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.)

THo seyde perken plouhman · "by seynt peter of rome, [A page 74] [B page 93] [Tho—perken] Quod perkyn þe I. perken] peres M.] Ich haue an half acre to eren · by þe hye weye. [to—weye] an eryng · & mote sowe hit after E. Cf. l. 3.] Hadde ich ered þat half acre · and sowen hit after, [sowen S] i-sowen M; y-sowe IG. and—after] by þe hey wey E; cf. l. 2.] Ich wolde wende with ȝow · and þe wey teche." [with] wit P.] Line 4 "That were a long lettynge" · quaþ a lady in a skleire, [skleire] chare I.] "What sholde we wommen · worche þe whiles?" [þe] þer M.] "Ich praye ȝow, for ȝoure profit" · quaþ peers to þe ladyes, "Þat somme sewe þe sak · for shedynge of þe whete; [whete] wete P.] Line 8 And ȝe worþly wommen · with ȝoure longe fyngres, [worþly] worthely I; worþi MS. with] wit P.] Þat ȝe on selke and sendel · sewen, whenne tyme ys, [selke] silke EI. sewen] to sewen PE; to sewe I; but MSG omit to. whenne] wenne P. tyme ys] hit is tyme M.] Chesybles for chapelayns · churches to honoure. [Chesybles] For chesyblus S. honoure IMESG] honure P.] Wyues and widowes · wolle and flax spynneþ; Line 12 Conscience consaileþ ȝow · cloþ for to make For profit of þe poure · and plesaunce of ȝow-selue. [poure] poeple I.]

For ich shal lene hem lyflode · bote yf þe lond faile, [A page 75] [B page 94] [hem] ȝow M. yf] I om.] Line 15 As longe as ich lyue · for oure lordes loue in heuene. [lyue IMSEG] leue P; but see l. 57. oure] I om. in] of IMSG.] And alle manere men · þat by þis molde buþ susteyned, [þis] þe I. molde] land M. buþ] beþ S; ben E; is MI.] Helpeþ hem to worche wyghtly · þat wynneþ ȝoure fode." [hem] him MIG. to] IS om. wyghtly] whyghtly P; wyȝtly S; withly M; wittiliche I.] "By cryst," quaþ a knyȝt þo · "he kenneþ ous þe beste; Ac on þe teeme trewely · tauht was ich neuere; [on—teeme] one tyme I. trewe|ly] trywely P.] Line 20 Ich wolde ich couthe," quaþ þe knyȝt · "by cryst and hus moder; Ich wolde a-saye som tyme · for solas, as hit were." "Sykerliche, syre knyȝt" · seide peers þenne, [knyȝt] knyiȝt P; cf. l. 21.] Line 23 "Ich shal swynke and swete · and sowe for us boþe, [us] hus P.] And laboure for þe while þou lyuest · al þy lyf-tyme, [for þe] S om. þe—lyuest] þo þou louest I. lyuest EMS] liuist G; leuest P; cf. l. 57. þy] my ISG.] In couenaunt þat þou kepe · holy [kirke] and my-selue [[kirke I] churche PEMS. my EIG] me PMS.] [Fro] wastours and wyckede men · þat þis worlde struen. [[Fro IMSG] For PE. and] and fro I. þis IMSE] þys G; þus P. struen] struyen E; stryen SG; stroyen I; distryen M.] And go honte hardiliche · to hares and to foxes, [hardiliche] hardileche P. foxes] uoxes M.] Line 28 To bores and to bockes · þat brekeþ a-doune menne hegges; [A page 76] [bockes] buckus S; bukkes lG. a-doune] doun MSE. menne] men E; myn MG; my S.] And faite þy faucones · to culle wylde foules; [B page 95] [And faite] And affaite I; Afaite MSG. þy] þe S. culle] kille þe I.] For þei comen to my croft · my corn to defoule." Corteysliche þe knyȝt þen · comsede þese wordes; [knyȝt] knyitȝ (sic) P; kinge I. þen] þo M. comsede] conseyuede M. þese MS] þise I; þes P; þis E.] Line 32 "By my power, peers · ich plyghte þe my treuthe, To defende þe in faith · fyghte þauh ich sholde."

