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WILLIAM LANGLAND

PIERS THE PLOUGHMAN

PASSUS IX

fol. 44v

Incipit Passus Nonus.

♫ S y lay & lokede forþ / lowe vp-on þe greene.
I fel in a slumbrynge / & sone to me cam keende.
& nempnyd me by my name / & bad me nemyn hede.
Of þe worchynge of þis world / wit for to take.
& on heyȝ Mounteyn / þat Mydlerd hette.
I was þidir fet forþ / ensamples to knowe
Þoru euery creatures keende / my creatur to loveye.
I sey þe sunne & þe see / & þe sond after.
& bryddis & beestis / by here makes wentyn.
& wyȝlde wlues in wodis / & wondirful foulis.
With flekkede fedres / & fele faire coloures.
Boþe man & his make / ful manye seyȝ y þere.
Boþe pouerte & plente / & eek pees & werre.
Blisse & also bale / y seyȝ þere boþe at oonysatoonys.
& men tooke Meede / & Mercy for-soke
Thanne Resoun shewede me / alle manere beestis.
In etynge & drynkynge / in gendrynge of keende.
& after cours of concepcioun / non took keep of oþir.
Þar was non kow þoru kyȝnde / þat conceyvid hadde.
Þat wolde belwe after bole / ne boor after sowe.
Ne grete hors ne hakeneys / after oþire beestis.
Ne þey medlid not with here makis / save man oone.
 I be-held bryddis also / in busshis þey made nestis.
Was neuere ȝit wyȝe / hadde wit / to wirche þe leeste.
I hadde wondir of whom / & where þe pyȝe lernede.                               [45r]
Stykkis to legge / in lengþe & in breede.
Þere is no wryghte as y wene / can wirche to hire paye.
Ne Masoun to make a Moolde þerto / myche merveyle it were.
 Ȝyt merveylid y moore / of manye oþire bryddis.
Þey heledyn & heddyn / here heggys ful derne.
With Moos / in þe Maryȝs / þat men ne sholde hem fyȝnde.
& feer of oþire fowlys / & for wyȝlde beestys.
Summe tredyn here makys / & on trees breden.
 & brynge forþ here bryddis / al a-bove þe grounde.
& summe blowe bele in bele / & with here breeþ conseyve.
& summe kawkede y tok keep / as pekokys wirche.
 Mychil merveylede me þan / what mayster þey hadde.
& who tawhte hem on trees / to tyȝmbre so hyȝe.
Fram alle beestys / here bryddis to save.
 & after y lookede on þe see / & on þe sterris bryghte.
& manye selkouþis y seyȝ / y may not seyȝ nowþe.
 I seyȝ flowres in þe frythȝ / with ful fayre colourys.
Þat a-mongis þe grene gras / grewe ful soote.
Summe soote & summe sowr / gret selkouþ me þouhte
But of here keende coloures / to carpe were to longe.
 But þat most merveyled me / & made my mood to change.
Þat Resoun took reward / & rewlede alle beestis.
Save man / & his make / manye tymes & ofte.
No resoun rewlyþ hem / & y rebewkyd hym þanne.
& þus sadly to hym / my-seluen y seyȝde.
 I have wondir of þe . quod y  þat Resoun art holde.
Þou makst man & his make / no myschef hem folwe.
 Þan Resoun a-ratid me / & seyde recche þe neuere.
Why y suffre . or not suffre / þou hast not to doone.
A-mende it / þou myght not / but tyȝme y a-byȝde.
Suffrance is a souereyn vertu / & vengable is vengaunce
Suffrance god suffrede / to goomes as y leve.
He myghte a-mende hem in a while / alle þat mys-fonde.
& ȝit he suffreþ / for sum mannys goode / & so is oure bettre.
Holy writ . quod þat weyȝ / wyssheþ men to suffre.
Propter deum  subiecti estote  omni creature.
 Now wille ȝe leere a tale / was told me in towne.
How Frensshe men in France / a-faytyn here childryn.
