#  Piers Plowman, Passus VII 

 



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TRUTH hereof heard tell · and to Piers he sent,   
To take him his team · and to till the earth;   
And provided a pardon · *a poena et a culpa*   
For him, and for his heirs · for evermore after.   
And bade him hold him at home · and plow up his fields,   
And all that helped him to plow · to set or to sow,   
Or any other work · that might Piers avail,   
Pardon with Piers Plowman · Truth them hath granted.  
  
Kings and knights · that keep Holy Church   
And rightfully in realms · rule over the people   
Have pardon through purgatory · to pass full lightly,   
With patriarchs and prophets · in paradise to be fellows.  
  
Bishops most blessed · if they be as they should,   
Legists of both the laws · to preach to the lawless,   
And inasmuch as they may · amend all sinners,   
Are peers with the apostles · (this pardon Piers showeth),   
And at the day of doom · at the high dais to sit.  
  
Merchants to the good · had many years,   
But none *a poena et a culpa* · would the pope them grant,   
For they hold not her holy days · as Holy Church teacheth,   
And they swear 'by their souls' · and 'so God must them help'   
Clean against conscience · merchandise to sell.  
  
But under his secret seal · Truth sent them a letter   
That they should buy boldly · what they liked best,   
And afterwards sell again · and save their profits   
Therewith to amend *maisons Dieu* · and miserable folk help;   
To repair rotten roads · where plainly required;   
And to build up bridges · that were broken down;   
Help maidens to marry · or make of them nuns;   
Poor people and prisoners · to find them their food;   
And set scholars to school · or to some other craft;   
Relieve poor religious · and lower their rents --   
'And I shall send you myself · Michael mine archangel,   
That no devil shall you daunt · nor fright you at death,  
  
Piers The Plowman, Passus VII, p. 61

And keep you from despair · if ye will thus work,   
And send your souls safely · to my saints in joy.'  
Then were merchants merry · many wept for joy,   
And praised Piers the Plowman · that provided this bull.   
Men of law less pardon had · that pleaded for Meed;   
For the psalter saveth not them · such as taketh gifts,   
And especially from innocents · that no evil know:

*Super innocentem munera non accipies*.

Pleaders should take much pains · to plead and help such;   
Princes and prelates should · pay for their travail:

*A regibus & principibus erit merces eorum*.

But many justices and jurors · would do more for fees   
Than *pro Dei pietate* · believe thou none other.   
But he that spendeth his speech · and speaketh for the poor   
That is innocent and needy · and no man oppresseth,   
Comforteth them in that case · without coveting gifts,   
And sheweth law for our Lord's love · as it hath learned,   
Shall no devil at his death-day · daunt him with fear   
That his soul is not safe · as witness the psalms:

*Domine, quis habilabit in tabernaculo tuo, etc*.

But to buy water, wind, wit · or fire, the fourth --   
These four the Father of Heaven · made for his fold in common;   
And these be Truth's treasures · true folk to help,   
And Shall never wax nor wane · without God himself.  
Those that pence of poor men · for their pleading take   
Find their pardon full small · at their parting hence,   
When they draw on to die · and indulgences would have.   
Ye legists and lawyers · hold this for the truth,   
That if that I lie · Matthew is to blame,   
For he bade me write this · and this proverb told:

*Quodcumque vultis ut faciant vobis homines, facite eis*.

All living labourers · that live by their hands   
And take the just wages · they honestly earn,   
And live in love and in law · for their lowly hearts   
Have the same absolution · that was sent to Piers.  
Beggars and bidders · are not in the bull,   
Unless the occasion be honest · that makes them to beg.   
He that beggeth or cadgeth · unless he have need   
Is as false as the fiend · and defraudeth the needy;   
He beguileth the giver · all against his will   
For if he wist he were not needy · he would give to another  
  
Piers The Plowman, Passus VII, p. 62

That were more needy than he · so the neediest would be helped.   
Cato teacheth men thus · and the Clerk of the Stories;   
*Cui des, videto* · is Cato's teaching   
And in the stories he teacheth to bestow thine alms well:

*Sit elemosina tua in manu tua, donee studes cui des*.

