The Vision Of Piers Plowman - Part 03 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDDEFGEHDACEIFJKGA LHMEECL CBDML HEHKHEELEFADEMC HHLC DAEEKLLN KDEAEDDDDHKEDLDDDKLE LCOLPBHLL EDBBLDKDEMMADEBDHE D HH EEE EEQDMKDEQEENADKHKEDK EHDDKDDKDE KDDCEKEBKHNow is Mede the mayde and no mo of hem alle | A |
With bedeles and baillies brought bifore the Kyng | B |
The Kyng called a clerk l kan noght his name | C |
To take Mede the maide and maken hire at ese | D |
I shal assayen hire myself and soothliche appose | D |
What man of this world that hire were levest | E |
And if she werche bi wit and my wil folwe | F |
I wol forgyven hire this gilt so me God helpe ' | G |
Curteisly the clerk thanne as the Kyng highte | E |
Took Mede bi the myddel and broghte hire into chambre | H |
Ac ther was murthe and mynstralcie Mede to plese | D |
That wonyeth at Westmynstre worshipeth hire alle | A |
Gentilliche with joye the justices somme | C |
Busked hem to the bour ther the burde dwellede | E |
Conforted hyre kyndely by Clergies leve | I |
And seiden ' Mourne noght Mede ne make thow no sorwe | F |
For we wol wisse the Kyng and thi wey shape | J |
To be wedded at thi wille and wher thee leef liketh | K |
For al Conscienees cast or craft as I trowe ' | G |
Mildely Mede thanne merciede hem alle | A |
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Of hire grete goodnesse and gaf hem echone | L |
Coupes of clene gold and coppes of silver | H |
Rynges with rubies and richesses manye | M |
The Ieeste man of hire meynee a moton of golde | E |
Thanne laughte thei leve thise lordes at Mede | E |
With that comenclerkes to conforten hire the same | C |
And beden hire be blithe 'For we beth thyne owene | L |
For to werche thi wille the while thow myght laste ' | - |
Hendiliche heo thanne bihighte hem the same | C |
To loven hem lelly and lordes to make | B |
And in the consistorie at the court do callen hire names | D |
' Shal no lewednesse lette the clerke that I lovye | M |
That he ne worth first avaunced for I am biknowen | L |
Ther konnynge clerkes shul clokke bihynde ' | - |
Thanne cam ther a confessour coped as a frere | H |
To Mede the mayde mekeliche he loutede | E |
And seide ful softely in shrift as it were | H |
'Theigh lewed men and lered men hadde leyen by thee bothe | K |
And Falshede hadde yfolwed thee alle thise fifty wynter | H |
I shal assoille thee myself for a seem of whete | E |
And also be thi bedeman and bere wel thyn er ende | E |
Amonges knyghtes and clerkes Conscience to torne | L |
Thanne Mede for hire mysdedes to that man kneled | E |
And shrof hire of hire sherewednesse shamelees I trowe | F |
Tolde hym a tale and took hym a noble | A |
For to ben hire bedeman and hire brocour als | D |
Thanne he assoiled hire soone and sithen he seide | E |
' We have a wyndow in werchynge wole stonden us ful hye | M |
Woldestow glaze that gable and grave therinne thy name | C |
Sykir sholde thi soule be hevene to have ' | - |
' Wiste I that ' quod the womman I wolde noght spare | H |
For to be youre frend frere and faile yow nevere | H |
While ye love lordes that lecherie haunten | L |
And lakketh noght ladies that loven wel the same | C |
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It is a freletee of flessh ye fynden it in bokes | D |
And a cours of kynde wherof we comen alle | A |
Who may scape the sclaundre the scathe is soone amended | E |
It is synne of the sevene sonnest relessed | E |
Have mercy ' quod Mede of men that it haunteth | K |
And I shal covere youre kirk youre cloistre do maken | L |
Wowes do whiten and wyndowes glazen | L |
Do peynten and portraye who paied for the makynge | N |
That every segge shall see I am suster of youre house ' | - |
Ac God to alle good folk swich gravynge defendeth | K |
To writen in wyndowes of hir wel dedes | D |
An aventure pride be peynted there and pomp of the world | E |
For God knoweth thi conscience and thi kynde wille | A |
And thi cost and thi coveitise and who the catel oughte | E |
Forthi I lere yow lordes leveth swiche w rityng es | D |
To writen in wyndowes of youre wel dedes | D |
Or to greden after Goddes men whan ye gyve doles | D |
On aventure ye have youre hire here and youre hevene als | D |
Nesciat sinsitra quid faciat dextra | H |
Lat noght thi left half late ne rathe | K |
Wite what thow werchest with thi right syde | E |
For thus bit the Gospel goode men doon hir almesse | D |
Maires and maceres that menes ben bitwene | L |
The kyng and the comune to kepe the lawes | D |
To punysshe on pillories and on pynynge stooles | D |
