<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=538527" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Vision Of Piers Plowman - Part 03</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now is Mede the mayde and no mo of hem alle, <br>With bedeles and baillies brought bifore the Kyng. <br>The Kyng called a clerk - l kan noght his name - <br>To take Mede the maide and maken hire at ese. <br>I shal assayen hire myself and soothliche appose <br>What man of this world that hire were levest. <br>And if she werche bi wit and my wil folwe <br>I wol forgyven hire this gilt, so me God helpe!' <br>Curteisly the clerk thanne, as the Kyng highte, <br>Took Mede bi the myddel and broghte hire into chambre. <br>Ac ther was murthe and mynstralcie Mede to plese; <br>That wonyeth at Westmynstre worshipeth hire alle. <br>Gentilliche with joye the justices somme <br>Busked hem to the bour ther the burde dwellede, <br>Conforted hyre kyndely by Clergies leve, <br>And seiden, ' Mourne noght, Mede, ne make thow no sorwe, <br>For we wol wisse the Kyng and thi wey shape <br>To be wedded at thi wille and wher thee leef liketh <br>For al Conscienees cast or craft, as I trowe.' <br>Mildely Mede thanne merciede hem alle </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of hire grete goodnesse - and gaf hem echone <br>Coupes of clene gold and coppes of silver, <br>Rynges with rubies and richesses manye, <br>The Ieeste man of hire meynee a moton of golde. <br>Thanne laughte thei leve thise lordes at Mede. <br>With that comenclerkes to conforten hire the same, <br>And beden hire be blithe - 'For we beth thyne owene <br>For to werche thi wille the while thow myght laste.' <br>Hendiliche heo thanne bihighte hem the same - <br>To loven hem lelly and lordes to make, <br>And in the consistorie at the court do callen hire names. <br>' Shal no lewednesse lette the clerke that I lovye, <br>That he ne worth first avaunced for I am biknowen <br>Ther konnynge clerkes shul clokke bihynde.' <br>Thanne cam ther a confessour coped as a frere; <br>To Mede the mayde [mekeliche he loutede] <br>And seide ful softely, in shrift as it were, <br>'Theigh lewed men and lered men hadde leyen by thee bothe. <br>And Falshede hadde yfolwed thee alle thise fifty wynter, <br>I shal assoille thee myself for a seem of whete, <br>And also be thi bedeman, and bere wel thyn er[ende], <br>Amonges knyghtes and clerkes, Conscience to torne. <br>Thanne Mede for hire mysdedes to that man kneled, <br>And shrof hire of hire sherewednesse - shamelees, I trowe; <br>Tolde hym a tale and took hym a noble <br>For to ben hire bedeman and hire brocour als. <br>Thanne he assoiled hire soone and sithen he seide, <br>' We have a wyndow in werchynge, wole stonden us ful hye; <br>Woldestow glaze that gable and grave therinne thy name, <br>Sykir sholde thi soule be hevene to have.' <br>' Wiste I that,' quod the womman,-I wolde noght spare <br>For to be youre frend, frere, and faile yow nevere <br>While ye love lordes that lecherie haunten <br>And lakketh noght ladies that loven wel the same. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">It is a freletee of flessh - ye fynden it in bokes - <br>And a cours of kynde. wherof we comen alle. <br>Who may scape the sclaundre, the scathe is soone amended; <br>It is synne of the sevene sonnest relessed. <br>Have mercy,' quod Mede, of men that it haunteth <br>And I shal covere youre kirk, youre cloistre do maken, <br>Wowes do whiten and wyndowes glazen, <br>Do peynten and portraye [who paied] for the makynge, <br>That every segge shall see I am suster of youre house.' <br>Ac God to alle good folk swich gravynge defendeth - <br>To writen in wyndowes of hir wel dedes - <br>An aventure pride be peynted there, and pomp of the world; <br>For God knoweth thi conscience and thi kynde wille, <br>And thi cost and thi coveitise and who the catel oughte. <br>Forthi I lere yow lordes, leveth swiche w[rityng]es - <br>To writen in wyndowes of youre wel dedes <br>Or to greden after Goddes men whan ye [gyve] doles, <br>On aventure ye have youre hire here and youre hevene als. <br>Nesciat