But Gregory was a good man · and bade give to all   
That asketh for his love that giveth to us all:

*Non eligas cui miserearis, ne forte praetei-eas illum qui meretur accipere.*   
*Quia incertum est pro quo Deo magis placeas*.

For wit ye never who is worthy · but God wot who hath need.   
In him that taketh is the treachery · if treason there be;   
For he that giveth, parteth · and prepareth him to rest,   
But he that beggeth, borroweth · and bringeth himself in debt.   
For beggars borrow evermore · and their bail is God   
To repay those that give to them · with interest added:

*Quare non dedisti pecuniam meam ad mensam,*   
*Ut ego veniens cuin usuris exegissem illam?*

Therefore beg not, ye beggars · unless ye've great need.   
For whoso must buy him bread · the Book beareth witness,   
Hath enough that hath bread enough · though he have naught else.

*Satis dives est, qui non indiget pane*.

Find habit and solace · in reading saints' lines;   
The Book banneth begging · and blameth them thus:

*Junior fui, et jam senui: et non vidi justum derelictum,*   
*nec semen ejus quaerens panem*.

Many of you wed not · the women you go with,   
But like whinnying beasts · mount them and tread them,   
And so bring forth children · that bastards men call.   
If the back or some bone · is broken in youth,   
Ye will exploit that child · for evermore after.   
There is more misshaped people · among all these beggars   
Than of other manner of men · that on this mould move.   
And they that live thus their life · may well loathe the time   
That ever he was born · when he shall hence fare.  
But old men and hoary · without help or strength,   
And all women with child · that can work no more,   
The blind and bedridden · and broken in limb,   
That bear mischief meekly · as lepers and others,   
Have as plenary a pardon · as the plowman himself;   
For love of their lowly hearts · our Lord hath them granted  
  
Piers The Plowman, Passus VII, p. 63

Their penance and purgatory · here on this earth.   
'Piers,' quoth a priest then · 'thy pardon must I read,   
For I will construe each clause · and tell it in English.'  
  
And Piers at his prayer · the pardon unfoldeth,  
And I behind both · beheld all the bull.   
All in two lines it lay · and not a leaf more,   
And was written right thus · in witness of Truth:

*Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam aeternam;*  
*qui vero mala, in ignem aeternum*.

'Peter!' quoth the priest then · 'I can no pardon find   
But "Do well and have well · and God shall have thy soul;   
But do evil and have evil · and after thy death-day   
The Devil have thy soul · hope thou none other."'  
And Piers in vexation · tore it in twain,   
And said: '*Si ambulavero in medio umbrae mortis non timebo mala:*   
*quoniam tu mecum es*.  
I shall cease from my sowing · and swink not so hard,  
Nor about my belly-joy · so busy be more.   
Of prayers and of penance · shall my plow be hereafter,   
And I'll weep when I should sleep · though my wheat-bread fail.   
The prophet his bread ate · in penance and sorrow,   
And by what psalter saith · so did many others;   
Whoso loveth God loyally · can live upon little:

*Fuerunt mihi lacrimae meae panes die ac nocte*.

And, unless Saint Luke lie · he shows by the birds  
We should not be too busy · about the world's bliss.  
*Ne solliciti sitis* · he saith in the gospel,   
And sheweth us by examples · our own selves to guide.   
The fowls in the fields · who feeds them in winter?   
They've no garner to go to · God finds for them all.'  
'What!' quoth priest to Perkin · 'Peter! as methinketh,   
Thou art lettered a little · who learned thee thy book?'  
  
'Abstinence the abbess,' quoth Piers · 'mine A B C taught me,   
And Conscience came after · and taught me much more.'  
  
'Wert thou priest, Piers,' quoth he · 'thou mightest preach where thou wouldest,   
As a divine in divinity · with *dixit insipiens* for theme.'  
  
