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.)

CONFESSIO GULE. [A page 60]

Now by-gynneþ gloton · for to go to shryfte, And kayres hym to-kirke-ward · hus coupe to shewe. [kayres] carieþ M; caries I; karyuþ S. kirke IMF] churche PES (which loses the alliteration). coupe] synnes M.]

Fastyng on a fryday · forth gan he wende Line 352 By betone hous þe brewestere · þat bad hym good morwe, [betone] betone or betene P; betoun E; betouns I; betonus FS; betenes M.] And whederwarde he wolde · þe brew-wif hym asked. [brew-wif] goode wif E.] "To holy churche," quaþ he · "for to hure masse, [To] Go to (wrongly) S. he] he þo F. for—hure] to here my I.] Line 355 And sitthen sitte and be yshriuen · and synwe na|more." [B page 74] [yshriuen] yschreuen P. synwe] so in PS; synge MF; synny E; synne I.] "Ich haue good Ale, godsyb · gloton, wolt þow assaye?" [godsyb—þow] quod heo þo · gode gossip F. þow] M om.] "What hauest þow," quaþ he · "eny hote spices?" [What] What herke F; I om.] "Ich haue piper and pionys · and a pound of garlik, [pionys] pyonye I; pyonis quod heo F. of] I om.] A ferthyng-worth of fynkelsede · for fastinge-daies." [ferthyng] fertheng P. fyn|kel] fenkel I; fenel MF; fynel S. daies] dayes y boght it I.] Thenne goþ gloton yn · and grete oþes after. [Thenne] & þan F. and] an P.] Line 361 Sesse þe sywestere · sat on þe benche, [Sesse] Cesse IMS; & sesse F. sywestere] sowester E; sewestare M; sewestre S; soustere F; Souters I.] Watte þe warynere · and hus wif dronke, [warynere] warner IMFSE.] Thomme þe tynkere · and tweye of hus knaues, [tweye—hus] and his twelue M; & his two F.] Line 364 Hicke [þe] hakeneyman · and houwe þe neldere, [A page 61] [[þe IMFSG] PE om.; see l. 378. houwe] howe I; huwe M; hue E; heruy FS. þe] hus S. neldere] nedelere MFIS; nedlere E.] Claryce of cockeslane · the clerk of þe churche, [cockeslane] coklane E; kuck|uslone M. the] and þe IM.] Syre peeres of prydie · and purnel of flaundres, [peeres—prydie] peraunt þe prowde F.] An haywarde and an heremyte · þe hangeman of tyborne, [and] IF om.] Line 368 Dauwe þe dykere · with a dosen harlotes [I omits. dosen] doseyn of M.] Of portours and of pykeporses · and pylede toþ-drawers, [M om. and (1)] F om. of] I om. pykeporses] pykeporeses P; pikporses E; pyke-purses IS; pike|purs F. and (2)] of F; and of I.]

A rybibour and a ratoner · a rakere and hus knaue, [E omits last half of l. 371, and first half of l. 372.] [and (1)] IMF om.] A ropere and a redyngkynge · and rose þe disshere, [E omits last half of l. 371, and first half of l. 372.] [ropere] ropere or repere P; but see l. 387. and (1)] MF om.] Line 372 Godefray þe garlek-mongere · and griffyn þe walish; [þe (1)] F om. griffyn] grif|fith IS. walish] walsche EFIM.] And of vp-holders an hep · erly by þe morwe [erly] herly P.] Geuen gloton with glad chere · good ale to hansele. [glad] good M. chere IMFSE] chire P. good IME] goud PS. good—hansele] galonus of ale F. han|sele] ansele P.] Clemment þe cobelere · cast of hus cloke, [Clemment] þo clement F.] Line 376 And to þe newe fayre · nempned hit to selle. [newe IMFES] nywe P. hit] forþ I.] Hicke þe hakeneyman · hitte hus hod after, And bad bette [þe] bouchere · to be on hus syde. [[þe IMFSE] P om. to] MF om.] Ther were chapmen y-chose · þe chaffare to preise; [Ther] Þo F. þe] þis I.] Line 380 Þat he þat hadde þe hod · sholde nat habbe þe cloke; [B page 75] [he þat] who so I.] Þe betere þyng, by arbytours · sholde bote þe werse. [Þe] & þat þe I. arbytours] arbitrours MIFS.] Two rysen rapliche · and rounede to-geders, [Two rysen] Þo rysen two F; Tweyne arisen M; To risen vp I. rapliche] rape I.] And preysed þe penyworthes · apart by hem-selue, [þe] þise I.] Line 384 And þer were oþes an hepe · for oþer sholde haue þe werse. [And] M om. for oþer] for on IS; for oon F; for þe oþer E; wheþer M.] Þei couthe nouht by here conscience · a-corde for treuthe, Tyl Robyn þe ropere · aryse þei bysouhte, And nempned hym a nompeyr · þat no debate were. [A page 62] [a] for a I. nompeyr] noun|pere F.] Hicke þe hakeneyman · hadde þe Cloke, [hakeneyman] hostiler I. hadde—Cloke] þe cloke scholde haue E.] Line 389 In couenaunt þat clemment · sholde þe coppe fylle, And haue þe hakeneymannes hod · and hold hym y-serued; [þe—hod] hickes hood þe hostiler I.]

