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.)

INUIDIA.

¶ Enuye with heuy herte · asked after scrifte, Line 76 And carefullich mea culpa · he comsed to shewe. He was as pale as a pelet · in þe palsye he semed, [as pale] also pale B. þe] O om. palsye] palacye C.] And clothed in a caurimaury · I couthe it nouȝte dis|creue; [clothed] cluted R. cauri|maury] kaurymaury W; Caurymaury CB; taurimauri (!) R. couthe] coude R. discreue] discryue WCOB; de|scriue R.] In kirtel and kourteby · and a knyf bi his syde, [kourteby] courtepy W; curteby R: curtepy B.] Line 80 Of a freres frokke · were þe forsleues. [þe] his R. forsleues] fore sleues WR.] And as a leke hadde yleye · longe in þe sonne, [leke] leek þat W. yleye] y|leyen C.] So loked he with lene chekes · lourynge foule. ¶ His body was to-bolle for wratthe · þat he bote his lippes, [to-bolle] to-bollen WCO; to|bolne B. bote] boot W; bot R.] Line 84 And wryngynge he ȝede with þe fiste · to wreke hym|self he þouȝte [wryngynge—ȝede] wryngȝed R. þe] his O. fiste] fust W; fuyst B.] With werkes or with wordes · whan he seighe his tyme. [seighe] seyȝ R; say B; saw O.] Eche a worde þat he warpe · was of an Addres tonge, [of] B om. an Addres] an addre R; a neddres W.] Of chydynge and of chalangynge · was his chief lyflode, [and] O om.] With bakbitynge and bismer · and beryng of fals wit|nesse; Line 89 Þis was al his curteisye · where þat euere he shewed hym. [W omits. euere] C om.] ¶ "I wolde ben yshryue," quod þis schrewe · "and I for shame durst; [yshryue] schryuen O. schrewe] sherewe W.] I wolde be gladder, bi god · þat gybbe had meschaunce,

Than þouȝe I had þis woke ywonne · a weye of essex chese. [woke] wouke W; wike B.] Line 93 ¶ I haue a neighbore neyȝe me · I haue ennuyed hym ofte, [A page 56] [neyȝe] by W; nyȝ OB. en|nuyed] anoyed W; enuyed CRO; ennyed B.] And lowen on hym to lordes · to don hym lese his siluer, And made his frendes ben his foon · thorw my false tonge; [made] also R.] Line 96 His grace and his good happes · greueth me ful sore. [greueth] greuen WOB; greues C.] Bitwene many and many · I make debate ofte, Þat bothe lyf and lyme · is lost þorw my speche. And whan I mete him in market · þat I moste hate, [hate] hatye R.] Line 100 I hailse hym hendeliche · as I his frende were; [folio 18b] [hailse] haile B. his] is C.] For he is douȝtier þan I · I dar do non other. Ac hadde I maystrye and myȝte · god wote my wille! [Ac] And C.] ¶ And whan I come to þe kirke · and sholde knele to þe Rode, [kirke] cherche R. to (2)] to|for O.] Line 104 And preye for þe pople · as þe prest techeth, For pilgrimes and for palmers · for alle þe poeple after, [and for] and B.] Þanne I crye on my knees · þat cryste ȝif hem sorwe Þat bar[en] awey my bolle · and my broke schete. [baren] so in OB; beren W; bare RC; bar L. broke] broken OB.] Line 108 ¶ Awey fro þe auter þanne · turne I myn eyghen, [A page 57] [eyghen] eyȝes R; yen O.] And biholde how Eleyne · hath a newe cote; [how] W om. Eleyne] heleyne R; Elyne C. hath] has C.] I wisshe þanne it were myne · and al þe webbe after. [þe] C om. webbe] web WRO; weeb B.] ¶ And of mennes lesynge I laughe · þat liketh myn herte; [mennes] his R. liketh] werkes C; akiþ B. þat—herte] þat myn herte akeþ O.] Line 112 And for her wynnynge I wepe · and waille þe tyme, [And] Ac R. her] his R.]

¶ And deme þat hij don ille · þere I do wel worse; [þat] men þat R. hij] þei WO; huy B.] Who-so vndernymeth me here-of · I hate hym dedly after. [here-of] herof (printed hero) W.] I wolde þat vche a wyght · were my knaue, [I] And I O. vche a] ech a W; Ilk a C. my] my owne O.] Line 116 For who-so hath more þan I · þat angreth me sore. And þus I lyue louelees · lyke a luther dogge, [luther] lyther CR; liþer B.] That al my body bolneth · for bitter of my galle. [bitter] bytterhed B. of] in R.] ¶ I myȝte nouȝte eet many ȝeres · as a man ouȝte, Line 120 For enuye and yuel wille · is yuel to defye; [defye] diffye CO; diffie B.] May no sugre ne swete þinge · asswage my swellynge, [sugre] sucre RB; sugure C.] Ne no diapenidion · dryue it fro myne herte, [diapenidion] diapendioun CB. Ne—diapenidion] For no diapendion may B.] Ne noyther schrifte ne shame · but ho-so schrape my mawe?" [Ne] B om. noyther] neiþer WOB; nouþer C. ne] no R. schrape] schape O.] Line 124 ¶ "Ȝus, redili," quod repentaunce · and radde hym to þe beste, [ȝus] ȝis WR; þis CB; þis (corrected to ȝis) O. redili] rede I O. and] has C; haþ B.] "Sorwe of synnes · is sauacioun of soules." [sauacioun] saluacion C.] ¶ "I am sori," quod þat segge · "I am but selde other, [A page 58] [þat] þe B.] And þat maketh me þus megre · for I ne may me venge. [venge] avenge O.] Line 128 Amonges Burgeyses haue I be · dwellynge At Londoun, [Burgeyses] burgeis C; burgeys R.] And gert bakbitinge be a brocoure · to blame mennes ware. [gert] gart W; grete C; gret B. bakbitinge] bagbytyng R.] Whan he solde and I nouȝte · þanne was I redy [redy] a-redy R.] To lye and to loure on my neighbore · and to lakke his chaffare. [lye] lee C. to lakke] lakke CB. chaffare] ware R.] Line 132

Line 132 I wil amende þis, ȝif I may · þorw myȝte of god almyȝty." [wil] wolde C. þorw] by CB; bi O. myȝte] my (!) C. þorw—of] by dere B.] Line 133