The vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman, together with Vita de Dowel, Dobet, et Dobest, secundum Wit et Resoun, by William Langland (about 1362-1393 A. D.)

[DISTINCTIO CARITATIS.]

As proud of a peny · as of a pounde of golde, [of (2)] G om.] And al-so glad of a goune · of a grey russet [A page 264] [al-so] as TFG.] As of a cote of cammoka · oþer of clene scarlett. [cammoka] cammoca E; camaca M; camaka FT; cammaka G. clene] a clene T; reed F.] Line 299 He is glad with alle glade · as gurles þat lauhen alle, And sory when he seeþ men sory · as þow seest children [children] babes F.] Lauhen þer men lauhen · an loure þer men loureþ. [an] and MEFT. men loureþ] oþere louren T.] Line 302

Line 302 And when a man swereþ for soþ · for soþ he hit troweþ; [F omits.] He weneþ [þat] no wiȝt · wold lyghe and swere, [He] For he F. weneþ] leueþ M. He weneþ] Weniþ he T. [þat MFT] nat PE. wiȝt F] whiȝt P; withg M; wiȝ T. lyghe] lie MEF.] Line 304 Ne þat eny gome wolde gylen · oþer, ne greue, [F omits. gylen] bygilen E; bi-gyle M. ne] M om.] For drede of god þat is so good · and þus-[gates] ous techeþ,

Quodcunque uultis ut uobis faciant homines, facite eis.

[is] T om. so] E om. and] and þat MF. [gates] gatis T; PEMF omit, but the alliteration seems to re|quire it. ous] us MF; vs T. M ends the line—and þat us þus techeþ. eis] & eis F.] He hath no lykynge to lauhe · ne lyghe, men to scorne; [He] T om. to (1)] for to F. ne EMF] ne to T; apparently no P. lyghe] spelt lyhe P (but see l. 304); liȝen E; lyke T; likne F; likene M. to (2)] ne M. (Observe that the order of words differs from B-text.)] Alle siknesses and sorwes · for solas he [hem] takeþ, [[hem MF] hit PET.] And alle manere meschifs · as minstracie of heuene. [meschifs] myscheues M; of meschiefs T. as] for F. minstracie] mynstralcie E; mynstralsye F; men|stralsie M; minstracies T.] Of deþ ne of derþe · drad was he neuere, [drad] a-drad M.] Line 310 Ne mysliked, þauh he loore · oþer lenede to þat ilke [loore] so PF; lore MET. oþer] & T. lenede] lente M. to] T om.] Þat neuere payed peny aȝe · in place þere he borwede." [aȝe] so PEF; aȝen T; a-geyn M. place] places T.] [301—312. G omits.] "Who fyndeþ hym his fode?" quaþ ich · "oþer what frendes hath he, [fyndeþ] fynt T. hym] E om. Who—fode] Hou is charite y-founde G.] Line 313 Rentes oþer richesses · to releue hym at hus neode?" [richesses] richesse quod he F. hym] F om. hus] MT om.] "Of rentes ne of richesses," quaþ he · "reccheþ he neuere, [F omits. ne] G om. of] T om. quaþ he] TG om. reccheþ] ne recchiþ T.] [A frend he haþ þat fynt him · þat faileþ him neuere]. [From M; also in FTG; PE omit. fynt] fyndeth FG. faileþ] failide T. þat faileþ—neuere] & fail him he nelle F.] On aperis-tu-manum · alle þynge hym fyndeþ; [On] Oon F; On ys G; Domine T. manum] manum tuam M. alle] þat (sic) G.] Line 317