sinsitra quid faciat dextra<br>Lat noght thi left half, late ne rathe, <br>Wite what thow werchest with thi right syde - <br>For thus bit the Gospel goode men doon hir almesse. <br>Maires and maceres, that menes ben bitwene <br>The kyng and the comune to kepe the lawes, <br>To punysshe on pillories and on pynynge stooles <br>Brewesters and baksters, bochiers and cokes - <br>For thise are men on this molde that moost harm wercheth <br>To the povere peple that parcelmele buggen. <br>For thei poisone the peple pryveliche and ofte, </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thei richen thorugh regratrie and rentes hem biggen <br>With that the povere peple sholde putte in hire wombe. <br>For toke thei on trewely, thei tymbred nought so heighe, <br>Ne boughte none burgages - be ye ful certeyne! <br>Ac Mede the mayde the mair h[eo] bisought[e] <br>Of alle swiche selleris silver to take, <br>Or presents withouten pens - as pieces of silver, <br>Rynges or oother richesse the regratiers to mayntene. <br>' For my love,' quod that lady, love hem echone, <br>And suffre hem to selle somdel ayeins reson.' <br>Salamon the sage a sermon he made <br>For to amenden maires and men that kepen lawes, <br>And tolde hem this teme that I telle thynke<br>Ignis devorabit tabernacula eorum qui libenter accipiunt munera, &c. <br>Among thise lettrede leodes this Latyn is to mene <br>That fir shall falle and [for]brenne al to bloo askes <br>The houses and the homes of hem that desireth <br>Yiftes or yeresyeves because of hire offices. <br>The Kyng fro counseil cam, and called after Mede, <br>And ofsente hire as swithe with sergeaunts manye <br>That broughte hire to boure with blisse and with joye. <br>Curteisly the Kyng thanne comsed to telle; <br>To Mede the mayde he melleth thise wordes<br>' Unwittily, womman, wroght hastow ofte; <br>Ac worse wroghtest thow nevere than tho thow Fals toke. <br>But I forgyve thee that gilt, and graunte thee my grace; <br>Hennes to thi deeth day do so na moore! <br>I have a knyght, Conscience, cam late fro biyonde; <br>If he wilneth thee to wif, wiltow hym have?' <br>'Ye, Iord,' quod that lady, ' Lord forbede it ellis! <br>But I be holly at youre heste, lat hange me soone!' <br>Thanne was Conscience called to come and appere <br>Bifore the Kyng and his conseil, as clerkes and othere. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Knelynge Conseience to the Kyng louted, <br>To wite what his wille were and what he do sholde. <br>'Woltow wedde this womman,' quod the Kyng, 'if I wole assente? <br>For she is fayn of thi felaweshipe, for to be thi make.' <br>Quod Conscience to the-Kyng, 'Crist it me forbede! <br>Er I wedde swich a wif, wo me bitide! <br>For she is frele of hire feith, fikel of hire speche, <br>And maketh men mysdo many score tymes. <br>In trust of hire tresor she t[en]eth ful manye<br>Wyves and widewes wantounnesse she techeth, <br>And lereth hem lecherie that loveth hire yiftes. <br>Poure fader she felled thorugh false biheste, <br>And hath apoisoned popes and peired Holy Chirche. <br>Is noght a bettre baude, by Hym that me made, <br>Bitwene hevene and helle, in erthe though men soghte! <br>For she is tikel of hire tail, talewis of tonge, <br>As commune as the cartwey to [knaves and to alle] - <br>To monkes, to mynstrales, to meseles in hegges; <br>Sisours and somonours, swiche men hire preiseth, <br>Sherreves of shires were shent if she ne were - <br>For she dooth men lese hire lond and hire lif bothe. <br>She leteth passe prisoners and paieth for hem ofte, <br>And gyveth the gailers gold and grotes togidres <br>To unfettre the Fals - fle where hym liketh; <br>And taketh the trewe bi the top and tieth hym faste, <br>And hangeth hym for hatrede that harm[e]de nevere. <br>'To be cursed in consistorie she counteth noght a russhe <br>For she copeth the commissarie and coteth hise clerkes. <br>She is assoiled as soone as hireself liketh; <br>She may neigh as muche do in a monthe ones <br>As youre secret seel in sixe seore dayes! <br>She is pryvee with the Pope - provisours it knoweth, <br>For Sire Symonie and hirselve seleth