Beele vertue est suffraunce mal dire est pety vengance.
Bien dire & bien suffre fait lui suffrant a bien venir.                                            [45v]
For-þy  y rede þe Resoun / þou rewle better þy tunge.
& er þou my lyf lakke / looke þyn be to preyse.
For þere is no creature vndir criȝst / can formen hym-selue.
& yf a man myghte / make lakles hym-selue.
Ech man wolde ben lakles / leve þou non oþir.
Ne shalt fyȝnde but fewe / fayn wolde heere.
Of here fowle defawtys / be-fore here face reersed.
Þe witty wyȝsman / wroot wel in þe byble.
De re que te non molestat non certaueris . & in iudicioiniudic io
For be a man fair or foul / It falleþ not hym to lakke.
Þe shap ne þe shafte / þat god shoop hym-selue.
For alle þynges he wrouhte wel / as þe writ wytnessiþ.
Et vidit deus cuntacun[c]ta que fecerat  & erant ualde bona.
God bad ech creature / in his kyȝnde encrese.
& al was to merthe with man / þat most woo þolyeþ
In foondynge of his fleshȝ / & of þe feend boþe.
For man was maad of mater / he may not fro it sterte.
Þat sum-tyme hym but suffre / to folwe his keȝnde.
Catoun a-cordiþ þerto / nemo sine crimine viuit.
Þo cawhte y colour a-non / & cumsede to ben a-shamed.
& y awakede þere-with / & woo was y thanne.
Þat y ne myghte in Metelys / more matere y-knowe.
Þanne chidde y my-selue / & seyde þese woordis.
Now what Dowel ys quod y by dere god y knowe.
& as y keste vp myn eyȝes / oon lokede on me & askede.
What þyng þat Dowel ys / y-wis sire y not y seyde.
 Þan seyde he haddist þou suffred / þo þou on slepe were.
Þou sholdist have knowe it of Clergye / & conseyvid it be resoun.
For Resoun wolde have reersyd þe / ryght as Clergye seyde
Philosophus esses  si tacuisses.
Adam whilis he was heere / he hadde paradyȝs at his wille.
& whan he mamelede on his mete / he menede to knowe.
Þe wisdom of his god / & he was pyt fram blysse.
& ryȝht so ferde Resoun / be þyn rude speche.
Þou lakkedist lordly þyng / þat longyd þe not to done.
He hadde after no lykynge / for to leere þe moore.
& now wil priȝde & presumsyoun / paraunter þe a-peele.
Þat Clergyȝe in þyn cumpanye / nowht coueytyþ eft to sytte.                           [46r]
For shal neuere more no chalangynge ne chidynge / chastyse a man sunnere.
Þan shal needful shame / if he shape hym to a-mende.
For leete a drunke daffe / in a deep dyȝk falle.
& lete hym lygge longe þere / tyl hym lyste to ryȝse.
& þey Resoun rebewke hym / ȝit rekkeþ he neuere.
Of Clergye ne of his conseil / he a-cownteþ not a resshe.
For to betyn hym þanne / it were but pure synne.
But whan neede nemeþ hym vp / for dowhte leest he sterve.
Þanne whot þat drunke daffe / wherfore he is to blame.
 Ȝee seyn sooþ quod y be my sowle / y haue seyȝ þat ofte.
Þere smyt no man so smerte / ne skumfyȝteþ non so sore
As shame dooþ þere he sheweth hym / no man loveþ his felachipe.
Why wyȝsse ȝee me þus . quod y  for y rebewked so Resoun.
Sertys quod he þat ys sooþ / & shoop hym for to walke.
& gan faren on hys weyȝ / & y folwede after.
& prayede hym of his curtesyȝe / to telle me his name.
I am ymagenatyf quod he / ydel am y neuere.
Þowhȝ y sytte be my-selue / in seeknesse or in helthe.
& y have folwid þe in feyþ / fyve & fowrty wynter.
& manye tyme have mevid the / to þynkyn on þyn ende.