Line 317 Fiat-uoluntas-tua · festeþ hym eche day. [Fiat] And fiat G. eche] iche a T. eche day] euermore F.] And also he can clergie · credo-in-deum-patrem And portreieþ [wel] þe pater-noster · and peynteþ hit with auees. [And] He M. portreieþ] por|treye T. [wel MFTG] PE om. peynteþ] peynte T. hit] it wel F. auees] so PEFG; aues MT.] Line 320 And oþer-while hus wone is · to wende in pilgrymages, [in] on T.] Ther poure men and prysouns beþ · and payeþ for here lyflode, [payeþ] paye T. lyflode] fode TG; table F.] Clotheþ hem and comforteþ hem · and of crist precheþ hem, [hem (2)] F om. precheþ hem] to hem techeth F.] What sorwes he suffrede · in ensample of ous alle, [he] þat he F. ensample] saumple F. ous] us MF; vs TG.] That pouerte and pacience · parfitliche ytake [G omits. pacience] penaunce T. parfitliche ytake] pacientliche taken T; þat parfitly be take F.] Line 325 Ys muche merit to þat man · þat wel may suffren. [G omits. Ys] Worþ T. muche] gret M. to] for F. wel] it T. may] may hem M.] Whan he haþ thus visited fetered folke · and oþer folke poure, [A page 265] [Whan] And whanne T. thus] M om. visited EF] visitid TG; i-visited M; visetid P. fetered] vetered F. oþer folke] EG om.] Then he ȝerneþ in-to þouht · and ȝepliche he secheþ [he ȝerneþ] ȝerniþ he T. þouht] so all but T, which has ȝouþe, as in B-text.] Pruyde, with alle þe portinaunce · and packeþ hem to|gederes, [þe] here G. portinaunce] so PG; aportenaunce M; portenaunces E; purtenaunces F; appurtenaunces T. packeþ] pekk (sic) E.] Line 329 And laueþ hem in þe lauandrie · laboraui-in-gemitu-meo, [hem] hym E. þe] G om. lauandrie] launderie T.] And boukeþ hem at hus brest · and beteþ hit ofte, [And] T om. hem] M om. beteþ] beeteþ P. hit] hem G; it ful F.] And with warme water of hus eyen · wokeþ hit [til hit] white;

Lauabis me, et super niuem dealbabor.

[warme] wharme P. eyen] eiȝes T. wokeþ] so PEM; weoketh F; werkiþ T; wetiþ G. hit—hit M] hem til hit G; it til he F; hit he PT; hit þe (sic) E.] Line 332

Line 332 Þanne syngeþ he whanne he so doþ · and som tyme wepynge,

Cor contritum & humiliatum, deus, non de|spicies."

[Þanne] And þanne T. he (1)] F om. whanne] wanne P. so doþ] doþ so TG.] "Were ich with hym, by crist," quaþ ich · "ich wolde neuere fro hym, [quaþ ich] G om.] Þauh ich my by-lyue sholde begge · a-boute at menne hacches. [bylyue] bileue G; bileeue F; lijflode M. menne] mennes F; menes M; men ET.] Line 335 Wher clerkus knowe hym nat," quaþ ich · "þat kepen holychurche?" [Wher] Wheþer EFT. hym] hit G. hym nat] nout him M.] "Peers the plouman," quaþ he · "most parfitliche hym knoweþ;

Et uidit deus cogitationes eorum.

[the] M om. hym] hit G.] By cloþynge ne by karpinge · knowe shalt thou hym neuere, [A page 266] Line 338 Ac þorw werkes þou myght wite · wher forþ he walkeþ;

Operibus credite.

[Operibus, &c.] MF om.] He is þe muriest of mouthe · at metes þer he sitteþ, [þe] MF om. at] atte G. metes] mete M.] And compenable in companye · as crist hym-self techeþ,

Nolite tristes fieri, sicut ypocrite. [A page 267]

[compenable] so PFG; com|panable EM; compaynable T.] Ich haue seyen hym my-self · som tyme in russett, [seyen] seyn E; seiȝe T; seye FG · i-seyn M.] Line 342 Bothe in greye and in greys · and in gylt harneys, [greys] gris EFT; grys G; grees M. and] & also G.] And al-so gladliche he gyueþ · to gomes þat hit needeþ. [gyueþ] it gaf T. gomes—needeþ] hem þat han nede G. hit needeþ] ben nedi M. needeþ] nedite T.] Eadmund and edward · ayþer were seyntes, [ayþer] boþe þei M; boþe F.] Line 345 And chief charite with hem · and chast al here lyue. [E omits from with hem to charite in next line. chief] G om. al] in alle G.]

