The Vision Of Piers Plowman - Part 20 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABAACBBAADEFA ABBAAGBBBBAAHAIJHCGA BEEAAKA BAL AA AA LMEABECBBABNAAGAHACA ACBBCBGA BBBBBAHGA AC LBAABANABACBBAAGAD A BCBOBEABABAGHBGDGHAH HC CHGABA B BCGNGAAGGAA GH

Thanne as I wente by the way whan I was thus awakedA
Hevy chered I yede and elenge in herteA
For I ne wiste wher to ete ne at what placeB
And it neghed neigh the noon and with Nede I metteA
That afrounted me foule and faitour me calledA
'Coudestow noght excuse thee as dide the kyng and othereC
That thow toke to thy bilyve to clothes and to sustenaunceB
Was by techynge and by tellynge of Spiritus TemperancieB
And that thow nome na moore than nede thee taughteA
And nede ne hath no lawe ne nevere shal falle in detteA
For thre thynges he taketh his lif for to saveD
That is mete whan men hym werneth and he no moneye weldethE
Ne wight noon wol ben his borugh ne wed hath noon to leggeF
And he ca cch e in that caas and come therto by sleighteA
-
He synneth noght soothliche that so wynneth his foodeA
And though he come so to a clooth and kan no bettre chevyssaunceB
Nede anoon righte nymeth hym under maynpriseB
And if hym list for to lape the lawe of kynde woldeA
That he dronke at ech dych er he deide for thurstA
So Nede at gret nede may nymen as for his oweneG
Withouten conseil of Conscience or Cardynale VertuesB
So that he sewe and save Spiritus TemperancieB
'For is no vertue bi fer to Spiritus TemperancieB
Neither Spiritus Iusticie ne Spiritus FortitudinisB
For Spiritus Fortitudinis forfeteth ful ofteA
He shal do moore than mesure many tyme and ofteA
And bete men over bittre and som body to litelH
And greve men gretter than good feith it woldeA
'And Spiritus Iusticie shal juggen wole he nel heI
After the kynges counseil and the comune likeJ
And Spiritus Prudencie in many a point shal failleH
Of that he weneth wolde falle if his wit ne weereC
Wenynge is no wysdom ne wys ymaginacionG
Homo proponit et Deus disponitA
God governeth alle goode vertuesB
And Nede is next hym for anoon he mekethE
And as lowe as a lomb for lakkyng that hym nedethE
For nede maketh nede fele nedes lowe hertedA
Philosophres forsoke welthe for thei wolde be nedyA
And woneden wel elengely and wolde noght be richeK
'And God al his grete joye goostliche he lefteA
And cam and took mankynde and bicam nedy '-
So he was nedy as seith the Book in manye sondry placesB
That he seide in his some on the selve roodeA
''the Fox and fowel may fle to hole and crepeL
-
And the fissh hath fyn to flete with to resteA
Ther nede hath ynome me that I moot nede abideA
And suffre sorwes ful soure that shal to joye torne ''-
Forthi be noght abasshed to bide and to be nedyA
Sith he that wroghte al the world was wilfulliche nedyA
Ne nevere noon so nedy ne poverer deide '-
Whan Nede hadde undernome rne thus anoon I fil aslepeL
And mette ful merveillously that in mannes formeM
Antecrist cam thanne and al the crop of trutheE
Torned it tid up so doun and overtilte the rooteA
And made fals sprynge and sprede and spede mennes nedesB
In ech a contree ther he cam he kutte awey trutheE
And gerte gile growe there as he a god weereC
Freres folwede that fend for he gaf hem copesB
And religiouse reverenced hym and rongen hir bellesB
And al the covent cam to welcome that tyrauntA
And alle hise as wel as hym save oonly foolesB
Whiche fooles were wel gladdere to deyeN
Than to lyve lenger sith Leute was so rebukedA
And a fals fend Antecrist over alle folk regnedeA
And that were rnylde men and holye that no meschief draddenG
Defyed alle falsnesse and folk that it usedeA
And what kyng that hem conforted knowynge h ir gileH
They cursed and hir conseil were it clerk or lewedA
Antecrist hadde thus soone hundredes at his banerC
And Pride bar it bare boldely abouteA
With a lord that lyveth after likyng of bodyA
That cam ayein Conscience that kepere was and gyourC
Over kynde Cristene and Cardynale VertuesB
'I conseille ' quod Conscience tho 'cometh with me ye foolesB
Into Unite Holy Chirche and holde we us thereC
