# Piers Ploughman (Wright)/Passus 3

Passus Tertius de Visione, ut supra.
ow is Mede the mayde, 1356
And na-mo of hem alle, With bedeles and with baillies Brought bifore the kyng.
The kyng called a clerk, 1360 Kan I noght his name, To take Mede the maide And maken hire at ese. "I shal assayen hire myself, And soothliche appose, What man of this moolde That hire were levest. And if she werche bi wit, And my wil folwe, I wol forgyven hire this gilt, 1370 So me God helpe!"
Curteisly the clerk thanne, As the kyng highte, Took Mede bi the myddel And broghte hire into chambre; And ther was murthe and mynstralcie, Mede to plese.
They that wonyeth in Westmynstre Worshipeth hire alle, 1380 Gentilliche with joye;​ The justices somme Busked hem to the bour Ther the burde dwellede, To conforten hire kyndely, By clergies leve; And seiden, "Mourne noght, Mede, Ne make thow no sorwe; For we wol wisse the kyng, And thi wey shape, 1390 To be wedded at thi wille, And wher thee leef liketh, For al Consciences cast Or craft, as I trowe."
Mildely Mede thanne Merciede hem alle Of hire grete goodnesse, And gaf hem echone Coupes of clene gold, And coppes of silver, 1400 Rynges with rubies, And richesses manye; The leeste man of hire meynee A moton of golde. Than laughte thei leve Thise lordes at Mede.
With that comen clerkes To conforten hire the same, And beden hire be blithe; "For we beth thyne owene, 1410 For to werche thi wille, The while thow myght laste."
Hendiliche heo thanne Bi-highte hem the same, To loven hem lelly,​ And lordes to make, And in the consistorie at the court Do callen hire names; "Shal no lewednesse lette The leode that I lovye, 1420 That he ne worth first avaunced; For I am bi-knowen, There konnynge clerkes Shul clokke bi-hynde."
Thanne cam ther a confessour, Coped as a frere; To Mede the mayde He meved thise wordes, And seide ful softely, In shrift as it were, 1430 "Theigh lewed men and lered men Hadde leyen by thee bothe, And Falsnesse hadde y-folwed thee Alle thise fifty wynter, I shal assoille thee myself For a seem of whete, And also be thi bedeman, And bere wel thi message Amonges knyghtes and clerkes, Conscience to torne." 1440
Thanne Mede for hire mysdedes To that man kneled, And shrof hire of hire sherewednesse, Shamelees, I trowe; Tolde hym a tale, And took hym a noble, For to ben hire bedeman And hire brocour als. ​ Thanne he assoiled hire soone, And sithen he seide, 1450 "We have a wyndow in werchynge Wole sitten us ful hye, Woldestow glaze that gable And grave therinne thy name, Syker sholde thi soule be Hevene to have."
"Wiste I that," quod that womman, "I wolde noght spare For to be youre frend, frere, And faile yow nevere, 1460 While ye love lordes That lecherie haunten, And lakketh noght ladies That loven wel the same. It is freletee of flesshe, Ye fynden it in bokes, And a cours of kynde Wherof we comen alle. Who may scape sclaundre, The scathe is soone amended; 1470 It is synne of the sevene Sonnest relessed.
"Have mercy," quod Mede, "Of men that it haunteth, And I shal covere youre kirk, Youre cloistre do maken, Wowes do whiten, And wyndowes glazen, Do peynten and portraye, And paie for the makynge, 1480 That every segge shal seye I am suster of youre house." ​ Ac God to alle good folk Swich gravynge defendeth, To writen in wyndowes Of hir wel dedes, An aventure pride be peynted there, And pomp of the world; For Crist knoweth thi conscience, And thi kynde wille, 1490 And thi cost and thi coveitise, And who the catel oughte.
For-thi I lere yow, lordes, Leveth swiche werkes; To writen in wyndowes Of youre wel dedes, Or to greden after Goddes men Whan ye dele doles, On aventure ye have youre hire here, And youre hevene als. 1500 Nesciat sinistra quid faciat dextra.