"And ȝut on poynt," quaþ peers · "ich praye ȝow ouer|more; [ȝut] M om. on] o ES; a I. ouer SG] ouere P; of I; euer E; M om.] Line 35 Loke ȝe tene no tenaunt · bote yf treuth wolle assente. [tene IMSEG] tuene P. yf] IS om. wolle] M om.] Whenne ȝe amercyn eny man · let mercy be taxour, [Whenne] Wenne P; And whan I. amercyn] so PS; amercen M; amercieþ E; mercien I.] And meknesse þy maister · maugre mede chekes. [mede] medes M.] Þauh poure men profre ȝou · presentes and ȝiftes, [Þauh] And þogh I. presentes] presantes P. ȝiftes IMESG] ȝeftes P.] Line 39 Nym hit nat, an aunter · thow mowe hit nat deserue; [Nym] Nymeþ M. thow mowe] ȝe mai M; þou myȝt EG.] For þow shalt ȝulde, so may be · and somdel a-bygge. [shalt] may S. ȝulde] ȝelde MSEG; ȝelden it I. and] or I. a|bygge] abuggen it I.] Mys-beede nouht þy bondemen · þe bet may [þou] spede; [þy] þe M. bondemen ISE] boundemen P; bondeman MG. bet] bettere M. may] myght S. [þou EMSG] þe PI. may þou] þow myȝt M.] Þauh he be here þyn vnderling · in heuene, paraunter, [here] þer-in E.] He worth raþer receyued · and reuerentloker sette;

Amice, ascende superius.

[sette] sitte MISG. Amice, &c.] M om.] Line 44 At churche in þe charnel · cheorles aren vuel to knowe, [in þe] or in M. cheorles] cherles IMS; chorles E. aren] beþ S. vuel] yuel E; euyl S; euel IM.] Oþer a knyght fro a knaue · oþer a queyne fro a queene. [knyght] kyng M. fro (1)] or I. oþer] MS om. queyne] queene EG; quene IMS. queene] quene EG.] Hit by-comeþ to a knyght · to be curteys and hende, [to (1)] for M. a] þe ISG.] Trewe of hys tonge · tales loth to huyre, [B page 96] [hys] þy IG. huyre] hure E; here M; heere I.] Line 48 Bote þei be of bounte · of batailes and of treuthe. [and] or I.] Hald nat of harlotes · huyre nat here tales, [of] wiþ none I. huyre] hure E; her M; ne heere I.] Nameliche atte mete · suche men eschewe; [Nameliche] Ac nameliche I. atte] at þe IM; at S. eschewe IMSG] eschywe P; eschiwe E.] Hit ben þe deueles disours · to drawe men to synne. [Hit—þe] For it ben I.] Line 52

Line 52 Contreplede nat conscience · ne holy [kirke] ryghtes." [Contreplede] Ne counterplede I. [kirke I] churche PES; chyrche M; chirchis G.] "Ich assente, by seynt Gyle" · seyde þe knyght þenne, "For to worche by þy witt · and my wyf boþe." "Ich shal aparaile me," quaþ perkyn · "in pylgrymes wyse, [A page 77] [Ich shal] And I schal I. aparaile] paraile I. in] in a M.] Line 56 And wende with alle þo · þat wolle lyue in treuthe." [with] wit P. wolle] wolden I.] He caste on hym hus cloþes · of alle kynne craftes, [He] And I. hym] M om.] Hus cokeres and hus cuffes · as kynde witt hym tauhte, And heng hus hoper on hus hals · in stede of a scrippe; [heng] hyng M. in] in þe M.] A boussel of bred-corn · brouht was þer-ynne. [boussel] buschel ESG; busschel M.] Line 61 "For ich wolle sowe hit my-self · and sitthe wol y|wende [ywende] so PE; I wende IMS.] To pylgrimages, as [palmers] don · pardon to wynne. [pylgrimages] pilgrimage M. [palmers EIS] palmeres MG; pil|grymes P (by mistake).] My plouh-fot shal be my pyk-staf · and picche a two þe rotes, [plouh-fot] plowbat S. picche—two] putte a-wai M.] Line 64 And help my culter to kerue · and clanse þe forwes. [forwes] forewes MS.] And alle þat helpen me to erye · oþer elles to weden, [weden] wende (wrongly) E.] Shal haue leue, by oure lorde · to go and glene after, [leue by] loue of M; leue of G. to—and] forte M. glene] clene S. after] after me I.] And make hym murye þer-myd · maugre ho by-grucche. [myd] wiþ MS. maugre ho] malgre who I; whose euere M. by|grucche] by-grucche hit S; bygroch it I.] And alle kynne crafty men · þat conne lyue in treuthe, [B page 97] Ich shal fynde hem fode · þat feythfullech lybben; Saf Iack [þe] Iogelour · and Ionette of þe styues, [[þe IMG] PES om. Iogelour] gogeler M. of þe] of MG; at S. styues] stywes I.] And danyel þe dees-pleyere · and denote þe baude, [þe (1)] E om. denote IMSG] denete P; denyce E.] Line 72 And al-so frere faytour · and folke of [þat] ordre, [al-so] also þe M; I om. [þat IMSEG] þe P.]

