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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=538539" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Vision Of Piers Plowman - Part 17</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">'I am Spes, a spie,' quod he, 'and spire after a knyght <br>That took me a maundement upon the mount of Synay <br>To rule alle reames therewith - l bere the writ here.' <br>'Is it asseled?' I seide. 'May men see thi lettres?' <br>'Nay.' he seide. 'I seke hym that hath the seel to kepe - <br>And that is cros and Cristendom, and Crist theron to honge. <br>And whan it is asseled so, I woot wel the sothe - <br>That Luciferis lordshipe laste shal no lenger!' <br>' Lat se thi lettres,' quod I, 'we myghte the lawe knowe.' <br>He plukkede forth a patente, a pece of an hard roche, <br>Whereon was writen two wordes on this wise yglosed; </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Dilige Deum et proximum tuum - <br>This was the tixte trewely - I took ful good yeme. <br>The glose was gloriously writen with a gilt penne<br>In hiis duobus mandatis tota lex penhet et prophete. <br>' Is here alle thi lordes lawes?' quod I. ' Ye, leve me,' he seide. <br>'And whoso wet cheth after this writ, I wol undertaken, <br>Shal nevere devel hym dere, ne deeth in soule greve. <br>For though I seye it myself, I have saved with this charme <br>Of men and of wommen many score thousand.' <br>' He seith sooth,' seide this heraud, ' I have yfounde it ofte. <br>Lo! here in my lappe that leeved on that charme - <br>Josue and Judith and Judas Macabeus, <br>Ye, and sixti thousand biside forth that ben noght seyen here!' <br>' Youre wordes arn wonderfulle,' quod I tho. ' Which of yow is trewest, <br>And lelest to leve on for lif and for soule? <br>Abraham seith that he seigh hoolly the Trinite, <br>Thre persones in parcelles departable fro oother, <br>And alle thre but o God - thus Abraham me taughte - <br>And hath saved that bileved so and sory for hir synnes, <br>He kan noght siggen the somme, and some arn in his lappe. <br>What neded it thanne a newe lawe to brynge, <br>Sith the firste suffiseth to savacion and to blisse? <br>And now cometh Spes and speketh, that hath aspied the lawe, <br>And telleth noght of the Trinite that took hym hise lettres - <br>To bileeve and lovye in o Lord almyghty, <br>And siththe right as myself so lovye alle peple. <br>'The gorne thit gooth with o staf - he semeth in gretter heele <br>Than he that gooth with two staves, to sighte of us alle. <br>And right so, bi the roode, reson me sheweth <br>It is lighter to lewed men o lesson to knowe <br>Than for to techen hem two, and to hard to lerne the leeste! <br>It is ful hard for any man on Abraham bileve, </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And wel awey worse yit for to love a sherewe. <br>In pace in is lighter to leeve in thre lovely persones <br>Than for to lovye and lene as wel lorels as lele. <br>Go thi gate, 'quod I to Spes; 'so me God helpe, <br>Tho that lernen thi lawe wol litel while usen it!' <br>And as we wenten thus in the wey, wordynge togideres, <br>Thanne seighe we a Samaritan sittynge on a mule, <br>Ridynge ful rapely the righte wey we yeden, <br>Comynge from a contree that men called Jerico - <br>To a justes in Jerusalem he [j]aced awey faste. <br>Bothe the heraud and Hope and he mette atones <br>Where a man was, wounded, and with theves taken. <br>He myghte neither steppe ne stande, ne stere foot ne handes, <br>Ne helpe hymself soothly, for semyvif he semed, <br>And as naked as a nedle, and noon help abouten. <br>Feith hadde first sighte of hym, ac he fleigh aside, <br>And nolde noght neghen hym by nyne londes lengthe. <br>Hope cam hippynge after, that hadde so ybosted <br>How he with Moyses maundement hadde many men yholpe; <br>Ac whan he hadde sighte of that segge, aside he gan hym drawe <br>Dredfully, bi this day, as doke dooth fram the faucon! <br>Ac so soone so the Samaritan hadde sighte of this leode, <br>He lighte adown of lyard and ladde hym in his handes, <br>And to the wye he wente hise woundes to biholde, <br>And parceyved by his pous he was in peril to dye, <br>And but he hadde recoverer the rather, that rise sholde he nevere; <br>And breide to hise boteles, and bothe he atamede. <br>With wyn and with oille hise woundes