Lat noght thi left half Late ne rathe Wite what thow werchest With thi right syde; For thus by the gospel Goode men doon hir almesse.
Maires and maceres, That menes ben bitwene The kyng and the comune 1510 To kepe the lawes, To punysshe on pillories And pynynge-stooles, Brewesters and baksters, Bochiers and cokes, For thise are men on this molde That moost harm wercheth​ To the povere peple That percel-mele buggen; For thei enpoisone the peple 1520 Pryveliche and ofte, Thei richen thorugh regratrie, And rentes hem biggen, With that the povere peple Sholde putte in hire wombe. For toke thei on trewely, Thei tymbred nought so heighe, Ne boughte none burgages, Be ye ful certeyne.
Ac Mede the mayde 1530 The mair hath bi-sought Of alle swiche selleris Silver to take, Or presentz withouten pens, As pieces of silver, Rynges or oother richesse, The regratiers to mayntene; "For my love," quod that lady, "Love hem echone, And suffre hem to selle 1540 Som del ayeins reson."
Salomon the sage A sermon he made, For to amenden maires And men that kepen lawes; And tolde hem this teme, That I telle thynke, Ignis devorabit tabernacula eorum qui libenter accipiunt munera, etc. 1550
Among thise lettrede leodes​ This Latyn is to mene, That fir shal falle and brenne Al to bloo askes The houses and homes Of hem that desireth Yiftes or yeres-yeves By cause of hire offices.
The kyng fro the conseil cam, And called after Mede, 1560 And of sente hire as swithe With sergeauntz manye, And broughte hire to boure With blisse and with joye.
Curteisly the kyng thanne Comsed to telle, To Mede the mayde He meveth thise wordes, "Unwittily, womman, Wroght hastow ofte, 1570 Ac worse wroghtestow nevere Than tho thow Fals toke. But I forgyve thee that gilt, And graunte thee my grace; Hennes to thi deeth day Do so na-moore.
"I have a knyght Conscience, Cam late fro biyonde; If he wilneth thee to wif, Wiltow hym have?" 1580
"Ye, lord," quod that lady, "Lord forbede it ellis! But I be holly at youre heste, Lat hange me soone." ​ And thanne was Conscience called To come and appere Bifore the kyng and his conseil, As clerkes and othere.
Knelynge Conscience To the kyng louted, 1590 To wite what his wille were, And what he do wolde.
"Woltow wedde this womman," quod the kyng, "If I wole assente? For she is fayn of thi felaweshipe, For to be thi make."
Quod Conscience to the kyng, "Crist it me forbede! Er I wedde swich a wif, Wo me bitide! 1600 For she is frele of hire feith, Fikel of hire speche, And maketh men mysdo Many score tymes; Trust of hire tresor Bitrayeth ful manye.
"Wyves and widewes Wantonnes she techeth, And lereth hem lecherie That loveth hire giftes. 1610 Youre fader she felled Thorugh false biheste, And hath enpoisoned popes, And peired holy chirche. Is noght a bettre baude, By hym that me made! Bitwene hevene and helle, In erthe though men soughte. For she is tikel of hire tail,​ And tale-wis of hire tonge; 1620 As commune as a cartwey To ech a knave that walketh, To monkes, to mynstrales, To meseles in hegges.
"Sisours and somonours, Swiche men hire preiseth; Sherreves of shires Were shent if she ne were; For she dooth men lese hire lond And hire lif bothe; 1630 She leteth passe prisoners, And paieth for hem ofte, And gyveth the gailers gold And grotes togidres, To unfettre the fals Fle where hym liketh; And taketh the trewe bi the top And tieth hem faste, And hangeth hem for hatrede That harm dide nevere. 1640
"To be corsed in consistorie She counteth noght a bene; For she copeth the commissarie, And coteth hise clerkes. She is assoiled as soone As hireself liketh; And may neigh as muche do In a monthe one, As youre secret seel In sixe score dayes. 1650 For she is pryvee with the pope, Provisours it knoweth; For sire Symonie and hirselve​ Seleth hire bulles.
