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.)

The kyng and his knightes · to the kirke wente [A page 52] To here matynes of þe day · and þe masse after. Þanne waked I of my wynkynge · and wo was with-alle, [waked] awaked RB. was] C om.] Þat I ne hadde sleped sadder · and yseiȝen more. [sleped] slept W. yseiȝen] yseien B; I-sye O.] Line 4 Ac er I hadde faren a fourlonge · feyntise me hente, [Ac] And C. fourlonge] furlong W; forlong CO; furȝlonge R. feyn|tise] a feyntise O.] That I ne myȝte ferther a-foot · for defaute of slepynge; And sat softly adown · and seide my bileue, [sat] sette me B.] And so I babeled on my bedes · þei brouȝte me a-slepe. [so I] R om. on] vppon R; of O. þei] til þei B.] ¶ And þanne saw I moche more · þan I bifore tolde, [moche] myche O; mykile C. tolde] of tolde W.] Line 9 For I say þe felde ful of folke · þat I bifore of seyde, [say] seiȝ W; sey C; saw O; sauȝ B.] And how resoun gan arrayen hym · alle þe reume to preche, And with a crosse afor þe kynge · comsed þus to techen. [with] O om. afor] bifore C.] Line 12 ¶ He preued þat þise pestilences · [were] for pure synne, [preued] preueþ O. pestilences] pestilence C. [were W] was LCROB; but were seems required.] And þe southwest wynde · on saterday at euene [southwest] south westrene W. wynde] wijnd O. on] vppon a B. euene] eue C.]

Was pertliche for pure pryde · and for no poynt elles. [A page 53] [pure] R om.] Piries and plomtrees · were puffed to þe erthe, Line 16 In ensample, ȝe segges · ȝe shulden do þe bettere. [ȝe segges] þat ȝe segges (printed that the segges) W. ȝe shulden] sholden W; shulden B.] Beches and brode okes · were blowen to þe grounde, Torned vpward her tailles · in tokenynge of drede, [tailles] taile R. in tokenynge] to kenynge R.] Þat dedly synne at domesday · shal fordon hem alle. Line 20 ¶ Of þis matere I myȝte · mamely ful longe, [mamely] mamelen W; mamly B.] Ac I shal seye as I saw · so me god helpe! [Ac] And C. saw] sauȝ WB.] How pertly afor þe poeple · resoun gan to preche. [pertly] apertly B. gan] bigan WB; gand C.] ¶ He bad wastoure go worche · what he best couthe, Line 24 And wynnen his wastyng · with somme manere crafte. [crafte] craftys R.] ¶ And preyed peronelle · her purfyle to lete, [And] He W. peronelle] Per|nele WR.] And kepe it in hir cofre · for catel at hire nede. [folio 17b] [hir] CB om.] ¶ Thomme stowue he tauȝte · to take two staues, [stowue] Stowue C; stouue R; Stowe O; of stowue B; Stowue or Stowne (printed Stowne) W. staues] stones R.] Line 28 And fecche [felice] home · fro þe wyuen pyne. [[felice WCROB] filice L. fro þe] fram R. wyuen] wyuen or wynen LWCO; wyuene or wynene RB. See note to Text A; p. 144.] ¶ He warned watt · his wyf was to blame, [He] And O.] Þat hire hed was worth halue a marke · his hode nouȝte worth a grote. [þat] For W. halue a] half a C; half WROB. his] & his W; & is B. hode] hed C; B om. worth (2)] R om.] And bad bette kut · a bow other tweyne, [bow] bouȝ W; bowghe C. other] outher W; or C. tweyne] tweye WR; tweyen O.] Line 32 And bete betoun þer-with · but if she wolde worche. [if] C om. she] heo R.] And þanne he charged chapmen · to chasten her chil|deren; [chasten] chastiȝen W; chasti|sen O; chaste R.] Late no wynnynge hem forweny · whil þei be ȝonge, [hem] R om. forweny] for|wanye WB; for-wanyen R. whil] þe while R.]

Ne for no pouste of pestilence · plese hem nouȝte out of resoun. [pouste] poustee W.] Line 36 ¶ "My syre seyde so to me · and so did my dame, Þat þe leuere childe · þe more lore bihoueth, And Salamon seide þe same · þat Sapience made,

Qui parcit virge, odit filium.

Þe Englich of þis latyn is · who-so wil it knowe, Line 40 Who-so spareth þe sprynge · spilleth his children." [sprynge] ȝerde B. spilleth] he spilleth R. children] child B.] ¶ And sithen he preyed prelatȝ · and prestes to-gideres, [A page 54] [preyed] prechede W; proued R.] "Þat ȝe prechen to þe peple · preue it on ȝowre-seluen, [ȝowre-seluen] yowselue WR.] And doth it in dede · it shal drawe ȝow to good; Line 44 If ȝe lyuen as ȝe leren vs · we shal leue ȝow þe bettere." [lyuen] leuen WC. leren] lerne R.] ¶ And sithen he radde Religioun · here reule to holde— "Leste þe kynge and his conseille · ȝowre comunes ap|payre, And ben stuwardes of ȝowre stedes · til ȝe be ruled bettre." [stuwardes] stywardes WOB; stiwardes CR.] Line 48 ¶ And sithen he conseilled þe kynge · þe comune to louye, [þe (2)] his W. comune] comunes O.] "It is þi tresore, if tresoun ne were · and triacle at þi nede." [tresore—were] trewe tresor W. ne] R om.] And sithen he prayed þe pope · haue pite on holi|cherche, [pope] erased in R. on] of C.] And er he gyue any grace · gouerne firste hym-selue. Line 52 ¶ "And ȝe that han lawes to kepe · late treuthe be ȝowre coueytise, More þan golde or other gyftes · if ȝe wil god plese; [or other] ouþer W; & oþer O. ȝe] he O.] For who-so contrarieth treuthe · he telleth in þe gospel, [who-so] who B. telleth] telth R.]

That god knoweth hym nouȝte · ne no seynte of heuene,

Amen dico vobis, nescio vos.

[hym] hem R. Amen] Amen amen C.] ¶ And ȝe þat seke seynte James · and seintes of Rome, Line 57 Seketh seynt treuthe · for he may saue ȝow alle; Qui cum patre & filio · þat feire hem bifalle Þat suweth my sermon;" · and þus seyde resoun. [suweth] seweth W; suen O; sueth R; suwes C. resoun] O adds Amen.] Thanne ran repentance · and reherced his teme, [and] O om. teme] tyme C.] Line 61 And gert wille to wepe · water with his eyen. [folio 18] [eyen] eiȝen WB; eyȝes R; yen O. Superbia. This is here written in the margin of LWCO. Further on, we find the other titles, Luxuria, Inuidia, &c.]