For a litel silver.'

14658

Thus he gooth and gadereth, And gloseth there he shryveth, Til Contricion hadde clene foryeten To crye and to wepe;

And wake for hise wikked werkes,

As he was wont to doone,

For confort of his confessour

Contricion he lafte,

That is the soverayneste salve

For alle kynne synnes.

Sleuthe seigh that,

And so dide Pryde,

And comen with a kene wille

Conscience to assaille.

Conscience cryed eft,

And bad Clergie helpe hym,

And also Contricion,

For to kepe the yate.

14669

[Pees,

"He lyth and dremeth," seide

"And so do manye othere,
The frere with his phisyk
This folk hath enchaunted,
And plastred hem so esily,
Thei drede no synne.

14680

"By Crist!"quod Conscience tho, "I wole bicome a pilgrym, And walken as wide

As the world lasteth,

To seken Piers the Plowman,

That Pryde may destruye;

And that freres hadde a fyndyng,

That for nede flateren,

And countrepledeth me, Conscience.

THE CREED OF PIERS

PLOUGHMAN.

II.

29

C

CREED.

ROS and curteis Christ
This begynnyng spede,
For the faders frendshipe
That fourmed heaven,

And through the special spirit
That sprong of hem tweyne,
And al in one God-hed
Endles dwelleth.

A, and all myn a.b.c.
After have I lerned,

And patred in my pater-noster
Iche poynt after other;
And after al, myne Ave-marie
Almost to the end;

But al my care is to comen,
For I can nought my Crede.
Whan I shall shewen my shrift,
Shent mote I worthen;

The preeste wil me punyche,
And penaunce enjoyne;
The lengthe of a lenton
Flesh moot I leve,

After that Estur is y-come,
And that is hard fare;

12

24