Þat lollers and loseles · for leel men halden, [Þat] Þat ben M. lollers] loreles M. for] þat M; I om.] And Robyn þe rybaudour · for hus rusty wordes. For treuthe tolde me ones · and bade [me] telle [hit] forthere, [[me EIMSG] P om. [hit MS] it I; PEG om.] Line 76 Deleantur de libro uiuencium · Ich sholde nat dele with hem, [Misarranged in all the copies, which put Deleantur—uiuen|cium in one line, Ich—hoteþ in a second, and of hem—scribantur in a third; but see B-text.] [After uiuencium E inserts & cum iustis non scribantur (unneces|sarily). Ich] I ne M. hem] him E.] For holy churche hoteþ · of hem to aske no tythe, [A page 78] [Misarranged in all the copies, which put Deleantur—uiuen|cium in one line, Ich—hoteþ in a second, and of hem—scribantur in a third; but see B-text.]

Quia cum iustis non scribantur.

[to aske] þat askeþ M. hoteþ—tuthe] is hote of hem no tiþe aske I.] Thei ben ascaped good aunter · now god hem amende!" Dame worche-when-tyme-is · peers wyf hyhte; [when] wen P. is] his P. hyhte] hatte S.] Line 80 Hus douhter hihte do-ryght-so- · oþer-þy-damme-shal|þe-bete; [hihte] heithe P (but see l. 82); hiȝte MI; hiȝt E; hatte S. damme] so PM; dame IESG.] Hus sone hihte suffre- · þy-souereynes-haue-here-wil-, [hihte] hatte S.] Deme-hem-nouht-for-yf-þow-do- · thow-shalt-dere-abigge. [for] I om. do] dost I. dere abigge] it dere abegge I; hit dere a-bigge G.] "Consaile nat þe comune · þe kyng to displese, [nat] nat so I.] Line 84 Ne hem þat han lawes to loke · lacke hem nat, ich hote, [loke] kepe S. lacke] lawe (!) S. hote] hote þe I.] Let god worthe with al · as holy writ techeþ;

Super cathedram moysi sedent, et cetera;

[worthe] I-worþe I; worche S. techeþ] techeþ þe I; telleþ M. se|dent] sedebant E; S om.] Maistres, as þe meyres ben · and grete men senatours, [ben] I om. men] M om.] What þei comaunde as by þe kyng · contrepleide hit neuere, Line 88 Al þat þey hoten, ich hote · heyliche, thow suffre hem; [þey IES] þei M; miswritten þe P; cf. l. 88. hote] hote þe E.] By here warnyng and worchyng · worch þow þer-after;

Omnia que dicunt, facite & seruate;

[By] And after I. and] and heore M.] Ac after here doynge do þow nat · my dere sone," quaþ peers. [do] ne do I.] "For now ich am old and hor · and haue of myn owene, [old—hor] hore & old S.] To penaunces and to pilgrimages · ich wol passe with oþere; [with] wiþ þis I.] Line 93 For-thi ich wolle, er ich wende · do wryten my by|quyste. [For-thi] For-whi M. er] or MS. do] to M. Testamentum, &c.] in PE only.]