& on þyn wyȝlde wantounnesse / þo þow in ȝowthe were.
To a-mende þe in mydde age / a lestlest þy myght fayle after.
& in þyn olde elde / þanþa[t] canst evele suffre.
Ony pouerte or penaunce / or prayerys to byddyn.
Si non in prima vigilia nec in secunda
A-mende þe while þou myght / þou hast be warned ofte.
With seeknesses / & penances / with pouertes & angris.
For with þo bittre baleyse / god beteþ hise chyldryn.
Qvem diligo  castigo.
Al-þeyhȝ þou strike me with goddis staf / with-outyn stykkes sore
It is but merthe to me / to a-mende my sowle.
Why medlyst þe with makyng þan / þou myght bettre go praye.
& bydde for hem þat ȝeve þe breed / for þere be bookis y-nouwe.
To tellyn what ys . dobet / & Dowel . bothe.
& prechoures to preve what it is / of many a peyre freris.
Þan wiste y wel he seyde sooþ / & þouhte me to excuse.
& seyde Catoun confortyd his sone / ful konyngly y wene.                 [46v]
Sum-tyme to solace hym-selue / & sum-tymesadly to stodie.
nterpone[I]nterpone tuis  interdum gaudia curis.
& also of holy men here y / hou þat þey oþir-while.
Pleyedyn þe parfyȝtere to been / in here prayeres after.
Nou if þere where ony wyht / þat wolde me telle.
What were Dowel . & Dobet . & Dobest þe þrydde.
Wolde y neuere do werk / but weendyn to holy chirche.
& þere byddyn my bedis / but whan y eete or slepe.
 See Poulis pistil quod he  he preueþ what ys Dowel.
Ides[F]ides . Spes . Karitas . Maior horum est Karitas.
He seyþ feyþ . hope . & Charite . alle ben goode.
& savyn men sundry tymes / but non sone as charite.
For he doþ wel with-outyn dowte / þat doþ as lewte techiþ.
Þat ys If þat þou be maryed / þou love þy make leelly.
& lyve as lawe wille / þe whilis ȝee lyven bothe.
Also If þou be Relygous / renne þou neuere fram home.
To Rome ne to Roche-madoure / but as þyn rewle tellyþ.
& holde þe vndir obedyence / þat is þe heye wey to hevene.
 & if þou be a Mayde meeke / & þou myghte wel þe contenue.
Seeke þou neuere seynt forthere / for þyn sowle helthe.
For what made Lucifer / to leese þe hyȝe hevene.
Er salomon his sapience / or sampson his strengthe.
Er Ioob al his Ioyȝe / of hise Ientile childryn.
Er Arystotil or virgyle / & ypocraas þe wise.
Er Alysaundre þat al wan / & alengely he endide.
Al was but catel & vn-kende wit / a-cumbred hem alle.
Er Felyce for hire fayrnesse / yt fel hire al to sklaundre.
& Rosemound ryght soo / rewfully she be-sette.
Þe Bewhte of hire body / in badde vse dispendyd.
Of manye swyche may y rede / boþe of men & wommen.
Þat wyse wordys wolde shewe / & wirche þe contrarye.
unt[S]unt homines nequam bene de virtute loquentes.
Þere ben ryche renkys þat do so / þat gadren & sparen.
Paraunter þem þey moost haten / mynystre here goodys.
& þat ys / for þey ofte seen / so fele nedy folkys.
& loveþ hem nouht as god bit / þey lese here owen soule.
God byddis ȝou do þus / date  & dabitur uobis.                                             [47r]
& þerfore catel & vnkynde wit / a-cumbreþ ful manye.
Woo ys hym / þat hem weldiþ / but he hem wel dispende.
cienti[S]cienti bonum & non facienti  uarijs flagellis uapulabit.
Þe book seiþ þat sapyence / swellyþ a mannys sowle.
apiencia[S]apiencia inflat
& also / Rycchesse doþ ryȝt so / but if þe roote be trewe.
