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.)

[Prologus.] [

In these foot-notes, the reader will find the rejected readings of the MS., corrections in which have been but very sparingly made.

Besides these, all the more impor|tant parallel passages from the "Vision" are cited, with proper references. Thus, at l. 12, a quota|tion is given from l. 261 of Passus iv. of the C-text, as denoted by C. 4. 261. The C-text has been chosen for refer|ence (where possible) because the reader has it in his hand, and has only to turn back till he finds the passage cited.

]

And as I passid in my preiere · þer prestis were at messe, [folio 107b] In a blessid borugh · þat bristow is named, In a temple of þe trinite · þe toune euen amyddis, That cristis chirche is cleped · amonge þe comune peple, Line 4 Sodeynly þer sourdid · selcouþe þingis, A grett wondir to wyse men · as it well myȝth, And dowtes ffor to deme · ffor drede comynge after. So sore were þe sawis · of bothe two sidis, Line 8 Of Richard þat Regned · so Riche and so noble, That whyle he werrid be west · on þe wilde yrisshe, [whyle; MS. wyle.] Henrri was entrid · on the est half, Whom all þe londe loued · in lengþe and in brede, [Cf. He had be lord of þat londe · in lengthe and in brede; C. 4. 261.] Line 12 And ros with him rapely · to riȝtyn his wronge, [Cf. Two rysen rapliche · and rounede to-geders; C. 7. 383. For ros, the MS. has rosse.] ffor he shullde hem serue · of þe same after.

Thus tales me troblid · ffor þey trewe were, [were; MS. where.] And amarride my mynde rith moche · and my wittis eke: Line 16 ffor it passid my parceit · and my preifis also, How so wondirffull werkis · wolde haue an ende. But in sothe whan þey sembled · some dede repente, As knowyn is in cumpas · of Cristen londis, Line 20 That rewthe was, if reson · ne had reffourmed The myssecheff & þe mysserule · þat men þo in endurid. [endurid; no doubt a corruption of durede, the true old form.] I had pete of his passion · þat prince was of Walis, And eke oure crouned kynge · till crist woll no lenger; And as a lord to his liage · þouȝ I lite hade, Line 25 All myn hoole herte was his · while he in helthe regnid. And ffor I wuste not witterly · what shulde ffall, [wuste; MS. wost; but see Pass. i. ll. 49 and 64, below.] Whedir god wolde ȝeue him grace · sone to amende, To be oure gioure aȝeyn · or graunte it anoþer, Line 29 This made me to muse · many tyme and ofte, [

Cf. Musynge on þis meteles · a myle-wey ich ȝeode.

And meny tymes this me|teles · made me to studie; C. 10. 296.

] For to written him a writte · to wissen him better, And to meuve him of mysserewle · his mynde to reffresshe, Line 32 ffor to preise þe prynce · þat paradise made, To ffullfill him with ffeith · and ffortune aboue, And not to grucchen a grott · aȝeine godis sonde, [Cf. On god, whenne me greued ouht · and grucched of hus sonde; C. 7. 111.] But mekely to suffre · what so him sente were. Line 36 And ȝif him list to loke · a leef oþer tweyne, [folio 108] [Cf. First I lerned to lye · a leef other tweyne; B. 5. 203.] That made is to mende him · of his myssededis, And to kepe him in confforte · in crist and nouȝt ellis,

I wolde be gladde þat his gost · myȝte glade be my wordis, Line 40 And grame if it greued him · be god þat me bouȝte! Ther nys no gouernour on þe grounde · ne sholde gye him þe better— And euery Cristen kyng · þat ony [croune] bereth, [croune; MS. grounde, an ob|vious error, copied from l. 42.] So he were lerned on þe langage · my lyff durst I wedde— [Cf. Ich dorst haue leid my lyue · and no lasse wedde; C. 4. 260.] Line 44 Ȝif he waite well þe wordis, and so werche þerafter; ffor all is tresour of þe trinite · þat turneth men to gode. [Cf. Ther treuthe is, þe trone · þat trinite ynne sitteþ . . Than treuthe & trewe loue · ys no tresour bettere; C. 2. 134—136.] And as my body & my beste · ou[ȝ]te to be my liegis, So rithffully be reson · my rede shulde also, [Cf. —bi Reson, And Rihtful|iche, &c.; A. 1. 92, 93; also, For ryhtfulliche reson; C. 2. 50.] Line 48 ffor to conceill, and I couthe · my kyng and þe lordis; [couthe; MS. couȝthe.] And þer-ffor I ffondyd · with all my ffyue wyttis [For ffondyd, MS. had ffordyd, but it has been altered to ffondyd. Mr Wright prints ffordyd, but see B. 15. 327; and cf. C. 2. 15.] To traueile on þis tretis · to teche men þer-after To be war of wylffulnesse · lest wondris arise. Line 52 And if it happe to ȝoure honde · beholde þe book onys, And redeth on him redely · rewis an hundrid, And if ȝe sauere sum dell · se it fforth ouere, [Cf. ȝut sauereþ me nat þi sawe; C. 11. 107.] ffor reson is no repreff · be the rode of chester! [Cf. bi þe Rode of chestre; B. 5. 467.] Line 56 And if ȝe ffynde ffables · or ffoly þer amonge, Or ony ffantasie yffeyned · þat no ffrute is in, Lete ȝoure conceill corette it · and clerkis to-gedyr, And amende þat ys amysse · and make it more better: Line 60 ffor ȝit it is secrette · and so it shall lenger,

Tyll wyser wittis · han waytid it ouere, That it be lore laweffull · and lusty to here. ffor witterly, my will is · þat it well liked Line 64 Ȝou and all ȝouris · and yonge men leueste, To be-nyme hem her noyes · þat neweth hem ofte. ffor and þey mvse þeron · to þe myddwardis, Line 67 They shall [fynde] ffele ffawtis · ffoure score and odde, [The word fynde has obviously been omitted here; it is not in the MS.] That yough[th]e weneth alwey · þat it be witte euere. And thouȝ þat elde opyn it · oþer-while amonge, And poure on it preuyly · and preue it well after, And constrewe ich clause · with þe culorum, [Cf. þe culorum of þis clause; A. 3. 264; C. 12. 248.] Line 72 It shulde not apeire hem a peere · a prynce þouȝ he were, Ne harme noþer hurte · þe hyghest of þe rewme, But to holde him in hele · and helpe all his ffrendis. [folio 108b] And if ony word write be · þat wrothe make myghte My souereyne, þat suget · I shulde to be, Line 77 I put me in his power · and preie him, of grace, [

Cf. Thenne knelede ich on my knees and criede hure of grace,

And preide hure pytously; C. 2. 76, 77.

] To take þe entent of my trouþe · þat thouȝte non ylle. ffor to wrath no wyght · be my wyll neuere, Line 80 As my soule be saff · ffrom synne at myn ende. Þe story is of non estate · þat stryuen with her lustus, But þo þat ffolwyn her fflessh · and here ffrelle þouȝtis; So if my conceyll be clere · I can saie no more, Line 84 But ho be greued in his gost · gouerne him better, And blame not þe berne · þat the book made, But þe wickyd will · and þe werkis after.