And crye we to Kynde that he come and defende usB
Fooles fro thise fendes lymes for Piers love the PlowmanG
And crye we on al the comune that thei come to UniteeA
And there abide and bikere ayeins Beliales children '-
-
-
Kynde Conscience tho herde and cam out of the planetesB
And sente forth his forreyours feveres and fluxesB
Coughes and cardiacles crampes and toothachesB
Rewmes and radegundes and roynouse scallesB
Biles and bocches and brennynge aguesB
Frenesies and foule yveles forageres of KyndeA
Hadde ypriked and prayed polles of pepleH
Largeliche a legion lees hir lif sooneG
There was ' Harrow ' and ' Help Here cometh KyndeA
With Deeth that is dredful to undo us alle '-
The lord that lyved after lust tho aloud crydeA
After Confort a knyght to come and bere his banerC
'Alarme Alarme ' quod that lord 'ech lif kepe his owene '-
Thanne mette thise men er mynstrals myghte pipeL
And er heraudes of armes hadden discryved lordesB
Elde the hoore he was in the vauntwardeA
And bar the baner bifore Deeth bi right he it cleymedeA
Kynde cam after hym with many kene sooresB
As pokkes and pestilences and muche peple shenteA
So Kynde thorugh corrupcions kilde ful manyeN
Deeth cam dryvynge after and al to duste passhedA
Kynges and knyghtes kaysers and popesB
Lered ne lewed he lefte no man stondeA
That he hitte evene that evere stired afterC
Manye a lovely lady and hir lemmans knyghtesB
Swowned and swelted for sorwe of Dethes dyntesB
Conscience of his curteisie to Kynde he bisoughteA
To cesse and suffre and see wher thei woldeA
Leve Pride pryvely and be parfite CristeneG
And Kynde cessede tho to se the peple amendeA
Fortune gan flatere thanne tho fewe that were alyveD
And bihighte hem long lif and lecherie h-
Amonges alle manere men wedded and unweddedA
-
And gaderede a greet hoost al agayn ConscienceB
'This Lecherie leide on with laughynge chiereC
And with pryvee speche and peyntede wordesB
And armede hym in ydelnesse and in heigh beryngeO
He bar a bowe in his hand and manye brode arewesB
Weren fethered with fair biheste and many a fals trutheE
With untidy tales he tened ful ofteA
Conscience and his compaignye of Holy Kirke the techerisB
Thanne cam Coveitise and caste how he myghteA
Overcome Conscience and Cardinale VertuesB
And armed hym in avarice and hungriliche lyvedeA
His wepne was al wiles to wynnen and to hidenG
With glosynges and with gabbynges he giled the pepleH
Symonye hym s ue de to assaille ConscienceB
And preched to the peple and prelates thei hem madenG
To holden with Antecrist hir temporaltees to saveD
And cam to the kynges counseille as a kene barounG
And kneled to Conscience in Court afore hem alleH
And garte Good Feith flee and Fals to abideA
And boldeliche bar adoun with many a bright nobleH
Muche of the wit and wisdom of Westmynstre HalleH
He jogged til a justice and justed in his eereC
And overtilte al his truthe with 'Tak this up amendement '-
And to the Arches in haste he yede anoon afterC
And tornede Cyvyle into Symonye and siththe he took the OfficialH
For a menever mantel he made lele matrymoyneG
Departen er deeth cam and a devors shapteA
'Allas ' quod Conscience and cryde tho 'wolde Crist of his graceB
That Coveitise were Cristene that is so kene to fighteA
And boold and bidynge the while his bagge lasteth '-
And thanne lough Lyf and leet daggen hise clothesB
-
And armed hym in haste in harlotes wordesB
And heeld Holynesse a jape and Hendenesse a wastourC
And leet Leautee a cherl and Lyere a fre manG
Conscience and counseil he counted it folyeN
Thus relyede Lif for a litel fortuneG
And priked forth with Pride preiseth he no vertueA
Ne careth noght how Kynde slow and shal come at the lasteA
And kille alle erthely creature save Conscience ooneG
Lyf lepte aside and laughte hym a lemmanG
'Heele and I ' quod he 'and heighnesse of herteA
Shal do thee noght drede neither deeth ne eldeA
And to foryyte sorwe and yyve noght of synne '-
This likede Lif and his lemman FortuneG
And geten in hir glorie a gadelyng at the lH

William Langland



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