But grace ys grate þerfore / þo grevaunces to a-bate.
But grace growyþ / nowher / but a-mongys lowe.
& in men in leele lyvynge / & in lyf-holy.
& þat gaf hem þe holy goost / as þe gospel tellyþ.
piritus[S]piritus ubi vult spirat.
Clergye & kende wit / comeþ of syghte & techynge.
As þe book beriþ wytnesse / to beurnys þat kunne rede.
vod[Q]vod simus loquimur & quod uidimus testamur.
Of quod simus loquimur komeþ clergye / a conynge of hevene.
& of quod vidimus komeþ wit / þoru syghte of oure eyȝes.
 But grace is a gifte of god / & of gret love springiþ.
Ȝit knew neuere clerk hou he comeþ / be kende witys weyes.
escit[N]escit aliquis vnde venit aut quo vadit
But ȝit is Clergye to comende / & kende wit boþe.
& namely Clergye for cristis love / for he knoweth þe roote.
For god wroot to Moyses / þat he sholde wisse þe peple.
Affter þe lettre tellyþ / þe lawe so was to þe Iewis.
What womman was take in a-vowtery / where she ryche or pore.
With stonys she sholde be stryken / & stoned to dethe.
& Cryst of his curtesye / o womman he savede.
For þoruh cristis carectys / þe Iewys knewe hem-selue.
Geltyere a-fore god / & grettere was here synne.
Þan þe womman þat þere stood / & wentyn a-wey for shame.
Þus þoruh clergye þere / confortyd was þe womman.
Holy chirche knoweth wel / þat cristis wrytynge hire savede.
& so ys Clergye gret confort / to creatures þat wille repente.
& also to manshide men / in Mischeef at here nede.
For goddis body myghte not be of breed / with-outyn clergye.
Þe wiche body in forme of breed / ys boote to þe ryghtful.
& deþ / & dampnacioun to hem / þat dyȝen in vn-klennesse.
But cristis carecte confortid hire / & alle þei were coupable.                  [47v]
For þe womman þat þe Iewis brouhte / cryst þouhte to save.
olite[N]olite iudicare  & non Iudicabimini.
Ryght so goddis dere body / but it be worthyly take.
Dampneþ vs at þe day of dome / as dide þe carecte þe Iewis.
 For-þy / y conseile þe for cristis sake / clergye þat þou lovye.
For keende wit . is of his ken / & neer kosynes be boþe.
To oure lord leve þou me / for-þy / love hem y reede.
For boþe been as Mirroures / to a-mende oure defautis
& leederis to lewede men / & for lettryd boþe.
For-þy lakke þou neuere logyk lawe / ne hise leve customys.
Ne countreplete no clerkys / y conseyle þe for euere.
 For as man may not see / þat mysseþ his syghte.
No more can no clerk clergye / but he cacche it in bokis.
& al-þeyhȝ man make bookys / ȝit god is Mayster
& seynt spiryȝt þe saumplarie / to þe man þat wryt yt.
For ryght as wit seruyþ a man / to seen in þe strete.
Ryght so leryþ lettrure / man to knowe resoun.
& as a blynd man in bataile / beriþ wepyn to fyȝte.
& haþ non hap with hax / his enemy to hytte.
No more can a lewid man / but clerkes hym teche.
For al ys kende wit / to be cristnyd & savyd.
Wiche ys coffre of cristis tresor / & clerkys kepe þe keyȝe.
To vnloke it at here lykyng / vnto þe lewid peple.
& graunteþ mercy for mysdedis / yf men wille yt aske.
Buxumly & benygnly / & bydde it / of grace.
Archa dei in þe olde lawe / levites it kepten.
Hadde neuere lewid man leve / to leyn hond þere-onne.
But he were prest or prestis sone / patriarch or prophete.
 Saul for his mys-sacrifyse / sorwe hym by-tydde.
& hise sones also / for þat synne myschevedyn.
& manye mo oþire men / þat weryn none levites.
