They that live their life thus may loath the time

That ever they were created men, when they shall hence fare.

But old men and hoary, that helpless are in strength,

And women with child, that cannot work, The blind and bedridden, with broken limbs, That take sickness meekly, like lepers and others,

Have as full pardon as the Plowman himself;

For love of their humble hearts our Lord hath them granted

Their penance and their purgatory to have here upon earth.

"Piers," quoth a priest then, "thy pardon must I read,

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For I will construe every clause, and know it in English."

And Piers, at his prayer, the pardon unfoldeth,

And I, behind them both, beheld all the bull.

In two lines it lay, and not a letter more, And was written right thus, in witness of truth:

Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in viam eternam; Qui vero mala, in ignem eternum.1 "Peter!" quoth the priest then, “I can no pardon find,

But 'Do well and have well, and God shall have thy soul;

And do evil and have evil, hope thou none other

But that after thy death-day to hell shalt thou wend!""

And Piers, for pure vexation, pulled it asunder,

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And then he said to them these seemly sayings:

"Si ambulavero in medio umbrae mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.2

I shall cease from my sowing," said Piers, "and work not so hard,

Nor about my livelihood so busy be more! In prayer and in penance my plowing shall be hereafter,

1 And those who did good shalt go into eternal life; but who did evil, into eternal fire. Cf. Matthew, xxv, 46.

2 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, Psalms, xxiii, 4.

And, unless Luke lies, he teacheth us another,

That too busy we should not be, here upon earth,

While we dwell in this world, to make glad the belly.

Ne soliciti sitis, he saith in his gospel, And showeth it by example our souls to guide.

The fowls in the firmament, who feedeth them in winter?

When the frost freezeth, food they require; They have no granary to go to, yet God gives them all."

"What?" quoth the priest to Perkin, "by Peter! as methinketh,

Thou art lettered a little; who taught thee to read?"

"Abstinence the abbess mine A B C me taught,

And Conscience came after and showed me better."

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That have the wealth of this world, and for wise men are held,

To purchase pardon and the Pope's bulls, At the dreadful day of doom, when the dead shall arise

And come all before Christ, and accounts yield

How thou leddest thy life, and his law keptest,

What thou didst day by day, the doom will rehearse;

A pouchful of pardon there, with provincial letters,

Though thou be found in fraternity among the four orders,

And have indulgence doubled, unless Dowell thee help,

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I would not give for thy pardon one pie-heel! Therefore I counsel all Christians to cry

Christ mercy,

And Mary his mother to be their intercessor,
That God give us grace, ere we go hence,
Such works to work, while we are here,
That after our death-day, Do-well rehearse,
At the day of doom, that we did as he us
told.

Explicit hic Visio Willelmi de Petro de
Ploughman.

4 What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, Matthew, xviii, 18.

THE TALE OF FLORENT1

(Confessio Amantis, bk. 1, l. 1407)
THER was whilom be daies olde
A worthi knyht, and as men tolde
He was nevoeu to themperour
And of his court a courteour:
Wifles he was, Florent he hihte ;
He was a man that mochel myhte;2
Of armes he was desirous,
Chivalerous and amorous;
And for the fame of worldes speche,
Strange aventures forto seche,
He rod the Marches al aboute.
And fell a time, as he was oute,
Fortune, which may every thred
Tobreke and knette of mannes sped,
Schop, as this knyht rod in a pas,
That he be strengthe take was,
And to a castell thei him ladde,
Wher that he fewe frendes hadde:
For so it fell that ilke stounde
That he hath with a dedly wounde
Feihtende his oghue hondes slain
Branchus, which to the Capitain
Was sone and heir, wherof ben wrothe
The fader and the moder bothe.
That knyht Branchus was of his hond
The worthieste of al his lond,

And fain thei wolden do vengance
Upon Florent; bot remembrance
That thei toke of his worthinesse
Of knyhthod and of gentilesse,
And how he stod of cousinage
To themperour, made bem assuage,
And dorsten noght slen him for fere:
In gret desputeisoun thei were
Among hemself, what was the beste.
Ther was a lady, the slyheste
Of alle that men knewe tho,
So old sche myhte unethes go,"