hire bulles. <br>She blesseth thise bisshopes, theigh thei be lewed; </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Provendreth persones and preestes she maynteneth <br>To h[old]e lemmans and lotebies alle hire lif daies <br>And bryngen forth barnes ayein forbode lawes. <br>'Ther she is wel with the kyng, wo is the reaume - <br>For she is favorable to Fals and defouleth truthe ofte. <br>By Jesus! with hire jeweles youre justice she shendeth <br>And lith ayein the lawe and letteth hym the gate, <br>That feith may noght have his forth, hire floryns go so thinke. <br>She ledeth the lawe as hire list and lovedaies maketh, <br>And doth men lese thorugh hire love that lawe myghte wynne - <br>The maze for a mene man, though he mote evere! <br>Lawe is so lordlich, and looth to maken ende<br>Withouten presents or pens he pleseth wel fewe. <br>'Barons and burgeises she bryngeth in sorwe, <br>And al the comune in care that coveiten lyve in truthe, <br>For clergie and coveitise she coupleth togidres. <br>This is the lif of that lady - now Lord yyve hire sorwe, <br>And alle that maynteneth hire men, meschaunee hem bitide! <br>For povere men may have no power to pleyne though thei smerte, <br>Swich a maister is Mede among men of goode.' <br>Thanne mournede Mede and mened hire to the Kynge <br>To have space to speke, spede if she myghte. <br>The Kyng graunted hire grace with a good wille<br>'Excuse thee if thow kanst; I kan namoore seggen, <br>For Conscience accuseth thee, to congeien thee for evere.' <br>'Nay, lord,' quod that lady, 'leveth hym the werse <br>Whan ye witen witterly wher the wrong liggeth. <br>Ther that meschief is gret, Mede may helpe. <br>And thow knowest, Conscience, I kam noght to chide, <br>Ne to deprave thi persone with a proud herte. <br>Wel thow woost, wernard, but if thow wolt gabbe, <br>Thow hast hanged on myn half ellevene tymes, <br>And also griped my gold, and gyve it where thee liked. <br>ow wrathest thee now, wonder me thynketh ! </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Yet I may, as I myghte, menske thee with yiftes <br>And mayntene thi manhode moore than thow knowest. <br>'Ac thow hast famed me foule bifore the Kyng here; <br>For killed I nevere no kyng, ne counseiled therafter, <br>Ne dide as thow demest - I do it on the Kynge. <br>In Normandie was he noght noyed for my sake - <br>Ac thow thiself, soothly, shamedest hym ofte<br>Crope into a cabane for cold of thi nayles, <br>Wendest that wynter wolde han ylasted evere, <br>And dreddest to be ded for a dym cloude, <br>And hyedest homward for hunger of thi wombe. <br>Withouten pite, pilour, povere men thow robbedest <br>And bere hire bras at thi bak to Caleis to selle, <br>Ther I lafte with my lord his lif for to save. <br>I made his men murye and mournynge lette; <br>I batred hem on the bak and boldede hire hertes, <br>And dide hem hoppe for hope to have me at wille. <br>Hadde I ben marchal of his men, by Marie of hevene! <br>I dorste have leyd my lif and no lasse wedde, <br>He sholde have be lord of that lond in lengthe and in brede, <br>And also kyng of that kith his kyn for to helpe - <br>The leeste brol of his blood a barones piere! <br>Cowardly thow, Conscience, conseiledest hym thennes - <br>To leven his lordshipe for a litel silver, <br>That is the richeste reaume that reyn overhoveth. <br>'It bicometh to a kyng that kepeth a reaume <br>To yeve [men mede] that mekely hym serveth - <br>To aliens and to alle men, to honouren hem with yiftes; <br>Mede maketh hym biloved and for a man holden. <br>Emperours and erles and alle manere lordes <br>Thorugh yiftes han yonge men to yerne and to ryde. <br>The Pope and alle prelates presents underfongen <br>And medeth men hemselven to mayntene hir lawes, <br>Servaunts for hire servyce, we seeth wel the sothe, <br>Taken mede of hir maistres, as thei mowe acorde. <br>Beggeres for hir biddynge bidden men mede. <br>Mynstrales for hir myrthe mede thei aske. <br>The Kyng hath mede of his men to make pees in londe. <br>Men that [kenne clerkes] craven of hem mede. <br>Preestes that prechen the peple to goode </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Asken mede and massepens and hire mete [also]. <br>Alle kyn crafty men craven mede for hir prentices. <br>Marchaundise and mede mote nede go togideres<br>No wight, es I wene, withouten Mede may libbe! <br>Quod the Kyng to Conscience, 'By Crist, as me thynketh, <br>Mede is worthi the maistrie to have!