he wasshed, <br>Enbawmed hym and bond his heed, and in his lappe hym leide, <br>And ladde hym so forth on lyard to Lex Christi, a graunge <br>Wel sixe mile or sevene biside the newe market; <br>Herberwed hym at an hostrie and to the hostiler called, </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And [quod], ' Have, kepe this man, til I come fro the justes, <br>And lo here silver,' he seide, 'for salve to hise woundes.' <br>And he took hym two pens to liflode as it weere, <br>And seide, 'What he [moore spendeth] I make thee good herafter, <br>For I may noght lette,' quod that leode - and lyard he bistrideth, <br>And raped hym to Jerusalemward the righte wey to ryde. <br>Feith folwede after faste, and fondede to mete hym, <br>And Spes spakliche hym spedde, spede if he myghte <br>To overtaken hym and talke to hym er thei to towne coome. <br>And whan I seigh this, I sojourned noght. but shoop me to renne, <br>And suwed that Samaritan that was so ful of pite, <br>And graunted hym to ben his groom. 'Graunt mercy,' he seide, <br>'Ac thi frend and thi felawe,' quod he, 'thow fyndest me at nede.' <br>And I thanked hym tho and siththe I hym tolde <br>How that Feith fleigh awey and Spes his felawe bothe <br>For sighte of the sorweful [segge] that robbed was with theves. <br>' Have hem excused,' quod he, 'hir help may litel availle<br>May no medicyne under molde the man to heele brynge - <br>Neither Feith ne fyn Hope, so festred be hise woundes, <br>Withouten the blood of a barn born of a mayde. <br>And be he bathed in that blood, baptised as it were, <br>And thanne plastred with penaunce and passion of that baby, <br>He sholde stonde and steppe - ac stalworthe worth he nevere <br>Til he have eten al the barn and his blood ydronke. <br>For wente nevere wye in this world thorugh that wildernesse <br>That he ne was robbed or rifled, rood he there or yede, <br>Save Feith and [myselve and] Spes [his felawe], <br>And thiself now and swiche as suwen oure werkes. <br>' For Outlawe is in the wode and under bank lotieth, <br>And may ech man see and good mark take <br>Who is bihynde and who bifore and who ben on horse - </div><div style="margin:10px 0">For he halt hym hardier on horse than he that is a foote. <br>For he seigh me that am Samaritan suwen Feith and his felawe <br>On my capul that highte Caro - of mankynde I took it - <br>He was unhardy, that harlot, and hidde hym in Inferno. <br>Ac er this day thre daies, I dar undertaken <br>That he worth fettred, that feloun, faste with cheynes, <br>And nevere eft greve gome that gooth this ilke gate<br>O Mors ero mors tua . <br>'And thanne shal Feith be forster here and in this fryth walke, <br>And kennen out comune men that knowen noght the contree, <br>Which is the wey I wente, and wher forth to Jerusalem; <br>And Hope the hostilers man shal be ther [an helyng the man lith], <br>And alle that feble and feynte be, that Feith may noght teche, <br>Hope shal lede hem forth with love, as his lettre telleth, <br>And hostele hem and heele thorugh Holy Chirche bileve <br>Til I have salve for alle sike - and thanne shal I returne, <br>And come ayein bi this contree and conforten alle sike <br>That craveth it or coveiteth it and crieth therafter. <br>For the barn was born in Bethleem that with his blood shal save <br>Alle that lyven in Feith and folwen his felawes techynge.' <br>'A, swete sire!' I seide tho, 'wher I shal bileve - <br>As Feith and his felawe enformed me bothe - <br>In thre persones departable that perpetuele were evere, <br>And alle thre but o God? Thus Abraham me taughte; <br>And Hope afterward he bad me to lovye <br>O God with al my good, and alle gomes after, <br>Lovye hem lik myselve - ac Oure Lord aboven alle.' <br>'After Abraham,' quod he, 'tat heraud of armes, <br>Sette faste thi feith and ferme bileve; <br>And as Hope highte thee, I hote that thow lovye <br>Thyn evenecristene everemoore eveneforth with thiselve. