Piers Plowman Electronic Archive

Piers Plowman Electronic Archive

Cambridge MS B.15.17 (W)

Passus 8

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Passus viijus de visione & primus de Dowel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

W8.59 I bikenne þee crist quod he · þat on cros deyde

fol.46r

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

W8.72 What artow quod I þo · þat þow my name knowest

W8.73 That þow woost wel quod he · and no wiȝt bettre

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

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

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

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

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

W8.92 Libenter suffertis insipientes · cum sitis ipsi sapientes

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

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

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

W8.108 I þonked þoȝt þo · þat he me þus tauȝte
W8.109 Ac yet sauoreþ me noȝt þi seying · I coueite to lerne
W8.110 How dowel · dobet · and dobest · doon among þe peple

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

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

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

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