And who repentyde raþest · shold aryse after, [who] he þat E; who so I; whose M. raþest] him raþer I.] Line 392 And grete syre gloton · with a galon of ale. [with] whit P. of] MFSE om.] Þer was lauhyng & lakeryng · and 'let go þe coppe!' [lauhyng] lauȝynge S; lawyng M; haulyng (sic) E. lakeryng] la|kryng E; likeryng MS; lowring I. & lakeryng] alowd F.] Bargeynes and beuereges · by-gunne to aryse, [to aryse] þo to wake I.] And setyn so til euesong rang · and songe vmbwhyle, [And] þei M. setyn] so PE; seten M; settun S; sete F. rang] I om. vmbwhyle] vmbwyle P; vmbi|while MIE; vnbiwhile F; eche while S.] Til gloton hadde yglobbed · a galon and a gylle. [hadde] adde P.] Line 397 Hus guttes gonne godely · as two gredy sowes; [godely] so PS; to gosely I; godele M; to goþel E. Hus—godely] þat his guttus godeled F. two FS] tuo I; to (for two) PM; þe E. gredy] grete E; hongry S.] He pissede a potell · in a pater-noster while, And blew hus rounde rewet · atte rygbones ende, [And] He I. hus] þe E. rewet EG] rywett P; ryuet IM; ruet FS. atte] at þe E; at his MIFS; atte þe P.] Line 400 Þat alle þat herde þat horne · hulde here nose after, [þat G] þan P; þe IMFE; his S. nose] nosus F; neses M.] And wusched hit hadde be wexed · with a wips of breres. [hit] þat hit P; IMFSE omit þat. wexed] i-wexed M; ywaxed E; wasche I. wips] weps E; bosk M.] He myghte noþer stappe ne stonde · tyl he a staf hadde. [B page 76] [myghte] ne myȝt E. noþer] nat þo nowþur F. ne] so in IMSE; ne or no P; no F. stonde] stonnde P. a] his I.] Thanne gan he go · lyke a glemannes bycche, [Thanne] And þanne IF. he] hue P (wrongly).] Line 404 Som tyme asyde · [and] som tyme a-rere, [A page 63] [asyde] asyde a sail (!) F. [and IMFS] PE om. a-rere] so in the rest; a-ryre P.] As ho so laith lynes · for to lacche foules. [As] Has P. laith] leid S. lynes] lymes F. lacche] cacche M; take F.] And whenne he drow to þe dore · þanne dymmed hus eyen; [whenne] wenne P.] Line 407 He [thrumbled] at þe þreshefold · and þrew to þe erthe. [He] And I. [thrumbled I] thromlide G; trobled F; trobelode S; stomblede PE; stomlede M. But see A-text. þreshefold] þresc|wolde M; treshfold E. þrew SIF] þreu P; þrew him M; drow E.]