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And if conscience carpe therayein, or kynde wit eyther, <br>Or eretikes with arguments - thyn hond thow hem shewe<br>For God is after an hand - yheer now and knowe it. <br>'The Fader was first as a fust with o fynger foldynge, <br>Til hym lovede and liste to unlosen his fynger <br>And profrede it forth as with a pawme to what place it sholde. <br>The pawme is purely the hand, and profreth forth the fyngres, <br>To ministren and to make that myght of hand knoweth; <br>And bitokneth trewely, telle whoso liketh, <br>The Holy Goost of hevene - he is as the pawme. <br>The fyngres that fre ben to folde and to serve <br>Bitoknen soothly the Sone, that sent was til erthe, <br>That touched and tastede at techynge of the pawme <br>Seinte Marie, a mayde, and mankynde laughte<br>Qui conceptus est de spiritu sancto . <br>'The Fader is thanne as a fust with fynger to touche - <br>Quia ''Omnia traham ad me ipsum '' - <br>Al that the pawme parceyveth profitable to feele. <br>Thus are thei alle but oon, as it an hand weere, <br>And thre sondry sightes in oon shewynge. <br>The pawme for he put forth fyngres and the fust bothe, <br>Right so, redily, reson it shewith, <br>How he that is Holy Goost Sire and Sone preveth. <br>And as the hand halt harde and alle thyng faste <br>Thorugh foure fyngres and a thombe forth with the pawme, <br>Right so the Fader and the Sone and Seint Spirit the thridde <br>Halt al the wide world withinne hem thre - <br>Bothe wolkne and the wynd, water and erthe, <br>Hevene and helle and al that ther is inne. <br>Thus it is - nedeth no man to trowe noon oother - <br>That thre thynges bilongeth in Oure Lord of hevene, <br>And aren serelepes by hemself, asondry were thei nevere, </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Namoore than may an hande meve withoute fyngres. <br>'And as my fust is ful hand yfolden togideres, <br>So is the Fader a ful God, formour and shappere - -<br>Tu fabricator omnium - <br>And al the myght myd hym is in makynge of thynges. <br>'The fyngres formen a ful hand to portreye or peynten; <br>Kervynge and compasynge is craft of the fyngres. <br>Right so is the Sone the science of the Fader <br>And ful God as is the Fader, no febler ne no bettre. <br>'The pawme is pureliche the hand, hath power by hymselve <br>Otherwise than the writhen fust, or werkmans ipe of fyngres; <br>For the pawme hath power to putte out the j ntes <br>And to unfolde the fust, for hym it bilongeth, <br>And receyve that the fyngres recheth and refuse bothe <br>Whan he feleth the fust and the fyngres wille. <br>'So is the Holy Goost God, neither gretter ne lasse <br>Than is the Sire or the Sone, and in the same myghte, <br>And alle are thei but o God, as is myn hand and my fyngres, <br>Unfolden or folden, my fust and my pawme - <br>Al is but an hand, howso I turne it. <br>'Ac who is hurte in the hand, evene in the myddes, <br>He may receyve right noght - reson it sheweth; <br>For the fyngres that folde sholde and the fust make, <br>For peyne of the pawme, power hem failleth <br>To clucche or to clawe, to clippe or to holde. <br>'Were the myddel of myn hand ymaymed or ypersshed, <br>I sholde receyve right noght of that I reche myghte; <br>Ac though rny thombe and my fynges bothe were toshullen </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And the myddel of myn hand withoute male ese, <br>In many kynnes maneres I myghte myself helpe <br>Bothe meve and amende, though alle my fyngres oke. <br>'By this skile,' he seide, I se an evidence <br>That whoso synneth in the Seint Spirit, assoilled worth he nevere, <br>Neither here ne elliswhere, as I herde telle - <br>Qui peccat in Spiritum Sanctum - <br>For he priketh God as in the pawme, that peccat in Spiritu[m] Sanctu[m]. <br>For God the Fader is as a fust; the Sone is as a fynger; <br>The Holy Goost of hevene is as it were the pawme. <br>So whoso synneth ayeyns the Seint Spirit, it semeth that he greveth <br>God that he grypeth with, and wolde his grace quenche. <br>'For to a torche or a tapur the Trinite is likned - <br>As wex and a weke were twyned togideres, <br>And thanne a fir flawmynge forth out of bothe. <br>And as wex and weke and warm fir togideres <br>Fostren forth a flawmbe and a fair leye <br>[That serveth thise swynkeres to se by anightes], <br>So dooth the Sire and the Sone and also Spiritus Sanctus <br>Fostren forth amonges folk love and bileve, <br>That alle kynne Cristene clenseth of synnes. <br>And as thow seest som tyme sodeynliche a torche - <br>The blase therof yblowe out, yet brenneth the weke - <br>Withouten leye or light, that [lowe] the macche brenneth; <br>So is the Holy Goost God, and grace withoute mercy <br>To alle unkynde creatures