r

W8.60 (KD8.60)And I seide þe same · saue yow fro myschaunce
W8.61 (KD8.61) And ȝyue yow grace on þis grounde · goode men to worþe
W8.62 (KD8.62)ANd þus I wente wide-wher · walkyng myn one
W8.63 (KD8.63) By a wilde wildernesse · and by a wodes side
W8.64 (KD8.64) Blisse of þe briddes · brouȝte me aslepe           291(n)
W8.65 (KD8.65) And vnder a lynde vp-on a launde · lened I a stounde
W8.66 (KD8.66) To lyþe þe layes · þo louely foweles made
W8.67 (KD8.67) Murþe of hire mouþes · made me þer to slepe           292(n)
W8.68 (KD8.68) The merueillouseste metels · mette me þanne
W8.69 (KD8.69) That euer dremed wiȝt · in world as I wene
W8.70 (KD8.70)¶ A muche man as me þouȝte · and lik to my-selue
W8.71 (KD8.71) Cam and called me · by my kynde name

W8.72 (KD8.72)¶ What artow quod I þo · þat þow my name knowest

W8.73 (KD8.73)¶ That þow woost wel quod he · and no wiȝt bettre

W8.74 (KD8.74)¶ Woot I what þow art · þouȝt seide he þanne
W8.75 (KD8.75) I haue sued þee þis seuen yeer · seye þow me no raþer

W8.76 (KD8.76)¶ Artow þouȝt quod I þoo · þow koudest me wisse
W8.77 (KD8.77) Where þat dowel dwelleþ · and do me þat to knowe

W8.78 (KD8.78)¶ Dowel and dobet · and dobest þe þridde quod he           293(n)
W8.79 (KD8.79) Arn þre faire vertues · and ben noȝt fer to fynde           294(n)
W8.80 (KD8.80-81) Who-so is trewe of his tunge · and of his two handes           295(n)
W8.81 (KD8.82) And þoruȝ his labour · or þoruȝ his land · his liflode wynneþ           296(n)
W8.82 (KD8.83) And is trusty of his tailende · takeþ but his owene           297(n)
W8.83 (KD8.84) And is noȝt dronkelewe ne dedeynous · dowel hym folweþ           298(n)

W8.84 (KD8.85)¶ Dobet dooþ riȝt þus · ac he dooþ muche moore
W8.85 (KD8.86) He is as lowe as a lomb · and louelich of speche           299(n)

W8.86 (KD8.87)¶ And helpeþ alle men · after þat hem nedeþ
W8.87 (KD8.88) The bagges and þe bigirdles · he haþ to-broke hem alle
W8.88 (KD8.89) That þe Erl Auarous · heeld and hise heires
W8.89 (KD8.90) And þus wiþ Mammonaes moneie · he haþ maad hym frendes
W8.90 (KD8.91) And is ronne to Religion · and haþ rendred þe bible
W8.91 (KD8.92) And precheþ to þe peple · Seint Poules wordes

W8.92 (KD8.93)Libenter suffertis insipientes · cum sitis ipsi sapientes

W8.93 (KD8.94)¶ And suffreþ þe vnwise · wiþ yow for to libbe           300(n)
W8.94 (KD8.95) And wiþ glad wille dooþ hem good · for so god yow hoteþ

W8.95 (KD8.96)¶ Dobest is aboue boþe · and bereþ a bisshopes crosse
W8.96 (KD8.97) Is hoked on þat oon ende · to halie men fro helle
W8.97 (KD8.98) A pik is on þat potente · to putte adown þe wikked
W8.98 (KD8.99) That waiten any wikkednesse · dowel to tene
W8.99 (KD8.100) And dowel and dobet · amonges hem han ordeyned
W8.100 (KD8.101) To crowne oon to be kyng · to rulen hem boþe
W8.101 (KD8.102) That if dowel or dobet · dide ayein dobest
W8.102 (KD8.104) Thanne shal þe kyng come · and casten hem in Irens
W8.103 (KD8.106) And but if dobest bede for hem · þei to be þer for euere

W8.104 (KD8.107)¶ Thus dowel and dobet · and dobest þe þridde
W8.105 (KD8.108) Crouned oon to be kyng · to kepen hem alle
W8.106 (KD8.109) And to rule þe Reme · by hire þre wittes
W8.107 (KD8.110) And noon ooþer wise · but as þei þre assented

W8.108 (KD8.111)¶ I þonked þoȝt þo · þat he me þus tauȝte
W8.109 (KD8.112-113) Ac yet sauoreþ me noȝt þi seying · I coueite to lerne
W8.110 (KD8.114) How dowel · dobet · and dobest · doon among þe peple

W8.111 (KD8.115)¶ But wit konne wisse þee quod þoȝt · where þo þre dwelle
W8.112 (KD8.116) Ellis woot I noon þat kan · þat now is alyue

W8.113 (KD8.117)¶ Thoȝt and I þus · þre daies we yeden
W8.114 (KD8.118) Disputyng vp-on dowel · day after ooþer
W8.115 (KD8.119) And er we were war · wiþ wit gonne we mete
W8.116 (KD8.120) He was long and lene · lik to noon ooþer
W8.117 (KD8.121) Was no pride on his apparaille · ne pouerte neiþer           301(n)
W8.118 (KD8.122) Sad of his semblaunt · and of softe chere           302(n)
W8.119 (KD8.123) I dorste meue no matere · to maken hym to Iangle
W8.120 (KD8.124) But as I bad þoȝt þoo · be mene bitwene
W8.121 (KD8.125) And pute forþ som purpos · to preuen hise wittes
W8.122 (KD8.126) What was Dowel fro dobet · and dobest from hem boþe

W8.123 (KD8.127)¶ Thanne þoȝt in þat tyme · seide þise wordes
W8.124 (KD8.128) Where dowel · dobet · and dobest ben in londe
W8.125 (KD8.129) Here is wil wolde wite · if wit koude teche hym
W8.126 (KD8.130) And wheiþer he be man or womman · þis man fayn wolde aspie
W8.127 (KD8.131) And werchen as þei þre wolde · thus is his entente

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