Ich haue seyen charite al-so · syngen and rede, [seyen] i-seie M; seie F; seiȝe T; seyȝe G.] Ryden, and rennen · in raggede cloþes, Line 348 Ac biddyng as a beggere · by-heold ich hym neuere. [by-heold] bi-hult M.] Ac in riche robes · raþest he walketh, [raþest] raþerest M.] Y-called and ycrymyled · and hus croune shaue. [G omits. Y-called] Cald T. shaue] i-shaue ME.] And in [a] freres frocke · he was yfounde ones, [[a EMFTG] P om. freres] frere FG; fair (!) T.] Line 352 Ac it is fer and fele ȝeres · in fraunceys tyme; [is] was M; T om. fer FTG] feer P; ferre E. fer—ȝeres] fer & fele ȝere goo F; fele ȝer ago M. ȝeres] ȝer MTG; ȝere F. fraunceys] frauncesses M.] In that secte sitthe · to selde he haþ be founde. [secte] siȝte M. to] ful MF; wel G.] Riche men he comendeþ · and of here robes takeþ, [comendeþ] recomaundiþ T.] Of þo þat leelliche lyuen · and louen and by-leyuen;

Beatus est diues sine macula.

[by-leyuen] bileuen MEG; beleuen T; bileeuen F.] Line 356 In kynges court he comeþ · yf hus counsail be trewe; [hus] E om.] Ac yf couetise be of hus counsail · he wol nat come þer-ynne. [wol—come] comeþ nat G.] Among þe comunes in court · he comeþ but selde, [comunes] comyne G. selde EMTG] seilde P (but see l. 354); riȝt seelde F.] For brawelynge and bacbytynge · and beryng of false wittnesse. [A page 268] [brawelynge and] G om.] Line 360 In constorie by-fore þe comissarie · he comeþ nat ful ofte, [þe comissarie] commissaries G. ful] M om.] For here lawe is ouere-longe · bote yf þei lacche seluer. [here—longe] ouerlong is here lawe T. þei] he F.] With bisshopes he wolde beo · for beggers sake, [With] For G. bisshopes] bihsshopes P.] Ac auarice oþer-whiles · halt hym with-oute þe gate. [auarice] auerice P. whiles] while MFG. hym] hem G. þe gate] þe gates E; gates F.] Kynges and Cardineles · knowen hym som tyme, [G omits. knowen] so PM; knewen EF; kneuȝ T.] Line 365 Ac þorw couetise and his consail · congeied is he ofte. [G omits. congeied] conged MF; cunged T. is he] he is MF.]

And ho so coueyteþ to know hym · such [a] kynde hym folweþ, [E omits. [a MFT] P om. such—hym] G omits.] As ich tolde þe with tonge · a lytel tyme passed; [tyme] while G. passed] a-passed MG; ypassid T.] Line 368 For noþer he beggeþ, ne biddeþ · ne borweþ to ȝelde; [he beggeþ] he ne beggiþ T; þe beggere (sic) M. ne (1)] nor F.] He halt hit a nycete · and a foul shame [He] For he F. hit] þat F. a nycete] for a vice T (which is pro|bably right, as it suits the allitera|tion). and] & eke F.] To beggen oþer to borwe · bote of god one;

Panem nostrum cotidianum [da nobis hodie]." [To] For to F. to] for to F. bote] but it be F. Panem, &c.] M omits. [da—hodie] supplied from F.]

Line 371

Hic explicit passus septimus & ultimus de dowel. [So PG; M omits. Hic] EF om. septimus &] E om. T has—Passus septimus de dowel: & explicit.]