That the womman shette,

Tho Adam and Eve

Eten apples un-rosted.

3711

Per Evam cunctis clausa est, et per
Mariam virginem patefacta est.
"For he hath the keye and the
Though the kyng slepe.

And if grace graunte thee
To go in this wise,

Thow shalt see in thiselve
Truthe in thyn herte,

In a cheyne of charité
As thow a child were,

[cliket,

3722

To suffren hym and segge noght
Ayein thi sires wille.

"And be war thanne of WratheThat is a wikked sherewe; [thee, He hath envye to hym

That in thyn herte sitteth,

And poketh forth pride

To preise thişelven.

The boldnesse of thi bienfetes

Maketh thee blynd thanne;

3733

And thanne worstow dryven out as

And the dore closed,

Keyed and cliketted,

To kepe thee withouten ;

Happily an hundred wynter

Er thow eft entre.

[dew,

Thus myghtestow lesen his love,

To lete wel by thiselve,

And nevere happily eft entre,

But grace thow have.

"And ther are seven sustren

That serven Truthe evere,

3745

And arn porters of the posternes
That to the place longeth.
"That oon hatte Abstinence,
And Humilité another;

Charité and Chastité

Ben hise chief maydenes ;
Pacience and Pees

Muche peple thei helpeth;
Largenesse the lady,
She let in ful manye,

Heo hath holpe a thousand out
Of the develes punfolde;
And who is sib to thise sevene,
So me God helpe!

He is wonderly welcome,
And faire underfongen.
And but if ye be sibbe

To some of thise sevene,

[Piers,

It is ful hard, by myn heed!" quod

"For any of yow alle

To geten in-going at any gate there, But grace be the moore.

3767

"Now by Crist!" quod a kutte

"I have no kyn there."

"Nor I," quod an ape-ward,

[purs,

66 By aught that I kan knowe."
"Wite God!" quod a wafrestere,
"Wiste I this for sothe,

Sholde I nevere ferther a foot,
For no freres prechyng."

"Yis," quod Piers the Plowman,

And poked hem alle to goode,
Mercy is a maiden there

66

3778

Hath myght over alle;

And she is sib to alle synfulle,
And hire sone also,

3779

And thorugh the help of hem two Hope thow noon oother,

Thow myght gete grace there,

So thow go bi-tyme."

[doner, "Bi Seint Poul!" quod a par"Peraventure I be noght knowe there; [brevettes, I wol go fecche my box with my And a bulle with bisshopes lettres." "By Crist!" quod a commune

womman,

"Thi compaignie wol I folwe; Thow shalt seye I am thi suster, I ne woot where thei bicome." 3793

Passus Sextus de Visione, ut

"T

supra.

HIS were a wikkede wey, But who so hadde a gyde, That wolde folwen us ech a foot;" Thus this folke hem mened. Quod Perkyn the Plowman, By Seint Peter of Rome! I have an half acre to erie By the heighe weye;

66

Hadde I eryed this half acre,
And sowen it after,

I wolde wende with

And the wey teche.'

yow,

"This were a long lettyng,"

Quod a lady in scleyre,

"What sholde we wommen

Werche the while?"

3805

[Piers,

"Somme shul sowe the sak," quod

"For shedyng of the whete;

And ye lovely ladies,

With youre longe fyngres,

That ye have silk and sandel
To sowe, whan tyme is.
Chesibles for chapeleyns

Chirches to honoure.

3817

3818

"Wyves and widewes, Wolle and flex spynneth; Maketh cloth, I counseille yow, And kenneth so youre doughtres; The nedy and the naked, Nymeth hede how thei liggeth, And casteth hem clothes, For so comaundeth Truthe. For I shal leven hem liflode, But if the lond faille,

Flesshe and breed bothe
To riche and to poore,

As long as I lyve,

For the Lordes love of hevene;
And alle manere of men

3829

[beth,

That thorugh mete and drynke libHelpeth hym to werche wightliche, That wynneth youre foode."

"By Crist!" quod a knyght thoo, "He kenneth us the beste; Ac on the teme, trewely, Taught was I nevere;

3840

But kenne me," quod the knyght, "And by Crist I wole assaye!"

66

By Seint Poul!" quod Perkyn,

"Ye profre yow so faire,

That I shal swynke and swete,

And sowe for us bothe,

And othere labours do for thi love

Al my lif tyme,

In covenaunt that thow kepe

Holy kirke and myselve

Fro wastours and fro wikked men

That this world destruyeth.

3851