'Ignorant fool!' quoth Piers · 'little lookest thou on the Bible,  
And the saws of Solomon · seldom thou seest:

*Ejice derisores etjurgia cum eis, ne crescant, etc*.'

Thus the priest and Perkin · opposed one to the other.

Piers The Plowman, Passus VII, p. 64

Through their words I awoke · and looked about   
And saw the sun in the south · set at that time,   
Meatless and moneyless · on Malvern hills   
And musing on this vision · I went on my way.  
Many times this vision · hath made me study  
Of that I saw sleeping · if so it might be;   
And also of Piers Plowman · full pensive in heart;   
And what pardon he had · all the people to comfort,   
And how the priest had impugned it · with just two words.   
I've no savour in soothsaying · I see it oft fail;   
And the canonists and Cato · counsel us not   
To put faith in divining · for *somnia ne cures*.   
But the book of the Bible · clearly bears witness   
How Daniel divined · the dreams of a king,   
That was Nebuchadnezzar · named by the clerks.   
To whom Daniel said: 'Sir King · thy dream betokeneth   
That unknown knights shall come · thy kingdom to cleave;  
Amongst lower lords thy lands · shall be divided.'   
And as Daniel divined · indeed it fell out,   
The king lost his lordship · and lower men had it.   
And Joseph dreamed marvellously · how the moon and sun   
And the eleven stars of heaven · saluted him all.   
Then Jacob judged · of Joseph's dream:   
'*Beaufils*,' then quoth his father · 'for our lack we shall,   
I myself and my sons · seek you in our need.'  
  
As his father said it befell · in Pharaoh's time,  
That Joseph was justice · Egypt to govern;  
It befell as his father told · his friends there him sought.  
And all this maketh me · on this dream to think:  
And how the priest proved · no pardon like Do-well,  
And deemed that good deeds · an indulgence surpassed,  
And biennials and triennials · and letters of bishops.   
And how Do-well at Doomsday · is honourable held,   
Surpassing the pardon · of Saint Peter's church.  
  
Now hath the pope power · to grant the people   
Remission of penance · to pass into Heaven:   
This is our belief · as lettered men teach us:

*Quodeumque ligaveris super terram, erit ligature et in coelis, etc*.

So I believe loyally · (the Lord forbid else!)   
That pardon, penance, and prayers · cause to be saved

Piers The Plowman, Passus VII, p. 65

Souls that have sinned · seven times deadly.   
But to trust to indulgences · truly methinketh,   
Is not so safe for the soul · as it is to do well.  
Therefore I advise all you · the rich on this earth   
That on trust of your treasure · trentals can have,   
Be ye never the bolder · to break the ten laws   
And especially ye, masters · mayors, and judges,   
Who for wise men are held · and have this world's wealth   
To purchase your pardons · and the pope's bulls.   
At the dreadful Doom · when the dead shall arise   
And come all before Christ · their account to yield,   
How thou leddest thy life · and here his laws kept,   
And how thou didst day by day · the doom will declare:   
Then a poke full of pardons · as provincials' letters,   
Though found in the fraternity · of all the friars' orders   
With doublefold indulgence · unless good deeds help you,   
I put your patents and pardons · at one pea-pod's value!   
Therefore I counsel Christians · to cry God mercy,   
And Mary his mother · be our *mediatrix*,   
That God give us grace here · ere that we go hence   
That we may work such works · while we are here   
That after our death-day · Do-well will declare   
At the day of Doom that · we did as he bade.   
   
  
This is the end of the Vision (Passus I-VII of *Piers Plowman*); the Section called "Do-Well, Do Better, Do Best" (Passus VIII to the end) follows; it recounts the dreamer's search for Truth. Passus XVIII, the [Harrowing of Hell is available here](/pages/piers-plowman-passus-xviii); for the rest see the printed edition: William Langland, *The Book Concerning Piers the Plowman*, tr. Donald and Rachel Attwater, ed. Rachel Attwater. London and New York. 1957; printed with the permission of the publisher.