"She blesseth thise bisshopes, Theigh thei be lewed; Provendreth persones, And preestes maynteneth, To have lemmans and lotebies Alle hire lif daies, 1660 And bryngeth forth barnes Ayein forbode lawes. Ther she is wel with the kyng, Wo is the reaume; For she is favourable to fals, And de-fouleth truthe ofte.
"By Jhesus! with hire jeweles Youre justices she shendeth, And lith ayein the lawe, And letteth hym the gate, 1670 That feith may noght have his forth, Hire floryns go so thikke. She ledeth the lawe as hire list, And love-daies maketh, And doth men lese thorugh hire love, That lawe myghte wynne The maze for a mene man, Though he mote hire evere. Lawe is so lordlich And looth to maken ende, 1680 Withouten presentz or pens She pleseth wel fewe.
"Barons and burgeises She bryngeth in sorwe, And al the comune in care That coveiten lyve in truthe; For clergie and coveitise​ She coupleth togidres. This is the lif of that lady; Now Lord gyve hire sorwe! 1690 And alle that maynteneth hire men, Meschaunce hem bitide! For povere men may have no power To pleyne hem, though thei smerte. Swich a maister is Mede Among men of goode."
Thanne mournede Mede, And mened hire to the kynge To have space to speke, Spede if she myghte. 1700
The kyng graunted hire grace, With a good wille, "Excuse thee, if thow kanst; I kan na-moore seggen. For Conscience accuseth thee, To congeien thee for evere."
"Nay, lord," quod that lady, "Leveth hym the werse, Whan ye witen witterly Wher the wrong liggeth. 1710 Ther that meschief is gret, Mede may helpe. And thow knowest, Conscience, I kam noght to chide Ne deprave thi persone, With a proud herte. Wel thow woost, wernarde, But if thow wolt gabbe, Thow hast hanged on myn half Ellevene tymes, 1720 And also griped my gold,​ Gyve it where thee liked; And whi thow wrathest thee now, Wonder me thynketh. Yet I may as I myghte Menske thee with giftes, And mayntene thi manhode Moore than thow knowest.
"Ac thow hast famed me foule Bifore the kyng here; 1730 For killed I nevere no kyng Ne counseiled therafter, Ne dide as thow demest I do it on the kynge.
"In Normandie was he noght Noyed for my sake; Ac thow thiself soothly Shamedest hym ofte, Crope into a cabane For cold of thi nayles, 1740 Wendest that wynter Wolde han y-lasted evere, And dreddest to be ded For a dym cloude, And hyedest homward For hunger of thi wombe.
"Withouten pité, pilour, Povere men thow robbedest; And bere hire bras at thi bak To Caleis to selle, 1750 Ther I lafte with my lord, His lif for to save. I made his men murye, And mournynge lette; I batred hem on the bak,​ And boldede hire hertes, And dide hem hoppe for hope To have me at wille. Hadde I ben marchal of his men, By Marie of hevene! 1760 I dorste have leyd my lif, And no lasse wedde, He sholde have be lord of that lond In lengthe and in brede, And also kyng of that kith His kyn for to helpe, The leeste brol of his blood A barones piere.
"Cowardly thow, Conscience, Conseiledest hym thennes, 1770 To leven his lordshipe For a litel silver, That is the richeste reaume That reyn over-hoveth.
"It bi-cometh to a kyng That kepeth a reaume, To yeve mede to men, That mekely hym serveth, To aliens and to alle men, To honouren hem with giftes; 1780 Mede maketh hym bi-loved And for a man holden.
"Emperours and erles, And alle manere lordes, For giftes han yonge men To renne and to ryde.
"The pope and alle the prelates Presentz underfongen, And medeth men hemselven​ To mayntene hir lawes. 1790
"Sergeauntz for hire servyce, We seeth wel the sothe, Taken mede of hir maistres, As thei mowe acorde.