Tho Clement þe cobelere · cauhte hym by þe mydel, [Tho] And I.] For to lyfte hym on loft · he [leyde] hym on hus knees; [For] And for I. he] I om. [leyde I] leide MFG; ledde PES. hus] E om.] Ac gloton was a gret cherl · and gronyd [in] þe liftynge, [cherl] clerk (!) S. groned] agreued I. [in IMSG] on PE. þe] his E. in—liftynge] as he lifte F.] And couhed vp a caudel · in clementes lappe; [And] He M. couhed] couȝ|hed FS; cowed I. clementes] cle|ment S.] Line 412 Ys non so hongry hounde · in hertforde-shire, [Ys] Þat þer is F. hertforde] herfordes E; herforde M.] Þat þorst lape of [þat] leuynge · so vnloueliche hit smauhte. [Þat] IFS om. þorst] dorst E; Dorste S; durste IM; Durst F. lape] so PIMFS; lappe E. [þat IMFSEG] þe P. vnloueliche] vn|semelich S.] With al þe wo of þe worlde · hus wif and hus wenche [þe (2)] þis I. hus (1)] þe E.] Bere hym to hus bedde · and brouhte hym þer-ynne; [to] in-to M. þer-ynne] with|ynne F.] And after al þis excesse · he hadde an accidie, [þis] his M. excesse IMFSE] excessus P. accidie] accesse after I. he—accidie] an accidie he hadde F.] Line 417 He slep saterday and sonday · tyl sonne ȝede to reste. [sonne] þe sonne I.] Thenne awakyde he wel wan · and wolde haue ydronke; [awakyde he] he awakede M; gan he wake I. wel] ful F. wan] E om.] The ferst word þat he spak · was "ho halt þe bolle?" [þat he] þe freek F. halt] haþ M. ho halt] fil fil F.] Hus wif and hys inwit · edwited hym of hus synne; [B page 77] [hys] ys P. hus] F om.] He wax a-shamed, þat shrewe · and shrof hym al-so swithe [S omits. þat shrewe] þerwith F. and] an P; he I. al-so] as IM.] Line 422 To repentaunce ryȝt þus; · "haue reuthe on me," he seyde, [haue] ha F. on] of F.] "Þow lord þat on loft art · and alle lyues shope! [lyues] þyng M.] To þe, god, ich gloton · gulty me ȝelde [me] ich me PE; i me M; but ISF omit ich, which seems super|fluous.] Of my trespas with tunge · ich can nauht telle how ofte, [my trespas] þat I haue tres|past I. with] of my F; wiþ my S.] Line 426

Line 426 Sworen 'þy saule and [þy] sydes' · and 'so help me, God almyghty!' [Sworen] Swore by S. [þy EG] þi M; PS om. þy—sydes] goddes soule and his sides I; soule & sidus F. sydes] side E. and (2)] F om. so] also M. me] M om.] When þat no ned was · meny tyme falsliche. [When þat] Þer I; Wen þat P. ned MS] nede IFE; nud P. was] ne was I. tyme] sithes I. meny—falsliche] falsly many a tyme F.] Line 428 And ouer-sopede at my soper · and som tyme at nones [nones] onus SF.] More þan my kynde · myghte wel defye; [B page 231] [More] Muche more F. kynde] mawe F. wel] I om.] And as an hounde þat et gras · so gan ich to brake, [et M] ete (a worse spelling) PE; eteth IFS (et is contracted from eteth). to] M om.] And spilde þat ich [spele] myghte · ich can nouht speke for shame [B page 77] [spilde] spilte S. [spele IFS] spelide P; spelyd G; aspelid E. ich—myghte] i myȝte haue i-spared M. speke] telle M.] Line 432 The vylenye of my foule mouþe · and of my foule mawe. On fastingdais by-fore none · ich fedde me with ale, [On] And I. by-fore] afore S. ich] I om. with] whit P.] Out of reson, a-mong rybaudes · here rybaudrye to huyre. [rybaudrye] ribaudye IF. huyre] here MFI.] Her-of, good god · graunte me forȝeuenesse, [Her-of] Now here-of F. good] E om. graunte] gif F.] Line 436 Of al my luþer lyuyng · in al my lyf-tyme. [al (1)] S om. lyuyng] lif I.] For ich a-vowe to verrey god · for honger oþer for þurste, [A page 64] [B page 78] [a-vowe] vowe I; afowe E. for (1)] for eny I. oþer] ne M. for (2)] I om.] Shal neuere fish on fryday · defye in my wombe, [on] on þe I. wombe] mawe M.] Tyl abstinence myn aunte · haue ȝeue me leue, [ȝeue] i-ȝeue M.] Line 440 And ȝut haue ich hated hure · al my lyf-tyme." [haue ich] ych haue S.]

Hic explicit passus septimus. [ ISM omit. Hic] EF om.]