-<br>'Nay,' quod Conscience to the Kyng and kneled to the erthe, <br>'Ther are two manere of medes, my Iord, by youre leve. <br>That oon God of his grace graunteth in his blisse <br>To tho that wel werchen while thei ben here. <br>The Prophete precheth therof and putte it in the Sauter<br>Domine, quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo? <br>Lord, who shal wonye in thi wones with thyne holy seintes <br>Or resten in thyne holy hilles? - This asketh David. <br>And David assoileth it hymself, as the Sauter telleth<br>Qui ingreditur sine macula et operatur iusticiam. <br>Tho that entren of o colour and of one wille, <br>And han ywroght werkes with right and with reson, <br>And he that useth noght the lyf of usurie <br>And enformeth povere men and pursueth truthe<br>Qui pecuniam suam non dedit ad usuram, et munera super innocentem &c. <br>And alle that helpen the innocent and holden with the rightfulle, <br>Withouten mede doth hem good and the truthe helpeth - <br>Swiche manere men, my lord, shul have this firste mede <br>Of God at a gret nede, whan thei gon hennes. <br>'Ther is another mede mesurelees, that maistres desireth<br>To mayntene mysdoers mede thei take, <br>And therof seith the Sauter in a salmes ende - <br>In quorum manibus iniquitates sunt; dextra eorum repleta est muneribus<br>And he that gripeth hir gold, so me God helpe, </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Shal abien it bittre, or the Book lieth! <br>Preestes and persons that plesynge desireth, <br>That taken mede and moneie for masses that thei syngeth, <br>Taken hire mede here as Mathew us techeth<br>Amen, amen, receperunt mercedem suam. <br>That laborers and lewede [leodes] taken of hire maistres, <br>It is no manere mede but a mesurable hire. <br>In marchaundise is no mede, I may it wel avowe<br>It is a permutacion apertly - a penyworth for another. <br>'Ac reddestow nevere Regum, thow recrayed Mede, <br>Whi the vengeaunce fel on Saul and on his children? <br>God sente to Saul by Samuel the prophete <br>That Agag of Amalec and al his peple after <br>Sholden deye for a dede that doon hadde hire eldres. <br>'Forthi,' seide Samuel to Saul, 'God hymself hoteth thee <br>To be buxom at his biddynge, his wil to fulfille. <br>Weend to Amalec with thyn oost, and what thow fyndest there - sle it<br>Burnes and beestes - bren hem to dethe! <br>Widwes and wyves, wommen and children, <br>Moebles and unmoebles, and al thow myght fynde - <br>Bren it, bere it noght awey, be it never so riche; <br>For mede ne for monee, loke thow destruye it! <br>Spille it and spare it noght - thow shalt spede the bettre.'' <br>And for he coveited hir catel and the kyng spared, <br>Forbar hym and his beestes bothe as the Bible witnesseth <br>Otherwise than he was warned of the prophete, <br>God seide to Samuel that Saul sholde deye, <br>And al his seed for that synne shenfulliche ende. <br>Swich a meschief Mede made the kyng to have <br>That God hated hym for evere and alle his heires after. <br>'The culorum of this cas kepe I noght to shewe; <br>On aventure it noyed me, noon ende wol I make, <br>For so is this world went with hem that han power </div><div style="margin:10px 0">That whoso seith hem sothest is sonnest yblamed! <br>'I, Conseience, knowe this, for Kynde Wit it me taughte - <br>That Reson shal regne and reaumes governe, <br>And right as Agag hadde, happe shul somme<br>Samuel shal sleen hym and Saul shal be blamed, <br>And David shal be diademed and daunten hem alle, <br>And oon Cristene kyng kepen [us] echone. <br>Shal na moore Mede be maister as she is nouthe, <br>Ac love and lowenesse and leautee togideres - <br>Thise shul ben raaistres on moolde [trewe men] to save. <br>And whoso trespaseth ayein truthe or taketh ayein his wille, <br>Leaute shal