Brewesters and baksters bochiers and cokes | D |
For thise are men on this molde that moost harm wercheth | K |
To the povere peple that parcelmele buggen | L |
For thei poisone the peple pryveliche and ofte | E |
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Thei richen thorugh regratrie and rentes hem biggen | L |
With that the povere peple sholde putte in hire wombe | C |
For toke thei on trewely thei tymbred nought so heighe | O |
Ne boughte none burgages be ye ful certeyne | L |
Ac Mede the mayde the mair h eo bisought e | P |
Of alle swiche selleris silver to take | B |
Or presents withouten pens as pieces of silver | H |
Rynges or oother richesse the regratiers to mayntene | L |
' For my love ' quod that lady love hem echone | L |
And suffre hem to selle somdel ayeins reson ' | - |
Salamon the sage a sermon he made | E |
For to amenden maires and men that kepen lawes | D |
And tolde hem this teme that I telle thynke | B |
Ignis devorabit tabernacula eorum qui libenter accipiunt munera c | B |
Among thise lettrede leodes this Latyn is to mene | L |
That fir shall falle and for brenne al to bloo askes | D |
The houses and the homes of hem that desireth | K |
Yiftes or yeresyeves because of hire offices | D |
The Kyng fro counseil cam and called after Mede | E |
And ofsente hire as swithe with sergeaunts manye | M |
That broughte hire to boure with blisse and with joye | M |
Curteisly the Kyng thanne comsed to telle | A |
To Mede the mayde he melleth thise wordes | D |
' Unwittily womman wroght hastow ofte | E |
Ac worse wroghtest thow nevere than tho thow Fals toke | B |
But I forgyve thee that gilt and graunte thee my grace | D |
Hennes to thi deeth day do so na moore | H |
I have a knyght Conscience cam late fro biyonde | E |
If he wilneth thee to wif wiltow hym have ' | - |
'Ye Iord ' quod that lady ' Lord forbede it ellis | D |
But I be holly at youre heste lat hange me soone ' | - |
Thanne was Conscience called to come and appere | H |
Bifore the Kyng and his conseil as clerkes and othere | H |
- | |
Knelynge Conseience to the Kyng louted | E |
To wite what his wille were and what he do sholde | E |
'Woltow wedde this womman ' quod the Kyng 'if I wole assente | E |
For she is fayn of thi felaweshipe for to be thi make ' | - |
Quod Conscience to the Kyng 'Crist it me forbede | E |
Er I wedde swich a wif wo me bitide | E |
For she is frele of hire feith fikel of hire speche | Q |
And maketh men mysdo many score tymes | D |
In trust of hire tresor she t en eth ful manye | M |
Wyves and widewes wantounnesse she techeth | K |
And lereth hem lecherie that loveth hire yiftes | D |
Poure fader she felled thorugh false biheste | E |
And hath apoisoned popes and peired Holy Chirche | Q |
Is noght a bettre baude by Hym that me made | E |
Bitwene hevene and helle in erthe though men soghte | E |
For she is tikel of hire tail talewis of tonge | N |
As commune as the cartwey to knaves and to alle | A |
To monkes to mynstrales to meseles in hegges | D |
Sisours and somonours swiche men hire preiseth | K |
Sherreves of shires were shent if she ne were | H |
For she dooth men lese hire lond and hire lif bothe | K |
She leteth passe prisoners and paieth for hem ofte | E |
And gyveth the gailers gold and grotes togidres | D |
To unfettre the Fals fle where hym liketh | K |
And taketh the trewe bi the top and tieth hym faste | E |
And hangeth hym for hatrede that harm e de nevere | H |
'To be cursed in consistorie she counteth noght a russhe | D |
For she copeth the commissarie and coteth hise clerkes | D |
She is assoiled as soone as hireself liketh | K |
She may neigh as muche do in a monthe ones | D |
As youre secret seel in sixe seore dayes | D |
She is pryvee with the Pope provisours it knoweth | K |
For Sire Symonie and hirselve seleth hire bulles | D |
She blesseth thise bisshopes theigh thei be lewed | E |
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Provendreth persones and preestes she maynteneth | K |
To h old e lemmans and lotebies alle hire lif daies | D |
And bryngen forth barnes ayein forbode lawes | D |
'Ther she is wel with the kyng wo is the reaume | C |
For she is favorable to Fals and defouleth truthe ofte | E |
By Jesus with hire jeweles youre justice she shendeth | K |
And lith ayein the lawe and letteth hym the gate | E |
That feith may noght have his forth hire floryns go so thinke | B |
She ledeth the lawe as hire list and lovedaies maketh | K |
And doth men lese thorugh hir | H |
William Langland
(1)
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