"Beggeres for hir biddynge, Bidden men mede.
"Mynstrales for hir myrthe, Mede thei aske.
"The kyng hath mede of his men, To make pees in londe. 1800
"Men that teche children, Craven after mede.
"Preestes that prechen the peple To goode, asken mede, And massepens and hire mete At the meel-tymes.
"Alle kynne craftes men Craven mede for hir prentices.
"Marchauntz and Mede Mote nede go togideres. 1810 No wight, as I wene, Withouten mede may libbe."
Quod the kyng to Conscience, "By Crist! as me thynketh, Mede is well worthi The maistrie to have."
"Nay," quod Conscience to the kyng, And kneled to the erthe, "Ther are two manere of medes, My lord, with youre leve. 1820
"That oon God of his grace Graunteth in his blisse To tho that wel werchen,​ While thei ben here; The prophete precheth therof, And putte it in the Sauter, Domine, quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo?
"Lord, who shal wonye in thi wones, And with thyne holy seintes, 1830 Or resten in thyne holy hilles? This asketh David; And David assoileth it hymself, As the Sauter telleth. Qui ingreditur sine macula et operatur justitiam.
"Tho that entren of o colour, And of one wille, And han y-wroght werkes With right and with reson; 1840 And he that useth noght The lyf of usurie, And enformeth povere men, And pursueth truthe. Qui pecuniam suam non dedit ad usuram, et munera super innoc. etc.
"And alle that helpen the innocent, And holden with the rightfulle, Withouten mede doth hem good, 1850 And the truthe helpeth, Swiche manere men, my lord, Shul have this firste mede Of God at a gret nede, Whan thei gon hennes.
"Ther is another mede mesurelees, That maistres desireth,​ To mayntene mysdoers Mede thei take, And therof seith the Sauter 1860 In a salmes ende, In quorum manibus iniquitates sunt, dextra eorum repleta est muneribus.
"And he that gripeth hir gold, So me God helpe! Shal abien it bittre, Or the book lieth.
"Preestes and persons That plesynge desireth, 1870 That taken mede and moneie For masses that thei syngeth, Taken hire mede here, As Mathew us techeth. Amen, Amen, recipiebant mercede suam.
"That laborers and lowe folk Taken of hire maistres, It is no manere mede, But a mesurable hire. 1880
"In marchaundise is no mede, I may it wel avowe, It is a permutacion apertly, A penyworth for another.
"Ac reddestow nevere Regum? Thow recrayed Mede, Whi the vengeaunce fel On Saul and on his children? God sente to Saul By Samuel the prophete, 1890 That Agag of Amalec,​ And al his peple after, Sholden deye for a dede That doon hadde hire eldres.
"For-thi seide Samuel to Saul, 'God hymself hoteth Thee be buxom at his biddynge, His wil to fulfille; Weend to Amalec with thyn oost, And what thow fyndest there sle it, 1900 Burnes and beestes Bren hem to dethe, Widwes and wyves, Wommen and children, Moebles and un-moebles, And al thow myght fynde, Bren it, bere it noght awey, Be it never so riche, For mede ne for monee, Loke thow destruye it, 1910 Spille it and spare it noght, Thow shalt spede the bettre.'
"And for he coveited hir catel, And the kyng spared, Forbar hym and his beestes bothe, As the Bible witnesseth, Oother wise than he was Warned of the prophete, God seide to Samuel That Saul sholde deye, 1920 And al his seed for that synne Shenfulliche ende. Swich a meschief Mede made Saul the kyng to have, That God hated hym for evere,​ And alle hise heires after.
"The culorum of this cas Kepe I noght to telle, On aventure it noyed men, Noon ende wol I make, 1930 For so is this world went With hem that han power, That who so seith hem sothest Is sonnest y-blamed.