Þat with archa dei wentyn / with worchepeful reuerencis.
& leyde on hond / & lyfte it vp / & lurn here lyf after.
For-þy  y conseyle alle creatures / no clergye ȝee dispise.
Ne settiþ lyght be here scyence / what so þei do hem-selue.                   [48r]
Tak here wordis at worþ / here wytnesses be trewe.
& medle not meche with hem / to meve hem to wratthe.
Leest Charyte be chased owt / þan ech man choppeth oþir.
olite[N]olite tangere Cristos meos.
Clergyȝe is keye & kepere / vndvnd[ir] cryȝst of hevene.
Whas þere neuere no knyght / but Clergyȝe hym made.
For keende wyt komeþ / of alle kenne syghtys.
Of beestys & of bryddis / of trewþe / & of disseytys.
Lyuerys be-fore vs / leernede bookys to make.
Þe selkowthis þat þey seyȝen / here sones for to teche.
& helde it an heyȝ scyence / here wittys to knowe.
 But þorhȝ here scyencis soþly / was neuere sowle savid.
Ne bowht be here bookys / to blysse ne to Ioyȝe.
For al here kende knowynge / cam of dyuerse syghtys.
Boþe Patriarchis & prophetis / repreven here scyencis.
& seyn he wordhe[re] word[is] ne here scyence / was al but folye.
As to þe Clergyȝe of crist / a-cowntyd it is a trefle.
Sapiencia huius mundi  Stulticia est apud deum.
To Pastores & to poetis / aperede an angil.
& bad hem goon to Bedleem / cristis berthe honowre[to] honowre.
He song a song of solace / wiche was
Ryche men rowhted þoo / þat in here reste weryn.
Whan to shepperdis a sterre shon / a shewere of blysse.
& Clerkis knewen it wel / & kemen with presentis.
& dyde omage & honour / to hym þat was al-myghty.
 Why y have told þis tale / y took ful good heede.
How þou contraryedist Clergye / with þy crabbide wordis.
Þat lewede men / lyghtlokere / þan lettrid men weryn savid.
& Clerkys / þan cleer wittyd men / of þe cristene peple.
& þou seydist soþ of summe / & see an ensample.
Tak two stronge men / & in Temse hem caste.
& looke boþe ben naked / noon be / but as oþyr.
Þat oon can wel swymme / & konynge to dyve.
& þat oþir is lewyd to laboure / for he lerned it neuere.
Wiche trowist þou of hem two / in temse shal drenche.
But he þat nevere dyvede / ne neuere cowhde of swymmyng
For þe swymmere is saaf / yf so hym-selue yt lyke.
& þat oþir man ys in drede to drechedre[n]che / for he dyde neuere swymme.              [48v]
Ryght so quod þe renke / ryght / Resoun shewyþ.
He þat knoweth Clergyȝe / can sunnere a-ryȝse.
Owt of synne to be saf / þey he synne ofte.
If hym lyke & lyste / þanne ony lewede gooky.
For if þe Clerk be konynge / he knoweth what ys synne.
& þorhu contrisyoun & confessioun / confortyd ys his sowle.
As þou seest in þe Sawter / in a spalm it tellethȝ
How Contricyoun ys comendid / for he caste a-wey synne.
Beati quorum remisse sunt iniquitates . & quorum tecta sunt peccata.
Þis vers conforteþ euery clerk / & kenneþ hym fram wanhope.
In wiche þe foule fend / fondeþ a man hardest.
Þere þe lewid man lyþ stylle / & after lewtele[n]te lookeþ.
& haþ no contricyoun ne shryfte / for þere-of / ne can he telle.
But as hise loorys-men lerne hym / so he be-leveþ & troweth.
After his parsoun or parshe prest / parawnter þey be vnkonynge boþe.
Dum cecus ducit cecum
Weel may þatþat [barn] blesse hym / þat sette hym fyrst to skole.
Þat þorhu his lettrure lerned / his lyf is savid & sowle
Dominus pars hereditatis mee / ys a merye versikle
It haþ take fram Tyburne / ten thowsende þeuys.