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And was grantdame unto the dede : 8
And sche with that began to rede,
And seide how sche wol bringe him inne,
That sche schal him to dethe winne
Al only of his oghne grant,
Thurgh strengthe of verray covenant
Withoute blame of eny wiht.
Anon sche sende for this kniht,
And of hire sone sche alleide
The deth, and thus to him sche seide:
'Florent, how so thou be to wyte 10
Of Branchus deth, men schal respite
As now to take vengement,
Be so thou stonde in juggement
Upon certein condicioun,
That thou unto a questioun
Which I schal axe schalt ansuere ;
And over this thou schalt ek swere,
That if thou of the sothe faile,
Ther schal non other thing availe,
That thou ne schalt thi deth receive.
And for men schal the noght deceive,
That thou therof myht ben advised,
Thou schalt have day and tyme assised
And leve saufly forto wende,

Be so that at thi daies ende
Thou come ayein with thin avys.'

This knyht, which worthi was and wys,
This lady preith that he may wite,
And have it under seales write,
What questioun it scholde be

For which he schal in that degree
Stonde of his lif in jeupartie.
With that sche feigneth compaignie,"
And seith: Florent, on love it hongeth
Al that to myn axinge longeth:
What alle wommen most desire
This wole I axe, and in thempire
Wher as thou hast most knowlechinge
Tak conseil upon this axinge.'

Florent this thing hath undertake,
The day was set, the time take,
Under his seal he wrot his oth,
In such a wise and forth he goth

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8 So old that she was grandam to persons already dead.

5 at a walk.

7 scarcely walk.

• alleged.

10 punish.

11 friendliness.

Home to his emes1 court ayein;
To whom his aventure plein
He tolde, of that him is befalle.
And upon that thei weren alle
The wiseste of the lond asent,2
Bot natheles of on assent
Thei myhte noght acorde plat,
On seide this, an othre that.
After the disposicioun

Of naturel complexioun

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To som womman it is plesance,
That to an other is grevance;
Bot such a thing in special,
Which to hem alle in general
Is most plesant, and most desired
Above alle othre and most conspired,
Such o thing conne thei noght finde
Be constellacion ne kinde:
And thus Florent withoute cure
Mot stonde upon his aventure,
And is al schape unto the lere,*
As in defalte of his answere.
This knyht hath levere forto dye
Than breke his trowthe and forto lye
In place ther as he was swore,
And schapth him gon ayein therfore.
Whan time cam he tok his leve,
That lengere wolde he noght beleve,
And preith his em he be noght wroth,
For that is a point of his oth,

He seith, that noman schal him wreke,
Thogh afterward men hiere speke
That he par aventure deie.

And thus he wente forth his weie
Alone as knyht aventurous,

And in his thoght was curious
To wite what was best to do:

And as he rod al one so,
And cam nyh ther he wolde be,
In a forest under a tre
He syh wher sat a creature,
A lothly wommannysch figure,
That forto speke of fleisch and bon
So foul yit syh he nevere non.
This knyht behield hir redely,
And as he wolde have passed by,
Sche cleped him and bad abide;
And he his horse heved aside,
Tho torneth, and to hire he rod,
And there he hoveth 5 and abod,
To wite what sche wolde mene.
And sche began him to bemene,

1 uncle's. Ger. Oheim.

8 disposition. ⚫ delays.

2 sent for.

4 prepared for the loss.

And seide: 'Florent be thi name,
Thou hast on honde such a game,
That bot thou be the betre avised,
Thi deth is schapen and devised,
That al the world ne mai the save,
Bot if that thou my conseil have.'

Florent, whan he this tale herde,
Unto this olde wyht answerde
And of hir conseil he hir preide.
And sche ayein to him thus seide:
'Florent, if I for the so schape,
That thou thurgh me thi deth ascape
And take worschipe of thi dede,
What schal I have to my mede?'