"Conscience knowe this, For kynde wit it me taughte, That Reson shal regne And reaumes governe, And right as Agag hadde, Happe shul somme, 1940 Samuel shal sleen hym, And Saul shal be blamed, And David shal be diademed, And daunten hem alle; And oon cristene kyng Kepen hem alle. Shal na-moore Mede Be maister, as she is nouthe; Ac love and lowenesse And leautee togideres, 1950 Thise shul ben maistres on moolde, Truthe to save.
"And who so trespaseth ayein truthe, Or taketh ayein his wille, Leauté shal don hym lawe, And no lif ellis; Shall no sergeaunt for his service Were a silk howve, Ne no pelure in his cloke​ For pledynge at the barre. 1960 Mede of mysdoeres Maketh manye lordes, And over lordes lawes Ruleth the reaumes.
"Ac kynde love shal come yit, And conscience togideres, And make of lawe a laborer; Swich love shal arise, And swich a pees among the peple, And a perfit truthe, 1970 That Jewes shul wene in hire wit, And wexen wonder glade, That Moyses or Messie Be come into this erthe, And have wonder in hire hertes That men beth so trewe.
"Alle that beren baselarde, Brood swerd or launce, Ax outher hachet, Or any wepene ellis, 1980 Shal be demed to the deeth, But if he do it smythye Into sikel or to sithe, To shaar or to kultour; Conflabunt gladios suos in vomeres, etc.
"Ech man to pleye with a plow, Pykoise or spade, Spynne or sprede donge, Or spille hymself with sleuthe. 1990
"Preestes and persons With Placebo to hunte, And dyngen upon David​ Eche day til eve. Huntynge or haukynge If any of hem use, His boost of his benefice Worth by-nomen hym after. Shal neither kyng ne knyght, Constable ne meire, 2000 Overlede the commune, Ne to the court sompne, Ne putte hem in panel To doon hem plighte hir truthe; But after the dede that is doon Oon doom shal rewarde, Mercy or no mercy, As truthe wole acorde.
"Kynges court and commune court, Consistorie and chapitle, 2010 Al shal be but oon court, And oon baron be justice. Thanne worth Trewe-tonge a tidy man That tened me nevere; Batailles shul none be, Ne no man bere wepene; And what smyth that any smytheth, Be smyte therwith to dethe. Non levabit gens contra gentem gladium, etc. 2020
"And er this fortune falle, Fynde men shul the worste, By sixe sonnes and a shipe, And half a shef of arwes, And the myddel of a moone, Shal make the Jewes to torne, And Sarzynes for that sighte​ Shul synge Gloria in excelsis, etc. For Makometh and Mede Mys-happe shul that tyme, 2030 For melius est bonum nomen quam divitiæ multæ."
Al so wroth as the wynd Weex Mede in a while, "I kan no Latyn," quod she, "Clerkes wite the sothe; Se what Salomon seith In Sapience bokes, That thei that gyven giftes The victorie wynneth, 2040 And moost worshipe hadde therwith As holy writ telleth: Honorem adquiret qui dat munera, etc.
"Leve wel, lady," quod Conscience, "That thi Latyn be trewe; Ac thow art lik a lady That radde a lesson ones, Was omnia probate, And that plesed hire herte; 2050 For that lyne was no lenger At the leves ende. Hadde she loked that oother half, And the leef torned, She sholde have founden fele wordes Folwynge therafter, Quod bonum est tenete; Truthe that text made. And so ferde ye, madame, Ye kouthe na-moore fynde, 2060 Tho ye loked on Sapience​ Sittynge in youre studie. This text that ye han told Were good for lordes; Ac yow fayled a konnynge clerk That kouthe the leef han torned. And if ye seche Sapience eft, Fynde shul ye that folweth, A ful teneful text To hem that taketh mede; 2070 And that is animam autem aufert accipientium, etc., And that is the tail of the text; Of that that she shewed, That theigh we wynne worshipe, And with mede have victorie, The soule that the sonde taketh By so muche is bounde." 2078