Þere lewede þevis be lollyd vp / loo  who haþ þe bettre.
 Þe theef þat hadde grace of god / on good fryday to speke.
Was for he ȝeeldid hym to criȝst / & knowleched hym gylty.
& buxum was in meende / his Mercy was to crave.
But þeyhȝ þat þeef hadde hevene / he hadde non heyȝ blysse.
As seynt symound or stevene / þat have disservid yt better.
Ryght as Man ȝeve me / meete a-myddis his halle.
& sytte boordles beggerely / be my-selue on grownde.
I have meete ryght a-nowh / but not so myche worchepe.
As þey þat syttyn at þe table / with þe souereyn of þe place.
So it fareþ be þat feloun / þat on good fryday was savid.
He syt neyþir with Iohan ne Iemes / with Ierom / ne with awstyn.
Ne with Martyres ne confessoures / ne with Maydenys clene.
But be hym-selue as a soleyn / þat seruyd ys in þe halle.
For he þat ys oonys a theef / he is euere after in dawnger.
& as lawe wille lyke / to make hym lyve or dyȝe.
De peccato propiciato / noli esse sine metu.
But for to servyn a seynt / & swich a þeef to-gydres.                                [49r]
It were neyþir resoun ne reyght / to rewarde hem y-lyche.
& ryght as Troianus þe knyght / tylte not in-to helle.
Þat crist hadde hym lyghtly owt / so leve y it be in hevene
For he is in þe lowest in hevene / if oure be-leve trewe[be] trewe.
& wol loosly / he lolleþ þere / be lawe of holy chirche.
Þere þe byble seyþ . Reddite vnicuique iuxta opera sua.
 But why þat oon þeef on þe croos / creaunt gan hym ȝeelde.
Rathere þan þat oþir theef / þou þynkst me to a-pose.
Alle þe Clerkys vndir crist / ne cunne þe skylle telle.
Qvare placuit  quia deus voluit.
And so y seyȝ to the / þat sekyst after þo weyȝes.
& hast y-resoned Reson / with rebewkyng as it were.
& wylnest of wyȝlde bryddys / of here bredyng to knowe.
Why summe lowe[be] lowe & summe on lofte / þy lykynge were to here.
& how þe flowres in þe frythȝ / have so faire hewes.
Wher-of þey kacchen here colour / so cleer & so bryghte.
& of þe stones & þe sterrys / þou stodyest in þyn meende.
How þey may so styken / & shynen fram þe walkene.
 Clergye ne keende wit / knew neuere þe cause.
But keende knoweth þe cause / no creature ellis.
He ys þe Pyes patrone / & pit it in hys ere.
Þat there þe thorn ys thykkest / þere to bygge & brede.
& keende kenneþ þe Pekook / to kawken with his make.
& keende kennede Adam / to knowe hise priue membrys.
& tawhte hym & Eve / to hele hem with leevys.
But lewed men manye tymes / Maystris a-pose.
Why Adam heled not hys mowþ / whan he eet þe appil.
Rathere þan his lykam lowe / þis is a lewid mannys maunde.
Keende knoweth why he dyde so / but no Clerk ellis.
 Of bryddis & of beestys / men be olde tymes.
Ensamples tooken be termes / as tellyn þe Poetys.
How þe fayrest foul / fowlest þey gendren.
& feblest foul of flyght / þat fleeþ or swymmeþ.
Þat ys þe prowhde Pookok / & ryche men he be-tokneþ.
For þe pokok & he be pursued / he may not flee hyȝe.
For trayle of his tayl / ouer-take ys he soone.
& his fleshe ys foul fleshe / & hise feet foule bothe.                      [49v]
& he haþ an vnlovely stevene / & loþly to here.
 Ryght so þe ryche man / if he his rycchesse kepiþ.
& deleþ it not tyl his deþ-day / þe tayl of alle sorwe.
Ryght as þe pennys of þe Pekok / peyneþ hym in fleyng.
