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.)

IRA.

¶ Now awaketh wratthe · with two whyte eyen, And nyuelynge with þe nose · and his nekke hangynge. [nyuelynge] neuelynge W; sneuelyng C; sneueling B. þe] his CB. hangynge] hyngyng CB.] ¶ "I am wrath," quod he · "I was sum tyme a frere, And þe couentes Gardyner · for to graffe ympes; [folio 19] [þe] O om. couentes] couent R.] Line 137 On limitoures and listres · lesynges I ymped, [listres] listers C; legistreris O.] Tyl þei bere leues of low speche · lordes to plese, And sithen þei blosmed obrode · in boure to here shriftes. [blosmed] blesmed (so mis|written) C. obrode] abrode CO; a|brood W; R om.] Line 140 And now is fallen þer-of a frute · þat folke han wel leuere [frute] fruyt WCROB. han] haue R. wel] C om.] Schewen her schriftes to hem · þan shryue hem to her persones. [shryue hem] shryuen C.] ¶ And now persones [han] parceyued · þat Freres parte with hem, [persones han] L omits han; but we find persons han W; han per|sones COB; haue persones R. The reading in W alone gives the right sense. parceyued] aperceyued R.] Þise possessioneres preche · and depraue freres, [depraue] dempne C.] Line 144 And freres fyndeth hem in defaute · as folke bereth witnes, [freres] R om.] That whan þei preche þe poeple · in many place aboute, [place] places WRO.] I, wrath, walke with hem · and wisse hem of my bokes. [walke] walkes C. hem] The first time R has hym, but the second time hem.] Þus þei speken of spiritualte · þat eyther despiseth other, [of] of my WR. eyther] aiþer C.] Line 148

Line 148 Til þei be bothe beggers · and by my spiritualte libben, [my] R om.] Or elles alle riche · and riden aboute. [B omits. alle] al W.] Line 150 I, wrath, rest neuere · þat I ne moste folwe [moste] muste OB; mot R.] This wykked folke · for suche is my grace. ¶ I haue an aunte to nonne · and an abbesse bothe, [an aunte] a naunte R. and an] & O. bothe] R om.] Hir were leuere swowe or swelte · þan [suffre] any peyne. [were] hadde W. þan] or O. [suffre WCRB] L has the unusual spelling soeffre.] Line 154 I haue be cook in hir kichyne · and þe couent serued Many monthes with hem · and with monkes bothe. [bothe] alse R.] I was þe priouresses potagere · and other poure ladyes, [priouresses] Prioresse WCO. poure] pouere WC; pouer R; pore OB.] And made hem ioutes of iangelynge · þat dame Iohanne was a bastard, [And—of] I made hir wortes with CB; And made hem iowtes wiþ O. Iohanne] Iohane W; Iohan C; ione R.] And dame Clarice a kniȝtes douȝter · ac a kokewolde was hire syre, [ac] and COB.] And dame Peronelle a prestes file · Priouresse worth she neuere, [Peronelle] Pernele W; peronel RO. she] heo R.] Line 160 For she had childe in chirityme · al owre chapitere it wiste. [she] heo R. chirityme] chirie|tyme WO. chapitere] Chapitre WOB.] ¶ Of wykked wordes I, wrath · here wortes I-made, [I-made] made WCB.] Til 'þow lixte' and 'þow lixte' · lopen oute at ones, And eyther hitte other · vnder þe cheke; [eyther] aither C.] Line 164 Hadde þei had knyues, bi cryst · her eyther had killed other. [Hadde] Ha C. her eyther] eiþer COB.] ¶ Seynt Gregorie was a gode pope · and had a gode forwit, Þat no priouresse were prest · for þat he ordeigned. [prest] preest WO.]

Þei had þanne ben infamis þe firste day · þei can so yuel hele conseille. [ben] be CR. infamis] so in LCRO, and in W (though printed in|fames); but infames in B. þe—day] O om. so—hele] ille holde CB. hele] holde O.] Line 168 ¶ Amonge monkes I miȝte be · ac many tyme I shonye; [ac] and CR. shonye] shonye it W.] For þere ben many felle frekis · my feres to aspye, [feres] feeris W; fieres C.] Bothe Prioure an supprioure · and owre pater abbas; [an] and WCROB.] And if I telle any tales · þei taken hem togyderes, Line 172 And do me faste frydayes · to bred and to water, [do] doon W.] And am chalanged in þe chapitelhous · as I a childe were, [am] ȝeet am R. chapitelhous] Chapitre hous WCB.] And baleised on þe bare ers · and no breche bitwene; [ers] ars B; hers (altered to bak) R. and] B om.] For-þi haue I no lykyng · with þo leodes to wonye. [O omits. þo] B om. leodes] ledes R; leedis B.] Line 176 I ete there vnthende fisshe · and fieble ale drynke; [folio 19b] [vnthende] vnheende O. fieble] feble WROB.] Ac other while, whan wyn cometh · whan I drynke wyn at eue, [Ac] And C. cometh] come C. whan (2)] þanne W; and COB. wyn (2)] wel R; it COB.] I haue a fluxe of a foule mouthe · wel fyue dayes after. [I] And W.] Al þe wikkednesse þat I wote · bi any of owre bretheren, [wote] woot WO; wot B. bretheren] brether C; breþere B.] Line 180 I couth it in owre cloistre · þat al owre couent wote it." [couth] kiþe B; couþe (glossed by make knowe) O. owre (2)] þe COB; R om. wote] woot WCO; wot RB.] ¶ "Now repent þe," quod Repentaunce · "and reherce þow neure Conseille þat þow cnowest · bi contenaunce ne bi riȝte; [riȝte] syȝt O; speche R.] Line 183 And drynke nouȝte ouer delicatly · ne to depe noyther, [nouȝte] nat W; nauȝt R; not OB. noyther] neiþer WOB; neyther R; nowþer C.] Þat þi wille bi cause þer-of · to wrath myȝte torne. [bi] be CROB.]

Esto sobrius," he seyde · and assoilled me after, [and] and so he R.] Line 186 And bad me wilne to wepe · my wikkednesse to amende.