don hym lawe, and no lif ellis. <br>Shal no sergeant for his service were a sik howve, <br>Ne no pelure in his [paviloun] for pledynge at the barre. <br>' Mede of mysdoeres maketh manye lordes, <br>And over lordes Iawes [led]eth the reaumes. <br>Ac kynde love shal come yit and Conscience togideres <br>And make of lawe a laborer; swich love shal arise <br>And swich pees among the peple and a parfit truthe <br>That Jewes shul wene in hire wit, and wexen wonder glade, <br>That Moyses or Messie be come into this erthe, <br>And have wonder in hire hertes that men beth so trewe. <br>'Alle that beren baselard, brood swerd or launce, <br>Ax outher hachet or any wepene ellis, <br>Shal be demed to the deeth but if he do it smythye <br>into sikel or to sithe, to shaar or to kultour - <br>Conflabunt gladios suos in vomeres, &c - <br>Ech man to pleye with a plow, pykoise or spade, <br>Spynne, or sprede donge, or spille hymself with sleuthe; <br>Preestes and persons with Plucebo to hunte, <br>And dyngen upon David eche day til eve. <br>Huntynge or haukyng if any of hem use, <br>His boost of his benefice worth bynomen hym after. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Shal neither kyng ne knyght, constable ne meire <br>Over[carke] the commune ne to the court sompne, <br>Ne putte hem in panel to doon hem plighte hir truthe; <br>But after the dede that is doon oon doom shal rewarde <br>Mercy or no mercy as Truthe [moste] acorde. <br>' Kynges court and commune court, consistorie and chapitle - <br>Al shal be but oon court, and oon b[ur]n be justice<br>That worth Trewe-tonge, a tidy man that tened me nevere. <br>Batailles shul none be, ne no man bere wepene, <br>And what smyth that any smytheth be smyte therwith to dethe! <br>Non levabit gens contra gentem gladium &c. <br>'And er this fortune falle, fynde men shul the worste, <br>By sixe sonnes and a ship and half a shef of arwes; <br>And the myddel of a moone shal make the Jewes torne, <br>And Sarsynes for that sighte shul synge Gloria in excelsis &c - <br>For Makometh and Mede myshappe shul that tyme; <br>For Melius est bonum nomen quam divicie multe.' <br>Also wroth as the wynd weex Mede in a while. <br>' I kan no Latyn?' quod she. 'Clerkes wite the sothe! <br>Se what Salomon seith in Sapience bokes<br>That thei that yyven yiftes the victorie wynneth, <br>And muche worshipe have therwith, as Holy Writ telleth - <br>Honorem adquiret qui dat munera, &c.' <br>' I leve wel, lady,' quod Conscience, 'that thi Latyn be trewe. <br>Ac thow art lik a lady that radde a lesson ones, <br>Was omnia probate, and that plesed hire herte - <br>For that lyne was no lenger at the leves ende. <br>Hadde she loked that other half and the leef torned, <br>She sholde have founden fele wordes folwynge therafter</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Quod bonum est tenete - Truthe that text made. <br>And so [mys]ferde ye, madame - ye kouthe na moore fynde <br>Tho ye loked on Sapience, sittynge in youre studie. <br>This text that ye han told were [tidy] for lordes, <br>Ac yow failed a konnynge clerk that kouthe the leef han torned. <br>And if ye seche Sapience eft, fynde shul ye that folweth. <br>A ful teneful text to hem that taketh mede<br>And that is Animam autem aufert accipientium &c. <br>And that is the tail of the text of that tale ye shewed - <br>That theigh we wynne worshipe and with mede have victorie, <br>The soule that the soude taketh by so muche is bounde.-</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=William+Langland">William Langland</a><div class=q> <img src="https://www.citatepedia.ro/g/32share.png" style="float:left" alt="Share"> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=538527" data-title="The Vision Of Piers Plowman - Part 03 de William Langland" data-description="Now is Mede the mayde and no mo of hem alle, With bedeles and baillies brought bifore the Kyng. The Kyng called a clerk - l kan noght his name - To take Mede the maide and maken hire at ese. I shal assayen hire myself and soothliche appose Wh..."></div> </div> </div>

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