that coveite to destruye <br>Lele love or lif that Oure Lord shapte. <br>'And as glowynge gledes gladeth noght thise werkmen <br>That werchen and waken in wyntres nyghtes, <br>As dooth a kex or a candle that caught hath fir and blaseth, <br>Namoore dooth Sire ne Sone ne Seint Spirit togideres <br>Graunte no grace ne forgifnesse of synnes <br>Til the Holy Goost gynne to glowe and to blase; </div><div style="margin:10px 0">So that the Holy Goost gloweth but as a glede <br>Til that lele love ligge on hym and blowe. <br>And thanne flawmeth he as fir on Fader and on Filius <br>And melteth hire myght into mercy - as men may se in wyntre <br>Ysekeles in evesynges thorugh hete of the sonne <br>Melte in a mynut while to myst and to watre. <br>'So grace of the Holy Goost the greet myght of the Trinite <br>Melteth to mercy - to merciable and to noon othere. <br>And as wex withouten moore on a warm glede <br>Wol brennen and blasen, be thei togideres, <br>And solacen hem that mowe [noght] se, that sitten in derknesse, <br>So wol the Fader foryyve folk of mylde hertes <br>That rufully repenten and restitucion make, <br>In as muche as thei mowen arnenden and paien; <br>And if it suffise noght for assetz, that in swich a wille deyeth, <br>Mercy for his mekenesse wol maken good the remenaunt. <br>And as the weke and fir wol maken a warm flaumbe <br>For to murthen men with that in merke sitten, <br>So wole Crist of his curteisie, and men crye hym mercy, <br>Bothe foryyve and foryete, and yit bidde for us <br>To the Fader of hevene foryifnesse to have. <br>'Ac hewe fir at a flynt foure hundred wynter - <br>But thow have tache to take it with, tonder or broches, <br>Al thi labour is lost and al thi long travaille; <br>For may no fir flaumbe make, faille it his kynde. <br>So is the Holy Goost God and grace withouten mercy <br>To alle unkynde creatures - Crist hymself witnesseth<br>Amen dico vobis, nescio vos . <br>'Be unkynde to thyn evenecristene, and al that thow kanst bidde - <br>Delen and do penaunce day and nyght evere, <br>And purchace al the pardon of Pampilon and Rome, <br>And indulgences ynowe, and be ingratus to thi kynde, <br>The Holy Goest hereth thee neght, ne help may thee by reson; </div><div style="margin:10px 0">For unkyndenesse quencheth hym, that he kan noght shyne, <br>Ne brenne ne blase clere, for blowynge of unkyndenesse. <br>Poul the Apostel preveth wheither I lye<br>Si linguis hominum loquar . <br>' Forthi beth war, ye wise men that with the world deleth, <br>That riche ben and reson knoweth - ruleth wel youre soule; <br>Beth noght unkynde, I conseille yow, to youre evenecristene; <br>For manye of yow riche men, by my soule, men telleth, <br>Ye brenne, but ye blase noght, and that is a blynd bekene! - <br>Non omnis qui dicit Domine, Domine, intrabit . <br>' Dives deyde dampned for his unkyndenesse <br>Of his mete and his moneie to men that it nedede. <br>Ech a riche, I rede, reward at hym take, <br>And gyveth youre good to that God that grace of ariseth. <br>For that ben unkynde to hise. hope I noon oother <br>But thei dwelle ther Dives is dayes withouten ende. <br>'Thus is unkyndenesse the contrarie that quencheth, as it were, <br>The grace of the Holy Goost, Goddes owene kynde. <br>For that kynde dooth, unkynde fordooth - as thise corsede theves, <br>Unkynde Cristene men, for coveitise and envye <br>Sleeth a man for hise moebles, with mouth or with handes. <br>For that the Holy Goost hath to kepe, tho harlotes destruyeth - <br>The which is lif and love, the leye of mannes body. <br>For every manere good man may be likned to a torche, <br>Or ellis to a tapur, to reverence the Trinite; <br>And whoso morthereth a good man, me thynketh, by myn inwit, <br>He fordooth the levest light that Oure Lord lovyeth. <br>'Ac yet in manye mo maneres men offenden the Holy Geost; <br>Ac this is the worste wise that any wight myghte <br>Synnen ayein the Seint Spirit - assenten to destruye <br>For coveitise of any kynnes thyng that Crist deere boughte. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">How myghte he aske mercy, or any mercy hym hel <br>That wikkedliche and wilfulliche wolde mercy aniente? <br>'Innocence is next God, and nyght and day it crieth <br>''Vengeaunce ! Vengeaunce! Foryyve be it nevere <br>That shente us and shedde oure blood - forshapte us, as it semed<br>Vindica sanguinem iustorum .'' <br>Thus '' Vengeaunce, vengeaunce!'' verrey charite asketh; <br>And sith Holy Chirche and charite chargeth this so soore, <br>Leve I nevere that Oure Lord wol love that charite lakketh, <br>Ne have pite for any preiere [that he pleyneth ther].' <br>'I pose I hadde synned so, and sholde now deye, <br>And now am sory that I so the Seint Spirit agulte, <br>Confesse me and crye his grace, God that al made, <br>And myldeliche his mercy aske - myghte I noght be saved?' <br>'Yis,' seide the Samaritan, 'so thow myghte repente <br>That rightwisnesse thorugh repentaunce to ruthe myghte turne. <br>Ac it is but selden yseighe, ther soothnesse bereth witnesse, <br>Any creature be coupable afore a kynges justice, <br>Be raunsoned for his repentaunce ther alle reson hym dampneth. <br>For ther that partie pursueth the peel is so huge <br>That the kyng may do no mercy til bothe men acorde <br>And eyther have equite, as holy writ telleth<br>Numquam dimittitur peccatum . <br>Thus it fareth by swich folk that falsly al hire lyves <br>Yvele lyven and leten noght til lif hem forsake. <br>Drede of desperacion thanne dryveth awey grace, <br>That mercy in hir mynde may noght thanne falle; <br>Good hope, that helpe sholde, to wanhope torneth - </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Noght of the nounpower of God, that he ne is myghtful <br>To amende al that amys is, and his mercy gretter <br>Thanne alle our wikkede werkes, as Holy Writ telleth - <br>Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius - <br>Ac er his rightwisnesse to ruthe torne, som restitucion bihoveth<br>His sorwe is satisfaccion for [swich] that may noght paie. <br>'Thre thynges ther ben that doon a man by strengthe <br>For to fleen his owene hous, as Holy Writ sheweth. <br>That oon is a wikkede wif that wol noght be chastised<br>Hir feere fleeth hire for feere of hir tonge. <br>And if his hous be unhiled, and reyne on his bedde, <br>He seketh and seketh til he slepe drye. <br>And whan smoke and smolder smyt in his sighte, <br>It dooth hym worse than his wif or wete to slepe. <br>For smoke and smolder smerteth hise eighen <br>Til he be bler eighed or blynde and [the borre] in the throte, <br>Cogheth and curseth that Crist gyve hym sorwe <br>That sholde brynge in bettre wode, or blowe it til it brende! <br>'Thise thre that I telle of thus ben to understonde<br>The wif is oure wikked flessh that wol noght be chastised, <br>For kynde clyveth on hym evere to contrarie the soule. <br>And though it falle, it fynt skiles, that '' Frelete it made,'' <br>And ''That is lightly foryyven and foryeten bothe <br>To man that mercy asketh and amende thenketh.'' <br>'The reyn that reyneth ther we reste sholde <br>Ben siknesses and sorwes that we suffren oughte, <br>As Poul the Apostle to the peple taughte<br>Virtus in infirmitate perficitur. <br>And though that men make muche doel in hir angre, <br>And ben inpacient in hir penaunce, pure reson knoweth <br>That thei han cause to contrarie, by kynde of hir siknesse; </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And lightliche Oure Lord at hir lyves ende <br>Hath mercy on swiche men, that so yvele may suffre. <br>'Ac the smoke and the smolder that smyt in oure eighen, <br>That is coveitise and unkyndenesse, that quencheth Goddes mercy. <br>For unkyndenesse is the contrarie of alle kynnes reson; <br>For ther nys sik ne sory, ne noon so muche wrecche <br>That he ne may lovye, and hym like, and lene of his herte <br>Good wille, good word - bothe wisshen and wilnen <br>Alle manere men mercy and foryifnesse, <br>And lovye hem lik hymself, and his lif amende. <br>'I may no lenger lette!' quod he, and lyard he prikede, <br>And wente awey as wynd - and therwith I awakede.</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>
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<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=538539" data-title="The Vision Of Piers Plowman - Part 17 de William Langland" data-description="'I am Spes, a spie,' quod he, 'and spire after a knyght 
That took me a maundement upon the mount of Synay 
To rule alle reames therewith - l bere the writ here.' 
'Is it asseled?' I seide. 'May men see thi lettres?' 
'Nay.' he seide. 'I seke hym ..."></div>
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