So is possessioun peyne to þe ryche / of pens & of noblys.
& to alle hem þat syluer holdiþ / tyl here tayl be plukkyd.
& þeyhȝ þe ryche repente þanne / & be-rewe þe tyme.
Þat euere he gadrede so grete / & gaf þerof so lytyl.
Þeyhȝ he þanne criȝe to crist / with clene wyl y leve.
Ful lytil grace ys grauntyd hym / for god may not hym heere.
 But whan his kareyn ys kowchyd / & in kave beryed.
I leve it flawmeþ foule / þe foolde al a-bowten.
Þat yt envenymeþ þere it lyþ / alle oþire þoru his atter.
 Be þe poo feet ys vndirstonde / as it seyþ in Avenet.
Executoris be þo false frendis / þat fulfylle not his wille.
Al is wrete to bere witnesse / to wirche as he wolde.
Ryght as þe Poete preveþ þe pookok / men pulle hise fedres.
Ryght so is þe ryche man / be-reeft hym fram hise goodis.
 Þe Larke þat is a lasse foul / ys more lovely of stevene.
& wel a-wey of wenge / & swyftere / þan þe pookok.
& of fleshȝ be fele fold / boþe fattere & swettere.
Ryght so / to lowe lyvynge men / þe larke may be lykned.
 For Aristotil þe grete clerk / swiche talis he tellyþ.
Þe larke he lykneþ in his glose / þe leeste foul owte.
& for-soþe of Salomon / no Scripture can telle.
Wheyþir he be saaf / or non / þe soþe telliþ no byble.
But god is so good y hope / þat sytthe he gaf hym wyttis.
To wysshen wyȝen þere-with / þat wyssen vs be saved.
& þe bettre for hise bookis / to bydde for hym we be holde.
Þat god of his grete grace / grawnte his sowle reste.
For lettrid men weryn lewede / ne were loore of bookys.
 Alle þese Clerkys quod y tho þat on crist be-leven
Seyn in here sermonys / þat neyþir Iewys ne sarsyȝnes.
Ne no creature lyȝk to crist / with-outyn cristnyng worþ saved.
 Contra quod ymagenatyf þo & komsede for to lowre.
& seyde vix saluabitur iustus in die Iudicij.
Ergo Saluabitur quod he / & seyde no more latyn.
 Troianus þat trewe knyght / took neuere no cristendom               [50r]
& he is saaf as seyþ þe book / & his soule in blysse.
But þere is fullyng in þe funt / & also in blood shedyng.
& þoru þe holy goost is fullyng / & þat ys ferme be-leve.
Aduenit ignis diuinus non comburens sed illuminans.
But þe knyght trespased neuere / ne tranuersydtran[s]uersyd a-geyn his lawe.
& be-leved as was tawht hym / for he ne knew no bettre.
& if he were wykke he wolde a-mende / & in swich a wille dyȝeþ.
Ne wolde neuere trewe god / but his wil were a-lowed.
& were it worþ . or not worþ / þe beleve ys gret in trewþe.
& an hope hangynge þerin / þerfore meede to have.
For deus dicitur quasi dans vitam eternam suis . id est . fidelibus.
 Et alibi . Si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis non timebo mala quoniam tu mecum es domine.
The glose grawntiþ vpon þat vers / a gret meede of trewþe.
Boþe wit & wysdom quod þat wyȝ / weryn sumtyme a tresor.
To kepe hem fram[wiþ a] comoun / no catelle was bettre.
& myche merthe & manhed / & with þat word he vanshede.

Explicit Passus Nonus.


GO TO PASSUS X

Much of this research is based on my 1974 Berkeley doctoral dissertation, which went into three editions as a published book, The Pilgrim and the Book: A Study of Dante, Langland and Chaucer, https://isbnsearch.org/isbn/0820420905, Bern:Peter Lang, 1992; its Dante sections also published in an Italian edition in De strata francigena XX/1, 2012.

 

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