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'What thing,' quod he, 'that thou wolt axe.' 'I bidde nevere a betre taxe,' 6

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Quod sche; bot ferst, er thou be sped,
Thou schalt me leve such a wedd, 7
That I wol have thi trowthe in honde
That thou schalt be myn housebonde.'
'Nay,' seith Florent, that may noght be.'
Ryd thanne forth thi wey,' quod sche,
And if thou go withoute red,
Thou schalt be sekerliche ded.'
Florent behihte hire good ynowh
Of lond, of rente, of park, of plowh,
Bot al that compteth sche at noght.
Tho fell this knyht in mochel thoght;
Now goth he forth, now comth ayein,
He wot noght what is best to sein,
And thoghte, as he rode to and fro,
That chese he mot on of the tuo
Or forto take hire to his wif
Or elles forto lese his lif.
Aud thanne he caste his avantage,
That sche was of so gret an age,
That sche mai live bot a while,
And thoghte put hire in an ile,
Wher that noman hire scholde knowe,
Til sche with deth were overthrowe.
And thus this yonge lusti kuyht
Unto this olde lothly wiht

Tho seide: If that non other chance
Mai make my deliverance,
Bot only thilke same speche

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Which, as thou seist, thou schalt me teche,
Have hier myn hond, I schal thee wedde.'
And thus his trowthe he leith to wedde.
With that sche frounceth up the browe:
'This covenant I wol allowe,'
Sche seith: if eny other thing
Bot that thou hast of my techyng

6 I ask no better engagement.

? pledge. Cf. wedlock, i.e. pledged state.

8 wrinkles.

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Fro deth thi body mai respite,
I woll thee of thi trowthe acquite,
And elles be non other weie.
Now herkne me what I schal seie.
Whan thou art come into the place,
Wher now thei maken gret manace
And upon thi comynge abyde,
Thei wole anon the same tide
Oppose 1 thee of thin answere.
I wot thou wolt nothing forbere
Of that thou wenest be thi beste,
And if thou myht so finde reste,
Wel is, for thanne is ther nomore.
And elles this schal be my lore,
That thou schalt seie, upon this molde
That alle wommen lievest wolde
Be soverein of maunes love:
For what womman is so above,

Sche hath, as who seith, al hire wille;
And elles may sche noght fulfille
What thing hir were lievest have.
With this answere thou schalt save
Thiself, and other wise noght.

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And whan thou hast thin ende wroght, 210
Come hier ayein, thou schalt me finde,
And let nothing out of thi minde.'

He goth him forth with hevy chiere,
As he that not in what manere
He mai this worldes joie atteigne:
For if he deie, he hath a peine,
And if he live, he mot him binde
To such on which of alle kinde
Of wommen is thunsem lieste:

Thus wot he noght what is the beste:
Bot be him lief or be him loth,
Unto the castell forth he goth
His full answere for to yive,
Or forto deie or forto live.

Forth with his conseil cam the lord,
The thinges stoden of record,
He sende up for the lady sone,

And forth sche cam, that olde mone.2
In presence of the remenant

The strengthe of al the covenant

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That he schal for the dom final
Yive his answere in special

Of that sche hadde him ferst opposed:
And thanne he hath trewly supposed
That he him may of nothing yelpe,*
Bot if so be tho wordes helpe

Whiche as the womman hath him tawht;
Wherof he hath an hope cawht
That he schal ben excused so,
And toide out plein his wille tho.
And whan that this matrone herde
The manere how this knyht ansuerde,
Sche seide: Ha treson, wo thee be,
That hast thus told the privite
Which alle wommen most desire !
I wolde that thou were afire.'
Bot natheles in such a plit
Florent of his answere is quit.
And tho began his sorwe newe,
For he mot gon, or ben untrewe,
To hire which his trowthe hadde.
Bot he, which alle schame dradde,
Goth forth in stede of his penance,
And takth the fortune of his chance,
As he that was with trowthe affaited.5

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This olde wyht him hath awaited In place wher as he hire lefte: Florent his wofull heved uplefte And syh this vecke wher sche sat, Which was the lothlieste what 8 That evere man caste on his yhe: Hire nase bass, hire browes hyhe, Hire yhen smale and depe set, Hire chekes ben with teres wet, And rivelen 10 as an emty skyn Hangende doun unto the chin; Hire lippes schrunken ben for age, Ther was no grace in the visage, Hir front was nargh,11 hir lockes hore, Sche loketh forth as doth a More, 12 Hire necke is schort, hir schuldres courbe,18 That myhte a mannes lust destourbe, Hire body gret and nothing smal, And schortly to descrive hire al, Sche hath no lith 14 withoute a lak; Bot lich unto the wollesak Sche proferth hire unto this knyht, And bad him, as he hath behyht, So as sche hath ben his warant, That he hire holde covenant, And be the bridel sche him seseth. Bot Godd wot how that sche him pleseth

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